Scholarship and Financial Aid Information

Need Cash for College? Now is the time to start thinking about applying for scholarships! This link will take you to a comprehensive Scholarship List with more information on the Guidance Office page of our school’s website. It includes local and national scholarships, as well as Dock-sponsored scholarships. This list will be updated and posted on the kiosk in Rosenberger Center as new scholarships become available. Feel free to stop by the Guidance Office if you have questions and/or to pick up a copy. We recommend you begin a personal scholarship search by using the following websites:

• Fastweb.com
• Salliemae.com
• Scholarships.com
• Studentscholarships.org
• Collegeboard.com
• Studentawardsearch.com
• Educationplanner.org
• Goingmerry.com
• Collegexpress.com
• Unigo.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. 

Parents:  It is essential that you fill out the FAFSA form for your student to qualify for need-based federal loans, grants, and scholarships. Deadlines vary by state and college. 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. We also recommend you visit www.pheaa.org to learn more about The Pennsylvania State Grant Program.

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 12, 2022                   February 11, 2022

May 7, 2022                        April 8, 2022

June 4, 2022                       May 5, 2022

Save the Dates!

Friday, December 3 – EC-8 Christmas Benefit Concert:  7 pm at Franconia Mennonite Church

Thursday, December 9 – Grades 9-12 Christmas Concert: 7 pm at the High School Campus

College Applications

Seniors applying to college, remember to add all colleges you are applying to on your SCOIR account. The Guidance office uses SCOIR to send all supporting documentation to these colleges, including your transcript. You should be requesting letters of recommendation through SCOIR as well. Please give your teachers at least 1-2 weeks’ notice to write letters on your behalf. If you have any questions, please contact Mr. Kabakjian before December 17. The Guidance Office will be closed over Christmas Break (Dec. 18 through Jan. 2).

College and Career Information

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

• take the PSAT/NMSQT in October and are encouraged to review their test results with their counselor and parents when they receive them.
• are welcome to set up a time to meet with Mrs. Leaman about their future career goals, college selection, current academic standing, and selection of their senior year courses. 
• should explore their options to prepare for the SAT. Links to free online resources and SAT Prep classes are available on the Guidance Office SAT Prep webpage.
• should sign up to take the SAT at least one time during their junior year.
• should develop a list of potential colleges, technical schools, or job opportunities to research.
• who are student athletes, should become familiar with the NCAA Guidelines for Student Athletes, checking to make sure you are meeting the core course requirements and test standards.
• are encouraged to visit the colleges and technical schools that fit their career goals and aspirations.
• should begin to gather financial aid information from any sources available: Dock, the local community, and most importantly, from the educational institutions themselves.

Dock uses a college planning system called SCOIR. SCOIR helps students discover colleges that match their personal as well as academic interests. It is a useful tool for navigating through the college selection process. Juniors, if you have not yet created a SCOIR account, please see Mrs. Leaman. Through SCOIR, you will have access to a free career and aptitude assessment. This assessment uses engaging exercises (“brain games”) to identify your natural abilities. As a result, you are matched with careers for which your natural talents will help you excel.

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. 

Congratulations to Abigail Nice ('18), who was the grand prize winner in the Peddler's Village Gingerbread Competition & Display this year! The detail on Abby's entry, entitled "White Christmas," was phenomenal (see below)! It will be on display at Peddler's Village in Lahaska, PA, through January 8. Way to go, Abby!

Congratulations to Dock sophomore Abigail Neiderer, who will be performing in the Schuylkill Valley Regional Dance Company's 50th Anniversary production of the holiday classic, The Nutcracker. Performances are at 2:00 p.m.and 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, December 18, in Goodhart Theater on the campus of Bryn Mawr College. Abigail, who recently led the dance ensemble for Dock's production of Tuck Everlasting, is excited to be performing in The Nutcracker for the 10th consecutive year, and will be dancing in a variety of roles in both shows:

2:00 p.m.: Mouse King, Snow, Flower, Marzipan Corps, Spanish Lead Understudy

7:30 p.m.: Candy Cane Lead, Mouse King, Snow, Flower, Spanish Lead Understudy

Bryn Mawr College is located at 101 North Merion Ave., Bryn Mawr, PA 19010-2899

Purchase tickets

It was the best weather in recent memory for Dock's Turkey Bowl today—and an almost perfect day for the Juniors, who eked out a 4-3 win over the Seniors, winning on a TD pass with 30 seconds to play. Congratulations to all of our Juniors and Seniors for a well-played game, and thanks to everyone who came out to watch!

See more photos on our Facebook page, and link to the video playlist here

Dock Mennonite Academy Superintendent Dr. Conrad Swartzentruber has written a letter to Dock students and their families, another in a series of communications the school has shared over the course of the past two years. In his November 22,2021 letter, Dr. Swartzentruber focuses on Dock's policy and planning initiatives to provide an environment that is safe for students both physically and emotionally.

Read the full text of the letter here

Lamplighter, the magazine for the Dock Mennonite Academy community, has published a special issue highlighting the Class of 2021. Features include coverage of Dock's 2021 Commencement, Senior Presentations, academic and athletic awards, and 8th Grade Celebration. Access the Class of 2021 Special Issue online at Dock's Publications web page.

