Head of School Update

Mr. Art Campbell, Head of School

Ms. Kelly Stauffer, Admin. Asst. to the Head of School

There will be no school on Monday, February 16 in observance of President's Day.

Course Selection: Thank you to all of the students and families for working hard to complete the course selection process for the 26-27 school year. Going forward any changes to the courses that were selected should be changed by scanning the QR Code at the counseling office, or by clicking the link below:

[Scheduling] STEM Request Changes 26-27 School Year

The weather last few weeks has been quite an experience to remember with not only the inclement weather we experienced, but also with the continual cold temperatures. Students are reminded to make sure they are allowing enough travel time to arrive to school on time daily. School begins promptly at 8:00 am. Please make it your best effort to stay on top of turning in assignments on time. Students should keep in mind that if they need help, our teachers are here to help them. They are always available during Lunch and Learn.

It is important to all students to be prepared on a daily basis to make sure that all necessary items are taken home with them daily, should we need to implement a FID day or that any schedule changes occur. Below is a screen shot of the FID Day schedules as noted on our website and also shared previously.

Taking a Family Trip? With the winter break quickly approaching, we wanted to remind everyone that may be planning a family trip to complete the Request Form for Educational and Family Trips. Once the form is received in the office and approved by Mr. Campbell, attendance will mark accordingly in Infinite Campus.

Attendance is important! Should your student be absent from school, or need an early dismissal, please be reminded that notes should be emailed to stemattendance@dasd.org . Should there be any questions about attendance, please email Ms. Sokso, and she will be able to further assist you.

Many events, including college visits for the senior class during the school day, have been added to our STEM Academy website calendar and will be updated throughout the school year.

As a reminder: Student drivers parking on campus must

(1) Have a valid parking permit visible;

(2) Park in designated student lots only.

In celebration of Women’s History Next Month, the Downingtown Area School District is proud to host an inspiring community event featuring former NBC10 Philadelphia News Anchor, Tracy Davidson.

📍 Downingtown East High School Auditorium
📅 Monday, March 2nd
⏰ 6:00–8:00 PM
🎟️ FREE Event

Tracy Davidson is a 15-time Emmy Award–winning anchor and investigative consumer reporter, a breast cancer survivor, and a powerful speaker and advocate. She will be sharing her personal journey and insights on resilience, perseverance, and overcoming life’s challenges.

This is a unique opportunity for students, families, and community members to hear from a nationally respected journalist and inspirational leader—live and in person.

👉 Reserve your free tickets now

A huge thank you to our outstanding Home and School Parents for providing another wonderful HSA "Soup"er Bowl here at the STEM Academy.

Ms. Katherine Cole, Dean of Academics & Student Life

Anticipated Advisory Club Dates for 25-26SY: February 20, March 11, March 24, March 30, April 20, May 6, May 22

February 9-19: National Art Honor Society Sticker Sale (during lunches)

February 9-13: Kindness Week

February 13 (afterschool): SAS Thrift Store

February 17: Dine and Donate: Taco Maya Class of 2029 3:00-8:00 pm

February 20: Winter Formal Class of 2028 & Class of 2029

February 23-27: Cupcake Wars with Key Club

February 27: Mr. STEM

March 13 and March 15: STEM Players Troupe presents The Odd Couple

Submitted by Mr. Chris Elder

Model UN Advisor

The Downingtown STEM Academy’s Model UN Club travelled to our nation’s capital this weekend to compete in AmeriMUNC XIII, hosted by American University. Our 16 students took part in sessions over the course of three days on American’s campus with topics ranging from UNCTAD: Ramifications of Increased Digital Trade within Europe, UNESCO: Discussing the Impacts of AI on UNESCO’s Mission and Goals, to a simulation of the Paris Peace Conference of 1919 and a crisis scenario dealing with the July Crisis in 1914.

We are also pleased to announce that two students came home with awards from the conference. Vibha Reddy Donti Reddy, who took part in the Press Corps committee representing The Independent won Best Delegate for her intrepid reporting and dogged journalism. She repeatedly found new angles to work while visiting the various committees on campus, and uncovered secrets that those in power would rather have left buried. Another Senior, Joe Lin, took home an honorable mention for his work representing Egypt in UNCTAD, collaborating with other countries to discuss digital trade. Congratulations to both of these seniors for their hard work, leadership, and fortitude while spearheading our efforts at a new conference.

I would also be remiss if I did not acknowledge the efforts of the other students who travelled with our team on this trip, who represented the STEM Academy with aplomb. When not in committee, you could find most of our delegates playing cards in the hotel lobby or venturing out to eat as a full delegation. In addition to their hard work in committees, their camaraderie and support of each other was inspiring to witness. Thanks also to Mr. Stephen DiRomualdo, who assisted in chaperoning and driving the students down to Washington. The team appreciates your time and efforts!

