Discovery Important Goals
This year, each FPS building was tasked with coming up with 2-3 Important Goals that are directly tied to the FPS Strategic Plan. The FPS Strategic Plan has 6 areas of focus, DMS chose to focus on areas 1. Tiered Instruction and 2. Positive School Culture and Safety.
Please see the FPS Strategic Plan Website for more information about the strategic plan and the stratgic plan scorecard. Each month there will be relevant updates on the progress of DMS DIGS as well as updates on other portions of the strategic plan as it applies to DMS.
Parent/Guardian Fall Culture Survey
Purpose Statement:
Fargo Public Schools will conduct a parent, student, and staff survey related to governance, climate, culture, teaching, and learning twice a year. The results will be used to improve climate, culture, safety, instruction, and overall quality of education at all FPS schools. The results will be reviewed at a combined principals meeting and with leadership teams at each building to assist in planning for Strategic Initiatives 1,2, and 6. A summary report will also be presented to the Board of Education.
Indicators of Success or Results
• 90% student participation, 90% staff participation.
• Schedule Survey Data Debrief
• Draft Actionable Steps/Goals for the Spring Survey
Quick Facts Regarding the District Survey:
Each survey link is a district link. The parent or student will be asked to select their school building as question one.
The survey will take about 15-25 minutes to complete.
Please be assured participants that their responses to the survey will be anonymous.
The survey works well from a smartphone.
Buildings will be able to view their building-level data.
If a parent has children in three different buildings they will be asked to take the survey three times (one for each building).
Surveys for students will be placed on the survey area on the student’s landing page.
Here is the link to the FPS Fall Parent Survey:
https://eprovesurveys.advanc-ed.org/surveys/#/action/261984/p797
The parent survey is 35 statements on a Likert scale with 3 open-ended questions. Parents can fill out a survey for each school they have a student in attendance. Thank you so much for completing the fall survey so that we can celebrate what makes Discovery so great and address areas that need to be improved. The window for the survey closes 10/31/24.
Parent/Family/Teacher Conferences October 17th and October 22nd from 4:00 pm. to 8:00 pm
Happy October! We are gearing up for Fall Parent/Teacher Conferences at Discovery. Conferences will be held on Thursday, October 17th and Tuesday, October 22nd at Discovery Middle School from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
The doors will open to Discovery at 4:00 in order for our staff to eat and get prepared for conferences right after school dismissal.
These conferences will be face to face in the building, open-house style. Due to the two nights we are limited to conferences, we will not be able to have a conference with all families. This is consistent with all three middle schools in FPS. Please make sure you bring a copy of your child's schedule and limit your conference time to 10 minutes per teacher.
Teachers will be located in their team centers/classrooms. The physical education department will be down in the gym area to allow students to show their parents/families what they have learned and possibly play a little bit. The physical education teachers will be disbursed amongst the gyms and multipurpose room.
The performing arts department (band, orchestra, choir, general music, theatre arts) will be located down in the music/theatre wing so they can show families their rooms and have student materials on hand.
Additional Opportunities for Parents/Families During Conferences
DMS will have various school-based and community-based informational booths set up during PT conferences.
If you cannot make conferences or need to connect with your child's teachers during the course of the year:
All parents/families are encouraged to check student current grades and email or call your child’s teachers if you have specific questions. Even better, have your child email the teacher and cc you on the emails so they can practice advocating for themselves about their school work. If you have concerns and are unable to attend conferences you can certainly reach out to your child's teachers or counselor at any time during the school year to discuss your child's progress.
Please remember that there will are no quarter grades in middle school, only semester grades.
The Students Have Their PLDS! Parents/Guardians: Time to Join their Canvas Courses!
Feature Column - Making Sense of Your Child's Grade
As a parent, it can sometimes feel like you're trying to decode a secret language when it comes to understanding your child's school grades. Fargo Public Schools is committed to providing clear, accurate information on your child’s progress, highlighting both where they are excelling and where they may need more support. Our grading system is designed to focus on the skills your child can use in the real world, emphasizing their academic achievements independent of other factors.
Read more about the FPS grading system and how to understand your student's grade in this Feature Column by Director of Standards-Based Instruction Dr. Liann M. Hanson and watch the video below.
Starbucks, Caribou, Shakes, and Energy Drinks, Oh My!
If students bring these types of drinks to school, they must drink them prior to dismissal into the hallways at the beginning of the school day. If students are bringing them to class, they will be asked to finish the drink, or they can come down to the office to finish it in the principal office, or they can throw it away. If it is a situation where the student is a repeat offender, we will contact home about this situation.
