- Caitie Layton is our 2027 Teacher of the Year!
- Free Summer Meals are back!
- Graduation 2026
- Grow Your Own – Appoquinimink School District Teacher Contracts
- Education Pathway Capstone Presentations
- Decision Day
- MHS student earns merit scholarship
- STEMpathy Showcase
- Elementary Art Show
- Secondary Art Show
- STEM Showcases
- Instrument Walkabout
- Community Day at Appoquinimink Preschool Center
- 2026 Arbor Day Poster Contest
- Brick Mill Elementary Garden Harvest
- Brick Mill Elementary’s Card Club
- BMX presentation at Old State Elementary
- Bunker Hill Elementary School’s Family Chess Night
- Townsend Elementary School Culture Fair
- Townsend Elementary School Glow Room
- DELREC summer interns
- LLRMS’s new H.E.R. Space and Locker-Room
- Middle school volleyball finals
- Middle school track championships
- School Board Information – Diligent Community
- May Board of Education Recognitions
- Celebrating National Speech-Language-Hearing Month
- April Transportation Employee of the Month
- Appoquinimink Foundation’s annual Golf Outing
- Community Block Party
- Advisory Board Meeting
- Summer Bookmobile
- Upcoming Events/Meeting Reminders
Caitie Layton is our 2027 Teacher of the Year!
At the start of Teacher Appreciation Week, we held our annual Teacher of the Year dinner, where we recognized and honored our 21 building-level TOY winners before announcing the 2027 TOY. Congratulations to our amazing Class of 2027 teachers of the year! Silver Lake Elementary School's Caitie Layton was announced as our much-deserved 2027 TOY! Ms. Layton will represent Appoquinimink in the state-level TOY competition, the winner of which will be announced in the fall. See pictures from the TOY dinner here!
Free Summer Meals are back!
Thanks to support from the USDA and the State of Delaware, the Appoquinimink School District is pleased to once again provide a Free Summer Meals Program at Louis L. Redding Middle School, 201 New Street, Middletown, DE. Tasty, nutritious lunches will be served at no cost to any young person between the ages of 1-18. The program will operate Monday – Thursday, from 11:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. No registration or student i.d. is needed. Participants are asked to consume the meal in the cafeteria. The dates for the Free Summer Meals program are June 15 – August 13, 2026. You can contact the Appoquinimink School Nutrition Office at 302-376-4280 with questions. For information about other sites: Families can call 211; call 1-866-348-6479 or 1-877-842-6273 (for Spanish speakers); text FOOD to 304-304 or Comida to 304-304; or go to http://www.fns.usda.gov/meals4kids for information about additional open sites in their area.
Graduation 2026
Grow Your Own – Appoquinimink School District Teacher Contracts
Appoquinimink School District is once again honored to award 35 graduating seniors with offers of employment to return to ASD after they’ve graduated from college! All students who graduated from the Education & Leadership Pathway received offers to immediately begin substitute teaching within the district. This program is part of a “Grow Your Own” initiative launched first in ASD. This program is designed to create a teacher pipeline that will help combat the growing teacher shortage, coupled with the rapid growth of the MOT region. The students were recognized during a special ceremony held at Middletown High School. You can see the full gallery of pictures here!
Appoquinimink High School
- Kailyn Burke
- Mariana Catania
- Aliyah Cofield
- Kendal Conway
- Annie Harris
- A'miyah Haman
- Deshawna Hayman
- Malia Kita
- Gavin Miller
- Anaya Osborn
- Cecilia Paloni
- Erin Pittman
- Elena Ruberto
- Layla White
- Yasmine Wright
Middletown High School
- Valeria Craig
- Bailey DeGroot
- Jordyn Easton
- Brooklyn Erney
- Ashton Hitchens
- Logan McLaurin-Moore
- Madison Sarnecky
- Zariah Warren
Odessa High School
- Savanna Bateman
- Hanii Whaley
- Jayden Cheaton
- Victoria Collins
- Delaney Cotton
- Kendall Gray
- Ava McDowell
- Dahlia Nichols
- Samantha Stokes
- Avery Sweetman
- Maddie McKelvey
- Olivia Young
Education Pathway Capstone Presentations
We have plenty of photos on our website from capstone project presentations delivered by students in the Education and Leadership Pathway. You can learn more about this pathway by following this link!
