Hello Discovery Parents and Families,
It is the end of January, and 2nd semester is about to begin. That means we are half way through the year! Mid-semester means less to us at the middle school since we operate on trimesters, but the concept of renewing our commitment to the work is still relevant. One of the things we continually struggle with in middle school students is motivation. Hard work is hard. Middle school kids don’t necessarily see that persistence pays off. Making ourselves do things we might not feel like doing is not easy. Yet, a student’s effort in learning and doing their best is a critical component of success in school and in life. The GREAT news is we are making progress getting our students to understand and meet this challenge. A few data points to illustrate my point:
-First trimester this year, 86% of all grades earned by Discovery students were a C or better.
-Year to date, suspensions from school are down 38% from our 5 year average. While I would love to see this number at zero, the trend we are seeing is an overall reduction in the need to exclude students from school to ensure expectations are followed. The common expectations we have developed and the intentional teaching we have done has been well received by our students, and they are increasingly demonstrating good choices here at school.
-Most students have completed their winter iReady diagnostic test in math and reading. The expected growth in reading from fall to winter is 7 points. Our students have averaged a whopping 16 point gain so far in reading. In math the expectation is a 6 point gain, our students have averaged an impressive 10 point gain from fall to winter.
I am always proud to be the principal here, data like this confirms the great work our staff, student, and parent community are doing to make a difference in our kids lives. Thanks for your partnership and support.
The MYP learner profile focus for the month of February is INQUIRER. Inquirers develop natural curiosity. They acquire the skills necessary to conduct inquiry and research and show independence in their learning. They actively enjoy learning and this love of learning will be sustained throughout their lives. Think about what being an Inquirer means in adult life. Inquirers have moved our society forward at many turns of technological and societal development. It is what keeps us striving to get better and find out ways to improve. Please support your student by talking about what being an inquirer means in life and at school. Share with them how you inquire in your daily life. Encourage their natural curiosity and how they can show independence in their learning at school and in life.
My goal for everyone in our Discovery community is to make a positive difference in people’s lives every day. Improving the culture of our school is an ongoing focus for all of us. Let’s make a difference!
Mark Cain