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Dock Newsroom

 

Dock's mission at maturity

Senior Presentations and Commencement offer a glimpse into the difference a Dock education makes for our students.

"We have now graduated three children through Dock Mennonite Academy. We give thanks to God for the friends, faculty, and experiences that have shaped each of our children. It is so rewarding to see what God has created in them.  

From establishing a Christian foundation in grade school, to encouraging and creating service opportunities, to living out their faith in high school, Dock has partnered with us as our children have matured over the past 16 years.  

We are filled with many emotions: sadness, that this formative part of their lives is now over; joy, knowing they are prepared to take on the next part of their journey; and wonder, thinking about what God has planned for their future. 

Three down, one to go. We will continue to 'redeem the time' over these next two years, as our last child prepares for his post-high school journey."

—Dock parents Howard and Bonnie Anderson

Stay on top of what's happening at Dock Mennonite Academy

News and featured events from both the EC-Grade 8 and Grades 9-12 campuses

Early Childhood to Grade 8 Campus

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Dock's fall musical: The Sound of Music

The Dock Theater Department is excited to officially announce THE SOUND OF MUSIC as the 2018 grades 9-12 fall musical! This Rodgers & Hammerstein collaboration is beloved around the world, and their work occupies a special place in the musical theater canon.

The scripts are in; the production team is assembled. What we need now are students for the cast and crew! (And thousands of volunteer hours during 10 weeks of very hard work....)

Students - Mr. Derstine and I will hold a "Sing Through" 8/22 at 3:00 pm in the Longacre Theater. This is a great chance to hear the music, ask some questions, and meet the directors. Audition materials, contracts and rehearsal schedules will be available. (If you can't make it, you can pick up these materials once school starts in Mrs. Kennel's room or on Schoology.)

This year, auditions will be held over two weeks to accommodate the need to cast from our EC-8 campus as well the high school. See times and dates below. Please arrive with your signed contract including all rehearsal conflicts. A list of students needed at the Call Back Audition will be posted to Schoology on Friday, August 31. The final cast list will be posted at the end of the school day, Friday September 7. All auditions will take place in Longacre Theater on the Grades 9-12 Campus. 

So mark your calendars one and all! Performances are 7:00 p.m. November 8, 9, and 10. We look forward to sharing this classic story with you once again—or perhaps for the very first time!

Karen Johnston, Director
Rod Derstine, Musical Director
Kathy Kennel, Theater Coordinator


AUDITIONS:
Open auditions for Grades 9-12 students:
Tuesday, August 28, 3:15-5:30 p.m.
Wednesday, August 29, 3:15-5:30 p.m.
(Students need only attend one day.)

Open Auditions for EC-Grade 8 Campus students:
Thursday, August 30, 3:30-5:30 p.m. 

Call Back Auditions for All:
Wednesday, September 5, 3:15-6:00 p.m. (EC-8 students are not expected until 3:30 p.m.)

Back to school information: EC - Grade 8

Homeroom Assignments

  • You will receive an email regarding homeroom placement before the Open House on August 21.

2018-19 School Theme

  • Our 2018-19 School Theme is Growing in Christ

"We must grow up in every way into Christ" Ephesians 4:15, 16

  • Click here for a list of the monthly Bible verse.

Calendar

  • You will soon be receiving, by mail, a 2018-19 Dock Mennonite Academy wall calendar. Before you receive that, click here to view the framework calendar for the coming school year.

Bus Schedules

  • Bus schedules are sent by your local school district. We do not have this information prior to the start of school.

School Supply List

  • August is quickly approaching! Click here for a school supply list. Happy shopping!

Cafeteria

  • Click here for cafeteria information, including pricing, payments and daily offerings.
  • To apply for reduced or free lunch click here for an application.
  • Payments can be made on-line using school cafe or you can fill out a pre-payment form and send a check to the main office. 
  • Click here for the August lunch menus. They will be posted as soon as they are available.

Medical Forms

  • If your child takes over-the-counter or prescription medication, please fill out the medication form required by our school Nurse.

