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3/31/16 through 4/2/16 DHS West musical "Chittty Chitty Bang Bang"  Click here for tickets.

4/4/16 from 4 to 7 - Annual Prom Dress Sale at the Pulse Beauty Academy.  All gowns are $25.

4/6/16 - DCEF Student Art Gala and Auction to benefit DASD students. Get your free event  tickets here.  
 
4/7 through 4/9 Disney's The Little Mermaid at DHS East.  Click here for tickets.

4/14/16 - 1:1 Laptop initiative parent information meeting - from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at DHS East and a second meeting at DHS East on 4/19/16 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. 
Congratulations! 

Congratulations to Madalyn Morley, DHS West, winner of the Chester County AVOID contest.   

Paige Warfel (DE), Ryan Betley (DW) and Liz D'Ginto (DW) have been named Players of the year by the Daily Local. (Stories above)

Neel Alex, a senior at Downingtown East is a semifinalist in the USA Biology Olympiad. This is the third year he has achieved semifinalist status.
 
Andrew Chiti, a fifth grade student at Shamona Creek, has won the Habitat for Humanity "Build a House... Build a Dream" contest  

STEM students Zachary Kirk and Rachana Mudipalli won a combined $150,000.00 in scholarship money and 8 awards in the Delaware Valley Science Fair.

STEM students win at HOSA State Leadership Conference.  Catherine Li - Bronze medal in Medical Spelling, Simarjeet Kaur - Bronze medal in Nutrition
Kirsten McQueen - Bronze medal in Pathophysiology
Jon and Lizzie Luciani - Gold medal in EMT

 
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FROM SUPERINTENDENT MUSSOLINE

April is Autism Awareness month.   Launched nearly a quarter century ago by the Autism Society, the goal of Awareness Month is to promote autism awareness, inclusion and self-determination for all. 
 
The Downingtown Area School District provides a continuum of individualized services to 294 students with an autism diagnosis across the District. We currently operate autistic support programs at Beaver Creek Elementary School, Bradford Heights Elementary School, Springton Manor Elementary School, Uwchlan Hills Elementary School and in each of our buildings in grades 6-12.Our programs focus on partnering with parents and families in utilizing evidence-based practices to meet the communication, academic, and social-emotional needs of our students with autism.

The Downingtown Area School District is celebrating autism awareness month in a variety of ways across the District including the wearing  of "light it up blue" tee shirts and ribbons, completing various art projects and bulletin boards, and by sharing facts about autism with students and staff via building news outlets.
 
Our school district strives for full participation and inclusion of our autistic students. As stressed by the Autism Society, our district is using this month to help all our students become a community where those with autism are truly valued for their unique talents and gifts.
 
 
Holocaust Symposium
 
Sophomores in the Downingtown Area School District have had the unique opportunity to meet and hear from Holocaust survivors and their children. This program, started by former English teacher Nancy Robinson, brings survivors and other family members to both East and West where they share their stories of survival and heroism. The East program, organized by teachers Jackie Rhodes and Donna Luzenski, and was held on March 31, 2016. The West program will be held on April 14, 2016.  Click here for more of the story. 

Meeting planned on 1:1 Laptop initiative
 
The School Board has approved a 1:1 Laptop initiative for students who will be entering the ninth and tenth grades in DHS East and DHS West. The laptop rollout will begin in January 2017.  Students currently in grades 8 and 9 will have the option of using their own laptops/tablets (must meet certain technology specifications) or to use one of the new district-owned MacBook Air or Dell computers that will be available for students to use throughout their high school years.   An annual technology fee covering accidental damage, nominal repairs, software, and insurance against theft of $200 for the MacBook Air or $75 for the Dell computer will be assessed. At graduation, students will have the option of purchasing their laptops for a very nominal fee.  There will be two meetings on this new initiative for all interested parents:  
 
DHS East on April 19, 2016 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.
 
DHS West on April 20, 2016 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. 
NEWS AND INFORMATION

             

Headline News
Featured Stories
Wax Museum at Uwchlan Hills
On 4/1/16 Uwchlan Hills held its annual 2nd grade Wax Museum for parents and students.   Students selected a famous historical person to study, created a costume and spent the morning telling visitors a little bit about their selected character.  Among the historical figures represented were Jim Thorpe, Coco Chanel, Leonardo Da Vinci, Sacagawea, Albert Einstein and Abe Lincoln.  

Chadds Ford Administrators learn about LE Gifted Program
Several administrators from the Unionville-Chadds Ford school district came to Lionville Elementary School to learn more about the LE's successful gifted support services program.  Teacher Deborah Alberici spoke to the group before inviting them into her classroom for an observation.

Nine win awards in the Dr. Lucy Balian Rorke-Adams Science Fair
Megan Hermann (STEM) placed first in the Behavioral and Social Sciences category, a Best of Show award (gr. 9) and the Richard and Patti Smith Behavioral and Social Sciences Award. Rachana Mudipalli (STEM) placed first in Microbiology and also won a Best of Show (Gr. 11) award. Zachary Kirk (STEM) placed second in Earth and Space Science.  Shruti Velan (DMS)placed first in the biochemistry category, won a best of show award and won the DOW Biochemistry Award.  Vruti Soni (DMS) placed 3rd in Physics and won the Ricchard and Patti Smith Physics Award and a special award from the Chester County Planning Commission, Samudrika Romee Mohanta (DMS) won an honorable mention in microbiology as did Matt Walter in Physics. Maria and Manuel Thomas (MC6th) placed first in the Team Project Category.

Light it Up Blue
East Ward celebrated Autism Awareness Day (April 2) a day early. Students listened to a story today, My Friend has Autism. Throughout the month of April students will be doing activities to increase their understanding of Autism.


Springton Manor
"Light it Up Blue" for Autism Awareness month. The students and staff at Springton Manor are taking time to educate each other about autism and helping to create an environment of acceptance for ALL. On Friday, April 1st, Students and staff also wore blue shirts and/or Autism Awareness t-shirts

LMS
As part of the LMS Autism Awareness activities, students sold puzzle piece candy grams to raise awareness. The kids will be selling the candy grams during lunches on April 1, 4, 5, and 6th. We will also be selling ribbons. Students also made Autism Awareness signs to hang up throughout the school.
 
BC
At Beaver Creek, students and teachers created "Everybody is somebody and we fit right together" bulletin boards for Autism Awareness Month. Teachers also dressed in blue.

Uwchlan Hills holds talent show
The Uwchlan Hills Variety Show was held on March 18th and was a very successful night. Over 200 students in all grades participated and showed off their special talents. Parent volunteers put together the choreography and programs for the show. Students were the MC's. Brian Lloyd and a team of students from STEM ran the sound. It took a "village" to make this event run smoothly!
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