DES OCTOBER READING CHALLENGE
Today, October 1st we are kicking off our first Monthly Home Reading Challenge at DES! The goal of the challenge is for you and your child/children to read together for at least 20 minutes a day. Each child can read to parents/family members/friends or you can read to your child. If the child is reading the book it can count for both the reading challenge and their AR book goal (Grades 2-5). If a parent does a read aloud, it will count for just the Home Reading Challenge.
Daily reading has many benefits for children. Reading boosts cognitive skills, expands vocabulary, enhances critical thinking, and helps develop concentration and memory.
To participate you can either enter your daily reading digitally online through the link below, or you may fill out the paper log attached and return it on October 28th. You may enter once a day online PER DES Student or you may turn in one log for each student (example - if you have two students at DES you would do two online entries a day or turn in two reading logs).
At the end of the challenge we will have a drawing for a Family Fun Basket full of all kinds of Halloween and Fall Family Fun!
If you have any questions call DES at 870-946-4651.
HAPPY READING!!!
Reading Challenge Daily Submission Link: Reading Challenge Online Submission Form
14 days ago, DeWitt Elementary School
October Events at DeWitt Elementary School
October 1st - October Home Reading Challenge Begins!
October 7th - 5th Grade Farm Safety Day
October 7th - Camp Dragon Parent Meeting
October 9th - 3rd Grade Group A to Five Oaks
October 10th - 3rd Grade Group B to Five Oaks
October 13th - Flu Clinic
October 15th - Fall Pictures
October 16th - Parent Teacher Conferences
October 16th - Pre-K Field Trip to the Fire Department
October 17th - K-5 Students No School - Staff Development
October 17th - Pre-K Classes WILL BE IN SESSION
October 20th - NO SCHOOL
October 23rd - Lemonade On the Lawn - Grandparent/Grandfriends Day
October 24th - DES Camp Dragon
October 24th - 1st Grade Pumpkin Patch Field Trip
October 27th - 31st - Red Ribbon Week
October 30th - 4th Grade Musical
October 31st - Fall Parties - NO COSTUMES
14 days ago, DeWitt Elementary School
Our DeWitt ABC Preschool Program has been learning all about community helpers. We had visitors from the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and the DeWitt Police Department visit our classroom recently and tell us all about the important and helpful things they do for our community. We enjoyed their visit, but we especially liked Milo and Lainey!
about 15 hours ago, DeWitt Elementary School
DES Parent Teacher Conferences are Thursday from 2:00 - 6:00.
Early Release Times:
Car Riders: 1:07
Bus Riders 1:22
1 day ago, DeWitt Elementary School
Red Ribbon Week Dress Up Days
Monday October 27th - Put Drugs to Sleep - wear your PJs
Tuesday October 28th - We are RED-Y to Be Drug Free - Wear Red
Wednesday October 29th - Too Bring for Drugs - Wear Neon
Thursday October 30th - Team Up Against Drugs - Jersey Day
Friday October 31st - Say Boo to Drugs - wear Halloween Shirts
NO COSTUMES. NO FACE PAINT or MASKS, NO GORE, NOTHING SCARY
1 day ago, DeWitt Elementary School
Princess Beatrice of the United Kingdom said , "Dyslexia is not a pigeonhole to say you can't do anything. It is an opportunity and a possibility to learn differently".
Dyslexia awareness is important for our students, because a child's potential isn't diminished by dyslexia; instead, it highlights the need for different learning strategies and the celebration of creativity and problem-solving skills within the educational environment.
6 days ago, DeWitt Elementary School
Mrs. Mandy’s classes recently celebrated Constitution Day on September 17th as part of “Celebrate Freedom Week”. They learned about the sacrifices made for freedom and the values on which our country was founded. Each class created their own “Classroom Constitution” and signed it to signify their commitment to having a successful learning experience this school year.
8 days ago, DeWitt Elementary School
Congratulations to our September 2025 Dragons of Greatness at DES! The students selected each month for Dragons of Greatness exhibit these characteristics:
D - Dependable
R - Responsible
A - Acts of Kindness
G - Good Friend
O - Outstanding Work
N - Nice to Others
S - Star Student
Congratulations to our September Dragons of Greatness!