Decision Day
All of our high schools got in on the action of celebrating the Class of 2026 at Decision Day! Scroll through the photo galleries on our website to see what's next for these graduating seniors — be that a trade school, the military, or a college or university!
MHS student earns merit scholarship
Please join us in congratulating Kwamboka Boera Neema Kiage, a Middletown High School senior who was recently named the recipient of the 2026-27 Herman M. Holloway, Sr. Memorial Scholarship! Created in honor of Delaware’s first African American state senator, through this scholarship, Kwamboka will receive a full-ride to Delaware State University. Tuition, fees, room, and books for up to four years of undergraduate study are fully covered. Kwamboka plans to major in political science to become a lawyer. "Always push past your limits," Kwamboka said. "Keep challenging yourself to grow because success comes from continuing to reach for more." The scholarship announcement was featured in the Delaware Department of Education’s newsletter, which you can read here.
STEMpathy Showcase
Our students put their problem-solving skills and empathy on display at Lorewood Grove Elementary’s STEMpathy Showcase. Throughout the school year, LGE students partnered with the University of Delaware’s student-run organization, Assistive Medical Technologies (AMT), to modify power wheels to better fit the needs of four families. Each family worked with a class of fifth graders and AMT to outline a problem and design a solution, which AMT’s students then brought to life. This year marked a special one for the STEMpathy program as it is transitioning from LGE to Middletown High School. Cory Hafer and his engineering students will continue to work with AMT to create solutions for families. In gratitude for their work with STEMpathy, AMT was presented with a dedication by Delaware Secretary of Education Cynthia Marten. She also presented a dedication to Mr. Hafer for taking on the program. As a district, we would like to thank Kendra Rosner, LGE’s STEAM Coordinator, for her work in STEMpathy throughout the years at LGE! You can see the full gallery of photos here.
Elementary Art Show
We had a record-breaking turnout at our Elementary Art Show on April 25, and it's easy to see why! Kudos to our younger students for their talent and artistic ability, which were on full display at the art show. Thank you again to the Appoquinimink Community Library for hosting our art shows! See all of our photos from the show here!
Secondary Art Show
Congratulations to all the talented artists whose artwork was on display during our district's Secondary Art Show, held on May 2 at Appoquinimink Community Library! See our photos from the show here!
STEM Showcases
Last month, we shared STEM Showcase galleries from a few of our elementary schools — you can see that post here. Keep scrolling to see what solutions our young scientists discovered for their school’s showcase:
- SLE’s unBEElievably creative projects
- LGE’s solutions created with the pride of a lion
- TES’s eggcellent showcase
- OBL’s wise designs
Instrument Walkabout
It was a musical safari at the sixth annual Instrument Walkabout! This event offers current 3rd- and 4th-grade students the opportunity to learn about and try out instruments included in our music program and to meet instructors and current upperclassmen who began their musical journey in our program. You can see more pictures here!
Community Day at Appoquinimink Preschool Center
The culminating activity for Appoquinimink Preschool Center's Safety Week, Community Day, introduced some of our youngest learners to the organizations and people who help keep our community safe! The APC Lions were visited by Delaware State Police mounted patrol officers, a K-9 unit, Trooper Dani (VW Bug), and a DSP helicopter! See the full gallery here!
