Congratulations to the Class of 2025!
On June 7, we celebrated the graduation of nearly 1,000 students. Graduation is one of the, if not, the best day of the year – it is the culmination of years of work and dedication, and provides not only students but their families, teachers, and support systems the opportunity to celebrate. Please visit our website for full coverage of our district’s graduations.
Above are pictures from Appoqunimink High School, which graduated 361 students. AHS had a tie for valedictorians, and no salutatorian: Randon Vodery and Srinitya Pamulapati.
Above are pictures from Middletown High School, which graduated 309 students. Devyanshi Sharma was the Class of 2025’s valedictorian, and Shil Shah was the salutatorian.
Above are pictures from Odessa High School, which graduated 315 students. Cole Massey was OHS’s valedictorian, and Pranav Rao was the salutatorian.
Attention Class of 2025 — sign up for your high school’s Alumni Directory!
As of June 7, if you’re a graduate of one of our district’s three high schools, you can now sign up for your school’s Alumni Directory. If you’ve been out of high school for a bit longer than a few weeks, you are also welcome to sign up for the directory. By signing up, you’ll be able to stay in touch with happenings in your high school, learn about upcoming alumni events, and much more.
Follow the links below to sign up:
Announcing New Leadership Roles
Pictured above, clockwise from left, are Dr. Lynn Streets, Mrs. Kelyn Marmolejo, Dr. Gina McKinney, Mr. Al Volpe, Dr. Kristi Peters, and Dr. Sam Postlethwait.
As our families know, this time of year is often marked by changes in our leadership. We are thrilled to share information about many long-time ASD team members who will be taking on new roles.
Dr. Sam Postlethwait, principal at Appoquinimink High School, will begin the role of Supervisor of Student Services this summer. The primary focus for this position will be student behavioral support.
At Appoquinimink High School, Dr. Lynn Streets will now serve as principal. Prior to serving as principal of Cantwell’s Bridge Middle School, Streets served as assistant principal at AHS and is looking forward to returning to a building she knows well.
At Cantwell’s Bridge Middle School, Mrs. Kelyn Marmolejo will now serve as principal. Marmolejo has served as assistant principal since the building opened. In addition, Dr. Gina McKinney will be joining the Cantwell’s Bridge Middle School administrative team as assistant principal. Dr. McKinney is looking forward to returning to a secondary school.
At Cedar Lane Elementary, Mr. Al Volpe will now serve as assistant principal. Mr. Volpe has experience at all levels of education and is excited to return to an elementary school.
Finally, in the Special Education Department, Dr. Kristi Peters is now serving as Acting Director of Special Education. Dr. Peters previously served as Supervisor of Student Services in the district.
Join us in congratulating all of our team members on their new roles.
Family Communication: HAC, Secondary Grading, Cell Phone Policy
On June 10, 2025, we shared a communication with several important updates that will impact our students and families during our next school year. The message included critical dates for Home Access Center, secondary grading, and our updated district cell phone policy. OPEN THIS STORY to read the full communication.
Summit Campus Middle School and High School Groundbreaking
The rain didn’t hinder the excitement at the Summit Campus middle school and high school groundbreaking ceremony on Monday, June 16.
Superintendent Burrows, along with the School Board, elected officials, construction partners, and referendum volunteers, hosted the ceremonial beginning of the new middle and high school on the Summit Campus.
The new middle school, named Summit Bridge Middle, and the new high school, named Summit High School, will both open in Fall 2029. The new middle and high school on the Summit Campus will share a common core similar to the Fairview Campus. The buildings will share a kitchen, auditorium, and performing arts space, which helps save money and fosters dynamic collaboration between the two buildings. The new middle and high school are expected to be roughly 350,000 square feet.
These buildings, along with the forthcoming Green Giant Elementary School (located on Green Giant Road), are all made possible thanks to the community’s support of the April 2024 referendum.
Thanking Michelle Wall for her support of our district
We wanted to take a moment to recognize Michelle Wall, who, after 10 years of serving on our Appoquinimink Board of Education, made the tough choice not to seek reelection. Wall has been a constant supporter and champion of public education for our school district, and we will miss having her at school events and monthly board meetings. Please join us in thanking Wall for her unwavering support of our schools.
