Dover Area High School
October 2024
October Calendar
- September 30 - October 4 - Behavioral Health Screenings (9th Grade)
- October 3 - ASVAB Testing
- October 4 - Band Night @ Football Game 7PM
- October 5 - Saturday School 8-11AM
- October 6 - District Choir Festival Concert 2PM
- October 8 - REAL Life Program (11th grade)
- October 9 - Picture Retake Day
- October 10 - Homecoming Pep Rally - Adapted Schedule
- October 11 - No School - Professional Development Day
- October 11 - Homecoming Game (Court Announced at 6:30 PM)
- October 12 - Homecoming Dance 7PM
- October 14 -No School (Make Up Day #1)
- October 17 - ThinkFast Interactive Assembly 11/12th (Adapted Schedule)
- October 17 - PSAT Testing
- October 19 - Saturday School 8-11AM
- October 23 - 3 Hour Early Dismissal Schedule
- October 23 - Trunk or Treat 6 PM
- October 25 - End of MP 1
- October 26 - Dover Band Show
- November 1 - PBIS Reward Day Schedule
- November 2 - Saturday School 8-11 AM
STUDENT RECOGNITION
2024 Homecoming Court
September Students of the Month
Salar Asfandyar
Sophomore
Piper Dehass
Junior
Kai Hetrick
Freshman
Attendance Reminders
Tardy to School
To have a tardy excused, a written explanation signed by the parent or guardian must be provided upon arrival. Tardies can be excused for reasons such as personal illness, health care therapy by a licensed physician, quarantine, family emergency, recovery from an accident, required court attendance, death in the family, and impassable roads as supported by state attendance law.
Excused Absences
It's important for students to submit an excuse card within three (3) days of returning from an absence. If students fail to provide an excuse card within three school days of the absence, the absence will be recorded as unlawful/unexcused. Parents can also submit electronic excuse cards on the DAHS website under "Attendance" within three school days.For a tardy to be considered excused, a written explanation signed by the parent or guardian must be presented upon arrival. A tardy may be classified as excused for reasons supported by the state attendance law which provides that personal illness, health care therapy by licensed physician, quarantine, family emergency, recovery from accident, required court attendance, death in the family, and impassable roads constitute legitimate reasons for absence to be excused.
Homecoming 2024
Ticket Sales 10/1-10/8
Spirit Week Themes
Plans for homecoming 2024 are underway. This year's theme is Tangled. The homecoming dance will be held on Saturday, October 12 from 7 - 10 pm in the high school gym. Tickets will be on sale 10/1 - 10/8 in the school store during all lunches. Tickets will be sold for $20 each, and students can make purchases using cash or credit cards. Students bringing a guest must return a homecoming guest form in order to purchase tickets. Guest forms can also be picked up in the guidance office.
On Friday, 10/12 the homecoming king and queen will be announced as part of the pre-game festivities.
AS A REMINDER:
In order to be eligible to attend a school-sponsored dances, students must:
Be Conduct eligible
No Tier 3 disciplinary infractions in the prior three months
Not have an excessive referral count -
Semester 1 - 5 or more referrals for the school year
Semester 2 - 10 or more referrals for the school year
Be Attendance eligible
Absent for no more than 10% of school days to date, including excused and unexcused absences. (THIS IS A TOTAL OF 4 DAYS FOR HOMECOMING.)
SmartPass Restrictions
As part of our ongoing efforts to support student success at DAHS, we have implemented Smartpass, a digital hall pass system, to help us monitor student mobility throughout the school day. After reviewing the data, we’ve noticed some trends that we would like to address to ensure our students remain focused and engaged in their coursework.
Our primary goal is to ensure that all students have the best chance to succeed academically. To that end, we have been reviewing the number of passes students are using each day and the time they are spending out of the classroom. In some cases, we have seen a significant number of passes being used, which results in missed instruction time. This can have a negative impact on academic performance, especially when students are out of class multiple times during the same period.
As part of our efforts to support student learning, the high school administration will begin closely monitoring Smartpass usage on a weekly basis. We will compare the frequency of hall pass usage with each student’s academic performance. For students who are using passes frequently and are also struggling with failing grades in multiple courses, we may need to implement restrictions on their hall pass usage.
In cases where restrictions are necessary, we will communicate directly with the affected students and their families. Students placed on a hall pass limitation will have the restriction in place for the duration of the academic quarter. Our hope is that this will help students stay engaged in their learning and improve their performance in the classroom.
Please know that we are committed to working closely with you to ensure your child’s success. If your child is impacted by these restrictions, we will be in touch to discuss the specifics and how we can best support them moving forward.
Thank you for your understanding and partnership as we continue to work together to create a positive learning environment for all students.
Parent Conferences
As a reminder, parent conferences will be held on Wednesday, November 6, from 12:30 to 2:45 PM and 5:00 to 8:30 PM. While students in K-8 will also have conferences on Thursday, 11/7, the high school will only have conferences on Wednesday, 11/6, and students in grades 9-12 will attend school on Thursday, 11/7.
Conferences are intended to facilitate meaningful conversations about your student's learning. Our conference format centers around reflecting on student progress and identifying the necessary support in the future. Therefore, we encourage your student to attend conferences with you. Each scheduled conference time is 20 minutes. Parents may sign up for conferences with individual teachers using the link below. The button below is a link to a step-by-step guide with directions on how to book a conference using Google Calendar. An email will be sent to parents in the near future with links to every teacher's conference calendars.
