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Principal: Alicia Ormsbee
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: 8:40 a.m. (First bell rings at 8:35 a.m.)
Students may be dropped of at 8:20 a.m. or later. Supervision is not available before 8:20 a.m.
Dismissal Time: 3:30 p.m. (Half Day dismissal 11:52 a.m.)
UPCOMING DATES:
UPCOMING DATES:
September 8 - 12: Homecoming Spirit Week
September 8 - 12: Homecoming Spirit Week
September 8 - 19: Fall NWEA and DIBELS 8 Testing
September 8 - 19: Fall NWEA and DIBELS 8 Testing
September 26: No School - Staff Professional Development
September 26: No School - Staff Professional Development
A Message from Mrs. Ormsbee
A Message from Mrs. Ormsbee
Greetings Herbison Woods Families,
We have had a fantastic start to the school year! Students have been busy learning classroom routines, procedures, and reviewing our school-wide expectations these first two weeks:
Be Respectful
Be Responsible
Be Safe
We will continue to review these with students throughout the school year.
With the beginning of the school year comes our fall benchmark assessments. Students have already began taking the DIBELS 8 reading assessment this past week. In the coming two weeks, students will take the NWEA reading and math assessments. These assessments allow us to monitor academic progress and determine how we can best support students academically. We only ask that students try hard and do their best. On testing days, it's always helpful for students to be at school, come having had a good night's sleep, and having eaten breakfast. As a reminder, breakfast is free for all students. Please encourage them to eat, especially on these days. Classroom teachers will be communicating their specific testing days in their classroom newsletters.
Thank you for giving us the opportunity to work with your child. I truly feel fortunate to be a part of this staff, district and community! Please feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns. Our staff is here to help! We are off to a great start and I'm looking forward to the months to come!
Sincerely,
Alicia Ormsbee
Principal
A Note from Mrs. Nowak
A Note from Mrs. Nowak
HWE Families,
Our warmest welcome to our HWE families! It has been wonderful to interact with your 4th and 5th graders every day. My name is Rachel Nowak and I am the Dean of Students for grades 4-8. This will be my 3rd year as Dean at HWE, after 20 years of classroom teaching experience. I am very excited to start the year with our HWE students!
One of my main responsibilities as Dean is to help all students reach their best potential when it comes to meeting our school expectations: being respectful, responsible and safe in all areas of the school. So far, the adults have been very impressed with how the school year has started! I encourage you to ask your HWE student if they have earned any Herbie Bucks yet, or if their class has earned any Panther Paws. Those are two of the positive behavior incentives that all students and classes can earn. Students will be able to "cash" in Herbie Bucks at our Herbie Buck store later in September, and are also working toward a class goal with Panther Paws.
Please look for notes from me that will help you be aware of other positive behavior incentives as well as tid-bits on how to support your child this year. Reach out by phone or email if you have any questions on how our positive systems work!
Warmest Regards,
Rachel Nowak
nowakr@dewittschools.net
668-3336
Updates from Mr. Rogers
Updates from Mr. Rogers
HWE Families,
What a great start to the year here at HWE! I've been busy meeting new students, supporting staff, and helping to open lots and lots of lockers. Within the first month of the school year, I'll have had a chance to spend time in each classroom, introducing (or re-introducing, for returning students) myself and reminding students of ways we can all be respectful of each other. It is going to be an awesome year!
Thank you,
Mr. Rogers
Welcome Back Students
Welcome Back Students
Our amazing staff welcomed students back with a positive message on every locker! We are excited to have our students back in the building!
Chalk the Walk
Chalk the Walk
Thank you to PTA for organizing Chalk the Walk, and for all those who participated. It was a fun way for students and staff to come back for their first day!
Class Shirts
Class Shirts
At the beginning of the year, students were sent home with a form to purchase a class shirt. These shirts will be worn throughout the year for events such as field day, field trips, etc. As a reminder, order forms and money are due back on Friday, September 12.
Meet Our Staff at HWE
Meet Our Staff at HWE
Mrs. Jones
Mrs. Jones
4th Grade Teacher
Mrs. Jones has been teaching in DeWitt since 2002. Her husband is also a teacher in another district, and both her boys are DeWitt HS graduates. She loves spending time outdoors. She loves reading, kayaking, traveling, and cooking when she’s not teaching.
Mrs. Heiler
Mrs. Heiler
5th Grade Teacher
Ms. Heiler is a 5th grade teacher, and this is her first year teaching. She has worked as a substitute teacher in DeWitt and other local school districts for the past four years. Ms. Heiler graduated from Ferris State University. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family and going for walks with her dog, Hutch!
Mrs. Render
Mrs. Render
Librarian
Mrs. Render has been working for DeWitt Public Schools for 23 years. This is her second year as the Herbison Woods Librarian. Mrs. Render lives in DeWitt with her husband Fred and her 2 boys Caleb (19) and Cole (16). In Mrs. Render's free time you will find her in Ludington, Michigan enjoying the water on her pontoon boat.
