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 The D-Link
An E-Newsletter for the DASD Community
April 8, 2013 - Vol 4, Issue15 |
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Superintendent's Update |
Greetings:
Like many of you, I will be enjoying the DHS West musical "Thoroughly Modern Millie" this weekend. The musical is set in the 1922 and concerns the adventures of a stenographer who sets her sights on marrying her wealthy boss. Next week DHS East students take the stage with the musical "Legally Blond".
I know some of you will say that I am a bit prejudice being Superintendent, but the DASD students who perform on our stages or work behind the scenes are consummate professionals. They are extremely skilled and accomplished - a credit to the hours of practice they put in. Whether they are leads, sing in the choir, play in the pit orchestra, design the scenery, or move the props, the performances from each of our four secondary schools is always entertaining and top notch!
For months before these shows, dedicated teachers and parent volunteers help design costumes, construct scenery, paint, clean and organize performances. Without this valuable service to our students and community these shows could never go on.
Special thanks to the hundreds of students who come out each year to share some of their wonderful talent with us. From the performers on stage to those working behind the scenes, we applaud the time and effort they put into these performances. The annual success of each one of these show is a credit to themselves, their talented teachers, and their supportive parents.
For ticket ordering information, please visit the individual school websites. I hope to see you at one, or both, of these outstanding performances.
Sincerely,
Dr. Larry Mussoline
Superintendent |
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DASD Science Fair Winners |
News stories have been circulating about the public school cheating scandel in Georgia. In that incident Georgia state investigators are alleging that innacurate answers on state tests were erased and changed to help boast school scores. As part of a state-wide effort to ensure the accuracy of the Keystone and PSSA tests, representatives from the Pennsylvania Department of Education have been visiting school districts across the state to monitor the care and protection of student exams.
PDE paid a monitoring visit to DHS East on January 11, 2013. Members of the Bureau of Assessment and Accountability reviewed documents, conducted interviews and observed the test taking during the visit. Last week the district received notice that the school was doing an excellent job to safeguard student scores. PDE found that:
- Both the District Assessment Coordinator and School Assessment Coordinator had attended the Keystone Exams administration training conducted by PDE.
- Training test administrators/proctors was planned and executed.
- an inventory of test matereals was completed by district/school personel.
- Prohibited materilas were properly covered in classrooms and hallways.
- Procedures for parent/guardian reveiw of tests prior to testing were in place.
- An appropriate plan was in place for the distribution and collection of the testing materials.
- Procedures fro handling breaks and disruptions were established.
- Storage of test materials was appropriate.
- Extended time procedures were established and followed.
- Alternative testing environments were established and used as necessary.
- Test make-up sessions were established.
- The policy for the use of electoronic devices other than calculators was in accordance with the test security guidelines.
- Testing accomodations were in accordance wit the Accomodations Guidelines.
These guidelines are in place throughout the district. We will notify you should PDE visit other district schools during April's PSSA testing dates.
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World War II Veterans Visit STEM |
 Students in 11th grade history cover the events surrounding WW II. STEM History teacher Paul Setlock has been inviting veterans into his classes for the past several years. This year was no exception. With help from the American Legion, three US veterans spent the day with STEM Academy students on April 5, 2013.
Downingtown resident Madeline Woodruff attended DHS and worked as a nurse and guidance counselor in the very same building she was visiting until 1967. Mrs. Woodruff recounted her days as an Army nurse in France during WWII. Mrs. Woodruff was one of the first in Chester County to enlist when the call went out for nurses. She had just graduated from Chester County Hospital's nurses training when she and her friend found themselves on their way to the Aberdeen Proving Ground for additional training. Ten months later they were aboard the Queen Elizabeth, on their way to Scotland with 10,000 troops. She eventually was sent to southern England and assigned to the 10th Replacement Depot where she treated casualites from the D-Day invasion.
