Superintendent’s April 2025 Newsletter Keep scrolling for information about the people-places-events making news in our district!

Odessa FFA & Agriscience Team Wins Big at 2025 Delaware Envirothon

This story is from Odessa High School's Facebook page. If you're not already, be sure to follow their page @OdessaHighFFADelaware on Facebook and @odessa_ffa_delaware on Instagram!

We are thrilled to share some exciting news from the Odessa FFA & Agriscience program—our team has officially been crowned the 2025 Delaware Envirothon State Champions!

Team members Kalena Diaz, Joseph Delaney, Zach Binnie, Nate Sutton, and Keith Schmid brought home first place honors after competing against 21 other teams from across the state at Blackbird State Forest – Meadows Tract.

The Delaware Envirothon is a highly competitive, hands-on environmental science challenge that tests students’ knowledge in a variety of areas including Air Quality, Aquatics, Forestry, Forest Resiliency, Soils, Wildlife, and Public Speaking. Our students demonstrated exceptional preparation and teamwork—taking or tying for first place in all but one category and finishing second in the other.

After a full day of competition and a well-earned lunch, the Delaware Envirothon Committee announced final scores. As the top spot was revealed, excitement erupted—Odessa FFA had unseated the defending champions, ending a 22-year winning streak!

Students earned $500 scholarship each, all expense paid trip to Banff National Park for National Competition, gift cards, medals/medallions and a rotating plaque acknowledging their efforts!

This achievement reflects not only the team’s hard work and dedication but also the strength of our Agriscience program and the incredible student leadership it continues to foster.

Congratulations to our champions and to everyone who helped support this journey! We are so proud of the legacy you are building.

Now on to Calgary, Alberta Canada to represent Delaware in the National Envirothon in July!

CBMS's Ingrid Carr is our Behavioral Health Professional of the Year

Please join us in congratulating Ingrid Carr, who was recently named our district's Behavioral Health Professional of the Year! Carr is a school psychologist at Cantwell's Bridge Middle School. The Behavioral Health Professional of the Year (BHPOY) program recognizes outstanding service by a school employee who is a health care practitioner or human service provider. Nominations are open to school counselors, school social workers, licensed clinical social workers, school psychologists, and school nurses. As our district's BHPOY winner, Carr now moves forward to represent our district in the state program! Carr was recognized at our April Board of Education meeting — pictured, from left, are Director of Talent Acquisition and Strategic Staffing Dominic Banks, CBMS Assistant Principal Kelyn Marmolejo, Carr, and Superintendent Matt Burrows.

We're accepting nominations for Educational Support Professional of the Year

We are accepting nominations for our district's 2026 Educational Support Professional of the Year! Each year, our district recognizes outstanding service by school employees who provide direct or indirect services to students and their families. Such school staff includes paraprofessionals, custodians, secretaries/clerks, child nutrition staff, information technology staff, and transportation staff. The window to nominate closes on Friday, April 25, 2025, so be sure to nominate today!

Each candidate must meet the criteria below:

1. Nominees shall be skillful and dedicated educational support professionals who provide direct or indirect services to students and their families.
2. Nominees must have at least three completed years of experience as an educational support professional.
3. Nominees will continue to serve in an educational support professional position for the 2025-2026 school year.

Nathan Moser earns Governor’s Award for Excellence in Civics Education

Please join us in congratulating Nathan Moser, who was recently recognized with the Governor's Award for Excellence in Civics Education! Moser, a social studies teacher in the district, was noted for his teaching style, which emphasizes real-life examples, action civics, and a balance of building civic knowledge while developing civic skills and dispositions.

Now in its third year, the Governor's Award for Excellence in Civics Education recognizes a teacher who excels at teaching civics inside and outside the classroom, continuing their own learning, leading others, and advocating for civics education more broadly. This award was created in 2023 through a partnership between the Delaware Center for Civics Education at the University of Delaware and the Delaware Civics Education Coalition.

Moser has taught for 12 years, including in Rockingham, North Carolina; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and Wilmington. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Education from Millersville University and a Master of Arts in Teaching from the RELAY Graduate School of Education.

Mark your calendars for the upcoming School Board Election

The video below is from a March 25 Candidates Forum hosted by our Appoquinimink Board of Education. Skip to about 9:10 for the forum to begin.

April Board of Education Recognitions

These students, pictured above from Appoquinimink High School, were recognized for participating in All State Band. They are Omisha Royal and Ethan Rich.

These students, pictured above from Cantwell's Bridge Middle School, were recognized for participating in All State Band. They are, in no order, Emmanuel Arhin, Ben Beird, Calvin Mincey, and Emmanuel Oppong-adjei.

These students, pictured above from Middletown High School, were recognized for participating in All State Band. They are Breanna Reb and Jonah Carrington.

These students, pictured above from Odessa High School, were recognized for participating in All State Band's Jazz Ensemble. They are, in no order, Gabriel Spinazzola, Enoch Timmons, and Matai Rouse.

These students, pictured above from Odessa High School, were recognized for participating in the Junior and Senior All State Band. They are, in no order, Nathan Ehlman, Parker Endlein, Analia Lemus, Matai Rouse, Brayden Stafford, and Enoch Timmons.

