DTSD DIGEST

Derry Township School District - September 2024

Welcome Back from Dr. Winslow

Dear Derry Township Families and Community,

Welcome back to another exciting school year at Derry Township School District! As we kick off this new academic year, we are thrilled to share some of the exciting happenings throughout the district.

We continue our work on the elementary building project and look forward to welcoming you to our Community Night on Monday, September 30th to share progress and seek your input.

We are also excited to be working towards hosting varsity football games on campus this coming fall. After a long and generous partnership with Hersheypark Stadium, we are moving forward with hosting games on our campus. We look forward to having stands packed with fans and generating a hometown atmosphere as we support our student athletes.

We are celebrating our schools and are delighted to have been ranked 9th in the state by Niche. DTSD continues to uphold a tradition of excellence that allows our students to shine in their academics and we are incredibly proud of their accomplishments.

We are always eager to welcome volunteers into our schools. Whether you’re interested in assisting in classrooms, participating in Junior Achievement programs, or being a volunteer coach, we would love to have your support. Please make sure to complete your Volunteer Clearances if you wish to get involved: https://www.hershey.k12.pa.us/community/volunteers

Additionally, we are always interested in working with local businesses and organizations to forge partnerships that benefit our students. These collaborations could offer mentoring programs, internships, and other valuable experiences to help our students connect with the community and gain real-world insights. Please reach out to us if you are interested in working with students in your business or being a part of our career day opportunities.

We believe that Hershey Schools are a wonderful place for students to learn, grow and excel. The COCOA Principles of Community, Opportunity, Citizenship, Ownership and Academics continue to be the values that guide us in our visioning and decision-making. We are deeply thankful for the support of a community that values education and supports our efforts to provide incredible opportunities for our students.

With much appreciation and Trojan Pride,

Stacy L. Winslow, Ed.D.

Superintendent of Schools

Celebration & Recognition Days ✨

September 17 - National IT Professional Day

Calendar Reminders 📆

High School Picture Day - Tuesday, September 3

Middle School Picture Day - Thursday, September 5

ECC & Elementary Back-to-School Night - Thursday, September 5 - 6:00PM-7:30PM

Middle School Back-to-School Night - Wednesday, September 11 - 6:00PM-7:30PM

ECC & Elementary Picture Day - Tuesday, September 17

Homecoming Football Game - Friday, September 27 - 7:00PM

Homecoming Dance - Saturday, September 28 - 7:00PM

District Wide Calendar

Hershey Highlight 💙🧡

Students walking with backpacks along a line of school buses

The First Week of School

Welcome back, everyone! We wish you a fun and successful 2024-2025 school year. We can’t wait to learn and grow with you. Together, let's make this year extraordinary!

Football players in uniform lifting the Cocoa Bean trophy above their heads

Cocoa Bean Bowl

Back-to-Back-to-Back COCOA BEAN Champs!
Congratulations to our Hershey Trojans on an epic Cocoa Bean Game last Friday! We defended the Bean and it is coming home, where it belongs! What an amazing way to kick off the Football season! The final Score 28-0.

Follow us on social media for more Hershey Highlights and district news!

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School Board Citizen Advisors Needed

Graphic with text "seeking citizen advisors for standing committees"

The Derry Township School District Board of School Directors seeks interested citizen advisors to its standing committees.

Citizen advisors are assigned to a specific standing committee and asked to attend its meetings. In their advisory capacity, citizen representatives may be called upon to react to new directions and proposals, provide information and support for budget initiatives, study and analyze issues, review proposals and materials, and provide input into policies at all operational levels of the school system. The decisions and recommendations of these committees do not supplant the responsibilities of the Board of School Directors, but the experience and expertise of the citizen representatives will be considered.

Individuals seeking to serve as citizen advisors to the Board Standing Committees should have an interest in the Derry Township School District and all children; be willing to commit the necessary time required of the position; possess the ability to think objectively and independently; have an ability to work effectively as a member of a team; manifest a clear understanding of the distinct roles of the Board of Directors, standing committee, school administration, and faculty; comprehend the advisory function of the program; display experience and expertise related to the duties and functions of the particular Standing Committee; live in the District and be over 18 years of age.

APPLY NOW! Completed applications should be submitted to the district by midnight on September 22, 2024.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/FN782JT

We will have 2 spots each for:

Communications
Curriculum
Finance
General Services
Policy

Elementary School Building Project Update 🏫

What's Happening?

Throughout the summer, we’ve been meeting regularly to refine our vision for the new elementary school, focusing on what best fits our educational vision in the design. On August 26th, our architect from Crabtree Rohrbaugh & Associates presented four conceptual designs to the General Services Committee, discussing the pros and cons of each option. We also reviewed preliminary cost estimates, bringing us one step closer to finalizing a design that meets our community's needs.

What's Next?

Next on the agenda, we’ll present the four conceptual designs and associated cost estimates to the full board, sharing the information discussed with the General Services Committee. Following that, we’re gearing up for our Community Night, where we’ll invite the community to review these designs and provide their feedback as we continue to shape the future of our new elementary school.

Community Night - September 30 @ 6:00PM

You're invited to an exciting Community Night hosted by the Derry Township School District and Crabtree Rohrbaugh & Associates! Join us on September 30th at 6:00 PM at Hershey Elementary School for our community to learn more about the conceptual design options for our brand-new elementary school. This is your chance to shape the future of our community, ask questions, and share your feedback on this important project. Don't miss out on this opportunity to be a part of something special—your input matters! See you there!