Need CAS and NHS Hours? We need volunteers. See Mr. Podlesney with any questions!

Winter Dance: Underclassman Winter Dance ticket sales will open on Monday, February 9th, through MySchool Dance. Sophomore advisors will also be selling tickets in person during lunch. If you plan to purchase a ticket in person, be sure to have the dance form completed beforehand.

Not into dancing? A movie and table games will be available in the KnowCo. Come out and support the sophomore class!

Please visit: https://yearbookordercenter.com/job/13813 and enter order code 13813

Any questions? Please contact Ms. Dunn or Ms. Romano.

Attention Class of 2026: The Senior Panoramic Portraits are finally in,and Sra. Snyder and Ms. Bradley have been reaching out to those students that ordered to please stop by the gym to pick up. If you haven't already done so....please make an effort to take care of that asap!

Have commencement questions or any questions with regards to any of the information below? Please contact Kelly Stauffer.

The Cap and Gown order for the graduating class has been placed. All orders will be shipped directly to the STEM Academy and will be inventoried and stored in the main office until passed out at graduation practice at the end of the school year. If you did not place the order before the extended deadlines, this will now be included as an obligation and students will not receive tickets until this obligation is fulfilled.

Senior Early Dismissal/Late Arrival Form (Senior Privileges) 25-26: This form grants Early Dismissal/Late Arrival permission for Senior Class students. Students are responsible for printing out this form and obtaining all necessary signatures. Mr. Campbell will provide his signature after all others have been obtained. Once final approval is given, students will receive a notice to come to the office to see Ms. Sokso.

STEM Academy Class of 2026 Senior Class Parking Permit: As a reminder, the parking permit application for the Class of 2026 must be completed by the student using their DASD student email address. For future reference, this information can also be found on our website, under "Backpack."

College visits are being added as they are scheduled and confirmed to the STEM Calendar on our website. These visits are subject to change as colleges change availability. Visits will be scheduled during lunch and learn times, and some seminar dates. If there are any questions, students should check in with the counseling office.

STEM Class of 2026 IB Exam Schedule as of July 30, 2025: Be sure to check for updates throughout the year, as the schedule changes from time to time.

Choose from two options:

• Photo Yard Sign - This option is personalized with your graduate's name or text of your choice and includes their yearbook photo.
• Logo Yard Sign - This option is personalized with your graduate's name or text of your choice and the STEM logo instead of a photo.

Signs are 24" x 48" vinyl signs with two wire stakes.

Personalize your sign with your graduate's name or other text, such as "Name of College Bound!"

Photo Yard Signs will include the photo that graduates selected to appear in the yearbook.

Sales close on March 27!! Keep an eye on your email to approve a proof of the yard sign.

Yard Signs will be ready for pick up in late April/early May at STEM after school hours.

All proceeds go to support the STEM Post Prom.

Purchase yours HERE!

Please contact Cristin Young at cyoung1714@gmail.com with any questions!

Mr. Michael Sheehan, Dean of Currciulum and Instruction

Ms. Meghan Schell, Administrative Assistant

2025-2026 Program of Study

STEM Class of 2026 IB Exam Schedule as of July 30, 2025: Be sure to check for updates throughout the year, as the schedule changes from time to time.

STEM Academy Class of 2026 IB Fees Letter: Fees have been uploaded to all STEM Academy Senior Class members Payschools accounts. Please contact Ms. Meghan Schell or Mr. Mike Sheehan with any questions.

Ms. Alyssa Sherlock CAS/EE Supervisor

Senior CAS/Graduation Project Spotlight:

Hanaa Saleem and Sruthi Desikan are officers within Scientista, a non-profit organization that aims to empower women in STEM fields by exposing them to STEM topics early in their academic career. To build our membership, they participate in events such as the GETT Expo event and networking to get the organization more well-known locally. They also plan to reach out to different schools and do live science demonstrations in order to encourage learning and curiosity.

Class of 2026 [Seniors]:

CAS:

CAS Portfolios – including all CAS Experiences and the CAS Project – must be completed in ManageBac by March 1. This means that they are ready to be marked “Completed” (green checkmark), to have a Supervisor’s Review, and to be locked. This does NOT mean that everything has to be locked prior to March 1, but they must be complete (all Learning Outcomes, evidence, reflections, CAS Questions, a personal reflection on the CAS Project, and 3 CAS Interviews are accounted for.)

IB Course Candidate Graduation Project Presentations are due to Mrs. Sherlock by March 1.

EE:

FINAL EEs ARE IN!!! The deadline was yesterday, February 1, 2026!

The final paper that students uploaded to Turnitin, along with all three RPPFs and the Supervisor’s Comment from ManageBac, are what will be submitted to the IB for assessment.

There is no editing of this submission since all revisions were to have taken place with the rough draft in November.

