The Explorer

There is something magical about this time of year. There is a sense of anticipation and excitement among students and staff! Students will be dismissed at 12:45 pm on Tuesday, December 23, which is the start to the holiday break. There is no school December 24, 2025, through January 2. Winter classroom parties are on December 23 at noon. Some classrooms are watching a movie, while others have special activities planned. For more 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. School busses will run when there is a late start. Also, please remember that if school is two hours late, 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. 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 2026!

Mr. Dan Fischer, Principal

The 2025-26 SFSD Calendar is also attached below.

• Dec.2: 1st grade field trip to the Washington Pavillion at 9:05 am.
• Dec.9: 4th grade Orchestra concert at 6:30 pm.
• Dec.11: 1st and 4th grade field trip to Jefferson High School for theater performance at 9:10 am.
• Dec. 13: Project Warm-Up blanket making at Sonia Sotomayor Elementary School starting at 11:00 am.
• Dec.16: PTO meeting at 6:00 pm in the Discovery library.
• Dec.23: Early dismissal! Students will be dismissed at 12:45 pm. All students must be picked up by 1:00 pm.
• Dec.24 - Jan.2: No school for the holiday break.
• Jan.12: No school for teacher workday.

• Before school if the temperature and/or windchill is zero or below, recess doors will 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 - 5. Third grade through 5th grade will test December 11 and 12.

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.

Have you had changes to your household such as income or members? If so, you can apply for Free/Reduced Meals online at https://www.sf.k12.sd.us/page/free-reduced-meal-application.

Kindergarten has been practicing taking deep breaths to help our bodies stay calm. Below are fun winter themed exercises to practice!

Third grade students have been learning how to talk it out, accept responsibility, and apologize.

Principal: Mr. Dan Fischer

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