Discovery Middle School
Newsletter - October 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: Fall Parent/Teacher Conferences...additional information on EBR/SBI, School Resource Officer, PTA, etc.
- Meet Our Staff: Restorative Conferences Facilitator and Student Success Advisor
- 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
- Attention 6th Grade Band
- Attention 7th and 8th Grade Band
- Discovery Drama
- Mr. Reinke's Realm: Social Emotional Learning
- Counseling Corner: Minute Meetings
- Mr. Ford's Focus: Innovation In Education at Discovery
- Nursing Nuggets featuring Nurse Katelyn: Talk to Your Kids: One Chip Challenge
- Medication In School
- SRO Corner with Officer Noll: Traffic and Safety
- Upcoming Events
- October Letter Day Calendar
- Discovery Library Updates: Sora, Author Visit, PLD Help
- Entry to Building - Raptor Visitor Management System Information
- Parent/Family Accommodations
- Parent/Family Communication
- Yearbooks
- Family Healthcare
- Liz's Closet
- Written Notification of School Accountability Report
Hello Discovery Families!
Happy October! We are gearing up for Fall Parent/Teacher Conferences at Discovery. Conferences will be held on Tuesday, October 11th and Thursday, October 13th at Discovery Middle School from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The doors will open to Discovery at 4:00 in order for our staff to eat and get prepared for conferences right after school dismissal.
These confernces will be face to face in the building, open-house style. Due to the two nights we are limited to conferences, we will not be able to have a conference with all families. This is consistent with all three middle schools in FPS. Please make sure you bring a copy of your child's schedule and limit your conference time to 10 minutes per teacher.
Teachers will be located in their team centers/classrooms. Physical Education will be stationed in the cafeteria.
Music will be moved this year to the following areas:
Eider – 180C
Burggraff – 181
Tengesdahl – 181
Van Den Eykel – 182
Salzer – 185
Stotts – 186
Lucht – 190
Signs will be posted throughout the hallways to help parents/families navigate.
Additional Opportunities for Parents/Families During Conferences
- Standards Based Instruction/Evidence Based Reporting: Please stop by the SBI/EBR booth to pick up resources and ask any questions regarding the implementation of standards based instruction and evidence based reporting with district personnel.
- Discovery's PTA will have a booth set up if you are wishing to join our PTA, ask about how PTA helps out our students and school and will have their pop-up clothing store.
- Restorative Conferences Facilitator will be availible to talk about restorative practices at Discovery and the daily services she provides to our students and staff.
- Liz's Closet information will be provided to families regarding this support system at Discovery that provides clothing, toiletries, basic necessities and other supports for families in need.
- School Resource Officer Andrea Noll will be offering information on current law changes, tobacco, community resources availible to parents/guardians and the role of the SRO in our schools.
All parents/families are encouraged to check student current grades and email or call your child’s teachers if you have specific questions. Even better, have your child email the teacher and cc you on the emails so they can practice advocating for themselves about their school work. If you have concerns and are unable to attend conferences you can certainly reach out to your child's teachers or counselor at any time during the school year to discuss your child's progress.
Please remember that there will be no quarter grades this school year, only semester grades.
Annual Frequently Asked Questions Document
- Click link here for access to document with frequently asked questions about back to school and the school year.
Meet Our Staff: Positions You May Not Be Familiar With...
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.
Canvas Support For Parents/Guardians
Evidence Based Reporting Support for Parents/Guardians
Discovery Online School Store
Athletics and Activities Corner with Mr. Larson
This is the last week of 6th grade cross country and there's only a couple of weeks left of 7th & 8th grade Volleyball and 8th grade football.
Dance: our 7th & 8th grade girls who are interested in joining dance will be participating with the Davies High Dance Team. There is a parent meeting this Thursday (10/6) at 6:30 pm in H101 at Davies High School, and the first day of practice will be next week on Monday (10/10) at the Dance Studio in Davies High School. Please contact the head coach, Ella Thorson, for more specific information. Ella.Thorson@ndsu.edu
Girls Basketball: 7th & 8th grade girls basketball will be starting on October 24th. There will be a quick informational meeting for girls on Oct 17th & 18th right after school in Coach Lingen's classroom - students should still be able to catch the bus after. (Boys basketball starts Jan. 3)
Wrestling: 6th, 7th, & 8th grade wrestling starts on Nov 7th. More information coming in the next monthly newsletter.
* Remember, if your child is in 7th or 8th grade, they need to have a physical in order to participate in athletics. The NDHAA has a specific physical form that we need to have filled out.
Drama/Theater
The One Act play is off to a great start with practices. Their performances will be on Nov. 18th and Nov. 19th at Discovery. Contact Mrs. Koenig for more information.
