Students Get Hands-On STEM Experience

The STEM Mobile Discovery Lab made a stop today at Discovery Elementary, where the students had a great time checking out the interactive and hands-on science exhibits on the bus. The Discovery PTA contributed funds, along with the Micron Foundation, and Mrs. Wright spearheaded the effort to bring the bus to the school. 

Upcoming Dates to Note

As January winds down, the Discovery PTA wants to remind you about a few upcoming dates.

Friday, Jan. 30: This is the last day to turn in Box Tops for the latest competition. Please clip, clip, clip, and submit to your teachers. Four JumpTime passes will be given out.

Monday, Feb. 2: Million Minute Reading calendars are due, and we're hoping to gallop past the halfway mark. All students who turn in a calendar will be entered into a drawing for a free kid's meal and a drink at Rumbi. Ninety certificates will be given out.

Tuesday, Feb. 3: The February PTA meeting will be held at 4 p.m. in the Health Room. Come to weigh in on possible playground improvements, a special reading night, and the Million Minutes Reading Challenge Celebration scheduled for May 1.

Friday, Feb. 6: Popcorn Friday! If you didn't prepay for the year, send in 50 cents for your child to have a snack during the day.

Cafe Zupas Night a Success!

Thank you to everyone who dined at Cafe Zupas last night to support Discovery Elementary.

We had a successful night, and the school will receive a check for $223.46!

We will keep you posted on other restaurant fundraisers coming this spring!

Don't Miss School Night at Cafe Zupas on Tuesday

When you sit down to plan next week's meals this weekend, don't forget about Discovery Night at Cafe Zupas, one of the newest restaurants over at The Village at Meridian, from 5 to 9 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 20.

If you go in to dine during this time and tell them you're with Discovery, the school will receive a donation equal to 20 percent of your order. It's a win-win: You don't have to cook, and Discovery will be earning money to put toward classroom needs and playground improvements.

I've only been to Cafe Zupas twice since it has opened, but it hasn't disappointed. They have an array of salads, sandwiches, and soups, which help warm you up on these cold and gray days. The Citrus Berry Salad is tasty, and I'm a fan of the Wild Mushroom Bisque. And to top the meal off, you get a chocolate-dipped strawberry!

We hope to see you at Cafe Zupas on Tuesday evening. And feel free to mention Discovery Night to family and friends, who can also come out to support Discovery and have a yummy meal.

Mark Your Calendars for January

I'm still having trouble getting back into the daily routine after the holidays. So as I marked my calendar with some key PTA dates this month, I thought it would also would be good to pass them along so you don't miss out!

Friday, Jan. 9: Popcorn Friday. If you prepaid for the year, then the popcorn will be delivered to your students’ classrooms for an afternoon treat. If you didn't prepay, you can send 50 cents in with your students to purchase popcorn.

Tuesday, Jan. 20: Give your stove a break and come over to Cafe Zupas at The Village at Meridian for Discovery Night. From 5 to 9 p.m., Cafe Zupas will donate 20 percent of the proceeds to Discovery PTA!

Friday, Jan. 30: Box Tops are due to teachers. Four students will receive passes to JumpTime.

Congratulations to December's Top Readers

The Discovery mustang continues to gallop toward the halfway mark for the Million Minutes Reading Challenge. Through the end of 2014, Discovery students had read 393,771 minutes.

Our goal is to be at 500,000 minutes or more by the end of January, so keep turning those pages! If we meet that goal, then Discovery will be on track to hit the million mark by May and be awarded with a fun reading celebration.

A big round of applause to our top readers for the month of December!

Primary:

• A boy from Mrs. McKay's kindergarten class read 698 minutes;
• A girl from Ms. Kotmel's preschool class read 875 minutes; and 
• A girl from Mrs. Hoppe's 2nd grade class read 961 minutes.

Intermediate:

• A boy from Mrs. Slocum's 3rd grade class read 2,165 minutes;
• A boy from Mrs. Wright's 5th grade class read 2,990 minutes;
• A girl from Mr. Runyan's 3rd grade class read 3,162 minutes; and
• A girl from Mr. Partin's 4th grade class read a whopping 10,800 minutes.

Making Reading a Priority in 2015

The first of the year is here, and everyone is talking about making and breaking New Year's resolutions. Of course I would like to be more organized, decrease clutter, and get more exercise, but the resolution I'm most likely to keep is to read more.

Maybe that's why I made note of a list of resolutions from HarperCollins Children's Books that I saw on Facebook on New Year's Eve.

1. Read daily.
2. Try a book by an author you've never read before.
3. Visit the library more.
4. Reach for a book instead of the remote at least once a week. 
5. Read out loud to to your little ones every chance you get.

I think they all are great ideas, and I hope to be a better role model for my children to keep them motivated in reading and help my son keep gaining minutes toward Discovery's Million Minute Reading Challenge.

Below you'll find the January reading calendar, which also should be coming home this week in backpacks. Encourage your kids to read at least 10 minutes daily or share a story with them to help Discovery get to the halfway mark of 500,000 minutes for the Million Minutes Reading Challenge. January calendars are due back to teachers on Monday, Feb. 2.

Every student who turns in a January calendar will be entered into a drawing for a Rumbi's certificate for a free kid's meal and drink; 90 certificates will be given out. Also, the top readers for pre-K to 2nd and 3rd to 5th will get to select a free book.