Conferences and more...

Conference Information:
Conferences are being scheduled for October 9th and 10th.   A conference slip with the specific time and date for your conference will be sent home this week.  Teachers will be collaborating to ensure sibling conferences are back to back, so parents can attend all of their children's conferences within a certain time frame.  Conferences will be no longer than 20 minutes.  If you feel you would like more time, please contact Mrs. Wright in advance and arrangements will be made for a longer time slot.  Discovery strives for 100% attendance during conferences, so please let your child's teacher know if a conference time doesn't work so it can be rescheduled.  

Wednesday, October 9:   
9:00-3:50 Full day of School
4:00-8:00pm  Conferences Scheduled

Thursday, October 10:
No School
8:00am - 8:00pm  Conferences Scheduled

Friday, October 11:
No School
No Conferences


Student Responsibilities:
Parents should be checking student homework folders nightly for homework and work that has been graded.  Please take time to look at all work that comes home, assisting your child in understanding the concepts he/she may have missed on the written work.  It is crucial that students begin to think critically, using skills to solve problems.  This also includes developing the ability to read, understand, and follow directions completely.  As I have been grading classwork, I am finding students are not completely answering the questions that were asked and students are not proofing or checking their work before handing it in.  Reading to obtain information and writing to provide information are skills we are developing  this year.  Please encourage your child to interpret the directions and/or the questions being asked before you tell them what it is asking.  This will help students to think critically, while taking ownership of their learning.

Lunch Bunch:
At Discovery, we really only have three rules: 

Act Safely,
Be Respectful, And
Care Enough To Be Responsible In All That You Do.

To reward students who continuously demonstrate Safety, Respect, and Responsibility, we have started a Friday Lunch Bunch group.  Each week, students who turn homework in on time, act responsibly in class and out of class (specials, hallway, playground, lunchroom, etc.), and demonstrate respect towards teachers and classmates have the opportunity to each lunch and a treat in the classroom on Fridays.   If you would like to provide a small treat to be shared by the students, please contact me and I will put you on the treat schedule.  Treat ideas can include:  muffins, cupcakes, chips, fruit cups, cheese/crackers, popcorn, etc.

Our goal is to have 100% of our students joining this group each week. 


Halloween Party:
Discovery's first party is just around the corner!  Thursday, October 31 from 2:45-3:45 is the Halloween Party.  Students, staff, and parents are encouraged to dress up to enjoy the "spooktacular" festivities.    Costumes will be allowed from 2:30 to 3:50 and must be appropriate for school. (Skimpy costumes, masks, weapons, hoods, and gore are not allowed.)

We are in need of a few parent volunteer in planning this party.  Planning will include organizing treats and a few classroom activities.  In the past, students have decorated cookies, used toilet paper to wrap a mummy, pumpkin painting, and more.    Please contact Mrs. Wright by October 4th if you
are interested in planning or participating in any of the Halloween party activities.


PTA News:
    

Discovery Night at Farmstead Pumpkin Patch is tomorrow, Monday, Sept. 30th from 4-9pm.  The cost is $4 per person, or $3 if you wear your Discovery Elementary spirit wear.  For directions, visit www.FarmsteadFestival.com or call 922-LOST.

Our next PTA meeting is Tuesday, Oct. 1 at 4:05.  Parents are encouraged to come see what is planned for this exciting school year!

Popcorn Friday is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 4 at last recess.  Only.25 cents will buy a bag of yummy popcorn.

Licorice Friday is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 18.  Only .25 will buy two pieces of scrumptious licorice!  This is also our Spirit day!  The classroom with the most students wearing Discovery Spirit wear will win the coveted Discovery Bronco for the month!

Reflections Artwork is due Friday, November 8. 
The theme this year is:   "Believe, Dream, Inspire"
For more information visit:
http://www.pta.org/programs/content/cfm?ItemNumber=2897
or contact Michelle Hall at chicago_halls@hotmail.com

National Walk to School Event:
This year we will be Dancing to school on Wednesday, October 9th.  Below are a few of the details:

• Our walk will begin at 8:00 in the morning.
• We will have two teams. One team will start at the parking lot behind Maverick. The other team will start at the park in the subdivision behind the school. Parents are welcomed to walk too!
• Meridian Police and Fire departments will be located at both locations.
• Meridian mayor will be here to walk/dance with us and will speak when we all arrive at the school.
• There will be at DJ at the school!
• BEST of all...freebies for all students who participate!
• Just a friendly reminder:   this event is a walk TO school event.  We will NOT be walking home FROM school....regular after school routines will be expected.