2026 Arbor Day Poster Contest
Huge congratulations to Saanvi Komatineni, a kindergarten student at Cedar Lane Early Child Center, who was the 2026 Arbor Day Poster Contest winner for her grade level! Each year, the Delaware Forest Service hosts a statewide poster contest and ceremony for the grade-level winners. This year’s ceremony was held at the Lewes Public Library, where students, educators, community leaders, and forestry professionals came together to celebrate the importance of trees and environmental stewardship. Saanvi was one of 12 student winners from across the state in the contest. This year’s poster contest theme was “Trees are Terrific… for People and Places.”
Brick Mill Elementary Garden Harvest
Healthy Foods for Healthy Kids was on hand at Brick Mill Elementary School during the first garden harvest of the growing season! Students harvested radishes (the process of which produced a lot of excitement and smiles), spinach, and lettuce! Good eats for the Dolphins! See more pictures here!
Brick Mill Elementary’s Card Club
Brick Mill Elementary School's constable, Brian Taylor, leads a Baseball Card Club, and a student recently pulled a rare card! See the full photo gallery here from the April 24 meeting!
BMX presentation at Old State Elementary
The Old State Elementary Otters were all smiles during a BMX Stuntmasters demo! Scroll through this gallery to see some high-flying fun! See more pictures here!
Bunker Hill Elementary School’s Family Chess Night
These pictures were taken during Bunker Hill Elementary School's Family Chess Night! We are endlessly grateful to our families for their support. Special thanks to the group of adults who keep the club running smoothly: Dana Steinbrunner, Madison Burrows, Joanne Walton (Chess Club Coordinator), Mark Daliessio, and Tierney Walton. Ms. Walton has served as the Chess Club's advisor for five years, and this was BHE's seventh annual school-wide event.
Townsend Elementary School Culture Fair
The best way to learn about culture is from those who've lived it their entire lives! These pictures are from Townsend Elementary School's annual Culture Fair, where community members are invited to the school to share information about their culture with students. See the full gallery here!
Townsend Elementary School Glow Room
Townsend Elementary School was the place to be on May 6 for the school's annual Art Show, and the return of the extra cool Glow Room! More pictures are on our website here!
DELREC summer interns
Please join us in congratulating Bella Reed and Chioma Okereafor, two eighth graders at Everett Meredith Middle School, who were accepted into a Delaware Law Related Education Center summer internship. During this paid internship, Bella and Chioma will spend one day each in five courts (family, court of common pleas, superior, chancery, and state supreme). They will meet judges, lawyers, and administrators, and sit in on court proceedings. At the state Supreme Court, the students will have the opportunity to hear oral arguments delivered. You can learn more about DELREC here: https://delrec.org/.
LLRMS’s new H.E.R. Space and Locker-Room
Thanks to the support of the Middletown (DE) Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and Gamma Mu Nu Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., Louis L Redding Middle School now has two dedicated spaces for its students — H.E.R. Space and Locker-Room. These rooms feature free hygiene products, snacks, and games! LLRMS held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for both spaces on May 12. This is the second space of its kind in our middle schools — EMMS opened its H.E.R. Space last May. See all the pictures here!
Middle school volleyball finals
Our district's spring season of middle school volleyball concluded on May 8, with Cantwell's Bridge Middle School's team bringing home the win! Congrats to the Cobras for a well-played game! See the full gallery here!
Middle school track championships
If you weren't able to make it to the thrilling conclusion of this year's middle school track season, we have you covered! There are more than 130 photos in this gallery from the championship meet, held on May 6 at OHS. Happy scrolling! See all the photos here!
School Board Information – Diligent Community
We have officially completed the migration from Board Docs to Diligent Community for all School Board items, including agendas, minutes, meeting dates, and more! As shared earlier this year, our longtime School Board platform, Board Docs, was purchased by Diligent Community. Beginning in March, our district began migrating all School Board information to the new platform. You can find the information about Diligent Community on our district website in the School Board section. Please note: If you are looking for meeting agendas or minutes from November 5, 2025, through March 23, 2026, please visit Board Docs for these items. In the coming weeks, all content from this time will move over to Diligent Community.