Bill Martz served three years in the Navy. He enlisted, with his parents permission, at the young age of 17. Bill knew that if he waited until he was drafted at 18, he would not have had the opportunity of selecting the Navy for his service. Bill served on a ship in the South Pacific. For the next 14 months he was on land for less than 7 hours. His ship sailed from island to island, moving from the Phillipines to Okinowa. If a small island along the way was deemed safe, the troops would go ashore for a short break to play ball and relieve their anxiety. Although his ship was attacked by Kamikaze aircraft and enemy ships, all aboard his ship survived the war. He was in the Phillipines when the atom bomb was dropped in Japan.
Bill remembers a day when when his ship sailed toward the survivors of a destoyed Japanese vessel. Instead of accepting survival, he watched helplessly as those in the water swam away from the ship, accepting death rather then the perceived shame of surrender. Madeline elected to refrain from telling all she remembered, and teared up when she thanked all the young men who had come under her care.
Kirk John also visited the STEM Academy. Mr. Kirk is a WW II ACE, having shot down more than 7 enemy aircraft. All three visitors thanked the students for being such a warm, respectful and interested audience.
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School Board News | |
The Board of Directors held its second Committee of the Whole meeting on Wednesday, April 6, 2013. In past years, board committees would meet on the first and fourth evenings of the month. Finance, Facility, Policy and Curriculum discussions would take place with four members of the board serving on one or more of the committees. The Committee of the Whole concept brings all board members into the conversation, allowing time for all members to comment on agenda items before they come to a vote at the regular monthly meeting.
In addition to agenda items, the school board also pays tribute to staff and students for earning state and national recognition. Below are the recipients of this months Board's "Applause Applause" citations.
DHS West High School senior, Marissa Tremoglie, has been honored for her exemplary volunteer service with a state-level Certificate of Excellence from the 2013 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program. Presented annually by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), the Prudential Spirit of Community Award honors young people across America for outstanding community service activities. Marissa was honored for a tutoring project she created that has helped our elementary students.
200 wins is an impressive feat for any coach, but to achieve that win in a round that sent the first DASD wrestling team to a state championship is an added bonus. Congratulation to DHS East wrestling coach Joe Horvath on achieving both feats this season and for being an excellent mentor and role model to his players. We also salute two of his wrestlers on achieving their 100th win this season. Congratulations to DHS East wrestlers Alex Wait and T. J. Nelson.
Downingtown Middle School students and staff annually hold a "Coin War" and Student/Faculty Basketball game to raise money for the Moyer Foundation and JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund). The Moyer Foundation supports programs that directly serve critical needs of children in severe distress. Ms. Lynette Moore will represent the Moyer Foundation. Representing JDRF will be Ms. Brook Patterson and DMS representatives Kenzie Pincura (and Mrs. Jody Pincura) and Mike Mollenhauer (and Mrs. Ellen Mollenhaur).
This month we honor students from DHS East and DHS West who have excelled on the National German Exam. These German language students earned our two comprehensive high schools a special commendation from the Executive Council of the American Association of Teachers of German. Four of our students scored at or above the 90 percentile of those taking the National German Test, making them eligible to apply for a four-week travel scholarship (all expenses paid). Three students are top scorers and have been invited to attend the AATG Awards Ceremony, which will be held on Saturday, April 27 at 10:30 a.m. at the Cannstatter Volksfest Verein on Academy Road in Philadelphia.
