Discovery Middle School
Newsletter - September 2022
Building a Foundation for Success!
Mrs. Amy Herrick
Grade 8
Mr. Brandon Larson
Grade 7
Mr. Hunter Reinke
Grade 6
This Month's Newsletter Features the Following:
- Memo from Discovery Administration: Back to School Recap and Cellphones!
- Back To School Bash: Attend to Win!
- Attendance: If Your Student is Going to Be Absent...
- Canvas Support For Parents/Guardians
- Evidence Based Reporting Support for Parents/Guardians
- Discovery Online School Store
- Athletics and Activities Update from Mr. Larson
- From Mr. Reinke: The Discovery Lunchroom
- Counseling Corner: What do our School Counselors Do?
- Mr. Ford's Focus: The Guidelines for Success
- Nursing Nuggets featuring Nurse Katelyn: General Back to School Information
- Medication In School
- SRO Corner with Officer Noll: Text a Tip
- Upcoming Events
- August/September Letter Day Calendar
- Discovery Library Updates
- Meal Prices 2022-23
- Entry to Building - Raptor Visitor Management System Information
- Parent/Family Accommodations
- Parent/Family Communication
- Yearbooks
- Mobile Food Pantry
- Family Healthcare
- Liz's Closet
- Dispute Resolution Policy
- FERPA Information
- Rights of Non-custodial Parents
Welcome Back Eagles
Back to School Night
Paraeducator Orientation
Hello Discovery Families!
Hello Discovery Families:
We hope the first days of school went well for your student and your family. The 2022-23 school year is off to a great start! Here are some highpoints that we want to share with our DMS families:
- Eagle Camp (for our incoming 6th graders) and Middle School 101 for parents/guardians of incoming 6th graders went very well. We had 75% attendance for our incoming 6th graders at Eagle Camp. Our current 8th grade students helped out as student ambassadors and also served on a student panel to address any questions that our parents/guardians may have about middle school.
- Back to School Night for grades 6-8 was very well attended. We have not had a Back to School Night that has been this well attended in some time so that was very exciting! We apprecated the booths set up by our members of our school, district and overall community.
- The first days of school have been fantastic. Students have done an excellent job with our cell phone expectations and policy. Please continue to reinforce these expectations at home by reminding your child the following:
This year, Discovery Middle School will maintain a cell phone-free policy in our classrooms and common spaces during the school day (8:45 am - 3:30 pm). Cell phones are expected to be turned off or on silent and kept in lockers (or backpacks for the first few weeks) for all 6th graders. They must be off/silent, kept in lockers, or put away in their pockets for 7th and 8th graders. (8:45am - 3:30pm). Discovery will continue following a “we see it, we hear it, we take it” policy. If an adult sees or hears a cell phone, it will be confiscated. Students should not have their cell phones in their hands as they navigate the school. Absolutely no cell phone usage in the bathrooms or locker rooms.
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First offense: Adult confiscates the cell phone and brings it to the office. The student may have it back at the end of the school day. Parents will be notified via their contact info from PowerSchool - email first.
Second offense: Adult confiscates the cell phone and brings it to the office. Parents/guardians will be notified via phone call.
Third offense: Same steps as “second offense,” but the student will now have to turn in their phone to the office each day when they arrive at school. They will stop in the office at the end of the school day to pick up their phone.
Discovery is a 1-to-1 laptop school, so all students have access to a computer throughout the day. Because of this, there is no need for a student to utilize their cell phone.
Annual Frequently Asked Questions Document
- Click link here for access to document with frequently asked questions about back to school and the school year.
BACK TO SCHOOL BASH
Fargo Public Schools is throwing a party on the pavement to celebrate the start of the 2022-23 school year. Students, parents, and staff are invited to the Back to School Bash from 5-7:15 p.m. on Thursday, September 8 in the south parking lot at the FPS District Office 700 7th Street South.
The Bash will feature free burgers and hot dogs until supplies run out, along with a DJ, dunk tanks, bouncy houses, a DJ, a keynote speech by motivational speaker Frederick Edwards, and prize giveaways with a grand prize drawing at 6:45 p.m.
ATTENDANCE- Did You Know?
For absences, please call the Attendance Office directly at 701-446-3310 or email at dmattendance@fargo.k12.nd.us. Please leave a message if the call is not picked up right away.
