Head of School Update

Mr. Art Campbell, Head of School

Ms. Kelly Stauffer, Admin. Asst. to the Head of School

We hope everyone has been having a wonderful summer! It is with great enthusiasm that we welcome you to the 2024-2025 school year! School will resume on Monday, August 26, 2024. Please be reminded of the new start and end times for the 2024 - 2025 school year: 8:00 am - 2:45 pm. Be sure to take a moment to review the 2024-2025 District Calendar .

Our teachers, staff and administration have been hard at work this summer preparing for a very exciting school year and we cannot wait to see everyone. Please read below as we have some very important information to share with you.

All 9th grade students should report directly to the Auditorium on the first student day.

Welcome New Staff Members

We would like to take a moment to introduce and welcome several new staff members to our building this year! We are excited to welcome these amazing professionals to our team.

Our new staff members include:

• Ms. Kaylie Schmitt (Biology/Chemistry)
• Mr. Tim Patton (English and ToK),
• Ms. Brittany Stackhouse (Long-Term Substitute, Mathematics)
• Dr. Troy Podell, former STEM Academy teacher returning to our team to take over Internships and Partnerships, as Ms. Susan Boardman retired at the beginning of August.

Please give each of these individuals a warm welcome to our school community.

Lunch & Learn :The daily schedule for August 26-September 11 has been modified as we work toward preparing for the Lunch & Learn Schedule. Please make note of the changes on the

24-25 Opening Week Schedule.

Beginning September 11, and on days students have periods 1-7, we will continue our one hour Lunch & Learn. The purpose of Lunch & Learn is to provide students with time, support, and resources necessary to be a successful student. By scheduling time during the school day all students will have equal access to their teachers and other resources. This is a time for students to eat lunch, work on schoolwork, meet with teachers and counselors, participate in physical activity in our stadium behind the school, meet as student clubs, as well as other optional special programs for our students. This is a time that all staff and administration are available for our students. Please be on the lookout for much more information over the next few weeks.

Early Dismissals: Any student leaving school must go through the main office if they have a note

for an early dismissal or through Mrs. Mikulich, school nurse, when leaving due to illness. If a student is feeling ill they should ask their teacher if they may go to the nurse and the nurse will assist in next steps. Parents, please do not allow your student to text or call you to come get them and then pick them up and leave. Please tell them to go to the nurse and the nurse will be in contact or please call the school to let us know your child isn’t feeling well. This is extremely important for student safety and accountability.

Emergency Drills: In the first weeks of school we will conduct our fire, severe weather and ALICE Drills (lockdown/evacuation) with our school staff. Please ask your students how these drills went and how they felt about them. It is critically important that students feel safe in school. We take these drills very seriously and want our students to understand the importance.

Arriving at School on Time: We have a lot of work to do each day with our STEM Academy students. Therefore, it is critical for students to arrive on time whether they are riding with a family member, friend, or driving themselves to school. The good news for some is that our school day begins twenty minutes later than past years. We will begin promptly at 8:00 am. Students are expected to be in their classroom by 8:00 am each morning in order to maximize their experience with us. Please allow extra time for arrival in the morning, especially the first week of school. We will be lenient the first week but students driving or obtaining a ride are expected to be to school on time. If students ride the bus, then they will not be marked late due to a late arrival of the bus.

Senior Pathways: Similar to previous years, senior pathways will take place during the second and third marking periods. Seniors will be required to report to their assigned classroom for the first marking period as this is time designated to working on CAS, EE, practicum portfolio, college applications, and some special presentations. Seniors must report to their senior pathway room and remain there to work on the items above. Senior privilege/early dismissal/later arrival is not in effect during this time.

Student Schedules: Schedules will soon be available on the Campus Portal. The District technology department will send a notification home to parents when the portal is opened. Please advise your son/daughter to check the Campus Portal up to the first student day of school, August 26, 2024, as schedules are subject to change. Juniors and Seniors, should also verify that they are registered for the proper number of HL and SL courses. If there is an error on your son/daughter’s schedule please call the Counseling Office at (610) 269-2420 x 43031 or email your counselor.

Traffic: Please review the student pick up and drop off procedures located under School Day on our Website.

Attendance: As a reminder, Ms. Sokso is our attendance assistant. All attendance inquiries can be directed to stemattendance@dasd.org . If you have any questions or concerns about attendance please reach out to her. If your student is absent you must send in an excuse note within three days after the absence. If your student will be missing school for a family trip please be sure to fill out the family trip form ahead of time. Request Form for Educational and Family Trips.

Technology Fee: The DASD School Board of Directors has established a technology fee for all high school students. Please review the District 1:1 Fast Facts for Families- DASD for details on technology fees, and all other device specific information. Please visit PaySchools Central in order to satisfy payment requirements.