DHS East
Level II:
Rachel Grady, Bronze
Eric Firestone, Achievement
Damian Markowski, Achievement
Level III:
Helen Butler, Gold
Matthew Roberts, Gold
Rebecca Staas, Bronze
Veronoica Tischler, Bronze
Thomas Smith, Bronze
Melissa Chesnick, Bronze
Sydney Comber, Achievement
Rachel Tscherwinksi, Achievement
Level IV and above:
Solana Warner, Bronze
Neilesh Vinjamuri, Bronze
Matt Lucas, Bronze
Katie Clay, Bronze
Brad Morabito, Bronze
John Schilgen, Achievement
DHS West
Level II:
Ryan Kiey, Bronze
Nicole Hansen, Bronze
Brianna Bannister, Achievement
Megan Pinkerton, Achievement,
Georgia Birch, Achievement
Level III:
Katie Sacher, Achievement
Brian Borig, Achievement
John Paul Bell, Achievement
Level IV and above:
Ken Leidal, Gold
Brynn Richter, Gold (eligible to apply for study trip award)
Brianna Heldt, Silver
Max Beneke, Silver
Dylan Kreher, Silver
Amanda Patton, Silver
Elizabeth Cox, Silver
Steven Tribuno, Bronze,
Sarah Miller, Bronze
Christina Siewert, Bronze
Nina Cairns, Bronze
Meredith O'Neal, Achievement
Mark Frazier, Achievement
Vaishali Ashtakala, Achievement
Justin Rhines, Achievement
Daniel Speranzini, Achievement
Nikolas Watson, Achievement
Tabitha Loftus, Achievement |
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Redistricting Update | |
The redistricting steering committee will reconvene on April 9th to review and discuss comments and concerns voiced in public emails or gathered at the three public meetings that were held last month. Committee members, as well as school board members, received a copy of all comments, questions, documents and concerns that were posed by residents following the release of the two redistricting steering committee recommendations. Additional questions will be answered and posted on the redistricting website in the days to come.
Whether or not the committee makes any changes to its recommendations, the public will be notified of the results of that meeting in the D-Link and on our website. Should substantial changes be made, another public meeting will be announced.
Once a finalized recommendation has been determined by the committee, a report will be sent to the school board for consideration. The school board will then hold a work session, open to the public, in which members will discuss their thoughts about the committee's recommendations. The date of this meeting will be announced once the board receives the committee's final recommendation. |
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Around the district | |
College to Career - What's YOUR Game Plan
For all parents and students grades 9 - 12
Wednesday - April 17 - 7 - 9:30 p.m.
Downingtown High School East Auditorium
Parents and Students - College Questions? Get Answers
Meet representatives from Temple, Bucknell, Bryn Mawr, St. Joseph's, University of Alabama, Susquehanna, Penn State, West Chester University, University of the Sciences, Villanaova and Widener.
Students - Three Workshops for YOUR success!
Learn from professionals. Students must pre-register to reserve a space. Attend one, two or all three workshops!
(LOL) Link In or Lose Out
Social Media Savvy * LinkedIn/Twitter/Facebook * YOUR Brand * Email Etiquette *
Speed Networking (Win a prize!)
Resumes That Rock
No Work Experience? * References−Who/How To Ask * Cover Letters *
& More
Ace the Interview
Preparation * Proper Dress * Questions To Ask/Not Ask * Your USP (Unique Selling Point) * Follow-up * Mock Interview *
Deadline for pre-registrations is is April 10, 2013
Parents - Register online: http://www.formsite.com/dasd-dehs/parents/index.html
Students - Register online:
http://www.formsite.com/dasd-dehs/sessions/index.html
Muddy Shoes Relay
The first annual "Muddy Shoes Relay" will be taking place at Downingtown West High School on Sunday April 28, 2013 at 4pm. The race is in loving memory of student, Cameron Evans. Cameron was a student at Downingtown Middle School and a member of the cross country team who lost his battle with Leukemia last May. All race proceeds benefit the Cure4Cam Childhood Cancer Foundation. The mission of the Cure4Cam Foundation is to raise community awareness and support for the development of new and more humane therapies for childhood cancer. New and highly inspirational therapies, which specifically target each patient's individual cancer cells, are within reach but seriously underfunded. By bringing breakthroughs in childhood cancer research to the forefront, we can raise public concern and funds needed to support research grants and new clinical studies. We need your help. As Cameron said, "Don't run from something, run for something." More information regarding this important foundation can be found at www.cure4cam.org .
