Financial Aid Information

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 has information packets available; if you would like one, please have your student stop by and pick one up.
 

Parents:  It is essential that you fill out the FAFSA form for your student to qualify for need-based loans, grants and scholarships. The state deadline is May 1, 2019 and the Federal deadline is June 30, 2019. We highly recommend that you complete the FAFSA as soon as possible.  The electronic version can be found at www.Fafsa.ed.gov. You may request a paper copy of the FAFSA by calling: 1-800-433-3243.

Scholarship Information

Need Cash for College? Now is the time to start thinking about applying for scholarships! A Scholarship List with more information is available in the Guidance Office. Feel free to stop by and pick up a copy. It includes specific college scholarships and public scholarships. This list will be updated and posted on the Kiosk in Rosenberger Center as new scholarships become available. We recommend you begin a personal scholarship search by using the following websites:

Collegeboard.com

Educationplanner.org

Fastweb.com

Collegexpress.com

Another resource for scholarships is the college you plan to attend.  Ask your college admissions counselor what scholarships you qualify for. Research the college site and actively look for information relating to scholarships. The college financial aid office is also a good place to obtain information. 

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. It is essential that the teacher recommendations are given to the teachers at least two weeks before the deadline. If you want transcripts sent out before Christmas break, all requests must be made to the Guidance Office by Monday, December 17. We will try our best to have all the applications in the mail by December 21 if we have been given ample time. The Guidance Office will be closed over Christmas break.

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

March 9, 2019              February 8, 2019

May 4, 2018                 April 5, 2019

June 1, 2018                 May 3, 2019 

 Attention Juniors!

 While all four years in high school are important, the most pivotal year for academic and career decisions is a students' junior year.  During their junior year, students take a more comprehensive look at their future beyond high school.  All juniors should:

• take the PSAT/NMSQT in October
• review PSAT test results with their counselor and parents when they receive them in Dec./Jan.
• following Mr. Kabakjian's presentation about college and career information, set up a time to meet with him about their future career goals, college selection, current academic standing, and selection of their senior year courses. 
• sign up to take the SAT I at least one time and possibly twice in March, May, or June.
• consider taking an SAT I preparation course, if necessary.
• develop a list of potential colleges, technical schools or job opportunities to research.
• if a student athlete, become familiar with the NCAA Guidelines for Student Athletes, checking to make sure you are meeting the core course requirements and test standards.
• request information from the colleges and technical schools that are of interest to you.
• set up appointments to visit those colleges and technical schools that you believe suit your career goals and aspirations.
• lastly, gather financial aid information from any sources available; Dock, the local community and, most importantly, from the educational institutions themselves.

Junior students who become actively involved in the college and career activities listed above will find their senior year to be productive, rewarding, and less stressful. 

Dock will hold its first-ever Experiential Learning Day on Friday, January 4, for grades 9, 10, and 11. Students will have options for on- and off-campus learning experiences.  Some of the options are full day-and some are half-day; times are within the normal school day unless stated otherwise. Students have spent that past few days signing up to participate in the option of their choice.

"At Dock we realize that significant learning happens outside the traditional classroom, so we planned a day for experiential learning," said Dr. Sharon Fransen, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction. "We know students learn about the world and other peoples through innovative experiences, play, and reflection. We envision a day where teachers will share areas of expertise or passion, and students will learn something not found in our formal programming."

Experiential learning is the process of learning through participation rather than by listening to a lecture or reading about a topic. Learning opportunities for Dock students will range from Spanish language immersion to tours of the National Liberty Museum and Penn Museum in Philadelphia, sustainable farming practices, shooting and editing better photographs, creative writing workshops, and many more. The video (see link below) includes a listing of all the opportunities available to students.

Dock's Experiential Learning Day is being held the same week that seniors will be off campus doing some experiential learning of their own during Senior Experience—a full week of job shadowing and/or service opportunities that help many seniors discern college and vocational interests.

Dr. Fransen said it's possible that Experiential Learning Day could become Experiential Learning Week at some point.

"Some schools have a 'mini-term' with several days of experiential learning in which activities are planned around one topic," she said. "We may try that in the future, but this year we are getting a taste of what that could be like for us as a school community. We are excited to learn together."

Note: The video represents all of the options presented to students; the list of classes offered was determined by student interest.

Video of Experiential Day options

Under the direction of their dedicated teachers and aides, our Early Childhood students presented parents, grandparents, siblings and friends with a wonderful Christmas gift today—their EC Christmas program! Families were treated to Christmas music with scripture, movement and song. A highlight was students singing "Silent Night" by candlelight. It was a wonderful morning!

See more photos

Mrs. Shana Reinford's 7th grade science students were tasked with using what they learned about how Earth’s ecosystems are formed in order to design a biosphere. As a group, they had to decide how the biosphere's geological structures were made, what natural resources it has, and how its organisms interact.

