Highlander Happenings

We A.R.E McKean sounds like, Spirit Week for homecoming, Special Olympics bocce, principal for a day, multiple sporting events happening on and off campus, and our annual fall concert.

To top it off, we will be having our homecoming football game against Dickinson High School and our homecoming dance on Saturday.

We strive to always prepare our students to be career and college-ready but when you can promote a school community like ours why not? Thank you to all our parents and community partners who have supported our events this week. Remember, We A.R.E McKean!

It was an exciting day at Thomas McKean High School on Thursday, October 17th. Special guest and McKean alum, Pierre Anderson, CIO & SVP at Artesian Water joined us as Principal for the Day! Mr. Anderson joined us to check out our CTE programs, lunch with our incredible counselors & students, classroom visits, and a panel discussion on college pathways with our seniors. 🎓✨Thanks Mr. Anderson for continuing to be a Highlander!

• Friday, October 18- Homecoming Football Game
• Saturday, October 19- Homecoming Dance
• October 21-25th: Launch Your Future Week for 12th grade students
• Tuesday, October 22: School Choice information night
• Wednesday, October 23rd: Penn State University @930am
• Wednesday, October 23rd: ASVAB test
• Thursday, October 24th: PTO Fundraiser
• Thursday October 24th: The Red Clay College Fair will be held @ AI High School from 6-8p

• Friday, October 31- Senior Picture Opportunity

• Friday, October 31- End of Marking Period One

November 2024

• Friday, November 1: No School for students (PD for staff)
• Monday, November 4: No School for students (grading day for staff)
• Tuesday, November 5: No School (Election Day)
• Thursday, November 7: Picture makeup day 9-11th grade
• Thursday, November 7: Choice Open House
• Monday, November 11: No School (Veterans Day)
• Friday, November 22: Honor Roll Celebration
• November 25-26: Parent Teacher Conferences in person or on zoom
• November 25-29: Thanksgiving Break (No School for Students)

The McKean PTO is organized for the purpose of supporting the education of students at Thomas McKean High School by fostering relationships among the school, parents/guardians, and building-level faculty. The organization also strives to promote community engagement. Fundraising efforts go towards supporting the staff, assisting with or donating towards school events for students, and building level projects per administrative request.

Everyone who joins the PTO will get a McKean water bottle!

NEW LOCATION!

• Students can sign-up for an appointment with their school counselor in their "Class of 202_" page on Schoology. If a student does not have a Class of 202_ page, please see the front desk to be added.

• Launch Your Future Week for 12th grade students will be October 21st-25th.

• The Red Clay College Fair will be held at AI DuPont High School from 6-8pm on October 24th. CLICK HERE for more information.

• This year’s FAFSA for students attending college next year will open on December 1st.

Hello McKean Highlanders!

We are pleased to introduce Naviance Student – a mobile-friendly website that you can use to plan for college and a career. Naviance Student is linked with Naviance™, a service we use in our office to track and analyze data about college and career plans, so it provides up-to-date information specific to our school.

Naviance Student allows you to:

• Get involved in the planning and advising process – Build a resume, complete online surveys, and manage timelines and deadlines for making decisions about colleges and careers

• Research colleges – Compare GPA, standardized test scores, and other statistics to actual historical data from our school for students who have applied and been admitted in the past

• Research careers – Research hundreds of careers and career clusters, and take career assessments

• Create future plans – Create goals and to-dos, and complete tasks assigned to you by the school to better prepare yourself for your future college and career goals

Naviance Student also lets us share information with you about upcoming meetings and events, local scholarship opportunities, and other resources for college and career information. You can also use the site to stay in communication with the counseling

Office.

You have access to your Naviance account on ClassLink.

We hope that you will find this resource helpful. If you have questions about Naviance Student, please contact us.

Next week (October 21st-25th)

McKean seniors will participate in Launch into Your Future Month!

School counselors, teachers, and volunteers will work with students in the library as they explore apprenticeship opportunities, learn about certification programs, work on their college applications, take steps to enlist in the military, and develop skills to enter the workforce. Students will visit the library during their scheduled ELA class. Seniors should contact their school counselor if they have any questions.

Student and their families can visit the following website to learn more about Launch into Your Future Month: https://delawarestudentsuccess.org/launch

~McKean School Counseling Team

"AVID stands for 'Advancement via Individual Determination.' AVID is a comprehensive program that assists underrepresented students in applying to, and prepares them for, the rigors of four-year colleges and is available to 9th through 12th graders at McKean. Students in AVID live by the WICOR strategies; WICOR stands for Writing, Inquiry, Collaboration, Organization, and Reading. Students are assisted in their high-level classes through tutorials, given help with organization by keeping a binder, and supported in their time management. Additionally, the program provides opportunities for personal growth through guest speakers, college field trips, tutoring, and community service, all of which contribute to building a competitive college application. AVID graduates enroll in college at higher rates than the national average and persist into year 2 of college at higher rates. In 2016, 88% of AVID seniors applied to and were accepted to a four-year college. Why is this important? According to a study completed by the Economic Policy Institute, college graduates annually earned 56% more than someone with only a high school diploma.