9 days ago, DeWitt Elementary School
Attention Preschool Families:
When dropping off or picking up your preschool student, please park in a DES designated parking space in our parking lot. We have friends and family members parking illegally when dropping off or picking up students and this causes congestion and blocks drivers coming in and out of the parking lot.
Thank you ~ Carrie Ashcraft, DES Preschool Director
9 days ago, DeWitt Elementary School
Third through fifth grade artists have been working on “Arkansas County landscapes”. They have studied photos taken by Mrs. Joli of bean fields and farm roads in the area. Students learned how to draw a horizon line and use one-point perspective to show how objects look smaller as they get further away. Fifth grade artists have begun a collaborative canvas of an Arkansas County soybean field.
13 days ago, DeWitt Elementary School
In 4th grade, Mrs. Teesa’s “scientists” have been learning about electricity input and output. First, they built their own simple electrical system. Next, they used the conversion simulator from the new curriculum to help them learn more about electricity! The students enjoy moving different “devices” around to show which ones are input and output.
15 days ago, DeWitt Elementary School
Lemonade on the Lawn - October 23, 2025
Grandparents & Grandfriends, join us on the DES playground for cookies and lemonade! Bring a lawn chair and come enjoy the fun.
Grade-Level Times:
Kindergarten: 11:00–11:25
5th Grade: 1:00–1:20
2nd Grade: 1:25–1:50
4th Grade: 1:40–2:05
1st Grade: 2:00–2:25
3rd Grade: 2:15–2:40
We can’t wait to see you there!
16 days ago, DeWitt Elementary School
We want to remind families how important daily attendance is for your child’s success at school. Please note:
✅ If a student is checked out before 2:30 p.m., they will be counted as half-day absent.
✅ We ask that all students remain at school for the full day unless they must leave for a medical appointment or other urgent need.
Strong attendance helps students grow academically and socially. Thank you for working with us to make sure every student gets the most out of their school day!
For more information, please review the DES Attendance Policy on page 9 of the DES Student Handbook.
16 days ago, DeWitt Elementary School
Fox 16 Chief Meteorologist Joel Young visited with DeWitt Elementary fourth and fifth grade students on Thursday. He taught students about various weather phenomena and how to stay safe in severe weather. Students asked many questions and learned the science behind weather forecasting.
20 days ago, DeWitt Elementary School
The DeWitt Elementary Library Media Center is a valuable resources available to your children. Free flow in the library is open daily from 7:30 AM to 8:00 AM and again from 2:45 PM to 3:05 PM. During these times, students are encouraged to visit the library as many times as they wish each week to select new books that pique their interest and meet their educational goals.
For our 1st and 2nd-grade students, we provide guidance on how to self-checkout and self-check-in books, fostering a sense of independence and responsibility. We believe that the library is an essential component of each student's academic journey, and we strive to create an engaging and supportive environment for all readers.
Additionally, we welcome any book recommendations you may have to further enhance our collection. Please feel free to email your suggestions to Mrs. Heather at
hdanner@dewittdragons.net.
20 days ago, DeWitt Elementary School
Mrs. Makenzie’s 3rd Grade Class worked hands on with Play-doh creating multiplication arrays and equal groups. The kids enjoyed working in groups and getting to be creative and using multiplication expression flashcards. We love hands on activities!!!
22 days ago, DeWitt Elementary School
Recently, in Ms. Jody's STEM Class, students had the opportunity to be engineers! They went through the engineering design process and created boats that would not only float, but would also move across water in races. Students did a fantastic job, and we look forward to more projects throughout the year.
27 days ago, DeWitt Elementary School
This weekend join our community partner, Arkansas Post National Memorial, for POW/MIA Weekend. See the attached flyer for more information!
27 days ago, DeWitt Elementary School
DES will celebrate our Grandparents and Grandfriends on Thursday October 23rd, 2025! More information to come, soon!
27 days ago, DeWitt Elementary School
We would like to give a Big Shout Out to our local Entergy employees for greeting our students today in the drop off zones! Thank you as well for the coffee and donuts you brought for our staff. Wonderful community partners make DES a place where children grow and thrive!
28 days ago, DeWitt Elementary School
