Dock's spring drama promises to be a theater experience that is out of the ordinary—and a departure from the "drawing room comedies" that have been a staple of Dock's spring drama repertoire in recent years. "The Stories We Tell Ourselves" consists of two scripted one-act plays and a piece that the cast and directors, as a creative team, will develop together. The theme of story-telling will tie all the pieces together.

"We are all a people of story," says Dock Theater Director Ms. Karen Johnston. "We define ourselves by narrative, and introduce ourselves with setting, character and plot. 'Tell me a story!' is one of every young child's first requests. My vision for this year's production was to provide a space for students to explore this power of story through both the telling and the creating."

The two contemporary one-act plays Dock's ensemble cast will perform are:

betweenity by Lindsay Price

We've all been there. The awkward pause. The silence where you just can't think of something to say. The space in between words where nothing is said and yet so much is spoken. The state of being between.

This vignette play explores the beats, pauses, and never-ending silences in conversation. The girl who tries to tell her best friend she wants to date him. The boy who creates the wrong kind of pause. The sister who is dealing with the silent treatment. The guy who wants to confess but can't open his mouth. The daughter who doesn't want to talk because talking makes her remember.

One Hundred Lies by Alan Haehnel

In this poignant comedy, teenager Liz Nostrand presents her life as a competition, complete with scoreboard and time clock. The goal of the game: To dramatize, in only 30 minutes, 100 significant lies told by and to Liz. By the final buzzer, though, we see that the most crucial lies in Liz's life are those she has told herself. One Hundred Lies brings you in laughing and sends you out thinking.

Performances are in Clemens Theater at 7:00 p.m. on:

• Thursday, April 26

• Friday, April 27

• Saturday, April 28

PURCHASE TICKETS

Dock's EC-Grade 8 Campus had great participation for its K-8 Family Fun Night on April 19. Middle school students shared their World War II projects, 5th grade students learned more about "next steps" for Middle School, and families got to chat with teachers and classmates and see all the great things going on in our classrooms. It was also a great opportunity to preview many of the great items that will be up for bid at our 57th Annual Country Fair & Auction on May 18-19!

More photos

57th Annual Country Fair & Auction

Mrs. Grega's English Study Skills class spent a good deal of the second and third quarters researching, writing, and preparing a presentation on a topic of their choosing: the juvenile justice system. On Thursday, April 19, students took turns presenting the portion of the report they were responsible for, with Dock faculty, administrators, and staff in attendance. Congratulations to every member of the class for a presentation that was rich in data and analysis, but also thoughtful about the root causes of juvenile crime and the potential solutions.

View the YouTube playlist

Students who participated in Dock's Chick-fil-A Leader Academy this year celebrated their successful impact project, a fundraiser that raised over $10,000 to support Dock's sister school in Puerto Rico, Academia Menonita Betania. Dock's Leader Academy group was sponsored by Chick-fil-A's Lansdale restaurant, just down Forty Foot Road from our campus. CFA Lansdale operator Dawn Friel (kneeling, right) provided lunch for the group to help them celebrate. Thank you Dawn and Chick-fil-A for your fantastic support of our students and school community!  #CFALeaderAcademy

Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD)

If your student has the proper current documentation (within 3 years) for a learning disability, they 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. After the student has been approved for accommodations, it follows him/her through high school. Beware: SAT accommodations and ACT accommodations are two separate applications.

Delaware Valley MEDA - Clayton Kratz Scholarship

The Delaware Valley MEDA Clayton Kratz Scholarship is awarded annually to one male and one female from the senior class who will be attending a Men­nonite college or university with a Business Administration or Economics major. This award is made payable to the student’s college choice for their freshman year. It is based on financial need, student grade record, and con­tribution to campus life at Dock. Applications are available in the Guidance Office and are due back by May 15.

Daniel J. Reinford Scholarship

The Daniel J. Reinford Scholarship is also based on financial need, grades, and contribution to campus life, and is awarded to graduating seniors who will be attending a Mennonite college or university. Scholarship applications are due back to the Guidance Office by May 15. Recipients will be notified at the Awards Convocation.

Travis Bechtel Memorial Scholarship

Baum, Smith & Clemens, LLP sponsors a scholarship in the name of Travis Bechtel, a 1991 Dock grad who passed away in June of 2002 from cancer. Travis worked at Baum, Smith & Clemens for six years. The courage and character Travis showed in dealing with his illness while continuing to progress professionally and maintaining friendships was an unforgettable inspiration to all of the company’s staff. Applications are due back in Guidance by May 15. The criteria for this scholarship revolves around the three areas in which Travis had interest: academics, athletics and business. Recipients should be planning to major in business.

Summer Enrichment

Check out the kiosk outside of the Guidance Office for a display of summer opportunities that you can get involved in. Selecting an enrichment activity looks impressive on the college resume. See your Guidance Counselor if you have questions.

Dock Mennonite Academy's Touring Choir has announced its itinerary for Spring 2018:

April 15 Nueva Vida Norristown New Life Mennonite Church, 10:30 am

April 22 Souderton Mennonite Church, 9:30 am

May 6 Franconia Mennonite Church, 10:15 am

May 16 Spring Concert, 7:00 pm

May 20 Perkiomenville Mennonite Church, 10:15 am

May 22 Dock Woods, 2:00 pm

June 3 Blooming Glen Mennonite Church, 9:30 am

Zion Mennonite Church, 7:00 pm

June 9 Commencement

June 12-28 European Tour

For more than five decades, Dock's Touring Choir has been igniting students' passion for music, and providing opportunities for members to strengthen relationships with peers and deepen their faith in Christ. The blend of voices in this auditioned group of juniors and seniors expresses love for our Creator. Ms. Emily Grimes gives leadership not only to the choir, but to our entire high school music program.

The entire Touring Choir itinerary can be found on the choir's web page, along with other elements of this year's program. The choir's 2018 theme is, "The Road Home." The oil painting that provides the cover for this year's program was created by Daniel Kabakjian, Class of 2018.

View the Touring Choir web page

Also, a limited number of 2017 Touring Choir CDs are still available at Detweiler House for $10.

Dock Mennonite Academy will hold Showcase 2018 on Friday, April 27, at the school's EC-Grade 8 Campus.

The purpose of Showcase 2018 is to highlight the talents of Dock middle school students who excel in the Performing Arts, Visual Arts, Fiber Arts and Culinary Arts, and to provide adjudication for these performances and creations, while bringing glory to God.

Our Showcase 2018 Fine Arts Festival will be an all-day adjudicated festival. All ensembles, speakers, soloists, and artists will receive a rating of Superior, Excellent, or Good on their performances or artwork by a panel of expert judges.

All middle school students will be attending the music and speech performances and viewing the Fine Art, Fiber Art and Culinary Art entries, and will have an opportunity to vote for their favorite performers and artists. Parents are welcome to join us. A complete schedule will be available the week of April 27 and will be posted on the Dock website.

Concluding the day at 2:00 p.m. will be a performance by bassoonist Eric Wilson and percussionist Keith Wilson. We are excited to feature these two performers for an exciting program of music played on unusual instruments! 

Dock is pleased to announce the Middle School students who achieved Honor Roll I and Honor Roll II for the 3rd quarter of the 2017-18 school year. Congratulations to all!

(3Q High School Honor Roll coming soon!)

View Honor Roll

Dock Mennonite Academy's Junior-Senior Banquet will be held on Saturday, May 12.

Banquet is open to Dock juniors and seniors only. Students may invite a date from outside Dock, but they must also be either a junior or senior.

In an effort to help parents and students find acceptable dress wear for the Banquet this year, we suggest the following guidelines based on our school's Appearance Code:

1. Our bodies are temples of God, and dress is an expression of God's creativity, done to please Him.

2. Dress should be modest, consistent with a Christian commitment.

3. Dress should reflect good stewardship of resources.

We are appreciative of all who work hard to help your daughters and sons look formal, tasteful, and beautiful.

If you have questions or concerns about a specific dress and/or outfit, feel free to contact Martin Wiens, Principal, or Barbara Brown, Banquet Coordinator. We are happy to help students think through their choices.

Guidelines:

• Please avoid gowns (strapless and other) with low-cut necklines. Consider adding a shrug or shawl.
• Please avoid gowns with cut-outs and/or plunging backs (falling below natural waist).
• Slits should be no higher than fingertip length.
• Move around when trying on your gown and make sure you can sit, be photographed, and dance comfortably.
• If you decide to go short, the length should be no higher than fingertip length.
• Suits and tuxes are the norm.
• If you decide to go "costume," think formal.
• As you consider vehicles for arrival, think about your date and their ability to move. Lots of pictures are taken at the entrance; we want everyone to look their best!
• Participation in the processional is optional; it is perfectly acceptable to enter the banquet on foot.
• If you are bringing a date from outside of Dock, please advise them of these guidelines.

The races moved outdoors and across the country, but the results were largely the same: Dock senior Austin Kratz continues to outrun his competitors. Last weekend at the Arcadia Invitational in Arcadia, CA, Austin brought home double gold. He won the 100M invitational race in 10.34, almost a tenth of a second better than his rival, Eric Allen Jr. of Bullis HS in Maryland. Barely 90 minutes later, Austin turned on the jets to win the 200M in a new personal record of 20.74. Allen again finished second, this time two-tenths of a second behind at 20.94. Congratulations to Austin on another amazing performance, and a strong start to your outdoor track season!