PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE

I joined the staff at Discovery in the fall of 2000 and since that time many things have stayed the same while many others have changed. Discovery has a very stable staff that continues to grow with our population growth, but maintains the culture of a nurturing and stimulating learning environment. We are enriched by collaboration and support from our parent community that enables us to provide extra-curricular activities for our students as well as supplement the academics in classrooms. We provide programs for students with a variety of needs and interests, including a gifted program in grades 3-5, special education services, a special needs pre-school, reading support programs, accelerated reader, supplementary science and art lessons in every classroom, and music, PE, and library specialists.

With our highly trained and dedicated staff, academics are a strength, but we make a point of promoting the growth of the whole child. We teach monthly themes from our Student Success Policy that emphasizes the importance of building healthy, respectful relationships. Our counselor trains student conflict mediators to assist their peers in solving disputes that may arise on the playground or elsewhere so that students learn to use appropriate language to resolve disagreements. Student Council is another venue where students learn to take responsibility in school decisions and programs that impact their daily lives.

We also have fun each year participating in the many PTSA sponsored functions. Following a spirit week in the fall, students participate in our school-wide Walk-a-thon that serves as a fundraiser for the year. Parents support an art show, a science fair, assemblies, enrichment programs, and a spring social. Our students are currently thrilled with the new playground equipment, enhanced wetlands learning environment, and a mural depicting our natural habitat, all provided by PTSA support along with businesses and government agencies.

Extra-curricular programs to challenge higher level thinking skills such as Math Olympiad, Destination Imagination, and Global Reading Challenge are also made available to students by teachers and parents.

So what’s changed?
Our teachers are constantly in the process of learning new and better ways to teach. This past year the vast majority of our staff engaged in yearlong classes on differentiated instruction; an approach in which teachers systematically assess a student’s readiness for a particular lesson and then design tiers or centers to challenge students at the level or interest that is most appropriate for that particular unit. This year we are developing a three year continuous improvement plan that is based on data that reflects individual student progress rather than looking at global building achievement scores that has been the traditional practice in the past. We are confident that this will help us to refine our instructional approaches and strategies even further and add to the successes that creates such a sense of pride at Discovery.

Please join me on the first Thursday of each month at 9:30 to “Meet the Principal”. It’s a great time for new parents to learn more about the school and current parents to ask questions or discuss concerns or suggestions.

Nancy Weinstein
Discovery Principal
weinsteinn@issaquah.wednet.edu