Music
The Discovery music department offers many co-curricular opportunities. Contact the corresponding teachers for more information.
- 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
Clubs
Chess Club: Every Wednesday in the library at 8:10am.
The Morning Club: Every morning at 8:10 in Mrs. Stinar's room. Quiet morning space with arts & crafts & journaling.
Art Club: Meets weekly after-school. Contact Mrs. Quittschreiber (art teacher) for more information.
Get Your Game on Club: Mornings in the Library, see Mrs. Donat for more information.
Library Leaders Club: Mornings in the Library, see Mrs. Donat for more information.
Student Leadership: Please contact Mr. Napton, Mrs. Spellerberg, or Mrs. Ferderer if interested.
Drama Club: Meets every-other Monday afterschool from 3:40 - 4:20 in the Creative Dramatics classroom.
Multicultural Club: start date TBD. Will meet M,W,F in room 115. Contact Ms. Thomsen or Ms. Bashir for more information.
ATTENTION 6TH GRADE BAND STUDENTS
PRIMO! will begin on October 25, 2022. We will meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays after school from
3:30 – 4:00. Come join your friends and learn fun music for a December performance at West Acres. Hope to see you for our first rehearsal! More information will be available during 6th grade large group rehearsal. If you have any questions, please contact one of the band directors at 446-3405 or salzerm@fargo.k12.nd.us, stottsv@fargo.k12.nd.us, or luchtj@fargo.k12.nd.us.
ATTENTION 7TH and 8TH GRADE BAND STUDENTS
Jazz Band and Honor Band rehearsals have begun! However, the groups are continuing to welcome
anyone interested in experiencing another opportunity to make music with your friends. Jazz Band
meets on Wednesday from 7:45 – 8:30 AM and Honor Band meets on Thursday from 7:45 – 8:30 AM. Please enter through the Auditorium doors (door number 28) for these morning rehearsals. If you have any questions, please contact one of the band directors at 446-3405 or
salzerm@fargo.k12.nd.us, stottsv@fargo.k12.nd.us, or luchtj@fargo.k12.nd.us.
DISCOVERY DRAMA!
Greetings from the Drama Department! This year we have many activities and productions planned and we are excited!
We are already having Drama Club Meetings! We meet two times a month and we do various activities and sometimes have guests from the community who have a connection to THEATRE! We also collaborate with the Davies Theatre Department. It is a wonderful way for students to be involved and learn about theatre! All grades are welcome to participate!
In addition to Drama Club, our department sponsors two productions a year! This year we kick off our season with our PLAY. This year our PLAY is actually six 10 minute plays about different aspects of Bullying. The Bully Plays uses humor and clowns and Greek Mythology to explore the dangers of bullying and offers us some solutions to end it! The production will be on November 18th at 7:00 PM and November 19th at 2:00 PM. Admission is FREE!
In January of 2023 we will produce our MUSICAL. This year we are doing Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods, JR. This show uses children’s stories and characters in a new and compelling way. This is a popular and familiar show with many of our “Theatre kids” and their families, so it should be wonderful to develop and wonderful to come and see! The dates for this show are January 26th and 27th at 7:00 PM and January 28th at 2:00 PM. Admission is FREE!
Finally, in April of 2023 we will be hosting the 1st annual Middle School Theatre Festival! Davies and Discovery Theatre Staff will work together to offer workshops and performances for the students as a way to celebrate THEATRE! We are excited for this! More details to follow….
We hope you will join us and that you will all support our wonderful students as they explore the magic of theatre!
Lori Koenig
Keeping Discovery Clean!
Get Your Popcorn!
Davies Marching Band
Mr. Reinke's Realm: Social Emotional Learning
Happy October to all the Discovery students and families! With the weather getting cooler and the leaves beginning to turn fiery colors, our students also start to grow academically, athletically, and emotionally. Being in education for 18 years, I have been fortunate to teach in elementary, middle, and high school and to see how much our children change within their academic careers. Every level has been an amazing experience that has given me a unique perspective and knowledge about what students need in the classroom and daily interactions throughout the school day.
In nearly two decades of being in education, I have seen many teaching techniques, instructional models, and philosophies come and go. However, one skill seems to be the foundation of every student and teacher's experience - building a positive relationship. This technique doesn't come easy to some children and adults in our community, and that is ok. As educators, we will lead, model, and support our students/families to acquire these skills.
