Important Upcoming Dates
Tue, Aug 8 - Meet the Teacher - 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Thu, Aug 10 - First Day of School
Thu, Aug 10 - Sports Physical Night - 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Mon, Aug 14 - Soccer Tryouts begin - must have a sports physical on file
Welcome Back!
It's hard to believe we are already near the start of another school year! I look forward to welcoming all of our Explorers back to school on Thursday, August 10th. This newsletter contains some important information about our school and policies and procedures, and and I hope you find it useful. I will continue to send out weekly newsletters to help keep you informed of all that is happening at Discovery.
Here are some general reminders as we approach the first day of school:
Traffic will be bad for the first few days. Please be patient as everyone becomes familiar with drop-off and pick-up procedures. It will get better as time goes on.
Students should not be dropped off or picked up in the parking lot or bus entrance road. Drop-off and pick-up is only at the front of the school.
School starts at 9:25 am and students can enter campus at 9:00am.
Bell schedules for OCPS middle schools have been modified this year resulting in a later dismissal on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. Bell schedules can be accessed at https://discoveryms.ocps.net/school_information/bell_schedule. Dismissal is at 4:04 pm on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday and at 2:54 pm on Wednesday.
Students should be reminded to only cross at crosswalks. No student should ever cross Woodbury or Lake Underhill without using one of the crosswalks.
Students are who eligible for bus transportation can find their bus stop location and time at findabus.ocps.net.
Sixth graders will begin the 1st day of school in the gym. Parents are welcome to join their 6th grade students in the gym until the first bell rings.
General supply lists can be found at https://discoveryms.ocps.net/students/Supply_lists. Some teachers may request additional supplies once the school year begins.
Should you ever have questions, please reach out and I will be happy to help.
Jeff Aldridge
jeffrey.aldridge@ocps.net
Meet the Teacher
Our Meet the Teacher event will be on Tuesday, August 8th between 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm. Feel free to stop by anytime during those hours to walk the school and meet the teachers. Student schedules will be available on Skyward beginning on August 2. Those who cannot access their schedule can visit the media center upon arrival for assistance.
School Cafeteria
Starting this school year, ALL students at OCPS schools will receive ALL school meals at NO CHARGE.
No more worries about applications or eligibility determinations – every student will have the opportunity to enjoy delicious and wholesome meals during the school day! (A la carte items, like cookies and chips, are not included.)
Every student deserves access to healthy food, regardless of their background. By implementing the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), we believe this will enhance our students' well-being and academic performance and reduce the stigma associated with receiving free or reduced-price meals.
So get ready, because our OCPS family is coming together to ensure that no student goes hungry. Let's fuel those brains and fill those tummies for a successful school year ahead!
Breakfast and lunch menus can be found by visiting https://schools.mealviewer.com/school/DiscoveryMiddle
Skyward
Skyward is the Student Information System used by OCPS. Parents can access Skyward to check grades, daily attendance, and test scores such as FSA. Parents must register for a Skyward account using a cell phone number or email (these numbers/email addresses must also match what our school has on file in the system). Each parent can register for their own account and setup is only required once. Instructions for registering can be found at parents.classlink.com/ocps.
Student schedules can be found in Skyward, but counselors are continuing to update and balance classes. Student schedules can change before Meet the Teacher on Monday, August 8th.
Middle School Sports
OCPS offers competitive middle school seasons allowing Discovery Middle School students to compete against other middle schools across the district. To be eligible to try out for our sports teams, a student must have a 2.0 GPA and must have a sports physical on file with the athletic department using the online platform. Sports seasons run each quarter and begin with soccer in August. Volleyball is played during the 2nd quarter, followed by basketball during the 3rd quarter and track and field during the 4th quarter. Once a sports physical has been submitted for the year, a student can try out for all sports thereafter.
We will host a sports physical night on Thursday, August 10th between 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm. A doctor will be onsite to provide sports physicals at a cost of $35.
Click here to download a sports physical packet. Once the sports physical is complete, parents/guardians must register for an account to upload the physical to the online platform (www.aktivate.com). This registration link is https://www.registermyathlete.com/login/login.accountInfo. This process is new for all middle school athletes in OCPS.
Soccer Tryouts
Soccer tryouts will begin on Monday, August 14th. Students attending tryouts should meet in the gym immediately after school. Students must have a completed physical on file before trying out.