At the July School Board meeting, Tim Higgins will be sworn into office as the newest school board member. We’ll share more information in next month’s newsletter!
Appo Girls Soccer wins state championship title
Huge congratulations to Appoquinimink High School's Girls Soccer team on bringing home the win in the 2025 DIAA Girls Division I Soccer Championship! The final score was 4-0 against Middletown High School. Congratulations to both teams for an amazing game and season.
Adding to AHS’s win, the team was recently announced as 12th in the nation by United Soccer Coaches! This recognition and the state championship win have been years in the making for the Appo girls' team — we are so excited for the team as they see their hard work come to fruition.
Senior Athletic Awards celebrate student achievement on and off the field
Ahead of graduation, we celebrated our seniors and their accomplishments at our district Senior Athletic Awards. This event celebrates athletic achievement by students and their coaches from all three of our high schools with awards like Scholar Athletes, Sportsmanship Award, Spirit Award, Assistant Coach of the Year, and much more.
Congratulations to our first ASD Apprentice Cohort!
Pictures, from left, are Carissa Lehman, Courtney Sisofo, Nicole Fleetwood, Jamie Bartoski, Mari Biscieglia, Karen Burgess, and Alexis Cressman. Please note: not all participants are pictured here!
Congratulations to our first ASD Teacher Apprentice Cohort on graduation day! The ASD Teacher Apprentice program provides another way for our district to "Grow Your Own!" Join us in extending congratulations to everyone who participated in this amazing program!
Appoquinimink Foundation presents scholarships
We would like to thank the Appoquinimink Foundation for its continued support of our students. At each high school’s senior awards night, the Foundation announced its scholarship winners.
From Appoquinimink High School, the three scholarship winners and their pathways were Shauna Judd, Agriculture and Natural Resources; Vienna Pasquarllo, Performing and Design Arts; and Matthew McMahon, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math.
From Middletown High School, Flannery Grimm, Health Sciences; Sara Miller, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math; and Morgan Pilar, Military and Civic Leadership.
From Odessa High School, Kalena Diaz, Agriculture and Natural Resources; Caroline Miller, Language, Literature, and Human Development; Morgan Swigget, Business and Economics; and Emma Sipes, Education and Leadership.
Each year, the Appoqunimink Foundation awards $1,000 scholarships to 10 students from our district. The application period for our next graduating class opens in January 2026. For more information on the Foundation, visit appofoundation.org.
Celebrating our seniors at Senior Awards Night
Prior to graduation, each of our high schools holds a Senior Awards Night, where the schools celebrate the many achievements of their students. Visit our website to see the full galleries.
May Board of Education Recognitions
The Appoquinimink Board of Education recognized Appoquinimink High School students who participated in the Delaware Technology Student Association at its May Board Meeting. Pictured above, in no order, are Elisha Liu, Omisha Royal, and Kashvi Goyal, with their teacher Bill Shank and Superintendent Matt Burrows.
The Board recognized Middletown High School students who participated in the Delaware Technology Student Association at its May Board Meeting. Pictured above, in no order, are Arch Angelo Dy-Reyes, Aiden Oh, Manac Thakkar, Samuel Trembanis, Quincy Upperman, Jenna Hughes, Victoria McFarland, Braxton Wortman, Aishanyaa Shriram, and Morgan Pilar, with MHS Principal Nell Jean and Superintendent Matt Burrows.
The Board recognized Odessa High School students who participated in the Delaware Technology Student Association at its May Board Meeting. Pictured above, in no order, are Jeremy Njuguna, Sophia Casella, Ryan Delaney, and Ryan Tobar-White, with their teachers Jimmy Latavitz and Amanda Binkley, and Superintendent Matt Burrows.
Students who received contracts through our district's Grow Your Own program were recognized at the May meeting. Pictured above, in no order, are Appoquinimink High School students Olivia Zeissig, Kara Jessop, and Joshua Simpson, with their teacher Elizabeth Koch, Superintendent Matt Burrows, and Executive Director of Human Resources Ed Small.