Student Accident Insurance

  • Dock Mennonite Academy does not carry medical insurance on students. A voluntary Student Accident Insurance program is available. If you wish to participate, please contact the main office.
This Gem will be hard to replace

This Gem will be hard to replace

When a teacher like Mrs. Gem Miller retires, thoughts often turn first to the number of students she taught and nurtured over her 36-year teaching career. For Gem, that number is well north of 1,000—until you begin counting the students she has influenced indirectly or through her encouragement of other teachers.

“Gem has been one of my mentors throughout the years,” says colleague Mrs. Sarah Price. “When I was in middle school, I would love when Gem would drive (twin sister) Meghan and I to and from school. Hanging out in her classroom is what prompted me to consider a career in education.” Gem’s classroom “has always been focused on providing the most successful spiritual, academic, and social atmosphere for every child,” she adds. “She helped children develop their relationships with one another, and nurtured them as peacebuilders.”

“Gem is an encourager to her students and fellow teachers,” says another colleague, Mrs. Bev Guengerich, who taught with Gem for 20 years. “She has an artistic flair to take any classroom and make it come alive with color and student work. She unselfishly shares her ideas and her hand-outs—not to mention the wisdom of her experiences collected during her many years of teaching.” Mrs. Guengerich remembers many fun adventures with Mrs. Miller, like Dock’s annual 100th day of school tradition, where students and faculty dress according to the styles of yesterday. But even the adventures that weren’t as fun at the time—returning from a field trip and sweating out a two-hour accident delay on the Pennsylvania turnpike with 60 students—become unforgettable memories.

“Dock has been so blessed by the gifts of Gem Miller,” says EC-Grade 8 Campus Principal Mrs. Bronwyn Histand. “She has built countless classroom communities where each child feels loved and nurtured, where students learn together and support each other. She is a beloved mentor and colleague who has teamed with many teachers and staff over the years to make teaching and learning a rewarding experience for everyone.”

It has been an honor to work with you, Gem, and we pray God's rich blessings on this new season of your life!

More photos of Gem

The Pringles Ringle Challenge

Students in Mrs. Reichley’s 8th grade Honors Physical Science class used nothing but physics and Pringles in the Pringles Ringle Challenge: To construct a standing ring of Pringles. No small potatoes, but we doubt there's any evidence—beyond these photos—that this experiment ever took place!

More photos

Kindergarten End of Year Celebration

Kindergarten students were joined by their teachers, families, and friends for a fabulous end-of-year Celebration! Whoopsie and Daisy the clowns delighted students with a great show, followed by snacks and fun on the playground. Kindergarten teacher Mrs. Quirk even got a special necklace and hat as part of the show—a fantastic way to end a great year in Kindergarten!

More photos

An explosion of (watermelon) flavor

What's a great way to celebrate the last day of school? At the Grades 9-12 Campus, some seniors have a splash in Groff Pond. On the EC-Grade 8 Campus, however, only an exploding watermelon will do.

On Thursday, the last day of school, 8th grade homerooms competed to see which class could explode a watermelon fastest using only rubber bands. It's a messy experiment, but with delicious results!

Watch the video

Photos

Dock's elementary mathletes

Dock 4th and 5th grade students recently competed against other schools in the region in the 24 Game Math Tournament at the Montgomery County Intermediate Unit. Congratulations to these students who did a great job representing Dock (l to r): Braden Seeley, Matthew Mast, Ryan Merrill, Kaleb Kristiansen, and Corbin Tenney.

Grades 9 to 12 Campus

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Dock's fall musical: The Sound of Music

The Dock Theater Department is excited to officially announce THE SOUND OF MUSIC as the 2018 grades 9-12 fall musical! This Rodgers & Hammerstein collaboration is beloved around the world, and their work occupies a special place in the musical theater canon.

The scripts are in; the production team is assembled. What we need now are students for the cast and crew! (And thousands of volunteer hours during 10 weeks of very hard work....)

Students - Mr. Derstine and I will hold a "Sing Through" 8/22 at 3:00 pm in the Longacre Theater. This is a great chance to hear the music, ask some questions, and meet the directors. Audition materials, contracts and rehearsal schedules will be available. (If you can't make it, you can pick up these materials once school starts in Mrs. Kennel's room or on Schoology.)

