Dear Scott School Families,

We are looking forward to meeting with families next week for Parent/Teacher Conferences.  Whether it be in person or virtually, we hope you can make it.  Also, remember that next week we have a half day of school on Thursday, March 26th and no school on Friday, March 27th to kick off Spring Break.  If you're going on a vacation or planning a staycation, I hope you have a safe and enjoyable time, and we'll see students again when school resumes on Monday, April 6th.

Warm wishes,

Linda Reha

Scott School Principal

It's always an amazing experience for students when local and state officials visit Scott School, and our second graders sure had a treat recently when our own Mayor, Sue Leeming, made a trip to Scott to present to classrooms during second grade government and economics units.  This real world connection was not only authentic to what second graders are learning in social studies, but also to an important official right here in DeWitt, Mi.

Scott School spring Parent/Teacher Conferences are next week.   A Parent-Teacher Conference SignUp Genius was sent to families on March 6th, and to accommodate families, we are continuing to offer both an in person and a virtual option to choose from.  If all in person conference slots fill up though, and you prefer to meet with your child's teacher in person, just reach out to the teacher, and he/she will be happy to accommodate you.  Conferences nights are as follows:

In Person Conferences - Tuesday, March 24th from 4-7:30 p.m.

Virtual Conferences - Wendesday, March 25th from 4-7:30 p.m.

Uh-oh! We’ve discovered a mountain of missing items — hats, sweatshirts, gloves, and mittens are waiting to go home!  If something belongs to your student, please stop by and claim it before March 24th.  Anything still left after that date will be donated to help others stay warm.  Please come check the Lost & Found if your child is missing some gear.  

Spring testing at Scott School will begin the second week after we return from Spring Break.  Although some classes may have to adjust their schedule due to some conflicts, below is a general guideline of what to expect.  Please remember that these assessments are not ones that students can study for, but you can help your student be test ready by making sure your child:

• Gets a good night of sleep before each testing day.

• Eats a healthy breakfast.

• Attends school on testing days and be on time (students arriving late on testing days cannot test once a test session has started).

• Perseveres and gives his/her very best effort.

• Brings headphones or earbuds for testing (3rd grade needs a pair for the M-STEP ELA assessment, and 2nd grade needs a pair for the NWEA Reading and Math assessments.)

Spring Testing will be as follows:

• M-STEP ELA (3rd grade only):  4/13 - 4/16 (All third graders must have headphones or earbuds required for this test for the directions and listening portion.)

• M-STEP Math (3rd grade only):  4/21 & 4/23 (All third graders must have headphones or earbuds for this test required for the directions only.)

• DIBELS 8:  4/29 & 4/30

• NWEA Reading:  5/4-  5/7 (Classroom teachers will communicate the two dates their students will test in this window.  All second graders must have headphones or earbuds for this test.)

• NWEA Math:  5/11 - 5/14 (Classroom teachers will communicate the two dates their students will test in this window.  All second graders must have headphones or earbuds for this test.)

Third graders are encouraged to access the MSTEP Sample Items (practice tests) at home to become familiar with the format of test questions and the testing tools available within the platform.  Students will also have an opportunity to practice at school too.  Like most things, the more students are exposed to something, the more comfortable they are with it, so please carve out some time at home for your child to take the English Language Arts and Math Grade 3 Sample Items.  Even if you set aside 10 minutes a few nights a week leading up to testing, this is time well spent.  Here's how you can access the online practice tests:

M-STEP Practice Tests (must use Google Chrome)

• • • • • Click on the Sample Items Sets

        • Select Grade 3

        • Complete both the English Language Arts and Math (no calculators allowed) Sample Items.

        • Be sure to have your child try out the testing tools located at the top of each question screen.  These are useful tools to assist with taking the test.

IMPORTANT:  All third graders need headphones or earbuds for both the English Language Arts and Math MSTEP Assessments.  We are happy to loan these out to students who need them, but we have a limited supply, so thank you for sending a pair in with your child if possible.

This year, two DPS moms and local business professionals in our community have given back to Scott School staff in a big way by showering our team with coffee and pastries at the end of every month and sprinkling a special drawing winner with a self-care basket of goodies.  Not only was this demonstration of staff appreciation an amazing gift, it was a morale booster, and made us feel seen, appreciated, and important.  Learn more about why Marissa Lott and Mia DiSalvo did this act of kindness for our staff by watching this video, and learn more about them by reading their bios below.  

At Scott School, we know the importance of physical activity to a developing child. That’s why we are excited for a running and walking program called Mileage Club to start up shortly after Spring Break! This is an opportunity for students to enjoy the fun of physical activity in a non-competitive way. 

This will be held during students’ lunch recess every day from April 7- May 20. Each student will receive a lanyard with an individual QR code to track their laps. No special equipment is needed to participate. Each child is free to run or walk as little or as much as they would like. Participants will earn rewards for their achievements called Toe Tokens to display on their shoelace or keychain and other rewards can be earned too! 

To make this program successful, we need your help! We’re looking for volunteers to help with tracking students’ laps each day from 11:30 AM-12:50 PM. As a volunteer, you can sign up for as many or few slots as works for you. HERE is the link to sign up! 

We look forward to seeing students exercise and enjoy the fun of running and walking with friends! If you have any questions or want to help, please contact Sara Cochrane at cochrane@dewittschools.net. 

Below is a message from our DeWitt PTA.

STEAM Family Event – This Saturday!
Saturday, March 21 | 3–5 PM at Herbison Woods Elementary

Our STEAM Family Event is happening this Saturday and we can’t wait to see you there! Families will enjoy an afternoon of hands-on science, technology, engineering, art, and math activities with interactive stations for all ages.

This event is completely free but we are asking that families bring in a donation of individually packaged snacks to help restock our school snack closets for the rest of the year.

Register here: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/steam-family-event

Conference Cuisine
Thank you to everyone who has supported Conference Cuisine so far—we’ve loved being able to provide meals and snacks for teachers at Herbison Woods and Little Panthers!

Next week, we’ll be supporting staff at Scott and Schavey Road. If you’re able to donate food items, please take a look at the sign-ups below:
Schavey Road
Scott School

Family Skate Night
Friday, April 17 | 5–7 PM at Edru Skate (Holt)

Save the date for our final Skate Night of the year! Enjoy a fun evening of roller skating with DeWitt elementary families—the rink will be closed to the public just for us.

$10 per skater • $2 skate rentals

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.