It is easy to look around today and find reasons to be anxious and fearful. In this season of Thanksgiving, however, we find much to be grateful for.

We are thankful that we have been in class since the beginning of school in August—a total of 92 days of in-person instruction.

We are thankful for our students, who come to school each day eager to learn, and excited to be with their classmates.

We are thankful for parents, who support their child's in-person and virtual learning in so many different ways, even screening their children in the morning so that we can all enjoy learning together safely.

We are thankful for our teachers, who make it fun for students to learn about math, science, reading and other subjects. We are thankful for the ways they have adjusted to challenging circumstances on the fly with grace and poise, focused on helping their students grow academically, emotionally, and spiritually. We are thankful for staff who support faculty and students in countless ways.

We are thankful that we serve the God who holds the world in the palm of his hand, a loving God who is faithful and can be depended on to work all things together for our good.

We are thankful for donors, prayer partners and other supporters who make it possible for us to work at our mission every day: to inspire and equip each student to serve with a global perspective by integrating faith, academic excellence and life-enriching opportunities in a Christ-centered community.

We are thankful for you.

Dock Mennonite Academy Superintendent Dr. Conrad Swartzentruber has written a letter to Dock students and their families, the 11th in a series of pandemic-related communications the school has shared over the course of the past several months. The November 25, 2020 Superintendent's Letter includes an update on Dock's efforts to return to in-person learning.

Read the full text of the letter here

The Honor Roll for the first quarter of the 2020-21 school year has been posted on the Dock website for both the EC-Grade 8 (Middle School) and Grades 9-12 campuses at Dock Mennonite Academy. Congratulations to all of the students who achieved this academic honor!

Visit the Honor Roll web page

 

The Kitchen (Dock's Family and Consumer Sciences Lab) was less crowded this year, but the entries in Dock Cooks 2020: Muffins and Scones were as yummy as ever. I do not know how the judges chose a winner, but choose one they did—congratulations to senior Isabella Benner, whose Pumpkin Cheesecake Crumb Muffins were awarded the blue ribbon! All of our 2020 contestants made it difficult for the judges, including 2nd place finishers Haley Harper and Abigail Neiderer, and 3rd place ribbon winners Clara Benner and Conor Matje. Thanks also to our hard-working (and well-compensated) judges—Mrs. Kellena Smith, Miss Valerie Metzler, and Mr. Doug Hackman.

View more photos on our Facebook page

Virtual Learning: November 23 – December 4

The Guidance Office will continue to be open during our regular school hours, 7:15 am – 3:15 pm, on virtual learning days. Although students are not permitted on campus during this time, our counselors invite you to message them via Schoology or contact them through email.

            Mrs. Lori Leaman, counselor for grades 10 and 12 ldleaman@dock.org

            Mr. Ken Kabakjian, counselor for grades 9 and 11  kdkabakjian@ddock.org

Mennonite College Day

Mennonite College Day (MCD)) was held virtually on Monday, October 5.  Our Mennonite Colleges (Bethel College, Bluffton University, Eastern Mennonite University, Goshen College, and Hesston College) were represented in a video watched by students during their chapel time. Click here to watch the video. Students were invited to register for a time to speak individually with college representatives. A virtual evening session was also available for parents and students to learn more about the colleges. If you did not have the opportunity to connect with representatives on MCD, feel free to check them out online or contact them for information about visits.

College                                      E-mail addresses                     Websites

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 23, and report cards were issued to students on Thursday, November 5 during advisor time. 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 13, 2021                        February 12, 2021

May 8, 2021                             April 8, 2021

June 5, 2021                            May 6, 2021

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 Mrs. Leaman.

National Honor Society News

The annual induction ceremony was held virtually this year. Click here to watch the video. New inductees were honored with a certificate of membership on the porch of Detweiler House. With a special thanks to Kolson Hunsberger, NHS Vice President, and the other officers, for putting together this video.

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 Mr. Kabakjian 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 has introduced a new 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, look for more information coming to you about creating a SCOIR account. 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

Dock Mennonite Academy Superintendent Dr. Conrad Swartzentruber has written a letter to Dock students and their families, part of a series of communications the school has shared since the COVID-19 pandemic began last spring. The November 13, 2020 Superintendent's Letter includes information about the decision by the Montgomery County Office of Public Health to require schools to move to remote learning for a two-week period from November 23 - December 6.

Read the full text of the letter here

 

Dock Theater is going to present an extraordinary production this Thursday, Friday, and Saturday: A live virtual performance of Louisa May Alcott's iconic play, "Little Women." What does that mean?

It means that the cast of 14 students will be spread around the school, each of them in front of a green screen with their own microphone, camera, and lights. Most of them also have a stage manager close by to help with props and costume changes, etc. A formidable tech team will make sure the actors appear on the screen when they are supposed to, with the proper set pieces behind them, and a few pre-recorded elements incorporated at the right time.

