Dolphin Clicks - January 28, 2024

Discovery Elementary: Empowering Every Learner through Inclusion, Collaboration and Excellence

Tuesday, January 30

PTO Dollar Bookstore - During lunch recess

Wednesday, January 31

3:30 - 4:30 p.m. - Leadership Club (4th and 5th grades only)

Friday, February 2

No School - Teacher Workday

If you are picking your student up in a car, please continue to display your car tag - until your child is in your vehicle. This helps our staff to quickly identify which cars still need students. In addition, if you are walking to pick up your student, even if you parked in the parking lot - please go to the north gate to pick up your student. We are not able to enter car tag numbers for families who have parked and are walking up to get their students. Thank you for your help!

Our district's Lighthouse Award winners were announced during last Tuesday's School Board meeting. We are happy to share that both winners (certificated and classifed) were from Discovery! Congratulations to Jodi Hillbrant-Johnson, Primary Lighthouse Teacher and Steve Richardson, Lead Custodian.

Jodi Hillbrant-Johnson was named the winner of the certificated Second Semester Lighthouse Award for excelling “at building relationships with staff, students and families, and our communities. Our community organizations are often involved in supporting our students because of her." A few other highlights from her nominations include, "She works hard to build relationships with not only her students but helps her students to build relationships with other staff members as well," and, "She knows family members by name, knows their backgrounds, struggles and what makes them shine.”

Steve Richardson was named the winner of the classified Second Semester Lighthouse Award. One of his nominations summed it up beautifully: "Steve builds intentional partnerships with students, families and our community by learning student names which is amazing in a school of over 500. He attends awards events, like the school board evening's that honor our students - even though he starts work at 5:30 a.m. He takes extra time and care to support the individual students with different abilities around the school, interacting in ways that value their contributions and who they are as individuals ... ”

• Informational .pdf (shareable link: 2024 DI Multicultural Night 3.14.pdf )
• Click the link to see highlights from last year's MCN event:

  Discovery Multicultural Night (MCN) 2023

• Help us make Multicultural Night 2024 bigger and better!!! Sign up for a booth or performance to showcase your culture/country

  Click here  https://forms.office.com/r/CwPyHjP8ch

• Microsoft Form booth sign up https://forms.office.com/r/CwPyHjP8ch

This month’s schoolwide focus is Empathy. Character Strong defines empathy as “understanding and connecting with other people’s feelings.” Empathy is a practice that can help us grow strong relationships. Empathy is just one of the traits we focus on throughout the year that helps students learn to Be Kind. Throughout the school year, students will continue to develop skills like perspective-taking, conflict resolution, and leadership.

Family Empathy Pursuit #2

Find a time to sit in a circle together and celebrate all the ways you have seen each other practice Empathy. Take turns sharing responses to the following prompts or make up your own! Remember to practice Empathy as you listen to each other.

Celebration Prompts:

• What is 1 way a family member has shown you Empathy lately?
• Share about a time when you felt like someone really listened to you.

Please join our PTO group on Facebook:

Discovery Elementary PTO

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1558801251020448

Contact us with questions and feedback at:

pto.discoveryelementary@gmail.com

Next PTO Meeting: Monday, February 12, 2024 - 7:00 p.m.

PTO Meeting - Monday, February 12, 2023 - 7:00 p.m.

Join us via Facebook Live: (private group, please send request first) https://www.facebook.com/groups/discoveryelementarypto/?mibextid=oMANbw

Join us via Zoom Meeting:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4179711224?pwd=aDRVYnU3dzg3enowNTF6eGh3QklIUT09

Meeting ID: 417 971 1224

Each Tuesday, during lunch recess, students have the opportunity to buy books for one dollar ($1) at our PTO-sponsored Dollar Bookstore. These books are sometimes new, but often gently used, and are ready for new homes. Students love shopping for books and can even earn "free book" certificates from teachers and staff.

Donations of gently used books are always welcome! If your child has outgrown their books, please consider donating them to Dollar Bookstore. Students may purchase 1-2 books each week, so please limit the amount of money they bring to school. No more than $5 dollars, please. This is an optional event and is a great way to get books into the hands of our students.

Dear families,

We want to hear from you! To help with that, you are invited to a family listening tour in February and March. The intent is to gather input about communication and engagement with families, especially from families for whom English is not their first language. We’re planning four in-person events, one in each quadrant of the district. The in-person listening sessions will be followed by an online survey to all families about the same topics. The results will be used to guide the continued development of the Language Access Plan and the district’s Strategic Plan.

What is the format for the events?
Your hosts for the listening sessions will be:

• Diane Bradford, Communications and Public Relations Director
• Dr. Elena Kelley, Multilingual Education and Student Supports Director
• Mary Williams, Equity, Family and Community Partnerships Director

School principals and family engagement liaisons are participating as well.

In addition to sharing your thoughts and questions, you can also get assistance with Schoology, ParentSquare, and language services. Dinner will be provided and childcare and interpreters will be available upon request. Please let us know if you plan to attend on the attached ParentSquare form so we can plan for dietary needs, childcare needs and interpreters.