The Muddy Shoes Relay is a 3 mile race that can be run as a 3-person team or as an individual. The course is a one mile loop around the Downingtown West Campus. Children and adults of all ages are encouraged to participate. Online registration for the race can be found at http://runccrs.com/results/race-calendar/?event_id=1202 . If you are unable to participate in the race but would still like to contribute to the Cure4Cam foundation, monetary donations can also be made through the registration web address.
On Friday 4/19, we will be holding a "Yellow Out" at DMS. Students and staff will be encouraged to wear Cameron's favorite color, yellow, to bring attention to childhood cancer and our upcoming race.
We are also seeking food donations to help defray the operational cost of the race so that we can maximize our monetary donation to the Cure4Cam Foundation. These food items will be used for post-race refreshments. We are hoping to secure bottled water, bananas, oranges and bagels. If you would like to make a food donation, please contact Debbie Mallon of the DMS Counseling Department at dmallon@dasd.org .
An event page for the race as also been set up on Facebook and can be found at https://www.facebook.com/#!/events/425661420855643/ . Take a look at the page and share with your friends!
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| FOR YOUR BENEFIT | |
Enjoy the HReminders - a must read each Friday Payday for news and updates from HR.
To access your paystub, please click here to access the EAC.
DISTRICT WIDE WELLNESS DAYThe wellness teams in each building have been busy planning for the District Wide Wellness Day to be held this year on Friday, May 3rd. Each building will have activities for staff and students on that day. Watch for more information as the date gets closer!
IMPORTANT NOTICE - Due to Spring Break, TimeForce (attendance and payroll system) must be approved by both Level I and Level II approvers by noon on Monday, March 25.
- All timecards to be paid in the April 5 pay must be received in Payroll by Monday, March 25.
DAEA RETIREMENT NOTICEIf you are planning to retire at the end of the school year, please note that any Bargaining Unit Member who retires or resigns must give the District 60 days written notice before the effective date of the retirement or resignation per Section 5.24 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement. Bargaining Unit Members who retire at the end of the school year and provide 60 days notice, will have their health benefits continue until August 31. If you do not provide this 60 day notice, then you forfeit the benefits listed in Section 5.19 Retirement, including but not limited to sick day payments, personal day payments, and benefit continuation. For sick and personal day payments, you must also have an open TSA account on file with the Payroll Office prior to your last day of employment. ***In order to have your retirement approved during the April Board Meeting, your retirement letter must be received by the Human Resources Dept by April 2nd.
FLEXIBLE SPENDING ACCOUNTS - PayFlex Card - Please be aware that due to federal legislation (Durbin Amendment), there will be changes with your PayFlex thru Horace Mann Credit card. Today, when you use your card, you must choose "credit." Beginning April 1, 2013, debit cards may be used as "debit" or "credit." In fact, a merchant may require you to choose "debit" and not let you use "credit." If you use "debit," then you will need a PIN. A PIN is required to complete a debit transaction. This is true for any location that accepts your PayFlex Card - pharmacies, doctors' offices, other health care locations, day care providers, etc. To get a PIN for your card, please call Card Services on or after April 1, 2013. The number is 1-888-999-0121. If you try to call the number before this date, you will hear a message telling you to call back on or after April 1. Once you have your PIN, you can start to use it right away. If you pay with your card and choose "debit," you will have to enter your PIN when prompted. If your spouse or dependent also has a card for your account, they will use the same PIN you use.
- PLEASE NOTE that all of the money in your flexible spending account (either medical spending or dependent day care spending) must be spent by the end of your plan year. Unused funds will not be returned to you or carried over to the following plan year. In addition, you must submit eligible expenses within 90 days after the end of the plan year or you will not be eligible to receive reimbursement.
