The Discovery News
October 2016
From Mrs. Bates
Dear Parents,
We have had a wonderful first quarter at Discovery Ridge! This is a special time of year as our community comes together to celebrate.
Thank you for all of your support of our seventh annual Discovery Days! Students started the week by meeting with their buddies to work on a STEM project, creating marshmallow and toothpick constellations and structures. Your and our community’s support made special experiences such as the Wentzville Fire Department visit, ARCH helicopter visit, 5th grade camp and our PTO family fun night possible.
Parent-teacher conferences were held October 26th and 27th. We enjoyed sharing with you all of your child’s progress and accomplishments! Learning scales are being implemented district-wide and more information can be found at Revised Report Card Information. Teachers were able to share student progress on the scales and any opportunity for improvement with you. If you would like a copy of the scales, please contact the office and they will be sent home for the grade level you request.
Fall parties are October 31st! This will be a fun time for your child and their classmates. It will be “black and orange” day; please leave all costumes at home to wear for Halloween night! K-2nd grade parties will be held 12:45-1:45 p.m. and 3rd-5th grade parties will be held 2:20-3:20 p.m. Thank you to all of the parent volunteers who are coordinating the events!
Veterans Day will be celebrated on November 11th. We want to honor our heroes! All veterans and families are invited to attend. The K-2nd grade assembly will be held 9:15-10:15 a.m. and 3rd-5th grade 10:45-11:45 a.m. Please look for additional information coming home from your child’s teacher.
The staff and I thank you for your continued support as together we make Discovery Ridge a caring community dedicated to excellence in learning!
Laura Bates
Bully Prevention Week
Discovery Ridge Stars will celebrate Bullying Prevention Week the week of October 31st. This year’s theme is “Take a Stand, Lend a Hand, Stop Bullying.” Students will engage in class activities related to bully prevention, caring, and inclusion. Buddies will be exploring ways to prevent bullying by listing ideas on paper chains, creating a paper-chain American flag which will be displayed at the November 11th Veterans Day assemblies. Character Council members will share daily reminders on the morning announcements about the importance of bully prevention and awareness.
The fun will continue throughout the week with school dress up days:
Monday, October 31st
“Say BOO to Bullying” - wear black and orange (no costumes)
We will also be kicking-off our “Backpack Impact” food drive this day!
Tuesday, November 1st
“Put Bullying to Sleep” - wear PJs (no slippers)
Wednesday, November 2nd
“New Friends are all around you, MIX it up.” - mismatch clothes day
Thursday, November 3rd
“Team Up against Bullying” - wear your favorite sports gear
Friday, November 4th
“I Elect To Be Bully-Free” - wear red, white and blue
Upcoming Dates
October
10/31 Bully Prevention Week
10/31 Food Drive Begins
10/31 OTIS Cookie Dough Fundraiser
10/31 K-2 Fall Harvest Parties 12:45-1:45, 3-5 Fall Harvest Parties 2:20-3:20
November
11/3 Kids Vote (Thank you volunteers! All spots are filled)
11/4 Kids Vote (Thank you volunteers! All spots are filled)
11/3 PTO Meeting 6:30
11/7 No School
11/7 No School, Staff Professional Development Day
11/10 PTO Event at Rockin Jump - Preorder for wait list, or purchase at PTO meeting
11/11 Veterans Day Assemblies K-2 9:00, 3-5 10:45
11/21 Holiday Assistance Drive Begins
11/22 Food Drive Ends
11/23 No school, Thanksgiving break
11/28 School Resumes, Welcome Back!
Fall Harvest Parties
Fall classroom parties will be held on Monday, October 31 at two separate times. Kindergarten through second grade will have parties from 12:45-1:45. Our third through fifth grade parties will be held on the same afternoon following at 2:20-3:20. Room parents will be checked in advance of the party, with class helpers and visitors to follow. Please remember to ensure that all food items have been reviewed and approved in advance. Please contact your child's teacher to learn more how you can help.
Rock Star Reading
Update on Boundary Committee 2016
Public Comments and New Enrollment Numbers Under Review
The Boundary Committee met on October 12th to review online comments left on the public forum and to examine the draft scenarios with updated 2016 enrollment numbers. The Committee decided to move ahead with one scenario (Scenario A) and make modifications based on both public feedback and updated enrollment.