All conferences will be held in person unless you request a Zoom conference. If you prefer to have your conference held via Zoom, please email the teacher after booking a conference. They will send you a Zoom link to meet for your conference.
Saturday School
Saturday school offers students a valuable opportunity to receive additional tutoring and academic support throughout the school year. Whether you need help with assignments, a quiet space to focus, or time to catch up on missed work, our doors are open.
- Time: 8:00 AM - 11:00 AM
- Location: LGI
Sign-Up Information:
- Interested students should sign up with Mrs. Forbes (Room 232) or Mr. Karras (Art Room).
- If you are unable to arrive at 8:00 AM but still wish to attend, please inform Mrs. Forbes or Mr. Karras in advance.
- You are not required to stay for the entire session.
Take advantage of this opportunity for academic success! We hope to see you there.
College 101 - for Juniors & Seniors
Are you a Junior or Senior?
Are you interested in going to college but unsure of the process?
If you said yes, then this session is for you. Sign up using the link below to come to the College 101 session during MMA on October 18, 2024.
College Visits
Throughout the fall semester, colleges and some trade schools will be coming to Dover to provide students with information about their schools, programs, and requirements. This service is provided to students as they investigate and plan their post-secondary goals. Below is a list of schools scheduled so far this fall. The list will be communicated periodically as more schools are scheduled. Students may attend these meetings only by signing up with Mrs. Presswood in the Guidance Office.
Pennsylvania College of Technology
October 28th
Kutztown University
October 31st
Penn State
November 7th
Elizabethtown College
November 18th
Multiple School Visit
November 22nd
Service Academy Information Seminar
Admissions representatives from all five US Service Academies are hosting a Service Academy Information Seminar Oct.10 to learn about the application and nomination process. Representatives from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and the other federal service academies will be there to answer questions.
High school and middle school students interested in attending a service academy are encouraged to attend. Family members, counselors, and educators are welcome. The details are as follows:
When: Thursday, October 10, 2024 @ 5:45 PM
Where: Robert Morris University, UPMC Events Center
6001 University Blvd, Moon Twp, PA
Students are encouraged to visit usmma.edu/admissions to learn more about the Academy. The USMMA’s digital viewbook highlights Midshipman life, sports, sailing, academic programs and majors, the unique year at sea training, and more.
All students at these institutions of higher education receive full tuition, room and board, and books at no cost.
If you have any questions or would like to set up a Zoom session to learn more about our program, please contact our Director of Admissions CDR Mike Bedryk, USMS.
Red Ribbon Week
- Monday - Wear Red to kick off the week
- Tuesday - Check Yourself Against Drugs - Wear checkerboard or plaid
- Wednesday - Don't Fall for Drugs - Wear Autumn colors (red, yellow, orange)
- Thursday - Say "Boo" to Drugs - Wear white
- Friday - Color My World Drug Free - Wear rainbow colors
State Farm Driving Assembly - 11th/12th
State Farm / Pennsylvania has selected schools in our county to receive the Department of Transportation's Life Savers Award-winning experiential teen safety program, ThinkFast Interactive. Dover is one of the schools that received this opportunity. This (1) hour program is a comprehensive and interactive educational session on everything that relates to teen drivers in Pennsylvania, including the state's rules, regulations, and penalties, along with a heavy dose of distracted driving content and updates on your GDL rules. We will have this assembly on October 17, 2024, for all our current Juniors and Seniors.
THINKFAST INTERACTIVE ONLINE DETAILS / VIDEO: www.ThinkFastInteractive.com
The valuable awareness content is taught using multi-digit wireless remotes for up to 600 students in a one (1) hour program. ThinkFast Interactive is very popular with administrations for its turnkey features, length, and innovative connectivity features.
UPCOMING EVENTS & OPPORTUNITIES
CTE Corner
For more information on Dover CTE, Visit our website
Eagles Nest Newsletter
Meet School Branch Coordinator, Kayla Weaver
Hello everyone! My name is Kayla Weaver, and I am the School Branch Coordinator at the Eagles Nest, a Branch of First Capital Federal Credit Union. As a 2017 Dover graduate, when the opportunity came about to work at the Eagles Nest, I knew it was an opportunity I could not pass up. My position at the school is so much more than just overseeing the branch. While that is my main task, you will also see me in the classrooms here at Dover teaching financial education lessons; working an informational
table at a sporting event; or playing Plinko or Trivia with the students! I have had the pleasure of mentoring four Student Ambassadors during my time in this role, helping them further
their knowledge and understanding of the financial industry. My absolute favorite part of the job is interacting with all the students and staff, sharing my knowledge of the financial
industry, and answering any questions they may have.
I am very excited about starting my third full school year here at the Eagles Nest and, I’m sure this will be the best one yet! I encourage you to stop by the Eagles Nest to talk with Will, the
2024-2025 Student Ambassador, or me about the great benefits and rewards that First Capital has to offer. Or, if you just need an afternoon pick me up…we always have dum-dum lollipops! We
look forward to seeing you soon!
If you have any questions, please reach out to me, at kaylaw@firstcapitalfcu.com, call (717) 767-5551 ext. 1550, or stop by the Eagles Nest which is open Thursday and Friday from
11 a.m. – 2 p.m.