This BrightArrow Annoucement was sent out in late September, particularly addressing energy drinks at school. Some of our students come to school with 1-2 or more cans of energy drinks to drink during the school day. At Fargo Public Schools, we are committed to educating students about wellness and encouraging our families to support healthier beverage choices for their children. Energy drinks, which contain high levels of caffeine and sugar, can negatively affect both physical and mental health. The Fargo Public Schools Wellness Policy and North Dakota Health Education Standards emphasize the importance of offering healthy, nutritious options that support students' ability to learn and thrive. Alternatives like water, milk, and 100% fruit juice are much better choices to help students stay energized and focused throughout the day.
Thank you for your continued support in fostering a healthier school environment!
First Early Out Day for 24-25 Is Thursday, October 10th
This school year, Fargo Public Schools (FPS) will continue to implement four “early release” school days for students. On these days, students will be dismissed two hours early at each building. The early dismissal will allow our teaching staff to gather in an extended Professional Learning Community (PLC). Discovery's Early Out Schedule is noted below and is also posted to our DMS website.
During these early release days, our teachers will be focusing on analyzing student data, setting goals for student learning, and reviewing and planning research-based instructional strategies for students who need support and those who need enrichment. Teachers will collaborate with grade or content-level peers to review, reflect, and learn from each other in meeting students' needs. They will work specifically on our building DIG goal:
Strategic Initiative 1; Result 1; Standard 2 DIG:
By the end of semester, 80% of DMS students will earn a 3 or 4 on all skills in (content area) as measured by the FPS Skills report.
We understand that early release days may cause some inconvenience for parents and guardians, but this is an important step towards improving our teaching practices and ultimately benefiting our students' learning outcomes. We appreciate your understanding and support in this matter.
The dates of the early outs are:
Thursday, October 10th
Friday, December 20th
Friday, February 14th
Friday, March 14th
FPS Code of Character, Conduct, and Support
The FPS Code of Character, Conduct, and Support is the District's guidelines to ensure a safe and respectful learning environment. It outlines the rights and responsibilities of students, parents, and staff, helping everyone work together to support student success and maintain a positive school culture. Fargo Public Schools has introduced important updates to the Code to enhance the clarity and support in its shared goals.
Read about the updates to the Code of Character, Conduct, and Support in this Feature Column by FPS Director of Educational Justice Tristan Love.
FPS Philosophies
These FPS Philosophies uphold our organizational truths and demonstrate Fargo Public Schools’ commitment to inclusive practices in education and the academic freedom of educators to utilize their expertise and professionalism to reach each student.
Gifted Services Paperwork Update
Families of students in middle school gifted services may find their child’s fall individualized learning plan (ILP) or spring progress report in PowerSchool’s document storage area. ILPs are uploaded into PowerSchool document storage after semester 1 in January, while spring progress reports are uploaded after the end of the school year. Both ILP’s and progress reports from the 2023-24 school year are now available.
Due to the volume of students in middle school gifted services, it is not possible to fill each ILP or progress report with the kind of personalized information families would have seen at the elementary level. Please direct specific questions about your child’s progress to their classroom teacher.
Small Groups and Edgenuity
Ms. Sparks works directly on individual student goals in small groups or one to one while other students work independently on programs such as Edgenuity, an online platform for courses such as Math, English, Science, and Social Studies.
What's A Book Talk?
Mr. Boor, 7th grade English teacher on the 7-1 Sirius Team explains to students what a "Book Talk" will be prior to students embarking on their own book talks. The goal of a book talk is to engage the audience, spark interest in the book, and possibly encourage others to read the book.
SPED Monthly Professional Development
Athletics and Activities Corner with Mr. Larson
We’re wrapping up our last week of Fall sports with the final games taking place on Monday (10/7) and Tuesday (10/8). A huge shout-out to our 6th grade cross country team for their fantastic performance at last week’s meet on Thursday (10/3) – way to go, runners!
In the arts, our students wowed the audience with their performances of The Stinky Cheese Man last Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Congratulations to everyone involved for a job well done!
Looking ahead, 7th and 8th grade girls basketball will begin on October 21. Be sure to fill out the interest survey sent on 10/7 so we can prepare for the number of coaches needed. Practices will run Monday through Friday, right after school until 5:15 PM.
For those interested in 6th-8th grade wrestling and 6th grade volleyball, these activities will start on November 12. Also, auditions for the musical will begin on November 12. Boys basketball for 7th & 8th graders will kick off after the new year on January 2.
Stay tuned for more updates and as always, thank you for supporting Discovery’s activities and our amazing students!
Thank you,
Brandon Larson, CAA
Assistant Principal | Activities Coordinator
National Bullying Awareness Month
October is National Bullying Awareness Month, and we invite you to join us for an impactful virtual film event on October 23rd at 5 pm. Presented by the Cook Center for Human Connection, you will hear Kyle’s inspiring story from the “My Life Is Worth Living” series.
