Dear Scott School Families,

Winter testing is complete = yay!  DIBELS reports have been sent home, and you can expect NWEA reports to come home next Friday, 2/13.  Our Scott School Leadership Team will also be data diving next week to analyze how we performed school-wide and by grade level while celebrating areas of growth and developing a plan to tackle improvement opportunity areas.  

With Valentine's Day nearing, love is in the air, and we certainly appreciate students demonstrating kind and respectful behavior towards one another.  However, we are working hard to teach our young learners that having romantic relationships can wait until they get much older.  Thank you for reinforcing a similar message at home if you discover that this has become an interest area for your child.  Helping second and third graders navigate what is developmentally appropriate at this age is important to their maturational growth.  Kids grow up fast enough as it is, so there will be plenty of time for romantic relationships and dating someday if and when they're truly ready.

Thank you to our families who consistently follow our school guidelines by using our car loop to drop off and pick up students.  This creates a predictable and efficient campus environment for pedestrians and drivers and assists us in supervising students before and after school in a safe way.  When everyone pitches in and follows guidelines such as these, it makes for a friendly, low stress transition to and from school for students, staff, and parents alike.  Our pick up loop at the end of the day takes no longer than 10-minutes from start to finish.  Word throughout town is it's the fastest one in the district, so don't fret that you'll get stuck in traffic and not make it where you need to be on time.

Warm regards,

Linda Reha

Scott School Principal

Each week every classroom at Scott School has a Panther Pride drawing from all Panther Pride slips earned by students for demonstrating respectful, responsible, safe, and bucketfilling behavior.  Lucky drawing winners are invited to a special Panther Pride event at the end of the month with Mrs. Reha and Mrs. Schwarz which was Panther Pride Bingo this month.

Students have been enjoying their time participing in the after school STEM Club led by Mrs. Toth.  This club and many others are available for all students to sign up for through Community Education classes found on our DPS website.

Several students have also been enjoying their time participing in the after school Game Club which Mrs. Toth runs too.  This club and many others are available for all students to sign up for through Community Education classes found on our DPS website.

Scott Elementary School families,

Our PE Teacher, Ms. Brya, is excited to help create a community of lifesavers and is asking you to join her. Sign up today to receive a wristband! This year, we have an important goal to have 100% of our families learn the lifesaving skill of Hands-Only CPR! It only takes a few minutes to learn, and it can make all the difference in an emergency.

1. Sign Up for Kids Heart Challenge by downloading the free “AHA Schools” app for Apple or Android or by clicking HERE.

2. Be a hero: Send 10 texts TODAY to help save lives.

3. Complete Finn’s Mission: Complete all 7 steps, learn Hands-Only CPR, and be entered to win

two Super Bowl tickets!

By signing up and raising funds, you can help us earn gift certificates for physical activity and recess equipment to support the health & wellness of our school community. Let’s work together to create a community of lifesavers. Thank you for your support in helping us achieve this incredible goal!

The Kids Heart Challenge begins on January 28th at Scott School.  Thank you for your support!

Below is a message from our DeWitt PTA.

Super Bowl Fundraiser – Sunday, February 8 at Peppino’s Pizzeria DeWitt
For every pizza sold, $1 will be donated to the DeWitt Elementary PTA to support our schools and students. Whether you’re hosting a watch party or just love pizza, join us in making a difference—one slice at a time!

Community Share Night – Culver’s of DeWitt, Tuesday, February 17 | 5–8 PM
Join the PTA at Culver’s of DeWitt and donate while you dine! Culver’s has generously offered to donate a portion of their sales during this time to the DeWitt Elementary PTA.

No flyer or code needed. Drive-thru, dine-in, carry-out, and online orders at culvers.com are included (delivery services excluded).

STEAM Family Event – Saturday, March 21 | 3–5 PM at Herbison Woods Elementary
Mark your calendars for an afternoon of hands-on fun and learning! The DeWitt Elementary PTA is excited to host our 3rd annual STEAM Family Event—a celebration of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math for the whole family.

Don’t forget to register for this FREE event! The first 200 students will receive a swag bag at the event. 

Registration link: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/steam-family-event

Below is a communication from Kevin Robydek that will be going out to all DPS families this afternoon regarding free school meals for the current school year.  

Dear DPS Families,

We’re excited to share some wonderful news! The Michigan Legislature has approved the 2025–2026 state budget, which includes continued funding for the Michigan School Meals Program. This means that all DeWitt Public Schools students will continue to receive free breakfast and lunch this school year, regardless of household income.

While this funding remains in place, the State of Michigan now requires every family to complete the Education Benefits Form each year. This form is quick and easy to fill out, and it plays a crucial role in helping our district qualify for important state and federal funding. These funds support classroom instruction, technology, student support services, staffing, and our school meal programs.

You can now easily complete the Education Benefits Form online at dewitt.familyportal.cloud simply click “Apply for Benefits” to get started. Please complete the form as soon as possible to help us secure essential funding that supports classroom instruction, technology, student services, and more. Even though all students receive free meals, submitting this form is important for maintaining these valuable programs.

If you have any questions or need assistance, please feel free to reach out to our Food Service Director, Megan Haase, at meganhaase@dewittschools.net.

Thank you for partnering with us to maintain these valuable programs and ensure that every student has access to healthy meals and strong educational support.

Sincerely,
Kevin Robydek, Ed.S., Superintendent

DeWitt Public Schools will continue to offer free breakfast and lunch to students this year.  Although this is a cut that legislators are considering within the education budget that has not yet been approved, DPS is committed to offering this important food program to students with hopes this continues to be funded by our state.  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 throughout the 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.)

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 (including cough drops) to your child, a parent guardian 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.