Discovery Middle School
Newsletter - November 2019
Building a Foundation for Success!
Mr. Vincent Williams
Grade 7
Mrs. Amy Herrick
Grade 8
Mr. Dan Shultis
Grade 6
To Our Discovery School Community,
Where did October go? Its hard to believe that we had our first round of snow and the ground is covered with leaves. Hopefully the school year has settled into a productive and positive routine for your family. We just completed our student/parent/teacher conferences in October. It's important that students see your support and communication regarding their academic progress. If you happened to miss conferences but wish to visit with your son or daughters’ teachers, don’t hesitate to reach out by sending an e-mail or calling them.
Fall activities have come to an end, but the month of November is full of opportunities and important dates for our students. Girls Basketball, Wrestling and Dance have all started. If you wish to participate please visit with the Main Office. Our One Act play will be “Alice in Wonderland” and will be performed on November 22. Here are a few more important dates to keep in mind for the month of November:
- November 4 - Co-Curricular Meeting @ Ben Franklin - 5:30
- November 14 - 6/7/8th Grade Orchestra Concert
- November 21 - Wrestling meet @ Discovery
You can also check the online calendar for these and other upcoming events, http://www.fargo.k12.nd.us/Domain/24 and select the calendar icon in the upper right corner). If extra-curricular activities are not for your child, please remember that we offer a wide range of organizations and clubs that your child can participate in. If you have questions, please contact the Main Office. We hope to have a great turnout for our winter activities. Participating in these activities can truly enrich a student’s school and learning experiences. Fargo Public Schools surveyed our students last year, and the number one reason for participating in activities was because it was fun. What a valuable lesson for all of us that work with our children. Help them to enjoy their time in activities and remember that it’s about having fun.
Please mark your calendars. There will be no school on November 11 for Veteran's Day and November 27, 28, & 29 due to Thanksgiving break. Thank you for all you do to help “Build a Foundation for Success!” in our students.
Sincerely,
Dan Shultis
Assistant Principal/Activities Coordinator
Report Card Information - IMPORTANT
Fargo Public Schools will not be sending report cards via U.S. mail. We will be posting student report cards to PowerSchool Parent for electronic access. Report cards for Quarter 1 will be available in PowerSchool Parent by Friday, November 1st. Parents and guardians can access report cards by signing into PowerSchool Parent from a computer and clicking the Document Storage icon on the left side of the screen. Please note, the PowerSchool Parent phone app does not have the capability of showing these electronic documents, so a web browser will need to be used. The Parent login page has a link with detailed instructions for accessing these e-documents. Printed report cards will no longer be mailed home. If you cannot access PowerSchool Parent and would like to request a paper copy, please contact the Main Office at 446-3300.
Reporting an Absence - Reminder
Upcoming Events
November 11 - Veteran's Day - No School
November 21 - Discovery Wrestling Meet
November 22 - "Alice in Wonderland" Performances - 6:00 & 7:30
November 27-29 - Thanksgiving Break - No School
December 23-January 1 - Winter Vacation - No School
January 2 - Classes Resume
Written Notification of School Accountability Report
Dear Parent/Guardian,
North Dakota has launched a new dashboard 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:
• Test Scores
• Graduation Rates
• English Learner Progress
• Student Engagement
• State Accountability
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. The school accountability reports outline how schools are performing on the accountability elements North Dakota selected within its ESSA plan.
How is our School Doing?
To find out more information about our School Accountability Report, visit the dashboard at Insights.nd.gov, select “Find My School”, and search alphabetically for our school. The school accountability report is posted under the Dashboard heading.
Please note, the data made available to the public masks or hides data for groups with 10 or fewer students to protect confidential information about individual students. Therefore, if data is not available to less than 10 students, it will say “no data available”.
Family Engagement
We have strong plans for working to improve the educational programs at our school. We would like you and your child(ren) to continue to be active participants 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 (formerly AdvancED).
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 available on the Insights Dashboard.
Discovery Middle School is not a participating Title I school, with a student membership count of 1,108. If you have any questions regarding the information in the memorandum, please contact the school at 1717 South 40th Avenue or 701-446-3300.
Sincerely,
Vincent Williams
Building Principal
8th Grade Registration for High School Meetings
Attendance FAQs
Phone: 701-446-3310
Email: dmattendance@fargo.k12.nd.us
Ill Student
Call or email the attendance office before 9:00 a.m. to report an ill student.
If the student feels better and comes in late, they are to check in at the attendance office.
Appointments
Call or email the attendance office before 9:00 a.m. or send a note with the student to turn in at the attendance office upon arrival. At the release time the student will show their teacher the pass and go to the office for pick up. Parent/Guardian MUST COME IN and sign the student out. When returning from the appointment, student must check in at the attendance office. Parents/Guardians do NOT need to come in when student is returning.
