• Mr. Ken Kabakjian, Guidance Counselor for Grades 10 & 12  kdkabakjian@dock.org
• Mrs. Lori Leaman, Guidance Counselor for Grades 9 & 11  ldleaman@dock.org
• Mrs. Jan Swartley, Guidance Assistant  jlswartley@dock.org

SAT and ACT College Exams

Information about SAT and ACT exams is available at collegeboard.com or actstudent.org. April and May test dates have been canceled or postponed. Currently, the next SAT is scheduled for the first weekend of June. College Board has not made a decision about whether they can safely hold that test. We will let you know as soon as we know.  Now is a good time to login to College Board and take a free SAT practice test and do some SAT test prep. If you have questions about college entrance exams, please contact your counselor.

                 SAT Exam                                                              ACT Exam

Testing Date               Registration Deadline                  Testing Date               Registration Deadline

June 6, 2020                May 8, 2020                                 June 13, 2020               May 8, 2020                    

Parents, remember to check Collegeboard.com or ACT.org for information to support your student. Along with college information, there is also a timeline, registration and practice tests, and other helpful tips. Guidance encourages you to take time and search this site for helpful information.

Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD)

Students with the proper current documentation (within 3 years) for a learning disability, may qualify for accommodations for the SAT or ACT test. An SSD Student Eligibility Form must be submitted for each student requesting accommodations. The College Board recommends that Dock submit SSD Student Eligibility Forms at the conclusion of the student's 9th grade year. If you feel your child would qualify for SAT or ACT accommodations, please contact Mrs. Leaman for a request form or additional information.  SAT accommodations and ACT accommodations are two separate applications. After the student has been approved for accommodations, it follows him/her through high school.

Scholarships are out there . . . You just have to search for them!

There is still time to apply for scholarships! More information, including a list of specific scholarships and their application deadlines, is available on the website.  Remember to talk with the financial director at your college of choice to uncover other options. It takes work, but there is money to help support higher education.

Below are some helpful online resources to assist you in scholarship searches.

College Board - www.collegeboard.com 

FastWeb - www.fastweb.com 

Scholarship Page - www.scholarship-page.com/ 

Sallie Mae - www.salliemae.com/college-planning/college-scholarships/

Going Merry - www.goingmerry.com

Student Scholarships - www.studentscholarships.org/scholarship.php

The following scholarships are offered to Dock students only. Check your Schoology messages for an application. They are also available on the Guidance Office Scholarship page on Dock's website.

• The Vanessa L. Myers Women In STEM Alumnus Scholarship provides a $1000 scholarship to a female graduating Dock senior who is entering a field related to Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics. Applications are due April 30.
• The Travis Bechtel Memorial Scholarship provides a $1000 scholarship to a Dock senior planning to major in business who excels in academics, athletics, and business. Applications are due May 13.
• The Daniel J. Reinford Scholarship is awarded to graduating Dock seniors who will be attending a Mennonite college or university. It is based on financial need, grades, and contribution to campus life. Applications are due May 13.

AP Testing

The AP Program is committed to supporting students during the coronavirus outbreak. They are offering free remote learning and at-home AP testing. While we encourage students to wait until closer to the test date to decide, any student already registered for an exam can choose to cancel at no charge. More information about AP exams can be found at collegeboard.org. Please reach out to Mr. Kabakjian if you have questions or concerns about your specific situation.

Summer Enrichment

Looking for things to do this summer? Check out the Summer Opportunities link on the Guidance Office web page for ideas! Enrichment activities look impressive on the college resume. Talk to your Guidance Counselor if you have questions. 

Academic Recognitions

As we have done in the past, we will honor students at graduation with three categories:

• Cum laude—Cumulative GPA of 3.70 – 3.84
• Magna cum laude—Cumulative GPA of 3.85 - 3.99
• Summa cum laude—Cumulative GPA of 4.00 and above

Our physical campuses may be temporarily closed, but online learning is wide open! We are now in our third week of distance learning, and our students and faculty are doing an amazing job! Take a peek at just a few of the ways Dock teachers are engaging students on both campuses, and how families, students and teachers are working together in new and fascinating ways.

COVID-19 Response

Despite our annual Family Service Night being cancelled last week due to COVID-19, Dock is pleased to announce that we were able to support Healthy Niños Honduras in several substantial ways.

Our Dock Chick-fil-A Leader Academy high school students wrote/received a grant, Dock Middle School students, faculty and staff held a "comfy day" and collected monies, Dock 5th grade students collected dimes, and our Futsal teams generously donated their registration fees to the cause.

In total, we raised over $1,300!!

In addition, Dock families have donated much needed items since the beginning of March.

Items collected include:

• 329 individual bags of toys for children
• 43 complete school kits (kits include a notebook, ruler, crayons/colored pencils, an eraser, 2 pencils and a pencil sharpener)
• Over 1,300 additional crayons 
• Over 1,000 additional pencils
• Over 800 additional colored pencils
• 450 gallon bags

Thanks to all who helped make a difference! Monies raised will go towards Healthy Ninos Honduras’ water filtration systems, a new warehouse and office building, and to provide assistance to communities in need.

