Welcome Back Students!

Dear Discovery Families,

Our school year is about to begin, and we want to welcome all our students to Discovery.

I hope this letter finds all of you as excited to begin the new school year as we are. As your principal, I look forward to meeting each of you as we create a new partnership that will allow us to work together to develop your educational goals and programs. I invite you to say hello whenever you can so we may begin to get to know each other a little better. My door is always open to you if you need any assistance throughout the school year.

I look forward to the challenges and opportunities for success that await each of us as we adventure together into this new school year. We anticipate a great year at Discovery for all our students whom we know will be successful as we provide HOPE for the future.

We have amazing supports in place to assist you as you return. Access to the Peninsula Health Clinic is available on our campus. One Heart Wild has increased their therapy team and will be on campus again this year. Our Social worker, Keely Sawyer, will have designated hours at Discovery. We will be offering various support groups for students starting in September. The Teen Parent program is ready to support any teen parents attending Discovery. New this year are parent supports including our first Open House on Sept 3rd from 5:30 – 7:00 pm.

Important Dates/Times/Information:

The first day of school for the 2025/2026 South Kitsap School District is August 26th. Attendance is mandatory for the first day of school. If you are unable to be here, please call and let us know. The first days are as follows:

• Tuesday, August 26 – 7:30 – 1:40 - Monday/Tuesday Students & Teen Parents
• Thursday, Aug. 28 - 7:30 – 1:40 – Thursday/Friday Students
• WST Students – Are required to attend a full day either Tuesday, Aug. 26 or Thursday, Aug. 28, we will notify WST.

Bus Riders: Ride their daily bus to SKHS where they will catch the Discovery shuttle to Discovery. SKHS staff can assist them in locating the bus when they arrive at SKHS.

Parents, please plan to attend our Open House on Sept. 3, 5:30 to 7 to get to acquainted with our staff and complete all annual paperwork.

Check in will be in the office. Students be prepared to have your picture taken for your ID card. Pictures will be available for purchase. Students on track to graduate may have their picture taken in a grad gown. Forms will be sent home.

Additional Information:

West Sound Technical Skills Center (WST) – Start Date, Transportation and Enrollment Information can be found at www.westsoundtech.org Discovery students who have registered at West Sound Tech and have been accepted need to attend on their scheduled days. South Kitsap School District’s Transportation Department will provide a shuttle bus beginning August 27. The WST shuttle will pick up students from Discovery at 10:30 am. If you have additional questions, you may contact them directly at 360-473-0550.

Transportation To and From the Discovery Campus

A bus will shuttle students who use the district school bus system between South Kitsap High School and Discovery. The morning bus leaves the high school at approximately 7:15 a.m. Students will be dropped off near the front walkway of the

Discovery office. The afternoon bus will pick up students from the front walkway at approximately 1:40 p.m. (The bus departs promptly.)

A Parking Permit is Required to Park on the Discovery/Madrona Property.

If you will need a parking permit, bring, driver’s license, registration, and proof of insurance to the office and a parking pass will be given to you. Student parking is in the main parking lot in front of our building. Students who do not have a parking pass may be ticketed.

Signing In When Arriving/Checking Out Prior to End of Class

As soon as you arrive at school, go to the Discovery office to sign in. Daily sign in at the attendance kiosk is expected immediately upon arrival to school. If you need to leave campus before classes end you will sign out from the classroom you are in at the time of your departure.

Daily Schedule/Absences

Discovery teachers are available for advising ½ hour prior to class starting and during “Phoenix Time” at the end of the day. Please stay home if you don’t feel well, if you are unable to attend class, please check in with your advisor via e-mail, student square or google classroom to arrange with your teachers for make-up work.

Please make every attempt to schedule all personal appointments on the days you do not attend class.

Smoking/Vaping

Reminder: All South Kitsap School District campuses are smoke/vape-free. There will be no smoking or vaping in parking lots, in cars, around district buildings, in the housing area behind the gym, or within 1,000 feet of any school building.

Breakfast & Lunches

Breakfast and lunches will be free to all Discovery students this year. With the approval of a grant and all our families filling out a survey, together we will continue to make this possible. The state still requires that Child Nutrition Eligibility & Education Benefit form be filled out as the information provides other opportunities to families who qualify. We have a few hard copy forms, and we can assist you in filling out the form online at the Open House.

New this Year:

• 2nd and 3rd block have been combined to 2nd block. There will be 5 blocks on your schedule instead of 6. Schedules were created based on your wish list and course availability. If there are any challenges, bring to the attention of your advisor.
• Snacks and coffee have retired with Corey. We anticipate bringing back our coffee stand this year. Stay tuned.
• We have 3 new teachers, Greg Pickard, Sara Lloyd and Rebecca Kusche. We will also have a counselor in training, Stacy Bauer, working with Susan and a new office assistant, Suzanne Weissenburg.
• Several rooms have change see maps at orientation.

We look forward to helping you as you work toward completion of your high school education during the coming 2025/2026 school year. If there is any way we can be of assistance to you, please stop by the Discovery office.

Sincerely,

Pat Oster, Principal