The Panther Pride Newsletter

Dear P.S. duPont Parents and Families,

December is a very busy time of the year with lots of activities going on. As we are in the midst of holiday shopping and events sometimes we all can get stressed. Kids are no different and can feel the effects of busy schedules, practices, games, concerts, etc. I would encourage all parents during this busy time of the year to take some time to take a break, sit, and chat with your child about how things are going and what some of the challenges are that they are facing.

This Week at a glance:

• Monday, 12/9 – Day 4 (Periods 4-2)
• Tuesday, 12/10 – 3 Day (Periods 3-1)
• Wednesday, 12/11 – 2 Day (Periods 2-7)
  Sixth Grade Band, Chorus Orchestra Winter Concert – 7:00 p.m. in the Auditorium
• Thursday, 12/12 – 1 Day (Periods 1-6)
  Seventh and Eighth Grade Instrumental Winter Concert – 7:00 p.m. in the Auditorium
• Friday, 12/13 - 7 Day (Periods 7-5)

On November 18th, the Brandywine School District had the honor of recognizing and celebrating our amazing Teachers of the Year from each school in our district. These educators are the heart and soul of our classrooms, pouring their passion and dedication into shaping young minds and empowering our students every day.

Congratulations to P.S. duPont’s 2024-2025 Teacher of the Year (TOY), Ms. Heidi Corbin, our Business Education Teacher! Thank you for your hard work, creativity, and the lasting impact you make on our students and community. We appreciate you and are glad to have you as a vital member of the Panther team! 💙 #Proud2bBSD #strongschoolsstrongcommunity

The Scholastic Book Fair will run from Monday, December 9 to Friday, December 13! Last year’s book fair was our school’s most successful one to date, and many students seem just as excited this year!

Period 1 teachers sent home fliers Friday/Monday with students.

Teachers at P.S. will be scheduling time for their students to visit the library and browse the selection of books for students to purchase.

Students are also welcome to visit the fair on their own! They simply need to get permission to come to the library from a teacher with an e-Hall Pass.

Some more helpful info:

• Each class has been allotted ~25 minutes during the 1st half of a period OR ~25 minutes during the 2nd half of a period.
• No coats or backpacks are allowed while browsing the fair. If possible, please have students leave them in your classroom.
• Accepted forms of payment: cash, credit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and eWallet certificates.

We have books in Spanish, books for younger readers, as well as lots of $5 posters!

A long standing tradition is for the parents/PTA to host a reception after each Winter Concert. We rely on cookie donations from our families - if you are attending a concert please consider signing up to bring a treat to share! You can drop it off in the cafeteria and volunteers from NJHS will set it up so its ready once the concert ends! Sign up here!

Each month at P.S. duPont Middle School, 8th graders who are demonstrating all of the characteristics of students leaders will be recognized at lunch, be awarded a P.S. duPont Middle School "STUDENT" t-shirt, and will be recognized in our bi-weekly newsletter. 8th grade Students Leaders are exceling both academically and behaviorally at P.S., setting an example for their peers, and maximizing learning experiences in and out of the classroom. Character traits such as caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility are just a few of the characteristics that this month's student leaders demonstrate daily. November's Student Leaders are Lydia Priestly, Hugh Nguyen, Day’Quan Morris, Salima Zogheib, Jasmine Horton, Salma Awadallah, Gabby Crawley, and Amaya Thomas

We are extremely proud of our Student Leaders and all of their accomplishments as they begin to create a pathway to success in high school and beyond. Congratulations Student Leaders!

This week, we would like to recognize one of our outstanding educators, Mrs. Katelynn Bedell. Mrs. Bedell is an integral part of team at P.S. duPont Middle School and a strong part of our outstanding Music Department.

Growing up as a trombone player in the middle of nowhere, Huntersville, PA, Katelynn never thought she would be teaching string orchestra in this exciting city of Wilmington, DE! After accepting her first teaching job at P.S. duPont Middle School, she decided this was the program and school she wanted to invest her time and energy in, which has resulted in 12 years of amazing musical moments shared with students and colleagues!

With a love of the Penn State Marching Blue Band, Katelynn knew in 5th grade that she wanted to attend Penn State for Music Education and perform with the Blue Band. That dream became a reality and music education became her focus. She continued on her musical path to the University of Delaware, where she studied Music Performance. Soon after graduating, she became P.S. duPont’s orchestra director and shifted her world from band to orchestra, which she has loved!

Katelynn continues to be amazed at the quality of music making that can happen at a middle school level. She strives to connect with students through music, providing them with a positive, joyful environment, where students can feel like they are a part of something bigger than themselves. Some of her new favorite projects have included putting together P.S. duPont Middle School's first ever chamber music concert, as well as collaborating with Springer and Talley’s orchestra directors to create their new annual String-o-Ween Concert and Middle School Honors Orchestra Concert.

A recent resident to Claymont, DE, Katelynn spends her free time with her husband, 5 year old daughter, and 2 year old son. She enjoys every chance to be outside, running around with her kids!

P.S. duPont is fortunate to have amazing, impactful leaders like Mrs. Bedell! Mrs. Bedell, thank you for all that you do to help our students grow as learners in the Brandywine School District.

Thank you to the students, staff and families of the P.S. duPont Community for celebrating our first ever Math Night on Thursday, December 5! Students from all three grade levels, including families attended the event. Five Crowns, 24, and Math Match were taught and played! Prizes were handed out to students, and math trivia took place! Mrs. Danielle Jones and Mrs. Sabrina Fitzhugh presented the P.S. duPont Math curriculums (I.M. and Gifted Math), and fun was had by all! In addition, the IXL Incentive Program was kicked off and will begin Monday, December 9. Please see the attached presentation below to learn more about Math Night and the IXL Incentive Program. Thank you to all of the staff and P.S. volunteers who helped make Math Night a colossal success! We are looking forward to next year’s 2nd Annual Math Night.

With the holiday season approaching, we recognize that students may be at home with limited resources. We want to remind you that the Safe DE application is available to provide essential support and access to helpful community resources, the Crisis Text Line, and a secure way to report concerns to the school.

• Connect to submit an anonymous report or incident at https://appweb.stopitsolutions.com/login and search for the school.
• Access the resources at https://web.helpmeresources.com/ by searching for the school.

Green Cards - If you have not done so already, please return your green emergency card to the nurse. There are extra copies available in the main office and nurses office.

DIAA forms - Reminder that a DIAA form is required to be on file, in the nurses office before sports try outs each school year.

Medications - Reminder that, district wide, the only medications that students can bring to school are epinephrine and albuterol. All other medications must be brought in by a parent.

Any questions please reach out:
Laura.DeMare@bsd.k12.de.us
Lauren.Foraker@bsd.k12.de.us

• December 11 - 6th Grade Concert - Auditorium - 7 p.m.

• December 12 - Lockdown Drill - 2:15 p.m. - 2nd MP Interim ends

• December 12 - 7th/8th Grade Instrumental Concert - Auditorium - 7 p.m.

• December 17 - 7th/8th Grade Chorus Concert - Auditorium - 7 p.m.

• December 18 - Steel Drums Concert - Auditorium - 7 p.m.

• December 19- Fire Drill @ 9:30 a.m.

• December 20 - Last day of school - 2nd MP Interim Reports distributed

• January 2 - First day back to school from holiday break