Category Archives: Technology

Parent / Teacher Conference Sign-Ups

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Dear Parents,

As a STEM school, we constantly work to model for our students the ways in which we want to see them use STEM in their own lives.  To that end, each teacher, classroom and specials, has created a digital conference sign-up.  These sign-ups can be used to schedule a classroom or a specials conference.  Please follow the link below to access a page on our website with links to all the sign-ups.  If you have any issues, please feel free to contact me or the teacher directly by email.

Discovery Academy December Conferences

-Mr. Reed-Swale

STEM Night 2013

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Tonight I handed out about 500 high fives and took about 100 pictures of smiling faces.  There were experiments and predictions happening.  We had students building towers and bridges.  There were musical instruments of all kinds playing through the halls.  Countless dead appliance met a gruesome fate in the cafeteria.  It was a night of rich exploration and near unending smiles.  We even had some students who left in tears because they wanted to stay longer.  It took a lot of planning and effort from a great deal of people to make tonight a reality.  So with that I would like to say thank you.

Thank you to the students who came with eyes wide and minds ready for exploration.   They are the reason we get out of bed in the morning.

Thank you to the parents who support the work we do every day.   We could not make this journey of learning possible without your support and partnership.

Thank you to the teachers who gave up their evening, missing dinners, bedtimes, goodnight stories, and more.

Thank you to the administration who support and expect this type of learning on a regular basis.

Thank you to the volunteers who gave up their time willingly to be with us this evening.

Thank you to everyone involved.  You make Discovery Academy a truly special place to work and learn.  I am in awe of your dedication, your energy, and your support.  I come to work each and every day not thinking of it as a “job,” but rather as an adventure of learning and excitement.  This is a night that many children will probably remember for a long time.  Each and every one of you had a part in that.  And that’s something pretty special.

I’ve attached a few pictures.  There are tons more taken by myself and the Discovery staff.  I will continue to post them in the coming days.  Enjoy the few I have to share tonight.

Thank you!

-Mr. Reed-Swale

Discovery Academy’s Social Media Connections

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Dear Parents,

We’re dipping a toe into the digital waters of social media.  In an effort to better connect you with our school, we have set up a Facebook page and a Twitter feed.  Please like and follow both so that you can get the most up to date information and news about Discovery Academy.  And spread the word.  The more people who connect, the more we can use this as a way to get you information and share stories.

Have a great end to this wonderful long weekend.

-Mr. Reed-Swale

Grade Level Blogs Are Here!

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Dear Parents,

I’m watching the statistics for our STEM Blog increase as I’m posting more frequently and as word seems to be spreading throughout the Discovery Academy community.  But did you know that your student’s teachers are posting their own articles to their own grade-level blogs?  These amazing professionals have jumped in head first and are taking on their blogs with enthusiasm.  I’ve included links to all of their blogs below.

Discovery Academy’s Pre-K Blog

Discovery Academy’s Kindergarten Blog

Discovery Academy’s First Grade Blog

Discovery Academy’s Second Grade Blog

These blogs are a great way to get a peak into your child’s classroom and daily lives.  I hope you check back often with them as your Discovery Academy teachers are working hard to include useful links, newsletters, pictures, and even videos for you to enjoy.

-Mr. Reed-Swale

STEM Night

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Dear Discovery Families,

I am proud to announce that our STEM Night is scheduled for November 7th.  We will have many engaging hands-on activities for you and your students to explore.  As we plan out the whole evening and determine the best way to have everyone enjoy the event while being mindful of space and parking, we will share a more detailed schedule.  Check back often as I will be updating this post with more information regarding STEM Night.

As a little preview I can tell you now that it will involve:

  • Structures
  • Senses
  • Instruments
  • Take Apart
  • More…

I can’t wait to see you all on November 7th.

-Mr. Reed-Swale

 

Geniuses Among Us

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Parents,

If you are like me, you’ve heard of Julia Roberts, Taylor Swift, and Tom Brady.  These are the people who dominate popular culture and make news every day.  Kids idolize them because their skills make them seem larger than life.  Beyond that, kids idolize their wealth, their fame, and their accolades.  It is quite the lifestyle.

I wonder though, have you heard of Phil Baran, Ana Maria Rey, or Dina Katabi?  These three are far more amazing and deserve much more of our attention.  Phil is an organic chemist who is synthesizing complete compounds to make new drugs to help cure rare diseases.  Ana is an atomic physicist who is studying the properties of supercold atoms to understand how they interact.  Dina is a computer scientist who works to make wireless networks more secure and reliable.  Together, they are three of the 24 MacArthur Genius Award winners, given “….to talented individuals who have shown extraordinary originality and dedication in their creative pursuits and a marked capacity for self-direction.”

Beyond the title and the accolades, all three and 21 others receive $625,000 to do with as they see fit.  But here’s the thing:  what makes these people amazing is that nearly all of them use the money not for fancy cars, diamond rings, and the like.  Instead they tend to pour it back into their own research, give it to charity, or donate it to a colleague who the see fit to support.

At Discovery Academy we are working to build an education for your children that instills in them the potential to be “geniuses.”  Geniuses who pursue research that might change the world.  Geniuses who make the impossible possible.  Geniuses who see a monetary gift as an opportunity to give of themselves.

-Mr. Reed-Swale