The Explorer

It is hard to believe that it’s the beginning of a new school year! While you are not part of the teaching staff, you are just as important to your child’s education as we are. Your child receives the best education when parents/guardians and our dedicated teachers work as a team. It's a parent’s enthusiasm, support, and involvement that inspires children to do their best - and a teacher's ability to teach what they need to learn. Together we can achieve wonderful things.

There is plenty of excitement ahead of us: new teachers to meet, new books to read, new friends to make, and new skills to master. I look forward to you experiencing those exciting times with us. One year your child is in 1st grade, and then in the blink of an eye, he or she is graduating high school.

I encourage you to fully embrace the moment and urge you to take the time from your busy schedule to become familiar with our school, as well as create a homework-friendly home environment that will allow your child to excel.

Thank you for your commitment to your child's education, and I am looking forward to another successful school year.

Mr. Dan Fischer, Principal

• September 14: School pictures starting at 8:05 am.
• September 19: PTO meeting at 6:00 pm in the Discovery library.
• October 4: Classrooms K03, K05, and K06 field trip to Our Farm pumpkin patch.
• October 5: Classrooms K01, K02, and K04 field trip to Our Farm pumpkin patch.
• October 9: No school in observance of Native American Day.
• October 10: No school due to district in-service.
• October 10: Parent Teacher Conferences from 12:30 pm - 7:30 pm.
• October 12: Parent Teacher Conferences from 3:30 pm - 7:30 pm.
• October 20: PTO Fall Dance from 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm.
• October 24: Picture Day retakes starting at 8:05 am.
• October 27: Fall classroom parties starting at 2:00 pm.

School pictures are on Thursday, September 14, starting at 8:05 am. You can purchase school pictures online, or with cash or check.

If you are ordering school pictures online with a credit/debit card (see photo below for instructions):

• Online ordering is only open now through September 17 at 11:59 pm.
• You do not need to send the packet with your student on picture day - we do not need it.

If you are paying for school pictures with check or cash:

• Please send the packet with payment for your student on picture day.
  
• If you have more than one student, each student must have his/her own packet.
• Pictures will be delivered to the school and sent home with students.

Discovery's PTO (Parent Teacher Organization) has an online store for ordering Discovery Spirit Wear, which is open until 11:59 pm on Sunday, September 10. To order, go to: https://cfpromo.chipply.com/discoverypto/store.aspx

Not ready to order - the online store will be open a few more times throughout the school year.

If your student is going to have a change in after school plans, please let the office know. This is especially important if your student normally rides the school bus or goes to daycare.

PTO has launched a landing page with information about upcoming events, volunteer opportunities, spirit wear, and more! Check it out at https://linktr.ee/discoverypto. In addition to their landing page, they also have a Facebook page. Please follow them at https://www.facebook.com/SFDISCOVERYPTO .

We take the safety of our students and staff seriously! The door to the office is locked at all times. If you need to come into the office, please push the doorbell and office staff will greet you.

Discovery has a visitor management system that requires all visitors to produce a government issued ID prior to entry during school hours. Your ID will be scanned and held until you check out in the office at the end of your visit. A visitor ID badge will be generated which MUST be worn in a visible location while you are in the building.

All visitors must have their ID available when coming to school during the day. Keys or other personal items for us to hold will not work - you must have an ID to enter the school beyond the office. Please remember that this policy is not intended to be an inconvenience for families but enforced to keep your child safe.

The policy can be found at: https://quorum.sparqdata.com/Public/Organization/siouxfalls

If your student(s) is going to be late for school, please let the office know. The office has voicemail so you can leave a message at any time. If we do not hear from you, we will try calling. If we are unable to reach you, we will start calling your student's emergency contacts.

• Since lunch is delivered to the school, we place our “order” by 8:30 am. If your child is going to be late and will need a hot lunch, please call the office by 8:30 am otherwise your child will need to bring a cold lunch from home.
  
• If you are coming for lunch, you will need to check-in at the office with a government issued ID.
• You can only eat with your student(s). We do not allow other students to join you.
• Commercial “fast food” should not be brought in, and it should not be delivered during the school day.
• If an adult is planning to eat school lunch, he/she must call the office by 8:30 am to order one.
• If someone other than a parent/guardian is coming to have lunch with a student, the parent/guardian must inform the office either by phone or email.

We do not have student birthday parties. Please do not send birthday party invitations to school to be dispersed. A classroom directory can be opted into for sending invitations through the USPS. Also, please refrain from sending balloons, flowers, and other delivery items for students at school. These items are not allowed in the classroom and will stay in the office to be picked up at the end of the day.

It's that time of year when the mornings can be a little chilly and then by the afternoon the temperature rises. Students may need a hoodie or light jacket in the morning. Below are the temperature guidelines that we follow.

Mrs. Johnson works with students in grades 1st, 3rd, and 5th. Mrs. Marchand works with students in grades KG, 2nd, and 4th.

If your student is in need of additional food over the weekend, please contact one of us. We can have your student added to the Feeding SD Backpack Program, where you can receive a sack of food in your child's backpack on the last day of each school week.

Principal: Mr. Dan Fischer

Email: Daniel.Fischer@k12.sd.us

Dean of Students: Mrs. Kristina Becker

Email: Kristina.Becker@k12.sd.us

Website: https://www.des.sf.k12.sd.us/o/des
Location: 1506 South Discovery Avenue, Sioux Falls, SD, USA
Phone: 605-362-3530
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064085161299