COVID-19

Altitude Learning

A  Family Experience User Guide on how to sign in, navigate, and engage on Altitude Learning. Please direct any additional questions to your classroom teacher. 

Altitude Learning Family Experience User Guide

A guide on how to use the Playlist feature on Altitude Learning. Please direct any additional questions to your classroom teacher. 

Altitude Learning Playlist GUide

A guide on how to upload student work on a mobile device. 

Upload Student Work on a Mobile Device Guide

A guide on how to use Google Meet for Parents is available. Links to Google Meet sessions are posted in Altitude Stream. Please direct any additional questions to your classroom teacher.

Google Meet Guide

• Discovery’s Toddler Lead Teachers provide live Circle Time daily for our students.  Daily posts provide an array of lessons promoting the Montessori curriculum: Practical Life, Language, Sensorial, Mathematics, Science and Culture.  
• Teachers facilitate online ‘coffee chats’ for parents to answer their questions and support their role as a child’s first educator. Virtual Parent Education Series offers additional opportunities for parents of our youngest learners. 

Montessori Lesson Videos

• Children in the Primary program receive an individualized post daily with a special video message and links. Aside from delivering a special message, the videos may also ask students to complete an activity or lesson which pertains to some aspect of the Montessori curriculum:  Practical Life, Sensorial, Mathematics, Language, Science, Culture, and Art. 
• Discovery’s Primary teachers post information and lessons throughout the week, with ideas on lessons or optional activities that parents can assist their child with at home.
• Once per week, the teachers host Group Time, as they would in class, to allow the students to interact virtually with their peers.  During this time the teachers read a book and/or sing songs.  

Montessori Lesson Videos

• Kindergarten students continue to develop their skills and meet individually with their teachers to ensure their skill development.  
• Discovery’s Primary teachers post information and lessons throughout the week, with ideas on lessons or activities that parents can assist their child with at home.  Students continue to develop their early literacy skills through daily literacy practice.
• Once per week, the teachers host Group Time to allow the Kindergarten students to interact virtually with their peers. During this time the teachers read a book and/or sing songs. 

• Foundational Elementary students meet individually with their teachers, in small groups, and entire class meetings. The individual meetings offer students an opportunity to pose questions about their assignments, demonstrate strategies for solving math equations, or read fluency passages with their teachers.  The small group meetings are grade-level specific for math and language arts.  
• At the class meetings, students participate in Morning Meetings.  They are given an opportunity to say the pledge, sing the mission song, express themselves by answering questions, share IB connections, etc. Additionally, students are also offered opportunities for virtual field trips,  Read Aloud videos by their teachers and ability for extra-help sessions.
• Every day, through the Altitude Learning platform, students are provided a daily agenda with assignments and recorded lessons from their teachers.  Students use  Reading A-Z, GetEpic, and Prodigy to supplement their daily literacy and mathematics practice.

• Lower Elementary students attend small-group meetings with their teachers via Google Meet four days each week. Students meet for math, language arts, and science and humanities. Students discuss their novels, engage in problem-solving and learning new math concepts, and are working on a larger, on-going project related to the current IB unit. Students are also able to connect virtually with their peers, which is critical for Lower Elementary students.
• In addition to their group lessons, students meet virtually with each teacher at least once per week and are able to arrange extra-help sessions, as well. During this time, teachers provide individualized instruction for each child. Assignments are assigned and submitted through the Altitude Learning platform. Teachers provide daily feedback on all assignments. 

• Each week, students receive a weekly agenda that provides a list of assignments.  Altitude Learning is used as a platform for students to view, submit, and receive feedback on assignments throughout the week. Here, students can also view recorded lessons from their teachers.  In addition, Flipgrid is used for students to record videos for their assignments and respond to the morning message each day. 
• Students individually meet with teachers three times per week.  This allows students to ask questions about assignments and receive individual assistance with their work. In addition, teachers are able to connect with students on their individual progress and offer suggestions on managing their work.  Students meet in groups two times per week to work on their research project. Students meet two times per week on a whole group class chat, as a time to gather and socialize. Afternoons are reserved for students to schedule additional help sessions with their teachers.

