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 | | 5/24 - Red, White & Blue - Spirit Day 5/27 - Memorial Day, No School 5/30 - SEL Committee Meeting 5/31 - Hoop Fest 6/5 - Early Release Day 6/9 - Rising Kindergartner Playdate 6/10 - Spring Choral Concert 6/12 - Early Release Day
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Dear Discovery Parents, Although there is only one month left of school, it is jam packed with lots of activities, including those sneaky early-release days. Please take a moment to look at our calendar to make sure you are up to speed on everything Discovery. The Discovery PTA would like to recognize all of the volunteers that have helped throughout the year. We are planning a Volunteer Appreciation Reception before our next PTA Meeting on Tuesday, June 4th. We will have pizza and drinks for families, and please consider staying for the very last PTA meeting of the year. Childcare is provided. We will be voting on our revised by-laws and next year's PTA budget. We will also be voting in the new Executive Committee. Come show your support. I hope everyone has a wonderful 3 day weekend. Happy Memorial Day! - Cortney Weber
President@discoverypta.org
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Red, White and Blue Spirit Day
Please remember that this Friday, May 24th is Red, White and Blue Spirit Day! We can't wait to see our Explorers dressed in their most patriotic gear!
Discovery Volunteer Appreciation
Please join us on Tuesday, June 4, 2019 from 6-7 p.m. for our Volunteer Appreciation Reception to recognize and thank all of our amazing volunteers who continue to make our Discovery community soar. Pizza and drinks will be served, and families are welcome. So, we can have an accurate head count for food and drink, please RSVP to Claudia.tavera@apsva.us. If you volunteered this year or coordinated other volunteers, we want to make sure we don't miss them! Please email your name and the names of those who volunteered with you to Lisa Harper Chang at lharperchang@gmail.com, subject line DISCOVERY VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION.
Yearbook Update
 Bravo to all of you families who placed your online orders for Yearbooks this year! Delivery will be taking place during the week of June 10th! Yay for our debut student edition!! Yearbooks will be distributed by our team to homeroom teachers who will pass them out to students! If you missed the online ordering window, you will have an opportunity to purchase from a limited on-hand supply. Stay tuned for updates! These last chance books will be available for $20 each!
Early Release Camp Registration is Open
Are you looking for something for your Explorer to do on June 5th (our next Early Release day)? Baroody Camps has partnered with Discovery to provide options for ALL students that day. You can register here.
5th Grade Promotion
 Important dates to remember:- June 8th Community Service Project all day - pick a shift from the SignUpGenius link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F054DAAA7229-5thgrade
- June 19th at 4:30pm Promotion Ceremony in the Discovery Gym
- June 19th at 7:00pm 5th grade celebration in the Discovery Dining Commons
- June 20th Field Trip at Upton Hill Regional Park
- June 21st Clap out for the 5th graders at early release (1:26pm) and LAST DAY OF SCHOOL!
SCHOOL SUPPLY STORE NOW OPEN!
Get your school supply shopping done for next year before summer even begins!! Discovery has partnered with local company, SPROUT, to provide 2019-2020 school supply kits. The kits are filled with the exact, teacher-selected supplies for each grade level and are shipped free to Discovery in time for the First Day of School! Our online store is open! Shop without leaving home! SCHOOL CODE: DES002
Be sure to order the kit for NEXT year's grade level. Store closes July 17th. Anyone who orders by June 1st and "likes" Sprout on Facebook will be entered into a drawing to win their kit for free! 
DONATE SCHOOL SUPPLIES
If you would like to donate school supplies to a Discovery student in need, please visit the SignUp Genius. We are hoping to have 40 donated kits for next year. You may purchase a PTA sponsored kit (that will be delivered free to school) via Sprout, when it asks for "student name" please enter "DONATED KIT."