May Board of Education Recognitions
Pictured above, Youth Affiliates of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. Gamma Alpha Rho Zeta Chapter were recognized by the Appoquinimink Board of Education at the May 12 meeting for their work collecting feminine products to donate to Louis Redding Middle School and Middletown High School.
Pictured above, Appoquinimink High School was recognized at the May 12 Board meeting for having been recognized with an ACA School of Excellence Award. The school was Delaware’s Launch Spotlight Award recipient for its Launch Into Your Future Month in 2025. This campaign helps prepare students for their future through seminars on scholarships and funding options for higher education in addition to information about trade schools and military opportunities after graduation.
Pictured above, at the May 12 Board meeting, the Appoquinimink School Board recognized members of the Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council for their years of service to the district. Pictured, from left, are Gracie Maiden, Gregory Earle, Ethan Fink, and Superintendent Matt Burrows. Jordan Hayes, Amani Sanchez, and Shaina Wood were also recognized, but could not be in attendance at the May meeting.
Pictured above, Gokul Patibandla was recognized by the Appoquinimink School Board at the May 12 meeting after being selected as a finalist for the Delaware Civic’s Bee. Ayushi Ghosh was also recognized as a finalist, but could not be in attendance at the meeting.
Pictured above, students who participated in Delaware’s National History Day Contest were recognized for their work at the May 12 Board meeting. The students, in no particular order, are Sai Anandakumar, Abir Dorle, Kishan Lokapalli, Kashish Konathala, Vignajith Gorola, Arjun Nalpe, and Kiran Lokapalli.
Pictured above, students who participated in Delaware’s Math League and Math Counts competition were recognized by the Board at the May 12 meeting. The students, in no particular order, who participated in Math League are Lyndon Dong, Mihik Gandhi, Gegerile Jin, Abhigyan Pathak, and Sana Singla. The students, in no particular order, who participated in Math Counts are Lyndon Dong, Gegerile Jin, Abhigyan Pathak, Sana Singla, Kellan Holdren, and Ian Wei.
Pictured above, Michelle Babiarz is recognized with a BEATS Maker Award at the May 12 Appoquinimink Board of Education meeting. Pictured, from left, are Executive Director of Human Resources Ed Small, Babiarz, Odessa High School Assistant Principal Brant Perry, and Superintendent Matt Burrows.
Kelly Mause and Brandon Mause are recognized with BEATS Maker Awards at the May 12 Appoquinimink Board of Education meeting. Pictured, from left, are Executive Director of Human Resources Ed Small, Cedar Lane Elementary Principal Shelby Gordon, Kelly Mause, Brandon Mause, and Superintendent Matt Burrows.
Jennifer Zakrzewski is recognized with a BEATS Maker Award at the May 12 Board meeting. Pictured, from left, are Executive Director of Human Resources Ed Small, Zakrzewski, Laura Davis and Superintendent Matt Burrows.
Catherine Malone was recognized with a BEATS Maker Award at the May 12 Board meeting. Ms. Malone was unable to attend the meeting, so Amy Mizenko, pictured center, accepted the award on her behalf. Also pictured, from left, are Executive Director of Human Resources Ed Small and Superintendent Matt Burrows.
Gurliv Marok and Tejasvi Kasireddy, who are both members of the Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council, delivered a presentation at the May 12 Board meeting with updates on happenings at their school, Alfred G. Waters Middle School.
Celebrating National Speech-Language-Hearing Month
May is National Speech-Language-Hearing Month, and we cannot thank our excellent team of speech pathologists for the critical work they do to improve our students' lives and outcomes.
