STEM Head of School Update
February 24, 2023, Issue 26
From the Office of Art Campbell, Head of School
Mr. Art Campbell, Head of School
Ms. Kelly Stauffer, Admin. Asst. to the Head of School
We would like to recognize and congratulate the following students that were recognized as National Merit Finalists for the 22-23 School Year:
Shreyas Annagiri, Devanshi Bhargava, Yasaswini Bommareddy, Geeta Cheeti, Yaduraj Choudhary, Leon Dang, Mark Fleckser, Melody Gao, Oak Hu, Taarana Jammula, Wafiza Julkipli, Aditya Kadiyala, Lineesha Kamana, Sidanth Menon, Tejasvi Pathipati, Aneesh Raparla, Timothy Salmon, Hitaesh Saravanarajan, Kashti Satish Umare, Madeleine R. Snyder, Shashwat Srivastava, Ruthvik Suryapalam, Charlotte Tan
**Finalists are pictured below (not pictured: Leon Dang, Tejasvi Pathipati)
STEM Varsity Academic Team Update
Submitted by Ms. Kristen Pugliese-Kash
STEM’s Varsity Academic Team participated in the CCIU’s Semi-Finals competition on Tuesday, February 21. They were seeded number 5 out of the 23 teams in the league, and after beating Kennett and PALCS in their first round (STEM 120, Kennett 90, PALCS 70), they upset the number 2 seed Great Valley by scoring 125 points (Great Valley 110, Avon Grove Charter 75) in what was a true team effort. They will be the first Academic Team in STEM’s history to compete in Finals (March 21st) – congratulations to all!
Varsity Team Pictured below:
Yaduraj Choudhary, Soham Katdare, Ryan Smith, Saptak Das, Lineesha Kamana, Ethan Lemler, Kamal Imaya (Not Pictured: Kashti Satish Umare)
Campus Safety Reminders
Please be reminded that students are to be dropped off behind the school. No students should be dropped on Manor Ave. We appreciate your cooperation. Safety is always our first priority.
Also, beginning Monday, February 6, for the safety of all students and staff, crossing back and forth, 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.
Upcoming February DEI Programming and Community Events
- Downingtown Area School District is excited to announce a virtual event featuring professional soccer player Zack Steffen, taking place on Feb. 27, in honor of Black History Month. The event will focus on the importance of community and how it has played a role in Steffen’s personal and professional journey. A 2013 graduate of Downingtown High School West, Steffen is an American professional soccer player who currently plays goalkeeper for Manchester City F.C. and the US Men's National Team. He has had a successful career and is known for his strong leadership and community involvement. He is the founder of VOYCENOW Foundation, an organization dedicated to providing equal opportunities and resources for minority students; a co-chair for the Philadelphia Soccer 2026 bid committee for FIFA World Cup 2026; and a co-founder of Parichute app. Registration is required.
- Over the past few years, Downingtown Area School District (DASD) has seen an increase in the number of student civil service projects within the district. As we continue to see this number rise, the DASD Culture Equity Task Force will welcome award-winning philanthropist Nahjee Grant for a district-wide training about the importance of these community ventures and how they can best benefit those who are most in need. This virtual event will be held on Tuesday, February 28, 2023 at 3:45 pm. Registration is required. Grant is a motivational speaker, published author, TV host, and celebrated storyteller who has shared his amazing life story to full-capacity rooms filled with people of all ages. He shares his personal journey of failure-turned-into-hope through his books, online courses, school assemblies, leadership conferences and workshops. Grant is also an entrepreneur with over 10 years of experience as a community organizer providing an array of services to community members of all ages.
- DASD/ Communities that Care (CTC) Parent Speaker Program will be hosting "Healthy Boundaries, Healthy Families", which is a virtual event on Tuesday, March 7. The flier with additional details is shown below. Registration is required for this event.
DCEF (Downingtown Community Education Foundation) presents the Harlem Wizards, Thursday, March 23, 2023 at Downingtown High School West. Flyer and ticket info below.
Internships and Partnerships:The Financial Reality Fair is Coming!
Wishing your student knew a little bit more about the concept of managing money?
The Franklin Mint Federal Credit Union will be addressing that topic by bringing their Financial Reality Fair to the STEM Academy on Wednesday, April 14th. This is a fun yet educational day for all Juniors, who are each assigned a random “life scenario”. They will learn how to make financial decisions based on a monthly salary and budget to meet basic needs, such as housing, transportation, food and child care. Students visit 15 booths withoptions for using their money to save, spend, share and earn–plus–get lucky on the “Wheel of Possibilities”. FMFCU Financial Counselors are available throughout the experience to help balance the budgets and offer advice. This fair is open to all 11th grade students.
Want to be a Financial Reality Fair Volunteer? We need 20 parent volunteers
(brief training provided morning of event; no preparation needed)
Please fill out the attached survey!