It is truly an amazing and unprecedented way to present a drama like this, and we hope you will purchase a link that will enable you to watch it all come together from the comfort of your home (or wherever you happen to be!). Performances are Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings at 7:00 p.m. The cost of the link is $10, which can be used for one evening per household. Thanks in advance for your support of Dock Theater!

Visit the show's web page:

https://www.dock.org/the.../theater/grades-9-12/little-women

Purchase links here:

https://docktix.ticketleap.com/littlewomen/

Homecoming 2020 was a virtual event for Dock this year—a Stay-at-Home Coming, if you will, highlighted by our second Alumni Challenge, Zoom workshops for kids, a sidewalk chalk contest, and a virtual coffeehouse that was a showcase for current students from both campuses as well as accomplished alumni musicians and singers.

In the Alumni Challenge that ran all day Friday, Dock achieved its goal of 100 new donors, which meant that a quartet of teachers—Middle School teacher Mr. Nathaniel Freed, and High School teachers Mr. Zach Bower, Mr. Caleb Benner, and Mrs. Darla Bergey—all took a chilly plunge into Groff Pond.

Other Stay-at-Homecoming highlights included students creating magical designs on their sidewalk or driveway as part of the Sidewalk Chalk creativity contest; A Zoom workshop on how to build a terrarium hosted by Dock junior Madelyn Lewis; Senior Isabella Benner's virtual culinary workshop in which participants baked pumpkin chocolate chip pudding cookies; and a ZOOM workshop led by junior Laurel Latt demonstrating how to make your own lava lamp.

Winners of the Sidewalk Chalk Contest:

·       Best Fall Theme - Jessica LoRusso (2^nd Grade)

·       Most Creative - Averie Ryan (2^nd Grade)

·       Most Colorful - Macy Youssef and Zoey Fisher (7^th Grade)

The Virtual Coffeehouse was a perfect way to spend a cozy Saturday evening at home and featured a wide variety of performances by current students and ensembles from both campuses, as well as Dock alumni scattered across the country. Participants demonstrated both musical skill and creativity in their recordings. We are grateful to Dock Director of Technology Mr. Darwin Zehr and especially to Assistant Director of Technology Mr. Jason Sprunger for their roles in assembling the videos for the coffeehouse and getting the production livestreamed.

See more photos of the Alumni Challenge/Faculty Plunge

Watch the Faculty Plunge video by Mike Landis

See more photos of the Terrarium Workshop

See more photos of the Lava Lamp Workshop

See more photos of the Culinary Workshop

See more photos of the Sidewalk Chalk Contest

See the complete Virtual Coffeehouse musician lineup

Watch the Virtual Coffeehouse recording

Dock welcomed 40 new students to its chapter of the National Honor Society during a virtual induction ceremony on Tuesday, October 13. The NHS seeks to create enthusiasm for academics, to promote leadership, and to develop character in students, and is open to upperclassmen who have a cumulative GPA of 3.3 or higher.

Mrs. Rose Lambright, faculty advisor to the National Honor Society, said that NHS membership is granted to students who are selected by a 5-member faculty committee. That committee reviews each eligible student's Profile Form to help them objectively assess the student, helping to focus the service, leadership, character, and spiritual components of each student’s application. Faculty members are rotated yearly both to share the task and to help assure fairness. 

NHS Inductees for the 2020-21 school year include:

10^th grade (22 candidates)

Anthony Bernardo

Emma Celenza

Sarah Curry

Mikaela Davis

Tyler Derstein

Celeste Dertine

Mackenzie Derstine

Zach Frederick

Marlyse Giesbrecht

Haley Harper

Emily Irwin

Katherine Kardos

Sophia Lacher

Trinity Landis

Micah Mast

Ainsely Moyer

Tiffany Oponski

Ashley Park

Nolan Vaszily

Megan Wenzel

Owen Yuan

Olivia Zaskoda

11^th grade  (11 candidates)

Jonah Chavez

Rachel Christian

Braden Churches

Kirsten Fleming

Summer Hondros

Elle Loux

Sheldon Myers

Jordanna Naidoo

Ali Scorsone

Ellie Supplee

Victor Wei*

12th grade (7 candidates)

Sam Alderfer

Rebecca Crissman

Jesse Detweiler

Samantha Osborn

Sean Robinson

Adrian Suter

Madison Youssef

* Not pictured

 

NHS Officers for 2020-21 include:

Jocelyn Pfleiger – President

Kolson Hunsberger – Vice President

Isabella Benner - Secretary

Mirabel Fizzano – Communications

 

See photos of all NHS inductees here

Watch video of the NHS Induction Ceremony

 

Congratulations to Dock senior Nathan Smeland, who earned his Private Glider Pilot certification on September 1. He took his father, Jason, for a ride as his first passenger, but more recently he took Dock Grades 9-12 Principal Mr. Martin Wiens up for a spin. Pretty awesome—congratulations Nathan!

See more photos

See videos on our YouTube channel