Dear Scott School Families,

Parent/Teacher Conference week is always a busy one, yet it is rewarding to share student progress and set new learning goals. Thank you for attending and being a vital part of your child's education. Strong partnerships and teamwork help students grow in various ways, reach their fullest potential, and become all that they can be. Your involvement is impactful!

The cold weather has arrived, so it's time for students to suit up in winter weather gear. Please help your child be weather-ready by retiring shorts (unless they are accompanied by leggings underneath) and wearing a coat daily. Soon enough, snowflakes will be falling, and additional winter gear will be needed. Thanks in advance for dusting off boots, locating pairs of mittens or gloves, and pulling out a stocking cap so your child can enjoy playing outside during recess while staying warm. A popular playground activity at Scott School is sledding each winter, and proper attire is necessary to participate.

As Michiganders, we know that cold weather brings cold and flu season. We are grateful to parents and guardians for helping prevent the spread of illness by keeping children home when they are ill while also managing the balancing act of knowing when to send a child to school and when to keep them home. Attendance matters, and in partnership with Clinton County RESA, DeWitt Public Schools wants to work with families to support student attendance. Attendance Is Where It's At! is one initiative to support this effort. If you've misplaced the DPS Attendance Tracker Magnet that was sent home and are looking for a replacement, please reach out and let us know. We are happy to send another one home. In addition, this DPS Illness Chart may be a useful tool for you and your child to help determine when attending school is appropriate and when staying home to rest and recover is the best choice.

Grateful to serve,

Linda Reha

Scott School Principal

MSTEP testing is in the spring each year, and third graders take it for the first time in their educational career.  Below is data from last year's third graders, and we couldn't be prouder of their performance and the hard work and dedication of our staff.  Way to go!

Above is 2026 third grade ELA MSTEP performance compared to 13 other local peer districts (local districts with the most comparable demographics to DeWitt).  Districts are ranked in order of top performance.

1. Okemos

2. DeWitt

3. Haslett

4. Williamston

5. Grand Ledge

6. East Lansing

7. Fowlerville

8. Mason

9. St. Johns

10. Holt

11. Charlotte

12. Portland

13. Eaton Rapids

14. Waverly

Mrs. Fields' second grade class earned the most donations for our annual Fun Run fundraiser, so they were awarded a silly string recess with Mrs. Reha.  First though, she helped students make shields to use during the fun celebration.  It was a high-energy event that was a thrill to participate in, created many opportunities for laughter, and proved to be a joyful experience had by all.

Our pick up center for students is outside near the car loop, so students will stand outside to wait for their ride in the elements.  Families are encouraged to send an umbrella or rain gear with their child to 'weather the storm'.  Exceptions to standing outside for pick up are rare, but do occur occasionally if it is lightning or significantly below zero with expert recommendations to remain inside.

Below is a message from our DeWitt PTA.

Pasta for the Panthers: Help Us Make a BIG Impact!

Pasta for the Panthers is our biggest fundraiser of the year, and we're counting on our amazing Panther community to help make it a success! Funds raised support free, family-friendly activities throughout the year, but most importantly, allow us to provide $15,000 in Teacher and Building Grants that directly benefit our elementary students, teachers, and schools.

There are THREE ways you can help support our fundraiser!

Staff Experience Raffle

Our amazing teachers, staff members, and sports coaches have donated some incredible experiences, and now it's your chance to win!

Raffle tickets are $10 each, and you can choose which experiences you'd like to enter to win. From special activities with your favorite staff members to unique experiences you won't find anywhere else, there's something for everyone!

View All Raffle Experiences: https://www.ptadewitt.org/raffleprizes2026.html

We'll have additional opportunities to purchase tickets outside of our December 4 event. In the meantime, if you'd like to purchase tickets, reach out to us at info@ptadewitt.org or send us a message on Facebook and we'll coordinate!

The drawing will take place Saturday, December 5, and winners will be notified by email.