Additional IB Updates
Creativity, Activity and Service (CAS) Updates
Senior CAS/Graduation Project Spotlight:
To further her interest in music, Casey Benevento is working on writing and producing an original song. She will need to decide specifics like the message, genre, software, etc. Her goal is to choose a pivotal point in her life to base the piece around, and to share the song with her peers as a way of becoming more confident and open about her interest.
Class of 2023 [Seniors]:
CAS Portfolios must be complete by March 1st (nothing new after this date)!
The questions for Interview #3 are posted on Schoology for students to make a copy, and responses may be sent to Mrs. Sherlock in advance of the meeting. Students may email Mrs. Sherlock to schedule their final CAS meeting.
IB Course Candidate students may send Mrs. Sherlock their finished Graduation Project presentations before the March 1st deadline!
Class of 2024 [Juniors]:
Students may submit CAS Project Proposals to Mrs. Sherlock once they have a group and an idea established. Otherwise, they can continue to add CAS experiences in ManageBac.
Extended Essay (EE)
Class of 2023 [Seniors]:
Final EEs were due on Feb. 1 to both Turnitin and ManageBac. The document uploaded to Turnitin is what will be sent to the IB for Assessment. The 3 RPPFs from ManageBac are also sent to the IB for evaluation. Advisors are completing their final comments about the students’ performance throughout the EE process.
Class of 2024 [Juniors]:
Students are now working on creating a Research Question (Module due 2/28), and starting research on their chosen topic.
Students have until 2/28 to enter their narrowed-down topic into ManageBac.
Juniors have until March 30 to submit their Candidacy Declaration Forms to Ms. Schell (IB Diploma or IB Course Candidate).
Student Life
Ms. Katherine Cole,Dean of Academics & Student Life
Ms. Cory Butler, Admin. Asst
From the Friends of Downingtown Library
The Friends of the Downingtown Library would love to receive your donations of clean, gently used books for both children and adults, as well as DVDs and CDs. (Please, no textbooks or magazines).
Donations can be brought to school and dropped off in the box located outside of the main office, or dropped off at the Downingtown Library (122 Wallace Ave., Downingtown) by March 17th. Thank you in advance for your contributions!
The book sale begins Friday, March 17th. Please stop by the library and purchase items at very reasonable prices! Proceeds from the sale will support Library programming and new materials. (downingtownlibrary.org)
Parking Permit Update
We have had many inquiries recently about obtaining a parking permit. We are currently unable to issue any additional parking permits at this point in the year. We are still encouraging students to apply to be added to the waitlist, so that if a space becomes available, we will offer in the order that students have applied. The parking permit application can be located on our website under the STEM Backpack.
Reminder for those with Senior Privileges
- You MUST sign in at the main office when you arrive to school, and out prior to leaving for the day.
- You should enter through the main office.
- You must have completed the Early Dismissal/Late Arrival Permission form for Seniors
- Once approved, you will receive a message to see Ms. Sokso in the main office.
Culture Fest: Tuesday, February 28 During Lunch & Learn
Save the date: Friday, March 3: Student Entrepeneur Expo at DHSE
STEM Academy Art Show is coming!
Join us for the STEM Academy’s annual Art Show, featuring senior IB Visual Art exhibitions, and artwork created by all our visual art students.
STEM Academy Art Show
March 16, 2023
Knowledge Commons
6:00pm – 8:00pmIf there are any questions, please contact Ms. Janette Romano, IB Visual Art & Art in the 21st Century Teacher
Class of 2023 Local Scholarship Opportunities and Deadlines
SENIORS!
Are you looking for assistance to help with the impending costs of college?
The Academy is incredibly fortunate to have a number of families, businesses, and community organizations sponsor scholarship opportunities specifically for our graduating class.
The applications for these Local Scholarships will go live on Monday February 27, 2023 and can be accessed from the STEM Academy Counseling Department Schoology Page.
All Seniors should already be “members” of the page, but can also join with Access Code WN9WS-2NXFK
Starting Monday, February 27, your child can click on “Materials” to find the “Class of 2023: Local Scholarship Program” folder.
All completed applications must be submitted by 11:59pm on March 27, 2023.
Please remember to have your child fill out all application forms completely in order to meet the requirements of each scholarship*.
*NOTE: For any awards that require an official transcript or teacher letter of recommendation, the School Counseling Office will automatically attach those when processing returned applications.
While these Local Awards are only for members of the senior class, underclassmen can log into Naviance to browse college and career exploration resources, as well as the “Scholarship List” and “National Scholarship Search” resources.
Reach out to your child’s school counselor with any questions!
Is your college asking you to send 1st and 2nd marking period grades? Please stop by the Counseling Office and pick up a Midyear Report Request form so your counselor can submit this report. A few important things to remember:
- Make sure your grades are correct before turning in this form.
- Make sure your college(s) actually require the midyear report (not all do!)
- The midyear report lists the letter grade for the 1st MP and the letter grade from the 2nd MP separately - they are not averaged together.