Free & Reduced Meal Plan: Information can be found on the Food Services website

School Safety: Safety and Discipline are an essential component to any school. Students and parents are required to read the bullet points below as you will be held responsible for following school and school district policies.

• All students are required to follow all school and district policies and procedures.

o Student Code of Conduct Policy- please review prior to the start of school.

o Student Rights and Responsibility- please review prior to the start of school.

IB Internal Assessments: As part of the IB course requirements, all juniors and seniors will be completing the internal assessments required throughout the two-year program. Mr. Sheehan, IB Coordinator, will be sending home a communication regarding the IB Internal Assessment requirements and due dates. Class of 2023 and 2024, we are currently working with your teachers to establish dates and times for completing IAs. More information will be coming your way in the near future.

IB Assessment and Curriculum Fees: Every senior, both diploma and non-diploma candidates, will take the culminating IB exams in May. Mr. Sheehan will be sending a letter shortly explaining the process for payment which includes a pay schedule and method for payment.

This school was created on the motto ‘Effort Creates Intelligence.’ While this seems like a simple motto it is of great depth. Intelligence is not fixed, it is modifiable given intellectual experiences. As a school, we believe that if students try to improve themselves each and every day they will improve. We believe that when students make mistakes and are willing to recognize those mistakes they will become more knowledgeable and compassionate individuals. We believe there is no limit to what an individual can accomplish with effort and support. Our school community, grounded in collaboration and teamwork, is here to support every individual and help them find their own path to success. If you and your child have not done so already, I encourage you to read the book Mindset, by Carol Dweck. This book discusses failure as well as the belief of how effort can be a powerful tool in the achievement of our goals. I would also appreciate it if you and your child would take a few moments and watch this video on Growth Mindset. As a school we will continue our work on healthy lifestyles including, exercise, sleep, proper diet, mitigating stress, limiting electronic devices at critical times, as well as building relationships and community within our school. Some of these topics will be covered in classes as well as in advisory. We want every student to come to school with a positive attitude, challenge themselves, and try to improve a little bit each and every day. Over the course of the last ten years when students buy into the idea of a growth mindset they are successful here and beyond.

If you are planning a family trip, please be sure to turn in the Request Form for Educational and Family Trips, no less than 2 weeks prior to the request.

Course Change Requests: Course Change Requests should be entered through the Course Change Request form. That information will be processed in a timely manner and the form should be completed by the student using their student DASD email address.

The 24-25 Parking Permit application opened for the Senior Class on Monday, August 5, and for the Junior Class on Monday, August 12. Please be reminded that students should use their DASD student email address to apply, as the permit is issued to the student driving the car on campus. Information regading parking permits can be found on our website in the Backpack. An email will be sent out to all students that applied for a parking permit next week, letting them know when they will be available for pick up.

Volunteers: We would like to welcome volunteers throughout the school year. Please take a moment to review the Volunteer Requirements. The Annual DASD Volunteer Disclosure Form should be completed and returned each school year. All volunteer clearances and forms can be emailed to Kstauffer@dasd.org.

• 2024-2025 School Year

  The DASD 2024-2025 Calendar was board approved on Wednesday, January 10, 2024. Please note the change in school start times as shared on the district website and noted below:

  The schedule for the 2024-25 school year is as follows:

  
  

  • Elementary (Grades K-6): 9:00 a.m.-3:35 p.m.
  • Secondary (Grades 7-12): 8:00 a.m.-2:45 p.m.
  
  
• Infinite Campus: Student schedules, report cards, and access to updating the annual registration verification can be accessed here.
• Payschools: All Activity, Technology and Food services fees can be paid quickly and easily in this portal. (All parking permit fees should now be showing in student accounts.)
• Schoology: Many courses and classes are updated daily. This is a very important tool for communicating!
• Service Desk: Technology support can be accessed here. Please review the directions for the new platform for service desk request for the 24-25 school year.

Please be reminded that all families should take a moment to icomplete the student contact information confirmation process for your child. This process asks families to check and update student and parent information. It also serves as a way to communicate important policies to our families.

Ensuring that we have accurate demographic, health and contact information for your child directly impacts our ability to best serve our students. Additionally, it is an essential piece to ensuring student safety.

**Please complete the “2024-2025 School Year” for Existing Student Registration as circled in the image above ; detailed instructions are also listed below.

This process takes place in the Infinite Campus Parent Portal (www.dasd.org/parentportal) and should be completed on either a computer or tablet as it does not function best on the app.

We are asking families to complete this process by Friday, September 20th for the 2024/2025 school year. All families that have a student attending a DASD school or the Downingtown Cyber Academy must complete this process. Changes you make may not be visible right away in the parent portal as we work to process the information.

Families New to DASD: The confirmation process will be very similar to the new student registration application you completed to enroll your child. We ask that complete the confirmation process through the Parent Portal so that we have the most update to date information for your child.