If you are planning on picking up your student during the school day, please call the Attendance Office as early as possible so that we can get your student a pass and have them ready in the office.
Eagle Camp: Student Panel
Eagle Camp: Learning the Guidelines for Success
First Days of School: Peppermint Coolers in FACS class!
Canvas Support For Parents/Guardians
Evidence Based Reporting Support for Parents/Guardians
Discovery Online School Store
Athletics and Activities Corner with Mr. Larson
Athletics are off to a great start! Last week, we started 8th grade football and 7th & 8th grade volleyball. The game schedules should be finalized & put on our school calendar by the end of the week! 6th Grade cross country began today. They will be practicing Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays for the next 5 weeks. The cross country meet schedules were on the flyers that went home, but they are also on the school calendar.
Drama/Theater
Drama Club (grades 6-8) starts Sept 12th and will meet every other Monday after school 3:40 - 4:20.
One Act Play informational meeting will be on Oct 3rd @ 3:40.
Music
The Discovery music department offers many co-curricular opportunities.
- Primo Band: Stotts & Lucht
- Jazz Band: Lucht & Salzer
- Honor Band: Stotts
- Vivo Choir: Van Den Eykel
- Con Brio Choir: Van Den Eykel
- Honors Orchestra: Burgraf & Tengesdal
From Mr. Reinke: The Discovery Lunchroom
Hello,
My name is Hunter Reinke, and I am the assistant principal working with the 6th grade. This is my first year at Discovery Middle School, and I am very excited to be part of a school that has a supportive community, innovative, relationship-focused teachers, and students that eager to experience middle school.
One of the tasks I have been working on with Mr. Ford is the lunchroom experience for our Discovery students. With nearly 1000 students passing through our lunch lines in almost two hours, fine-tuned transitions need to happen. Our goal is to have all administrators out during the lunch runs; however, that goal cannot be obtained from time to time. So, we have leaned on a fantastic group of lunchroom supervisors to help. Their involvement and feedback are appreciated as adjustments happen daily in these first weeks of school.
Some of the guidelines we have put in place for our lunch runs are:
- Please stay seated in your assigned areas - music section or advisory. Students will have different peer groups to interact with during our A, B, C, D, E, and F schedules.
- Raise your hand if you need to get up for any reason. Some examples are the need to use the bathroom and the need for utensils.
- Raise your hand if you need seconds. Depending on the amount of food, seconds on our main entrees are granted. However, if we are low on the main entree, students can choose a cold lunch for seconds.
- Reminder: seconds require payment. If students only want the main option (popcorn chicken), they will pay $2.05. If they wish to have the entire meal, it will cost $3.60.
Parents, if you get time, please talk with your children about our guidelines during the Discovery lunch runs and ask them how it is going. Ideally, we would like an open lunch for all students, which may happen if everyone can follow the expectations. However, in the meantime, we will follow the plan and reteach anyone who may need the support. Don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions, and let's have a great year! Go Eagles!
First Days of School
First Days of School
First Days of School
Counseling Corner
Meet the Discovery Counseling Team! At Discovery, our students are assigned counselors by their grade. The counselor will follow their group of students throughout their middle school careers.
*Mr. Napton – 6th Grade Counselor 446-3314
*Mr. Snowden – 7th Grade Counselor 446-3313
*Mrs. McMinn – 8th Grade Counselor 446-3312
*Mrs. Ferderer – Lead Counselor 446-3318
*Mrs. Zimmerman – SWFF (Student Wellness Family Facilitator) 446-3463
What do school counselors do and how are we here to help? We focus on academic, career, and social-emotional needs of ALL students. We’re here as a resource for all of you. Here are just a few of the ways that we do this:
o We provide brief, individual counseling to students in school.
o We run groups to enhance peer support and teach social-emotional and academic skills
in a smaller setting.
o We teach guidance lessons on topics like empathy, bullying, stress management, and
career-planning.
o We work together with all teachers, administrators, school staff, and parents/guardians
to support student needs in and out of the classroom.
There are also many different resources that we can connect students to like Liz’s Closet and the BackPack Program.
Liz’s Closet is a free resource at Discovery that can help provide food, clothing, hygiene products, and school supplies to students in need.
The BackPack Program provides bags of food for students to take home with them. If you have questions about Liz’s Closet or the Backpack Program, please reach out to a counselor or stop by Student Services.
