Discovery Families,

Thank you to those families who have already attended parent-teacher conferences and to those who have their conference scheduled in the coming days. Conference time is an opportunity for teachers to share about your child's academic, social and emotional growth. Report cards are another way that teachers share updates about your child based on the grade-level standards required in each grade. Report cards will be emailed to families on Friday, March 10.

We are all excited for the upcoming Spring Break on March 13 - March 17. Whether you are traveling or using this time to enjoy some downtime at home, our hope is that it is enjoyable. When students return from the break, students in 3rd, 4th and 5th grade will be participating in the North Dakota State Assessments as they are assessed in the areas of math, literacy and science (for 4th grade).

The third trimester of the school year also brings the start of planning for the upcoming school year. While it might seem hard to believe, we have begun hiring staff for the upcoming 2023/24 school year. We are excited to welcome Krista Stone as our newest kindergarten teacher, replacing Ms. Hansen, who will be moving this summer. Molly Feland will be our newest 3rd grade teacher as we add a fifth section of 3rd grade next school year. Molly will be transitioning from her current role as Trailblazer Time teacher to her 3rd grade teaching position. Ali Bain will be our newest 5th grade teacher, replacing Ms. Draper, who will be retiring this school year. For some, Mrs. Bain might be a familiar name, as she was once a 4th grade teacher at Discovery before moving and now returning to Grand Forks. I am confident that these new staff members will represent all the competencies and expertise that we value with all our staff at Discovery School.

Lastly, I want to remind families to stop by and visit the Book Fair in the library in the coming days. Special thanks to Mrs. Shannon and Ms. Dahle for their time and effort to bring this to our school during parent-teacher conference time. Happy Reading!

Sincerely,

Mrs. Parkinson - Principal

Mr. Kurtyka - Associate Principal

Congratulation to Adam Said, Elle Thompson and Nolan Lundby for being selected as winners in the Sertoma Club's "What Freedom Means to Me" essay contest. These students were recognized at a Sertoma lunch and ceremony, where they read their essays and were presented with special patriotic gifts.

As part of our Discovery PBIS system, different grade level teams present a monthly assembly. This month, 4th graders reminded Discovery students to "Dream Big"!

In December, some Discovery parents reached out and asked if there were any classroom needs and asked if there were ways that they could support classroom teachers in our school during the holidays. From this conversation, teachers were asked to create a wish list to help provide specifics to those who were interested in contributing. Since the lists weren’t ready in December, we are sharing these lists for those who might be interested as we head into February, Giving Hearts season. We are blessed to have supportive families, something that we do not take for granted. Please know that there is no obligation to contribute but is meant to be a resource for those who have asked.

During the 2022-2023 school year, we have two storm days built into our schedule. If additional storm days are needed we will transition to remote learning for the day(s). In the case of a remote learning day of school, please use this survey to let us know if you might need internet access provided to you by answering this survey. We will then use this information to plan effectively, should remote learning be necessary due to inclement weather.

School Day:

• Arrival Bell: 8:20 am

• Tardy Bell: 8:25 am

• Dismissal Bell: 3:00 pm

Arrival:

Students that are utilizing the breakfast program can enter in door #7 beginning at 7:40am. Students not eating breakfast at Discovery will go to their designated location outside to wait for the 8:20 am bell. Staff will provide supervision at the drop-off locations from 8:10 to 8:25. We ask anyone arriving after the tardy bell at 8:25 to use door #1 and check-in with the office staff before going to their classroom. Contingency plans will be shared with your children in the event of inclement weather. Please see the arrival/dismissal graphic for specific grade level drop off and pick up locations.

Dismissal:

The safety of our students and staff is a top priority for us at Discovery Elementary Schools. As per district policy, schools will have parents meet their child(ren) at a designated location outside the school at dismissal time. Teachers will bring students to an assigned location outside the school. Students will meet their pick-up person at a prearranged meeting place near the assigned dismissal door. Older siblings will go to the youngest sibling’s assigned door so parents can pick up all children in the same location. Contingency plans will be shared with your children in the event of inclement weather. Please see the arrival/dismissal graphic for specific grade level drop off and pick up locations.

Checking out your child(ren) during the day:

If you are taking your child out of school early for any reason, please call the school office and let the secretaries know the time you plan to pick up. Please pick up your child(ren) at Door #1. Please walk up to the door and push the doorbell to communicate with the school secretaries. Once the secretary has confirmed who you are and who you are picking up, they will send the child(ren) out to you.

Absences & Tardies:

If your child is absent or late, call the attendance line by 8:30 am to leave a message. Communication between home and school ensures students safety.

• Attendance Line: 701-787-4361

• School Office: 701-787-4359

Tips for Being a Good Listener.
As a parent/guardian, sometimes you may feel as though your child does not listen to you. It is important that you communicate your needs and feelings to your child in an effective way. A simple suggestion to improve communication between you and your child is to use “I” messages rather than “You” messages (which often create an oppositional situation). For example, instead of
saying, “You always leave your dirty dishes on the table. Can’t you pick up after yourself?” say, “When you leave your dishes on the table, I get frustrated because it makes extra work for me when I get home and I’m trying to make dinner.” Visit www.parentslead.org for more information.

Main Office: 701-787-4359

Attendance Line: 701-787-4361

Fax: 701-787-5053

Main Office Hours: 7:45am - 3:45pm

Location: 3300 43rd Ave. S

Grand Forks, ND 58201