This year, auditions will be held over two weeks to accommodate the need to cast from our EC-8 campus as well the high school. See times and dates below. Please arrive with your signed contract including all rehearsal conflicts. A list of students needed at the Call Back Audition will be posted to Schoology on Friday, August 31. The final cast list will be posted at the end of the school day, Friday September 7. All auditions will take place in Longacre Theater on the Grades 9-12 Campus. 

So mark your calendars one and all! Performances are 7:00 p.m. November 8, 9, and 10. We look forward to sharing this classic story with you once again—or perhaps for the very first time!

Karen Johnston, Director
Rod Derstine, Musical Director
Kathy Kennel, Theater Coordinator


AUDITIONS:
Open auditions for Grades 9-12 students:
Tuesday, August 28, 3:15-5:30 p.m.
Wednesday, August 29, 3:15-5:30 p.m.
(Students need only attend one day.)

Open Auditions for EC-Grade 8 Campus students:
Thursday, August 30, 3:30-5:30 p.m. 

Call Back Auditions for All:
Wednesday, September 5, 3:15-6:00 p.m. (EC-8 students are not expected until 3:30 p.m.)

Back to school information: Grades 9-12

FOR NEW Grade 9-12 STUDENTS (incoming 9th graders and students transferring from other schools)

There are two Back to School events that new students in grades 9-12 and their families need to have on their August calendars:

New Student Social: New incoming students are invited to a New Student Social on the Detweiler House lawn from 7:00-8:00 p.m. on Thursday, August 9, 2018. Parents of new students are invited to attend a parent iPad information session in the Rosenberger Academic Center (lower level) during the New Student Social.

New Family Orientation: At the New Family Orientation on Tuesday, August 21, at 6:30 p.m. in Clemens Center cafeteria, you will receive a final copy of your schedule and can find your room locations for the first day of school. In addition, you will be able to find your locker and meet your teachers and advisor for the coming year. New students will also want to read about their iPad and other technology-related information. 

Read about new student technology

View the August-September Lunch Menu

New 9-12 students: Read about your iPad

Dock Mennonite Academy is in its 6th year of a 1:1 program at the high school level.

Each student has access to an iPad provided by the school, but can opt out and use a suitable personal device.  Freshmen through Juniors have an iPad Pro 9.7 inch space gray (compatible with apple Pencil).  Seniors have an iPad Air 2.  Students who continue through 12th grade can keep the iPad upon graduation free of charge.

Students\families are responsible to purchase a keyboard equipped case for the iPad.  Look for a case that includes a keyboard, provides strong corner protection, and fits securely over the iPad.  We recommend a Zagg Rugged Book case.

Students can opt to use a personal iPad instead of the school issued one, or another suitable mobile device such as a personal laptop, Chromebook, or other type of tablet.  Smartphones are NOT a suitable replacement for an iPad, as cell phone use is restricted in classrooms.

Insurance covering a single iPad repair or replacement is included in tuition. iPads must be kept in a suitable case to be covered by this insurance.  Insurance does not cover loss or damage to charging cables, or obvious cases of neglect.  iPads lost due to theft or fire will be covered with submission of a police report.

The general format for student Google accounts is the students first initial, full last name, 2 digit graduation year, followed by @dock.academy.  Example: jsmith21@dock.academy.  There are some exceptions.

Our Student information system is Schoology Enterprise, which provides an online portal to students and families. There is a parent information sheet in your packets with parent access codes and instructions for setting up Schoology accounts. With this account you will be able to access current grades, attendance, assignments, announcements, and other class related material, as well as signing up for reports.  Students will have their own Schoology access account.  It is beneficial to have a parent account that is separate from the student account.

Our School management System is PowerSchool, which generates report cards, manages permanent grades and student information, attendance data, and transcripts.  Families and students do not have direct access to PowerSchool information online.  Grade information is synchronized between Schoology and PowerSchool.

The iPad you receive at New Family Orientation has been preconfigured with the student wireless access and a school Google Account. Student Username is labeled on the back at the bottom.  Please do not remove this label as it helps identify the owner.

