 The D-Link
An E-Newsletter for the DASD Community
November 12, 2011- Vol 4, Issue 8
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This issue of the D-Link is brought to you by i9Sports
i9 Sports is proud to support the Downingtown Area School District
Winter Flyer....More Information below!
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| A Message from Superintendent Mussoline | |
Farewell to three long-time board members!
 Election Day, November 8, 2011 officially signaled in a major change to the membership of our DASD Board of School Directors. Three new directors were elected to serve four year terms on the Board. I would like to congratulate Jaime Mehler of West Bradford, Carl Croft from East Brandywine and Colleen Craney of Uwchlan for their success in this election season.
On November 9, 2011 the Board of Directors said good-by to three long-time members who elected not to run again. William Fagan, Jr., Robert Eldredge and Norm Long provided support and leadership to this district for many years.
Bill Fagan served on the Board for two terms, a total of eight years. Bill has lived in Downingtown since 1984 and has been involved in the community through the Uwchlan Township Park & Recreation Board since the mid 1980's. He was also a coach for youth sports through both LYA and his church. "Downingtown," said Bill, "is a great place to raise a family and being a Board Director seemed like the natural next step to say thank you to by serving the district.
Bob Eldredge has served as President of the Board and Chair of the Personnel Committee. His twelve plus years of service has made him one of the longest sitting directors in our district's history. We will miss his wise counsel.
Norm Long has been President, Vice President and Chair of both the Facilities and Policy Committees. During his twenty years on the Board, Norm has shared his vast knowledge of the construction business, overseeing the construction, renovation or addition process for all of our schools. Norm was a scout leader and served as the PSBA's liaison to the PIAA sports' program. I am sure that we will still see him in the stands cheering on our student athletes.
When asked what advice he would like to leave for students, Bob Eldredge said, "Do good... In life give more than you take, Listen, learn, be patient with others."
No better advice than that!
Dr. Larry Mussoline
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| 1st Annual Battle of the Brains |
When you hear the Jeopardy theme song each night at 7:00 p.m., do you park yourself in front of the TV ready to match wits with the contestants? Or do you tiptoe out of the room for fear you won't know one answer? No matter what type of quiz whiz you are, we know that you will enjoy the first ever Battle of the Brains on Monday, November 21, 2011 at 7:00 p.m in the STEM Academy auditorium. Our three high school varsity and junior varsity academic teams will match wits in an historic event that will secure bragging rights for at least one year! This year the Battle of the Brains will take place in the STEM Academy. The program will rotate among the three high schools in each succeeding year.
The event is being held to benefit the Downingtown Community Education Foundation. The Foundation is a 501c3 non-profit organization that exists to support the students and programs in the Downingtown Area School District. Although only in existance for two years, the Foundation has already awarded innovative teaching grants to teachers and librarians at DHS East, DHS West, Shamona Creek, Springton Manor, Pickering Valley and the STEM Academy. Teachers, home and school organizations and administrators are invited to apply for grant funding that promotes exciting and innovative classroom activities for our students.
The long time voice of Chester County Academic Competitions James Stoddard will be asking the questions. The JV compeition begins at 7:00 p.m with the varsity match to follow at approximately 8:00. The first place winners of the varsity match will win $300 to support their academic team activities. Second place finishers will win $150. The third place team will take away $100. Refreshments will be available. |
| A Win/Win Situation! | |
How can a local business or corporation help grow their business, watch their property values go up and make sure that a well trained workforce is being prepared for them? By getting involved with their local public schools, of course! On December 15, 2011 the Downingtown Community Education Foundation will be hosting a luncheon for local business leaders who are interested in becomming a part of the Downingtown Area School District push toward "greatness". The event begins at 11:00 and will be held in the Central Administration Office Building at 540 Trestle Place, Downingtown.
