Herbison Woods News
October 20, 2023
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 of at 8:25 a.m. or later. Supervision is not available before 8:25 a.m.
Dismissal Time: 3:35 p.m.
Upcoming Events:
November 1: No school - full day of Professional Development for Certified Staff
November 3: Color Run
A Message from Mrs. Ormsbee
Greetings Herbison Woods Families!
Fall brings so many activities and opportunities for our students. Last week, we kicked off our Color Run Fundraiser with a schoolwide assembly on Friday, October 13. Our annual Color Run is scheduled for Friday, November 3rd. Please see below for more details regarding the event. In the event of inclement weather, our activity will remain the same day, and be altered to accommodate various indoor activities for students.
In the coming week, students will have the opportunity to see a preview of the high school production of Oklahoma. We are excited for students to have this opportunity! We would like to thank the high school and Ms. Eldred for inviting our students to participate.
With Halloween only a couple of weeks away, please remember to review the party and costume guidelines outlined below. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out.
Sincerely,
Alicia Ormsbee
Principal
A Note from Mrs. Nowak
Herbison Woods Families,
Has your 4th or 5th grader come home sharing how many Panther Paws their class has? If not, ask them! At Herbison Woods, we have many motivators to encourage individuals and classes to make responsible, respectful and safe choices. One of those motivators is our Panther Paw class awards. As a class obtains a certain number, they earn a reward. Mr. Rogers and I get the pleasure of going into classes once they have earned 40. Ask your child what their class has earned and how they can help earn more as a group.
One area of the school students are working hard to have respectful, responsible and safe choices is the cafeteria at breakfast. Please remind your HWE student that only those going to eat breakfast should enter the cafeteria, no matter how cold it is in the morning! Also, remind them that picking up after themselves is an expectation; all trash should be put in bins and not left at tables. Thank you for your support with this!
In Partnership,
Rachel Nowak
Annual Color Run Fundraiser
The annual Herbison Woods Color Run fundraiser is scheduled for Friday, November 3rd. 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
Envelopes and money are due to the school by: Wednesday, November 8
See the main page for our website for more information!
P. E. Corner
Students are in the middle of their first Sport-Specific Unit: Flag Football. It's great timing because Flag Football was just announced as one of the new Olympic games for 2028!
Please help your student remember to be properly equipped for their P.E. days! I am seeing an increase of non-athletic shoes in class, and these will increase the risk of injury. If you need help purchasing athletic shoes for your student please contact me directly.
Previous Unit of Study: Pre-Physical Fitness Testing
Current Unit of Study: Flag Football
Next Up: Bowling
Go Panthers!
Mr. Louisignau
Art Announcements
Dear Herbison Woods Families,
Herbison Woods students have been working on an art piece for the Original Works Art fundraiser. They will be bringing home their artwork and information on how to order items with their awesome artwork this week. Please consider supporting the visual arts by ordering a keepsake or possibly a gift for the holidays! To guarantee order delivery before the holidays, all orders must be placed by October 30th. Ordering is done online. Just follow the directions on the order form. If you have any questions please contact me at lindsay@dewittschools.net .
Thanks,
Mr. Lindsay
Spotlight - Ms. Cantu's Class
4th graders participated in a makerspace after finishing the novel they were reading as a class. They worked together to plan, design, and build an item that would help the main character solve one of his problems in the story. They wrote about the reading and recorded videos to share their projects.
PTA News
Thank you to all who came out Monster Mash last Friday, it was a blast! We are excited to announce that all the Elementary buildings now have snack pantries loaded with snacks! Thank you to all who donated! We appreciate you and hope to have more family events in the future.
Our next Event is Denim & Diamonds on 11/11. This is our one and only fundraiser. Funds raised will go back into the schools through building allocations, and teacher grants. We have some awesome parent coordinators who have volunteered to organize classroom baskets. Please consider donating to your child’s classroom auction basket/item. We appreciate your support!
10/27: Class auction basket/item due
11/3: Basket/item drop off day
11/7: PTA General Meeting
11/11: Denim & Diamonds (See attached Event Flyer)
Event Tickets: https://dewittelempta.memberhub.com/store/items/933889
Event Page: https://shorturl.at/nvT39
Want more information on getting involved, Contact Us: Info@ptadewitt.org
Halloween, Celebrations and 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.
Book Fair is coming to HWE
Mark your calendars! The book fair is coming to Herbison Woods Elementary School October 30 - November 3 in our media center.
Music Notes from Ms. Broughton
Recorder playing begins this coming week in music class! If your child needs a recorder, please remember they can be purchased with a $5 donation (cash, check made out to Herbison Woods elementary, or credit card through Rev Track https://dewittschools.revtrak.net/herbison-woods-elementary/#/list). If your child has a recorder at home, please remind them to bring them to school starting on Monday.
Recess and Lunch Positions
If you are interested in supervising recess, lunch or being a paraprofessional, we would love to have you join our team at Herbison Woods!
Please contact us at 517-668-3300. http://jobs.dewittschools.net
Picture Retake Day
Picture Retake Day is scheduled for Tuesday, November 7 at Herbison Woods.
Carloop Reminders
Reminders :
Supervision begins at 8:25 am outside; please do not drop off students prior to this time.
If your student would like to eat breakfast, they may enter the building at 8:25 am, and eat in the cafeteria.
Please leave the handicap parking spaces open for those that need them. These should not be utilized as a drop off area for students.
Please only drop off students in the car loop area; supervision is only provided in this area.
The back lot area is designated for the bus loop in the morning. Please do not drop students off or pick students up in the back lot.
Please drop off and pick up students along the painted blue line along the curb.
Please 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. )
Students will wait outside unless it meets the temperature threshold and/or it is a downpour. Please have students dress appropriately.
Breakfast and Lunch
Lunch Menus can be found here: https://dewittschools.nutrislice.com/
Breakfast and lunch is free this year for students. All students can have one complete breakfast and one complete lunch per day. The guidelines to receive free breakfast and/or lunch require a students to take items that meet the guidelines for a complete meal.
Breakfast will be served in the cafeteria at Herbison Woods.
Option to Purchase Ala Carte Items: In addition to free complete meals, extra entrees and ala carte items such as milk will be available for purchase if your student brings a meal from home. Students will need money in their accounts to do this. There is a charge of $1.95 fee per $100, and .50 fee for multiple students with no transaction amt. cap to families who choose to use the online payment system. Also, you can pay by E-Check for $1 fee per transaction with a $750 transaction cap. Also, there are deposit boxes located in all school buildings.
Federal & State Funding Help: DeWitt Public School District is excited to offer free breakfast and lunch to all students starting this new school year thanks to the Michigan Healthy School Meals Program! Even though meals will be provided for free, it's important for families to continue sharing household income information in order for our schools to receive full access to federal and state funding for educational programs that our students are entitled to. Paper applications are available upon request. Please contact Sandy Leach at leachsand@dewittschools.net or Marcy Updike at updikemar@dewittschools.net. Online applications can be completed at: https://dewitt.familyportal.cloud.
Volunteering at DPS
If you are interested in volunteering, you must complete the DPS Volunteer I-CHAT Form.
Volunteers need to be cleared every year before being an approved volunteer.
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.
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.
Attendance
If your child will be absent from school, please call the Herbison Woods attendance line at:
517-668-3347.