A Year of Celebration!!
We are excited to begin a new school year. This will be a year of celebration! Let’s start by celebrating two staff members who retired. Staff members who epitomized love for children and dedication to their growth, Ms. Bonaffini and Mrs. Martinek. We wish them well and they will be missed.
Celebrating New Staff
We are celebrating the following new staff to our Discovery 67 family: Mrs. Lockhart (6th grade), Mrs. Pomietlasz (Pre-K), Ms. Knight (7/8 ELA), Mr. Martin (7/8 Math), Ms. Valenti (Art), Mrs. Bulera (FACS), Ms. Hamilton (Tech), Mrs. Waters (School Counselor), Danielle Musarra (Attendance) and Ms. Junevic (SW).
We want to celebrate the introduction of Dr. Mubenga as Buffalo Public Schools new Superintendent. We look forward to the future under his leadership.
Celebrating After School Opportunities
Discovery 67 is once again partnering with Parker Academy for our after-school program. We have ensured that once again, Mrs. Stegura, our PTO President, will be the coordinator of that program. We look forward to the many programs and activities she will fill the kids after school hours with. Yet another reason to celebrate.
Celebrating the Arts
Our commitment to the arts continues with the introduction of a musical we will be staging. It is sure to be a success under the direction of our two fantastic music teachers, Mrs. John and Ms. Mccabe. More information will be coming out about that as we get closer to the preparation for production.
We have secured a kiln to further promote and advance the amazing and creative arts that Ms. Giamo inspires in all of her students.
Celebrating Emotional Health Through Clear Expectations
Discovery 67’s MTSS Multi-Tiered System of Support) Team worked to create our new PBIS (Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports) Matrices. These are explicit behavioral expectations for all of our students while in the classroom, hallway, bathroom, cafeteria, auditorium and the bus. Administration and teachers will be dedicating time during the first week of school to inform the students on these expectations and to practice them. There will also be signs posted in all of the aforementioned locations to provide visual reminders. These proactive measures combined with the new cell phone policy, will go to improved focus and emotional health.
Celebrating New Physical Changes
The cafeteria will have new tables. The seats are affixed removing safety concerns due to students attempting to lean back in their chairs. This will also alleviate the occasional “missing chair” that sometimes led to angst for some students. All the tables are uniform in color and fold up which allows for more efficient cleaning. Another addition to the cafeteria is our new functional vinyl signage. Replete with various shapes and colors, the glass enclosed tech room vinyl covering offers opportunities for hands-on, math and art interactive activities. This also will serve as an opaque covering for students in the tech room, increasing their safety.
Celebrating Sports
This year Discovery 67 will have its own 5/6 grade girls' and boys' basketball teams. The girls' season will start in October, and the boys’ season begins in January. We will play other schools within the district, and the league is facilitated by Healthy Buffalo. More information to follow.
Celebrating Community
Our goal this year is to provide our students with monthly presentations/events centered on cultural celebrations and community education. The arts, culture and community engagement are often best experienced through live performances and experiential learning. We will be working with our Native American, Hispanic, African American and Asian communities to bring those experiences and learning opportunities to our students throughout the year. We will be celebrating our local law enforcement, fire department and veterans through educational events for our students. We want the students in the auditorium hearing, seeing and being a part of these experiences.
Celebrating our Students
We will continue to celebrate the growth of all our students by once again hosting the Celebration of Growth assemblies. In addition, we will be sending home merit and honor roll certificates at the end of each quarter. Gator Goal Days for the first three quarters will be opportunities for teachers to meet with each of their students individually to discuss progress and goals for academic growth.
Fun Fridays will resume this year during lunches through music, dancing and singing during lunch periods. Students with sensory needs will be supported and offered alternative arrangements as needed.
To keep abreast of the events and frequent communication from Discovery 67, please be sure to have the following: School Messenger (can be found in your App Store), Class Dojo, Parent Portal (access to report cards), and our PTO Facebook page.
This will indeed be a year to celebrate, and we look forward to doing that with your support!