Keep Sending in Box Tops

Congratulations to Mrs. McKay's first-grade class for
submitting the most Box Tops during our last contest.
They were awarded the Box Tops Traveling Trophy!
Who will our next winning classroom be? 

Thank you to everyone who has turned in Box Tops so far this school year. Discovery has already earned $1,734.80 with the collection of 17,348 Box Tops. We are less than $800 from our goal of $2,500, which goes toward our school's needs. Let's keep clipping to make, or even exceed, that number!

The next contest is now underway. The classroom that turns in the most Box Tops by April 8 will receive a smoothie party! That classroom also will be awarded the Box Tops Traveling Trophy, which now resides in Mrs. McKay's first-grade classroom. Her class submitted the most Box Tops—768—during the last individual student contest.

The five students who brought in the most Box Tops during that previous contest also received passes for free mini golf at Wahooz Family Fun Zone. Those students were a kindergartener from Mrs. Jayne's class; a first-grader from Mrs. Davison's class; a fourth-grader from Mrs. Spenner's class; a fourth-grader from Ms. Geis' class; and a fifth-grader from Mrs. Haycock's class.

Here's what has been collected so far this year by classroom:

• Mrs. Kalinski, fifth grade: 1,374 Box Tops
• Mrs. Wright, kindergarten: 1,231
• Mrs. Davison, first grade: 1,216
• Mrs. Spenner, fourth grade: 1,144
• Mrs. Walters, third grade: 1,123
• Ms. Geis, fourth grade: 1,016
• Mrs. Bonebrake, fifth grade: 981
• Mrs. McKay, first grade: 981
• Mrs. Haycock, fifth grade: 878
• Mrs. Jackson, third grade: 718
• Mrs. Watkins, second grade: 705
• Mrs. Howard, first grade: 701
• Mrs. Croft, first grade: 649
• Ms. Christen, third grade: 586
• Mr. Partin, fourth grade: 573
• Mr. Runyan, third grade: 543
• Mrs. Davison, second grade: 542
• Mrs. Slocum, fourth grade: 508
• Mr. Thie, third grade: 489
• Mrs. Jayne, p.m. kindergarten: 475
• Mrs. Hoppe, second grade: 457
• Mrs. Jayne, a.m. kindergarten: 207
• Mrs. Werre, preschool: 135
• Mrs. Kotmel, preschool: 116

Get Involved: Join Us at Tuesday's PTA Meeting

The PTA will hold its regularly scheduled PTA meeting at 4:10 p.m. Tuesday, March 1, in the cafeteria (please note room change). We will be discussing playground improvements, including the results of the recent parent survey, designs, the upcoming walk-a-thon, and additional fundraising. We also will update members about upcoming volunteer opportunities at the Spring Book Fair and the next Box Tops contest.

If you can't make it to the meeting but want to get involved with the playground improvements, please email discoverypta@gmail.com.

Also, Janae Burrell in the front office has let the PTA know that several classrooms are in need of staples, such as tissues, Clorox wipes, and Ziplock bags, as we head into the spring. If you would like to donate any of these items, please drop them off in the office and they will be distributed to those who need them.

Help Provide Sweet Treats for Discovery's Staff

The Discovery PTA is sponsoring a Sweet Shop from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 10, in the staff lounge to show our appreciation for Discovery's teachers and staff.

We are looking for donations. We need dozens of cookies, cupcakes, brownies, and other yummy treats. They can be homemade or store-bought. We can also use wrapped chocolates, gum, or candy. Staff will then have the opportunity to fill a box full of goodies to take home for their families to enjoy.

If you are interested in participating, please sign up at http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0c49aaa72da6f58-discovery and deliver the items by 10 a.m. on Feb. 10.

Please help us show our staff and teachers how much we all appreciate them!

White Ribbon Week Activities Planned

Next week, the PTA will be sponsoring White Ribbon Week, which teaches students to make smart choices when using media and technology so they are prepared to safely use these resources for enjoyment, learning, creativity, and friendship. Each day the week of Feb. 8, a different principle, or "reality boost," will be taught through daily announcements, lunchtime activities, and a slideshow. In addition, students will be able to dress up to correspond to each day's principle.

