December 2025 ASD Family Newsletter Keep scrolling to read about the people-places-things making news in our district!

The 2025 Annual Report is here!

Every year, the Appoquinimink School District creates an annual report showcasing the amazing work happening in our district. The theme of this year’s report is “The World is Our Campus,” which is our district motto and our commitment to our students, families, staff, and community.

You can read the 2025 Appoquinimink School District Annual Report here! As you know, we prioritize communication with families through emails, newsletters, social media, and other communication tools. Every year, the annual report is sent to all residents of our district to provide an opportunity to reach our larger MOT community to showcase the amazing things taking place at our 21 schools. As a district, we are so grateful for the public support that makes our accomplishments possible. In the 2025 Appoquinimink Annual Report, you’ll find news about student achievement, academic progress, program innovation, financial accountability, and notable details about how Delaware’s fastest growing district continues to bring value to students, the families, and our greater community. We hope you enjoy this year’s report!

December Appoquinimink Board of Education Recognitions

Pictured above are students who placed in the top 10 during this season of middle school girls' cross country. They were recognized at the December 16 Appoquinimink Board of Education meeting. The list of top 10 runners is: Dayna Wiggins (EMMS), Emma Babb (AGW), Cali Cumello (CBMS), Brynn Lambert (AGW), Avery Saywers (AGW), Rose Lambert (AGW), Lucy Holland (AGW), Mackenzie Rash (AGW), Makenzie Farmer (EMMS), and Kayley Lovergine (AGW). Please note: the students are listed in no particular order, and not all students were able to attend the Board meeting. 

Pictured above are students who placed in the top 10 during this season of middle school boys' cross country. They were recognized at the December 16 Appoquinimink Board of Education meeting. The list of top 10 runners is: Nathan Ebbert (AGW), Caiden Stone (AGW), Connor Calvery (AGW), Dylan Wiggins (EMMS), Brody Hearn (CBMS), Rocco Lovergine (AGW), Kaden Purcell (CBMS), Alex Houck (AGW), Omar Ali (AGW), and Finn Larson (LLRMS). Please note: the students are listed in no particular order, and not all students were able to attend the Board meeting. 

Pictured above, the cross country team at Alfred G. Waters Middle School was recognized at the December 16 Appoquinimink Board of Education meeting, after both the girls and boys teams were named district champions this season. The girls team had a total score of 24 and the boys had 20. 

Pictured above, the Middletown High School Marching Band was recognized at the December 16 Appoquinimink Board of Education meeting for its achievements during the 2025 competition season. 

Pictured above, the Odessa High School Marching Band was recognized at the December 16 Appoquinimink Board of Education meeting for its achievements during the 2025 competition season. 

Please note, Appoquinimink High School's Marching Band was also recognized during the December 16 Board of Education meeting. Representatives from the band were unable to be in attendance due to their winter concert happening at the same time.

Middletown High School’s football team was recognized at the December 16 Appoquinimink Board of Education meeting for winning the state championship title, two years in a row! 

The Cavaliers are back-to-back state champs!

With a final score of 28-14 over Salesianum, Middletown High School’s football team is once again the 3A State Champions! The game was played on November 28 in Dover, and we could not be prouder of our Cavaliers for carrying the state championship title into another year!

Athletic Honors from the fall season of sports

We have a lot to celebrate in our district! We are proud to announce the outstanding student-athletes who have earned the prestigious All-State honor in cross country, field hockey, soccer, and volleyball! Their hard work, passion, and performance on the field reflect the standard of excellence they bring to our district and community. We would also like to celebrate our football players who have been selected to the All-District Teams! These athletes stood out throughout the season and earned recognition among the district's best. In addition, we are celebrating our 2025 Blue Hen All-Conference Teams. These students' hard work, dedication, and competitive spirit have shone all season long. Please join us in congratulating our student-athletes who achieved honors during the fall 2025 season. Open this story to read more.

Middletown High School hosts first signing day of the school year

On Wednesday, December 3, Middletown High School celebrated six seniors who signed letters of commitment to play their sport at the college level. Those students were William “BJ” Garrett, Darius Pope, Dorian Rutledge, Layla Dukes, Lily Holcroft, and Sarah McFarland. Open this story to read more.

2025 All State Choir Results

Congratulations to the following ASD students for their acceptance into the Delaware All-State Choir!  ​​​​​​​Choir students from around the state completed an audition on Saturday, November 22, and those selected will participate in the Delaware All-State Choir Festival from March 5 through March 7, 2026, with concerts occurring on March 7 at Dover High School (Junior Choir at 4 p.m., Senior Choir at 7 p.m.). All-State Band and Orchestra auditions will occur on Saturday, January 10, 2026. More information about Delaware All-State Music Ensembles is available via the Delaware Music Educators Association website, www.delawaremea.org. Open this story for the full list of students who were accepted.

