The Explorer
December 2024
There is something magical about this time of year. There is a sense of anticipation and excitement among students and staff! Students will be off from school for the holiday break from December 23, 2024, through January 1, 2025. Winter Holiday Parties are on December 20, 2024. Some classrooms are watching a movie, while others have special activities planned. For additional information, please contact your student(s) teacher.
In the event school is cancelled or has a late start due to the weather, families will be notified via a phone call and/or text message. You can also check local television and radio stations.
- If school is one hour late, school buses will run and breakfast will be served.
- If school is two hours late, school buses will run and breakfast will NOT be served.
School officials use their best judgment about school closings and late starts. As a parent, you have the right to keep your student(s) home or to pick them up early from school if you feel weather conditions require this action. Attached is the Inclement Weather and Remote Learning information that we previously shared.
Again, please remember to dress students appropriately for the weather and for outside recess. If students plan to play in the snow, they must be dressed in snow gear. Appropriate snow gear is: snow pants, boots, gloves/mittens, hat, and coat.
Enjoy the holiday break, and we look forward to seeing you in 2025!
Mr. Dan Fischer, Principal
Events can also be found on our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064085161299.
- Dec.9: 4th Grade Orchestra Concert at 7:00 pm in the gymnasium.
- Dec.10: Discovery PTO meeting at 6:00 pm in the library.
- Dec.10: 5th Grade Band and Orchestra Concert at 7:00 pm in the gymnasium.
- Dec.20: Winter classroom parties.
- Dec.23 - Jan.1: No school for the Holiday Break.
- Jan.10: No school for teacher workday.
- Jan.20: No school in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
The 2024-25 SFSD Parent Calendar is also attached below.
- Before school if the temperature and/or windchill is zero or below, recess doors will be open at 7:30 am for students to come directly inside the building.
- Safety Patrol students will not be outside on these mornings; they will help direct students inside.
- Students will have inside recess when the temperature and/or windchill is zero or below.
Discovery will start its Measures of Academic Progress® (MAP) testing in December. Kindergarten through 2nd grade will test December 2 - 6. Third grade through 5th grade will test December 9 - 13.
MAP tests determine your student’s instructional level and measure academic growth throughout the school year and from year to year in the areas of reading, math, and language usage. For more information about MAP testing, visit https://www.nwea.org/family-toolkit/.
Here are some things your student can do to prepare:
- 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!
- Listen: Listen carefully to the directions and follow them exactly. If the directions are not clear, ask the teacher to repeat them or to explain them again.
- Try: Do your best! Even if some parts of the test seem hard, keep trying and don’t give up.
Here are some things parents/guardians can do:
- Discuss: Help your child understand that a test provides a chance to show what a student knows about a subject and how the teacher can best help the child to learn.
- Support: See that your child maintains regular study habits, but do not ask for extra study time for this test.
- Relax: Reassure your child about the test-taking experience. Students who are calm and sure of themselves do better on a test.
Mrs. Jacee Johnson
Email: Jacee.Johnson@k12.sd.us
Mrs. Karmyn Marchand
CONTACT US
Email: Daniel.Fischer@k12.sd.us
Assistant Principal: Mrs. Jodi DeHaven
Email: Jodi.DeHaven@k12.sd.us
Location: 1506 South Discovery Avenue, Sioux Falls, SD, USA
Phone: 605-362-3530 Fax: 605-362-3535