St. Luke's University Health Network and Dock Mennonite Academy are excited to announce the creation of a sports medicine partnership effective November 15, 2018. St. Luke's is the region's largest sports medicine provider, covering more than 100,000 athletes and 45 Secondary Schools in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Dock Mennonite Academy and St. Luke's have selected Meghan Boyer, MS, LAT, ATC, to serve as the Head Athletic Trainer and Athletic Director Assistant for Dock, effective immediately. Meghan earned her Master's of Science degree in athletic training from Bloomsburg University of PA. She also holds a Bachelor's degree from Bloomsburg in exercise science. Prior to her appointment at Dock, Meghan served as the Head Athletic Trainer at Tamaqua Area High School, also through a Sports Medicine Partnership with St. Luke's University Health Network. In addition to Meghan, the Dock Mennonite Academy Sports Medicine Team will include a second athletic trainer who will assist with both high school and middle school activities. Meghan succeeds Palmer Trolli, who recently resigned after four years to accept a position as athletic trainer at Warner University.   

"We are excited about this new opportunity to partner with St. Luke's Health Network," states Tim Ehst, Dock Athletic Director. "The resources that St. Luke's provides will not only enhance the quality of student-athlete health and performance, but also provide educational opportunities for both our students and staff."

 "We are pleased to establish this relationship with Dock Mennonite Academy and the Pioneer athletics program," states St. Luke's Senior Network Administrator for Sports Medicine, John Hauth. "We look forward to enhancing the services and programs related to sports medicine at Dock. St. Luke's has assembled an outstanding team of sports medicine experts in the region that will continue to set a new standard for sports medicine throughout Bucks and Montgomery counties."

Learn more about St. Luke's Sports Medicine Partnerships

In 2014, the Pennsylvania Department of Education approved Flexible Instructional Days that allow academic work to be completed at home when circumstances, such as inclement weather, necessitate closing the school building. These days count as full days of instruction and therefore do not need to be “made up” by extending school calendars later into the summer. Essentially, this is a school day at home.

We call these days “Cyber Days.”  Parents and students will be informed that it is a Cyber Day via the website, Schoology, and the twitter post.  We will plan for our first snow day to be a Cyber Day.

Because Cyber Days count as school days, plan an appropriate schedule for your activities. If you do not have internet access at home, consider other local alternatives (relative, friend, or library). Otherwise, you may make-up the work as arranged by the teacher. 

Dock Mennonite Academy may use up to five “Cyber School Days” per school year, in accordance with Pennsylvania Department of Education policy.

Grades 9-12 Campus

• All classes will meet on a Cyber Day. 

• Teachers will post assignments on Schoology no later than 9:00 a.m. Each assignment given should require approximately 30 minutes of time. Teachers may give homework as they deem appropriate. 

• Due dates and times for assignments will be determined and posted by the teacher on Schoology. Assignments will not be due earlier than 4:00 p.m. on the Cyber Day. 

• Teachers will check their school email accounts throughout the day and be available for email conversation until 3:15 p.m. during the Cyber Day. 

• In general, assignments will align with current units of study and build on previous coursework. 

Parents navigating the college admissions process got a little boost on November 13 when Dock hosted its annual Financial Aid Night in Rosenberger Academic Center. Two college admissions personnel from Eastern Mennonite University—Michele Hensley, Director of Financial Aid, and Zach Yoder, Director of Retention—drove up from Harrisonburg, VA, to help Dock families better understand the college financial aid process, including information about FAFSA, Loans, grants and scholarships. About 42 Dock parents attended and received a packet of useful information. The Guidance Office does have a few information packets left over; if you would like one, please have your student stop by and pick one up.

Mennonite College Day

Mennonite College Day was held on Monday, October 8.  Four Mennonite Colleges (Bluffton University, Eastern Mennonite University, Goshen College and Hesston College) sent representatives to spend the day with Dock students. Students were invited 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.

College                                 E-mail addresses                Websites                             Phone numbers

Bluffton University                 admissions@bluffton.edu       http://www.bluffton.edu/      1-800-488-3257

Eastern Mennonite Univ.        admiss@emu.edu                  http://www.emu.edu/           1-800-432-4000

Goshen College                     admissions@goshen.edu        http://www.goshen.edu/       1- 800-348-7422

Hesston College                    admissions@hesston.edu       http://www.hesston.edu/       1-800-995-2757

Bethel College                       admissions@bethelks.edu      http://www.bethelks.edu/     1-800-522-1887

Report Cards

Quarter One ended on Friday, October 26, and report cards were issued to students on Wednesday, November 7 at the end of the school day. A students' report card may be held for a variety of reasons such as overdue books, failure to return a sport uniform, etc. The teacher who holds the report card will issue it when the student has handled their responsibilities to them. If you have questions or concerns, don't hesitate to call the Guidance Office. 