Criminal Justice Capstone at Odessa High School

On December 16, Odessa High School students in the Criminal Justice and Legal Issues Pathway presented their capstone projects — these projects are the result of concentrated research about a topic within the students’ field of study. The research is conducted under the leadership and direction of experienced professionals working in the criminal justice and legal issues fields. Students present a summary of their capstone project to teachers or the professionals who helped them develop their project. These projects allow students to connect their career interests to real-life settings. As a reminder, the Criminal Justice and Legal Issues Pathway is just one of 25 pathways offered in our schools. You can find more information about our pathways here. You can view the full gallery from December 16 here.

Leaders on the Move!

We have exciting news to announce — Kirstin Stainback was recently named assistant principal of Brick Mill Early Childhood Center! Stainback is an example of “growing our own.” She is a graduate of Middletown High School, Class of 2009.  Stainback has 13 years of experience working in education, 10 of which are in the district. She taught first grade at Brick Mill Elementary School, was an instructional coach at Silver Lake Elementary School for two years, and completed her administrative internship at Appoquinimink Preschool Center before moving to her new role at BMECC. She has taught first grade inclusion, served as a lead science teacher, and was a lead induction coach. She was named Teacher of the Year for Brick Mill Elementary School in 2019.  Stainback has a Bachelor of Science in elementary education/special education from the University of Delaware and a Master of Science in School Leadership from Wilmington University.

Transportation Employee of the Month: Congrats to Carla Vass!

Meet Carla Vass, the Transportation Department's November Employee of the Month! Vass drives bus #228 and services Everett Meredith Middle School and Bunker Hill Elementary School. Vass has been a team member since the district started running its fleet. Vass is a true asset — she is friendly, reliable, and enjoys her students. In addition to her daily routes, she also drives on field trips and athletic trips.

The CRE Mavericks support a good cause, see DSP helicopters up close!

The Crystal Run Mavericks lived up to their school’s aviation theme when three students and their families were invited to take a tour of the Delaware State Police’s aviation facility across the street at Summit Aviation. This tour came about after the school collaborated with the DSP’s aviation section, which encouraged students to submit t-shirt designs. The winning design, created by fifth grader Isaac Eaton, was printed on t-shirts and sold as a fundraiser for toy LEGOs that replicate medical aid helicopters. The LEGOs are being given to children who received transport by those helicopters. Isaac, Hailey Barker, and Aniket Singamsetty, the two runners-up in the contest, were invited to tour the aviation facilities on Monday, December 15. Please join us in thanking the Delaware State Police for their continued support and partnerships with our schools! See the full gallery of photos from the visit here!

Click here to see WDEL's coverage of the visit.

Middletown High School students share their engineering knowledge with Crystal Run students

We love sharing stories of collaboration among our schools! This post comes from Crystal Run Elementary School's Assistant Principal Brandi Luloff and details the Mavericks' recent lesson with Middletown High School engineering students. We are excited to share highlights from a recent STEM /Engineering collaboration that brought together our Middletown High School students and Crystal Run Elementary 4th grade learners in a meaningful, hands-on learning experience. Through this partnership, 11 engineering pathway students served as guides and role models as they worked alongside our CRE 4th graders on building a Rube Goldberg machine. These activities encouraged curiosity, problem-solving, and creativity while reinforcing key concepts in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Our older students had the opportunity to strengthen their leadership, communication, and collaboration skills, while our younger students benefited from personalized support and positive peer interaction. We are proud of all the students involved and grateful to the teachers and staff who helped make this experience possible. Opportunities like this not only enrich academic learning but also build confidence, teamwork, and a shared love of learning.

Appoquinimink Foundation — Join the Team!

Did you know? The Appoquinimink Foundation was formed in 2010 to independently support the educational goals of the Appoquinimink School District. The Foundation maintained 501(c)(3) non-profit status in 2012. This allows groups and individuals the opportunity to make tax-free donations to the educational process in the Appoquinimink School District and help meet the three major constituents of the local educational system: students, educators, and the community. The Appoquinimink Foundation is seeking new members for the organization to help grow the impact. Connect with us here: https://www.appofoundation.org/volunteer

Honoring veterans at Cedar Lane Elementary

While schools were closed on Veterans Day, Cedar Lane Elementary School made sure its students understood the meaning of the federal holiday through a ceremony on November 14. CLE invited local service men and women from different branches of the military to give brief speeches about what called them to serve and their experiences in the military. It is events like these that help teach our younger generations about the importance of service and of honoring our veterans. You can find the full gallery here.

