The Explorer

It is hard to believe that it’s the beginning of a new school year! While you are not part of the teaching staff, you are just as important to your child’s education as we are. Your child receives the best education when parents/guardians and our dedicated teachers work as a team. It's a parent’s enthusiasm, support, and involvement that inspires children to do their best - and a teacher's ability to teach what they need to learn. Together we can achieve wonderful things.

There is plenty of excitement ahead of us: new teachers to meet, new books to read, new friends to make, and new skills to master. I look forward to you experiencing those exciting times with us. One year your child is in 1st grade, and then in the blink of an eye, he or she is graduating high school.

I encourage you to fully embrace the moment and urge you to take the time from your busy schedule to become familiar with our school, as well as create a homework-friendly home environment that will allow your child to excel.

Thank you for your commitment to your child's education, and I am looking forward to another successful school year.

Mr. Dan Fischer, Principal

Front circle drive reminders:

• Before school, the front circle drive is for drop off only. Do NOT park in the circle drive.
• After school, if you are picking up your student along the front circle drive - stay in your vehicle. Do NOT park your vehicle in the circle drive and get out. If you need to get out of your vehicle, find a parking space in the parking lot.
• Before school, there is NO supervision outside until 7:40 am. Please keep this in mind when dropping off your student.

The 2025-26 SFSD Parent Calendar is also attached below.

Sept. 8: Hearing and vision screens for grades 1st, 3rd, and 5th.

Sept. 9: Discovery practice evacuation to Memorial Middle School from 9:25 am - 10:00 am.

Sept. 11: School picture day starting at 8:05 am.

Sept 16: PTO Meeting at 6:00 pm in the Discovery library.

Sept. 25: Discovery Skate Night at Skate City from 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm.

We have students that are being dropped off as early as 7:15 am, so we wanted to share some important reminders.

- There is NO supervision until 7:40 am. So, your child will be on his/her own without an adult until 7:40 am.

- At 7:45 am, students can start going to their classroom.

- Breakfast starts at 7:30 am. Students coming for breakfast can enter the school at 7:30 am.

- If your student is not eating breakfast, he or she will have to go outside until 7:45 am when doors open.

- Through the district’s Community Learning Center (CLC), we have a before school program with the YMCA. You must enroll in the program and there is a cost - it is not a free service. For more information about the program, please go to https://www.sf.k12.sd.us/o/clc/page/elementary-program. For enrollment, please contact the CLC Enrollment Team at 605-367-4424 or communitylearningcenter.sfsd@k12.sd.us. The Discovery office does not have anything to do with registering, enrolling, payments, etc.

School pictures are on Thursday, September 11, starting at 8:05 am. You can purchase school pictures online, or with cash or check.

If you are ordering school pictures online with a credit/debit card:

• Online ordering is only open now through September 14, 2025, at 11:59 pm.
• You do NOT need to send the packet with your student on picture day - we do not need it.

If you are paying for school pictures with check or cash:

• Please send the packet with payment for your student on picture day.
• If you have more than one student, each student must have his/her own packet.
• Pictures will be delivered to the school and sent home with students.

If your student(s) is going to be late for school, please let the office know. The office has voicemail so you can leave a message at any time. If we do not hear from you, we will try calling. If we are unable to reach you, we will start calling your student's emergency contacts.

At 8:00 am, all doors are locked except for the front main entrance leading you into the entryway. If you need to enter the school, you have to check-in at the office. There is a doorbell to the right of the office door that has a camera and microphone on it (see attached photo). The doorbell is similar to a home security system (ex. Ring, Blink). Ring the doorbell, stand in front of the camera, and office staff will assist you. Once entering the office, you may or may not have to present a government issued ID, so please bring it with you.

Please do NOT enter the school through a side door as students are trying to enter in the morning or at dismissal. For the safety of students and staff, all visitors must come through the office.

What is PBIS? It stands for: Positive Behavior Intervention & Support. See below, and how you can support your student(s).

Discovery’s PBIS (Positive Behavior Intervention & Support) team has implemented “Explorer Way Wednesday”. Every Wednesday, students and staff are encouraged to celebrate being a community by wearing Spirit Wear from Discovery Elementary, Memorial Middle School, George McGovern Middle School, or Jefferson High School. No Spirit Wear? Go ahead and wear school colors from any of the schools.

If your student is going to have a change in after school plans, please let the office know. This is especially important if your student normally rides the school bus or goes to daycare.

We do not have student birthday parties. Please do not send birthday party invitations to school to be dispersed. A classroom directory can be opted into for sending invitations through the USPS. Also, please refrain from sending balloons, flowers, and other delivery items for students at school. These items are not allowed in the classroom and will stay in the office to be picked up at the end of the day.

• If your student(s) is going to be absent or leaving early, please let the office know. If we do not hear from you, we will start calling your student's emergency contacts. It is important that we know that your student is safe and accounted for. The office has voicemail, so you can leave a message at anytime (24/7).
• You can submit for a full day absence through your parent portal - no half days or partial days can be submitted. Please do NOT submit for a full day absence and comment that your student is leaving early in the comments section.
• If your student is leaving early, he or she will not be called down to the office until you get here as every instructional minute is important to learning.
  

After dismissal, all students must be picked up by 3:00 pm. We do not have staff available to care for students after 3:00 pm. If your child is not picked up on time, we will call you. If we are unable to reach you, we will start calling your student's emergency contacts.

• Since lunch is delivered to the school, we place our “order” by 8:30 am. If your child is going to be late and will need a hot lunch, please call the office by 8:30 am otherwise your child will need to bring a cold lunch from home.
  
• If you are coming for lunch, you will need to check-in at the office with a government issued ID.
• You can only eat with your student(s). We do not allow other students to join you.
• Commercial “fast food” should not be brought in, and it should not be delivered during the school day.
• If an adult is planning to eat school lunch, he/she must call the office by 8:30 am to order one.
• If someone other than a parent/guardian is coming to have lunch with a student, the parent/guardian must inform the office either by phone or email.

Welcome back, Explorers! Although we are here to help everyone, Mrs. Marchand primarily works with Kindergarten, 2nd grade, and 4th grade; and Mrs. Johnson works with 1st grade, 3rd grade, and 5th grade. Please reach out if there is anything we can do to help with your student(s)!

If your student(s) is in need of additional food over the weekend, please contact one of us. We can have your student added to the Feeding SD Backpack Program, where you can receive a sack of food in your child's backpack on the last day of each school week. For more information about this program, visit https://www.feedingsouthdakota.org/programs/child-hunger/backpack.

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