Herbison Woods News
November 15, 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:
November 27 - 29: No School - Thanksgiving
December 2: School Resumes
A Message from Mrs. Ormsbee
Greetings Herbison Woods Families!
It is hard to believe we are already at the end of our first trimester! Students have been working hard to make academic growth, while focusing on being respectful, responsible and safe in all areas of the school. Thank you to all of the parents/guardians who came to our conferences this past week. It was great to meet with you and share your child's academic growth and successes.
With the winter weather upon us, please help your students to make good decisions about proper indoor and outdoor winter clothing. The cooler temperatures are coming quickly, and we want to make sure students are equipped for the weather when going out to recess. Thank you for helping your child be ready for winter.
We are grateful for the opportunity to work with your children every day! Thank you for giving us the opportunity to be a part of their education.
Sincerely,
Alicia Ormsbee
Principal
A Note from Mrs. Nowak
HWE Families,
November is a time when we acknowledge all that we are grateful for. That happens at HWE too! Students have, and will continue to participate in lessons and activities that help them understand what gratitude is, and how we can share that gratitude with others. This is also a skill that is connected to having a growth mindset. Being able to have a difficult situation and still find something you can be grateful for is a sign of a growth mindset versus a fixed mindset.
One thing that we are extremely grateful for was your support of our Color Run! Thank you for your donations that will make many enriching opportunities available to our HWE learners.
In Partnership,
Rachel Nowak
Veterans Day Assembly
The students and staff at Herbison Woods honored our community Veterans this week at an assembly on Monday. Students learned about the branches of the military, shared a poem, created a video, and thanked our Veterans for their service. Thank you to those who attended and celebrated with us!
Meet our Staff at HWE
Mrs. Houghtaling
Mrs. Houghtaling has worked in the district for nine years. She is currently the secretary at HWE, and has also been in the role of a paraprofessional at all of the elementary schools. All of Mrs. Houghtaling's own kids have gone through the DeWitt schools, with her final one currently being at the High School.
Mrs. Sherman
Mrs. Sherman joined the HWE team at the end of last year as a recess aide. This year, she is in the role of a paraprofessional. She has two of her own kids in the DeWitt Public Schools
PTA Updates
Denim and Diamonds
Thank you to everyone who volunteered, bid, donated, or helped spread the word about our recent Denim & Diamonds fundraiser! We’re thrilled to share that, thanks to the incredible support of our community, we raised essential funds that will go toward teacher and building grants, as well as hosting free, family-friendly events for the rest of the school year. We couldn’t do it without you—your support makes all the difference!
Conference Cuisine
Thank you for the incredible support for Conference Cuisine! Thanks to your generous donations, we exceeded our goal and were able to provide meals for the staff at all four of our elementary and preschools during conferences. It means so much to be able to show our appreciation in this way—thank you for helping make it possible!
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.
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.