Thank you to our PTA families who wrote kind messages on our sidewalks to greet students and staff on the first day of school. The pretty murals and sweet words and phrases sure made for a great start to the school year.

We are excited to share that educational support dogs through Buddy's Pals will be returning to Scott School this year. We have had a fabulous partnership with Buddy's Pals for several years and are proud to share that this organization has grown to support many schools in the mid-Michigan area. To think that it all started at Scott School is humbling. If you have questions or concerns about a certified educational support dog entering your child's class or your child meeting with one of these furry friends, please reach out to your child's teacher or to Mrs. Schwarz, our school social worker. We have had great success with this program and are excited about their partnership with Scott School. We also value working with our families to support student needs in every way possible.

We are still in need of a 2 hour/day lunch assistant in our cafeteria. If you think you'd like to work with students and an amazing staff, please consider applying. The job posting is titled Non-Instructional Assistant, and it's listed as job number 2769. We are also always seeking teacher and support staff subs. If you're interested in substitute teaching, please contact Jennifer Lee at 517-668-3009 to find out more information. If you're interested in subbing in our lunchroom, playground, library, or as a paraprofessional, please call our office at 517-668-3400.

To learn more specific details about DeWitt Public Schools, check out information in this informative link:

• DPS Return to Learn and Continuity of Services Plan 2022-23

Below in italics is communication from our DeWitt Elementary PTA. Please consider getting involved! This is a great group of parents/guardians who do amazing things to support our students, staff, and schools. We are grateful for their partnership! Your membership allows you to be involved as little or as much as you'd like to be.

Classroom assignments... check!

Back to school supplies... check!

Join the DeWitt Elementary PTA.....

Your input is missing from the PTA, join today through our MemberHub site: dewittelempta.memberhub.com/store

Meetings are the 2nd Tuesday of each month (Sept-May) at Schavey Road Elemntary from 7-830pm! Join us to learn about important topics impacting our students and connect with other parents, teachers, administrators and community members!

Don't forget to follow our Facebook page (DeWitt Elementary PTA) for news and events!

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 23, 24, 25 - Full Days of Collaborative Learning & Professional Development (Before School Starts)

• September 16 - Full Day Professional Development (no school)

• October 21 - Full Day Professional Development (no school)

• November 9 - Early Release for CLT (dismissal at 11:57 a.m.)

• January 18 - Early Release for CLT (dismissal at 11:57 a.m.)

• February 15 - Early Release for CLT (dismissal at 11:57 a.m.)

• April 19 - Early Release for CLT (dismissal at 11:57 a.m.)

• May 17 - Early Release for CLT (dismissal at 11:57 a.m.)

Thank you to the many families who have reached out and asked what donations they could make to Scott School. Here is a list of things that we're looking for.

• Yard games (Cornhole, Ladder Balls, Yahtzee)

• Balls (basketballs, kickballs, soccer balls, and footballs)

• Disinfectant wipes

• Hand sanitizer

• Paper towels

Drop Off & Pick Up:

• To help promote a safe and productive start to your child’s day, please be sure to drop your child off no earlier than 8:10 a.m. because students are not allowed to enter the building until that time, and there is no adult supervision outside prior to then.

• Students dropped off will walk to the front of the building using the sidewalk, enter the vestibule through the main doors, and go to the cafeteria where there will be adult supervision until the first bell rings at 8:25 a.m. Students who arrive after the tardy bell (8:30 a.m.) must enter the building through the main entrance accompanied by a parent or guardian and be signed in at the office.

• Please drive up as far as possible in the loop to drop off or pick up your child. Anywhere there is a painted blue line on the sidewalk area is where students should get in and out of vehicles.

• Please do not drop your child off or pick your child up in the front of the building unless you are parking and entering the building with your child or to pick your child up.

• Please do not drop your child off or pick your child up in the road. This is extremely dangerous and our local law enforcement patrols our street frequently to support school procedures and enforce the law for student safety.

• Please do not park your car to drop your child off or pick your child up unless you are entering the building. Parking is limited at Scott School, and this creates challenges for staff to get to work on time and creates more sight line barriers for pedestrians and drivers after school.