Listening session dates and locations (all events are scheduled for 5:30-7:45 p.m.):

• Monday, February 5: Lake Stickney hosts with the following schools in attendance: Lake Stickney, Picnic Point, Serene Lake, Odyssey, and ECEAP. Response deadline for childcare/interpreters: January 29
• Thursday, February 8: Mariner High School hosts with the following schools in attendance: Mariner, Voyager, Discovery, Fairmount and Pathfinder Kindergarten Center. Response deadline for childcare/interpreters: January 31
• Monday, February 12: Kamiak High School hosts with the following schools in attendance: Kamiak, Harbour Pointe, Columbia, Endeavour, Mukilteo Elementary, Olympic View. Response deadline for childcare/interpreters: February 5
• Monday, March 4: ACES High School hosts with the following schools in attendance: ACES, Olivia Park, Explorer, Challenger and Horizon. Response deadline for childcare/interpreters: February 26

If you cannot attend the event nearest your school, feel free to participate at another location. The topics discussed will be the same at each event. Just let us know when you’re attending through the attached ParentSquare form. If you have any trouble with the form, please comment under this post and we’ll help register you!

We hope to see you there!

Sincerely,

Diane Bradford, Communications and Public Relations Director
Dr. Elena Kelley, Multilingual Education and Student Supports Director
Mary Williams, Equity, Family and Community Partnerships Director

Reminder: If you plan to attend a family listening session, please let us know through the attached ParentSquare form or by telling your school's family engagement liaison. If you need help signing up, we can help you! Thank you.

You can complete your form by clicking the link below.

Complete Form View, Appreciate or Reply • Appreciate

This year all Discovery students continue to be eligible to receive FREE breakfast and lunch. If you send lunch from home, please make sure your child can independently open all items and that you send healthy foods your child will eat.

• Breakfast is served from 8:35-8:50 AM daily.
• Lunch is served by grade level at their designated lunch time.
• Breakfast and Lunch Menus - January
  

January:

School Board Recognition Month

Chinese American History Month

JANUARY

30: PTO Dollar Bookstore (during lunch recess)

31: Student Leadership Club (4th and 5th)

- MSD Family budget webinar (6:00 - 7:00 p.m.)

FEBRUARY

1: 5th Grade Band/Orchestra Concert @ O.P. - 6:00 p.m.

2: NO SCHOOL - Teacher Workday

3: Mukilteo Community health and wellness event The flyer

6: PTO Dollar Bookstore (during lunch recess)

7: Student Leadership Club (4th and 5th)

8: Family Listening Tour @ Mariner HS (5:30 - 7:00)

9: Learning Improvement Time (LIT) - 2:10 Dismissal

12: PTO Meeting - 7:00 p.m. (via Zoom)

13: PTO Dollar Bookstore (during lunch recess)

- School Board Meeting (6:00 p.m.)

14: Student Leadership Club (4th and 5th)

16: Learning Improvement Time (LIT) - 2:10 Dismissal

19 - 23: NO SCHOOL - Mid-Winter Break

27: PTO Dollar Bookstore (during lunch recess)

- School Board Meeting (6:00 p.m.)

28: Student Leadership Club (4th and 5th)

Principal: Shannon Koehnen,

KoehnenSA@mukilteo.wednet.edu

Assistant Principal: Mary Helen Bever, BeverMX@mukilteo.wednet.edu

Dean of Students: Alysha Yeamans, YeamansAX@mukilteo.wednet.edu

School Counselor: Kristen Ching, ChingKL@mukilteo.wednet.edu

Family Engagement Liaison (FEL): Dulce Estrada, EstradaDX@mukilteo.wednet.edu

Administrative Assistant: Debbie Fischer, FischerDL@mukilteo.wednet.edu

Registrar: Sandra Ibarra, IbarraSE@mukilteo.wednet.edu

Website: https://www.mukilteoschools.org/Domain/147
Location: 11700 Meridian Avenue South, Everett, WA, USA
Phone: (425) 366-2700

Fax Number: (425) 2702

Mukilteo School District does not discriminate in any programs or activities on the basis of sex,

race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, veteran or military status, sexual orientation,

gender expression or identity, disability, or the use of trained dog guide or service animal and

provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The following

employees have been designated to handle questions and complaints of alleged discrimination:

Civil Rights Coordinator and Title IX Coordinator Simone Neal (425-356-1319),

nealsr@mukilteo.wednet.edu, Section 504 Coordinator Becca Anderson (425-356-1277),

andersonra@mukilteo.wednet.edu, and the ADA/Access Coordinator Karen Mooseker (425-356-

1330), moosekerkw@mukilteo.wednet.edu. Address: 9401 Sharon Drive in Everett, WA.

Inquiries regarding ADA/Access issues at Sno-Isle TECH Skills Center should be directed to

Wes Allen, Director (425-348-2220) allenwr@mukilteo.wednet.edu. Address: 9001 Airport Road

in Everett, WA 98204.