Herbison Woods News
October 18, 2024
Principal: Alicia Ormsbee
School Address: Pride Dr, DeWitt, MI 48820
Office Phone Number: 517-668-3300
Attendance Phone Number: 517-668-3347
Website: https://hw.dewittschools.net/
Start Time: 8:45 a.m. (First bell rings at 8:40 a.m.)
Students may be dropped off at 8:25 a.m. or later. Supervision is not available before 8:25 a.m.
Dismissal Time: 3:35 p.m. (Half Day dismissal 11:57 a.m.)
UPCOMING DATES:
October 25: Color Run Fundraiser
October 28 : Book Fair Week
November 5: No School for Students (staff PD)
November 6: Picture Retakes
November 6-7: Conferences
A Message from Mrs. Ormsbee
Greetings Herbison Woods Families!
October is a busy time of the year, with many fall activities! The students have been full of excitement and energy. On Friday, students had the opportunity to see a preview of the high school production of Footloose. This was such a great experience for our students! We would like to thank the high school and Ms. Eldred for inviting our students to participate.
Our annual Color Run Fundraiser is taking place next week Friday, October 25th. Please see below for details on times for our fourth and fifth grade run, as well as pledge details. Halloween will be quick to follow this event. Please remember to review the party and costume guidelines outlined below. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out.
On November 11, our students will be honoring our Veterans at an assembly at Herbison Woods. Our assembly will take place from 2:30 - 3:00 pm. If you or a family member are a veteran and would like to attend, please fill out the following form. We are asking our guests to arrive at 2:15 pm.
Please be looking for Parent Teacher Conference sign up information, coming out at the end of next week. We look forward to meeting with you soon!
Sincerely,
Alicia Ormsbee
Principal
A Note from Mrs. Nowak
HWE Families,
October is full of many festive activities and exciting events. At HWE, we celebrate October as Bullying Prevention Month. All students are getting an opportunity to "Stomp Out Bullying" by making a pledge during a classroom activity. Mrs. Ormsbee, Mr. Rogers and I are making the rounds into every classroom giving information on how we define bullying, as well as providing information on where and when bullying can happen.
We are then encouraging all HWE students to "stomp out bullying" by drawing the outline of their shoe and decorating it in an anti-bullying theme. Shoes are being displayed around our school in a reminder that we all have a part in getting rid of bullying behavior. Thank you for your support in helping your HWE student choose kind, and percent bullying behavior!
In Partnership,
Rachel Nowak
Footloose Musical
Herbison Woods students had the opportunity to preview the high school musical this past Friday. There are so many talented students in this district!
Annual Color Run Fundraiser
The annual Herbison Woods Color Run fundraiser is scheduled for Friday, October 25. Students will run through a course, as teachers splash them with colored powder.
Fourth grade is scheduled for: 1:45 - 2:30
Fifth grade is scheduled for: 2:30 - 3:15
Herbison Woods Elementary Color Run Pledge Details:
Fill out the pledge sheet.
Collect money from family, friends, neighbors, and loved ones.
Make checks payable to Herbison Woods or use our donation website at
https://dewittschools.revtrak.net/herbison-woods-elementary/#/f/color-run
See the main page for our website for more information!
2024FallBookFair Flyer.docxFall Book Fair
The Book Fair is coming to Herbison Woods the week of October 289 - November 1. Students will have the opportunity during the day to shop at the fair. There will also be two days after school for parents to come in with their kids (Monday, October 28 and Wednesday, October 30) from 3:30 - 4:30. If you are interested in volunteering, please see the following link to sign up: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/508084DAAA928A64-51881074-herbison
Meet our Staff
Mrs. Render
Mrs. Render is our librarian at Herbison Woods. She has been in the district for 22 and a half years, serving in various roles including librarian, paraprofessional and working with the K.I.D.S. program.
Mrs. Earl
Mrs. Earl has been working at Herbison Woods for several years. She was the building substitute the past two years, and this year we are fortunate to have her as part of our fourth grade team!
