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 The D-Link

  Bringing you the latest in DASD news and information

 
Downingtown Area School District                          10/21/2014
In This Issue
Camping Trip Part of Curriculum
New Website Coming
Around the District
In the News

Roses from The Daily Local

16th School Opens

   
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A Message from The Superintendent

  

I think I may have said this more than once in this column, but this is one of my favorite times of the year.  Our schools have been open and operating well for over a month now. The weather is wonderful and baseball playoffs are in full swing and the Phillies are waiting for spring training, once again. Fall is just gorgeous in the northeast!

 

On our own playing fields, our fall sports' teams are having great seasons.  I love to hear the excitement in the voice of our new Athletic Director, Earl Burnham, as he tells me of the many success stories of our student athletes.  Among the highlights this year are both DHS East and DHS West Volley Ball and Field Hockey teams - both teams are ranked in the District 1 top ten teams and will play district playoff games this week. DHS West Cross Country Teams won the Chesmonts and  DHS East Golfer Josh Madarang missed advancing to the PIAA State Championship by one stroke in the East Regionals held at Golden Oaks.   The Cougar boys golf team combined for a team total of 370 (10-over par) en route to winning the National Division title by 30 strokes and the Ches-Mont title by 13. Our other fall athletes in soccer and tennis had great seasons as well. 

 

Finally, if you are looking for me on Friday night, I'll be the guy wearing a blue and gold Cougar scarf and a Whippet cap at our annual football game between DHS East and DHS West.  This big game brings close to 5000 DASD fans, alumni and family members into Kottmeyer Stadium.   No matter what team you've come to support, you'll find yourself singing along with every song our bands play in the stands, applauding every throw and tumble of our cheerleaders and shaking your head in amazement at each exciting play on the field.  Believe me, there is no better place to be on a Friday night than in Downingtown and no better game to see than the HUGE East v West Battle of the Brandywine rivalry. Throw out the records when East meets West for any sport, but especially football. I'll see you Friday night! 

 

Dr. Larry Mussoline
Superintendent
Downingtown Area School District

 

  
Marsh Creek Students Go Camping



 

 













As part of the curriculum at the Marsh Creek Sixth Grade Center, all students participate in a two-day overnight camping trip to Paradise Farms in East Bradford Township.  Each team (app. 85 to 130 students per team) journeys  to the camp separately, offering students and staff a wonderful opportunity to get to know each other better. Students participate in a variety of activities that include team building, canoeing, orienteering,, rock climbing. bird watching and stream studies.   
New Website Coming!

The District and all 16 schools will soon have a new website, hosted by Schoolwires.   On the right is a facsimile of how the new homepages will look.   As you can see photos of our students and staff involved in your school's programs and activities will take the prominent position on each homepage.  The new websites will go live on November 15th.  District and school personnel are currently involved in getting all the information from the old site into the new site.   We look forward to providing this new communication tool to our community.
 

 

Around the District

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Springton Manor Safety Patrollers enjoyed a beautiful afternoon on Saturday, October 18, 2014 helping out at the Ryerss Farm for Aged Equines located in Pottstown, PA.  The crew of 14 patrollers, accompanied by their parents as well as grandparents, cleaned the walls of 16 horse stalls, washed out water buckets and even knocked down several birds' nests that were built over the spring and summer months.  How true the old saying..."Many hands make for light work!" The Ryerss Farm upper barn is now ready for the 24/7 herd of horses to use during the upcoming cold winter months. 

 

 

 

It's Homecoming season and Dr. Mussoline and the Whippet were part of the DHS West festivities on October 16th.  The duo joined the DHS West team, cheerleaders, band, students and staff in the homecoming parade down Pennsylvania Ave. 

 

 

Downingtown West teachers, Fran Evans and Lauren Taylor along with District Cyber Coordinator Kristie Burke, made a presentation on blended learning to the members of the Chester County Association of Family and Consumer Sciences and some visiting students from Immaculata. Fran and Lauren shared what they do in their Intro to Foods classes and how they collaborate with each other. They talked about different technology tools (Schoology, EdPuzzle, Quizlet, Remind, etc.) employed by the teachers and student.  Fran and Lauren made Downingtown West look very, very good. The president of the association has asked the group to present the same material at the statewide-conference in the spring.

 

 

FRC teams 316 (LuNaTeCs, Penns Grove NJ), 1640 (Sab-BOT-age, Downingtown, PA) and 1089 (Mercury, Hightstown, NJ) were champions at this year's off-season "Duel on the Delaware" robotics competition at Salem Community College.  This is 1640's 4th consecutive Duel victory.

 

 

 

The DMS Ecology Club, in an effort to help others while reducing waste and giving families a place for unwanted or needed items, is collecting items that can be donated to different charities.  To help, click here.  

 

 

 
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