• Monday, Feb. 8: Active wear day (i.e., team jerseys, sweats, sweatshirts). Unplug - get active every day!
• Tuesday, Feb. 9: Inside out day. Your clothes might not seem right today. When things aren't right online, "tell today, don't delay."
• Wednesday, Feb. 10: Crazy sock day. We're crazy about being kind online.
• Thursday, Feb. 11: Sunglasses day. I can spy what's real or not real online.
• Friday, Feb. 12: White out day. We're celebrating white ribbon awareness and making smart and safe choices online.

If you are interested in volunteering during the lunchtime activities, there are still a couple of slots open. Please visit http://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0b4da5a72aaafe3-white to sign up.

Don't Miss Tuesday's PTA Meeting

Discovery PTA will hold its monthly meeting at 4:10 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 2, in the Health Room. We will be discussing and voting on staff and teacher grant applications as well as some of the upcoming volunteer opportunities, such as Popcorn Friday on Feb. 5, next week's White Ribbon Week, and a special Valentine Sweet Shop for staff and teachers on Wednesday, Feb. 10.

We hope to see you at the meeting. However, if you can't make it but would be interested in volunteering, please email discoverypta@gmail.com. We're all volunteers at the PTA, and we appreciate all the help we can get to aid the staff and students at Discovery!

New Box Tops Contest Under Way

We are almost at the halfway mark of the school year as well as our goal of earning $2,500 from Box Tops for Education! We have collected $1,129.50 toward our goal so far and just received a check for $932.30, half that goes directly back to the classrooms and the other half to the PTA for school initiatives. Thank you so much to all of the parents who have been clipping this year!

The next Box Tops contest is under way. The five students who bring in the most Box Tops before Feb. 19 will receive passes for a free round of mini golf at Wahooz! In addition, Discovery's traveling Box Tops trophy will be passed along to the classroom that brings in the most Box Tops.

There's also another way to earn extra Box Tops this month. Growing Local Learning, a Box Tops program through Albertsons, is offering 20 eBox Tops when you buy any five participating Box Tops products through Feb. 2. Participating in this promotion are General Mills, Mott's, and Hefty Box Tops for Education products. Go to www.growinglocallearning.com for more information!

A Look Back at 2015 and What's Ahead for the New Year

As we kick off 2016, I wanted to share some of Discovery PTA's accomplishments so far this school year.

We have had a flurry of activities so far, including:

• Our successful Kiss the Pig contest and Farmstead night, which raised more than $1,100;
• Double the entries for our annual Reflections arts competition and a great turnout for our Reflections Gallery and Discovery Donuts in November;
• A lot of support for the staff with our Wishing Garden for classroom supplies, a back-to-school breakfast, lunch for parent-teacher conferences, and side dishes for the holiday luncheon;
• The collection of more than 11,000 Box Tops, earning $1,129.50 for our school (we're almost halfway to our goal of $2,500);
• The smoothie station at Walk to School Day in October;
• The purchase of two steps for the monkey bars on the intermediate side;
• The purchase of Scholastic News and Reading A-Z to many classes;
• Partially funding the fourth-grade field trip to Celebration Park; and
• Helping to provide materials and fund the first-grade craft night in December.

Thank you to all the PTA members, staff, and volunteers who got the school year off to a great start.

There's more work ahead for us, and it's never too late to get involved. In addition to providing funding and support for teachers and classrooms, Discovery PTA will be undertaking a massive challenge in 2016 to add playground equipment to the intermediate side as well as some equipment for our special-needs students on the primary side.

Come to the first meeting of the year at 4:10 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 5, in the Health Room to find out more about this initiative as well as some other activities that will be planned for 2016.

We need all the help we can get. If you would like to become a PTA member and get involved, come to the meeting or email discoverypta@gmail.com.