The growth and development in these areas are fostered through our Social-Emotional Learning (SEL). SEL's goal is to educate our students on emotional regulation techniques, achieve personal goals, understand empathy for others, and have supportive relationships. Additionally, the purpose of SEL will include having a school and community partnership built on a trusting, collaborative, growth mindset relationship. Each month our goal will be to educate our Discovery families with additional SEL skills that align with our areas of competence: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. Don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions. Go Eagles!
Counseling Corner
Minute Meetings at Discovery are a way to ensure each student has a chance to meet with their counselor at least once per year. It’s been a proactive approach to identify students that may need additional support and to reinforce that counselors are accessible resources to every student. Additionally, we are able to look at data (most questions are scaled or yes/no) that can help inform and improve our programming and/or access to schoolwide initiatives. For example, we ask students if they know where the counseling office is. If students don’t know, we can quickly show them during the Minute Meeting and/or make a point to explain the steps of how to visit a counselor.
As far as how we conduct Minute Meetings, we partner with a core teacher from teams, and introduce ourselves to the class and explain what Minute Meetings are. Each student individually comes out to the team center to briefly meet with their counselor and answer important questions we feel are integral to feeling safe, happy, and successful at school.
Here is a sample of some of the questions we ask:
- Scale of 1 to 4: How are you doing overall?
- Scale of 1 to 4: How likely are you to ask for help when you need it?
- Scale of 1 to 4: How safe do you feel when you’re at school?
- Scale of 1 to 4: To what extent has COVID impacted your life?
- Y/N: Do you know where the counseling office is?
- Y/N: Do you know where the principals’ offices are?
- Y/N: Do you have the supplies you need to be successful in school?
- Y/N: Is there anything you want to talk with your counselor about?
- What is your biggest worry right now?
- What is something you do for fun/to relieve stress?
Discovery Counseling Team
Taylor Ferderer – Lead Counselor, 446-3318
Sean Napton – 6th Grade, 446-3314
Joe Snowden – 7th Grade, 446-3313
Bridget McMinn – 8th Grade, 446-3312
Beth Zimmerman – SWFF, 446-3463
Mr. Ford's Focus - Innovation in Education
Discovery teachers continue to come up with new and innovative ways of engaging students with their content. Here are just a few examples that have taken place over the first month of school -
Mr. Hardy’s 6th grade social studies class learns about how civilization worked with trade-based societies. Students would have snacks that represented the natural resources in a region. The students would attempt to meet the needs of their village by trading their surplus snacks for resources they do not have. The students learn about supply and demand while working together to reach their goals. In the end, the students get to enjoy their snacks while having a discussion about how people were able to use this economic system to build successful civilizations.
Mr. Roth’s STEM class just finished a project where the students built ‘Skimmers’. These are vehicles they create using materials from class that use a rubber band to propel them along the ground. The idea is to create a ‘skimmer’ that can travel at least 40 ft. Below are some pictures of students as they prepare to launch their creations.
Some other creative examples that have taken place during the first month of school -
- Our 7th grade science staff had the students collecting swabs from different locations around the building to allow students to learn bacteria.
- Our physical education teachers had their students performing a scavenger hunt in preparation for the mile.
And there are many more. The Discovery teachers continue to educate students in a variety of fun and creative ways. These are just a few examples of the ideas staff members develop to engage students and activate their desire to learn.
Nursing Nuggets with Nurse Katelyn
A new and concerning trend is becoming increasingly popular among youth, it’s called the “one chip challenge” (see image below for chip packaging). The challenge includes eating an extremely spicy chip to see how much spice a person can handle. The challenge encourages filming of those participating and sharing to social media.
We’ve seen evidence of this challenge in our schools recently, with students getting very sick and experiencing burning eyes, throat, esophagus, and stomach. Once the chip has been eaten, a person’s eyes start to water, prompting them to rub their eyes. This leads to extreme discomfort due to one component of the chip being the same ingredient used in pepper spray.
Milk can provide slight relief after the chip has been eaten. Eye-washing stations are also being used to alleviate some of the eye pain and burning. These chips are being sold in a variety of locations, including gas stations. Across the nation, students are becoming very ill with hospitalizations reported. We ask that you please research this trend and speak with your students about the dangers of the challenge. We ask that no chips be brought to school or on the buses.
The box warning reads:
“Do not eat if you are sensitive to spicy foods, allergic to peppers, nightshades, or capsaicin, or are pregnant or have any medical conditions. Keep out of reach of children. After touching the chip, wash your hands with soap and do not touch your eyes or other sensitive areas. Seek medical assistance should you experience difficulty breathing, fainting, or extended nausea.”
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
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
Discovery Middle School has nearly one thousand students attending every day. These students arrive by bus, are dropped off by parents, and other ride bike or walk to school. With so much traffic around the school and on 40th Ave S it is important for everyone to be safe. There are several crosswalks surrounding the school that students use regularly. The City of Fargo Municipal code explains the duties of pedestrians and vehicles at crosswalks and intersections.