Odessa High School continues tradition of Baking for Our Troops

Since 2016, our district has partnered with the American Legion Auxiliary, Canal Unit 25, and the Delaware National Guard to bake cookies for troops serving away from home over the holidays. Except for one year, due to the pandemic, we have upheld the tradition of Baking for the Troops. These pictures were taken on December 1, in Odessa High School's kitchen, where students in the School of Culinary Arts and Hospitality baked the cookies with help from Adjutant General Maj. Gen. James Benson, National Guard servicemen and women, and Margie Donovan-Abbott, who we are endlessly grateful to for organizing this event each year. You can see the full gallery of pictures here.

Delaware State Police visit our schools

Throughout December, Community Engagement Troopers with the Delaware State Police have been stopping by our schools. From arrival time to lunch visits to even helping with the morning announcements, these visits aim to foster positive relationships with the community and reinforce that officers are there to help. At some of the visits, the troopers were able to bring their most popular team member — Tycho, a flat-coated Retriever with a heavy need for attention! You can see more pictures on our website, here!

Wonderful Winterfest at LLRMS

Louis L. Redding Middle School’s Winterfest was the perfect way to kick off the last week of school before winter break! Hosted by the Education and Leadership program at LLRMS, Winterfest saw students from Best Buddies, RISE, and LCCE programs at Appoquinimink and Middletown High School join LLRMS students for a day of fun, friendship, and community-building. Students cycled through three stations of fun, sensory friendly winter-themed activities, including holiday games, crafts, and karaoke. This was a wonderful day of collaboration and celebration that strengthened connections between our schools and programs.

AHS's Best Buddies forms connections across the globe!

Appoquinimink High School’s Best Buddies chapter was selected to participate in the inaugural 2025–2026 Best Buddies Cultural Exchange Program. Through this exciting opportunity, we were matched with Best Buddies Philippines, allowing our members to connect with peers across the globe and learn about one another’s cultures, schools, and daily lives. We began communicating last month and have already launched our first activities together. Our goal is to complete one shared activity every few months, culminating in at least one Zoom meeting by the end of the school year. While there is a significant time difference between our two countries, we are working collaboratively to coordinate meaningful interactions. Our first exchange activity was writing postcards to one another. Best Buddies Philippines sent their postcards at the end of last month, and our members wrote theirs this week during our holiday party. We are eagerly awaiting their postcards and are excited to read about life in the Philippines and their school experiences. Several additional activities are planned for the new year, and we look forward to continuing this partnership and sharing our journey as the cultural exchange unfolds.

A new and improved Bookmobile

Please join us in thanking Tyler Ginn, a local Boy Scout, for upgrading our district's Bookmobile trailer! Tyler and a team of volunteers were at the district office on November 24 to complete this project, which he began coordinating with our district librarians a few months ago. The upgrades will prove to be an improvement for our librarians next summer when the Bookmobile makes the rounds in our district to distribute free books to the community. See more pictures here!

AKA - Alpha Alpha Tau Omega Chapter donates backpacks to elementary students

Please join us in thanking the Alpha Alpha Tau Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, for their donation of 20 backpacks and school supplies for our students at Townsend Elementary School! We cannot thank our community partners enough for thinking of our students — especially during the holiday season!

LifeHouse Church donates snacks to Townsend students

We have a lot to be thankful for this holiday season! LifeHouse Church MOT made a significant donation of more than 50 boxes of snacks for Townsend Elementary School students. What's more, the church also donated gift cards for every TES staff member. We'd like to extend a thank you to Jason Carmona, a fourth-grade teacher at TES, for coordinating this donation with the church. Our hearts are full after experiencing the generosity of our awesome community!

AHS school psychologist makes magic this holiday season

With all the generosity this time of year, it can be difficult to capture all the amazing things and amazing people we have in our schools. Today, however, we have an extra special person we’d like to highlight — Appoquinimink High School’s Jenn Arrighi. Each year, Arrighi, a school psychologist, organizes a wishlist for AHS students and families in need. Thanks to the generosity of students and staff, the school supported 16 students and their families, gathering more than $1,000 in cash. That doesn’t include the value of gifts donated. Principal Lynn Streets estimates each of the 16 students will receive roughly $200-$300 worth of gifts thanks to Arrighi’s fundraising efforts. Arrighi sends out reminder emails throughout the holiday season, does the shopping, and wraps all of the presents using the extra money collected. Please join us in thanking Arrighi and the students and staff of AHS for ensuring everyone has a wonderful holiday each year.

Appoquinimink High Brass Band dazzles at district office

We want to take a moment to thank the Appoquinimink High School Brass Band for visiting the district office and spreading some holiday cheer! The band did a fantastic job performing holiday classics for district office employees on the Thursday before winter break.

Even stuffies need routine exams!

Ahead of winter break, Appoquinimink High School students in the Healthcare Sciences Pathway performed routine exams for stuffies belonging to students in AHS’s Pre-K Lab. From eye exams to weight checks to blood pressure checks, each stuffie was sure to get a clean bill of health ahead of the holidays! You can see the full gallery here!