PTA Updates
Monster Mash
A huge thank you to everyone who joined us for the Monster Mash on October 11th! The event was a blast, and it was wonderful to see so many families come out to celebrate together. .
Conference Cuisine Update
We’re still collecting food and monetary donations to support meals for teachers during Parent-Teacher Conferences through November. Thanks to your generosity, we’ve already provided meals for Young 5s and Kindergarten teachers. Let’s keep the momentum going and continue showing our appreciation for our incredible staff!
https://tinyurl.com/fallcc2024
Denim and Diamonds
Mark your calendars for Saturday, November 9th! Denim and Diamonds, our biggest fundraiser, helps fund our family-friendly events and teacher and building grants. This year, we’re adding online bidding for the silent auction starting November 3rd, leading up to the in-person event. Check out our PTA Facebook page or visit our website for more details:
https://www.ptadewitt.org/denim-and-diamonds.html
Classroom Baskets
You may have heard about Classroom Baskets! Each class is gathering items to create themed baskets that will be featured in the silent auction. It’s a fun way for families to get involved, and every little bit helps! Please reach out to your classroom coordinator if you have any questions.
Thank you!
A special thanks to all of our families who attended the Monster Mash, and donated snacks for our students at HWE! We appreciate your generosity!
Original Works Art - from Mr. Lindsay
Dear Scott School and Herbison Woods Families,
Students at Schavey, Scott, and Herbison Woods have been working on artwork for the Original Works
art fundraiser. Information on how to order and student art projects will be sent home around October
25th (if everything goes as scheduled). Proceeds will be used by Schavey, Scott, and Herbison Woods for
art materials. Scott School and Herbison Woods families can contact Mr. Lindsay for any question at
lindsay@dewittschools.net.
Thanks,
Mr. Lindsay
DHS Football Games
Please follow these guidelines to help make high school football games safe and enjoyable for all who attend.
DeWitt students must remain on our side of the stadium.
Students must leave all footballs, balls, flying objects (ie. frisbees, etc.) at home. Playing catch, games, etc. is not acceptable with so many spectators in the stadium and causes safety risks and distractions to those who paid to watch the event.
It is an expectation that elementary students are chaperoned. The concourse (common area between the stands and concessions) is not a play space. Elementary aged students must be accompanied by their adult and not be left unsupervised to play or congregate inside or outside of the stadium.
Halloween, Celebrations and Class Parties
To promote a safe and secure indoor school environment, create an inclusive atmosphere for all students, and to reduce distractions for the duration of the school day, the following school celebration guidelines will be followed:
Classroom celebrations will be kept to one hour.
We encourage healthy snacks and alternatives to food to support allergies and our wellness policy. Some classrooms may have a “no food” policy due to allergies.
Only volunteers and party classroom coordinators may be allowed in the classroom to help support classroom celebration activities per individual teacher request/classroom needs. There will be 3-5 parent volunteers per classroom.
Volunteers and party classroom coordinators may not bring any additional guests including siblings (of any age), relatives, etc.
Volunteers and classroom coordinators must complete the I-Chat Form and be cleared if they at any time are going to work with students independent of where the classroom teacher is.
Halloween/Fall Celebration Specific:
All students will have an opportunity to wear a costume at school.
Simple costumes may be worn, but please be mindful of your child's ability to participate in regular school activities throughout the day including PE and recess.
Costumes should be tasteful, modest and appropriate for a school environment.
Costumes shall have no representation of violence, horror characters or be scary; no blood or weapons.
Wearing costumes is an opportunity but not an obligation. Families may choose whether or not their child participates.
If your child or you are questioning if a costume is school appropriate, it is recommended to err on the side of caution and choose something else.
Volunteering - IChat
If you plan on volunteering this year in the DeWitt Public Schools, please fill out the following background check form: IChat link.