If there are any questions regarding this process, please contact Ms. Rockowitz in the STEM Counseling office.

• Technology related questions – Enter a ticket at https://servicedesk.dasd.org/support/home

If your student was unable to attend either of the orientation dates or would just like one more view of the building before school begins, there will be a very informal visit day on Friday, August 23, from 9:00 am-12:00 pm.

During this scheduled “Locker Day”, students will be able to independently tour the building to locate their classrooms and lockers before the first student day, on Monday, August 26. Additionally, the student schedule with locker information will be available to pick up in the front office for those that did not attend orientation.

If your incoming freshmen did attend orientation but would like one final walkthrough of their schedule before the first student day, they should bring the schedule/map provided to them at orientation to use while taking one final walkthrough between 9:00 am - 12:00 pm.

Any student that did not pick up their district issued device earlier this month, should be reminded to pick up this device from the STEM Academy Technology Office, located in the Knowledge Commons, on the first student day. No one from technology will be available on Locker Day. Students will be prompted to create a new password when they meet with technology on Monday, August 26.

STEM Academy Class of 2025 Diploma Name Verification : This form must be completed by the graduating senior, using the student DASD email address and should be completed no later than October 14.

Class of 2025 IB Fees Letter with Payment Schedule

STEM Academy Class of 2025 Senior Class Parking Permit : As a reminder, this application must be completed by the student, using their DASD student email address. For future reference, all of this information can also be located on our website, under the Backpack.

Senior Early Dismissal/Late Arrival Form (Senior Privileges) 24-25: This form is for Early Dismissal/Late Arrival permission for Senior Class students.

Act 10 Military Letter: Please review this letter and return to Ms. Stephanie Rockowitz in the STEM Counseling office by October 10, 2024 if you wish to be excluded as noted in the letter.

Attention Class of 2025: Save the dates!

Final Senior Portrait Dates: September 3-5, 2024.

• These sessions will be held from 3:00 pm-9:00 pm and scheduling will open soon. An email will be shared with families. If you need to schedule a retake, please call 1-800-687-9327.

If there are any questions, please email kstauffer@dasd.org.

All of this information for the Class of 2025 can be found on our website throughout the year: STEM Academy Class of 2025 Important Reminders.

The Common App is now open! For those looking to get a jump start on their applications, below are some FAQs regarding school info that you will need to input.

So much more to come when we are back to school later this month!! Please contact Ms. Glowik or Ms. Hewitt with any questions.

Ms. Katherine Cole, Dean of Academics & Student Life

Ms. Kaitlin Brinker, Admin. Asst.

Information for Clubs for the 24-25 School Year will be shared in mid September. Stay tuned!

Many events for the upcoming school year have been added to the calendar on the STEM Academy Website.

Additional Summer Assigments for STEM Students Grades 9-12

Dr. Troy Podell

Downingtown STEM Academy Internships and Partnerships
Supervisor of Teaching & Learning

Ms. Kaitlin Brinker, Admin. Asst.

Greetings,

I hope this message finds you well. I’m thrilled to be coming home and rejoining the staff at the STEM Academy. I’ll be stepping into Susan Boardman’s role leading our Internships and Partnerships. I will also supervise our Dual Enrollment Programs, K-12 Social Studies, and Career Readiness for the district.

For the past six years I’ve occupied various administrative roles in our district Central Office in both Teaching and Learning, and Career Readiness. Before that, I taught Social Studies at the STEM Academy for five years. This place is special to me, and I can’t wait to help make every student’s experience at STEM an amazing one.

I’m currently a Vice President for the Downingtown Area Chamber of Commerce, and an active member of both the Chester County Chamber of Business and Industry, and the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia. I serve as a Director on the Board of the Franklin Mint Federal Credit Union Foundation, and Chair of the Board for Revolution School in Philadelphia. I’m looking forward to connecting students to their larger community as they explore the world of work.

As I transition into the role, I’m looking forward to getting to know you. While I know nobody could possibly replace Susan Boardman, I’m very much looking forward to honoring the amazing work she’s done over 12 years, and continuing her legacy of super-serving the students of STEM and the business community, as well. Thanks in advance for your partnership!

Dr. Troy Podell

Downingtown STEM Academy Internships and Partnerships
Supervisor of Teaching & Learning:

K-12 Social Studies, Career Readiness, and Dual Enrollment

335 Manor Avenue | Downingtown, PA 19335

P: 610-269-8460 xt.11314 | E: tpodell@dasd.org | W: http://www.dasd.org/

Ms. Alyssa Sherlock, CAS/EE Supervisor

I am receiving your CAS and Graduation Project proposals, and I’m glad to see so many of you on the right track. Please check your email for confirmation or additional questions.

