Join us at High School Preview Night!
Preview Night offers an opportunity for eighth-grade families to meet our high school leaders, explore the array of courses, activities, and services available, tour popular classes (where you’ll see demonstrations), hear what a typical day is like, and participate in a lively question and answer session!
LEARN ABOUT:
- College-prep, Honors, Advanced Placement and Dual Enrollment Courses
- Career-related pathways your student can explore
- Our award-winning clubs, sports, and student-run businesses
- The culture and traditions that define our schools
Appoquinimink High School
- 1080 Bunker Hill Road, Middletown, DE 19709
- Principal: Samuel.Postlethwait@appo.k12.de.us
- Website: appohigh.org
Odessa High School
- 570 Tony Marchio Drive, Townsend, DE 19734
- Principal: Deangello.Eley@appo.k12.de.us
- Website: odessahs.org
Middletown High School
- 120 Silver Lake Road, Middletown, DE 19709
- Principal: Nell.Jean@appo.k12.de.us
- Website: middletownhs.org
Nearly 40 students earn on-site acceptance to DSU at our HBCU College Fair!
There was palpable excitement in the gymnasium and auditorium at our district’s HBCU College Fair! This annual event, held at Middletown High School, helps students learn more about the opportunities available to them should they choose to attend an HBCU as well as the historical significance of these higher education institutions.
One of the most exciting aspects of our HBCU College Fair is on-site admissions! This year, 39 students found out that their applications to Delaware State University had been approved for them to attend DSU next fall! On top of that, 33 students earned DSU’s Inspire Scholarship — this is a four-year, full-tuition scholarship available to qualifying Delaware high school graduates who enroll at DSU in the fall semester immediately following their high school graduation. Eleven of our students also found out they have GPAs that qualify for DSU’s Presidential Scholarship, which is a merit-based scholarship that covers the entire cost of college (i.e. tuition and general fees, room and board, textbooks, etc.)
College Fair 2024 is one for the books!
These pictures are from our district's annual College Fair, held October 17, 2024, at Appoquinimink High School. The fair provides students with the opportunity to meet representatives from colleges and universities, trade schools, and military recruiters all in one place — AHS's gymnasium! Thank you to all the schools and organizations that attended the fair!
Launch into Your Future events get seniors thinking about life after high school
Throughout the month, we’ve been helping our seniors get excited about all the opportunities available to them once they graduate with Launch into Your Future events! Each high school has had a week’s worth of events — AHS’s was the first week of October, OHS’s kicked off on October 21, and MHS’s began October 28 — that range from informative sessions on finding scholarships for college to options for enlisting in the military to celebrations specifically for seniors. We want to give a special shoutout to our school counselors for helping coordinate these events!
Important Information for Upcoming Football Game on Nov. 8
We are excited to welcome everyone to the much-anticipated football game between Middletown High School and Appoquinimink High School on Friday, November 8, 2024, at Jaguar Stadium at Appoquinimink High School!
As we prepare for this thrilling event, we want to share important information to ensure a smooth and enjoyable experience for all attendees.
1. Online Ticketing Guidelines: All tickets must be purchased in advance at GoFan, our online ticket vendor. The link to purchase tickets is posted on the athletics website and special codes will be provided by the schools.
- Please follow Go Fan guidelines for ticket purchase and redemption.
- The cost of admission is $7. Tickets will go on sale Sunday, November 3 at 9 a.m. and close on Thursday, November 7 at 12 noon.
- Tickets must be available for redemption at the gate. No screenshots or email receipts. Spectators must be prepared to show ID if requested.
- Gates open one hour before game time and close at the end of the second quarter.
- ASD has a no re-admittance policy, which means that once you leave the event venue you may not return.
2. Admission Guidelines: Spectators are encouraged to limit the number of items they bring with them to the stadium. The following styles and size bags are permitted into the stadium:
- Bags that are clear plastic, vinyl or PVC and do not exceed 12″ x 6″ x 12”
- One-gallon clear plastic freezer bag (Ziploc bag or similar)
- Small clutch bags, approximately the size of a hand but not larger than 5” X 8”, with or without a handle/strap.
- Spectators may not wear full-face ski masks or gators.
- Spectators are asked to remain seated in the bleachers during the game. Loitering inside and outside the event venue, including the parking lot, is prohibited.
- Any middle or elementary school aged children attending as a guest must be accompanied by an adult and remain with that adult at all times.