The Business Leader luncheon will feature a welcome by Superintendent Larry Mussoline, a video highlighting the businesses already involved with our schools and an enlightening session about the EITC (Education Innovation Tax Credit) from tax expert Helen Semus of Edward Jones. The event is free to all interested Downingtown Area School District business leaders. A light luncheon will be served. There are a variety of ways for businesses to partner with the Foundation's mission to inspire and support our 11,800 students. Take this first step ....and join us on December 15, 2011. Please RSVP to pmcglone@dasd.org.
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Student Artists Create Holiday Greeting Cards
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   Artist: Jenna Eberhardt Artist: Beverly Huang Artist: Jenny Kim
 
Artist: Lydia Walters Artist: Megan Sokol
 The Downingtown Area School District has been inviting student artists in both high schools to create a holiday greeting card. The cards are entered into a competition. In the past, two cards were selected - one by an East artist and the other designed by a West student artist. The cards were then emailed to our staff.
This year, we have selected six cards created by six different student artists - three from DHS East and three from DHS West. The artists created both the cards and the messages inside.
These high quality greeting cards (with envelopes) are available for purchase by our community through the Downingtown Community Education Foundation. All funds collected from this sale will be used to benefit our student artists and district art programs. The envelopes are made from 100% recycled paper.
Artist: Regan Dunleavy
To purchase your six (one card of each design) or twelve count packets (two cards of each design), please click here.
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District News
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 Photo left to right: Ishi Date, Ryan Mittelstadt, Manish Suryapalam, Maria Meyer, Alessia LaGrossa and Joseph Stoyack.
Telescope donated to LMS
On November 1, 2011 parent Joe Stoyack, representing an anonymous donor and the ChesMont Astronomical Society, presented a computerized telescope to the Lionville Middle School Astronomy Club.
The donation also included special filters for observing the moon and other objects in space. Assistant Principal Chris Stango and Astronomy Club Advisor Dr. Larry Jaffe accepted the donation on behalf of the school. Mr. Stoyack also presented a fascinating overview of astronomy and discussed a variety of ways to enjoy a life-long hobby of exploring the stars.
The Lionville Middle School Astronomy Club meets throughout the year to study astronomy and many allied sciences. Visits are made to planetariums, observatories and museums. The availability of this telescope will provide additional viewing opportunities for club members.
New Technology Equipment Delivered
Providing schools with a variety of new technology tools was approved as part of the 2011-2012 budget process. Providing the proper equipment to provide a high-quality, twenty-first century education for all district students is a major goal of the district. In the photo below, the East Art Department Lab is outfitted with new computers that arrived this week. Students provided volunteer hours to set-up the new computers.
Blankets for St. Martha Manor
The 2011 West girls' soccer team is working hard to give back to the community that supports them. Captains Taylor Miller, Michelle Nardo and Annie Messner gathered the team on a Friday night to make blankets for the elderly. The girls' soccer team delivered the blankets to St. Martha Manor in Downingtown.
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What's Happening!
| Free Heart Screening for Your Child!
On Saturday, December 3rd, a free heart screening for all area youth between the ages of 5-19 will take place at Downingtown High School West. The event is being sponsored by the Silva family and the Simon's Fund organization.
Aidan Silva, a First Grade student at Brandywine Wallace Elementary School, passed away suddenly last September at age seven from Sudden Cardiac Arrest. The cause is an unidentified heart arrhythmia.
According to Simon's Fund, approximately 1 out of every 100 children screened is found to have a potentially life-threatening heart condition, yet heart screenings are not yet offered to families with no prior health history at routine pediatric visits.
To register your child, visit www.SimonsFund.org and click on "Get Screened." You will receive an email confirming your appointment time.
For questions, contact Simon's Fund or the Silva family at aidensheart@gmail.com.
Noises Off
The Downingtown East Theatre Association will present its Fall Play, Noises Off, by Michael Frayn, on November 17 - 19 at 7:30 p.m. in the DHS East Auditorium. Noises Off, often called the funniest farce of all time, visits a group of bumbling theatre professionals as they desperately try to mount a production for a sold-out crowd that arrives within hours. This "play within a play" follows characters backstage to show what the paying customer misses when professional shortcomins and personal desires overlap, slamming every door possible along the way.