Go to the Publications page

The cast and crew of our fall musical, Tuck Everlasting, have been working incredibly hard, and you have just two more opportunities to see the show, this Friday and Saturday, November 19 and 20, at 7:00 p.m. We hope you will support our talented students!

Tickets are $5 student/$10 adult ($7/$12 at the door) and can be purchased at Our.show/tuck1

More photos

Mennonite College Day

Mennonite College Day (MCD) was held on campus on Wednesday, October 20. Our Mennonite Colleges sent representatives to spend the day at Dock. Students were invited to stop by their tables throughout the day or during lunch to interact with the representatives. To learn more about their schools, check them out online or plan to visit them soon. On Tuesday evening, parents and students were invited to a College Information Night. This was an opportunity to learn more about the admission process, financial aid, and scholarship opportunities from the EMU and Goshen representatives.

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 October 22, and report cards will be issued to students on Monday, November 8 at the end of the day. A student’s 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.

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 12, 2022                  February 11, 2022

May 7, 2022                        April 8, 2022

June 4, 2022                       May 5, 2022

College Applications

Seniors applying to college, remember to add all colleges you are applying to on your SCOIR account. The Guidance office uses SCOIR to send all supporting documentation to these colleges, including your transcript. You should be requesting letters of recommendation through SCOIR as well. Please give your teachers at least 1-2 weeks’ notice to write letters on your behalf. If you have any questions, see Mr. Kabakjian.

National Honor Society News

The annual induction ceremony was held on Tuesday, October 12 in Dock’s auditorium. New inductees were honored during a candle-lighting ceremony. The evening ended with a dessert celebration. Stop by the library entrance to see the display showcasing our new members!

College and Career Information

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

• take the PSAT/NMSQT in October and are encouraged to review their test results with their counselor and parents when they receive them.
• are welcome to set up a time to meet with Mrs. Leaman about their future career goals, college selection, current academic standing, and selection of their senior year courses. 
• should consider taking an SAT preparation course.
• should sign up to take the SAT at least one time during their junior year.
• should develop a list of potential colleges, technical schools, or job opportunities to research.
• who are student athletes, should become familiar with the NCAA Guidelines for Student Athletes, checking to make sure you are meeting the core course requirements and test standards.
• are encouraged to visit the colleges and technical schools that fit their career goals and aspirations.
• should begin to gather financial aid information from any sources available: Dock, the local community, and most importantly, from the educational institutions themselves.

Dock uses a college planning system called SCOIR. SCOIR helps students discover colleges that match their personal as well as academic interests. It is a useful tool for navigating through the college selection process. Through SCOIR, you will have access to a free career and aptitude assessment. This assessment uses engaging exercises (“brain games”) to identify your natural abilities. As a result, you are matched with careers for which your natural talents will help you excel.

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.

Several members of retired faculty member and Athletic Director Tim Ehst's advisor group visited him recently at Frontier Pastures, the Bally, PA, farm where Ehst now raises cattle. Accompanied by their new faculty advisor, Mr. Zach Bower, students toured the farm and learned about the intricacies involved in raising cattle and sustainable pastures. They also toured the greenhouses where Ehst's nephew grows hydroponic lettuce and tomatoes. As a bonus, Ehst treated the group to ice cream afterwards at nearby Longacres Dairy.

Ehst graduated from Dock in 1971, and has spent the past 45 years as a faculty member, coach and athletic director. He retired in June 2021. He grew up on the family dairy farm that is now home to Frontier Pastures, and has come full circle after developing a passion for raising beef cattle. He practices what Dock preaches, as a life-long learner who is constantly reading and learning to hone his farming craft and to work towards ever-healthier soils, pastures, and cattle.

Joining Ehst in operating the farm are his brother, Ken, who cultivates wheat and soybeans, and nephew Ryan, who manages the hydroponics under the name Butter Valley Harvest. The 80-acre farm has been in the Ehst family for 10 generations and is now permanently preserved for agricultural use. For more information about Frontier Pastures or Butter Valley Harvest, or to inquire about beef purchases, visit their website, email contact@frontierpastures.com or call 484.866.6920.

See more photos

Math can be a difficult subject for young students to appreciate, especially when they don’t see how it is connected to their everyday lives. Helping younger students make that connection was the focus of a group of high school students from Mr. Zach Bower’s Foundations of Geometry class when they visited their counterparts in Mrs. Claire Wanamaker’s Middle School math class on Friday.

The curriculum for Foundations of Geometry is based on the project-based learning (PBL) model, and for their first project students were tasked with creating a presentation aimed at teens that combines geometric information and historical facts about geometry to explain the significance of geometry to their lives. These students contributed their different gifts and talents in creating a presentation and video from scratch. They came up with the idea to have 8^th grade students play the Geometry Dash game; the goal was to provide a “peak moment” experience to help 8^th graders remember the presentation better. “Research shows that peak moment experiences can happen in different ways,” Mr. Bower said, “but one way is to incorporate an ‘elevation’ experience—a ‘moment of happiness that transcends the normal course of events through fun and surprise.’”

Thanks to Mr. Bower and to Dock juniors Savannah Landis, Emily O’Rourke, Lauren Gouldey, and Matthias Brockington for helping to make math more fun for our Middle School students!

Watch the presentation Mr. Bower's students created