The Explorer

December 2022

Principal Post

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 22 through January 2. Winter Holiday Parties are on December 21. 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. You can also check local television and radio stations.

If school is one hour late, school busses will run and breakfast will be served.
If school is two hours late, school busses 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.

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 as follows: snow pants, boots, gloves/mittens, hat, and coat.

Enjoy the holiday break and we look forward to seeing you in 2023!

Mr. Dan Fischer, Principal

Mrs. Kristina Becker, Administrator Intern

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Important Dates

December 20: PTO meeting at 6:30 pm in the Discovery library.
December 22, 2022 - January 2, 2023: No school for the holiday break.
January 13: No school for teacher work day.
January 16: No school in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
January 17: PTO meeting at 6:30 pm in the Discovery library.

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Student Leaving Early

If you are picking up your student early, you have to come into the office to meet him or her. This is a safety precaution, and we do not always have staff available to walk students out.

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Upcoming MAP Testing

Students will start Measures of Academic Progress® (MAP) testing December 5-9. Testing continues the week of December 12-16. 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 lots of energy!
Listen: Listen carefully to the directions that are given for the test and follow them exactly. If the directions are not clear, ask the teacher to repeat them or to explain the directions 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 don’t ask for extra study time for this test. It covers more schoolwork than can be learned in a few extra hours.
Relax: Reassure your child about the test-taking experience. Students who are calm and sure of themselves do better on a test.

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Lost and Found Items

Lost and found items not claimed by 3:00 pm on

December 21, will be donated.

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Temperature/Wind Chill

When the temperature and/or wind chill is zero or below, students will not go outside for recess. Students will be inside before school. Safety Patrol students will not be outside on these mornings. They will help direct students inside.

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Coins for Kids

We are participating in United Way’s Coins for Kids campaign from November 30th - December 2nd. All students received a small canister to fill with coins - if they choose. The coins help provide books for children in South Dakota. All canisters need to be turned in by Monday, December 5. For more information about Coins for Kids, visit https://www.seuw.org/creating-young-philanthropist.

Socktober Update

Wow, way to go Discovery! We not only reached our goal - we exceeded it! We collected 1,412 pairs of socks for the Bishop Dudley Hospitality House here in Sioux Falls. Thank you Discovery students and families for your generosity!

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Futures Club

The Sioux Falls School District remains committed to helping you and your student(s) feel connected to your current and all future schools. As part of this commitment, the four high schools have recently started sending out a monthly Futures newsletter to families K-12. This informative e-newsletter will keep you up to date on your future home attendance high school's upcoming athletics and fine arts events, camps, K-8 student opportunities, and ways to get involved. Whether you are a future Cavalier, Patriot, Rough Rider, or Warrior, we want you to feel part of the family now!

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Mrs. Jacee Johnson

Email: Jacee.Johnson@k12.sd.us

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Mrs. Karmyn Marchand

Email: Karmyn.Marchand@k12.sd.us

Zones of Regulation

Students have been learning and trying different breathing and coping skills to use when they need to get back to the Green Zone. The strategies they've learned are: