Discovery Middle School

Hello Discovery Families,

The DMS staff have been working tirelessly to prepare for this week's back to school. We are all excited to see students, interact with families, and have some sort of routine. Thank you for your patience and grace as we embark on this educational journey this year. We cannot wait to have our students back in our building.

We wanted to send out a special edition of our Newsletter to address some frequently asked questions that have come our way in the past few days. We hope this gives some clarity during a time that has been very fluid and ever-evolving.

Regards,

Amy Herrick, Daniel Shultis, and Amanda Quintus (Discovery Administration)

• What/where is the September 2-October 2 calendar?

The calendar can be found under calendars on our Discovery Website Homepage and also the link here.

• How do I know how to navigate student drop off/pick up if I am driving my child?

Please see the link from Mr. Shultis regarding Discovery Traffic Information

• Where can we find more information about secondary SMART Restart (including the tentative calendar for the 2020-21 school year)?

Information can be found on the FPS Website under the COVID-19 tab. The link to secondary schools is also found here.

• Is there a calendar specific to my child's Number/Color Group?

Link to Group 1 (Red Group) found here, A-K Link to Group 2 (Yellow Group) L-Z found here.

• How were number color groups determined?

Students were placed in Group 1 (Red Group) A-K or the Group 2 (Yellow Group) L-Z based on the last name of the oldest student in the family dwelling. This allows family members who have different last names to keep their family groups together whether they are in elementary, middle or high school.

• How can I find which color/number group my child is in?

As of Friday, the groups can be found on the Parent Portal.

• When does the virtual academy enrollment close?

Virtual Academy closes at 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, September 1st.

• If I have questions about the virtual academy who do I contact?

Please e-mail the virtual academy at virtualacademy@fargo.k12.nd.us, or call 701-446-1077.

• When I look at my child's schedule, the days say A-F for some classes. What does that mean?

That means that we typically run a A-F schedule, so our A (ACE) days and B (BDF) days would show on the schedule. However, for our hybrid we are just going by A/B days and disregarding the ACE and BDF. A-F days are classes you have every day such as your cores: English, Science, Social Studies, Math.

• How will attendance be taken?

On Face to Face Days, the teachers will mark the child's attendance in Power School.

On Distance Days students are expected to complete assigned work because their grade will reflect their understanding.

• If I need to contact the attendance office, who should I call?

Please call our attendance clerk, Mrs. Kari Preckel at 701.446.3310, or email her at dmattendance@fargo.k12.nd.us.

• What will student overall grading look like?

Students will not receive quarter grades. They will receive Semester 1 and 2 grades. Some teachers may wish to utilize Evidence Based Reporting. Teachers will connect with their students and parents/families about any specifics regarding their grading processes.

The following grade ranges will be applied:

90% - 100% A

80% - 89% B

70% - 79% C

60% - 69% D

0% - 59% F

Semester Grade will be recorded as S1 and S2.

• How will I know what my child should do on their first face to face school day?

Teams/departments/teachers will communicate with you and your child regarding the expectations for face to face prior to September 2nd. Students should bring their PLD that is all charged up and ready to go! Students should take their charging cord and PLD home daily unless an arrangement is made between student, teacher and parent.

• If my child has an instrument for band or orchestra-what should they do the first face to face day?

Students should bring their instrument the first day of face to face school and when they arrive at school in the a.m. they should first enter in through door 28 (auditorium doors). Music staff will be waiting to assist them with putting their instruments away before they proceed back out and through doors 30 (front door) or 31 (gym doors).

• How does my student access the daily announcements when they are at home or distance learning?
• Students and parents/families can access our Discovery Daily Announcements through our You Tube Channel This is also found on our Discovery Website under Discovery Media Streaming.

• How will I know what my child should do on their first learning from home school day?

Teams/departments/teachers will communicate with you and your child regarding the expectations for distance learning prior to September 2nd. Students should have their PLD all charged up and ready to go! Students should take their charging cord and PLD home daily unless an arrangement is made between student, teacher and parent.

• What should I do if my child has not gotten their PLD?

If your child is registered for the Virtual Academy, please call the Main Office to schedule a time to pick up their PLD. If your child is going to be coming to school face-to-face, they will get their PLD's the first day that they have in person classes.

• What does my child need to do with their PLD (Personal Learning Device) prior to the start of school, either face to face or from home?

When students picked up their PLDs at Discovery, they received PLD Orientation "Homework" that needs to be completed prior to their first face to face day of school. The information was also sent to parents/families in a connect ed message. The Orientation "Homework" is also attached here.

• What type of face covering should my child wear to school? What if my child cannot wear a face covering due to medical or behavioral circumstances?

A mask that covers the nose and mouth is required when social distancing may not be maintained. Teachers and staff are very mobile in the classroom setting as they instruct and monitor, so students and staff will need to wear masks in the classrooms. Masks also must be worn in the hallways during passing time of any sort, including before, during, and after school. If masks are removed for any reason, for example, during eating, students/staff should wash their hands or utilize hand sanitizer before putting the mask back on. Having a plastic baggie to store the mask in during lunch is a good idea so that masks aren't laying on the tables or shoved into pockets unprotected. Students and staff may wear face shields, but must also have a mask on unless the face shield is enclosed so that there isn't open areas around the sides, bottom, top of face. Bandannas are discouraged, if you or your child is struggling finding proper masks, please talk with your child's counselor and they will assist you. If you child has a medical or behavior circumstance in which they cannot wear a mask, please provide a note from your child's medical provider to the school nurse, counselor or grade level principal and we will work with you to provide appropriate accommodations. Please make sure that masks/face coverings abide by the FPS dress code policy of

AP 6325 Student Dress regarding inappropriate imagery or wording or vulgarity as defined in the policy.

This was sent earlier in our August Newsletter as well:

The Fargo Public Schools will require all students and all staff to wear masks that adequately cover both their nose and mouth. Exceptions will be made for students with medical, behavioral, or other challenges who are unable to wear masks/face coverings.

• The Fargo Public Schools will supply one cloth mask for each student. These will be given to students when they come to school. Please make sure your child has a mask for the first day that they attend classes.
• Students/parents are asked to supply one additional cloth mask.
• Please practice wearing masks at home so that your child can get used to it and find a mask that is as comfortable as possible.
• Please make sure that your child’s mask does not contain any images or language that would violate dress code policy of clothing advertising or promoting the use of drugs, alcohol, drug paraphernalia, guns, weapons, gang affiliation, or depiction of violence. They may also not include vulgar images as defined by the FPS Dress code policy of pictures, images, words, silhouettes of individuals, or sayings that depict sexually suggestive expressions or actions, profanity, obscenity, drugs, alcohol, or tobacco, or which degrade the integrity of individual groups. The Fargo Public Schools dress code policy is defined in detail under AP 6325 on the Fargo Public Schools Web Page and online student handbook.

• What is the dress code at Discovery?

It is observed district-wide. Please see AP 6325 Student Dress.

• What if I want to change my child's schedule or team?

Schedules cannot be changed at this time Due to FPS SmartRestart Instructional Level, virtual academy enrollment, virtual academy staffing, alphabetical split, and social distancing/safety protocols in classrooms. Thank you for your understanding.

• Are students using lockers? How will they store their items?

Lockers will not be accessible to students for storage at this time. Students are encouraged to bring zippered binders with their items in it, or a backpack if necessary. No wheeled backpacks allowed unless medically necessary. (Please provide a note from your child's medical provider to the school nurse, counselor or grade level principal and we will work with you to provide appropriate accommodations.) These items will be carried with them from class to class.

• What safety procedures will be taken in the classrooms?

Students will have assigned seats. It is imperative that students abide by the seating charts assigned to them. Sanitizer will be used on desks in between class periods. Hand sanitizer will be available in the classrooms but students are encouraged to bring their own hand sanitizer as well. Students and staff will be wearing masks that properly cover their nose and mouth in the classrooms and hallways. Seating has been arranged to provide as much social distancing as possible in classrooms, team centers, and other student areas.

• What about cell phones?

Students typically are told to store their cell phones in their lockers. As we are not utilizing lockers at this time, students will be able to have their cell phones in their backpacks, zippered binders or on their person during the school day. However-please note:

-Students should silence their phones or turn them off during the day.