Security Screening: A Weapons Detection System will be used at the stadium entrance.
- Spectators will be required to pass through the system before entering the stadium.
- Spectators do NOT need to remove personal belongings such as keys, cell phones, jewelry, belts, wallets, etc.
3. Parking Information: Parking is available at Appoquinimink High School and Bunker Hill Elementary. Parking will open at 5:30 p.m. Tailgating is not permitted on Appoquinimink School District property.
- Accessible parking is available near Jaguar Stadium. A valid accessible parking permit must be displayed to use these spaces.
- Please refer to the parking map for student drop off locations, accessible parking and traffic flow guidelines.
4. Sportsmanship and Behavior: We are proud of the competitive spirit that comes with district rivalries, but let’s also remember to uphold the values of respect and sportsmanship. Whether on the field or in the stands, please:
- Cheer positively for our teams.
- Show respect to opposing fans, players, and officials.
- Follow stadium guidelines for appropriate behavior.
- Any unsportsmanlike conduct or failure to follow the directives of game staff will result in removal from the event.
Thank you for your attention to these details. We look forward to seeing everyone for an exciting and safe game!
School Choice Reminder
The State of Delaware's "school choice" law provides students with the opportunity to move within and between districts to attend the public school of their choice — when capacity is available. Applications for the 2025-26 school year will be accepted from November 4, 2024, until January 8, 2025. Pre-registration opened on October 1, 2024, for school choice for next year. Please note: ASD continues to experience rapid growth with many buildings at academic capacity. More information is available here.
Immersion Info Night is November 7
This year, we are hosting one information night to share about our immersion programs, meet key staff, and tour our immersion classrooms! As an ASD parent, you can enroll your child in a traditional kindergarten program or “choice” into a stimulating immersion setting where children learn the same content, but have the added advantage of lessons taught in two languages (Spanish/English or Mandarin Chinese/English) instead of one! If interested, we encourage you to attend our immersion night on Thursday, November 7.
Our Immersion Information Night will be held at 6 p.m. on Thursday, November 7 at Brick Mill Early Childhood Center, 360 Brick Mill Road, Middletown.
We have three programs for incoming kindergarten students:
- Chinese Immersion at Spring Meadow Early Childhood Center
- Spanish Immersion at Brick Mill Early Childhood Center
- Spanish Immersion at Townsend Early Childhood Center
The show is on! These are the upcoming fall plays at our high schools
Get your tickets now for Middletown High School’s Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, High School Edition, and Appoquinimink High School’s 12 Angry Jurors! Our students have been hard at work preparing for these shows, from practicing their lines to building sets to marketing the shows, there is a lot of work going into these productions. Be sure to support our students by purchasing your tickets soon!
Dates and times for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child are 7:30 p.m. on Friday, November 8 and Saturday, November 9; and 2 p.m. on Saturday, November 9 and Sunday, November 10. ASL interpretation will be available at the evening performance on November 9.
Dates and times for 12 Angry Jurors (which will be performed in the round) are at 7 p.m. Thursday, November 14; Friday, November 15; and Saturday, November 16. ASL interpretation will be available at the evening performance on Thursday, November 14.
We would be remiss if we didn’t give a special shoutout to Odessa High School’s theatre department, which did a fabulous job with its fall play, Girls in the Boat, which premiered last weekend at the school.
Third annual Community of Wellness Fair
These pictures are from our third annual Community of Wellness Fair, which was held earlier in October at Appoquinimink High School. The fair is hosted by our school district's Restorative Community Schools site leads in collaboration with the Middletown Police Department Thank you to everyone who came out to the fair and to all the organizations that attended as well!
Giant donates $11,000 to benefit nutrition services
Everyone has been prompted at some point to round up their total when checking out at the grocery store. Have you ever wondered where that money goes and who it benefits? The answer is our school district!
For the past few months, regional Giants have been collecting donations to be divided up between area school districts as part of the company’s Nourishing Our Youth campaign. In Appoquinimink, we received a donation of $11,266.85, which will benefit several areas of nutrition services in our schools. The money will be put toward refreshing our cafeterias and enhancing our students' dining experience. Please join us in thanking Giant for its donation!
Appo Families Connect — information is available from our first workshop
If you weren’t able to attend our first Appo Families Connect workshop of the school year, we have resources from the workshop available on our website. The topic of the workshop was “Effective Communication and Social Media.” The resources include Interpreting & Translating Emojis, Raising Digitally Responsible Youth, and Social Media Parent Checklist.