 

What to do between now and your first day:

1.     Sign the iPad in with a personal iTunes account. You can use an account you already have, a family shared account, or create a new account. You do not have to share passwords, payment information, etc for this account with the school.  A link to paid apps for school use (Notability) will be sent out via e-mail to student Google accounts. NOTE: all iTunes accounts must be US based accounts, otherwise, some school apps will not function properly.

2.     Make sure you have "find my iPad" and backup enabled to protect your information.

3.     Once you have created an iTunes account and signed your iPad in to it, go to the App Store and download the following Apps to your iPad.  Schoology, Notability*, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and any other apps you would like to install from the catalog.

4.     Login Instructions for your Schoology account, connecting additional devices to the campus wireless, and activating your Office365 account are contained in your student packets.

5.     You may optionally add personal e-mail accounts to your iPad.  However, keep the school account on the iPad, as that is the primary account you are expected to use for communicating with teachers and the school.

6.     Choose wisely what apps and services you choose to install on the school owned iPad.  This technology is intended to be used as a tool to enhance education, rather than entertain or distract.

Feel free to contact me with any questions you have.

Congratulations on joining the Dock community, and I hope you have an excellent start to the year. See you Thursday.

 

DARWIN ZEHR

Director of Technology

EMAIL   drzehr@dock.org  GOOGLE: drzehr@dock.academy

Yearbook Night is August 14

Come be the first to see Dock's 2018 Yearbook on Tuesday, August 14, from 7:00-8:00 p.m. The event will be held rain or shine on the Detweiler House porch. This is a great time to reconnect with friends—and you will LOVE looking at the 2018 Schul Andenken together!

 

Clean hands = a healthier Ethiopia

How are you spending your summer vacation? Abigail Anderson ('14), a 2018 graduate of Massachussetts Institute of Technology, invested part of her summer helping to design a handwashing station that could help prevent the spread of diseases and improve the health of Ethiopians.

The genesis of the project was a WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) Summit that Anderson and a research partner attended in Hawassa, Ethiopia back in January. Working through MIT's D-Lab and collaborating with local designers through Population Services International, Anderson's team first pinpointed issues preventing locals from washing their hands regularly (which often leads to the spread of diseases), then developed a solution that is elegant in its simplicity: A bucket that uses a spring-pipe cleaner-metal dowel system to contain the water until the metal dowel is moved. Anderson and her team took into consideration how the product would get to market, even creating a business model for building and distributing the stations.

"It was rewarding to know that this product will move forward, but even more incredible to know that the basic design came from community members at the Summit in January," says Anderson. "It wasn't a product that MIT engineers designed and planned to sell in Ethiopia, but rather the product of a collaborative process with local designers—who may not know the word 'design' but are designers nonetheless."

Anderson graduated from MIT this spring with a B.S. degree in Architecture Studies. She will begin pursuing a Masters degree in Civil & Environmental Engineering at MIT this fall.

Read the full story

Top: Abigail Anderson (far left) enjoys some authentic Ethiopian food with her colleagues.

Right: The working prototype (top) created by Abigail Anderson ('14) and her team, and the finished prototype (bottom).

About MIT's D-Lab

MIT's D-Lab works with people around the world to develop and advance collaborative approaches and practical solutions to global poverty challenges.

About PSI

Population Services International is a U.S.-based international nonprofit with offices in over 50 countries. It focuses on bringing health products and solutions, especially in the areas of sanitation, HIV prevention, family planning, and diarrhea prevention, among others, to communities in the developing world. 

Dock hosts Western Mennonite

The Western Mennonite School boys basketball team's "goodwill tour" made stops at Dock and Lancaster Mennonite High School the week of July 9. The team is on a two-week tour across the country, and stopped for a friendly scrimmage as well as some sight-seeing. The team visited Gettysburg, Valley Forge, and the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia. The Pennsylvania leg of the tour also included a scrimmage against Lancaster Mennonite High School. WMS is based in Salem, OR, and is also known as the Pioneers.

The Western Mennonite team, were accompanied by WMS Athletic Director and boys basketball coach Gary Hull, as well as parent chaperones. Hull arranged for the stop at Dock through Athletic Director Tim Ehst.