For questions, please contact:
Boys Coach - hoan.ton@ocps.net
Girls Coach - john.peters@ocps.net
Athletic Director - robert.murray@ocps.net
Annual Online Parent Forms - Available beginning August 2
The Skyward Family Access Portal has an Online Forms tab when accessed from a desktop or laptop. Online Forms that parents and guardians need to complete can be found in the Online Forms tab. Online Forms can also be located from the Wall in Skyward Family Access. Parents and guardians will be able to complete and submit the Parent Consent Form and Device Refusal Form from the Online Forms Tab or the Wall. Directions for completing Online Forms have been added to the Skyward Family Access documentation.
Parent Consent Form (PCF)—REQUIRED
• Important legislative changes make completion of this form online by parents/guardians imperative.
• The PCF provides parents/legal guardians with the right to make important decisions involving how their child can use available technology resources, how the district uses available media of their child, what personally identifiable information is released about their child, and whether students will participant in school clinic services, health screenings, and mental health services.
• This form MUST be completed by each parent/guardian to access clinic services, health
screenings, and other student services.
o A parent must elect to opt in to each individual service.
o For example, if the Skyward Parent Consent Form were not completed to supply consent for the school’s clinic services, and your child needs to visit the school clinic, then the school clinic will be unable to treat your child and the parent/guardian will be contacted, except in the case of an emergency. In the case of an emergency, the parent/guardian and appropriate emergency personnel will be contacted.
Parents/guardians must complete the PCF as soon as possible, but no later than ten days after the start of the school year and/or entry.
Device Refusal Form—OPTIONAL
• Should be used by any parent/guardian who does not want to accept a district laptop or tablet for their student.
• In this form, parents will certify that they refuse a district device and indicate whether they prefer to register for the BYOD option where students bring a personally owned device from home or if they prefer traditional curriculum.
• These two options have always existed for families.
Required Immunizations
All students entering the 7th grade must have the following immunizations on record with the school before beginning classes. Please contact our registrar, Shannon Hettenbach, if you have any questions.
DTaP Series (Note: If the final dose was administered before 4 years of age, an additional dose is required.)
1 dose of Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis (T dap)*
Polio Series*
Hepatitis B Series
2 doses of Measles, Mumps. Rubella (MMR)
2 doses of Varicella (Chickenpox
* Note: If the final dose was administered before 4 years of age, then an additional dose is required. A 4th dose is not required if the 3rd dose was administered at 4 years of age or older. If the 4th dose was administered prior to the fourth birthday, a 5th dose of Polio is required.
Health Hero will host a free immunization event at Discovery on Saturday, August 12th from 8:30 am - 12:30 pm. Additional information can be found by clicking here. Visit ImmunizeFlorida.org to learn more about immunizations your child may need.
Cell Phones/Wireless Earbuds
We understand the importance of cell phones and communication, however use of cell phones at school can be a distraction to the learning environment. As outlined in the OCPS Code of Student Conduct, cell phones should be off for the duration of the instructional day. Additionally, wireless earbuds should not be worn by students during the instructional day. If a parent needs to reach a student or relay a message, please contact the office at 407-384-1555. Below is the OCPS and DMS policy.
A student may possess a cell phone on school property and at school-related functions, provided that during school hours, the cell phone remains off and is concealed. Violations of this policy may result in confiscation of the cell phone and/or other disciplinary actions. In addition, if the cell phone is used in a criminal act (such as sexting as outlined in Florida Statutes and the Code), the cell phone will be provided to law enforcement and the student may face criminal penalties.
If confiscated, the parent/guardian will make arrangements to pick up the cell phone from the school, unless law enforcement has taken possession of the cell phone for a criminal act.
At no time shall OCPS be responsible for theft, loss or damage to cell phones or other electronic devices brought onto its property.
Student Devices
All students at Discovery Middle will be issued a laptop for use at school and home. This year, returning DMS students will receive the same device they had last year. Students are responsible for their device and must take care not to damage it. Should a non-warranty repair be needed, OCPS will use the following fee structure and the student/parent/guardian will be the responsible party:
1st Incident - $25
2nd Incident - $50
3rd (and forward incident) - *Depreciated value - see fees below
*Years from Purchase Replacement Cost:
Year 1 - $550
Year 2 - $400
Year 3 - $250
Year 4 - $100
Device checkout will occur during the first three days of school.
YMCA After School Zone
Discovery is proud to partner with the YMCA of Central Florida to offer an after school program at no cost to our students and families. If you are interested in registering your student for the YMCA program, please visit: https://ymcacf.org/programs/school/middle/registration/