Or you can visit the Discovery APS webpage to find the grade-level supply lists for you to purchase on your own. We ask that you PLEASE purchase ALL of the supplies on the list for the grade level that you choose. Please address all supplies to "DONATED KIT." labeled with the grade level. If there are two kits in that grade, you may choose either one. Please email questions to: jesssmith.house@gmail.com
Discovery's Charity Hoop Fest
 We invite all Discovery students, family and friends to join us for a fun, friendly basketball event for a good cause! Fifth grade students will form two teams for the competition, with other Discovery families and friends cheering them on.The fun will continue at halftime, with a free-throw contest between the 4th grade classes! All proceeds go to charity. Specific information is provided below
WHAT: A FRIENDLY CHARITY BASKETBALL GAME
WHO: MAIN EVENT: 5TH GRADERS; HALF-TIME COMPETITION: 4TH GRADERS
WHEN: MAY 31, 2019 - DOORS OPEN AT 6:30, GAME STARTS AT 7:00 PM
WHERE: WILLIAMSBURG MIDDLE SCHOOL
WHY: TO RAISE MONEY FOR A GREAT CAUSE (JENNIFER BUSH-LAWSON FOUNDATION)
TICKET SALES
Tickets will go on sale before and after school starting May 28th. Tickets will also be available at the door. Tickets will be $5/person.
Field Day Volunteers Needed
Discovery’s PE team is looking for volunteers to help for this year’s Field Day! Discovery’s “Wide World of Sports†Field Day is scheduled for Friday, June 14th. The schedule will be as follows: - Setup: 7:30-9:00 am
- Opening Ceremonies: 9:00-9:40 am
- Grades PreK-2: 9:45-11:45 am
- Grades 3-5: 12:30-2:30 pm
- Closing Ceremonies: 2:35-3:00 pm
We are in need of volunteers to help setup/assist with Opening Ceremonies as well as to run morning and/or afternoon stations. If you are unable to attend Field Day but would still like to help, we will need ice and cups for water/cool down stations. To sign-up, please click the following link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090D4BABA928A0FB6-field3 Questions? Email John Duffy: john.duffy@apsva.us
Social Emotional Learning Resources
Thanks to those who attended An Evening with Responsive Classroom and Second Step a few weeks ago. We’ve included some links that both organizations provided below.
Thanks to Kristin Grohs, Lisa Harper Chang, Rachel Steipp, Melissa Daddio, Ann Osawa, Jen Fearon, Alicia Keenan, Elaine Broughan and Maria Jordan for all of their efforts to make the event happen. Thanks to Joe’s Pizza and Pasta for donating some of the pizzas for dinner.
Also, a big thanks to Dr. Russo, Dr. Seeber, Claire Nawojchik, Keith Reeves, Michelle Gill from Responsive Classroom and Case Escola with Second Step. Our next meeting will be Thursday, May 30th at 9:00 A.M. in the Blue Sky Studio. All parents and caregivers are welcome. If you aren’t able to attend in person, you can still join via phone. Reach out to Dr. Seeber or Dr. Russo via email so they can provide you conference dial-in information. We’ll be talking about a formal focus and mission for the group along with plans for next year. Responsive Classroom Resources: Responsive Classroom is an approach to teaching that focuses on engaging academics, positive community, effective management and developmental awareness. Discovery Elementary uses the Responsive Classroom approach to teaching. Second Step Resources: Second Step is the Social Emotional and Anti-Bullying Curriculum taught once a month by school counselors across Arlington Public Schools.
Discovery Auction & Social Update
Thank you to those of you who took the time to complete the auction survey and provide us with valuable feedback. We are looking at ways to update and improve what is already a great event for our school. Highlights of the survey results include: - more of you are satisfied (rather then dissatisfied) with the current location
- improvements to food and beverage options were highly suggested
- most are interested in online bidding
- gambling tables are not crucial for the event to be successful
- many of you are interested in volunteering to help with the event - thank you!
As a result of the survey, we plan to form a larger committee to work on the 2020 Auction & Social. You can sign up below for a role that best suits you and that you would enjoy working on. Consider inviting your friends to join you.
Food Bus Update  Have you been thinking about signing up to volunteer with Discovery’s Food Bus but just haven’t yet? Are you interested in seeing what this great opportunity is all about? Now is your chance! We are looking for a volunteer to pack up and drive food to Arlington Food Assistance CenterTHIS FRIDAY – MAY 24th 3:45 – 4:30 pm! This is a super meaningful service experience for adults and kids to do together – simple, quick and fun! Sign up here...