If a family needs help getting lined up with outside resources like therapy, community groups, or other resources within our community we help refer families to our SWFF, Beth Zimmerman.
We look forward to meeting those of you that are new to Discovery! If you would like to visit with a counselor, you can send us an email or let a teacher know you’d like to see us. Our offices are located in Student Services. It’s going to be an Awesome Year!
The Counseling Department (Right to Left)
Mr. Ford's Focus
Hello everyone. My name is Joe Ford, and I am the new administrative intern and acting Dean of Students at Discovery Middle School. I am very excited to be a part of the administrative team and look forward to an outstanding school year. A major focus at Discovery Middle School has centered on a philosophy called the Guidelines for Success – Be Respectful, Be Responsible, Be Safe, and Have a Growth Mindset. We expect students to use these four principles to guide them when it comes to behavior and decision making. In this newsletter, I would like to focus on the Be Respectful guideline and how it ties into some updates expectations here at Discovery.
Be Respectful is a principle that centers on an understanding of how an individual’s behavior can affect the people or circumstances around them. This is extremely important in a building with as many students and staff as Discovery Middle School has. To Be Respectful of the important learning taking place in our building, the administrative team has instituted some new guidelines for student cell phone and airpod/earbud use.
This year, students will be asked to turn off their cell phones for the duration of the school day from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in an effort to eliminate distractions that make it difficult to focus on learning, both in classrooms and during important social/emotional learning opportunities that take place in passing times and at lunch. Constant checking of devices or listening to music or podcasts through their earbuds robs students of healthy interactions with teachers and classmates. Earbuds may be requested by classroom teachers and, only in those instances and in those specific classrooms will using them be acceptable. Otherwise, the expectation is that students will not be using their cell phones or earbuds throughout the school day.
When students are Respectful of these new policies, they will be less distracted and more “present” in their classrooms and in their respective social settings. By removing these distractions, we expect to improve student learning, stimulate personal connections, and improve an already excellent building climate. This is a change for students, and we understand that the shift may be difficult. We are here to support and assist students as we move forward and continue to improve every day.
Nursing Nuggets with Nurse Katelyn
Hello! My name is Katelyn Novacek and I am the school nurse at Discovery. I look forward to taking care of your student this year and will do everything I can to make it a fantastic year for them. I am here to facilitate any health needs your student has. I will be starting to review your student’s health cards and immunizations shortly, and reaching out to you if necessary. Please email me your students emergency care plan if they have one in place (they need a new one every year). I can certainly help get the forms to you and your students healthcare provider if needed. Please email me if there are any medications that you would like your student to have at school. We can also set up a time for medications to be dropped off. I also ask that any updated Immunization reports be emailed or dropped off at the school as soon as possible.
My hours will be 8:15 a.m.-3:00 p.m. M-Th and 8:15 a.m.-2:15 p.m. on Fridays. Please let me know if there is anything else that I can do to help make this the best year for your student.
Email: djhnurse@fargo.k12.nd.us
Phone: 701.446.3319
How do I know if my child is up to date on immunizations?
Click here to see required vaccinations for the State of North Dakota.
MEDICATION IN SCHOOL
If your student should need to take a prescription or non-prescription medication at school, Form AF6720-A must be filled out in it's entirety, signed by you and your doctor, and brought to the nurse. The medication bottle for school must be labeled , including student’s date of birth. If student will self-administer, in the case of an inhaler, please fill out form AF-6720-F. You should be able to get these forms off the FPS website under registration, or at your doctor’s office.
You can reach the nurse @ 701-446-3319 or by email: djhnurse@fargo.k12.nd.us.
Hope you’ve had a wonderful summer!
SRO Corner with Andrea Noll
The text a tip number is 701.526.6716 and can be used to report information on alcohol, drugs or safety concerns.
It is important that for emergency situations that you teach your child to call 911 or 211. Please see Officer Noll for any questions. Thank you!
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER LETTER DAY CALENDAR
Please see below for the August/September Letter Day Calendar or check out our Discovery website.
Our bell schedules and calendars are always posted on our Discovery website.
ENTRANCE TO THE BUILDING DURING SCHOOL HOURS
Fargo Public Schools is pleased to announce that we will begin using the Raptor Visitor Management System in all of our schools to strengthen our program of campus safety for students and staff. Part of keeping students and staff safe is knowing who is in our buildings at all times, and the Raptor system will allow us to do so. The Raptor system will allow us to better screen visitors, contractors, and volunteers in our schools to provide us with a safe environment for our students and staff.