• Middle School students meet with their teachers on a daily basis via Google Meet to discuss readings, solve problems, present projects, and begin assignments posted in Altitude Learning, which students complete by established deadlines and submit on their own in order to practice time management skills and develop independence.
• Middle School teachers post daily assignments and promote self-advocacy skills by being available throughout the day to answer questions, provide clarification, and give feedback in addition to that offered in Altitude. 

• Parents and students are able to arrange a meeting time with Enrichment Teachers individually or in groups via Google Meet to discuss activities, skill acquisition, and receive one-on-one instruction. 
• Enrichment Teachers post information, activities, and lessons weekly on Altitude Learning, and are available to answer questions and provide clarification.

Our school’s technology platforms, Altitude Learning and G Suite for Education, allow teachers and students to share academically-oriented information and to collaborate and communicate with each other.  

• Purposeful and/or negligent behavior will result in the student losing technology-use privileges.
• School computers are to be used for learning purposes only; they are not toys for entertainment.
• Follow the directions of teachers regarding how and when to use the school’s computers and/or Internet technologies.
• Never use bad language or send mean messages through the computers, including “secret” or “code” words or symbols.
• Use of chat rooms and instant messaging by students is prohibited.  Do not respond to any messages without the direct permission of the teacher.

We want to remind students to be kind and to be polite when online.  As we must protect our students while they are online, it is important for us to monitor our students’ use of technology.

This plan protects your yearly financial obligation under the terms of the Enrollment Agreement by insuring your tuition and fees, in the event of separation, according to the terms of the policy. More details are available here.  

We would be happy to work with your family during these uncertain times. Please contact Jill Nason at billing@thediscoveryschool.org to speak about options. 

We are continually monitoring the evolving situation and following the orders of Governor DeSantis, as well as recommendations by CDC and other educational affiliates. We will communicate with the community immediately if any decisions are made regarding extended closure.
 

We strive to make your family's time at Discovery a positive, happy experience. To that end we want you to know whom to contact when you have a question, concern, or need assistance. 

• Any concerns or issues with the overall management of the school or financial questions. 
  • Kim Bednarek, Head of School
    • info@thediscoveryschool.org
• All safety and health questions or needs.
  • Shane Remenda, Director of Facilities & Athletics
  • Cat Blakelock, Director of Health & Safety 
    • healthandsafety@thediscoveryschool.org
• Admissions, student re-enrollment, and support for current and returning families. 
  • Meghan Devlin, Co-Director of Admissions & Enrollment Management
  • Nita Hurley, Co-Director of Admissions & Enrollment Management
    • admissions@thediscoveryschool.org

Discovery does not offer tuition reductions or reimbursements as the school year is continuing in a remote learning setting.

Yes, in the event summer camps are not able to happen on campus safely, refunds will be issued for the impacted camps. 

• Teachers continue to monitor students’ progress through the work that students and/or parents submit. This includes work that students submit through Altitude Learning as well as photos, videos, and other documents that parents email teachers.
• Teachers also monitor students’ progress through their participation in individual and group Meets.
• For Enrichments, only Upper Elementary and Middle School students will be assessed on their work in Spanish class.
• At this time, no final determination has been made regarding how teachers will formally report student learning.

• K-8 students are expected to meet individually with their teachers and with class in groups as scheduled by the teacher.
• Students in grades 3-8 are expected to actively participate during class meetings, submit work to teachers as required, respond to teachers’ feedback, and continue to complete independent reading.   
• K-2 students are required to submit specific assignments to their teachers electronically with the assistance of their parents.
• Students in K-2 are expected to continue reading daily with their parents using either printed or digital Reading A-Z books on their level.

For our K-8 students, teachers are marking students present when they see the students in a Google Meet, as we are required by the State of Florida to monitor and record students’ attendance.