STEM Counseling Department
STEM Academy Counselors:
All counselors see students in grades 9-12.
Ms. Mary Wallin: Last names A-C
Mr. David Stratton: Last names D-Kl
Ms. Stacey Hewitt: Last names Ko- Ra
Ms. Leanne Glowik : Last names Re - Z
Ms. Stephanie Rockowitz, Counseling Secretary/Registrar
Ms. Jennifer Stull, Prevention Specialist
Guide to Districtwide Mental Health Resources
- On Wednesday, February 22, 2023 the STEM Counseling Department hosted the Junior Class College Planning Night for 11th grade students and parents. Attendees were able to hear from the STEM counselors about important topics in the college admission process and participate in a panel discussion with admissions counselors from seven different universities. We also had two representatives join us from UK colleges to meet with interested families and students. You can view the presentation here:
Junior College Night Presentation February 2023
- We will begin our Junior Meetings the week of March 6th. These 45-minute meetings can be scheduled in-person or via Zoom and are an opportunity for students and parents to meet with their school counselor to discuss individual post-secondary plans. A link to sign up for a meeting with your school counselor will be sent out via email next week. Students are required to attend this meeting.
2023 Summer Programs
STEM Academy HSA presents, the 12th Annual "Fore the Kids" Golf Outing - Registration is now open!
The 12th Annual Downingtown STEM Academy HSA
“FORE the KIDS” Golf Outing will be held Monday, April 24, 2023 at Whitford Country Club, Downingtown, PA.
Registration is now open for the 12th Annual STEM Academy “Fore the Kids” Golf Outing on Monday April 24, 2023 at the Whitford Country Club in Downingtown. We are looking for sponsors and golfers. Take advantage of our “Early Birdie” special (until 2/28) — register for a Hole Sponsorship and get one free golfer. Visit the STEM Golf Outing registration page to sign up to sponsor and/or golf. Questions? Email stemgolfouting@gmail.com.
The “FORE the KIDS” fund provides business-critical soft skills training for all STEM Academy students, delivered by the Mid-Atlantic Employers Association (MEA), scholarship funding for students in financial need to cover fees associated with the International Baccalaureate diploma and HSA Book Scholarships awarded at the Senior Awards Ceremony.
Please email Kathy Cattell for more information about sponsorship for the 2023 Golf Outing.
Home and School Association
2022-2023
STEM HSA Board
- Mark your calendars: The next HSA meeting will be held on Monday, March 13th via Zoom.
Spring Spirit Wear Store
Our spring spirit wear store is now open! The deadline for placing an order is March 7, 2023. Please visit the STEM HSA Spirit Wear Store to place your orders.
CELEBRATE YOUR SENIOR WITH A PERSONALIZED GRADUATION LAWN SIGN!
These High-Quality lawn signs are 24"x48" screen-printed vinyl. This year we are offering 2 options, one with a picture of your graduate and one with the STEM Academy logo. Both can be personalized with your graduates name on them. All orders are due no later than Friday, April 14, 2023. Questions can be directed to Mary Gasser.
Order at https://dtownstemacademy.squarespace.com/graduation-lawn-signs
Upcoming HSA Post-Prom Fundraiser: Trivia Night @ Estrella see the detailed flyer below)
Think you know your trivia? Prove it! Gather up a team of your friends (up to 8) and compete for awesome prizes!
This event sold out quickly last year so don’t delay…reserve your space TODAY!
Cash and Venmo accepted for 50/50 raffle. All proceeds will go toward STEM Academy’s Post-Prom.
Ongoing Fundraiser
A great way you can contribute to all our activities is to Shop Amazon Smile and have *free* money donated to the STEM Academy with every qualified purchase! Every little bit adds up! Amazon donates a percentage of sales back to the school if you place your order from the 'smile' page. The page looks and acts exactly the same and there is NO COST! Just free money donated to the school!
Use this link to auto-select STEM Academy Home & School as your supported organization.
https://smile.amazon.com/ch/45-2446765
If you use the Amazon App on your phone, you can turn on Amazon Smile in Settings and select ‘Stem Academy Home & School Association’ or your school. Thank you for your support!
From the Nurse
- 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.
Important Attendance information
Ms. Dana Sokso: Attendance Secretary DASD STEM Academy
Please help us in reminding your student of the following:
- Whether your student is arriving late to school, has Senior Privileges, or has a parent note to leave early, they must sign in/out of the main office for attendance.
- All attendance inquiries throughout the school year can be directed to stemattendance@dasd.org
- Students should scan the QR Codes located outside the main office, and then upload their notes for Absence, Tardiness, and Trips.
- Please review the attendance policy in the Student Code of Conduct: Upon 3 unlawful offenses a written notification will be sent to parent; upon 6 unlawful absences, a 2nd notification will be sent, and a School Attendance improvement plan meeting will be required.
- 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.
DASD Athletics
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 STEM Academy
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