8-0703. - Right-of-way of pedestrians when intersection is not regulated (flashing crosswalk on 40th Ave)
A. Where traffic-control signals are not in place or in operation, the driver of a vehicle shall yield the right-of-way, slowing down or stopping if need be to yield to a pedestrian crossing the roadway within a crosswalk when the pedestrian is upon the half of the roadway which the vehicle is traveling, or when the pedestrian is approaching so closely from the opposite half of the roadway as to be in danger.
B. No pedestrian shall suddenly leave a curb or other place of safety and walk or run into the path of a vehicle which is so close that it is impossible for the driver to yield.
C. Whenever any vehicle is stopped at a marked crosswalk or at any unmarked crosswalk at an intersection to permit a pedestrian to cross the roadway, the driver of any other vehicle approaching from the rear shall not overtake or pass such stopped vehicle.
8-0702. - Right-of-way of pedestrians at regulated intersection. (Intersection of 40th Ave S and 25th St S)
No vehicle shall enter a crosswalk where traffic is regulated by a traffic officer or a system of traffic-control signals until pedestrians who have properly commenced to cross the street have completed their passage across in front of such vehicle, and any vehicle permitted to turn to either right or left shall yield the right-of-way to all pedestrians who are proceeding on crosswalks in a direction authorized by the officer or traffic signal, and failure to yield such right-of-way shall be a violation of this section.
If you have any questions feel free to reach out to Officer Noll.
Upcoming Events
October 11 & 13
- Parent Teacher Conferences
October 20 & 21
- No School - NDCEL Conference
October 24
- 7th & 8th Girls Basketball Begins
- PTA Meeting - 6:30 - Cafeteria
October 28
- End of Quarter 1
OCTOBER LETTER DAY CALENDAR
Please see below for the October Letter Day Calendar or check out our Discovery website.
Our bell schedules and calendars are always posted on our Discovery website.
Sora: Free eBooks and Audiobooks
Students can use Sora to access eBooks and audiobooks from Fargo Public Schools. Students can also access the library called ND Digital Consortium for even more books to select from. (Add library using the menu dropdown.) Download the free app or go through Middle School Resources in Canvas. How to Use Sora
Author Visit
PLD Help
Students can find immediate help for their PLD in their Discovery Library, PLD, and Tech Help Canvas Course located on Middle Level Resources.
Additional resources can be found on the page where parents and students login to Canvas (fargo.instructure.com).
If they can’t find what they need, they can email Mrs. Hyde at hydeg@fargoschools.org for additional help.
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.
Written Notification of School Accountability Report
Dear Parent/Guardian,
North Dakota has launched a dashboard called “Insights,” designed to help communities across the state access important information about K-12 districts and schools. Insights features easy-to-read reports on multiple measures of school success, including:
- Student Achievement
- Choice Ready Results
- Performance Comparisons
- English Learner Progress
- Graduation Rates
- School and State Accountability Results
- School Improvement Information
- Post-Secondary Education
- School Environment
Transparency to the Public
North Dakota is committed to informing communities about how well our schools are doing. North Dakota’s future success depends on tapping into the potential of all students, so they graduate choice ready with the knowledge, skills, and disposition to be successful.
State education departments are required to annually create an accountability report for every public school in the state per the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The school accountability reports outline how schools perform on the accountability elements North Dakota selected within its ESSA plan.
How is our School Doing?
To find more information about our School Accountability Report, visit the dashboard at Insights.nd.gov, select “Find My School,” and search alphabetically. The school accountability report is posted under the Dashboard heading.
Please note that the data made available to the public masks or hides data for groups with ten or fewer students to protect confidential information about individual students. Therefore, if data is unavailable to less than ten students, it will say “no data available.”
Family Engagement
We have strong plans for working to improve the educational programs at our school. We want you and your child(ren) to continue actively participating in our educational system. Please help support our high expectations for student achievement by participating in the school educational initiatives, offering input and support in our endeavors to raise student achievement, or volunteering at the school. Meeting our school’s goals will take a united effort, and I look forward to working with our families to ensure success for each student.
Continuous Improvement
All schools engage in continuous improvement for general support; therefore, our school has completed a continuous improvement plan through Cognia.
As part of the overall school improvement plan, a strategy map is generated for each school. Our strategy map, outlining our key school improvement initiatives, is also available on Insights.
If you have any questions regarding the information in the memorandum, please contact me.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Amy Herrick
(she, her, hers)
Discovery Middle School Principal
701.446.3304
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