In Kyle’s story, he becomes a target of online bullying, and he turns to unhealthy coping and negative thoughts. But he finds hope and strength through support and love from the relationships around him.
Parents, teens, and families – join us on Wednesday evening, October 23rd at 5pm, for this powerful live event. It’s the perfect opportunity to start meaningful conversations that matter! Register here for the October event.
North Dakota families have the special opportunity to take part in the entire series of
free, virtual events designed to support and inspire our community The series is especially geared toward teens and young adults. Register for all of the upcoming monthly events today at mylifeisworthliving.org/northdakota/.
October Mental Health Series
Fargo Public Schools is excited to introduce the Mental Health Series Platform from ParentGuidance.org, a powerful new resource designed to support family mental health and well-being. Experts agree that adult involvement is important in a child's success. When caregivers have helpful tools, it benefits children, strengthens families, and contributes to a thriving community.
The Mental Health Series features virtual events each day in October, discussing a wide variety of topics. This month's focus session is "Helping Your Child to Succeed" with live sessions on Tuesday, October 2 at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. There is also an "Ask a Therapist" live session on Wednesday, October 23 at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. View the full calendar. Register at this link or contact info@cookcenter.org for registration help and support.
SRO Corner with Andrea Noll
1) Keep hands, feet, and objects to yourself
2) Walk
3) Keep your body in control.
When I think about “keep your body in control” I would consider other actions or behaviors that have the potential of getting your student in trouble. The student handbook, and Code of Conduct booklet outline student behaviors that are cause for disciplinary action and could lead to legal action.
It describes “verbal or non-verbal language that is obscene, defamatory, or inciting violence, which may be disruptive to the educational environment.” Please remind your students how important their actions can be. I understand middle school students can get rowdy and love to have fun, but if everyone can “Be Safe” everyone will have a great school year.
Reinke's Realm - How do Detentions Work?
Hello Discovery Families,
As we enter October, the school year is picking up with exciting learning opportunities, after-school activities, and plenty of memory-making moments. Our teachers and staff are always focused on improving every Discovery Middle School student's experience. We're also continuously reviewing our data to make small improvements throughout the school day. One trend we've noticed is an increase in tardiness—students not being in their classrooms or assigned areas when the bell rings. While we’re happy to see the strong connections our students are forming, it's clear that the time spent socializing during hallway transitions is stretching a bit too long.
To help some of our students in prioritizing their time, detention has been a helpful strategy in motivating better time management. While many students are learning to balance socializing and bathroom breaks within the four-minute transitions between classes, some need a bit more guidance in grasping this skill. We hope that utilizing detention will serve as a deterrent and help students improve their time management skills.
Tardy Detention:
- If a student is tardy three or more times to a specific class:
- They will be required to make up the time before or after school.
- You will be notified by the teacher via phone call or email.
- The detention date will not be set immediately.
- The detention supervisor (PBT) will coordinate with the teacher to find an appropriate time.
- Once the time is confirmed, your student will inform you of the scheduled detention.
In-School Truancy Detention:
- If a student is truant (skipping class, or spending an excessive amount of time out of the classroom):
- They will be assigned detention.
- A "one-for-one" consequence applies—if a student misses a class, they must make up that time.
- They will be required to make up the time before or after school.
- You will be notified by Admin or PBT via phone call or email.
- The detention date will not be set immediately.
- The detention supervisor (PBT) will find an appropriate time.
- Once the time is confirmed, your student will inform you of the scheduled detention.
Behavior-Related Detentions:
- A student may receive detention due to negative behaviors in the classroom.
- Teachers will first use interventions and skill-based supports, such as:
- Reteaching classroom expectations
- Increasing positive feedback
- Providing reminders and redirection
- Offering emotional support
- If these strategies are not successful, the teacher may assign detention before or after school.
- The teacher will contact you via phone or email.
- The PBT will schedule an appropriate time for detention.
- The student will be responsible for communicating the detention time to you.
Positive Behavioral Techs (PBTs) will supervise detentions.
During detention, they will:
- Check in with students.
- Review detention expectations.
- Offer academic, social, and emotional support.
They will also work with students to:
- Improve time management skills, especially for hallway transitions.
- Help students create a plan for success.
These are some steps we're implementing for detentions this school year. If you have any questions about how this process works, please don't hesitate to reach out.
Thank you for your continued support, and Go Eagles!