Dock senior attends global business conference in Singapore

Dock student Zach Whitehair ('19) joined high school students from 70 other countries at the National Student Leadership Conference in Singapore June 15-24, where the emphasis was on international business. NSLC was held on the campus of Yale-NUS, a partnership between Yale University and the National University of Singapore. The NSLC program allows students to explore the transformation to a global economy and wrestle with issues confronting multinational businesses. Zach and his peers learned how to think globally to tackle the major challenges facing business leaders today.

EC to Grade 8 Calendar

EC-Grade 8 Calendar

Grades 9 to 12 Calendar

Grades 9-12 Calendar

All-School News

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Dock's fall musical: The Sound of Music
Dock's fall musical: The Sound of Music

The Dock Theater Department is excited to officially announce THE SOUND OF MUSIC as the 2018 grades 9-12 fall musical! This Rodgers & Hammerstein collaboration is beloved around the world, and their work occupies a special place in the musical theater canon.

The scripts are in; the production team is assembled. What we need now are students for the cast and crew! (And thousands of volunteer hours during 10 weeks of very hard work….)

Students: Mr. Derstine and Ms. Johnston will hold a “Sing Through” on Wednesday, August 22 at 3:00 pm in Longacre Theater. This is a great chance to hear the music, ask some questions, and meet the directors. Audition materials, contracts and rehearsal schedules will be available. (If you can’t make it, you can pick up these materials once school starts in Mrs. Kennel’s room or on Schoology.)

This year, auditions will be held over two weeks to accommodate the need to cast from our EC-8 campus as well the high school. See times and dates below. Please arrive with your signed contract including all rehearsal conflicts. A list of students needed at the Call Back Audition will be posted to Schoology on Friday, August 31. The final cast list will be posted at the end of the school day, Friday September 7.

All auditions will take place in Longacre Theater on the Grades 9-12 Campus. 

So mark your calendars one and all! Performances are 7:00 p.m. November 8, 9, and 10. We look forward to sharing this classic story with you once again—or perhaps for the very first time!

Karen Johnston, Director
Rod Derstine, Musical Director
Kathy Kennel, Theater Coordinator


AUDITIONS:
Open auditions for Grades 9-12 students:
Tuesday, August 28, 3:15-5:30 p.m.
Wednesday, August 29, 3:15-5:30 p.m.
(Students need only attend one day.)

Open Auditions for EC-Grade 8 Campus students:
Thursday, August 30, 3:30-5:30 p.m. 

Call Back Auditions for All:
Wednesday, September 5, 3:15-6:00 p.m. (EC-8 students are not expected until 3:30 p.m.)

August-September lunch menus posted
August-September lunch menus posted

The lunch menus for August and September for both the EC-Grade 8 and Grades 9-12 campuses have been posted to Dock's web site.

See the lunch menus

Honor Roll announced for both campuses
Honor Roll announced for both campuses

Dock Mennonite Academy has announced its Honor Roll for the fourth quarter of the 2017-18 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

 

 

Dock announces 2018-19 calendar
Dock announces 2018-19 calendar

Looking for important dates in the 2018-19 school year? Dock Mennonite Academy has released its tentative 2018-19 planning calendar. Download a printable copy here.

 

 

 

Dock to livestream Commencement
Dock to livestream Commencement

Dock is pleased to announce that the school will livestream this weekend's Baccalaureate and Commencement programs. Baccalaureate will be held Friday, June 8, starting at 7:30 p.m., while our 63rd Annual Commencement ceremony will begin on Saturday, June 9, at 6:00 p.m.  

There will be two ways to connect:

YouTube Live at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ut05iG4RXU

Twitch.tv at https://www.twitch.tv/zehrhead

Both of these livestream links have been tested successfully, but as this is our first public livestream event, we invite your feedback. Please send your comments to jbgordon@dock.org.

Arts News

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Senior Recital

Dock hosted its annual Senior Recital on Tuesday, May 29 in Clemens Theater, followed by a reception and art display in Longacre Commons. Our talented seniors provided a great evening of music and art!