Mrs. Granger
Mrs. Granger
Special Education Teacher
Mrs. Granger has been teaching for 17 years. She has two boys that both go to Dewitt. She loves going to the beach and traveling.
HomecomingWeek2526.pdfHomecoming Spirit Week
Homecoming Spirit Week
Join Herbison Woods as we celebrate Homecoming with a Toy Story Spirit Week. Please remember that our DPS Dress Code still applies and weapon accessories, even if they are toys, are never acceptable to bring to school.
PTA Updates
PTA Updates
Upcoming Events:
Family Skate Night – Friday, Sept. 26th • 5–7 PM at Edru Skate in Holt
Join us at Edru Skate for a fun night out! The rink will be open exclusively to our DeWitt elementary families during this event.
$10/person entry • $2 skate rentalsMonster Mash – Saturday, Oct. 4th • 5–7 PM at Herbison Woods Elementary School
Get ready for a frightfully fun evening at our free, family-friendly Monster Mash! Enjoy dancing, games, a photo booth, and more. Costumes are encouraged—but not required.
Register here: https://tinyurl.com/monstermash25Pasta for the Panthers – Saturday, Nov. 8th • 5–8 PM at the DeWitt Community Center
Join us for our new fall fundraiser filled with delicious pasta, raffles, and fun—all in support of our schools!
Buy your meal today: https://tinyurl.com/pastaforthepanthers
Volunteer Opportunities:
Monster Mash – https://www.signupgenius.com/go/904094CA8A928AB9-57614461-monster#/
Volunteers needed to help set up and assist during the event.Grade Level Basket Volunteers – https://www.signupgenius.com/go/904094CA8A928AB9-58330260-grade#/
Help coordinate fundraising and basket creation for our online auction, which kicks off Nov. 8th. A virtual info meeting will be held on Sept. 18th at 8 PM for those who sign up.
Book Donations
Book Donations
If you are cleaning out your bookshelves, and looking for a new home for some of your child's books, please consider donating them to the school for classroom libraries. Book donations can be dropped off in the front office.
Color Run
Color Run
Our Annual Color Run fundraiser is scheduled to kick off next week. Please look for information coming home from your child's teacher.
CLT and Professional Development Schedule
CLT and Professional Development Schedule
Below are our dates planned for staff professional learning time remaining for this year:
September 26 - Full Day Professional Development (no school for students)
October 15 - Early Release CLT (11:52 Dismissal)
November 14 - Early Release Records Day (11:52 Dismissal)
November 19 - Early Release CLT (11:52 Dismissal)
February 27 - Early Release Records Day (11:52 Dismissal)
March 18 - Early Release CLT (11:52 Dismissal)
March 26 - Half Day of School (11:52 Dismissal)
May 13 - Early Release CLT (11:52 Dismissal)
June 4 - Last Day of School and Early Release Records Day (11:52 Dismissal)
Join Our Team
Join Our Team
If you are interested in supervising our students during lunch, we would love to have you join our team!
Please contact us at 517-668-3300. http://jobs.dewittschools.net
Breakfast and Lunch
Breakfast and Lunch
School breakfast and lunch are available to all students this year. Students are allowed one free breakfast and one free lunch due to a State initiative. More detailed information about our food service program and menus can be found here.
Learn About Herbison Woods
Learn About Herbison Woods
Infinite Campus Task Request
Infinite Campus Task Request
Prior to each school year, it is important to confirm/update your student’s emergency contact information as well as provide permissions and acknowledgments of important District documents. This task is easily accomplished using your Infinite Campus parent portal.
Be sure to read the following PRIOR to completing the update (all can be found on the District website):
1. District K-12 Student Handbook
2. District Code of Conduct
3. Athletic Handbook & Code of Conduct, if applicable
Please complete by prior to the start of school to ensure your child has access to school computers/email, etc.
DIRECTIONS (application works best using Chrome or Firefox browsers):
1. Log in to your Infinite Campus Parent Portal.
2. From the MENU, select MORE
3. Select ONLINE REGISTRATION
4. Select 2025-2026 EXISTING STUDENT REGISTRATION.
5. Click BEGIN REGISTRATION.
6. Type your name and sign with your mouse/track pad. Click 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.
7. SUBMIT once complete.
All changes will be reviewed by staff and they will reach out to you to confirm updates and/or request additional documentation, depending on the change made.
If you need assistance with the Annual Update, please contact the District Registrar at 517.668.3017.
Picking Students Up From School
Picking Students Up From School
Student safety is a top priority. As a reminder, you will need proper identification each time your child is picked up from school. Proper identification can include:
Physical ID (Driver's license)
Personal identification by our office staff
Other identificaiton proof AND answering personal information we have in Infinite Campus (ie: phone number, birthdate, etc.)
Thank you for understanding and helping to keep a safe environment for our students!
Medication Information
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.
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