Thereโs nothing like song to set the stage for the holiday season. And DTSDโs award-winning Music Department once again has a variety of opportunities for community members to enjoy a little winter music. Click the headline above or the graphic to the left for a schedule of the various offerings.
Hershey High School is pleased to announce that it has been recognized as an Apple Distinguished School for 2019โ2022 for its innovative integration of technology into the teaching and learning environment. Apple Distinguished Schools are centers of innovation, leadership, and educational excellence that use technology to inspire creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking. They showcase innovative uses of technology in learning, teaching, and the school environment and have documented results of academic accomplishment.
Want to know more about the direction of K-12 education? Have something youโd like to discuss with Superintendent Joe McFarland in an informal community roundtable setting? You can do all of these and enjoy a steaming cup of coffee during โJava with Joe.โ Designed as an opportunity for community members and the districtโs top administrator to get together in a casual environment, Mr. McFarland will once again be hosting this series of quarterly listening events. The next โJava with Joeโ will be held Tuesday, December 17th at the Hershey Middle School LGI beginning at 6 p.m.
Based on a growing body of research on adolescent sleep patterns and the impacts to student achievement, Derry Township School District intends to revamp its school day starting with the 2021-2022 school year. While the district will be using the next two school years to fully develop the specifics, the intent is to analyze the research to better match the sleep patterns of our students. Click the graphic for more details.
All schools in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, including DTSD, have adopted use of the โSafe2Say Somethingโ anonymous tip line as a means of improving campus safety and improving school climate. The tip line is operated and monitored 24/7 by the Office of the Attorney General where tips are reviewed, classified, and forwarded to the appropriate school district. Tips that are found to contain information that may indicate a "life safety" issue are immediately forwarded to the appropriate county emergency dispatch center. Click the graphic for additional information.
The COCOA Principles embody a district-wide culture where students and staff demonstrate DTSD's core beliefs ofACADEMICS: First Marking Period Honor Rolls
First Marking Period Honor Rolls for the 2019-2020 school year have been released for Hershey High School and Hershey Middle School.
OWNERSHIP: November Trojan "Ten"
We’re proud of the November “Trojan Ten”: Brent Bailey, Clare Canavan, Devon Davis, Elise Dornberger, Kaiwan Imran, Sophie Kim, Hannah Marra, Donya Moore, Kirtan Patel and Michelle Spratt . Each student named one of The Trojan 10 was nominated for recognition after they were “caught being awesome” by Hershey High School staff. This new monthly appreciation program aims to highlight HHS students who display character, kindness, positive attitude and make contributions to the school community
ACADEMICS: HHS Places in SIFMA Spring Stock Market Game
Congrats to Hershey High School juniors Amir Hasan and Landyn Ober; the duo placed 1st in the Central Region in the High School Division of the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA) Spring Stock Market Game. The team earned a 12.7% return on their stock portfolio over the past 10 weeks, outpacing the S&P 500 by more than a 5% return. Hershey students dominated the region, with HHS teams taking the top six places. So kudos as well to Tommy Johnson & Jack Gish (2nd), Tyler Meister & Karsyn Kehler (3rd), Max Schmidt & Ben Phillippy (4th), Mason Horn & Jordan Giffin (5th) and Alexis Moodie & Leah Koppenhaver (6th).
OWNERSHIP: HMS Student Receives PAMLE Award
Hershey Middle School 6th Grader Aidan Norton, who is one of 10 students across the Commonwealth was presented with the Pennsylvania Association for Middle Level Education's (PAMLE) Joan Jarrett Award. The award is designed to honor outstanding adolescents at the middle-school level who demonstrate leadership abilities, good citizenship, and have made positive contributions to their school and community.
OPPORTUNITY: Five HHS Seniors Sign National Letters of Intent
Five Hershey High School seniors have signed national letters of intent to continue their athletic and academic careers in college. Those students announcing their plans include: Adam Paymer, Christopher Newport (lacrosse); Alexei King, Misericordia University (soccer); Joe Allegrini, Juanita College (baseball); Mark Sickler, United States Military Academy (lacrosse) and Mark Suminski, Unites States Naval Academy (track).
OPPORTUNITY: HHS Students Selected to the PMEA District 7 Band, Jazz Band and Regional Band
A hearty congratulations to Hershey High School student musicians John Zhuang, Tehya Walters, Natalie Jones, Carissa Marrocco, Maddie Getting, Avi Lukacher, David Mailman, Dan Hyatt, Jonathan Haidet, JT Mullins, Ethan Sicher and Michelle Yun for being selected to the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association District 7 Band. Mullins and Sicher were also selected to participate in the PMEA District 7 Jazz Band. Additionally, the pair will join Zhuang, Getting, Lukacher, Mailman and Yun as participants in the PMEA Regional Band. Selection to these different honors ensembles is based on individual auditions.
Opportunity: HHS Sophomore Jordan Lewis for winning the Central PA Regional Poetry Out Loud Competition
Congratulations to HHS Sophomore Jordan Lewis for winning the Central PA Regional Poetry Out Loud Competition. Jordan will now represent the Central PA Region on March 4 at the state-level completion, to be held at the Pennsylvania Museum and Historic Commission in Harrisburg. The Poetry Out Loud: National Recitation Contest encourages students to learn about great poetry through memorization and recitation. This program helps students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about literary history and contemporary life
ACADEMICS: HMS Geography Bee
The Hershey Middle School Geography Bee took place after school on Thursday. January 24 with more than 30 students answering a wide variety of questions related to the study of the physical features of the Earth. In the end, 6th Grader Brady Keller captured the championship with 8th Grader Matt Cysyk coming in a close second. Luke Pritchett (7th grade) finished third.
All schools in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, including Derry Township School District, have adopted use of the “Safe2Say Something” anonymous tip line as a means of improving campus safety and improving school climate. The tip line is operated and monitored 24/7 by the Office of the Attorney General where tips are reviewed, classified, and forwarded to the appropriate school district. Tips that are found to contain information that may indicate a "life safety" issue are prioritized and immediately forwarded to the appropriate county emergency dispatch center.
Students, parents, and community members can submit tips via three methods:
