The Panther Pride Newsletter

Good afternoon PS Parents and Families,

I have shared in the past that Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. I enjoy the time spent with family and the traditions we share. I hope your Thanksgiving is blessed with safe travels, relaxing times with your family and friends and quiet moments to enjoy them. I wish all of you and your families a happy, healthy, and relaxing Thanksgiving holiday!

Please see below a couple of informational items

Panorama Survey 2024

We thank you for being our partners as we work together to educate your children.

As we enter our fourth year of participating in the Panorama Survey, we continue to address building social-emotional learning skills as an important goal for our school district. We will ask 6th – 8th grade students to reflect on their mindsets and approaches to learning via an online survey they will be completing at school. The survey shouldn’t take more than 20-30 minutes to complete.

There are two parts to the survey, which will ask students to self-reflect on:

• Part 1: Sense of Belonging, Expectations and Classroom Learning Strategies
• Part 2: Mental Health, Diversity & Inclusion, and Cultural Awareness & Action

The survey will launch and be available for student access from December 2nd through December 6th.

We are asking all of our students to participate in the survey. Their responses will provide insight into their experiences and how we can improve as a district. Panorama safeguards your privacy, keeping your students’ responses confidential. We thank you in advance for your participation.

The survey questions are available for you to preview on our website, https://www.brandywineschools.org/panorama.

Please notify us if you would like your child to opt out of taking the surveys by emailing Adrienne.Stansbury@bsd.k12.de.us no later than Friday, November 22nd.

Fire Drill – November 18

We have our November Fire Drill scheduled for Monday, November 18 at 1:30 p.m. We want all our parents to know that the safety of our students is a critical aspect of virtually everything we do in school. We are always evaluating our procedures and practices for optimal safety. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns.

Picture Retakes – November 19

This opportunity is for students and staff who did not have their picture taken on October 1 or for anyone who would like to have their pictures retaken.

First Marking Period Update

The First Marking Period ended on Thursday, November 7. This means that grades moving forward after November 7 will be part of the Second Marking Period. Report cards for the First Marking Period will be distributed on Tuesday, November 19. Please remind your student to stay on track and to continue to stay focused! Please continue to access the home access center (HAC) to view grades, attendance, and other important information.

This Week at a Glance

• Monday, 11/18 – 7 Day (Periods 7-5) Fire Drill 1:30 p.m.
• Tuesday, 11/19 – 6 Day (Periods 6-4) First Marking Period Report Cards distributed
• Wednesday, 11/20 – 5 Day (Periods 5-3)
• Thursday, 11/21 – 4 Day (Periods 4-2) Gifted Night Presentation – 6:30 p.m. (Auditorium)
  PTA Meeting – The Middle School Brain – 6:30 p.m. (Library)
• Friday, 11/22 – 3 Day (Periods 3-1)

Looking Ahead

• No school for staff and students on Monday, November 25 through and including Friday, November 29 – Thanksgiving Holiday
• School Re-opens on Monday, December 2 for All Students

Celebrated annually on November 13th, World Kindness Day is a global observation that emphasizes the need to be kind to one another in order to thrive peacefully as a global community. World Kindness Day was initiated by the World Kindness Movement at a 1998 Tokyo conference and has been celebrated around the world ever since. Participants believe that kindness has the power to change the world.

P.S. duPont Middle School will be celebrating World Kindness Day by “catching” students being kind and rewarding them! If a staff member sees a student doing something kind, they received a raffle ticket. Tickets are turned into their grade level counselor for a prize and a raffle ticket!

The raffle drawing will be Friday November 24th – 4 big prizes will be given away. Join us and others across the world in celebrating and committing to showing more kindness to those around us this World Kindness Day.

*THANK YOU to Mrs. Fitzhugh for the Donor Choose Project that brought this great event to our school!

Apply now for school choice for the 2025-2026 school year! Families interested in enrolling their child in a school outside of their designated feeder school may submit an application through January 8, 2025. However, Kindergarten applications remain open through the 1st day of school. Please note that current choice placements are specific to the school for which an invitation was accepted. Students currently in 5th or 8th grade who wish to attend a non-feeder school for the 2025-2026 school year must also apply during this enrollment window. All applications should be submitted online at www.SchoolChoiceDE.org. For questions, please contact: Choice@bsd.k12.de.us or (302) 793-5014.

Thanks to a partnership with The Resurrection Center, Living Waters Faith Christian Church and Canaan Baptist Church, we are able to provide our families in need with a Thanksgiving Meal box! We are so grateful to our partners!

Each of our P.S. families received or will receive a letter in the mail describing the return of our Angel Tree program. This is a program that celebrates our community by supporting each other. Any questions about the program, please email me @ Shannon.McKenna@bsd.k12.de.us and I'll be happy to answer them!

Please join us November this Thursday evening from 6:30-8:00 for a presentation about the Middle School Brain by 2 great psychologists from Brody and Associates. This is a great opportunity to learn about your child's brain development, and what is reasonable to expect from your child at certain ages - and how to improve communication! It's a free event, and we will have childcare available.

Teen Warehouse is offering after-school programming for students, ages 13-24. The location is 1121 Thatcher Street Wilmington DE 19802, and they are open from 9 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. The center is dedicated to fostering growth and development across four core areas: recreation, education, careers, and health.

The diverse programs offer students the chance to build skills, stay active, and prepare for the future. Some of our key offerings include:

• Kickboxing and fitness sessions for physical health and self-discipline
• STEM activities to encourage innovation and problem-solving
• Basketball and sports programs to promote teamwork and resilience
• Art activities that foster creativity and emotional expression
• Soft skills training to prepare students for personal and professional success
• College and career readiness workshops for future planning
• Tutoring and academic support for enhanced school performance

Each program is designed to provide valuable experiences and skills that students can use both in school and beyond. We would like the opportunity to discuss how we can make these programs accessible to your child and how we can collaborate to support their growth. Please contact Alasia Slade @ 302-232-6610 - Ext. 106

These materials are neither sponsored nor endorsed by the Brandywine School District. The Brandywine School District has neither reviewed nor approved the program, personnel, activities, or organizations announced in this flyer. Permission to distribute this flyer should not be considered a recommendation or endorsement of the program by the school district. The Brandywine School District shall be held harmless from any cause of action or claim filed arising out of the distribution of these materials, including all costs, attorney’s fees, and judgments or awards.

This week, we would like to recognize one of our outstanding educators, Mr. Tim Corder. Mr. Corder is an integral part of team at P.S. duPont Middle School and a strong part of our outstanding CTE team.

Mr. Corder was born in Fairmont, West Virginia and graduated from Fairmont State College with a Bachelor's degree in Technology Education. He has a Master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Westminster College. He has taught Technology Education/STEM in Virginia, Maryland and Delaware. This is Mr. Corder's 35th year in education, including 10 years as an administrator.

Mr. Corder has been married for 36 years. He has two daughters and soon to be 6 grandchildren. His daughter is due in December. Mr. Corder has 2 dogs, he also loves to fish, hunt and play pool.

P.S. duPont is fortunate to have amazing, impactful leaders like Mr. Corder! Mr. Corder, 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 1st Annual Cultural Fair on November 7th! It was an exciting night of food tasting, artifact displays, trifold presentations, music, cultural performances and much more that took us on a trip around the world. Our travelers checked in and received passports. The goal was to get a passport stamp from each global stop. Once the journey was complete, travelers ended at baggage claim to receive one final stamp confirming completion of their global exploration. Their reward for completion was being entered into a raffle drawing for one of our amazing prize baskets. Some of the cultures/countries represented were Poland, Italy, Ireland, Jamaica, Ghana, Puerto Rico, Taiwan, African American, Trinidad and Tobago, France, Stepping, College, Texas, Louisiana, Peru, Native American and more. All and all, the night showcased the beauty of our diversity coming together as one community. We are looking forward to next year’s 2nd Annual Cultural Fair.

Boys basketball tryouts will be after school on November 12th, 13th, 18th, and 19th after school. If a student is coming out for try-outs, they should bring a change of appropriate clothing and gym shoes. Also, students MUST have a DIAA form on file in order to try out.

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.

Lifesavers Club - Applications are available in the nurse's office for the BSD Lifesaver Club. The after school club is available to 7th and 8th graders and meets after school on Tuesday's from January to May. For additional details reach out to one of the nurses. Applications will be due back to the nurse before December 6.

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

• November 18 - Fire Drill @ 1:30 p.m.

• November 18 & 19 - Boys Basketball Try-Outs

• November 19 - Report Cards Distributed & Picture Retakes!

• November 21 - Middle School Brain 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. - Auditorium

• November 25th-29th - No school - Thanksgiving Break

• December 5th - Math Night 6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.