Discovery Middle School
Midsummer Edition: 7/19/21
Building a Foundation for Success!
Mrs. Amy Herrick
Grade 7
Mr. Brandon Larson
Grade 6
Dr. Amanda Quintus
Grade 8
This Midsummer Edition Newsletter Features the Following:
- Welcome Mr. Larson
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) to Common Mid Summer Questions
- Accessing Student Documents Through PowerSchool
- Updated Administrative Policy 6325 Student Dress
- Youthworks Back to School Clothing Distribution
- Canvas and Mastery Connect Information
- Free Summer Meal Schedule
- Meal Prices for 2021-22 School Year
- United Way School Supply Drive
- August/September Letter Day Calendar
- Nursing Nuggets from Nurse Amanda: Immunization Clinic
- Join Cross Country!
- SRO Corner from Officer Kjonaas: Fargo Police Explorers Academy
- NDHSAA Physicals for 2021-22 School Year
- Fall Co-Curricular Start Dates
Welcome Mr. Brandon Larson
Why Discovery Middle School?
I am a Discovery Middle School Alumni! I'm so excited to be back in the building. Although I do miss our old colors; teal and black.
What is your favorite thing about middle schoolers?
Mostly their quirkiness. Middle school is such an important time for kids, they go through so much growth academically and emotionally. We as teachers, and administrators, can make such a positive impact on kids that will last a lifetime.
What are you looking forward to this 2020-21 school year?
Getting to know the students and staff! I know I'll forget names, so I'll just go ahead and apologize for it now. I'm also excited to start the school year on a little more of a normal note than last year.
What do you do to stay busy outside of your role as an educator?
Hang out with my wife, Kayla, and my 15-month-old twins, Emmie & Everett. To be honest, at this stage in life, there's not a whole lot of time to do anything else!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS) this time of year...
When is the first day of school?
The first day of classes for students for the 2021-22 school year is Wednesday, August 25th.
When will schedules and back to school information be sent to families?
6th grade student schedules will be sent around the second week of August. These will be sent in the mail.
7th and 8th grade student schedules will be only available on PowerSchool and not printed off. They are typically available around the second week of August as well.
You will get a notification from Blackboard Connect when schedules can be viewed.
My child hasn't been to Discovery before or was a Discovery student but was virtual academy in the 2020-21 school year, how do we get orientated to the building?
- Discovery Middle School Website
- Discovery Middle School Virtual Building Tour: an online "virtual tour" of our building, including 360 degree views of areas of our building, staff photos, informational videos (like how to open a locker) and more!
- Building Orientation for incoming 7th Graders who were Virtual Academy during the 2020-21 school year will be held Thursday, August 19th from 8:30-9:30 a.m.
- Eagle Camp-Thursday, August 19th from 10:00 a.m.-12:15 pm.
- Back to School Night-Monday, August 23rd. Additional details will be sent to you in your back to school packets.
How can I see my child's progress reports, report cards, and assessment results?
Your PowerSchool Parent account now has access to student documents like progress reports, report cards, and assessment test results right within PowerSchool Parent.
2021-22 School Year Student Forms
What about registration for school?
All FPS families must complete/update registration information via PowerSchool for the 2021-22 school year PRIOR TO the beginning of the school year or before middle school and high school orientation sessions in mid-August
What Back to School Information will I receive and when?
Discovery Back to School Information Packets will be sent by mail to all Discovery families during the first week of August. Included in this packet is:
- Discovery Back to School Newsletter
- Picture Order Form
- Activities Pamphlet
- School Supply List
- Picture Schedule
- School Calendar
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.
What about school supply lists?
The school supply list is posted on Discovery's website and will be included in your back to school packet in August.
Are students changing for PE this year?
Uniforms will not be sold this school year. The PE teachers will go over the details with their students at back to school. To prepare for PE students should have the following:
1. Clean and comfortable clothes should be work to school daily.
2. Tennis shoes should be work on the student's PE day.
3. A water bottle with student first and last name clearly labeled.
I heard schedules were posted already, but when my student checked they couldn't access it?
It seems that every summer at some point there seems to be a glitch in the PowerSchool system and students who are checking for their schedules are able to access them and may be able to see that schedule for a day or two until the glitch is repaired. This happens across our district and our registrars are continually creating and adjusting schedules during the course of the summer as enrollment fluctuates and students drop or new students enroll. So if a student has viewed their schedule during the course of the summer before they are officially posted, so what they see on their schedule at that point may not be what their actual schedule ends up to be.
Can I request a specific team or teacher for my child or can my child switch teams when they get their schedule?
Scheduling at the middle level can be quite complex and many factors enter into the decision making process. Teacher recommendation, input from specialists, school counselors and other relevant personnel take much time, effort and care in developing class rosters that result in offering all children a quality educational experience.
When creating a schedule, the following factors may be considered:
The program needs of the child
Class sizes
Teacher, counselor, or specialist recommendations
Other course selections such as musical instruments or world language, for example.
Scheduling at the middle level can be quite complex and many factors enter into the decision making process. Teacher recommendation, input from specialists, school counselors and other relevant personnel take much time, effort and care in developing class rosters that result in offering all children a quality educational experience. Thank you for your understanding of this process.
Additional FAQs about school will be addressed in the August Back to School Newsletter such as: early morning, lunch, lockers, personal learning devices, etc.
Updated Administrative Policy 6325 Student Dress
The updated policy is available on the public website.
Youthworks Back-to-School Clothing Distribution Is Back!
The YouthWorks back to school clothing distribution at Agassiz has returned after a COVID hiatus. The clothing focus is for middle school through college-aged students.
Canvas and Mastery Connect
Beginning Fall 2021, teachers and students in grades 6-12 will use the Canvas learning management system to post and access information about assignments and course progress. Additionally, MasteryConnect is a formative assessment tool teachers will use to collect formative assessment data to track student progress toward proficiency of course learning outcomes.