Here is a link to a video clip that was created when our AVID program earned a SuperStars in Education Award from the DE Chamber of Commerce in the spring of 2018. The video shows our students and teachers in action and offers their perspectives about the program.

Spread the word! Tell your friends and family members! We provide childcare and real-life work experience for our students!

Football - Avery McMullin

Boys Soccer - Mike Freccia

Cheerleading - Anya McKenzie

Cross Country - Gavin Coates

Field Hockey- Layla Marchak

Unified Flag Football - Jaxon Brown

Volleyball- Nettie Choice

Marching Band - Kevin Reeves

Please visit HighlandersSports.com for information about Highlander Athletics!

Winter Sports begin November 12

Boys Basketball: Stephon Johnson

Girls Basketball: Ricky Brown

Swimming: Aleecia King (G) & Jaxon Brown (B)

Cheerleading: Rickia Brown

Indoor Track: Gavin Coates (B) & Shakir Ali (G)

Wrestling: Nick Dorda

Unified Basketball: Ryan Mayville

Please be advised that for all sports events, no tickets will be sold after the conclusion of halftime. We encourage you to purchase your tickets early to ensure entry and to avoid any inconvenience.

1) McKean Sportsmanship Policy

• Students must attend a presentation on Sportsmanship with Ms. Dukuray
• All students must sign McKean Sportsmanship Contract prior to competing in games/practices. Form can be found on the bottom left of the Highlanderssports.com page under Forms.

2) DIAA Physical

• Students must have a DIAA physical on file with the school to be eligible for practices, scrimmages, and games.
• Physicals must be completed on the approved DIAA Physical Forms.
• Physicals must be completed after April 1st of the year that the school year begins.
• Physicals may be uploaded to Family ID or submitted to the school nurse.

3) Academic Eligibility

• Academic eligibility is determined each marking period.
• Students must be passing 5 classes to be eligible to participate in athletic activities.
• 2 of the 5 classes must be in the core subject areas: Math, Science, English, or Social Studies.
• Seniors must also be passing all classes needed for graduation.

Athletic Director Dorda would like to share the following information regarding Fall Sports:

• After-school buses are reserved for active roster student-athletes only. NO STUDENT FANS PERMITTED
• Highlander Sportsmanship is expected from all athletes, student fans, and family fans at all sporting events. All Highlanders are expected to adhere to the codes of conduct set forth by Thomas McKean High School, Red Clay Consolidated School District, and the Delaware Interscholastic Athletic Association.

Questions - Contact Mr. Dorda - Athletic Director

October 14-19

Highlander Family,

It’s hard to believe that the end of this month also brings us to the close of the first marking period – time truly flies!

As the weather cools down, I’d like to remind everyone that hats, hoods, and ski masks are not permitted inside the building. Parents, please take a moment this weekend to speak with your students about following this policy while at school. We will continue to enforce this rule daily and begin giving students consequences if they do not comply.

I hope everyone is feeling healthy, happy, and motivated as we continue the school year on a strong note. Our climate and culture team is here to support every student daily. Should you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact Mr. Quig at the school or via email.

Warm regards,

Mr. Quig

Assistant Principal

Cody.Quig@redclay.k12.de.us

Hispanic Heritage Month at McKean!

Animal Science III and IV attended a Demo/Discussion from the State Police Mounted Patrol during period 5 and 6 on Thursday, October 17th . Students got to ask questions to the officers and learn all about what it takes to be a Mounted Patrol Officer and what is involved with the training and care of these beautiful State Police horses.

Please congratulate the following students who have earned their Occupational Safety and Health Administration 10-hour card. This credential is required for any employee in the general industry.

• Matthew Bender
• Kyrese Brown
• Daniel Cordova
• Zachary Kampmann
• Maxwell Miller
• Samantha Miller
• Joseph Sulpizi
• Rudi Vera-Rios
• Jose Washington

The McKean Choir put on a spectacular fall choir concert! Way to go Dr. Haas and our fabulous students for your show-stopping performance

McKean hosted the Red Clay Staff Awards Celebration on October 8th, 2024. Culinary made a delicious spread and we honored our very own Mrs. Jessica Kradjel, Red Clay Behavioral Health Professional of the Year and Mrs. Brandi Mycoff, McKean Teacher of the Year.

McKean hosted @specialolympicsde and @redclayschools for a Bocce Ball tournament on October 16! Students came together to compete, show sportsmanship and celebrate inclusion!!