All workshops will take place in the Board Room at the Marion E. Proffitt Training Center, 118 S. Sixth St. Middletown, DE 19709. The next workshop is set for December 3, 2024, at 6:30 p.m. The topic is Child Development. Join us for an informative workshop on child development, where we’ll explore essential topics to support your child’s growth and well-being.
AHS hosts its 14th annual T.O.B Invitational
Congratulations to all the schools that participated and all to all the winners in Appoquinimink High School marching band’s TOB Invitational! As the event was hosted by AHS’s marching band, they performed in exhibition and were not eligible to place within their group. The winners are listed below:
Group 1A:
- Perryville HS- 1st Place
- Elkton HS-Best Percussion
- Haddon Heights HS- Best Color Guard
Group 2A:
- Middletown HS- 1st, Best Percussion, and Best Color Guard
Group 3A:
- Laurel HS- 1st Place, Best Percussion, and Best Color Guard
Group 2-Open:
- Cab Calloway- 1st Place, Best Percussion, and Best Color Guard
Group 3-Open:
- Odessa HS- 1st Place, Best Percussion and Best Color Guard
Note: Appoquinimink HS did not compete at this event since they were the host
Congratulations to our marching bands for an amazing showing at the Region 9 championships!
Please join us in congratulating our high school marching bands for their amazing performances at the Tournament of Bands and Tournament Indoor Association Region 9 Championships!
Appoquinimink High School took home 1st place in group 3-O, Middletown High School took home 2nd place in group 2-A, and Odessa High School DE brought home 3rd place in group 3-O (this was the program's first year competing in the open class as well)!
In addition, AHS was named 1st place in percussion, 1st place in color guard, and 1st place in music in their group. MHS was named 1st place in percussion, 1st place in guard, and 1st place in visual in their group! Way to go to all of our marching bands for a job extremely well done!
Townsend Elementary School celebrates Hispanic heritage
These pictures are from Townsend Elementary School's Hispanic Heritage Night, held on October 4 after the school day. There were performances by TES's Spanish immersion students, by a professional dance group, and a mariachi band! This event is always a fun and lively way for our students to learn about and celebrate Hispanic culture!
Michelle Atkinson is our September Transportation Employee of the Month!
Please join us in congratulating Michelle Atkinson — she is our September Transportation Employee of the Month! Atkinson drives bus #249 for Old State Elementary School and Spring Meadow Early Childhood Center. Atkinson also is one of our district’s primary drivers for our athletic teams!
Transportation Department pilots new School Bus Safety program
Our Transportation Department is in the process of implementing a school bus safety class for kindergarteners, and the students at Townsend Early Childhood Center were more than happy to help pilot the program!
In October, a team of drivers and aides visited the school where they showed a short video about bus rules before going outside to teach students about the danger zone around the bus. Students also learned how to safely wait at the bus stop and cross in front of the bus. Inside the bus, they discussed rules and safety equipment. Our transportation team makes us #appoproud every day!
School Bus Roadeo put drivers to the test!
These pictures are from the Delaware Department of Education's School Bus Roadeo, which was held earlier this month at our Fairview Campus! Congratulations to all the teams that participated!
Crusader Courtyard opens at Everett Meredith Middle
From an outdoor classroom to a garden to a cozy corner, Everett Meredith Middle School’s new Crusader Courtyard has it all! On October 22, the middle school held a grand opening ceremony for the newly transformed space. The school has always had a courtyard, but it was transformed into a space for all students to use for outdoor classroom learning, sensory breaks, and extended learning opportunities.
Below are more details about the Crusader Courtyard:
Outdoor Classroom/Small Group Space: There are two picnic tables, as well as an eight-student tree stump area for outdoor small group opportunities or full-class learning. There is a rolling teacher whiteboard, clipboards, student whiteboards, and markers/erasers.
Cozy Corner: Turf area located in the courtyard corner and designated for sensory breaks. There is a sensory table with sand bins that include tools, fidgets, sensory equipment, etc. for student use. Rocking chairs, rocking bench, and flexible seating ottomans.
Garden: Vegetable garden beds, flower garden beds, and fruit trees (Nyssa and Persimmons). This is mainly run by select students with adult supervision on a rotating schedule.
Courtyard Crew: Staff that meet approximately once per month to determine future donor opportunities, find new ways to involve all students, and explore further learning opportunities within the courtyard space.