Tardy
If students are late arriving to school, they should report directly to the attendance window for a pass to enter class. Students who arrive within the first 10 minutes of a period are marked Tardy. More than 10 minutes into a period is reported as Late.
2ND QUARTER PROJECT FOR BAND SECTIONALS
The graded project is due by December 16th. Every band sectional student is expected to attend a public performance of a concert band, jazz band, or orchestra and write a 1-page concert report about the experience. The students are encouraged to go to a concert that is one grade level above them and includes their instrument. The students will receive information about the project in their sectional class at the beginning of quarter 2. If you need some concert ideas, the band department has upcoming concerts posted on the bulletin board outside of the drama room.
DISCOVERY BAND CONCERT INFORMATION
- December 10th is our West Acres 6th grade PRIMO! performance
Performance time is 5:00 PM and students need to be there by 4:45 pm. We will meet and play by the fountain in the JC Penney wing. Please dress in Holiday sweaters/colors for this performance. Leave the mall and head to the second performance of the evening! (see below)
- December 10th is our Courts Plus 6th grade PRIMO! performance
Performance time is 6:00 PM and students need to be there by 5:45 pm. We will meet in the gym area.
Please dress in Holiday sweaters/colors for this performance.
- December 12th are our 7th and 8th grade Winter Concerts at Discovery Auditorium
The 7th grade concert starts at 5:30 and students need to be here by 5:10 ready to warm up.
The 8th Grade Concert starts at 7:15 and students need to be here by 6:50 to warm up.
All 8th Grade Jazz Band and Honor Band students should arrive at 5:15 and report to the Choir Room. Students in Honor Band and Jazz Band should plan to stay for the entire evening.
- December 17th are our 6th grade Winter Concerts in the Discovery Auditorium
The Gold Band (meets on A/E day) Concert starts at 5:30
Be here by 5:10 ready to warm up in the band room.
The Cardinal Band (meets B/D day) Concert starts at 6:30
Be here by 6:10 to warm up in the band room.
All Jazz Band and Honor Band students should arrive at 5:15 and report to the Choir Room. Students in Honor Band and Jazz Bands should plan to stay through their performance at the 6:30 concert.
The 8th grade band has been invited to join the Davies Pep Band on January 28, 2020 from 4:45 to 8:00 pm for a Davies High School Varsity Basketball Double Header. Please mark your calendar for this awesome event. More information about this event will be available at a later date.
What’s Happening in the Library!
Book BINGO
Students and staff are reading and revving up their brain power this fall by participating in Book BINGO. It’s simple to play. Go to the library and pick up the Book BINGO card (link). Highlight or mark an X in each square when the reading challenge is achieved. Bring card and prize drawing entry to the library for each BINGO. Each BINGO earns a chance to be entered for prize drawings. A BLACKOUT earns 3 extra chances! Prizes are treats, books, gift cards, and other top secret “stuff”! All BINGO’s must be recorded in the library by November 18. Winners will be announced November 20th. All participants get a treat with their first BINGO! Encourage your child to join in the fun!
Scholastic Book Fair
Visit the Scholastic Book Fair Tuesday through Friday, December 3 - 6, 8:00 – 3:45, in the Discovery Library Media Center. Books, cool posters, funky pencils and pens, erasers, and much more will be available for purchase. These items make great gifts! Visit our website and order online! https://www.scholastic.com/bf/discoverymiddleschool3
Earbuds
Please ensure your child has earbuds or headphones in school, as many audio options are available and utilized for learning. Earbuds are on sale in the library for $1.
Babysitting Bags of Books
Babysitting bags of "E for Everyone" picture books are available for checkout in the library. These books can even be read to younger siblings!
Digital Safety
With the increasing use of digital media, teaching your child digital safety is essential. Talk to your student about the values and standards he/she should be following when using the Internet. Two excellent resources for parents and students is Common Sense Media and NetSmartz.
DISCOVERY PTA
Discovery Middle School PTA has been busy so far this year.
FALL CONFERENCE MEAL: Our PTA hosted a meal during October conferences for the teachers and staff! The meal was a huge hit! Thank you to the PTA families that donated items to serve as dessert for the meal and volunteered for clean-up. The teachers were very appreciative!
SWIVL: At our last meeting, funding was approved for a Swivl video camera. The Swivl will be accessible to all teachers and administrators in the building. It will help with collaboration and the creation of video lessons. Swivls also aid in self-reflection, peer feedback, and coaching for students and teachers. Students may also have the opportunity to use the Swivl with supervision.
AUTHOR VISITS: Full funding was also approved for two author visits. In February, 7th grade students will get to meet and talk with Author Peter Fane, fantasy author, dog lover, and Mrs. DeBoer’s husband! In March, 6th graders will get to visit with Author Bill Durbin. Durbin is a master of Young Adult Historical Fiction. Parents: watch for more information on these author visits. If you are interested in hearing their presentations, times and dates will be shared.