April Transportation Employee of the Month
Meet our April Transportation Employee of the Month — Lavonia Johnson! Ms. Johnson is a bus attendant servicing Cantwell’s Bridge Middle, Middletown High, Old State Elementary, and Spring Meadow Early Childhood Center. The bus driver who nominated her said, “She is an absolutely awesome coworker and friend. We work well together and never have to worry about the back of the bus. Also, the kids on the bus adore her and have great interactions and bond with her. They call her like she is one of their grandmother. They invite her to their school activities, and she attends on her own time. They are all smiles when they see her at the event and the next day on the bus, that she showed up and cared. I can keep going on about the positivity about her. These are just a small portion of what she means to everyone.” Please join us in congratulating Ms. Johnson!
Appoquinimink Foundation’s annual Golf Outing
The above photos were taken during Appoquinimink Foundation's golf outing at Odessa National Golf Club. This annual event is the foundation's largest fundraiser of the year. Proceeds directly benefit Appoquinimink students and staff through scholarships and teacher grants! You can see more pictures here!
Community Block Party
Thank you to all who attended the Community Block Party, hosted by HighFive and the Middletown (DE) Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., in partnership with our district. See the full gallery here!
Advisory Board Meeting
We'd like to extend a huge thank you to all who attended our Work-Based Learning Team's Advisory Board meeting in late April! The Advisory Boards within our district work together to provide strategic guidance and expertise based on personal and professional experiences. They provide invaluable guidance for our pathways through six boards — Agriculture; Education and Leadership; Culinary and Hospitality; Business, Digital Communications and Computer Science; Healthcare Science and Criminal Justice; and STEM (Aerospace, Engineering, Construction). You can find out more about our Advisory Board here: appoccr.com/advisory-boards. You can see the full gallery of pictures here!
Summer Bookmobile
Our district's tradition of Words on Wheels Wednesdays continues this summer — our Bookmobile will stop at three locations around our district! Find your perfect summer read or build your personal library by visiting our Bookmobile and its collection of free gently used books. Donations are always appreciated, so feel free to bring your books to add to our collection. Bookmobile is organized and run by our amazing librarians — thank you to our staff for spearheading this effort! Locations:
- Crystal Run Elementary School — 11-11:30 a.m.
- Louis L. Redding Middle School — 12-12:30 p.m.
- Townsend Elementary School — 1-1:30 p.m.
Dates:
- June 24
- July 22
- August 12
- If June 24 or July 22 is canceled due to rain, there is a bonus date of July 29!
Upcoming Events/Meeting Reminders
1 June AHS Senior Awards - time TBD, at AHS 1 June OHS Performing Arts Banquet - 7 p.m. at OHS 2 June AHS Senior Parade - school day event, multiple locations 2 June MHS Graduation Parade - school day event, multiple locations 2 June SMECC Spring Concert - 6:30 p.m. at OHS 2 June TES 1st and 2nd Grade Concert - 5:45 p.m. and 7 p.m. at LLRMS 2 June CLE Choir Concert - 6:30 p.m. at AGW 3 June Last day Grade 12 3 June AHS Graduation Practice - school day event at AHS 3 June CBMS 6th-8th Grade Choir Concert - 7 p.m. at OHS 3 June MHS Graduation Practice - school day event at MHS 3 June OHS Graduation Practice - school day event at OHS 3 June OHS Graduation Parade - school day event, multiple locations 3 June EMMS 6th-8th Grade Choir concert - 7 p.m. at EMMS 4 June AHS Senior Graduation Practice/BBQ - school day event at AHS 4 June MHS Graduation Practice/Senior BBQ - school day event at MHS 4 June OHS Graduation Practice/Senior BBQ - school day 6 June High School Graduation 9 June End of Marking Period 4; Last day of PreK School Board meeting, 7 p.m.at the Marion E. Proffitt Training Center, 118 S. Sixth St, Odessa. Tune in virtually here. 10-11 June PreK conferences 12 June Last day Grade K-11 15 June Weather contingency day (students) 16 June Last teacher day; Weather contingency day (students) 17-18 June Weather contingency day (teachers) 19 June Schools/offices closed - State/Federal holiday