Stop the Spread of Respiratory Illnesses
Respiratory Illness Protocol.docx.pdfPlease see the following CDC Guidelines for reducing the spread of Respiratory Illnesses.
Recess and Paraprofessional Positions
If you are interested in being a paraprofessional, or supervising lunch or recess, we would love to have you join our team!
Please contact us at 517-668-3300. http://jobs.dewittschools.net
Infinite Campus Tasks Requested
Dear Parents/Guardians:
It is of utmost importance that you complete an annual update of your student’s emergency contact information through your parent portal. In the event of a school emergency, the District wants to be sure to have the most up-to-date contact information to communicate with parents/guardians.
With this update, you will also complete the annual Release Agreements and acknowledge that you have read the following District documents (found on the District website at dewittschools.net):
1. District K-12 Student Handbook
2. District Code of Conduct
3. Concussion Info
4. Athletic Handbook, if applicable
Use your parent portal to complete these required tasks to ensure your student's access to the district network, apps, curriculum, etc.
DIRECTIONS:
NOTE: Your parent portal works best using Chrome or Firefox browsers.
1.Log in to your Infinite Campus Parent Portal.
2. Click on the three lines (hamburger) in the upper left-hand corner to open the menu.
3. Select MORE.
4. Select ONLINE REGISTRATION.
5. Select 2024-2025 EXISTING STUDENT REGISTRATION.
6. Click BEGIN REGISTRATION.
7. Type your name and sign with your mouse.
8. BEGIN
At each prompt, review, confirm/update your student’s data. Use the NEXT and SAVE/CONTINUE buttons to proceed through the Update.
If any of your information is highlighted in yellow, you have missed a required field and must go back to edit/ update.
9. SUBMIT once complete.
All changes will be reviewed by staff and they will reach out to you to confirm update and/or request additional documentation, depending on the change made.
Questions or assistance? contact the District Registrar at 517-668-3017.
CLT and Professional Development Dates
Below are the dates for Collaborative Learning Time (CLT) and professional development calendar. On early release days, Herbison Woods will dismiss at 11:57 a.m.
November 5 - No school for students - Full Day Professional Development
February 14 - Early Release for CLT
March 19 - Early Release for CLT
May 14 - Early Release for CLT
Car Loop Procedures
Safety is our #1 Priority.
Car loop begins at 8:25am; please do not drop off students before this time.
Please only drop off students in the car loop area; supervision is only provided in this area.
Please drop off and pick up students along the entire painted blue line along the curb.
Utilize the entire length of our “blue drop off line” by:
Pulling up behind the car in front of you (please refrain from leaving large spaces between vehicles)
Dropping off along the whole blue line (Please refrain from dropping off your child only in front of the area where their class waits. The entire blue line should be utilized for efficiency. )
During arrival, your students should be ready and prepared to get out of the car by having all their materials gathered and good-byes complete.
For the beginning of the school year, signs will be posted with teacher names in the front of the school. At parent drop off, students should stand by their teacher's sign.
Dismissal Procedures
Car loop:
Students will be escorted out to the car loop and will stand in their classroom’s designated area.
Students will remain in their area and wait for their car to pull up.
Cars will use the painted blue line as the area to pick up their children.
Please pull all the way forward, as to allow the maximum number of cars to pick up their students at one time.
Please post a sign with your child’s first and last name in a visual area of your vehicle for the first couple of weeks of school.
When students see their car, they will walk toward it and quickly get in.
Students will enter their car on the sidewalk side.
Adults should not get out of the car at any point in the car loop.
To exit the car loop, please follow the signs and exit to the right only.
Bussers:
Students will be escorted outside and will stand in their classroom’s designated area.
Once their bus arrives, they will walk to their bus.
Medication Information
In order for Herbison Woods Staff to administer medication to your child, you must:
Submit a completed district medication form to our office.
All medication must be dropped off by a parent/guardian. Students should not bring any medication to school.
Be sure all medications are brought to school by a parent/guardian 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.