Admission is $6 for students and $8 for adults, with all tickets sold at the door.
Senior Volunteers are needed!
The Downingtown Area School District offers a Senior Citizen Tax Rebate Volunteer Program designed to assist senior citizens with the burden of real estate taxes. Seniors may volunteer their services jointly through the Chester County Family Services RSVP program and the Downingtown Area School District Senior Citizen Tax Rebate Volunteer program. In return for their services, senior citizens may be entitled to a rebate of property taxes. Click here for more information!
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| Looking for that perfect gift? |
 Jersey Boys Musical Comes to Philadelphia
December 28, 2011 at 2:00 p.m.
Looking for a great gift?
Just a few choice seats are left! The Downingtown Community Education Foundation is offering you an opportunity to purchase orchestra tickets for the December 28, 2011 performance of Jersey Boys - the Tony winning musical about the Four Seasons. The show is a Wednesday 2:00 p.m. matinee during the winter vacation break. Performances are in the Forrest Theater in Philadelphia. These are orchestra level tickets that are not yet on sale to the public. The price of each ticket is $156.00 each ($151.00 includes $1.00 shipping charge and includes a $5.00 donation to the Downingtown Community Education Foundation). There are a limited amount of tickets still available. If you are interested in ordering one or more tickets, please click on the link below.
To order your tickets, Click here The tickets will be mailed to your home. |
School News!
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Beaver Creek
We had a busy, fun week at Beaver Creek. Beaver Creek staff and students celebrated Beaver Creek's 50th birthday on the 50th day of school on Thursday. There's a Prezi that we all viewed while listening to music of the early sixties. Talk about some funny photos from the past. To view it, use the following link: http://prezi.com/fpvpwugn_s_r/happy_birthday/ (just scroll down and click the forward arrow). Students created a 50 year timeline in the hallway showing significant events that occurred each year since our school opened in 1961. Students made a birthday quilt made up of smaller cards. Each homeroom participated in a door decorating contest and the doors will be judged by our recently retired art teacher, Mrs. Petka. Creative thinking activities were enjoyed such as naming 50 things that were blue or yellow. Some special guests stopped by to visit while we ate soft pretzels. Click here for more BC Headline News!
Brandywine Wallace (Leib)
Recently, our BW fifth graders enjoyed Renaissance Day, with actors from the New Jersey and Pennsylvania Renaissance Fairs visiting the Shire of Brandywine for a day filled with music, dance, acting, games, crafts, and activities. Special thanks to our H&S Association and our many helpful parents who made this opportunity possible for our students. Click here for more BW Headline News!
East Ward
Third Grade Seniors' Visit
After a few weeks of anticipation, twenty-three third grade students were excited to finally meet their "Senior Friend" on Friday, November 4, 2011. As a class, students had brainstormed ten interview questions, reviewed polite behaviors, and practiced taking interview notes. They each wrote a friendly letter introducing themselves to their friend, asking for an interview, when the interview would take place, why they were excited, and asking if their friend could bring in pictures or small objects of importance. Click here for more EW Headline News!
Lionville Elementary
Strega Nona Assembly - On November 1, all of our students watched a play, performed by Duet Pros, called Strega Nona and the Magic Pasta Pot. Students read the folk tale in library class and discussed the plot,
setting, and characters. After watching the play, students compared and contrasted the story
elements in the book to the play. We are grateful to the Home and School Association for
funding this play, as well as for funding additional copies of the Strega Nona books for students
to re-read and enjoy. The purpose of this activity was to foster enjoyment in live performances,
reinforce literary elements, learn about folk tales, and compare and contrast live performance to
written text. There is a slideshow on the school's website with pictures from the Strega Nona
play. Click here for more LE Headline News
Pickering Valley
Pickering Valley ended the month of October with our annual Halloween Ball! Fun was
had by all students, parents and teachers. A plethora of characters... ghosts, goblins,
Harry Potter and many others danced to the beat of the DJ. Once again our parents did
a fantastic job running the ball. Click here for more PV Headline News
Shamona Creek
In exchange for the opportunity to wear jeans for a week, the staff at SC donated $1000 to a local charity, Twin Peaks. This organization ,based in Exton, supports breast cancer research. The turnout for parent conferences was wonderful. It is always great to see parents in the building and know that we are truly working in partnership to promote student success. Click here for more SC Headline News!