Why is FPS adopting Canvas and Mastery Connect?
Currently, middle and high school students and parents access attendance, grades and course content in multiple systems: PowerTeacher Pro, EDUCal and Google Classroom. Additionally, external resources such as electronic textbooks, subscription databases, free and licensed resources can be integrated directly into Canvas. The adoption of Canvas and MasteryConnect will make it possible to house everything in one place for students and parents, while maintaining the flexibility for teachers to embed external content as needed. Our goal is to increase access for students and families by streamlining the systems they use.
Why now?
Sixth grade teachers will implement evidence based reporting (EBR) beginning fall 2021. We had purchased a plugin to make EBR more user-friendly for teachers, students and parents within PowerTeacher Pro, but discovered several shortcomings as we field tested it in middle and high school classrooms. The Teaching & Learning and IT teams agreed a system our size needs a scalable, integrated, standards-based solution. While a slower transition may seem like a good idea, it has become apparent that it is more complicated to use and maintain multiple systems simultaneously.
How will this impact me?
Next fall, middle and high school teachers will post assignments in Canvas instead of EDUCal. EDUCal accounts will continue to be available to copy/paste assignments from this school year, but students and parents will login to PowerSchool as usual, and click a button to be directed to Canvas for assignments and messages about courses. And, there is an app for parents and students to access this information on their phones.
Additionally, teachers will use Canvas or Mastery Connect gradebooks instead of PowerTeacher Pro. The Canvas gradebook is a traditional gradebook, and MasteryConnect is a standards-based gradebook. Both gradebooks are integrated with the Canvas Learning Management system, so if teachers choose to grade assignments within their Canvas course, these scores will be automatically populated in their gradebook. While there will be a learning curve on the front end, teachers should save time entering grades in this new system.
What's Going On In Summer School at Disco?
Congratulations Dr. Quintus!
Building a Foundation...Literally!
FREE SUMMER MEAL SCHEDULE
UNITED WAY SCHOOL SUPPLY DRIVE
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER LETTER DAY CALENDAR
Upcoming Events
August 19th - Eagle Camp - 10:00 - 12:15
August 23rd - School Pictures - 7:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
August 23rd - Back-to-School Night
August 25th - First Day of Classes
NURSING NUGGETS
Join Cross Country!!
Looking for a fun and exciting sport to join? Cross Country may be the perfect fit! You will learn team building and leadership skills as well as experience the sport of endurance running. All students are welcome no matter your ability or experience.
Any boys entering 7th or 8th grade interested in participating in cross country, please contact John Watkin at watkinj@fargo.k12.nd.us
Any girls entering 7th or 8th grade interested in participating in cross country, please contact Jason Edwards at edwardj@fargo.k12.nd.us
SRO Corner with Officer Kjonaas - Fargo Police Explorers Opportunity
Police explorers is a career-oriented program that gives young adults the opportunity to explorer a career in law enforcement by working with local law enforcement. The program is available to students who will be 14 years old when the program begins in the fall of 2021. The program provides educational training programs for young adults on the purposes, mission and objectives of law enforcement. It also provides career orientation experiences, leadership opportunities and community service activities. The primary goals of the program are to help young adults choose a career path within law enforcement and to challenge them to become responsible citizens of their community.
Explorers will participate in numerous activities to include: Tour of facilities, Ride-Alongs, Dispatch tour, Police K-9 Demo, Firearm Safety, Use of Force, Defensive Tactics, Arrest and Search Procedures, Fire Department Tour, Drug Enforcement, DUI Enforcement, SWAT and BOMB, Crime Scenes, Traffic Stops, Traffic and Crowd Control, Community Events, a Summer Field Trip, and an Award Ceremony.
Requirements
- Interest in Law Enforcement
- Age 14 to 20
- Clear Criminal Record
- Respectable Driving Record
- 2.0 GPA or Better
- Mature, responsible, self-disciplined and dedicated
- Attend at least 70% of the meetings
- Be willing to volunteer time
- Pay annual dues for insurance and remain current
How to Join
To apply, you must complete an application using the link below. For questions or more information, contact Lt. George Vinson at 701.476.4092.
NDHSAA PHYSICALS FOR 2021-22 SCHOOL YEAR
Students planning to participate in athletics in the 2021-2022 school year can get their physical done and turned into their school office. Any physical dated after April 15, 2021 is good for the 2021-2022 school year. All athletes will need a new physical on file before they can participate in their athletic activity. Don't wait - get it done today!
The "Form B" option that was available this year will not be an option for 2021-2022.
Click here to download the NDHSAA Approved Physical Form
Physical Information from NDHSAA:
Prior to participation (including practice) a student participating in NDHSAA sanctioned athletic activities and representing his/her school must have on file with their school, an annual NDHSAA-approved Athletic Pre-Participation Health History Screening and Physical Examination clearance form completed by a qualified health care professional (i.e. Doctor of Medicine of Osteopathy, Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant under the supervision of a physician); the Athletic Pre-Participation Health History Screening and Physical Examination is valid for one school year; a physical examination completed before April 15 is not valid for participation the following school year.
FALL CO-CURRICULAR START DATES
Fall 2021 Co-curricular start dates will be updated soon on the Discovery website. All dates are subject to change. Discovery's Co-curricular parent/athlete meeting is scheduled for Thursday, September 2nd at 6:00 p.m. in the auditorium.
Discovery Middle School
Amanda Quintus, Assistant Principal
Brandon Larson, Assistant Principal/Activities Coordinator
Website: www.fargo.k12.nd.us/discovery
Location: 1717 40th Avenue South, Fargo, ND, USA
Phone: 701-446-3300