NWEA testing will be conducted virtually by classroom teachers when we return from break. Testing will occur after Morning Meetings on Wed., 1/6 (NWEA Math) and Wed., 1/13 (Reading). Also, Acadience testing will also occur in January. Classroom teachers will communicate testing dates with families since they vary from teacher to teacher. Thank you for remembering to refrain from supporting your child on these assessments. This data helps us measure student progress and determine instructional strengths and needs.

Vestibule hours at Scott School have been extended again. Now our vestibule is open Monday-Friday from 7 a.m. - 7 p.m. on days that school is in session for packets and other materials to be picked up by families. Unfortunately, the vestibule is no accessible on weekends and holidays as well as any day school is not in session per the district calendar. Should you need to drop off or pick something up in the vestibule after Friday, 12/18, you may do so on Monday, 1/4 and thereafter.

Your child's education, safety, and social-emotional health is important, especially during times like this where uncertainly can create many emotional responses. You and your family matter to us, and we want to partner with you for a successful school year. Now that we are further into the school year, remote instruction may look differently for students based on their needs. The time and frequency that teachers are meeting with students may change too due to the addition of small group instruction in addition to whole group instruction. If necessary, a phone call from our social worker or the principal may occur to help support remote learning at home if we are noticing online absences and/or incomplete/missing work from students. Please know that we are here to continue to support your child and your family no matter if we provide in person or remote instruction. We want your child to have school success! Below are some important guidelines to help families support their child.

Guidelines for Parents/Guardians/Adults at Home:

• Help students to log into live sessions every day. Try to ensure that your child is in a good learning routine with reduced distractions.

• Ensure that students turn in completed work during the regular school day as much as possible. Work turned in late or in the evening is difficult for teachers to assess and provide immediate feedback to students.

• Allow for your child to complete work independently. Adults at home are not to complete work for students. Do not give answers to your child. We understand that you must support your child's work at home, however, when something is to be completed by your child independently, please allow them to do so without your help. It's important that we know what students can and cannot do so instruction can be provided to support their needs and enhance their strengths.

• Teachers are getting a high volume of questions about things that have already been communicated via email and/or newsletters. Therefore, we request that you read all teacher communication carefully. If you have a question, please refer back to teacher communication that was previously sent before contacting the teacher with a question that may have already been addressed.

Just a friendly reminder that students will receive standards based grades for specials. Grades reflect proficiency based on completion of assignments in Google Classroom and/or in person instruction. Also, live specials times for remote learners is optional and purely an opportunity for students to connect with each of their specials teachers. Attending live specials times for remote learners is not an obligation for students. Attendance at these live meets is not taken and counted for or against student performance in specials.

DeWitt Public Schools is in need of instructional assistants. Please consider applying if you think you would enjoy working in a school with students, or pass this information along to anyone you know who you think this would be a perfect match for. Thank you!

https://www.applitrack.com/ccresa/onlineapp/1BrowseFile.aspx?id=52766

Did you know?

DeWitt Public Schools is offering free food kits for kids! Wondering what is in the food kits? Wondering what the pickup process is like? Check out the video link below to see Mrs. Nash (Herbison Woods' Counselor) "unpack" DPS food kits for her family!

Video Link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEus93aQcLQ&feature=youtu.be

Important things to know...

• Food kits are 7 days of food! (1 breakfast and 1 lunch each day)

• They are FREE for all children up to age 18 and young adults with special needs up to age 26

• Pick up is EASY - No application, no questions asked!

• Food kits are available to EVERYONE no matter what your level of need! Please use this resource if it could help you financially, or even if just with time management/stress levels by giving you prepared meals that you don't need to think about! They are meant to take something off your hands!

• FACT: the more we use this program, the more resources the school has access to in return! So, let's take advantage of this program!

Other links and contact information:

• DPS Food Service (see this page for more information on the food kit program)

• Questions? Feel free to contact any of the people listed below:

  • Food Service

    • Sandy Leach, Food Service Director, 517-668-3138, leachsand@dewittschools.net

  • DPS Student Services:

    • Schavey: Amanda Brown, 517-668-3508, brownama@dewittschools.net

    • Scott School: DeAnn Schwarz, 517-668-3446, schwarzdea@dewittschools.net

    • Herbison Woods: Abby Nash, 517-668-3346, nashabi@dewittschools.net

    • Dewitt Middle School:

      • Meghan Suty (Blue Team) 517-668-3244, sutymeg@dewittschools.net

      • Kim Hunt (Gold Team), 517-668-3245, huntkim@dewittschools.net

    • DeWitt High School:

      • Steve Crowly, 517-668-3156, crowleys@dewittschools.net

      • Jessica Gleeson, 517-668-3113, gleesonjes@dewitschools.net

      • Teresa Paterson, 517-668-3146, pattersont@dewittschools.net

School pictures have been moved to Thursday, March 11th. We are hoping to be back to full in person instruction with the need for fewer COVID protocols in place by that time.

If your child is going to be "absent" and miss school, even if they are a online learner, please be sure to call our attendance line at 517-668-3458. We are required to take attendance even when students are learning remotely, so we want to be sure to account for our students and excuse absences in Infinite Campus. If your child is learning remotely, you should also communicate absences to your child's teacher. We care about our students and worry about them when they aren't in class or online on days they are supposed to be.