Thank you to all of this year’s School Bus volunteers. Together, the Discovery community has donated 2,334 pounds of food this school year! As always, thank you to our amazing volunteers!
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Arlington Student Film Fest, 5/30-6/1
 Congratulations to Jonah Treitler and Mason Mirabile! Their films were chosen to screen as Official Selections at this year's Arlington Student Filmfest, Thursday, May 30th from 6-8pm at H-B Woodlawn! Elementary filmmakers are also invited to our multi-age filmmaking workshop on Friday, May 31st from 4-8:30pm. Films from Arlington middle and high school students will be screened on Saturday, June 1st from 10am-4pm at H-B Woodlawn. Altogether, the Filmfest will screen more than 80 short films by more than 300 young filmmakers from across Arlington. More information can be found on Facebook.
Community Maker Day, 6/2
The local Girl Scout Council invites the community to an afternoon of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math)! Girl Scouts and community partners will run interactive STEAM booths focusing on a wide array of topics, from coding to robotics, crafting, and yes, even slime! This event is free and open to the public! Exhibits are geared towards school-age children and teens. Doors will open at 2pm. Attendees can stay for all 2-hours or can drop in at any time to visit the exhibits. Please register to attend!
Free TOUCH Rugby Clinic for boys and girls ages 5-14 Saturday May 25 - 10 AM at Nottingham ES. (rain date is 5/26 10 AM) USA Rugby certified coach and Kenmore MS special ed teacher Ed Bracken will be hosting a free touch rugby clinic for any child interested in learning a new sport. The APS Special Ed PTA is promoting this event in hopes of integrating kids with disabilities with some possibly new friends. There is no registration for this informal event, just show up! It will last about one hour. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact ed.bracken@apsva.us. 703-585-3063
Arlington - Aachen Exchange Information Night Thursday, May 30th, 7:00pm Nottingham Elementary School Library
Want to learn more about the annual Arlington-Aachen 5th grade Exchange Program? Join us to hear about this 25-year partnership with our German sister city and how your family can be a part of it. Rising 5th grade families are invited to take part in the exchange, where you can host a family from Aachen, Germany October 10-18, 2019, then visit their home March 31-April 9, 2020. Exchange coordinators and past participants will give you all the details such as timing, costs, activities and more so you can decide if your family would like to participate. Can’t make it on the 30th? Please email aachenexchange@gmail.com for more information. Registration will begin June 10 at 9:00 am (no earlier applications will be accepted.) The Arlington-Aachen Elementary Exchange is part of the Arlington Sister Cities Association (www.arlingtonsistercities.org). Join us in Aachen! |
To submit community news for publication in the Discovery PTA newsletter, please email a short blurb to Amber Taylor at newsletter@discoverypta.org
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 We are currently offering sponsorship opportunities on the PTA website. Becoming a sponsor allows you to advertise your business at an event, on our website, or in our newsletter while supporting our PTA. If you know anyone that is looking to do a little more marketing of their business or may be interested in becoming a sponsor, please let us know at fundraising@discoverypta.org.
For newsletter or website sponsorship, visit:
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Seasonal Roots CSA Delivered to Your Home! Kids love veggies – if they’re SEASONAL ROOTS veggies! Sign up here for freshly harvested local produce that’s packed with flavor and nutrients, plus pastured eggs, grass-fed dairy and meat, and wholesome artisan fare, all local and home-delivered. Save $15 on the annual membership AND get $20 for Discovery PTA when you use the code: EATLOCALDES.
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Grocery Cards-one of our biggest fundraisers! "Community" then "Together in Education". Search for Discovery (#2977). Harris Teeter cards may be linked now for the 2017-2018 school year! You can also link your cards in the store at the Customer Service desk
Giant Please register your Giant cards to benefit Discovery. Go to Giant's website, click on Savings & Rewards, then "A+ School Rewards." Discovery is school #40035. | | 
Amazon Smile Support Discovery Elementary School PTA by shopping at AmazonSmile! Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazomSmile purchase to Discovery PTA. | | 
Box Tops Don't forget to send in your Box Tops via backpack mail or drop them in the office. For a list of goods and products that support Box Tops, click here. |
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