More photos

Dock's middle school episode of the game show, The ClassH-Room aired on Tuesday, December 4 at noon on Philly Fox 29. If you didn't get to see the show, you can watch it by clicking on the link below. The ClassH-Room episode featuring our high school students will air sometime early in the new year.

The ClassH-Room is a trivia-based game show for teachers and students in grades 7-12. Each episode features students and teachers from the same school, competing against each other to try to win funds for their chosen charities. The show airs weekdays at 12 noon.

As a result of our participation on Philly Fox 29's The ClassH-Room, Dock is excited to share our $1,000 winnings from both episodes with two charities, Keystone Opportunity Center and Mennonite Disaster Service. That's what you call a "win-win" experience!

Watch Dock on the ClassH-Room

Did you read our blog post about the ClassH-Room? 

On Sunday, December 2, 2018, Dock Mennonite Academy Grades 9-12 band members Cici Ren and Steve Seachrist, along with Band Director Mr. Alan Shughart (center), participated in the 19th Annual Lansdale Tuba Christmas at St. Johns United Church of Christ. Our Dock performers were part of a larger group of almost 80 tuba and euphonium players from the region. Cici Ren was recognized as the musician who traveled the furthest—all the way from China!—to participate in the event. Tuba Christmas was inspired by Harvey Phillips in 1974 to honor his teacher, William Bell, who was born on Christmas Day 1902. Since that first Tuba Christmas in New York City's Rockefeller Plaza, the event has become a tradition in cities and towns around the world.

Dock Mennonite Academy students, faculty, and staff will be featured in an episode of Fox 29's show, "The ClassH-Room," on Tuesday, December 4 at 12 noon.

The ClassH-Room is a trivia-based game show for teachers and students in grades 7-12. Each episode features students and teachers from the same school, competing against each other to try to win funds for their chosen charities. Teams of students from both the Middle School and High School taped the episodes in Fox 29's Philadelphia studio the Saturday before Thanksgiving.

Middle School students featured in the December 4 episode include (l to r in photo above) Haley Harper, Marlyse Giesbrecht and Simon Hershberger. The faculty team competing against them included Mrs. Kaci Hunsberger, Mrs. Claire Wanamaker, and Director of Marketing Mrs. Kathy Gordon (a pinch-hitter for for Mr. Michael George, who was under the weather). The High School student team included Louis Cocco, Nicole Ford, and Sydney Leaman, while the High School faculty team included Mr. Ron Hertzler, Mrs. Kathy Kennel, and Mrs. Kellena Smith. The High School segment will air in January. Dock's mascot, Christopher the Pioneer, was also in attendance for the taping.

Dock's visit to the ClassH-Room gave the show a distinctly local flavor, since the host is Richard Curtis, the Souderton Area High School technology teacher who found himself in the national spotlight last year when he won the "Live with Kelly!" co-host competition. Looks like Richard's TV career is really taking off!

Be sure to watch or set your DVR for Fox 29 on Tuesday, December 4 at 12 noon, to see which team wins the Middle School battle, and whose charity (Keystone Opportunity Center for the students, Mennonite Disaster Service for the teachers) will receive a check!

Also, you really must read the full story about the taping of the show, crafted by our incomparable blogger, Mrs. Brenda Shelly. Read her story in our blog, The Window.

The joining of Christopher Dock Mennonite High School and Penn View Christian School into Dock Mennonite Academy in 2015 set in motion a series of changes. With a new name for our combined school came a new identity, and new ways to communicate who we are to our stakeholders—students, parents, faculty and staff, alumni and friends.

An important way to communicate these changes was our web site, which was re-created almost from scratch nearly two years ago. A viewbook and other promotional materials were next to adopt Dock's new brand image and colors.

This issue of Lamplighter represents the logical next step in the metamorphosis of Dock's identity, and allows our publications to have a consistent look and "feel." Over the next few issues, we will also be working to redirect the content of the magazine as well, with more news and information about alumni, including profiles of our graduates who are making an impact on their communities and the world.

We welcome your feedback on the new design, as well your suggestions for articles and alumni profiles. Please direct your comments to Jay Gordon, jbgordon@dock.org, 215.362.2675, ext. 108.

Note: As you flip through the digital version of Lamplighter, you will notice that on many pages, there are parts of the page that become highlighted as you scroll over them. These highlighted sections indicate additional content—videos, for example—that you can access by clicking the link. There is further additional content when you view Lamplighter on your mobile device. We look forward to your feedback!

Dock Mennonite Academy has announced its Honor Roll for the first quarter of the 2018-19 school year. Congratulations to all of our Middle School and High School students who worked hard to earn this recognition!

Visit the Honor Roll page on the Dock web site

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