Dr. Gloria Fernandez, Principal
601 Woodbury Rd. Orlando, FL 32828
Phone (407) 384-1555 Fax (407) 384-1580
Office Hours: Monday, Wednesday, Friday 7:30 am - 4:30 pm
Discovery Middle is proud to be an Innovation School and Performing Arts Academy!
Explorer Weekly Update
May 20, 2022
Dear Discovery Families,
Parents, there will be no backpacks allowed next. Instruction will continue through a more traditional method with the use of supplies already in the classroom. Drawstring bags will be allowed.
Thank you, Explorer Families, for your continued support of Discovery Middle as we “Prevail in Excellence.”
Discovery Families,
We want to bring to your attention concerns we have been dealing with on campus that we believe should be brought to the attention of our community in an effort to stop cyberbullying and harassment. We have recently become aware that students are creating fake social media accounts on various platforms to harass and bully our students and staff. The level of harassment and bullying has escalated to body shaming, sexual commentary, and character defamation. We as a school want to take a stand, and we ask our community to stand with us. These accounts are not being created in our school; they are being created within the walls of our homes in our community. We must stand together in this effort going forward to create a safe learning environment for everyone on campus. Listed below are a few of the social media pages we have identified as promoting negative messages directed at our students. Please check your student’s accounts and ensure they are not creating or following accounts that are detrimental to the well-being of our Explorers. We are also creating a form that will be on our website and on our students’ Canvas page to let us know of any new accounts our students come across that are engaging in such detrimental activity. Discovery will begin to send out texts to our parents labeled #DMStandWithUS listing accounts identified by our students, to charge our parents with discussion and action. The cyberbullying and harassment are not unique to our school or community, but we can take a stand together to let the people engaging in such activities know that we have had enough. Together, we will show our students that we as a community have their back and that we will not stand for anything less than a safe learning environment.
Thank you for your continued support of Discovery Middle, as “We prevail in excellence.”
Stand with us,
Dr. Fernandez
Principal
This year students are required to return their laptop before the last day of the school year. Returning devices at the end of the school year provides time for the Technology Support Representatives to update and refresh devices before the start of the next school year.
When a student returns their laptop, a school staff member will check to make sure it is functioning and that it is not damaged. They will also check to make sure your child has turned in their charger. Any damage is noted on a standard form. This is similar to when you return a rental car. If damage to the device or charger is found, then your child will be assessed a fine. Parents and guardians will be notified if their child is assessed a fine.
Before the laptop is returned, all stickers or labels on the device must be removed. Next year, per District policy, students will no longer be allowed to put stickers on their device.
Below are the dates for laptop return. Laptops will be returned during the school day.
Thursday, May 19 – 8th grade
Friday, May 20 – 7th grade
Monday, May 23rd – 6th grade
The Wilkins Way
Taddeo Orthodontics
Marris Orthodontics
Carl Black
Norvell Studios
Five Star Claims Adjusting
Thank you for supporting our school and community!
Parent Teacher Student Associations (PTSAs) provide youth members with the opportunity to make a difference by developing leadership skills, learning about the legislative process, increasing their self-esteem, and contributing to the school and community. In turn, adult PTSA members gain a new perspective for program development and youth leadership development and acquire a better understanding of the youth of today.
Joining PTSA does not mean you need to volunteer your time, certainly, if you have time we would love to have you volunteer. Joining PTSA is giving you and your student a voice and the ability to participate and help with student and teacher initiatives throughout the 2021-2022 school year. We would love for everyone to become a member and be an advocate for our students. Hope to see you on Thursday!
The School Advisory Council is a representative body of teachers, students, parents, support personnel, and community members who assist with the preparation and evaluation of the School Improvement Plan (SIP) and decide how school improvement funds will be spent. The SAC helps the school achieve its goals and increase student learning through the School Improvement process. As a member of SAC, you play an important part in representing our school community and are the voices in helping to better our school performance. We are the liaison for information and communication among students, families and staff at Discovery Middle School. We strive to engage families in the education process by:
● being a source of information and SUPPORT to parents
● WELCOMING new families
● provide a forum to discuss IDEAS and CONCERNS
Laptop Dos and Don'ts
Do
Restart your computer at least once a week.
Use your laptop only on a hard, flat surface such as a desk or table.
Carry your laptop in a bag or backpack.
Unplug your device when it is fully charged.
Keep your charger out of reach of young children and pets.
Carry your device with both hands if moving around during classroom instruction.
Don’t
Drop your device, even when in a bag or backpack.
Cover or block your device’s air vents when in use.
Use your devices near food or drink.
Pick the device up by the screen.
Use a liquid cleaner to clean the screen of the device.
Skyward is the OCPS adopted Student Information System (SIS) for parent and student access to grades. Instructions for creating a LaunchPad parent account are included below if you do not already have an account created to view student grades.
Below are instructions on how to become an observer on your student's canvas account. This will allow you to see the content and gradebook of the different courses.
It is important that we remain consistent in adhering to guidelines to help prevent the spread of COVID-19:
Face coverings are meant to protect other people in case the wearer is unknowingly infected but does not have symptoms.
Physical distancing also called “social distancing,” means keeping a safe space between yourself and other people who are not from your household.
Physical distancing combined with mask-wearing can help slow the spread of COVID-19.
Encourage alternate means of greeting expressions to assist with physical distancing and maintain separation (i.e. minimize gestures that promote close contact, discourage shaking hands, fist or elbow bumps, and hugging. Instead wave and verbally greet them.)
Handwashing is one of the best ways to protect yourself and your family from getting sick. After you have been in a public place and touched an item or surface that may be frequently touched by other people, such as door handles, tables, countertops, chairs, sinks, shared pens, elevator buttons, and microphones. Always wash or sanitize your hands before touching your eyes, nose, or mouth because that’s how germs enter our bodies.
Health monitoring and recognizing the signs and symptoms are crucial to help reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19.
People with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported – ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposureto the virus. People with these symptoms may have COVID-19:
Shoutout to Our AMAZING PTSA Sponsors:
