WELCOME: Welcome to the 2010-2011 School Year! Great things are happening at Discovery this year, and it’s exciting to welcome back our returning students and greet new families.
As I walk around the school, I am energized by the students and teachers. Every year the school gets better and better, and this year that growth is very evident in the preparation the teachers have made, the quality of the lessons that are being introduced even in these first few days, and the engagement of the students.
IT’S A GREAT TIME TO BE AT DISCOVERY!!
TRAFFIC AND CONSTRUCTION: A sincere “thank you” to all of our parents and drivers who have been so patient and cooperative with the security guards and Discovery staff at 3:00 p.m. dismissal. Because of your help, it has gone smoother than we expected, and we appreciate your patience.
To further facilitate the dismissal time, we invite parents of our Early Childhood students to pick their children up at 2:45 p.m. If this is not convenient for you, you can still come at 3:00 p.m.
TEACHER BLOGS AND WIKISPACES: To do our part in preserving the environment, our communication with parents will be conducted via email and through blogs and Wikispaces that can be accessed through the school’s webpage. As with any new process, we expect that we will have to work through some technological difficulties. In general, though, you can expect each teacher’s blog or Wikispace to be posted and updated on our website (www.discoveryschool.edu.hn) by 4:00 p.m. every Monday (in many cases they will be up by Friday). Some of the things that will be included are class assignments and homework, upcoming project deadlines, dates of quizzes and tests, information about upcoming events or photos about past events, and any other information that the teachers need to communicate to the parents. Please get in the habit of checking the blogs over the weekend. We believe that this will be an effective way of providing information on our classes to our parents and students. If you have problems in accessing them, please let Carlos Ferrera know. You can email him at cferrera@discoveryschool.edu.hn or by calling the school and asking to speak with him (221-7790).
OPEN HOUSE: Our Open House will be held on Thursday, August 19, beginning at 6:00 p.m. We will start with a brief welcome and introductions in the cafeteria area. The DPTO will provide information on how you can become involved this year. We will have sign up forms for the After School Activities and permission forms for using your child’s photograph. Parents will then be able to go to the classrooms to learn about the teachers’ plans for the year. Please plan on attending, as this is one of the most important events of the school year. Many of your questions will be answered and you will learn about what your child will be expected to do this year. As we will start on time at 6:00 pm., please take into account the traffic at that time of day.
NEW TEACHERS: We have five new teachers on campus this year, and each of them brings a special dimension to our school family.
Ms. Sophia Lagos has joined the Early Childhood team and will be teaching Kindergarten A. Ms. Sophia is a licensed teacher with 9 years of teaching experience in Pre-School through Grade 3.
Ms. Magda Rose is teaching Grade 1A and comes to us with a background of teaching in the United Arab Emirates, Taiwan and South Korea. Magda has worked with emerging readers and has had training in early childhood literacy.
Mr. Jordan Rose has joined our upper elementary team and is teaching Grade 4. Jordan has taught in the United Arab Emirates, Taiwan and South Korea. In addition to teaching upper elementary students, Jordan is interested in sports and is interested in coaching basketball for our students.
Mr. Vincent Taylor has joined the Middle School team and is teaching Grades 6-7-8 Language Arts and Grades 6-7 Art. Mr. Taylor is from the State of Texas and has a Bachelor of Arts Degree with a specialty in Middle School Education and Art. He has four years of teaching experience with Language Arts. His interests include swimming, football, martial arts, yoga, and track & field.
Ms. Kristen Fink has also joined our Middle School team and is teaching Grades 6-7-8 Social Studies and Grade 12 Communications. Ms. Fink comes to us from Des Moines, Iowa. She has a Master’s Degree in Education with a specialization in Social Studies. She has 4 years of teaching experience in the Social Studies area, as well as experience with Student Council, Coaching Track and Field, Photography, and News Broadcast. Kristen’s husband is also joining her in Tegucigalpa—his job allows him to telecommute from anywhere in the world.
CANDY—With the cooperation of Martha in the cafeteria, we will no longer be selling candy to the children. Teachers have also been asked not to use candy as an incentive or reward in the classroom. We ask that our parents help us in the endeavor to teach children good eating habits and provide healthy alternatives to candy. While you will probably want to provide a small treat for the children when you child celebrates his/her birthday, we discourage the distribution of the candy bags that were given out last year and ask you to be creative about party favors (if any), such as pencils, notepads, etc. Thank you in advance for your help in keeping our students healthy!
AFTER-SCHOOL ACTIVITIES—This year we will offer After School Activities on Tuesday and Wednesday from 3:15 – 4:00 p.m. An activity bus will run both days at 4:10 p.m. within the city, but excluding the airport area, Colonia Viera, El Hatillo, Santa Lucia, and any other outlying areas. A year-long schedule has been developed with input from the teachers. There will be a Lmp. 50 activity fee payable in advance for attendance, in addition to the material fees that the activity may require—this should be turned in to the homeroom teacher with the completed form for enrolling in the activity. Students who have not enrolled and paid the activity fee will not be eligible for the activity.
If you have any questions, about the After-School Activities, please contact Carol or Victor Rodriguez at crodriguez@discoveryschool.edu.hn or vrodriguez@discoveryschool.edu.hn.
CHANNELS OF COMMUNICATION: Communication of suggestions, questions, and concerns works most effectively if it occurs with the appropriate person—someone who can help solve a problem or provide answers. With that in mind, please follow these guidelines:
Parent-Teacher Communication: When a child has a problem in school, or if you have a question about your child’s class, talk to the teacher of the class.
Parent-Administrator Communication: Situations that cannot be fully addressed and resolved with the teacher can then be discussed with the appropriate Area Administrator (Gloria Palacios for Secondary; Cristiana Banegas for Elementary).
If a resolution is still not reached after following these channels, the matter can be brought to the Head of School.
If a parent has a question or concern regarding the educational program or general administration of the elementary or secondary school, s/he should speak with the appropriate Area Administrator (see above). If further clarification is needed, a parent can contact the Head of School.
For questions about the overall school program or something that involves both the elementary and secondary programs, s/he should speak with the Head of School.
Parent-Board Communication: If all of the above channels have been followed without success, only then should the Board be approached, in writing, addressed to the President of the Board of Directors. That letter can be given to the Head of School for delivery or sent directly to the President.
The Head of School is the Administrative Officer for the Board of Directors, and therefore she is the normal channel of communication between the Board and the parents or teachers. If the communication directed to the Board is an administrative issue, it will be referred back to the Head of School .
As I walk around the school, I am energized by the students and teachers. Every year the school gets better and better, and this year that growth is very evident in the preparation the teachers have made, the quality of the lessons that are being introduced even in these first few days, and the engagement of the students.
IT’S A GREAT TIME TO BE AT DISCOVERY!!
TRAFFIC AND CONSTRUCTION: A sincere “thank you” to all of our parents and drivers who have been so patient and cooperative with the security guards and Discovery staff at 3:00 p.m. dismissal. Because of your help, it has gone smoother than we expected, and we appreciate your patience.
To further facilitate the dismissal time, we invite parents of our Early Childhood students to pick their children up at 2:45 p.m. If this is not convenient for you, you can still come at 3:00 p.m.
TEACHER BLOGS AND WIKISPACES: To do our part in preserving the environment, our communication with parents will be conducted via email and through blogs and Wikispaces that can be accessed through the school’s webpage. As with any new process, we expect that we will have to work through some technological difficulties. In general, though, you can expect each teacher’s blog or Wikispace to be posted and updated on our website (www.discoveryschool.edu.hn) by 4:00 p.m. every Monday (in many cases they will be up by Friday). Some of the things that will be included are class assignments and homework, upcoming project deadlines, dates of quizzes and tests, information about upcoming events or photos about past events, and any other information that the teachers need to communicate to the parents. Please get in the habit of checking the blogs over the weekend. We believe that this will be an effective way of providing information on our classes to our parents and students. If you have problems in accessing them, please let Carlos Ferrera know. You can email him at cferrera@discoveryschool.edu.hn or by calling the school and asking to speak with him (221-7790).
OPEN HOUSE: Our Open House will be held on Thursday, August 19, beginning at 6:00 p.m. We will start with a brief welcome and introductions in the cafeteria area. The DPTO will provide information on how you can become involved this year. We will have sign up forms for the After School Activities and permission forms for using your child’s photograph. Parents will then be able to go to the classrooms to learn about the teachers’ plans for the year. Please plan on attending, as this is one of the most important events of the school year. Many of your questions will be answered and you will learn about what your child will be expected to do this year. As we will start on time at 6:00 pm., please take into account the traffic at that time of day.
NEW TEACHERS: We have five new teachers on campus this year, and each of them brings a special dimension to our school family.
Ms. Sophia Lagos has joined the Early Childhood team and will be teaching Kindergarten A. Ms. Sophia is a licensed teacher with 9 years of teaching experience in Pre-School through Grade 3.
Ms. Magda Rose is teaching Grade 1A and comes to us with a background of teaching in the United Arab Emirates, Taiwan and South Korea. Magda has worked with emerging readers and has had training in early childhood literacy.
Mr. Jordan Rose has joined our upper elementary team and is teaching Grade 4. Jordan has taught in the United Arab Emirates, Taiwan and South Korea. In addition to teaching upper elementary students, Jordan is interested in sports and is interested in coaching basketball for our students.
Mr. Vincent Taylor has joined the Middle School team and is teaching Grades 6-7-8 Language Arts and Grades 6-7 Art. Mr. Taylor is from the State of Texas and has a Bachelor of Arts Degree with a specialty in Middle School Education and Art. He has four years of teaching experience with Language Arts. His interests include swimming, football, martial arts, yoga, and track & field.
Ms. Kristen Fink has also joined our Middle School team and is teaching Grades 6-7-8 Social Studies and Grade 12 Communications. Ms. Fink comes to us from Des Moines, Iowa. She has a Master’s Degree in Education with a specialization in Social Studies. She has 4 years of teaching experience in the Social Studies area, as well as experience with Student Council, Coaching Track and Field, Photography, and News Broadcast. Kristen’s husband is also joining her in Tegucigalpa—his job allows him to telecommute from anywhere in the world.
CANDY—With the cooperation of Martha in the cafeteria, we will no longer be selling candy to the children. Teachers have also been asked not to use candy as an incentive or reward in the classroom. We ask that our parents help us in the endeavor to teach children good eating habits and provide healthy alternatives to candy. While you will probably want to provide a small treat for the children when you child celebrates his/her birthday, we discourage the distribution of the candy bags that were given out last year and ask you to be creative about party favors (if any), such as pencils, notepads, etc. Thank you in advance for your help in keeping our students healthy!
AFTER-SCHOOL ACTIVITIES—This year we will offer After School Activities on Tuesday and Wednesday from 3:15 – 4:00 p.m. An activity bus will run both days at 4:10 p.m. within the city, but excluding the airport area, Colonia Viera, El Hatillo, Santa Lucia, and any other outlying areas. A year-long schedule has been developed with input from the teachers. There will be a Lmp. 50 activity fee payable in advance for attendance, in addition to the material fees that the activity may require—this should be turned in to the homeroom teacher with the completed form for enrolling in the activity. Students who have not enrolled and paid the activity fee will not be eligible for the activity.
If you have any questions, about the After-School Activities, please contact Carol or Victor Rodriguez at crodriguez@discoveryschool.edu.hn or vrodriguez@discoveryschool.edu.hn.
CHANNELS OF COMMUNICATION: Communication of suggestions, questions, and concerns works most effectively if it occurs with the appropriate person—someone who can help solve a problem or provide answers. With that in mind, please follow these guidelines:
Parent-Teacher Communication: When a child has a problem in school, or if you have a question about your child’s class, talk to the teacher of the class.
Parent-Administrator Communication: Situations that cannot be fully addressed and resolved with the teacher can then be discussed with the appropriate Area Administrator (Gloria Palacios for Secondary; Cristiana Banegas for Elementary).
If a resolution is still not reached after following these channels, the matter can be brought to the Head of School.
If a parent has a question or concern regarding the educational program or general administration of the elementary or secondary school, s/he should speak with the appropriate Area Administrator (see above). If further clarification is needed, a parent can contact the Head of School.
For questions about the overall school program or something that involves both the elementary and secondary programs, s/he should speak with the Head of School.
Parent-Board Communication: If all of the above channels have been followed without success, only then should the Board be approached, in writing, addressed to the President of the Board of Directors. That letter can be given to the Head of School for delivery or sent directly to the President.
The Head of School is the Administrative Officer for the Board of Directors, and therefore she is the normal channel of communication between the Board and the parents or teachers. If the communication directed to the Board is an administrative issue, it will be referred back to the Head of School .
Remember to go to the Discovery School website:
to check out the teacher blogs and Wikispace
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