June 1st, 2020- Letter to Families from DCS Administration

June 1, 2020

Dear Discovery School Community,

It is with a heavy heart, that we write this letter to all of you this morning on behalf of all of our Discovery Charter School Staff. The tragic events that have occurred this week in our city and our nation have been on the forefront of our minds and in our hearts. It is hard to find words to express the collective hurt, anger, sadness, and shame our nation is feeling. It is our number one job to ensure all of you are safe. When we are in the school building, we have more control over your safety and we can rest easy knowing we are in control and you are all safe. We hope that this letter finds you and your family safe and well.

As continuous learners, we know that collectively we all need to do more to make change and advocate for the injustices in our local community, state and nation. It is extremely unfortunate and deeply troubling that our children are growing up in a world, where racism still exists. We as a school community need to do our part to change that narrative. Our children deserve better. Maya Angelou said, “Every person needs a place that is furnished with hope.” We commit to our families, that DCS will be that place of hope for your children.

Discovery is a beautiful school community full of diverse teachers and learners. We are committed to having difficult conversations about race and teaching our children the meaning of inclusivity, and how to be an advocate for yourself and others. Through our Habits of Scholarship Program we teach several habits such as respect, resilience and empathy. This year we formed and Equity and Access Team, and this committee is full of DCS staff who are passionate about doing the work necessary to do better and be better for all in our school community every day.

The violent events that occurred in Rochester this weekend can be traumatizing for all, especially young children. As such, we have compiled some useful resources for you to use when speaking with your children:

We will continue to share additional resources on our DCS Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages, and through our Family Remind group. We would like to take this opportunity to remind you that our Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Team has daily office hours via Zoom for children to participate in. This is a time that students can log-in and can speak with our social worker or other team members who can help students talk through any emotions they may be experiencing. We will also offer times for staff, families and others to talk about this issues via Zoom. Look for a link on social media soon.

Office Hours Times SEL Staff Email
Monday – Ms. Nilsson (1:00-2:00)

Tuesday – Mr. Nilsson (4:00-5:00)

Wednesday – Mr. Perrigo (5:00-6:00)

Thursday – Ms. Hughes (2:00-3:00)

Friday – Mr. Dicks (12:00 – 1:00)

Elizabeth Hughes: ehughes@rochesterdiscovery.com

Fred Dicks: fdicks@rochesterdiscovery.com

Jeff Perrigo: jperrigo@rochesterdiscovery.com

Justin Nilsson: jnilsson@rochesterdiscovery.com

Kaleigh Jacobson: kjacobson@rochesterdiscovery.com

Rita Nilsson: rnilsson@rochesterdiscovery.com

We know that due to the pandemic, and the fact that some of our families may be displaced from their homes, it may be difficult for students to complete their online learning. As we know, “Education is the great Equalizer,” we ask that all families do their very best to remain connected to the virtual learning environment for the month of June. Please do not hesitate to reach out if we can support you in any way during this very difficult time.

Sincerely, Discovery School Staff

Comments are closed.
February 2025
M T W T F S S
 12
3456789
10111213141516
17181920212223
2425262728  
Archives