Kienzle's Corner
Dear Discovery Families,
I hope this newsletter finds you and your family well. As part of our ongoing commitment to fostering a safe and supportive learning environment, I want to highlight two key standards of behavior from our Code of Character Conduct and Support. These standards are crucial to ensuring that all students feel safe and respected while at Discovery. We ask for your support in reinforcing these standards of behavior at home by having conversations with your student about the importance of adhering to these guidelines from our Code of Character Conduct and Support. You can locate these standards on our school website under the Student Handbook.
1. Physical Contact (pg. 23):
Recently, we have observed an increase in students engaging in play fighting, which often leads to unintended injuries and conflict. Our Code of Character Conduct and Support clearly outlines that "Inappropriate physical contact, include but not limited to touching, pushing, kicking, spitting, biting, or blocking a person’s ability to leave or enter an area" is not acceptable.
While some students may view play fighting as harmless, it can quickly escalate and result in unsafe situations. We take every precaution to ensure the safety of all students, and minimizing physical contact is a vital part of that effort.
How you can help:
- Please talk to your child about the importance of avoiding any kind of play fighting or rough physical contact at school or on the bus.
- Emphasize that even if it starts as fun, it can quickly lead to harm or misunderstanding.
- Encourage them to use words to solve problems or express themselves instead of physical actions.
2. Harassment and Discriminatory Behavior (pg.27):
Another area of focus this month is ensuring all students understand our harassment policy. Our Code states that “Exhibiting unwelcome discriminatory behavior verbally and/or nonverbally that creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive environment” is strictly prohibited. Fargo Public School District is committed to maintaining a learning environment free from discrimination and harassment. This includes respect for race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, and more.
Creating a respectful and inclusive school culture is everyone’s responsibility. Discriminatory behavior, whether intentional or not, can deeply affect students' well-being and sense of belonging.
How you can help:
- Have a conversation with your child about the importance of treating all peers with respect, regardless of differences.
- Discuss ways they can contribute to a welcoming school environment by being inclusive and kind to others.
- Remind them that harassment of any kind is unacceptable and that they should report any instances to a trusted adult.
We care deeply about every student's well-being and strive to create a safe, supportive environment for all. Your partnership in discussing these important topics with your student at home is invaluable to ensuring a positive school experience for everyone.
If you have any questions or need further clarification, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Jacob Kienzle, Dean of Students.
Thank you for your continued support in fostering a safe and respectful school environment.
Sincerely,
Jacob Kienzle
Dean of Students
Upcoming Events
October 4 @ 7:00 & October 5 @ 2:00
- One Act Play Performance - "Stinky Cheese Man"
October 10
- Early Out Day - School will be dismissed 2 hours early. Buses will also run 2 hours early
October 11
- No school - Vacation Day
October 14
- No School - Indigenous People's Day
October 17 & 24
- Parent Teacher Conferences 4:00-8:00
October 21
- 7th & 8th Girls Basketball Begins
Liz’s Closet
A Discreet, Free Resource for Discovery Students in Need
What: Discovery strives as a team to meet the needs of all students as part of our mission to build a foundation for success. Liz’s Closet, a free resource at Discovery, aligns with this mission by providing students in need with items such as clothing, hygiene products, non-perishable food items, etc.
At Discovery, we hope to provide developmentally appropriate support to students in need by offering a means to obtain basic food and hygiene products in a discreet manner. Students utilizing Liz’s Closet will have access to reusable bags, so items are less visible as students are leaving the building.
Where: Liz’s Closet will be located in Student Services. The room being used as “Liz’s Closet” will be accessible through a trusted adult in the building (teachers, counselors, administrators, paraprofessionals, designated staff).
Who: Any student in need of these items is welcome to take what he/she needs with the help of a trusted adult.
How: Although students are welcome to directly ask a trusted adult at Discovery to use Liz’s Closet, to maintain privacy as best as possible, a student can simply draw a star on a sheet of paper and bring it to a trusted adult. The adult will then instruct the student as to when he/she can go to Student Services to collect what is needed. If this adult does not have a time that works for him/her, the adult will notify the appropriate counselor or Student Services staff member to be expecting this student sometime within the school day. Once in Student Services, the student will be escorted to the closet and can take what is needed.
If you know of anyone who may need to utilize this resource, please do not hesitate to contact a Discovery counselor or administrator. Additionally, if you would like to donate shelf-stable food, school supplies, or hygiene products to Liz’s Closet, please contact Taylor Ferderer (school counselor) at 446-3318.
Discovery Middle School
Brandon Larson, Assistant Principal/Activities Coordinator
Hunter Reinke, Assistant Principal
Jacob Kienzle, Dean of Students
Website: www.fargo.k12.nd.us/discovery
Location: 1717 40th Avenue South, Fargo, ND, USA
Phone: 701-446-3300