Upon entering the school building, visitors will be asked to present an ID, such as a Driver’s License, which can either be scanned or manually entered into the system. If a parent or guardian for any reason does not have a US government-issued ID, the school staff member can use any form of identification and manually enter the person’s name into the Raptor system. Once entry into the building is approved, Raptor will issue a badge that identifies the visitor, the date, and the purpose of their visit. A visitor’s badge will not be necessary for those who visit our schools simply to drop off an item in the office or pick up paperwork.
A video overview of our pilot and how the system works is available at: https://youtu.be/8qwHwTmp-80
PARENT/FAMILY ACCOMODATIONS
Family support is so important for your child’s success at Discovery. If parents or other family members need accommodations to participate and attend any school function at Discovery, please contact the school office two to three business days prior to the event. Every effort will be made to meet your needs.
PARENTAL/FAMILY COMMUNICATION
Communicating with parents and families is always our goal at Discovery Middle School.
You may subscribe to Discovery’ Newsletter and Daily Announcements on our website by going to “Content E-Alerts” on Discovery’s website. Parents/guardians can sign up to receive alerts about new Daily Announcements, Newsletters, etc., for each school your students attend. E-Alerts are sent to users who have subscribed to a homepage or website section of interest. You will receive an email notification that content has been modified.
You may also want to add our school calendar to your personal calendar. This will help you stay informed about all the activities that are happening at Discovery.
Our school supply list, our student handbook, a link to PowerSchool, PTA information, and several other useful links are also available on our website.
YEARBOOKS
Yearbook orders will be taken online .The cost is $20.00. To ensure that your child will receive a yearbook at the end of the year, it must be ordered and paid for in advance. The deadline for ordering a yearbook is Friday, March 10, 2023.
Liz’s Closet
A Discreet, Free Resource for Discovery Students in Need
What: Discovery strives as a team to meet the needs of all students as part of our mission to build a foundation for success. Liz’s Closet, a free resource at Discovery, aligns with this mission by providing students in need with items such as clothing, hygiene products, non-perishable food items, etc.
At Discovery, we hope to provide developmentally appropriate support to students in need by offering a means to obtain basic food and hygiene products in a discreet manner. Students utilizing Liz’s Closet will have access to reusable bags, so items are less visible as students are leaving the building.
Where: Liz’s Closet will be located in Student Services. The room being used as “Liz’s Closet” will be accessible through a trusted adult in the building (teachers, counselors, administrators, paraprofessionals, designated staff).
Who: Any student in need of these items is welcome to take what he/she needs with the help of a trusted adult.
How: Although students are welcome to directly ask a trusted adult at Discovery to use Liz’s Closet, to maintain privacy as best as possible, a student can simply draw a star on a sheet of paper and bring it to a trusted adult. The adult will then instruct the student as to when he/she can go to Student Services to collect what is needed. If this adult does not have a time that works for him/her, the adult will notify the appropriate counselor or Student Services staff member to be expecting this student sometime within the school day. Once in Student Services, the student will be escorted to the closet and can take what is needed.
If you know of anyone who may need to utilize this resource, please do not hesitate to contact a Discovery counselor or administrator. Additionally, if you would like to donate shelf-stable food, school supplies, or hygiene products to Liz’s Closet, please contact Taylor Ferderer (school counselor) at 446-3318.
Fargo Public Schools Dispute Resolution Policy
Dispute Resolution Policy
Federal and state regulations require districts to adopt procedures for receiving and resolving disputes. A complaint may include an investigation by district staff that will result in a determination of findings of facts, conclusions, and reasons for the final decision.
Any individual who believes the Fargo School District has violated the regulations or law governing the federal Title program should submit a detailed, written statement of facts supporting the allegation to:
(Manager of Specific Title program)
Fargo Public Schools
700 7th Street South
Fargo, ND 58103
Fargo Public Schools Title Managers
Title I Part A (Disadvantaged Students) Jan Anderson anderja@fargo.k12.nd.us
Title II Part A (Teacher Training/Recruitment) Robert Grosz groszr@fargo.k12.nd.us
Missy Eidsness eidsnem@fargo.k12.nd.us
Title III (English Language Acquisition) David Burkman burkmad@fargo.k12.nd.us
Title IX (Discrimination/Sexual Harassment) Tamara Uselman uselmat@fargo.k12.nd.us
Section 504 (Students with Disabilities) David Burkman burkmad@fargo.k12.nd.us
Any complaint must include:
• The date;
• The name of the district, unit, or individual the complaint is against;
• The name, address, and telephone number of the person making the complaint;
• A detailed description of the complaint, including specific facts; and
• The signature of the person making the complaint.
When a complaint is filed, the appropriate Fargo Public Schools Title Manager will investigate and issue a written response within sixty (60) calendar days from the date the complaint is received.
Reconsideration
The complainant may submit a reconsideration request in writing to the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction, the North Dakota Division of Juvenile Services, and the U.S. Department of Education.
State Superintendent The Secretary of Education
North Dakota Department of Public Instruction U.S. Department of Education
600 E. Boulevard Avenue, Dept 201 555 New Jersey Avenue NW
Bismarck, ND 58505-0440 Washington, D.C. 20208
North Dakota Division of Juvenile Services
100 Railroad Avenue
Bismarck, ND 58501
Revised 7/2016, 7/2017, 7/2018, 10/2021, 2/2022, 7/2022
FARGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS AFFIRMS THE FAMILY EDUCATIONAL RIGHTS TO PRIVACY ACT (FERPA)
Privacy Rights:
The Fargo Public School District extends official notification of their commitment to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) which afford parents and students over 18 years of age (“eligible student”) certain rights with respect to the student’s education records.
- The right to inspect and review the student’s education records within 45 days of the day the District receives a request for access. Parents or eligible student should submit to the school principal (or appropriate school official) a written request that identifies the record(s) they wish to inspect. The principal will make arrangements for access and notify the parent or eligible student of the time and place where the records may be inspected.
- The right to request the amendment of the student’s education records that the parent or eligible student believes are inaccurate or misleading. Parents or eligible students may ask the school district to amend a record that they believe is inaccurate or misleading. They should write the school principal, clearly identify the part of the record they want changed, and specify why it is inaccurate or misleading. If the District decides not to amend the record as requested by the parent or eligible student, the district will notify the parent or eligible student of the decision and advise them of their right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment. Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be provided to the parent or student when notified of the right to a hearing.
- The right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in the student’s education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent. One exception which permits disclosure without consent is disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official is a person employed by the District as an administrator, supervisor, instructor, or support staff member (including health or medical staff, persons who sit on the Emergency Threat Response Team, and law enforcement unit personnel); a person serving on the School Board; a person or company with whom the District has contracted to perform a special task such as an attorney, auditor, medical consultant, or therapist); or a parent or student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee, or assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks including serving on the Emergency Threat Response Team. A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility. (The District may also disclose “directory” information such as a student’s name, address, telephone number, date of birth, honors and awards. If the parent does not want directory information released, they must contact the school where the student attends within two weeks.)
- The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the district to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the office that administers FERPA is:
Family Policy Compliance Office
U.S. Department of Education,
400 Maryland Avenue S.W.,
Washington, D.C. 20202-4605
RIGHTS OF NONCUSTODIAL PARENTS
Fargo Public Schools - AP 6410
When parents of a student are separated, involved in divorce proceedings or are divorced, the building principal will respect the rights of custodial and noncustodial parents equally except when a court order exists concerning special restrictions. “Special restrictions” means such things as temporary restraining orders preventing or restricting custody, court orders concerning supervised custody and similar orders. It is the responsibility of the parent to provide the school principal with a copy of such a court order concerning special restrictions about students or student information.
Parent rights include access to student records and school mailings, attendance at parent/ teacher conferences and Individual Educational Program (IEP) meetings, and authority to request that a student is released early or are absent from school for a legitimate reason.
It is the responsibility of the noncustodial parent to inform the school office of his/her name, address and phone number if they wish to be consulted regarding their child or wish to be placed on the school’s mailing list.
Adopted 3/27/90
Reviewed 1/15/2003,1/2013
Revised 10/2013
Reviewed 10/2020
Discovery Middle School
Brandon Larson, Assistant Principal/Activities Coordinator
Hunter Reinke, Assistant Principal
Joe Ford, Administrative Intern
Website: www.fargo.k12.nd.us/discovery
Location: 1717 40th Avenue South, Fargo, ND, USA
Phone: 701-446-3300