Performances included:

Clair de Lune, Claude Debussy
Rachel Li

Sonata #3 in F Major, 2nd movement, G. F. Handel
Mikayla Frederick

The Light in the Piazza, Adam Guettel
Emily Bennett, Paul Bennett

No One is Alone, Stephen Sondheim
Isaac Longacre

Suite Antique, John Rutter 
Livia Anderson, Paul Anderson

7 Years, Lukas Graham
The Outside World, Karen Mok
Jackie Jiang, Rachel Li, Swan Yang

Pray, Sam Smith
Charret Ho

The Banana Song, from Despicable Me
McKenzie Gordon, Rebecca Xiao, Rachel Li

Jam #6, The Off Switch
Levi Longacre

The Last Goodbye, Billy Boyd
Alex Martin

Something Like This (cover by Facing West), The Chainsmokers & Coldplay 
Mikayla Frederick, Abby Nice, Lauren Ness, 
Molly Hand, Carsyn McCloskey, Chris Keach

Never Enough, Pasek & Paul
Carsyn McCloskey

 

Download the Senior Recital program

Elementary Spring Concert

Dock's EC-Grade 8 Campus held its Elementary Spring Concert on Tuesday, May 8, and it featured something for everyone. Performing were the Beginner and Elementary Orchestras, 3rd Grade Recorder Ensemble, 4th Grade Band, 5th Grade Band, 5th Grade Orff Ensemble, and 5th Grade Ukelele Ensemble. Thanks to our talented students as well as our fantastic music department—Mrs. Shelley Berg, Mrs. Katie Litzenberger, and Mrs Laura Landes—as well as Ms. Carolyn Burgman, who provided audio-visual expertise.

Visit the Spring Concert web page for complete program and more photos

Dock students display their art

Artwork created by Dock students is now on display at two different events in the community:

  • More than 420 pieces of art by students in Developmental Kindergarten to 4th grade will be on display through the month of May in the children's wing at the Indian Valley Public Library in Telford. There is an opening reception TONIGHT, Monday, May 7, from 6:30-8:00 p.m. featuring refreshments and prizes! The IVPL is located at 100 East Church Avenue, Telford, PA 18969. Hours are Monday-Thursday 9 AM-9 PM, Friday 10 AM - 9 PM, Saturday 10 AM - 5 PM, and Sunday 1 - 5 PM.

 

  • Dock art students and their families kicked off the school's annual Intergenerational Art Show with a reception on May 1 at the Mennonite Heritage Center in Harleysville. The art show runs through May 25. Make time to stop by and see the beautiful artwork by both students and their family members. A special thanks to art teacher Mrs. Alice Keppley for putting this wonderful event together! The Mennonite Heritage Center is located at 565 Yoder Road, Harleysville, PA, 19438. Hours are Tuesday - Friday, 10 AM to 5 PM, and Saturday 10 AM to 2 PM. 215.256.3020

See additional photos from the Intergenerational Art Show

Spring drama photos posted

Performance photos from Dock's spring drama, "The Stories We Tell Ourselves," have been posted to the production's page on the Dock web site.

Dock Theater performed three contemporary one-act plays April 26-28 in Clemens Theater. Video of Saturday night's performances will be posted later this week.

Showcase! celebrates the arts

Showcase! 2018, an all-day adjudicated fine arts festival, was held on Friday, April 27. Showcase!! highlighted the talents of Dock middle school students who excel in performing, visual, fiber, and culinary arts. All ensembles, speakers, soloists, and artists received a rating of Superior, Excellent, or Good for their performances or artwork, as determined by a panel of expert judges.

Visit the Showcase web page for results and photos

 

 

Athletics News

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Dock hosts Western Mennonite

The Western Mennonite School boys basketball team's "goodwill tour" made stops at Dock and Lancaster Mennonite High School the week of July 9. The team is on a two-week tour across the country, and stopped for a friendly scrimmage as well as some sight-seeing. The team visited Gettysburg, Valley Forge, and the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia. The Pennsylvania leg of the tour also included a scrimmage against Lancaster Mennonite High School. WMS is based in Salem, OR, and is also known as the Pioneers.