Financial Aid Information

Dock is hosting a Financial Aid Night on Tuesday, November 13 at 7:00 pm in the Rosenberger Academic Center, Room 102. Michele Hensley, Director of Financial Aid at Eastern Mennonite University will lead our discussion. Michele previously served as assistant director of financial aid at Georgetown University Law School in Washington, DC. She has worked extensively in financial aid since 1993 and is an excellent resource for us. She will give valuable information on topics such as: Loans, Grants, Scholarships, and FAFSA. We highly recommend parents attend this informative session.  Please RSVP to the Guidance Office at 215-362-2675, ext. 601 or jlswartley@dock.org.

SAT Information

The SAT should be taken by college-bound students in the spring of their junior year or fall of their senior year. 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.

SAT testing dates and registration deadlines are as follows:

Test Date                      Registration Deadline

December 1, 2018       November 2, 2018

March 9, 2019              February 8, 2019

May 4, 2018                 April 5, 2019

June 1, 2018                 May 3, 2019 

Senior Transcripts & Applications

To have your transcript sent to any post-secondary program, seniors will need to fill out a purple transcript release form. The forms are on the front counter in the Guidance Office. Please pay close attention to the application deadlines! You must allow at least 7 days for teachers and staff to write letters of recommendation and process your transcript and application. If you want transcripts sent out before Thanksgiving break, all requests must be made to the Guidance Office by Friday, November 16. Please don't wait until the last minute!

Screenless Alternatives Fair

Attention Parents! Are you concerned with how social media and digital technology seem to be taking over your teen's life? A screenless Alternatives Fair will be held on Monday, November 19 at 6:30 pm at the 9-12 campus of Dock Mennonite Academy. The film, Screenagers: Growing up in the Digital Age, will be shown at 7:15 pm. This film looks at how technology impacts kids' development and the challenges of parenting in the digital world. It offers solutions on how adults can empower students to best navigate the digital world and find balance. This is a free event, but to attend, registration is required at Eventbrite (http://bit.ly/2N8HhzD). Here is a link if you would like more details on the film:  https://www.screenagersmovie.com. 

Dock junior Carlie Cocco is less than a month away from her off-Broadway debut. She is one of 33 theatrically talented singers selected by audition to perform in The Little Dancer, a holiday family musical written by Steven Fisher. The Little Dancer will have its world premiere on Saturday December 1 at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. at Theatre 71 at Blessed Sacrament (152 W. 71st Street, 10023, right off Broadway). It will run every Saturday and Sunday in December at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. From December 26 to December 31 it will run every day at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Carlie and the other singers were selected from the ranks of choirs that include the Keystone State Boychoir and the Pennsylvania Girlchoir. The singers have been participating in a weekly workshop with Broadway veterans Richard Vida and Lainie Sakakura in Philadelphia. The cast includes five professional actors. 

The Little Dancer tells the heart-warming story of the most famous dancer in the world—the 14-year-old girl, Marie Van Goethem, who served as the model for Edgar Degas’ one and only sculpture (below).

“Marie’s real life story—what is known of it—is quite dark,” says Fisher. “The life of a ballerina was never easy, but in late 19th century Paris it was downright hard. My musical take is certainly true to the story, but it’s tone is deliberately sunny. It is an uplifting story because of Marie’s courage.”

This 55-minute holiday show has it all – a delightful story, singing, dancing, art, all wrapped into one hour of theatrical magic. Kids, parents and grandparents will leave the theatre humming catchy, toe-tapping tunes and filled with the spirit of season.

More information and tickets

Dock will host a Financial Aid Night on Tuesday, November 13, at 7:00 p.m. in Rosenberger Academic Center, Room 102. Michele Hensley, Director of Financial Aid at Eastern Mennonite University will lead our discussion, providing valuable information on topics such as FAFSA, loans, grants, scholarships, and more. Students and parents are welcome! Please RSVP to the Guidance Office at 215-362-2675, ext. 601 or jlswartley@dock.org.