These students, pictured above from Alfred G. Waters Middle School, were recognized for participating in All State Orchestra. They are, in no order, Jason Chung, Adriana Corado, Yicheng Jin, Chloe McCleary, and Opal Verm.

Pictured above, Appoquinimink High School's Violet Sullivan was recognized for participating in All State Orchestra.

These students, pictured above from Middletown High School, were recognized for participating in All State Orchestra. They are, in no order, Edison Liu, Daniel Longfellow, and Viola McKenna.

These students, pictured above from Odessa High School, were recognized for participating in All State Orchestra. They are Nathan Ehlman and Lin Xie.

Pictured above are Middletown High School athletes who were recognized at the April Board of Education meeting. They are, from left, Anai Burney-Green (Silver in the 4 X 400 relay, Silver in the 200 M, and Gold in the 4 X 200 m relay), Cameron Lampkin (Bronze in shot put), Amir Jones-Branch (Bronze in the 200 M, Silver in the 55 M, and Gold in the 4 X 200 relay), and Messai Maynor, (Silver in the 4 X 400 relay, Gold in the 200 M, Gold in the 55 m and Gold in the 4 X 200 relay).

Pictured above are Odessa High School athletes who were recognized at the April Board of Education meeting. They are, from left, Keith Jenerette, (Gold in 4 X 400 relay), Kasai Truitt, (Gold in 4 X 400 relay), and Derrick Belle (Gold in 4 X 400 relay and Gold in 55 m hurdles).

Pictured above are Middletown High School athletes who were recognized at the April Board of Education meeting. They are, from left, Alexandria Drummond (Bronze in the Pole Vault and Silver in the 4 X 800 relay), Taylor Stone (Silver Girls High Jump), Skylar Schrader (Silver in the 4 X 800 relay), Valerie Rangel, (Silver in the 4 X 800 relay), Shilah Galloway (Silver in the 4 X 800 relay).

Pictured above are Odessa High School athletes who were recognized at the April Board of Education meeting. They are, from left, Addison Barker (Bronze in the 4 X 200 Relay and Silver in the 4 X 400 relay), Ryleigh White, (Bronze in the 4 X 200 Relay and Silver in the 4 X 400 relay), Morgan Wallace (Silver in the 4 X 400 relay), Magenta Desaussure, (Bronze in the 4 X 200 Relay and Silver in the 4 X 400 relay), Shakira Roberstson, (Bronze in the 4 X 200 Relay).

Middletown High School coaches and team captains were recognized at the April Board meeting as well, after the team was named State Champions. The coaches and captains are pictured above, from left: Jonathan Pollock, Chase Stone, Stanley Louis, MaryKay Waltermire, and Yvenel Sainsume.

MHS’s Gregory Earle named Youth Governor of Delaware

Gregory Earle, a junior at Middletown High School, has been named the 58th Youth Governor of Delaware! Gregory’s governorship happened through the YMCA of Delaware’s Youth in Government program, which offers model legislative and judicial experiences for youths in grades 6-12.

Chinese Immersion Spring Performance wows

In the spring, all four of our middle schools host Career Days where they invite professionals from the community to come to their school and speak with seventh-graders about their journey to their profession. These pictures are from Alfred G. Waters Middle School's Career Day.

Profile of a Graduate: Civic-Minded

We are committed to the success of our graduates - and a hallmark of this commitment is the completed Profile of a Graduate.

The Profile of a Graduate ensures all students who learn in Appoquinimink School District have the knowledge, skills, and mindsets needed for the future. The Profile of a Graduate was created in collaboration with our students, staff, families, local community, and other stakeholders. This cumulative effort helped create the final profile.

We are committed to ensuring all Appo families have a thorough understanding of this important work. That work will continue over the coming weeks and months - in this newsletter, in our school communications, and throughout our communication channels such as our website and social media.

The Profile of a Graduate has six focus areas:

1. Academically Ready
2. Life Ready
3. Future-Focused
4. Workplace Ready
5. Civic-Minded
6. Financially Savvy

This month, we’re highlighting Civic-Minded.

Within each of these areas – there’s additional detail about what this means for each student. We encourage all families to learn more here.

Next month, we’ll conclude our series with the final tenet of the Profile of Graduate: Financially Savvy.

Exploring the Future: 8th Grade Visit to the University of Delaware

Our eighth-grade students at Louis L. Redding Middle School had the exciting opportunity to tour the University of Delaware, getting a firsthand look at campus life and learning more about the wide variety of academic programs offered. During the visit, students engaged with UD representatives, explored different fields of study, and gained valuable insights into the college application process. Experiences like this help spark curiosity and inspire future planning as students begin to think about their paths beyond high school!

Cleared for takeoff!

To help get them excited about all the instruments they can play, the ensembles they can join, and the skills they can learn, students from Old State Elementary School and Townsend Elementary Schools took a trip over to Odessa High School's auditorium, where they learned about band and orchestra from high school students. Click through these pictures to see how excited our younger learners get when our older students step in as teachers!