-Students should not have their phones out in the classroom or hallways unless specifically instructed by a teacher or staff member. If it is showing in a pocket, that is fine, it just cannot be physically out in their hands/laps/desks.

-We will still follow the: we see it, we hear it, we take it as we have done in the past.

-Student cellphones will be turned into the main office to the grade level principal. Students will get one warning when it is turned into the main office. The next time, the student's parents/guardians will need to come and pick up the student phone.

-Cellphones are often one of the germiest things around, please encourage your child to wipe their phone down as often as they can using appropriate sanitizing wipes for technology.

-Students should make sure they have their "find my phone" app and report any missing phones to the school resource officer if they are certain it is lost or may be stolen.

• What time does the building open to students?

Doors will open at 8:00 a.m. Students will report directly to their period 1 class and sit in their assigned seats. Period 1 teachers will be present at their classrooms for student supervision. Teachers without period 1 will be asked to provide other supervision. The cafeteria will not be open for student seating in the a.m. Students are encouraged to come to the building as close to the start of their period 1 class as possible. Period 1 starts at 8: 40 a.m. for face to face.

• What if my child wants to eat breakfast at school?

Grab and go breakfasts will be available from 8:00 a.m to 8:35 p.m at Discovery. They will eat it in their period 1 class. The cafeteria will not be open for student seating in the a.m.

• What will lunch look like?

The lunchroom will have assigned seating and tables will be marked for social distancing. Students will need to wear their masks until they are seated and eating at the table. When they are done eating, their mask needs to be put back on.

There will be hot lunch options during lunchtime. There will not be a la carte during this time due to social distancing, and limiting what students touch. There will be one-way traffic flow and staff will be serving students so that students have limited opportunities to touch food. Self-selection items will be packaged and spread out to encourage social distancing and cleanliness. There will be no shared tables to put leftovers, all food items will need to be discarded from student tray after student is done eating.

Please have your student practice memorizing their student id number. This is the same number they have had since elementary unless they are new our district. Students will be encouraged to verbally tell their student number to minimize touching the keypad for food payment.

Nutrition services wants to discourage cash exchanges so if a student/staff member pays in cash, if there is change, rather than giving the person the change, the money will be credited toward that person's account.

Please know that Discovery Middle School Staff will be additionally vigilant about cleaning and sanitizing in between our lunch runs. Please encourage your child do do their part by practicing good hand hygiene, wearing a mask, and social distancing when they are in the lunchroom.

• What will passing time look like?

Students will need to wear their masks and walk on the right side of the hallway during passing time. Students may not congregate in the locker bays or hallways but must walk directly to their next period class. Due to COVID-19 limitations regarding restroom usage, students will need to use the restroom during their class time. These limitations are due to appropriate social distancing, cleaning protocol, and contact tracing.

• What if I want to meet with the principal or other school staff about my child?

The safety of our students is our top priority. For that reason, Fargo Public Schools has put in place security measures in elementary and middle schools. It is important to make an appointment with the main office if you wish to see a principal or counselor, for something like a school concern, 504 or IEP meeting. We are taking great measures to limit the amount of people in our building as part of the FPS SmartRestart Plan. Due to the FPS Smart Restart Plan. In Levels 1, 2, and 3, Fargo Public Schools is restricting non-essential visitation. Please see the FPS SmartRestart Plan on the Fargo Public Schools Website for additional details. All visitors will need to wear a mask when in the building. To make an appointment, please call the Discovery Main Office at 701.446.3300.

• What does PE look like?

For the time being, the locker rooms will not be open and students will not be required to

change into a ‘PE uniform’ for class.

You will need the following items for PE:

1. Clean and Comfortable clothes should be worn to school daily.
2. Tennis Shoes should be worn on your PE Day.
3. Water Bottle with first and last name clearly labeled.

• What if my child doesn't feel well? What should I do?

See COVID-19 School Guidance Attendance Tree for Parents

• What information do I need if my child rides the bus?

Please see the FPS District Transportation Page for all things bus related.

You can find the 2020-21 School Supply list posted on Discovery's website or click on the attached pdf.

Discovery's Back Pack Program

Please see attached document if you are interested in Discovery's Back Pack program.

Amy Herrick, Principal

Amanda Quintus, 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