Springton Manor
Fifth Grade T-Shirt Contest Winner: Springton Manor Elementary School would like to offer a big Mustang congratulations to Miss Breanna Kemp. Brianna submitted the winning design for the fifth grade t-shirts. Our Home and School Association supplies each fifth grade class with a special t-shirt the students wear for special occasions especially as they close out their years here at Springton Manor Elementary School. Congratulations Breanna! Click here for more SM News of the Week!
DMS
Friday evening, November 4th, sixty members of the DMS 8th Grade Band joined with the Downingtown West Blue and Gold Marching Band for an evening of marching band fun and friendship. Before the game, the 8th graders met up with the senior high musicians in the back lot where the younger students were paired with high school students who played the same instrument. They marched together to the football stadium and played pep music during the game. At half-time, Mr. Ed Otto, high school band director, invited the middle schoolers to get the experience of marching onto the turf under the lights. DMS musicians even got to go to the snack shack and get the traditional football game hot dog and soda compliments of the Music Parents Association. It was a great night to see what high school music in the band program is like and the eighth graders returned to DMS after the game with smiles and new friends! Thanks to band directors Mr. Ed Otto (West), Mrs. Judy Houdeshel (DMS), the DASD MPA, and the great DMS parent chaperones for making this special transition experience possible for our students. We hope to see many of them in uniform next year as members of the great West Blue and Gold Marching Band! Click here for more DMS Headline News!
LMS
Officer Fortmann, Uwchlan Township Police Office and DASD School Resource Officer, addressed Mrs. Grasso's 6th grade classes about Cyber Bullying and Internet safety. The 6-8 grade computer curricula now includes a Digital Citizenship unit to teach students to practice safe, legal, and responsible use of information and technology as well as to use web 2.0 tools to create, communicate, and collaborate in the 21st century. Click here for more LMS Headline News!
DHS East
Downingtown East is pleased to announce that 13 students have been named a Commended Student in the 2012 National Merit Scholarship Program. A letter of commendation from the school and National Merit Scholarship Corporation will be presented to these scholastically talented students.
DHS West
Looking at PSSA proficiency in the AYP measured subjects (Math and Reading), DW ranked 33rd out of 545 high schools in PA - this includes magnet schools. We jumped 11 schools this past year. Congratulations.
Special congratulations to the Science department, as our school broke into the top 20 (19th, jumping 24 spots). Click here for more DW Headline News!
STEM Academy
One of our Engineering teachers, Jocelyn Long, was recognized by TEEAP as one of three teachers statewide as an "Outstanding Educator." We congratulate Jocelyn on her recognition.
Headmaster Fiore was also a featured speaker at the conference. Headmaster Fiore's presentation was, "STEM Education in the 21st Century." Click here for more STEM Academy Headline News!
We offer congratulations to the following students for attaining this honor. Samuel Bernstein, Daniel Cheng, Dante D'Andrea, Ryan Geiger, Beverly Huang, Rachel Lemalefant, Kenneth McQuail, Tyler Mislick Sujatha Reddy, Kirthi Shanmugam, Kunal Sharma, George Wang and Kevin Zunic. Click here for more DHS East Headline News! |
| This Week's D-Link Sponsor is...... | |
Thank you to i9 sports for hosting this issue of The D-Link. For sponsorship information, please contact pmcglone@dasd.org.
A Message from i9 Sports
i9 Sports programs are safe and allow kids ages 3 to 13 to have fun and learn important values, such as teamwork and good sportsmanship. We offer flag football, cheerleading, soccer and basketball leagues and camps all year round. Our leagues last for 8 weeks and practices are only before games one day per weekend so parents do not need to drive to and from the field/gym during the week.
To View the i9 Winter Flyer, click here!
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