Dear Scott School Families,

When they reported that Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow on Groundhog Day, I somewhat believe his mammal brain and instincts really knew we were in for six more weeks of winter.  The past week has surely shown that he was probably right by the amount of snowfall accomulations we've received as well as the artic temperature we've experienced this week.  Although I truly enjoy winter, I am getting a springtime itch for longer days and warmer weather.  In the meantime, please continue to send your child with warm winter wear to bundle up for outdoor recess and coming to and leaving from school until spring starts to show promising signs of the brisk weather being behind us.

I say it often, but time really does fly when we're having fun learning, growing, and making connections.  Our second trimester will be coming to an end on Friday, February 28th, and watching our second and third graders rise to challenges, overcome obstacles, and express jubilance when discovering and learning new things is one of the biggest privileges and joys of being an educator.  Thank you for giving me and our Scott School team the opportunity to make memories with your child during their elementary school journey.

With deep appreciation,

Linda Reha

Scott School Principal

Several Scott students who were first trimester perfect attendance award recipients presented at the DeWitt School Board Meeting on February 10th.  With the leadership of third grade teacher, Ms. Taylor Villarreal, Scott School is piloting the Present Punctual Panther Program this year to recognize students for their consistent school attendance.  We are hoping to grow this program over time to recognize quality student attendance in additional ways in an effort to reduce chronic absenteeism, which has been on the rise since the pandemic.  This informative slideshow provides DPS K-5 details about attendance trends and is a must read.

Valentine celebrations were abundant at Scott School.  Here are some moments captured in pics.

What do our Panther Pride winners earn during the winter months for demonstrating lifeskills such as being respectful, responsible, safe, and/or for being a bucketfiller?  Well, bingo of course!  This fun event occurs every month and students who have earned Panther Pride tickets are selected randomly from classroom drawings to join in the fun.

Please follow our safety guidelines and expectations for dropping students off and picking them up.  

1. USE the car loop!  It is designed to safely and efficiently drop students off and pick them up, and generally all vehicles are safely through the loop in 10 minutes or less.

2. TURN RIGHT ONLY when leaving the car loop.  This prevents vehicles exiting from having to cross traffic, and this also speeds up the efficiency of our drop off and pick up system.

3. AVOID parking in the parking lot, in parking spots in front of the school, and in no parking zones when dropping off and picking up your student.  This improves everyone's safety and efficiency and allows our staff to be to work on time because they are not competing for parking spots.

4. AVOID parking and vacating your vehicle when it is in line.  That forces traffic to go around vehicles and sometimes drivers don't realize a vehicle is vacant, so they wait for it to start moving.

5. AVOID circumnavigating our procedures by dropping your child off in other locations near the school.  We have adult supervision only by our bus loop and car loop, and we worry about our students when they walk to a different pick up location because sometimes drivers are late.  This creates a lot of stress for our young learners and is also a safety concern.

6. FOLLOW our 8:10 a.m. drop off time and no earlier.  We provide supervision inside and outside of the building for students starting at 8:10 a.m.

7. PROMPT your student to exit and enter your vehicle anywhere in the blue curb zone.  Although everyone enjoys to get as close as they can to where they are walking to, this holds up other vehicles.

Below is a message from our DeWitt PTA.

Staff Membership Drive Update
100% of our teachers are now members of the DeWitt Elementary PTA! We are so grateful for the donations throughout the month of January that allowed us to show our amazing staff how much we appreciate them and their commitment to making our schools the best they can be.

Pizza for the PTA
Planning your Super Bowl Sunday snacks? On Sunday, February 9th, from 11 AM to 9 PM, Peppino’s of DeWitt is donating $1 per pizza sold to the PTA! Your pizza purchase helps fund family-friendly events, Teacher and Building Grants, and more. Enjoy a great meal while supporting our schools!

STEAM Family Event – Saturday, March 8th, 4-6 PM
Join us for an evening of hands-on fun at our FREE STEAM Family Event! Explore exciting activities in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math. Don’t forget to register here: https://tinyurl.com/dewittsteam2025

Tis the season to bust out all that winter weather wear so your child is equipped for cold elements while coming and going to school and also for recess outside on the playground.  Please help your child select proper winter indoor clothing on a daily basis to wear to school too.  Although shorts are comfortable and stylish, they are best suited for warm weather months, not for the blistery cold ones.  Outdoor apparel such as a winter coat, warm hat, and gloves or mittens are essential items.  When the snowy Michigan weather hits, snow pants and boots are also necessary.  A scarf is certainly another great accessory to keep warm, but isn't a must.  Thank you for helping your child be ready for Jack Frost weather temps and equipped for some fun in the snow.

Below are the dates for Collaborative Learning Time (CLT) and professional development this year.  Thank you in advance for supporting these days which allow our teachers to participate in training and be continuous lifelong learners to support student success.

• August 20 & 21 - Full Days for Professional Development (before school starts)

• August 26 - Early Release for CLT (dismissal at 11:42 a.m.)

• September 27 - Full Day Professional Development (no school)

• October 16 - Early Release for CLT (dismissal at 11:42 a.m.)

• November 5 - Full Day Professional Development (no school)

• February 14 - Early Release for CLT (dismissal at 11:42 a.m.)

• March 19 - Early Release for CLT (dismissal at 11:42 a.m.)

• May 14 - Early Release for CLT (dismissal at 11:42 a.m.)

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.)

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.

School breakfast and lunch are available and free to all students.  Additional information will be provided to families soon about how to sign up for this opportunity with additional information about our food service program.  Menus can be found here and will be updated soon.

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.  

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Please see the information below regarding information on programs available to you and your student(s).

The Weekend Kit Program will, again, be provided at Scott School this year. This program is supplemental to the free breakfast and lunch programs offered at school every day and is intended to meet the nutritional needs of children during non-school hours, specifically over weekends or longer breaks.  Weekend Kits are designed to slip discreetly into your child’s backpack and are available at no cost to your family. There are no eligibility requirements to participate in this program.  Each Weekend Kit includes breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack items and contains enough food to last each child two weekends. Foods included are kid-friendly items that are easy for your child to prepare or help prepare.  Food kits will be sent home from school with your student, typically on Fridays. Upon enrollment in this program you will begin receiving a food pack every 1-2 weeks. 

The Old Newsboys Association helps our community by providing children with either shoes or boots. If your child needs new shoes or boots and the purchase of them would be a financial burden, please contact me so that I may get you the necessary forms. It is not necessary to include your income information if your child qualifies for free or reduced lunch. We will forward your form to the Old Newsboys Association and they will send you a voucher for either shoes or boots. You may include all school age children on one family request form, even if they attend different buildings. Please do not send in duplicate requests if you included your child on another form.  

To enroll in either of these programs, please call or email me at 517-668-3446 or schwarzdea@dewittschools.net, and be sure to please reach out if you have any questions.  

Sincerely,

DeAnn Schwarz

Scott School Social Worker