SCREENAGERS is the first feature documentary to explore the impact of screen time on kids and to offer parents proven solutions that work. Young people spend an average of 6.5 hours a day on cell phones, computers and other devices. That doesn’t include the time they use screens for school and homework. Screenagers: How Much Screen Time is Healthy? is a documentary that explores the science behind screen time to understand how it affects young people’s minds and development, and to ask the question: How much screen time is too much?

Parents and teens can attend a screening of SCREENAGERS on Monday, November 19 at Dock Mennonite Academy. There is a Screenless Alternatives Fair at 6:30 p.m., followed by the film screening at 7:15 p.m. The event is free, but you are asked to register at the link below.

Register

Ms. Valerie Metzler's Environmental Science classes have been working at one of the region's high-profile environmental challenges: the invasion of the Spotted Lanternfly. Students worked to estimate the population of Spotted Lanternflies on Dock’s 75-acre campus (looks like there are about 8 million!) and then made some traps to hang on trees. While these traps only made a small dent in the Lanternfly population, we're glad to see students taking action!

On Thursday, October 4, 28 students from grades 2-8 participated in the Pioneers LEAD Student Summit.  They explored ways to LEAD with:

• Love of learning
• Engagement with community
• Appreciation for God's creation, and
• Dignity for self and others. 

The students had great ideas for making our school the best it can be. Mrs. Histand, Mrs. Messina, Mrs. Longacre, Ms. Price and Mr. Freed led the group in several activities exploring what it means to be a leader. Student input, including responses to the question, "What does it mean to be a leader?" (see below), will be shared with teachers, who will then add their ideas!

What does it mean to lead/be a leader?

1. A leader is someone who inspires others to the next level.  They help other people.  Leaders tell people, "You can do it!" and help them believe in themselves.
2. A good leader is a good person.
3. A leader doesn't just lead, but also follows.
4. A good leader is a wise leader.
5. A good leader takes leadership because they want to, not because they are told to. 
6. The best leaders set examples for other people on how to change the world in your own way.
7. Even though "team" doesn't have a "we" it does have "me," and it starts with me doing some work to make teamwork so that there can be a "we." 
8. Don't think about yourself. Get some help, even if you don't succeed the first time.
9. Greatness is not perfection. It is truth and caring for yourself and for others.
10. Leaders aren't perfect.  They work harder than we expect.  You can't be a leader until you try
11. A good leader is someone who leads people in the right direction by convincing people to go that way.
12. Leaders are nice and kind. They are not bosses, but if you are a leader you can lead without bossing people around. 
13. A good leader leads by example.
14. A leader is only a leader when they know how to serve.
15. To be a good leader, you need to listen to your teammates.
16. A leader is someone who knows the right thing to do.
17. Some leaders start as followers.

See more photos

Dock students enjoy play—and now they can play with a new sense of purpose on our new elementary playground!

Students began using the new playground in late September after an installation process that took several weeks and was truly an all-school service project. The new equipment is part of a three-year plan to update both of the playgrounds at the EC-Grade 8 Campus.

"We believe that play is fun, but that it is also transformational—empowering children to learn as they become active physically and socially," said EC-Grade 8 Principal Mrs. Bronwyn Histand. "At Dock, we invest in play in our curriculum, our daily schedule, special activities, and in our facilities. Play helps students develop large muscle groups, hand-eye coordination, social-emotional skills, leadership traits, and so much more. Of course,  we also value the sheer pleasure of play!"

Installation of the new playground was a massive project that required volunteer help from both campuses as well as assistance from the larger Dock community. The vendor for the playground, Lyons Recreation, offered Dock a special discount for using a “Community Build” to assist with the installation process. Lyons provided leadership and special equipment to facilitate the installation, while Dock provided volunteers to help unpack, lift, and assemble the new components.

Another important piece of info for this project was the excavation of the old playground. Dave Landis, who works at Bergey's Automotive and is a member of Finland Mennonite Church, volunteered to excavate and dismantle the old playground. Dock then donated the old playground equipment to Finland, and the plan is for Landis to help them install it on their property.

"The Dock community truly helped make this playground a reality, and we are filled with gratitude for all of the volunteers that came out to help," said Mrs. Histand. "We're especially grateful for the 30 students from the Grades 9-12 Campus who volunteered as part of their Service Day last Friday to help us finish the project."