To claim your funds, simply complete a claim reimbursement form and submit it along with all proper expense documentation (purchase receipts, EOBs, etc.) in order to be reimbursed. Upon receipt, a claims processor will review your claim and process it for payment after verifying the eligibility of all expenses and confirming receipt of all proper documentation. OR You can pay for your eligible expenses using your Benefit Card at participating providers' offices, drug stores and most pharmacies where credit cards are accepted, so you won't have to pay out-of-pocket or file reimbursement claim forms. Always save your receipts in the event of future requests by the FSA vendor or the IRS to verify that the purchase is valid. Click the following link to access PayFlex thru Horace Mann's website - https://horacemann.healthhub.com/EmployeeLogin.aspx.
DAEA INFORMATION DAEA members, who have signed up for the political action committee election (PACE), will have the deduction withheld April 19, 2013.
2013-2014 Curriculum Leaders Link here for Job Postings. Posting from 3/22/2013 through 4/19/2013 (Internal DAEA Staff Only) - Incumbents need to re-apply each year. Teachers apply through the employee online form. Please remember to include a resume or an informal summary of your experiences. 2013-2014 Academic Leadership Supplementals Link here for Job Postings. Posting from 3/22/2013 through 4/19/2013 (Internal DAEA Staff Only) - Incumbents need to re-apply each year. Teachers apply through the employee online form. Please remember to include a resume or an informal summary of your experiences. 2013-2014 Non-Athletic Supplementals Link here for Job Postings. Posting from 3/22/2013 through 4/19/2013 (Internal DAEA Staff Only) - Incumbents need to re-apply each year. Teachers apply through the employee online form. Please remember to include a resume or an informal summary of your experiences. 2013 Summer Programs - (Internal Staff Only) Posting from 3/8/2013 through 4/12/2013 - Employees need to complete the employee online form. Please remember to include a resume or an informal summary of your experiences. Link here for Job Postings: - 2013 Summer ESY Program
- 2013 Summer Camp Success Program
- 2013 Summer Middle School Program
2013 Additional Summer Programs - - (Internal & External) Posting for additional summer programs from 3/8/2013 through 4/12/2013: - 2013 Summer Custodian Program
- 2013 Summer Grounds Worker Program
- 2013 Summer Technology Program
2013 Summer Temporary Clerical Help - (Internal & External) Posting from 3/22/2013 through 4/19/2013 - Clerical assistance as needed from June through August. DAEA TEACHERS may sign up to register for the District's ListServ As per contract item #6.6, "vacancies in professional positions shall be included on the District website, as well as e-mailed to the President of the Association, and to those Bargaining Unit Members who will sign up for the District's ListServ...." Note: Registration is valid through August 30 each year. On August 31 all registrations will be purged and re-registration begins on September 1 each year. TEAMSTERS SUPPORT STAFF may sign up to register for the District's ListServ As per contract item #17.6 - Vacancies.......vacancies shall be posted on the District's website for a minimum of two business days with an e-mail posting to the Chief Steward or designee, and to those bargaining unit members who sign up for the District's ListServ.....Note: Registration is valid through June 29 each year. On June 30 all registrations will be purged and re-registration begins on July 1 each year.
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| Living Well @ DASD | |
LIVING WELL @ DASD
National Nutrition Month is a nutrition education and information campaign sponsored annually by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The campaign is designed to focus attention on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits.
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| SAFETY ZONE | |
SAFETY ZONE
Spring is upon us, maybe. And, we are all excited to get outside and to do some spring cleaning. Check out the following safety tips:
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| Swap and Shop | |
A Ridgel 6800 Watt Portable Generator, It is brand new. The box has never been opened. Price $875. If interested, please call 484-678-0024.
Nags Head, NC: 3br 2 ba family beach house for rent.
Great location with beautiful ocean views; no streets to cross to beach access! For more info, email
jstruder@dasd.org. |
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To submit an article, "tidbit", "swap and shop" item or a "kudo", send an email to pmcglone@dasd.org
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