As a reminder, the current middle and high school boundaries will not be changing as a result of this redistricting. The result will be a split in some elementary schools with students going to different middle schools from the same elementary, but middle schools will remain in the same feeder pattern to the current high schools. For example, some students at Duello will go to South Middle, and some will go to Frontier, depending on where they live. But all South Middle students would move on to Timberland and all Frontier students would still go on to Liberty High School. In other words, if you currently live in the Wentzville Middle/Holt, South Middle/Timberland or Frontier Middle/Liberty boundaries, those will not change for you regardless of what elementary school boundaries you are in when we make the shift to K-6.
The committee is strictly addressing boundaries and any decisions on whether or not grandfathering will be considered will be up to the Board of Education. The new boundaries will go into effect at the start of the 2017-2018 school year.
The addition of two new elementary schools scheduled to open in August, 2017 enables the District to redraw the boundary lines to accommodate the shift to K-6 elementary buildings, which will relieve overcrowding at the District's three middle schools. The K-6 Plan for Growth is designed to accommodate continued growing enrollment without having to return to the voters in order to request a tax increase. The WSD has been the fastest growing school district in Missouri in the 21st Century and is now the 11th largest school district in the state.
"We understand this is potentially a very personal and significant change for many families," said Director of Community Relations Mary LaPak. "But we are confident that with the combination of the tools we have at our disposal, as well as the thoughtful input of the committee members, the result will be a final product that makes sense for WSD students."
The next Boundary Committee meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, October 25th at 4:00pm in Central Office. All Boundary Committee meetings are open to the public to observe only. There is not an opportunity for the public to comment during the meetings, however stakeholders can continue to weigh in through email to the committee members, Board of Education members or speak at the public forum during monthly Board of Education meetings. The next BOE meeting is scheduled for October 20th at 7pm.
Boundary updates can always be found on the WSD website.
News From Our Library
Morning Arrival Procedurs
- If your family is eligible for bus transportation and are assigned a morning bus, they will exit their bus and enter the building through the front doors. Please encourage your child to walk a safe distance from the bus, being sure they are not close enough to touch the bus as they walk by.
- If your child arrives to school each day by car drop off, please enter the gates at the south entrance of our school near the playground. As long as the gates are open, your child will be considered on time when you drop them off. Student drop off occurs on the north side of the school. Staff members are along the sidewalk to greet your children and supervise their safe arrival into the building.
- If you choose to drive your children to school and are not dropping off in our arrival line, you must park your car and walk them up to the building using crosswalks. Please do not drop your children off in the parking lot.
- Child care vans have exclusive use of the center loop of our parking lot. Staff members are assigned to this spot to welcome your children and walk them safely across the crosswalk.
- Walkers and bike riders are always welcome! Walkers arrive via the sidewalk on the north side of the school. Staff members are there to help your child enter the school using a crosswalk to the side entry door.
Discovery Days
Students at Discovery Ridge Elementary participated in the seventh annual “Discovery Days” during the week of October 3-7. The event, conceived by faculty members in 2010 before construction of the new elementary school was even completed, focuses on discovery in the physical world. “Discovery Days is an opportunity for our students to learn, explore, discover and imagine about Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM), with a special focus on space and flight,” said Discovery Ridge Principal Laura Bates.
On Friday, October 7th, the week culminated with activities that included students climbing in the cockpit of an F4 Phantom jet built by McDonnell Douglas. Other activities included Monsanto’s Marshmallow Challenge, Washington University’s MySci truck, science demonstrations by Mad Science, and solar scope viewing with the Astronomical Society of Eastern Missouri. “During Discovery Days you learn about the planets in a very fun way,” said fifth grader Deo Reji. “I love Discovery Days every year.”
Additional events included a visit from the ARCH helicopter, Dino Odell’s science songs and the St. Louis Science Center Unisphere - a portable, inflatable mini-planetarium. The celebration concluded Friday night with the St. Louis Science Center’s Family Science Night and a pizza dinner.
PTO News
Turkey Trot Champions
Contact us today with your questions, celebrations, or to volunteer!
Kelly Stratman, Assistant Principal
Ken Kasten, Administrative Intern
Email: kellystratman@wsdr4.org
Website: http://wentzville.k12.mo.us/course/view.php?id=13
Location: Discovery Ridge Elementary School, Sommers Road, O'Fallon, MO, United States
Phone: 6365612354
Twitter: @discovery_ridge