It has been an exciting day watching our students, faculty and staff work together to facilitate a period of online learning for both of our campuses! We are off to a great start, but continue to ask for your patience and grace as we navigate a new way of learning.

Here are just a few of the things we have seen happening today in our virtual classrooms:

- We were humbled and grateful when our Grade 6 crew connected virtually this morning for an online community prayer. It is a good reminder for all of us that we need to continue to be in prayer for our country and its leaders, for those around us, and for each other, that we will show wisdom, mercy, and grace to all.

- Our teachers are establishing daily office hours when they will be available to connect virtually with students.

- A Schoology video conference this morning for AP Statistics students helped to answer their questions about how assignments will be handled and how the class will learn together moving forward.

- "Drive-thru" pickups of Chromebooks for middle school students, and art supplies for Early Childhood students. Thanks to all who made it a smooth operation!

- We were impressed by the interactive video Powerpoint created to help Physics students learn important concepts virtually. The Powerpoint featured both audio and video clips (with in-class demonstrations) that re-create the classroom experience for these students.

- It was heartening to see mentor teachers checking in with new colleagues to ensure they are up to speed and comfortable with their online approach.

All in all it was an uplifting day and a good start to our online learning experience. We continue to ask for your grace, prayers, and support as we start this new adventure together.

Dock Mennonite Academy’s campuses, offices, and grounds are closed  to the public in keeping with Governor Wolfe’s order. Phones and emails will be monitored periodically during this time. We are using this opportunity to thoroughly clean our buildings and grounds. 

Friday, March 13, counted as our one snow day, so students will not have assignments. School was already scheduled to be closed on Monday March 16. Beginning on Tuesday, March 17, we will begin conducting classes and learning electronically using Schoology, as we have done for Cyber Days in the past. 

All school activities and events will be cancelled or postponed during these two weeks. This includes our Family Service Night, Open Houses, athletics and other co-curricular activities.

Prospective families who wish to inquire about either of Dock’s campuses are welcome to contact Director of Admissions Doug Hackman at 215.362.2675, ext. 106, or dbhackman@dock.org

We appreciate your patience as we navigate uncharted territory. We are committed to maintaining a high level of excellence, even as we move to use an electronic platform. We will have new opportunities for growth as students, faculty and as a Dock community over these next few weeks. 

Our Dock Rocks Giving Day scheduled for Tuesday, March 24, has been postponed. Stay tuned for additional details.

Music lovers had a rare opportunity on March 6, with more than 125 musicians from three schools—Eastern Mennonite High School, Lancaster Mennonite High School, and Dock Mennonite Academy—joining together under guest conductors Adam Gumble (West Chester University) and former Dock Orchestra Director Stanley Yoder for the Mennonite Schools Council Instrumental Music Festival. After practicing together for two days, the Concert Band and Orchestra presented their concert in Clemens Auditorium.

Videos have also been posted to our YouTube Channel, and a concert photo album is also available:

Band Concert

Orchestra Concert

Photo Album

Congratulations to senior Greta Schrag who attended the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association’s Region VI Chorus Festival at North Penn High School on February 27-29. Greta had an excellent re-audition and qualifies for the PMEA All-State Chorus Festival! The All-State Chorus concert will be held on Saturday, April 25, at 11:00 a.m. at East Stroudsburg High School South.

More than 350 Anabaptist-Mennonite educators from the United States and Canada, including faculty and administrators from both Dock campuses, participated in the 2020 Mennonite Educators Conference held Feb. 6-8 at the National Conference Center in Leesburg, VA. The conference was entitled "Unleashing Curiosity, Igniting Hope," and participants demonstrated the impact that an Anabaptist Mennonite education has on children, churches and the broader community.

"An education with an Anabaptist foundation helps us understand the lens through which we view the world and our responsibility to make the world better for all," said Dr. Conrad Swartzentruber, Dock Mennonite Academy superintendent and executive committee chair of Mennonite Schools Council (MSC).

The Mennonite Educators Conference is a biennial professional development and networking event hosted by Mennonite Education Agency (MEA) and MSC, a network of 25 Mennonite schools serving students from early childhood through grade 12. Dr. Sharon Fransen, Dock's Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction, served on the MEC Planning Committee.

Peter Wiens, assistant professor of teacher education at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and Paul J. Yoder, assistant professor of teacher education at Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, VA, presented findings from their 2019 survey on teaching practices and pre-service training of nearly 400 teachers at 25 MSC schools. The survey focused on faith integration, pre-service training, instructional practices and personal beliefs, and is part of their co-authored

"Teachers in Mennonite schools have high self-efficacy in communicating faith, despite today's changing educational landscape," Yoder said. Almost 99% of teachers felt that they had "a great deal" or "quite a bit" of influence to "show students they are loved and valued by God."

