Join Us at the Million Minutes Reading Festival

It's finally time for the Million Minutes Reading Festival. We hope to see lots of Discovery students and families from 6 to 8 p.m. on Friday, May 1. Some of the highlights of the night will include:

• Free reading-themed games and activities;
• "If You Give a Cat a Cupcake" Walk;
• Dr. Seuss photo booth;
• Blimpie sandwiches, chips, and drinks at "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" Cafe;
• A yo-yo show by world champion Dave Bazan at 7 p.m.;
• Awards to the top reader in each grade; and
• A special drawing with fun prize packages to raise money for playground and other classroom improvements. 

We hope to see you there!

Special Drawing Features Fun Prize Packages

The Million Minutes Reading Festival is just a few days from now, and it's going to be a great celebration for the students with games, activities, and treats that you won't want to miss.

Also part of the evening will be a special drawing that will help raise money for playground and other classroom improvements. This year, we have received enormous community support and have created 14 fun prize packages.

You can purchase tickets at the event: 1 ticket for $3, 4 for $10, or 10 for $20. Then just write your name and phone number on each ticket and drop it into the bucket of the prize package of your choosing. The drawing will be held at 7:30 p.m., and you don't have to be present to win.

A huge thank you goes out to all the local businesses, restaurants, and attractions that donated items for our drawing. And another round of applause for the children's authors who autographed books for us!

Keep Calm and Spa On:

60-minute Elemental Nature Facial, 1 free week of yoga, and some Aveda products from Panache Hair Studio & Day Spa

Autographed copy of Jodi Picoult’s “Leaving Time”

$10 Starbucks gift card

Dog Days of Summer:

2 day passes to Roaring Springs

4 rounds of mini golf at Wahooz Family Fun Zone

2 passes to Aquarium of Boise

$10 in gift certificates for U-Swirl Frozen Yogurt

Game Day:

$50 Buffalo Wild Wings gift card with basket of goodies

3-foot party sub from Blimpie

BSU flag from Blue & Orange Store

BSU Brax cups

Minor League, Major Fun:

2 Boise Hawks tickets

4 Idaho Stampede tickets for 2015-16 season

4 Idaho Steelheads tickets for 2015-16 season

Family Outing:

Family pass to Aquarium of Boise

Family pass to Discovery Center of Idaho

4 passes to Zoo Boise

2 event passes to Idaho Botanical Garden

Pizza Party:

Papa Murphy’s: 2 certificates for free large one-topping pizza

Idaho Pizza Co.: 1 large two-topping pizza and 4 sodas

$50 Grimaldi’s gift card

Sweet Surprises:

IT’SUGAR gift basket

$25 Cheesecake Factory gift card

Free frozen yogurt for a year at Menchie’s (365 "First 5 oz. for free" cards, plus a color in T-shirt along with a pencil and a button)

Out to Eat:

$20 in $5 gift certificates and a free bowl of queso from On The Border

Two free entrees and other goodies from Texas Roadhouse

$30 in $10 gift certificates from Goodwood Barbecue Co.

$20 in $5 gift certificates from Five Guys

Pasta Perfection:

Tasting gift certificate worth $150 at Noodle’s

$50 in $5 gift certificates for Olive Garden

Great Outdoors:

Idaho Botanical Garden household membership for 1 year

$20 Dick’s gift certificate

Two Bogus Basin ski lift passes

Building Skills:

Free math assessment and one month of tutoring at Mathnasium

Young Architect set donated by ToyTown

Autographed copy of “Five Kingdoms” by Brandon Mull

Autographed copy of “Tuesdays at the Castle” by Jessica Day George

Color Me Silly:

Autographed copy of “Aqualicious” by Victoria Kann

Pop for Colors game donated by ToyTown

$10 ToyTown gift card

$10 in gift certificates for U-Swirl Frozen Yogurt

Crayola art supplies

Fun with Numbers:

Free math assessment and one month of tutoring at Mathnasium

7 Ate 9 math card game donated by ToyTown

Autographed copy of “Princess Academy” by Shannon Hale

Autographed copies of “Alvor” and “Wings of Light” by Laura Bingham

Just Kidding Around:

Dave & Buster’s basket with 2 $12 Power Cards, 3 free $20 of play with $20 purchase cards, and other goodies

Remote control snake donated by ToyTown

Signed copy of “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” by Jeff Kinney

Signed copy of “Stink and the Midnight Zombie Walk”

So please come out from 6 to 8 p.m. on Friday to help support Discovery and the students!