Students who received contracts through our district's Grow Your Own program were recognized at the May meeting. Pictured above, in no order, are Odessa High School students Andrew Williams, Emma Sipes, Amelia Rockwell, Aliyah Owner, and Mackenzie Boyle, with their teacher Emily Miller, Superintendent Matt Burrows, and Executive Director of Human Resources Ed Small.
Students who received contracts through our district's Grow Your Own program were recognized at the May meeting. Pictured above, in no order, are Middletown High School students Kaleyla Maxwell, Mariah Henry, Camille Ellis, and Jake Alexander, with their Principal Nell Jean, Superintendent Matt Burrows, and Executive Director of Human Resources Ed Small.
Pictured above, students from Old State Elementary School were recognized with the Pathway to Multiliteracy Award. Students who have demonstrated outstanding commitment to language learning through the annual STAMP assessment are recognized with this award. OSE's recipients were Sophie Steagall and Fiayosi Adefemi.
Pictured above, students from Townsend Elementary School were recognized with the Pathway to Multiliteracy Award. Students who have demonstrated outstanding commitment to language learning through the annual STAMP assessment are recognized with this award. TES's recipients were Eloise Devlin, Carter Saunders, and Evan Martino.
Pictured above, students from Silver Lake Elementary School were recognized with the Pathway to Multiliteracy Award. Students who have demonstrated outstanding commitment to language learning through the annual STAMP assessment are recognized with this award. SLE's recipients were Jayden Vecchio and Colbie Turner.
Pictured above, students from Everett Meredith Middle School were recognized with the Pathway to Multiliteracy Award. Students who have demonstrated outstanding commitment to language learning through the annual STAMP assessment are recognized with this award. EMMS's recipients were Abigail Chan, Audrey Howard, Brennan Riley, Brianna Ayala, Cloe Guajardo-Ceja, Leila Saunders, Liam Willburn, Luke Martino, Mia Moore, Sophia Chmielewski, and Vivian Tinnelly-Williams.
Pictured above, A.J. Schall, director of the Delaware Department of Emergency Management Agency, and Lt. Andy Hudak, Delaware State Police Special Operations, were recognized by the Board at the May meeting for their coordination and participation in the district-wide emergency response exercise held at the Fairview Campus on March 28, 2025.
Pictured above are the May BEATS Maker recipients:
In the top row, from left, are Louis L. Redding Middle School's Susan Glennon, Old State Elementary School's Danielle Ciamaricone, and Cedar Lane Elementary School's Melissa Grieshober.
In the second row, from left, the recipients are Brick Mill Early Childhood Center's Lisa Guth, Appoquinimink High School's Diahann Johnson, and Old State Elementary School's Susan Meyer.
In the third row, from left, are Appoquinimink High School's Diana Nardozzi, Tracey Thomas, a district bus driver, and Sarah Vieni-Vento, coordinator of World Language and Immersion.
June Board of Education Recognitions
At its June meeting, our Board of Education recognized Delaware’s first Teacher Apprenticeship Cohort, who recently graduated from Wilmington University. Our district piloted Delaware’s Grow Your Own Teacher Apprenticeship program, which aims to help paraeducators earn a Bachelor of Science degree, moving them into roles as full-time teachers. Pictured above, in no order, are Jamie Bartoski, Karen Burgess, Jennifer McHale, Wen Shen, Courtney Sisofo, Nicole Brown, Carissa Lehman, and Mari Biscieglia with Dominic Banks, director of Talent Acquisition and Strategic Staffing, and Superintendent Matt Burrows. Alexis Cressman could not be in attendance at the meeting.
Students who attend Alfred G. Waters Middle School and participate in the student organization Business Professionals of America (BPA) were recognized by the Appoquinimink Board of Education for their performance at the BPA National Leadership Conference. Pictured above, in no order, are Dhriti Vadlamani, Bhavya Arora, and Shresta Yarladadda with Janet Balkaran, business education teacher at AGW, and Superintendent Matt Burrows.