The Western Mennonite team, were accompanied by WMS Athletic Director and boys basketball coach Gary Hull, as well as parent chaperones. Hull arranged for the stop at Dock through Athletic Director Tim Ehst.

Senior athletes announce college plans

Photo: Lowell Swartley

The Dock Mennonite Academy Athletic Department held a press conference on Wednesday, May 2, to recognize nine student-athletes who have committed to playing their sport at the college level.

"These athletes have developed their God-given abilities in preparation for successful team experiences as part of the Dock mission," said Dock Athletic Director Tim Ehst. "We believe their experience with Dock athletics has helped shape them in ways that extend well beyond their athletic successes." The press conference also included a video showcasing each student-athlete, highlights of their high school athletic careers, and a reception to celebrate their recognition.

Student-athletes recognized include:

Olivia Boyle – NCAA D2 – Field Hockey – University of New Haven 

Molly Hand – NCAA D2 – Volleyball – Jefferson University

David Keller – NCAA D2 – Baseball – Lock Haven University 

Austin Kratz – NCAA D1 – Track and Field – Arizona State University

Alex Martin – NCAA D2 –Track and Field – Seton Hill University

Misrahim Nyagwegwe – NCAA D3 – Basketball – Eastern Mennonite University 

Hayden Phillips – NCAA D3 – Soccer – Cairn University

Caleb Pfleiger – NCAA D3 – Basketball – St. John Fisher College

McKenzie Swartley – NCAA D3 – Soccer – Messiah College

Photo credits: Top, right—Lowell Swartley; below—Jay Gordon

Kratz dominates in California

The races moved outdoors and across the country, but the results were largely the same: 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 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 great start to his outdoor track season!

 
New socks for Down Syndrome Awareness

Dock volleyballers had fun decorating socks for Down Syndrome Awareness Day, which was March 21. Although the team did not get to wear their socks on the court that day because of snow, the purpose of generating awareness for Down Syndrome was served. Nice job, gentlemen!

"These young men are truly remarkable, both on and off the court, reminding us that we can use sports in very positive ways," said Palmer Trolli, Dock's Athletic Director Assistant. "Their biggest fan, Ben (brother to Noah, Rachel, and Jake Shreiner), truly inspires this team."

Dock unveils "new" athletic identity

Dock Mennonite Academy has unveiled a new athletic identity, and it will be at once completely familiar and yet brand new for students and alumni.

Over the last year, the athletics, marketing, and admissions teams at Dock have worked to discern what the school's athletic identity should be going forward, with a goal to strengthen our marketing efforts in the athletic arena. This morning, in chapels at both the Middle School and Grades 9-12 campuses, Director of Admissions Doug Hackman revealed to the Dock community the results of this journey.

The process began with a survey that was sent to parents, alumni, coaches, faculty, and students regarding whether we should move forward with our existing athletic identity, the Pioneers, or select a new athletic identity. A strong majority of survey respondents indicated that Dock should continue to be the Pioneers.

Based on this feedback, we began working with designers on new athletic logos. A variety of logo submissions were tested with different groups. Again, we worked with parents, alumni, coaches, faculty, and students in this process.

The logo that we selected rated well with all constituent groups. It rated particularly well with athletes that recently graduated, and current athletes at the high school and middle school level, which made us feel confident to move ahead with our decision.

"I have appreciated the leadership of [Athletic Director] Tim Ehst in this process," said Hackman. "He has helped ensure that our athletic department represents who we are and what we value as a school, in particular emphasizing the importance of sportsmanship and how lessons learned on the field translate to who we are when we leave this place."

"Dock has been known as the Pioneers from the moment we began competing in athletics in the mid-1960s," said Ehst. "The new logo preserves the positive associations so many of our former student-athletes have, but infuses the brand with new energy that captures our passion to compete at the highest levels."

The Dock community will begin seeing the new identity being used in a variety of ways, including our athletics website, t-shirts, gym floors, and as a springboard to creating a mascot that will build enthusiasm and energy at "big games" and other events.

Watch the identity reveal announcement in chapel (up to 2:50)