Old State Elementary’s Fun Run is both fun and fundraising
It was a running good time on the track at the Fairview Campus for Old State Elementary’s annual Fun Run! The fundraising event, held in early October, sees each grade level at OSE walk down to the track where students can run around as much as they want! The event is organized by the school’s PTO and all the proceeds from it directly benefit the school. Way to go OSE Otters!
Congratulations to all the athletes who competed in the Special Olympics Bocce Tournament
Please join us in congratulating all the students who participated in our annual Special Olympics Bocce Tournament! Teams of four students competed across 25 courts in a round-robin format tournament with three teams on each court. Stay tuned for a full list of winners from the tournament! We also want to thank the high school students who assisted with the event's judging process!
Harvest Hustle raises $2,400
The community was hustling for a good cause as part of the inaugural Harvest Hustle 5K at Cantwell Bridge's Middle School. More than 130 runners ran the 3.1-mile course through the Fairview Campus! There were three community tables set up: Bayada, Odessa Fire House/ EMT, and Two Guys Tents. There were 20 sponsors from our community! Four food trucks came to the event, and there was a free bouncy house and glitter tattoos. The school raised over $2,400 that will help to fund 8th grade end-of-year activities including trips and the semi-formal.
The overall winners were:
- Overall Female: Andrea Brown (7th grade science teacher)
- Overall Male: Grady Hearn (6th grader)
Mark your calendars for Girls in Sports Day!
Building on the success of our first Girls in Sports Day, we invite our families to mark their calendars for Saturday, February 8, 2025, for the second Girls in Sports Day! Registration will open in January 2025. The event is open to girls in grades kindergarten through fifth.
Celebrating National Principals Month
We're so grateful for principals — they are amazing educators and leaders who do an awesome job defining the culture of our schools. Dare we say we're #appoproud to have all 21 of our principals as part of our Appoquinimink family?
Showing our support during Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Many of our schools held "pink outs" during Breast Cancer Awareness Month to raise awareness of the disease, show support for people who may be going through treatment, and remind everyone to regularly visit their doctor. We appreciate all our schools do to support such important causes like Breast Cancer Awareness Month!
Odessa and Appoquinimink High Schools show off their schools during Principal for a Day
Even principals need the day off — please join us in thanking Michael Fleming and Dr. Colleen Keith for stepping in as “Principal for a Day” at Appoquinimink High and Odessa High! Coordinated by the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce, Fleming, who is the president and CEO of Delaware Bio, spent October 17 at AHS touring classrooms, meeting with staff, and learning about all the ways AHS is an exceptional school! Dr. Keith, president of Goldey-Beacom College spent October 18 at Odessa High School visiting pathways, watching the marching band practice, touring the school, and also learning about the exceptional Ducks. Thank you to Fleming and Dr. Keith for taking the time to visit our schools and to the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce for coordinating the Principal for a Day program! Visit our website for the full gallery of pictures!
Celebrating Custodian Appreciation Day
While visiting Crystal Run Elementary School, Superintendent Matt Burrows stopped by the cafeteria to thank the school's custodial staff for the work they do to keep CRE looking amazing and to help clean up after first-grade lunch! And thank you to all of our custodial teams for their tireless efforts to ensure our learning spaces remain clean for our students and staff members!
William Penn High School’s Shelby Borst named Delaware’s Teacher of the Year
Please join us in congratulating Shelby Borst, a high school social studies teacher from Colonial School District, on being named Delaware’s 2025 State Teacher of the Year! Needless to say, we were all rooting for our ASD Teacher of the Year, Dr. Tamara Walker from Louis L. Redding Middle School! We look forward to Dr. Walker's continued efforts to advocate for staff and students as our district TOY!
Thank you to everyone who participated in our first State of the District!
We wanted to extend a thank you to the community members who attended our inaugural State of the District meeting. The meeting, held in mid-October at Alfred G. Waters Middle, aimed to update our community on happenings within the district, our financial outlook, and upcoming projects. Moving forward, we plan to continue to hold State of the District meetings, so our community can be up-to-date our our school district and have any questions or concerns they may have answered by leaders in Appoquinimink.
If you were not able to attend, the meeting is available on our YouTube page here!