Students who attend Alfred G. Waters Middle School and participate in the student organization Business Professionals of America (BPA) were recognized by the Appoquinimink Board of Education for their performance at the BPA National Leadership Conference. Pictured above, in no order, are Kumar Shaourya, Praneel Desai, and Krithik Chirumamilla with Janet Balkaran, business education teacher at AGW, and Superintendent Matt Burrows.
Students who attend Alfred G. Waters Middle School and participate in the student organization Business Professionals of America (BPA) were recognized by the Appoquinimink Board of Education for their performance at the BPA National Leadership Conference. Pictured, in no order, are Nikash Sonnia, Evina Shingavi, Sanvi Vankadara, and Joshua Adebanjo with Janet Balkaran, business education teacher at AGW, and Superintendent Matt Burrows.
Students who attend Alfred G. Waters Middle School and participate in the student organization Business Professionals of America (BPA) were recognized by the Appoquinimink Board of Education for their performance at the BPA National Leadership Conference. Pictured above, in no order, Meher Papreja, Vithyakavinya Parthiban, Shlok Subramaniam, Blake Dziegrenuk, Pranav Chilakapati, and Neil Virani with Janet Balkaran, business education teacher at AGW, and Superintendent Matt Burrows.
The Board recognized Adalynne Evans, Carter Bramhall, Cierra Smith, and Ruby Wall, who were part of the 2025 Delaware ProStart Student Invitational Management State Champion team. The team is pictured above with chef Karen Miller and Superintendent Matt Burrows.
End of the year celebrations from our schools
The end of the school year is an exciting time! We were lucky enough to attend some of our school's year celebrations and events. Be sure to visit our website for the full photo galleries from the events we covered!
End of year CHIM showcases wow
These are a few photos taken at Old State Elementary and Spring Meadow Early Childhood Center when students in our Chinese Immersion program hosted end of the school year performances for their families. Be sure to visit our website to see the full galleries.
Continuing cover: AGW students excel at BPA Nationals
While we celebrated these students earlier in our newsletter, we wanted to share more information on their award-winning placements at BPA Nationals. Please join us in congratulating our Alfred G. Waters students who did an excellent job representing our district and the First State at the 2025 Business Professionals of America (BPA) National Leadership Conference in Orlando.
Shlok Subramaniam, Prepared Speech – 1st out of 20
Neil Virani, Financial Literacy – 1st out of 36
Evina Shingavi, Mobile Applications – 1st out of 4
Meher Papreja, Graphic Design Promotion – 2nd out of 19
Neil Virani, Business Math Concepts – 3rd out of 150
Neil Virani, Computer Literacy Concepts – 3rd out of 158
Blake Dziegrenuk, Spreadsheet Applications – 3rd out of 20
Vithyakavinya Parthiban, Prepared Speech – 3rd out of 20
Pranav Chilakapati, Financial Literacy – 3rd out of 36
Joshua Adebanjo, Mobile Applications – 3rd out of 4
Krithik Chirumamilla, Pranee l Desai, Gaurav Parihar, and Kumar Shaourya, Video Production Team – 4th out of 16
Joshua Adebanjo, Evina Shingavi, Nikash Sonnia, and Sanvi Vankadara, Digital Game Design Team – 5th out of 12
Saashwath Swamy, Spreadsheet Applications – 6th out of 20
Nikash Sonnia, Promotional Photography – 6th out of 21
Blake Dziegrenuk, Computer Literacy Concepts – 7th out of 158
Praneel Desai, Cybersecurity / Digital Forensics – 9th out of 10
Pranav Chilakapati, Business Fundamentals Concepts – 9th out of 196
Middletown High School celebrates multiliteracy
Middletown High School hosted its inaugural banner signing for students who have earned a Delaware Certificate of Multiliteracy during their time in school. Please join us in congratulating these students — your hard work and dedication are truly inspiring!
Proud history, exciting future
Louis L. Redding Middle School celebrated its proud history and exciting future with a final walkthrough event for the school's alumni. While the old building will be demolished, the history of Louis L. Redding Middle School will be carried into the new building, which will open at the start of the 2025-26 school year.
