Have you ever wondered how you can get involved at Dock? Watch for some tips and advice about how you and your family can make the most of your Dock experience!

Get involved at Dock

2021-22 Guidance Counselors

For the 2021-2022 school year, Mr. Ken Kabakjian (kdkabakjian@dock.org,) is the counselor for grades 10 and 12 and Mrs. Lori Leaman (ldleaman@dock.org) is the counselor for grades 9 and 11. The counselors invite you to email or call them if you have questions or concerns. 

Schedule Changes

All schedule changes for the year should have been completed by Thursday, September 2. Changes made after this date will need approval of parents, teachers, and guidance counselor. From time to time, students may need to drop a class they are enrolled in. Dropping a class they have started will be reflected on their permanent transcript with a WP (Withdraw Passing) or a WF (Withdraw Failing). Please contact your guidance counselor with any questions.

Student Elections

Elections for class leaders were held on Wednesday, September 1. We appreciate the willingness and dedication of these students to serve our school community as class officers and senators.

Testing Information

Juniors and Sophomores: The PSAT is scheduled for Wednesday, October 13.  All juniors will report to the cafeteria at 7:45 a.m. to take this exam. This is the first step in entering the scholarship programs conducted by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. There is no charge for Juniors. PSAT informational booklets will be distributed when they become available.

The Guidance Office also invites sophomores to take the PSAT; however, there is a $20 fee. Sophomores can register in the Guidance Office on or before Monday, October 4th. A check made out to Dock Mennonite Academy is due when the student registers. Mr. Kabakjian will be visiting sophomore classes to give students more information.  Sophomores do not qualify for scholarships, but it is good practice for their junior year.

SAT Information
Test Date                           Registration Deadline

October 2, 2021                  September 21, 2021 (Late Registration)

November 6,2021               October 8, 2021

December 4, 2021              November 4, 2021

March 12, 2022                  February 11, 2022

May 7, 2022                       April 8, 2022

June 4, 2022                      May 5, 2022

The easiest way to register for the SAT is online at www.Collegeboard.com. Students should set up an account with College Board. This will give them access to many tools that are available to support SAT preparation and the college search. There are also helps for parents. This is a recommended site for college bound students and their parents.

College Planning

Seniors: Mr. Kabakjian will be visiting senior English classes this month to go over the college application process. All seniors should have an active SCOIR account. SCOIR is a college and career planning system that can help you discover colleges that match your personal as well as academic interests. We encourage students at Dock to use it to navigate through the college selection and application process.

Mennonite College Day

The Mennonite Colleges and Universities will be on campus for an in-person visit this year! Dock's annual Mennonite College Day is Wednesday, October 20. Representatives from the Mennonite colleges and universities will be on campus to spend the day with Dock students. They will lead chapel and be available to meet with students individually. Students are encouraged to stop by their tables throughout the day or during lunch to interact with the college representatives. To learn more about their schools, please check them out online or plan to visit them soon.

Parents, join us for an information session hosted by the Admission Representatives Tuesday evening at 7:00. Following a presentation, you will have the opportunity to ask questions and meet individually with the representatives.

Student Support Team (SST)

For the 2021-22 school year, the Student Support Team (SST) will be: Mr. Gehman and Dr. SilverMoon, Faculty; Caleb Benner, Campus Pastor; Mrs. Leaman, 9^th and 11^th grade Guidance Counselor, Mr. Kabakjian 10^th and 12^th grade Guidance Counselor; and Mr. Doug Hackman, Principal.

Parents or students, are you aware of a student that is struggling with an issue? Are you concerned about a behavior of a specific group or individual student attending Dock? You may bring your concern to SST. Speak to any of the members listed above or write out your concern and bring it to the Guidance Office. It may be done anonymously if you prefer. 

Academic Support Service Offered

The Montgomery County Intermediate Unit, in conjunction with the Guidance Office, offers academic support services at Dock. Students experiencing difficulties may be referred to the MCIU reading specialist for temporary, focused instruction in reading comprehension, organizational skills, and writing. The sessions will help students improve basic academic skills and bridge the gap between their skills and grade-level material. The service is available to all students on an as-needed basis. For more information, please contact Lori Leaman or Ken Kabakjian in the Guidance Office at 215-362-2675, ext. 601.