Appo Foundation's annual Golf Tournament supports our schools
It was a beautiful day at the Odessa National Golf Course for the Appoquinimink Foundation’s annual Golf Outing Fundraiser! Funds raised at the golf outing, held Friday, October 18, will benefit our students — last school year the Appo Foundation awarded $10,000 in scholarships to graduating seniors. The foundation also supports our district by providing grants for educators, and volunteer opportunities for district events, among other services. Thank you to all of the golfers who attended the outing to benefit our students — we greatly appreciate your support! If you would like to learn more about the foundation or get involved, visit appofoundation.org.
Exploring Movement in Education
October is Physical Therapy Month! This is the month we celebrate how important gross motor skills and exercise are on a child’s education. Improving gross motor skills, especially at an early age, can help children develop prerequisite skills they need for reading, writing, math, language, attention, memory, and overall health.
Here are some fun gross motor exercises you can do at home to support your child’s areas of learning at school!
- Reading: jumping, clapping, stomping, and skipping to develop rhythm for reading fluency, balloon play to help with visual tracking and a stronger posture, throwing bean bags at letters and sight words
- Math: jumping on numbers / hopscotch, counting out exercises, going on a treasure hunt (find 2 pencils, 5 paper plates, etc), shape sorter shuttle run
- Language: Taking turns on a slide, playing catch with a friend, playing tag with a friend, Simon Says
- Handwriting: Wheelbarrow walking, crab walking, bear walking, planks with shoulder taps, superman position, playing on stomach all develop shoulder and hand strength
- Attention / Memory: Throwing at targets, Yoga, gross motor movement breaks, cross body exercises such as elbow to opposite knee or hand to opposite foot
Appoquinimink honors our retirees
A tradition in our district, we recently hosted our annual Retiree Dinner to celebrate and thank the staff who retired after the last school year. The dinner was hosted at Odessa High School's Performing Arts Center. Though we miss having these former staff members in our school buildings, we know they are enjoying their well-deserved retirement!
FYI — Transition Workshop Series continues on Thursday, November 14
Upcoming Events/Meeting Reminder
1 November - End of Marking Period 1
1 November - OHS Homecoming Football Game - 7:30 PM at OHS
1 November - OHS Fall Parade - time TBD at OHS
4 November - No school PreK-12 - Staff grading day
5 November - School/offices closed - Election Day
11 November - School/offices closed - State/Federal holiday
6 November - AHS High School Preview Night - 6:00 - 8:00 PM at AHS
7 November - Immersion Kindergarten Information Night - 6:00 PM at BMECC
7 November - OHS High School Preview Night - 6:00 - 8:00 PM at OHS
8-10 November - MHS Fall Play - 7:30 p.m. on Friday, November 8; 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 9; 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, November 9 (ASL interpretation will be available during this performance); 2 p.m. on Sunday, November 10
11-15 November - National School Psychology Week
12 November - OHS Coffee House - 6:30 PM at OHS
12 November - School Board meeting, 7 PM at the Marion E. Proffitt Training Center, 118 S. Sixth St, Odessa. Tune in virtually by tapping here.
13 November - MHS High School Preview Night - 6:00 - 8:00 PM at MHS
13-14 November - Elementary Instrumental Parent "Boot Camp" - 6:30 PM at LGE
14-16 November - AHS Fall Play - 7:00 PM at AHS
20 November - Educational Support Professionals Day
20-21 November - AGW Fall Drama Production - 7:00 PM at AGW
21 November - HBCU Resource Summit Meeting - 9:00 AM at MHS
21 November - MHS NHS Fall Induction - 6:30 PM at MHS
21 November - Dinner Theatre - 7:00 PM in the Odessa High School Black Box Theatre
22 November - Substitute Appreciation Day
22 November - Dinner Theatre - 7:00 PM in the Odessa High School Black Box Theatre
25 November - No school PreK-12; Grade 12 Asynchronous Day PreK-12 Conferences (day/evening)
26 November - No school PreK-12; Grade 12 Asynchronous Day PreK-12 Conferences (day/evening)
27 November - Schools closed/offices open
28-29 November - Schools/offices closed - State/Federal holiday
5 December - CBMS 7th & 8th Grade Orchestra Concert - 7:00 PM at OHS
5 December - AGW 7th & 8th Grade Band Concert - 7:00 PM at AGW
5 December - EMMS 6-8th Grade Band Concert - 7:00 PM at EMMS
5 December - LLRMS 6-8th Grade Choir Concert - 7:00 PM at LLRMS
Thanks for reading, and we hope our families have a safe, fun, and happy Halloween!