• Students who are picked up after school are to wait on the sidewalk area located on the south side of the building where the parent driving loop is. Adult supervision will be at the loop after school daily to supervise students and assist with safety.

• Please post a sign in a visual area in your vehicle window with your child's first and last name printed in large legible font. This is extremely important and helps staff at the loop call students on a speaker system for efficient boarding.

• Although our students quickly learn the procedures for being dropped off and picked up, your help in following our guidelines will help ensure and model safety for our students.

Parking Lot & Other Safety Requests:

• Please avoid parking in the parking lot to drop off or pick up your child. Use the loop - that's what it's designed for. Parking should only occur when a parent/guardian must enter the building.

• Please resist the urge to drop your child off or pick your child up on Logan Street (across the bridge on our playground). Drop off and pick up locations other than the area that is designated (driving loop) for this creates safety concerns. We care about your child!

• Please drive the speed limit (25 mph) and come to a complete stop at the stop sign on Wilson St. Our 2nd and 3rd grade walkers and bikers often cross here and trust that you are watching for them.

• Please follow the right turn only sign out of the pick up loop for student and driver safety and to increase the time efficiency of the loop.

It's normal for students to experience some anxiety at the start of the school year, and our school staff will be visible and eager to help all students find their classroom and get settled into a school routine. However, please communicate with us if your child experiences significant anxiety and stress about transitioning to school after the first week. To increase safety for our students and staff, as well as to help your child with a successful transition into the school year, please drop your child off outside of the building instead of walking him/her inside. Our staff will be visible, available, and happy to help!

Some Example of Car Signs for the Pick Up Loop:

Please help keep our students (and all pedestrians) who walk or bike to and from school safe by following driver safety laws. Although most students use the crosswalk at the stop sign on Wilson St. to cross the road, it is important to be alert for students crossing anywhere near school grounds. You have an important role in keeping our students safe by following these law tips.

• Drivers must come to a complete stop at stop signs.

• Pedestrians have the right-of-way in a crosswalk, so drivers must yield.

• Drivers cannot park within 20 feet of a crosswalk. This means if you pick your child up and are in the car line near the crosswalk, you are obligated to leave this much space.

• Drivers cannot park within an intersection. Again, if you pick up your child, wait patiently until cars move forward to avoid getting caught in the intersection.

Our local law enforcement partner with our school to assist with safety and will ticket if necessary to protect our students. Modeling expected driver safety is essential and contagious! Be a role model for our children and other drivers. Accidents at this crosswalk can be prevented by following crosswalk laws and being an attentive driver, especially when our students are walking or bike riding to and from school each day.

Scott is a neighborhood school, and we have many wonderful neighbors who support our school. However, a community concern is vehicles blocking driveways at the beginning and end of the day when drop off and pick up occurs. Please be respectful of our neighbors by refraining from idling (or parking) your car in front of any driveway while waiting in the parent loop line. Allowing space for driveway access for all property owners is important and helps us maintain positive relations with our friendly neighbors and demonstrates respectful driver etiquette. Also, vehicles cannot stop in the intersection where the stop sign is located south of your building. We are fortunate to have support from our local law enforcement to keep our students, community, and school safe, so please know these traffic violations could result in police issuing tickets. In addition, please follow road rules by parking in legal spots when needing to enter the building. Using other areas besides the drop off and pick up loop is strongly discouraged. Please follow our driving guidelines so pick up and drop off times are safe for everyone by preventing an unfortunate accident from occurring and helping us keep good relations with our neighborhood community members. Be sure to follow turn sign when exiting the loop. Vehicles must make a righthand turn only to keep traffic flow steady and to avoid an accident. Lastly, please keep in mind that our staff need to be on time to work to teach and support your child, so please allow staff access to the staff parking lot when they arrive to work each day. Thank you for your attention to these concern areas.

We're excited that the Walking School Bus (see information below) is planning to start up at Scott School. Please consider this opportunity for your child to walk to school and get some fresh air, exercise, and make new friends by walking with a trusted adult. This will also benefit families by avoiding wait time in the parent loop line.

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 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.