According to Yoder, surveyed educators also expressed confidence in their abilities to teach and model peacebuilding, to help students grow in their understanding of stewardship for the natural environment, to grow in relationship with Jesus, to understand biblical discernment and to create a classroom where it is emotionally safe to raise questions and care for each other.

Keynote speaker Kristin Anderson, founder and CEO of The Brilliance Project for sustainable professional learning for educators, underscored the impact of Anabaptist-Mennonite teaching, citing research that shows teachers matter more to student achievement than any other aspect of schooling.

Another keynote speaker, Rachel Swartzendruber Miller, vice president of advancement at Hesston (KS) College, encouraged participants to embrace their influence and successes and become "brand ambassadors, recruiters and 'owners' of our wonderful institutions."

In addition to advantages such as small class size, strong academics, varied programming and a broad exposure to the arts, Swartzendruber Miller emphasized the unique aspects of an Anabaptist Mennonite education: Christ-centered community, discipleship and a Gospel ethic of love.

"We must all be Mennonite education brand owners," said Swartzendruber Miller. "Share your stories. Do what you do but do it more publicly."

Four schools did just that through brief PechaKucha (Japanese for "chit chat") presentations. Faculty from Bethany Christian Schools, Goshen, IN; Dock Mennonite Academy; Eastern Mennonite School in Harrisonburg, VA; and Lancaster (Pennsylvania) Mennonite School shared stories that showed how their schools were modeling Anabaptist-Mennonite faith values such as hope, kindness, empathy and community.

Educators also gathered in participant-led learning camps to discuss a wide range of topics generated by the group, including teaching practices, classroom management strategies, student self-efficacy, anti-racism and other Anabaptist-Mennonite topics such as restorative practices, creation care and faith formation and integration.

In the closing hours of the conference, leaders from MEA and MSC celebrated Elaine Moyer, senior director of MEA and agency liaison with MSC. Moyer retired Feb. 28, 2020 from her role with MEA (see separate Newsroom article).

Photo above: Members of the 2020 Mennonite Educators Conference planning committee, from left: Tim Lehman, Bethany Christian School; Jo Helmuth, Mennonite Education Agency; Michael Charles, Lancaster Mennonite School; Dr. Sharon Fransen, Dock Mennonite Academy; Paul Leaman, Eastern Mennonite School; and Elaine Moyer, Mennonite Education Agency. Photo credit: Cami Dager

Elaine A. Moyer, senior director of Mennonite Education Agency (MEA) and former principal of Dock Mennonite Academy, announced her retirement effective Feb. 28.

"We celebrate this milestone with Elaine and thank her for nearly 45 years of dedicated service to Anabaptist-Mennonite education and especially for her decade of devotion to MEA," says Tom Stuckey, MEA interim executive director.

Prior to joining MEA, Moyer was the first female head of school at the former Christopher Dock Mennonite High School, now Dock Mennonite Academy, a position she held for 20 years. The school experienced a significant enrollment increase under her leadership.

"I have always been grateful for the way Elaine has been an advocate for women in leadership within our Mennonite schools," says Dr. Conrad Swartzentruber, executive committee chair of Mennonite Schools Council and superintendent of Dock Mennonite Academy. "She has been a trailblazer, and we hope to carry her vision forward."

At MEA, Moyer played an important role in supporting, connecting and amplifying the work of board members, administrators and faculty of MEA institutions. As senior director, she served as the agency liaison with Mennonite Schools Council, a network of 20 Mennonite schools from early education to grade 12.

"I have good memories of working with Elaine on many projects through the years," said Richard Thomas, MEA board chair. "She was a passionate advocate for Christ-centered Anabaptist education that brought people together across the divides in church and society."

Her accomplishments include:

• Creating a complementary accreditation process for schools rooted in Anabaptist faith values
• Developing the Anabaptist Learning Institute, a graduate-level professional education program for teachers, pastors and other leaders
• Working with Mennonite Schools Council to develop the Encounter Bible curriculum, a bilingual Anabaptist education program focused on building community through scripture, storytelling and practice
• Leading the biannual Mennonite Educators Conference

Moyer worked for seven years at Bluffton (OH) University as a department chair, assistant professor of health, physical education and recreation, and director of women's athletics. She was inducted into the Bluffton College Athletic Hall of Fame in 1992. She gained experience in public education as a teacher and coach in Lima City Schools in Ohio.

Moyer will continue to be coordinator of the Mennonite World Conference Global Anabaptist Primary and Secondary Education Network and board chair for Lezha Academic Center in Albania, a Mennonite Schools Council-affiliated school.

Moyer holds a bachelor's degree in health and physical education from Bluffton University, a master's degree in physical education from Marshall University in Huntington, WV, and has completed her doctoral coursework in education at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, PA. She also has studied at Hesston (KS) College and Temple University in Philadelphia.

Moyer and her husband, Dave, live in Harleysville, Pennsylvania, and are members of Salford Mennonite Church.