Odessa High School art students amaze

These pictures were taken during Odessa High School's AP Art and Design Showcase. Special thank you to the Historic Odessa Foundation for opening its Visitors Center to our students for the show! If you missed the show, don’t worry — our district’s Secondary Art Exhibition, with art by students from all three high schools, is set for Saturday, May 17, at the Appoquinimink Community Library!

You're Invited!

We are thrilled to invite the community to our Elementary Art Exhibition! The exhibition will take place on Saturday, May 3, 2025, from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event will be held at the Appoquinimink Community Library and will feature student artwork from all ASD elementary schools. The amazing artwork will remain on display through Tuesday, May 6, and can be viewed during scheduled library hours.

We are also thrilled to invite the community to our Secondary Art Show! The reception will be from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 17, at the Appoquinimink Community Library. The works will remain on display through Tuesday, May 20.

Indoor Programs Showcase

The above pictures are from our combined Indoor Programs Showcase, which displays the talent of our marching band and color guard students at all three high schools. We have three full galleries of pictures from the event on our website, so be sure to visit this link!

Winter 2024-25 Post Season Honors

The Appoquinimink School District once again made its presence felt across the state during the winter athletic season, showcasing excellence, resilience, and rising talent. From championship titles to historic firsts, our student-athletes delivered performances that will be remembered for years to come.

Silver Lake Elementary installs garden boxes

On Saturday, March 29, Silver Lake Elementary School, with Healthy Foods for Healthy Kids, installed vegetable garden boxes. We'd like to extend a special thank you to Delaware Secretary of Education Cindy Marten and State Sen. Stephanie Hansen for coming to see the installation!

Autism Awareness Day in our schools

These pictures are from our Transportation Department and Louis L. Redding Middle School. World Autism Awareness Day was April 2, and our schools showed their support by wearing t-shirts, and, at LLRMS, students from Ed Leadership and RISE decorated the halls!

Annual Employment Expo sees high turnout

These pictures are from our Employment Expo. This annual event, coordinated by our Work-Based Learning team, provides students with the opportunity to meet representatives from local businesses, community-based organizations, and military recruiters.

Showing our appreciation

The above pictures are from Lorewood Grove Elementary School, where Superintendent Matt Burrows visited on Paraprofessional Appreciation Day!

National Assistant Principal Appreciation Week was April 7-11, so Superintendent Matt Burrows visited the Cedar Lane Campus to say thank you to the school leaders there. He is pictured, from left, with L'Tanya Cain, Gina McKinney, and Shannon Mann.

The first full week of April is celebrated as National School Librarian Week, so Superintendent Matt Burrows visited the Cedar Lane Campus to say thank you to Alfred G. Waters Middle School's Katelynn Scott, pictured left, and Cedar Lane Elementary School's Melissa Grieshober, pictured center, for the amazing work they do in support of their students!

Middletown Forensics and Criminal Justice students host capstone showcase

The above pictures are from Middletown High School's Forensics and Criminal Justice Pathways Showcase. Students presented their capstone projects to their mentors, families, and district administrators.

Visit this link to learn more about our district's pathways.

Continuing Coverage: Secretary of Education Scholars recognized at a special dinner

Secretary of Education Cindy Marten, Gov. Matt Meyer, and other state leaders celebrated the 96 Class of 2025 Secretary of Education Schools during a special dinner in Dover. The state has named Secretary of Education Scholars every year since 1984. The number of scholars from each school is based on enrollment. Principals nominate the students based on their academic records, school leadership and community service.

Our Class of 2025 cohort is James “Hunter” Troskey, Srinitya Pamulapati, and David Oladosu from Appoquinimink High School. Devyanshi Sharma and Arjun Bharath from Middletown High School. Cole Massey and Pranav Rao from Odessa High School. 

“These students are leaders in and out of the classroom,” Marten said. “They are excelling — often in college-level courses — while leading school clubs, musical ensembles, sports teams and community service projects. They balance their studies while working part-time and volunteering in their communities. I was inspired by each and every one of them last night. I especially loved hearing their self-reflections on what inspired their success, which often pointed to the family members, educators and peers who supported them.”

Check out this video showcasing the students and those self-reflections.

The scholars are also being recognized on a website to showcase their outstanding achievements. The website includes photographs, principal nomination statements, and student narrative statements as submitted by the students.

Appoquinimink Foundation is accepting scholarship applications

Attention seniors! The Appoquinimink Foundation is accepting scholarship applications. The foundation will be awarding TEN $1,000 scholarships to graduating seniors from Middletown High School, Appoquinimink High School, or Odessa High School! All pathways and all post-graduation plans are welcome to apply.

Visit www.appofoundation.org for more information!

OHS and CBMS hosts Delaware school leaders meeting

On April 1, our district had the opportunity to host a meeting of Delaware's school leaders, including Governor Matt Meyer and state Secretary of Education Cynthia Marten.

In the pictures, you'll see pathway ambassadors serving as escorts for the visitors to our district. We would like to take a moment to compliment these students for doing an excellent job representing our district. Huge kudos to the 8th-grade musicians who performed while guests were arriving!

Celebrating Occupational Therapy Month in April