Herbison Woods News
March 7, 2025
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:
March: March is Reading Month!
March 10: Second Trimester Grades Viewable in IC
March 14: Sign up Genius will close for Conferences
March 17-21: Book Fair Week
March 18: 4:00-7:00 In Person Conferences
March 19: Early Release for CLT
March 20: 4:00 - 7:00 Virtual Conferences
March 27: Early Release - Start of Spring Break
A Message from Mrs. Ormsbee
Greetings Herbison Woods Families!
We have kicked off March is Reading Month with the theme "Take Me to Your Readers". We kicked it off with a whole school assembly, the hallways are filled with decorations, and we have activities and spirit days planned as we get our students excited about reading. Please see below for specific information about the events for the month.
Our spring Parent/Teacher conferences are scheduled for March 18 and 20. We will be hosting both an in person and virtual night to accommodate various schedules. A SignUp Genius was sent out to families by email to register for a time. Please look for this if you haven't already signed up. If you would prefer an in person conference, as opposed to virtual, and all slots are filled, please reach out to your child's teacher. We look forward to discussing your child's progress with you!
Thank you,
Alicia Ormsbee
Principal
Spring Book Fair
The Herbison Woods Book Fair will be held the week of March 17 - 21.
Spring Book Fair.pdfHerbison Woods Spring 25 flyer.pdfSpring Pictures
Spring Picture Day is scheduled for Wednesday, March 26 at Herbison Woods.
February Students of the Month
Congratulations to our February Students of the Month. In February we recognized students who demonstrate the Panther Power of Integrity.
March is Reading Month
March is Reading Month is here! Herbison Woods is celebrating with the theme, "Take Me to Your Readers". We have many fun events including a coloring contest, bookmark contest, author and illustrator visit, spirit days, and more. Please see the following calendar for more information.
MIRM.pdf
Free Family Workshop
Clinton County RESA is hosting a workshop for adults on Saturday, March 15, called Laughing, Loving and Leading your Kids. Please see the attached flyer for more information.
L3 Flyer.pdfYearbook Orders
Order your Herbison Woods Yearbook by April 20. See the Herbison Woods Homepage for more information!
PTA Updates
From the PTA:
Family Fun Night: Author & Illustrator Visit
Wednesday, March 12th | 6 PM | Herbison Woods Elementary
Join us for a special Family Fun Night as we welcome Karen Bell Brege (Author) and Darrin Brege (Illustrator) to share their creative process, inspire young readers, and bring stories to life! This FREE event is perfect for the whole family, featuring interactive storytelling, live drawing, and a chance to ask questions. Don’t miss this exciting opportunity to experience the magic of books and creativity! Doors open at 5:45 PM.
Conference Cuisine – Help Us Support Our Teachers!
We are collecting food and monetary donations to provide meals for teachers during Parent-Teacher Conferences throughout March. Let’s show our gratitude for their hard work. Click here to contribute: https://tinyurl.com/springcc25
Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week – May 5-9
Speaking of appreciation… we need volunteers to help make this week extra special. We’re looking for help with crafting decorations, setting up, and delivering surprises throughout the week. If you’d like to get involved, please reach out to Andrea Lyons at tsaw@ptadewitt.org.
Thank you for supporting our school community!
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.
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.
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.