Save the Date!

Back to School Night will be held on Thursday, September 23. After several Dock updates, parents will be invited to follow your child’s daily schedule to meet teachers. Please note: This is an event for parents only.

Our first Admissions Open House of the 2021-22 school year will be held on the Grades 9-12 Campus on Saturday, October 9, from 12:30 - 2:30 p.m. Prospective high school students (grades 8 to 12) and their families can tour Dock's beautiful campus, meet our faculty and coaches, and learn about academics, athletics, art, music, and other opportunities that help create an extraordinary Dock experience.

No RSVP is necessary, though you are welcome to contact Director of Admissions Doug Hackman or submit an inquiry for more information.

Dock Mennonite Academy Superintendent Dr. Conrad Swartzentruber has written a letter to Dock students and their families, another in a series of pandemic-related communications the school has shared over the course of the past 18 months. In his September 1, 2021 Superintendent's Letter, Dr. Swartzentruber announces a change in the school's COVID protocols.

Read the full text of the letter here

Discover what it means to be #DockStrong

It's easy to say that any community or group is #Strong. But what does it really mean? 

Listen as these Dock parents share from their heart about what #DockStrong means to them.

Discover #DockStrong

SquadLocker is your one-stop shop for Dock back-to-school swag! Backpacks, apparel for guys and girls in every size and style, and the ability to customize your imprint make SquadLocker THE place to start your back-to-school shopping.

Go shopping now!

Leonard Dow ('82) has been named Vice President of Community and Church Development at Everence. He will continue to lead the Everence team in Philadelphia, but will also direct Everence efforts to serve emerging diverse communities and churches. In addition, Dow was named president of Everence Community Investments LLC.

"As our community and church demographics change, it is essential that Everence continue to take steps to build authentic relationships in all of the communities where we live and serve," said Everence CEO Ken Hochstetler. Everence helps individuals, organizations and congregations integrate finances with faith through a national team of professionals. Everence offers banking, insurance and financial services with community benefits and stewardship education.

Photo courtesy of Mennonite Central Committee

Read Leonard Dow's Commencement address to the Class of 2019

Carolina Fraser ('19) has done it again: She is the winner of the National Audubon Society Photography Awards Grand Prize in the Amateur category for her stunning photo of a roadrunner taking a dust bath in the South Texas desert (above). Fraser won the Grand Prize in the Youth category in 2016 for her shot of two Great Frigate birds, which she captured in the Galapagos Islands.

"One of my favorite places to take photographs is among the oil pumps and open space at Los Novios Ranch in South Texas, where wildlife weaves through cacti and birds perch on fence posts," Fraser said in describing her award-winning shot. "On a blazing hot summer day just before sunset, I found myself lying facedown at an uncomfortable angle, my elbows digging into a gravel path as I photographed this roadrunner. I manually adjusted the white balance until I captured the bird bathed in golden sunlight as it took a dust bath."

Read more about Fraser's award-winning photo

Read more about Fraser's passion for photography

"Let's go to the zoo!" is a new summer camp that has been added to the Dock Summer Camp lineup for ages 4 to 6. This camp will run July 26-30 from 8:30-11:30 a.m. each day. It will be supervised by Mrs. Laura Almond and other Dock faculty. Students will spend our time learning about different animals and their life at the zoo. For more information about Dock's sup[er summer camp lineup, visit dock.org/summercamps.

Now-retired faculty member Mr. Harry “Mr. A” Anselmo first began taking Dock Middle School students on the “Splash into Science” summer learning trip almost 20 years ago. Fifteen students in grades 7 and 8 continued the tradition this year, now accompanied by high school science teacher Mrs. Kellena Smith and several other adult chaperones. The 5-day trip is jam-packed with a variety of fun opportunities to learn about ecosystems in the Florida Keys. Students participate in a beach snorkel, a reef snorkel, and kayak through mangroves, visit a turtle hospital, and learn about (and swim with!) dolphins. The group also spent a day in the Florida Everglades learning about that ecosystem.

See more Splash into Science photos