SUPPORT PTA: To all our family and teacher members. Thank you for your support! If you have not joined the Discovery PTA, please thoughtfully consider. Your $15 membership helps support our teachers and students in so many ways. Your level of involvement in the PTA is entirely up to you. Whether it is strictly monetary or if you can help out with desserts or volunteer opportunities, all support is appreciated. You can join PTA or just make a financial donation to the PTA general fund on SCHOOLPAY. Just click on Non-Profit Groups and find our link at the top of the stream.
Our next meeting is scheduled for Friday, November 22nd, from 4:30-5:30, in the main office conference room.
FIRSTLINK’S 2019 GIVING TREE OF HOPE CAMPAIGN
The Giving Tree of Hope is a program of FirstLink, and is a community-wide effort to assure that disadvantaged children and adults with special needs in Cass and Clay counties are provided with gifts through community donations. Gift distribution will be on December 17, 2019 at Salem Evangelical Free Church in Moorhead between 12:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. Gift recipients MUST bring a photo ID for head of household, and Social Security cards for head of household and each child/special needs adult receiving gifts. For questions, call FirstLink at 701-235-7335.
PARENT/STUDENT CO-CURRICULAR ACTIVITY MEETINGS
Each 7th grade and new 8th grade student athlete, along with a parent, should attend an activity meeting, and sign and date the co-curricular card. If you have already attended a meeting this fall, you do not need to attend another session this school year. The co-curricular meeting scheduled for winter sports is Monday, November 4th at 5:30 at Ben Franklin Middle School.
SNOWBOARD/SKI CLUB
The Discovery Frozen Eagles will be returning this winter for snow fun!
Check out our new website. (https://sites.google.com/view/discoveryfrozeneagles/home) there you can register for our email list and get in on some winter fun.
Our informational meeting will take place on November 7th at 7:00 p.m. in the Discovery cafeteria.
Be sure to find us on Facebook and Instagram.
MIDDLE SCHOOL YEARS NEWSLETTER
The Middle School Years newsletter gives practical ideas that promote academic success, effective parenting, healthy habits, positive character traits, and more. Get practical, age-appropriate tips and ideas that today’s busy families can use to:
- Improve school success.
- Boost the home and school partnership.
- Enhance parenting skills.
- Build positive character traits.
- Develop healthy eating and fitness habits.
Please see the November issue of Middle School Years attached below.
DISCOVERY YEARBOOK
It’s not too late to order a Discovery Yearbook! 2019-20 Yearbooks will be available to order through Friday, February 7th. The cost is $25, and you can purchase one online in SchoolPay, or by bringing cash, a check made out to “FPS”, or a credit card to the Discovery School Main Office. Yearbooks will be distributed on the last day of classes in the Spring, and there will not be any extras available for purchase at that time, so order now! If you’re not sure if you ordered yet, please check with the Main Office.
VOICE CARE FOR COLD WEATHER
As the weather turns colder, our voices often suffer. Here are a few things you can do to help your child maintain proper vocal health.
- Hydration – as the temperature drops, so does the humidity and the cold air can really do damage to your vocal cords. Warm liquids are great for the throat and they feel good on the way down. Honey is a natural soother; it can help with minor irritations and coughs. Try stirring some into your tea or in hot water. I enjoy it with a small twist of fresh lemon juice. Inhaling moist air is another great way to put moisture into the vocal tract. Try inhaling through a warm, wet wash cloth. Warm saltwater gargles another great way to help care for minor irritations in the mouth and throat. Covering your throat by using a scarf or zipping up a hood also helps protect your voice.
- Vocal Rest – we all stress our voices in different ways. Using your voice for extended periods of time and at extreme volumes (both loud and soft) can hurt the voice. Vocal rest or refraining from speaking/singing/whispering when the voice is fatigued can be helpful in returning you to peak health sooner. Sleep is the best way to get vocal rest. “Pushing” through the croaking/cracking will not help.
- Appropriate vocal use – when tired, we often fall into bad habits. Vocal Fry, or a popping, gravely sound is modeled often in TV movies and on the radio. However, this sound is telling you your vocal cords are not functioning at optimum efficiency. The sound results from an uneven air stream interrupting the vibration of the cords, rather than the air flowing steadily through them. Avoid screaming and shouting when possible. When your voice is fatigued, the best thing is rest.
Volume and pitch should vary when singing and talking. Try to avoid extremes. Pain is a good indication that you need to back off. Rest when you can and drink lots of water!
Sarah Barnum
Choir
Discovery Middle School
Amy Herrick, Assistant Principal
Dan Shultis, Assistant Principal
Website: www.fargo.k12.nd.us/discovery
Location: 1717 40th Avenue South, Fargo, ND, USA
Phone: 701-446-3300