DU November Newsletter
November 2018 * Explore Excellence*
Important Dates
11/5 Motivational Monday: Respectful with Heidi the Youngtown Librarian
11/7 DU Dine Out: Panda Express
11/8 Parent Meeting 5pm-6pm
11/12 NO SCHOOL-Veteran’s Day
11/13 PTO Meeting 5pm-6pm
11/20 Thanksgiving Feast
11/21-11/23 NO SCHOOL Thanksgiving Break
11/26-12/7 NWEA Winter Benchmark Assessment
12/3 Motivational Monday: Courageous
12/10 PTO Meeting 5pm-6pm
12/13 Winter Musical 5:30-6:30pm
12/17-12/21 Spirit Week
12/24-1/8 Winter Break
1/9 Back to School
Motivational Monday Memories: Explore Excellence
Courageous
Kind
Proactive
No Homework Policy
At Discover U we have a ‘No Homework Policy’. Our children work very hard all day while at school and research shows that homework in elementary school does not have a direct correlation to academic growth. We encourage our children to read nightly at home with their family. We believe that after school children should spend time with their friends and family exploring their hobbies and interests.
When do we assign homework? If children are not completing their work at school it will be sent home with them to complete. If parents request homework we will provide it. If a child is struggling we will assign practice at home to help them to succeed.
Take a second and watch this short video.
Please Join Our Parent Teacher Organization
Our PTO President, Shawntel House and Vice President, Alycia Pyle are excited to build a strong team of parents and start planning our goal for this year and we will get there together. Please join us on Tuesday, November 13th from 5pm-6pm in the school Learning Lounge. Everyone is welcome! If you have any questions please feel free to email Shawntel at dupto@discoverulearning.com or Ms. Makowski at makowski@discoverulearning.com
What is NWEA Testing?
Your child learns better-and faster- when teachers and students have a clear picture of what they know and what they are ready to learn next. The NWEA assessment is an "adaptive" assessment which reacts to each child's answers and gets more challenging when they are getting answers correct and becomes easier when they are getting answers incorrect.
At Discover U kindergarten through sixth grade have started taking this assessment for reading and math. You will be receiving a print out showing how your child did on this assessment. During parent teacher conferences in October your child's teacher will be able to show you the results and discuss in detail how they are using this information to personalize instruction for your child.
Our students will take this assessment three times a school year to focus on personalizing instruction and measuring student growth.
Please click here if you'd like to read the Parent Toolkit to learn more.
Discover U Proudly Supports a Uniform Policy
We know that it is starting to get chilly out. Even with the chilly temperatures Discover U still proudly supports a uniform policy.
Since it is getting chilly outside, students may bring a warm jacket or sweater to wear while on the playground. While in the classroom, students must be wearing either their DU polo or DU sweater.
Shirts and sweaters are for sale in the front office. Please call if you have any questions 623-974-4827.
Parent Pickup
- We recommend waiting in line to drive to the pick up area after school. This is a quick process and we pride ourselves on taking under 15 minutes for all students to make it to their car. As you drive through the pick up area please be sure to pull all the way forward.
- Please do not park in the surrounding businesses parking lots. Please do not park in the fire lane in front of the office or stop and wait behind parked cars. You will need to park your vehicle in either the front or back parking lot and walk up to pick up your child from their teacher or simply wait in line to drive up to the pick up area.
- During dismissal our teachers number one priority is child safety. Therefore, it is not time to discuss serious matters. Please ask if you can speak after dismissal or follow up to schedule a meeting.
- If your child is in aftercare, you will need to park and walk in to sign them out. If you are picking up your child at 3:15pm and do not want them to go to Explorer Zone, you are welcome to call the front office prior to dismissal and we can relay the message to your child's teacher to have them outside at dismissal.
- If you need extra time buckling in your children, we ask that you pull all the way to the front of the line before your children get in. This will allow you the time needed to ensure your child is buckled without feeling rushed.
Friday Explorer Clubs INSPIRE!
In August we started our Friday Explorer Clubs. Every week it is amazing seeing our students as they walk to their clubs bouncing with joy and excitement. We have 13 clubs on campus that our explorers attend every Friday for one hour. Our goal is to integrate student’s interests into school and to inspire our students to explore new interests. Below you will find pictures of our clubs with a brief description.
Games and Puzzles
Garden Club
No Bake Cooking
Makerspace
Yoga with Ignite Yoga Studio
Artists at Work
STEM Challenge
Soccer and Basketball
DU Green Team (Recycling)
Multimedia Club
Dance and Music
Youth Entrepreneurs
Acting Troupe
Explorer Club Donations
Our teachers are very excited to inspire our students and create learning experiences that will make a lifelong impact on our students. Since each one of these inspiring clubs require unique supplies we are asking for donations to support our clubs. Below are two possible options for donating.
Make a small cash donation of $20 or less to the front office. This money will be divided up and will be distributed directly to our teachers to purchase supplies.
Make a tax credit donation to our school. The Arizona State Tax Credit program allows you to make a donation to an eligible organization and receive a dollar-for-dollar credit against Arizona state taxes owed. These donations count as charitable contributions and may be deducted on your federal return if you itemize your deductions. To do so, go to http://bit.ly/DUtaxcredit.
If you would like to make a cash donation, please bring the money to the front office. We will be collecting the money and distributing it amongst our teachers so that they can buy supplies for their club. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to call us at (623)974-4827.
Thank you for partnering with us to create a school that nurtures, inspires and empowers all of our students through hands on learning.
Mission
To provide a school that works for all students: socially*emotionally*academically
Vision
To be the most student-centered school working to nurture, inspire, and empower our learners so that they become strong, successful individuals with 21st century skills
As Explorers We Are
Respectful, Kind, Proactive, Courageous
21st Century Skills: Critical Thinkers, Collaborative/, Curious, Creative, Empowered, Resilient
Angela Makowski, Principal
See what's going on at Discover U by following our hashtag #DUexplorers
Email: makowski@discoverulearning.com
Website: discoverulearning.com
Location: Discover U, North 113th Avenue, Youngtown, AZ, USA
Phone: 623-974-4827
Facebook: facebook.com/DUlearning