Dear Scott School Families,

MSTEP testing for our third graders started this week, and I'm always amazed by their perseverance and effort.  Students finished ELA testing yesterday, and next week they'll complete the math assessment.  Make ups will occur as needed throughout our testing window for students who don't complete either test.  After next week, both second and third graders will then start DIBELS and NWEA testing.  Although being "test heavy" in the spring doesn't thrill me, it is rewarding to review the information that assessments provide so we can celebrate students' learning and continue to target areas of instructional need.

Kindly yours,

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 choosing a prize from our Panther Pride Store.

Spring testing at Scott School has started.  Thank you for helping your child be prepared by doing the following:

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

• Eat a healthy breakfast.

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

• Encourage perseverance and best effort practices instead of unintentionally creating pressure to do well.

• Bring 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.)

The Mileage Club, a running and walking program, has started at Scott School.  This is an opportunity for students to enjoy the fun of physical activity in a non-competitive way and is held daily during students' short recess following lunch through May 20th.  All students have received a lanyard with an individual QR code to track their laps, and students are free to run or walk as little or as much as they would like.  Participants earn rewards for their achievements called Toe Tokens to display on a keyring that's on their lanyard, and they can earn additional rewards too!  If you have any questions about this program, please contact Sara Cochrane at cochrane@dewittschools.net. 

Second grade students participated in a “Breakfast Menu” activity where they had to determine the cost and change of different breakfast item combinations. 

Thank you once again, PTA and families, for organizing and donating to make Conference Cuisine possible for our staff on Parent/Teacher Conference nights.  Pizza, breadsticks, salad, subs, chips, sweet treats, and various beverages removed dinner worries for our team.  Thank you for your support!

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.