UDHS Weekly Message Template

I hope your week is off to a great start! It’s been a very busy and productive time at the high school. Recently, our students participated in a survey focused on school climate and expectations. The administrative team is carefully reviewing the feedback with the goal of hosting a Town Hall meeting.

We remain committed to prioritizing student voice in our school, ensuring that every student experiences the academic and social opportunities they deserve. The Town Hall meeting is scheduled to take place after we return from Thanksgiving break.

Thank you for your continued support as we work together to create the best possible environment for our students.

Please find the links below to the introductory letter for our Evolv Weapons Detection System. There is also a link that will provide you with a guide to get an overview of the functionality of the system.

Introduction Letter

Evolv Guide for Parents

Tomorrow, Thursday 21st, marks the Great American Smokout, a program promoted by the American Cancer Society with supports to help smokers quit. The good news is that teen tobacco use is down in the U.S. (link). The bad news is that we still know that over 90% of adult tobacco users started before they were 21 years old.

The Great American Smokeout is a chance to talk to the teens in your family about reasons to quit or not start smoking. Our UDHS Student Assistance Program (SAP) website has other supports for your family.

If you have substance abuse concerns about your child, please contact their counselor at school or our Student Assistance Program (SAP, extension 2326) directly.

Students and Parents, please follow the instruction in the attachments below to download the Crisis-Go app to stay well-informed if our school has to initiate the Crisis-Go app. The district does an excellent job of providing updates every 10 minutes in the event the app has to be initiated. This will help all students and parents stay informed of what is talking place.

Keystone Exams are right around the corner. These end-of-course assessments are in Algebra 1, Biology, and 10th Grade Literature Courses. All students are required to take the Keystone Exams by the end of 11th grade. Keystone Exams are one aspect of the graduation pathway requirements. Participation and performance on these exams is a critical component of Upper Darby High School’s Future Ready PA Index profile which reports our school and student success to state and local entities. They are an opportunity for students to demonstrate their mastery of content. Students aim to score in the proficient or advanced range and may take the exams more than once to improve their scores. Keystone Exam scores factor into teacher evaluations and school performance ratings. Exams will be administered as in years past with a 7:30 start time.

Winter Keystone Dates

• January 6 - 7 - Algebra

• January 8 - 9 - Biology

• January 10 - 13 - Literature (10th gr)

If a student has already tested but did not score proficient or advanced they are encouraged to re-test to improve their score to proficient or advanced. Depending on their classes, some students will be invited to re-test during this window, others will have the opportunity to re-test in the spring. If your student is being offered this re-take in January, the email will contain a link to a survey. Please respond to the survey to let us know if you plan to attend or not. We need a response to ensure you are scheduled to a room to test.

Delaware County Technical School Open Houses

The Delaware County Technical School will have open house sessions on December 3rd (Folcroft Campus) and December 5th (Aston Campus). This is a great opportunity to see firsthand what a Career and Technical Education (CTE) has to offer students. The students enrolled in CTE obtain specific job training while attending High School. The programs provide industry certification to help students either go on to college/trade schools or enter the workforce.