DeWitt Elementary School

In Mrs. Vanessa’s Class we are really working our minds and our fine motor skills. We are cutting, glueing, comparing, and stringing beads!

Classes at DES WILL NOT be in session on Friday, April 3, 2026. We will resume our regular class schedule on Monday April 6, 2026.

Don't Forget, DES Spring Parties are Thursday April 2, 2026. The times are as follows:

Pre-K - 11:45
K - 11:30
1 st - 12:15
2nd - 12:30
3rd - 1:15
4th - 1:15 - On Playground
5th - 12:30 - In Cafeteria

April Events at DES

April 2nd - Class Parties - Times TBD
April 3rd - No SCHOOL
April 10th - 1st Grade Musical - 1:30pm - DES Cafeteria
April 14th - 17th - ATLAS State Testing - Grades 2-5 - ELA
April 21st - 24th - ATLAS State Testing - Grade 2 - Math, Grades 3-5 - Math & Science
April 27th - May 1st - ATLAS State Testing - Grades K-1 ELA
April 30th - Kinderlympics - 1:30 - Dragon Stadium

Our preschool students had so much fun working on their leprechaun traps at home for a family activity. All the traps were so creative and although we didn’t catch any, the crafty little leprechauns left us quite a few chocolate coins. Later in the week we enjoyed a science experiment making rainbows with water, food coloring, plastic cups and paper towels. Our students had fun trying to predict what colors would be created when mixed. I’d say we had the “luck of the irish” with us this week!!

DES Spring Parties

Thursday April 2, 2026

Pre-K - 11:45
K - 11:30
1 st - 12:15
2nd - 12:30
3rd - 1:15
4th - 1:15 - On Playground
5th - 12:30 - In Cafeteria

Congratulations to our March 2026 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 March Dragons of Greatness!

Accessibility for all students is a priority at DES. In preparation for the upcoming 3rd Grade Fishing Unit, Mrs. Lindsay reached out to the Outdoor Tomorrow Foundation for more information about adapted fishing equipment and was put in contact with Michael Scherer, the program director for the non-profit organization, Fishing's Future.

Michael created and donated an adapted fishing pole just for our DES student! We are so thankful for his ingenuity and generosity! For more information about Fishing's Future visit their website at www.fishingsfuture.org !

DES Individual Picture Day has been rescheduled for THIS Friday, March 20th, 2026.

Students in Mrs. Rachel's 5th Grade Math class have been learning and practicing multi-digit multiplication and division while applying these skills to real-world situations. As part of this unit, students collaborated with partners to create and manage a donut shop scenario. They worked together to calculate sales and develop a budget, strengthening both their math skills and teamwork.

At DES, the safety of our students is of highest importance. Please review the following car line safety guidelines to ensure the safety of ALL students at DES.

No cell phones while driving in the car line - this is the law

Slow down and stop at crosswalks. The crosswalks are located at the end of the front carline by the preschool and in the back car line between DHS & DES.

No PASSING in the car line. This puts students at risk for getting hit and cars at risk for colliding. Please be patient as we load the students and follow the car line to the end. Please, do not break the line early.

Thank you for helping us keep everyone safe at DES!

Come Rock with the 3rd Graders at their Musical, Friday March 20th at 1:30 in the DES cafeteria!

Kindergarten registration is from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm tomorrow, March 17, 2026. We can't wait to meet our new Dragons!

Phonemic awareness is the ability to hear, identify and manipulate the individual sounds (called phonemes) in spoken words.

Phonemic awareness is a foundational skill for learning to read and spell. It is one of the strongest predictors of early reading success. In Take Flight the phonemes and lip pictures are displayed on a sound ship as the phoneme is taught. During the phonemic awareness portion of our lesson the students will manipulate the lip pictures to build words by adding, taking away, switching or repeating phonemes. The same lip pictures are used to build the spelling word before they write the word.

Reminder: DES WILL now be in session on Friday March 13th, 2026, as a makeup day, from missing days during the inclement weather, we experienced earlier this semester.

DES Parent Teacher Conferences are tomorrow, March 12th, 2026 from 2:30-6:30. We will have early release: Car Riders - 2:07 Bus Riders - 2:22

Due to the students reporting to the safe room for the weather this morning, and the whole school routine being delayed, Spring Individual pictures will be rescheduled. A new date and time will be announced once it has been scheduled.

DES Spring individual pictures are tomorrow, March 11th, 2026.

In Mrs. Madison’s 4th grade classes, they don’t just talk about suspense, they feel it! What better way to learn how to build suspense in narrative writing than with a mystery box sitting in the middle of the classroom?

Clue by clue, the guesses got louder. Eyes got wider. Whispers turned into, “WAIT… what if it’s…?!” Every new hint stretched the moment just a little longer. The anticipation kept building until the final reveal… Slinky Dog.

Not a monster. Not something spooky. Just Slinky Dog in all his stretched-out glory. The dramatic gasp quickly turned into laughter, which honestly made it even better.

After actually feeling suspense themselves, students were able to take that experience straight into their own writing. Working in teams, they created suspense for their narrative stories, practicing how to stretch out a moment, show realistic reactions, delay the reveal, and keep their reader wondering what will happen next.

Sometimes the best way to learn how to build suspense is to sit on the edge of your seat waiting on Slinky Dog.

Reading at home is a premier indicator of reading development, with children read to at least three times a week being twice as likely to score in the top 25% for reading proficiency. Regular home reading builds essential vocabulary, fosters language skills, strengthens emotional bonds, and boosts school readiness by improving comprehension and cognitive development.

These are some of the MANY reasons we have created the monthly AT HOME reading challenges! Reading is such an important aspect of not just school, but life!

Here are the statistics from our February reading challenge. We hope to see these numbers doubled for the month of March!