The Explorer

Spring is finally upon us! There are several upcoming events in April and May, which are listed below. You can also view them on our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064085161299.

The Annual Update/Registration is open for next year. We would appreciate it if you could complete this before the end of the school year. It is very helpful, so we can process as many as we can before the office closes for summer break. See the article below for more information. If your student will not be returning to Discovery in the fall, please let the office know. This is helpful as well as we plan for the upcoming school year.

Several grades will be participating in testing this month. Second grade students will be participating in the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT). This test measures a student's learned reasoning abilities - identifying cognitive strengths and weaknesses. Grades 3 - 5 will be participating in Smarter Balanced Testing. It measures student achievement in relation to state standards in the areas of English Language Arts and Mathematics. There are several things that your student can do to prepare for testing:

• Rest: Get a good night’s sleep before the test.
• Eat: A good breakfast on the morning of a test is important. Test taking uses a lot of energy!
• Try: Do his/her best! Even if some parts of the test seem hard, keep trying and don’t give up.

April weather continues to be chilly in the morning. The first recess is at 9:00 am, so having appropriate attire is important. We know it is hard to dress for each part of the day, but we continue to encourage layering. This allows your child to be warm during the cool mornings, yet comfortable as it warms up during the day.

As students begin to see the end of a school year in sight, it is important to remind them to give their best effort up until the last day of school. We've had a great year thus far, so let's finish strong!

Mr. Dan Fischer, Principal

• Apr. 4: 4th Grade Orchestra Concert at 7:00 pm.
• Apr. 11: 5th Grade Orchestra and Band Concert at 7:00 pm.
• Apr. 16: Classrooms 101 and 105 to the Outdoor Campus from 9:20 am - 2:05 pm.
• Apr. 16: PTO meeting in the Discovery library at 6:00 pm.
• Apr. 18: Classrooms 102 and 106 to the Outdoor Campus from 9:20 am - 2:05 pm.
• Apr. 19: Classrooms 103 and 104 to the Outdoor Campus from 9:20 am - 2:05 pm.
• May 1: Kindergarten to Children's Museum, Brookings, from 9:00 am - 2:15 pm.
• May 1: 1st Grade to Washington Pavilion, from 9:00 am - 1:30 pm.
• May 2: PTO's Discovery Skate Night at Skate City from 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm.
• May 14: 2nd Grade to Historic Prairie Village from 9:00 am - 2:00 pm.
• May 17: 5th Grade to Thunder Road then Dunham Park from 10:15 am - 12:45 pm.
• May 17: PTO's Discovery Day Bash from 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm.
• May 21: Discovery Field Day. More details to come.
• May 22: 4th Grade to Good Earth State Park from 11:10 am - 2:20 pm.
• May 23: Last day of school!

The School Board voted for students to make up one of the two previously missed school days due to weather. The dates missed were January 8 and 9. These were not Remote Learning days as the snow days were unexpected and devices were not sent home with students.

The School Board approved the last student attendance day to be moved from May 22 to May 23. Please update your calendar(s).

It’s that time of year! It’s time to complete your student(s) 2024-25 Annual Update/Registration for the next school year. You will review/update your household and contact information. You will also give your student(s) permission to be included in school publications (school pictures, social media, etc.), go on field trips, and be included in other SFSD photos and videos.

Login to your parent portal and select "More" on the left-hand side. Scroll down and select the "Annual Student Information Update" link. It is recommended that the Annual Update/Registration is completed on either a desktop or laptop computer (no cell phone or tablet). Instructions are below.

Animals may NOT be brought onto school grounds between 7:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. on days when school is in session. This includes bringing animals into the school building. For example:

• No animals on the playground, parking lot, sidewalks, etc. during morning drop-off. Please share this information with whoever drops off your student(s).

• No animals on the playground, parking lot, sidewalks, etc. at dismissal. Please share this information with whoever picks up your student(s).
• No animals brought into the school at anytime.
  

For more information on this policy, please visit the district's website.

If you haven’t already done so:

1. Add your student to our list of incoming kindergarteners at https://www.cognitoforms.com/.../_202324kindergarteninput...

2. Complete the district’s online registration at https://www.sf.k12.sd.us/page/school-registration .

3. Submit required documents: address verification, birth certificate, and immunizations.

This is a reminder that there is NO SMOKING on school grounds. Please keep this in mind during morning drop-off and after school pick-up. The possession and use of all tobacco and vapor products, whether synthetic or natural, and regardless of nicotine content is prohibited on District property. This includes buildings, grounds, parking areas, and sidewalks surrounding buildings.

Mrs. Jacee Johnson, School Counselor, will be going on maternity leave around April 15. While she is on leave, Mrs. Hannah Schouten will be covering for her. She will be at Discovery every day except Tuesdays. Mrs. Schouten is a SFSD Social Worker at the Community Engagement Center who is transitioning into School Counseling. Welcome, Hannah!

Third and fifth grade students celebrated a THINK week to help us think about our habits of how we talk to others. We learned to ask ourselves the following before we speak to others:

• Is it true?
• Is it helpful?
• Is it inspiring?
• Is it necessary?
• Is it kind?

This is something we can do every day and not just during THINK week!

Students going into middle school next year can explore healthcare careers in this hands-on camp where you'll meet real-life heroes and learn basic care-taking and lab science skills. Learn about healthcare training opportunities for your future!

Email: Daniel.Fischer@k12.sd.us

Dean of Students: Mrs. Kristina Becker

Email: Kristina.Becker@k12.sd.us

Location: 1506 South Discovery Avenue, Sioux Falls, SD, USA
Phone: 605-362-3530 Fax: 605-362-3535