Timothy Widdoes selected as a DELREC summer intern
Please join us in congratulating Timothy Widdoes on being selected as a summer intern with the Delaware Law Related Education Center (DELREC). Timothy recently completed eighth grade at Everett Meredith Middle School. Tierney Walton, Timothy’s Social Studies teacher last school year, described him as “a star student and the leader of many in class debates this year in social studies class, so I’m very excited to see his passion being rewarded with such an awesome opportunity that aligns with his interest. With such a small pool accepted in the state, this is an accomplishment I’ve been so proud to see him achieve.”
Sphero event combines racing with science
This year marked an exciting partnership between Lorewood Grove Elementary and Crystal Run Elementary as the two schools teamed up to bring hands-on, engaging STEAM education to Crystal Run for the very first time. Spearheaded by Kendra Rosner, STEAM Coordinator at Lorewood Grove, and Brandi Luloff, Instructional Coach at Crystal Run, the collaboration focused on 3rd grade students and ran for half the school year.
The program began with students diving into the world of 3D printing, learning how to bring digital designs into physical reality. From there, the learning journey shifted to Sphero robots, where students explored coding, problem-solving, and innovation through interactive challenges.
The experience culminated in a thrilling Sphero sled racing competition held at Crystal Run Elementary. The entire 3rd grade class participated, showing off their creativity, teamwork, and application of the engineering and design process. The event was not only a celebration of learning but also a demonstration of how collaboration between schools can bring curriculum to life in powerful and playful ways.
Silver Lake Elementary School’s garden continues to grow
With help from Healthy Foods for Healthy Kids, Silver Lake Elementary School is celebrating a successful first season of gardening! The school has several raised garden beds in its courtyard where students have helped plant, maintain, and harvest produce. These gardens are not only a fun activity for students, but help them learn the science behind growing vegetables and why they are important sources of nutrients.
All Roads Lead to OBL
These pictures are from "All Roads Lead to OBL" — a school-day event that celebrates world cultures and the connections these cultures have to the Olive B. Loss Elementary community. Students developed research projects in their classrooms that focused on specific countries. These projects were displayed in the hallways for all grade levels to see. Connecting back to the community, parent volunteers delivered presentations to classes with information about their heritage!
Crystal Run students learn about law enforcement
As the school year was winding down, what better way to keep students engaged and help them learn about being civic-minded than from people who live it every day? Crystal Run Elementary School invited members of our local law enforcement to give presentations about what it's like being a firefighter and police officer. There were demonstrations from a police dog, tours of a firetruck, and plenty of opportunities for questions and answers. Please join us in thanking our law enforcement for supporting our schools and helping our students learn.
Bunker Hill selected for $500 grant from AAA
Please join us in congratulating Bunker Hill Elementary School and its Safety Patrol program, which was recently awarded an Advancement Grant of $500 from AAA!
Announcing our Transportation Employees of the Month!
As this is our final Transportation Employee of the Month announcement (for the 2024-25 school year), we decided we needed to double the fun! Victoria Parsons, driver, and Tabitha Rivers, bus attendant, were both celebrated during May. Both are responsible for transporting students from Everett Meredith Middle School, Middletown High School, Brick Mill Elementary, and Brick Mill Early Childhood Center. Parsons has been a bus driver for many years. She drives an after-school activity bus for EMMS and also supports our school's transportation for field trips and athletes. This is Rivers's first year in transportation, and she has quickly become a valued member of the team, for both her fellow transportation employees and the students in our district.
Bookmobile is back for another summer of reading!
This summer, our librarians will once again be volunteering their time to deliver free books to the community. All are invited to visit any or all of the Bookmobile's four stops. The remaining dates are July 23 and August 13. The times and locations are 12:30 p.m. at Olive B. Loss Elementary School, 1:30 p.m. at Brick Mill Elementary School, 2:30 p.m. at Silver Lake Elementary School, and 3:30 p.m. at Townsend Village Park (Townsend Municipal Park). CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE!
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 the brand-new Louis L. Redding Middle School, 201 New Street, Middletown, DE. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE!
Upcoming Events & Meeting Reminders:
3 July - Schools and offices closed, state/federal holiday
8 July - School Board meeting, 7 p.m. at the Marion E. Proffitt Training Center, 118 S. Sixth St, Odessa. Tune in virtually here.