Online Auction

Our annual online auction opens Wednesday, November 25, and runs through Friday, December 4 at 7:00 PM!

We've got some AMAZING items and experiences donated by our generous community, including:

• Lighting the Christmas Tree at the Downtown Light Parade

• Riding to School in a Firetruck

• Comprehensive Orthodontic Treatments

• And MANY more!

Browse the Auction: https://tinyurl.com/pftpauction

Pasta for the Panthers Event

Friday, December 4 | 5:30–7:30 PM
DeWitt High School

Join us for a fun evening of food, family, and Panther pride! Enjoy a delicious pasta dinner, check out our auction items in person, and get your raffle tickets for a chance to win one of our amazing staff experiences.

Meal tickets are on sale NOW!

Purchase Your Meal Tickets: https://tinyurl.com/pftp2026

Bring the family, invite your friends, and help us reach our fundraising goal! Every ticket, bid, and donation makes a difference for our elementary schools.

We can't do it without YOU, Panthers!

Tickets for the 8th Grade Musical Production of Rockin' Robin Hood are now on sale online through the Seat Yourself website!

https://dewittms.seatyourself.biz

Tickets are $10 Reserved Seating and are available for purchase online and at the auditorium doors the night of the show. Online sales will close at 5:00 PM the night of the show, but can be purchased at the DMS auditorium doors before the performance. $5 student tickets are sold at the door the night of the show. Performances are 11/20 and 11/21 at 7:00 PM in the DMS Auditorium.

DeWitt Public Schools will continue to offer free breakfast and lunch to students this year.  Menus can be found here and will be updated soon.  We are grateful to families and our community members who donate healthy, no nut snacks to classrooms and our snack pantry which also provides our students brain and body fuel when they forget to bring a snack on a given day.  Your partnership in removing hunger as a barrier to learning and child development makes a lifelong impact.  Thank you!

Student safety is a priority.  Please bring proper identification each time your child is picked up from school.  Here are some ways adults picking up students can be identified:

• Physical ID (ie. driver's license)

• Personal ID by office staff

• Other identification proof such as utility bills or other statements, credit card, etc., AND answer personal information that we have in Infinite Campus (ie. phone number, child's birthdate, etc.)

Thank you to the many families who have reached out and asked what donations they can make to Scott School.  Here is a list of things that we're always in need of:

• Healthy, no nut (doesn't contain nuts and is processed and packaged in a factory without nuts), individually packaged snacks

• Balls (basketballs, kickballs, soccer balls, and footballs)

• Disinfectant wipes

• Hand sanitizer

• Paper towels

There are some Scott students who have health-threatening nut allergies in our building.  Scott School is a 'No Nut' building.  Pack items that do not contain nuts for your child's lunch and snack.  It is critically important that we provide a safe learning environment for all students, and your help with this is needed and appreciated.  Please always contact your child's teacher if you have a concern about an allergy or other health condition related to your child that they should be aware of.  Also, if your child has a medical need, including food or other allergies, don't forget to update your child's Medical Management Plan by completing and submitting the district forms to the office before school starts so we can follow protocols to keep your child safe.

In order for Scott School personnel to administer medication to your child when we return to in person instruction, you must:

• Submit a completed district medication form to our office. 

• Be sure all medications are brought to and stored in our office. 

• Be sure prescription medication is in its original container accompanied with a physician’s signature. 

• Be sure non-prescription medication is in its original container accompanied by a parent’s signature. 

• Please communicate with your child's teacher if he/she takes medication daily at school. 

• If your child has a medical condition, please be sure to complete a Medical Management Plan for your child and turn it in at the office.

Medication and other medical forms can be found on our DeWitt Public Schools website.

Our school social worker, Mrs. Schwarz, is always willing to assist students and families in any way possible.  In addition to working closely with your child's teacher, consider reaching out to her if you have questions or need support.  She is truly amazing at what she does!  She can be reached at 517-668-3446 or schwarzdea@dewittschools.net.