Cupcakes Needed for Festival

Discovery Elementary PTA is looking for volunteers who will bake or purchase 2 dozen cupcakes for the If You Give a Cat a Cupcake Walk at this Friday's Million Minutes Reading Festival.

If you want to provide cupcakes, please sign up by going to the following link: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c094baaa923aafa7-cupcakes.

Cupcakes need to be dropped off between 4 and 5:45 on Friday, May 1, at the school. Thank you in advance for your help!

Spring into Action: Start Clipping Those Box Tops!

One last Box Tops contest is now under way. The classroom that turns in the most Box Tops by May 22 will receive an ice cream party, sponsored by Albertsons.

So far, Discovery has raised $2,100 from Box Tops this school year, which means that more than $1,000 has gone back to the teachers for their classrooms and $1,000 has gone to the PTA to provide additional resources for Discovery teachers and students. We are only $400 from our original goal set in August. Let's get clipping to beat that goal. Remember, every Box Top you collect is worth 10 cents for Discovery. It doesn't sound like a lot, but they do add up.

To download a spring collection sheet, click here: http://www.boxtops4education.com/-/media/BoxTops/FlyersAndDownloads/Assets/CollectionSheets/ChasingBoxTops-3.pdf

Time to Celebrate the Millionaires

Get ready to have some fun at the Million Minutes Reading Festival from 6 to 8 p.m. on Friday, May 1, at Discovery! The students are going to exceed the million-minute mark, so it's time to celebrate their achievements.

There will be free reading-themed games and crafts; a Dr. Seuss photo booth; an If You Give A Cat a Cupcake Walk; and other fun activities. You will be able to purchase Blimpie subs, chips, and drinks at The Very Hungry Caterpillar Cafe (or better yet, send your pre-order slip in to your student's teacher by Monday, April 27, to avoid the lines). The top reader from each grade also will be honored at the festival.

We also will be holding a special drawing for great prize packages, including sporting event tickets, restaurant gift cards, and passes for area attractions (check back next week for the detailed list of prize packages). Drawing tickets will be 1 for $3, 4 for $10, or 10 for $20. The drawing will be held at 7:30 p.m., but you don't have to be present to win. The proceeds will help the PTA raise money for playground and other classroom improvements!

Discovery Night at Chipotle on Tuesday, April 21

Getting busy with soccer practice and other activities after school this spring? Just need an excuse not to make dinner? Then come out to Chipotle at The Village on Tuesday, April 21, between 5 and 9 p.m. to grab dinner and raise money for Discovery.

Be sure to show the flyer that will be sent home in backpacks in the coming days, show this blog post, or tell the cashier you're supporting Discovery, and Chipotle will donate 50 percent of the proceeds from the evening to the school!

It's a win-win. You don't have to figure out what to cook for dinner, and you can show your support for Discovery. We hope to see you there!

Start Friday Morning off with Discovery Donuts

Storyteller Jim Cogan Entertains Discovery Students

Storyteller Jim Cogan entertained Discovery Elementary students on Friday with his Read Across America program. Cogan brought folk tales to life (with the students' help) and shared his passion of books. The PTA sponsored two assemblies as part of this year's Million Minutes Reading Challenge. 

March Reading Moves Mustang Closer to the Million Mark

Discovery students are almost to the million-minute finish line. As of the beginning of April, 950,352 minutes of reading have been tallied. Great job to the students for reading and the parents for keeping track. Only one month left to get those final 50,000 minutes.

The top readers for March are:
Pre-K: A girl from Mrs. Baranco's class
K: A girl from Mrs. Sorenson's class
1st: A boy from Mrs. Croft's class
2nd: A boy from Mrs. Watkins' class
3rd: A girl from Mrs. Jackson's class
4th: A girl from Mrs. Spenner's class
5th: A boy from Mrs. Wright's class

To celebrate the reading, the Discovery PTA will treat the students to an assembly on Friday, April 10, with storyteller Jim Cogan. Storyteller Cogan will provide an energetic and funny presentation of folklore as part of his Read Across America program.

The two assemblies will be at 9:30 and 10:40 a.m. Parents of preschoolers and afternoon kindergartners are welcome to bring their students to the assembly at either time.

Don't forget to keep reading to count those final minutes. April calendars will be due Wednesday, April 29, and then we will celebrate the students' reading milestone with the Million Minutes Reading Festival from 6 to 8 p.m. on Friday, May 1!