For your EE, you should have your Outline completed this month, and uploaded as a PDF to BOTH ManageBac and the Turnitin drop box. Be sure to include your bibliography with complete citations, too! (a list of URLs doesn’t count). If you have it ready now, upload it today so it’s on file!

Remember that you can refer to the CAS/EE/Graduation Project resource materials and handbooks on Schoology at any time.

Ms. Stephanie Rockowitz, Counseling Secretary/Registrar

• To schedule an appt. to visit your school counselor, please complete the following form: Counseling Appointment Request Form
• Additional Resources from the STEM Counseling Department

Ms. Jennifer Stull, Prevention Specialist

Guide to Districtwide Mental Health Resources

2024 Summer Counseling Office Hours STEM Academy

If your student is in need of immediate assistance please contact Ms. Stephanie Rockowitz and she will connect you with someone that can assist you. If you are in need of a work permit, please find the application location in the STEM Back Pack at the bottom of the page under Work Permits. Permits can be obtained in the counseling office. Please be sure to review and provide the necessary documentation listed on the website.

Course Change Requests should be entered through the Course Change Request form. That information will be processed in a timely manner and the form should be completed by the student using their student DASD email address.

Additional Resources

College App Workshop presentation

Common Date Set Overview

US Dept. of Education College Scorecard

2024-2025 STEM Academy HSA Board

President: Kerri Roberts

Co-Vice Presidents: Mary Gasser and Heather Steiger

Secretary - Marcie Epstein

Treasurer - Kousalya Alapati

Big Announcement! The STEM Choir will be participating in a Disney performance trip next year 2/12/25 to 2/16/25! Congratulations!!

East Marching Band will be going to Honolulu, HI December 7, 2024 to perform in the Pearl Harbor Memorial Parade representing Pennsylvania.

Registration is still open for our Pearl Harbor Parade trip. DHSE 2024 Hawaii Trip Information & Registration Packet click here for packet.

Save the Date: Sunday, May 19, East Marching Band will be hosting a mattress fundraiser. More details to follow soon!

All students at STEM are encouraged to participate in athletic programs offered at their home schools.

An activity bus is available for students heading to East to participate daily, and is located in the bus loop at dismissal.

To find more information about what sports are offered at your students’ homeschool, please choose one of the following that links directly to the correct Athletics page:

Downingtown East High School Athletics

Downingtown East High School Athletics Schedule

AND

Downingtown West High School Athletics

Downingtown West High School Athletics Schedule

Student Drop Off

Please be reminded that students are to be dropped off behind the school. No students should be dropped off on Manor Ave. We appreciate your cooperation. Safety is always our first priority.

Also for the safety of all students and staff crossing back and forth during lunch time, the entrance to the STEM Academy on Campbell Drive will be closed during all lunch times for the remainder of the school year. Please use the West entrance to access the campus during that time.

Traffic:

Parents are not permitted to park, drop-off, or pick-up students from the left side of the Academy or on Manor Avenue.

• All parent pick-up vehicles must enter from Manor Avenue on the right side of the building (Campbell Drive). Parents will be directed by the traffic guard to loop around the building in order to pickup students.
• Bus pick-up for students from the Downingtown East High School attendance area will be along the fence that faces Kottmeyer Stadium. Bus pick-up for students from the Downingtown West High School attendance area will be at Downingtown West High School and Downingtown Middle School. Students will then walk to the Academy.
• Please make sure students are prepared for inclement weather. Parents are not permitted to park, drop-off, or pick-up students from the left side of the Academy or on Manor Avenue.
• For the safety of our students, it is essential that all drivers adhere to traffic patterns and regulations

Please review the student pick up and drop off procedures located under School Day on our Website.

Bus Passes are for Emergency use only. All bus rosters are full and only in the event of an emergency will a student be allowed to ride a different bus home. The request for a bus pass should come to the main office and will need approval from Mr. Campbell.

• Online Registration: Please remember to complete the Online Registration for your child(ren). This will provide me with updated health information as well as give permission for over the counter medication this school year. Go to Infinite Campus Parent Portal to complete the process.
• Medication: Students are only permitted to carry emergency medication (Epinephrine, Asthma inhalers, and diabetes medication). Any medication to be administered during the school day, should follow our current medication policy (attach board policy) and complete the authorization for medication administration
• Please contact Ms. Jennifer Mikulich with any questions or concerns.

The Downingtown STEM Academy is the third high school in the Downingtown Area School District. The STEM Academy opened in the fall of 2011 at 335 Manor Avenue, Downingtown, PA 19335.

The Academy is an IB World School offering every student the opportunity to earn an IB Diploma. The curriculum offers Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Pathways. Students are engaged in rigorous, challenging academic work that requires a mindset of growth and effort.

Email: stinfo@dasd.org
Website: https://st.dasd.org/
Location: 335 Manor Avenue, Downingtown, PA, USA
Phone: 610-269-2420