Class of 2027 [Juniors]:

The Junior class will be meeting with Mr. Sheehan, Ms Schell, School Counselors, and Mrs. Sherlock on February 9th during Advisory for information about IB Candidacy options and requirements. Students will be given a folder of information, including a formal Candidacy Declaration Form which will need to be returned by April 2026. Students should review all documents in this folder on their own and with their parents in order to understand the expectations moving forward.

CAS:

11th grade students continue to enter CAS experiences into ManageBac, and are emailing their CAS Project Proposal Forms to Mrs. Sherlock once they have a group and idea established. Guidelines for CAS experiences and the Project are on Schoology.

EE:

Students were to have selected an EE subject in ManageBac by February 1, 2026!

Adhering to these benchmark due dates will help the students to stay on top of their workload and time management.

The next step will be to write a Research Question (RQ).

Example:

A poor Business Management RQ would be:

“How did McDonald’s get so popular in Asia?”

A good Business Management RQ would be: “To what extent have McDonald’s marketing strategies played a major role in their becoming a prominent fast-food company in Korea?”

Dr. Troy Podell

Downingtown STEM Academy Internships and Partnerships
Supervisor of Teaching & Learning

Did you know if you’re the parent of a STEM Sophomore, your child can graduate high school with an Associate’s Degree in Liberal Arts, expediting their college education and saving significant money? Read more about our Associate’s Degree in the HS Program, and please reach out to Dr. Podell with questions or concerns. If you’re interested, select the Associate’s Degree program during course requests, and apply to Delaware County Community College as a dual enrollment student.

If you’d like more information about Dual Enrollment, Internships and Partnerships, or Career Exploration programs, please reach out to Dr. Troy Podell.

As a reminder, all DCCC students will be checking in with Dr. Podell during 5th period of L days in the First Floor Mezzanine.

Junior Class: The list of expected participants in our Summer Career Practicum went live almost two weeks ago. Students can access the list through their Career Exploration Schoology Course. In addition to looking at what categories of business they engage in, students have been coached to review the core values, and personal mission and vision statements they recently composed, and compare them to those of our Practicum partners to see where they find a fit. Students should then narrow down a list of 5 prospects that they will intentionally meet with at our Career Fair on March 5th.

If you, or your company, are interested in hosting our STEM Academy students for a Summer Practicum experience, or want to find out more about what that would entail, please reach out to Dr. Podell at tpodell@dasd.org.

On February 26 our 12th grade students will continue their Adulting 101 session with "What to do when you hear sirens" (ex. what to do when you are pulled over, in an accident, emergency vehicles, when to call 911 vs. non-emergency). Officers from the East Brandywine Police Department will be here to educate them on this important topic.

In the coming weeks, our Juniors will be preparing for our annual Practicum Career Fair The Career Fair will be taking place on Thursday, March 5, 2026. Members of the Junior class will be assigned groups during the morning. They’ll have the opportunity to meet 50+ regional employers of all different sizes across many STEM fields.

If you or your company is interested in hosting STEM Academy students for a Practicum experience, and want to find out more, please email Dr. Podell at tpodell@dasd.org.

Ms. Stephanie Rockowitz, Counseling Secretary/Registrar

• To schedule an appt. to visit your school counselor, please complete the following form: Counseling Appointment Request Form
• Additional Resources from the STEM Counseling Department

Ms. Jennifer Stull, Prevention Specialist

Guide to Districtwide Mental Health Resources

If you are in need of a work permit, please find the application located in the STEM Back Pack at the bottom of the page under Work Permits. Permits can be obtained in the counseling office. Please be sure to review and provide the necessary documentation listed on the website.

Additional Resources

College App Workshop presentation

Common Date Set Overview

US Dept. of Education College Scorecard

Course Selection: Going forward any changes to the courses that were selected should be changed by scanning the QR Code at the counseling office, or by clicking the link below:

[Scheduling] STEM Request Changes 26-27 School Year

Mrs. Hewitt (Last names A-L): https://calendly.com/staceyhewitt/60min

Mrs. Glowik (Last names M-Z): https://calendly.com/lglowik/junior-meeting-w-mrs-glowik-2026

The STEM Counseling Dept presented "IB & The College Process" at the January HSA Meeting.

Topics included an overview of the IB, leveraging IB courses for college credit, and other advanced standing opportunities.

Slide deck can be accessed on the Counseling Dept's College Resource Drive.

The DASD High School Counseling Departments hosted "Show Me the Money!", a financial aid evening for students and families that included workshops on FAFSA completion, scholarships, dual enrollment, and other savings strategies. Slide decks from the night can be accessed on the Counseling Dept's College Resource Drive.

Senator Comitta, in partnership with the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency, will host a free FAFSA Student Aid workshop. Students will receive individualized support to complete the FAFSA form and address their questions when it comes to financial aid. More can be found on the attached or via the below link. We would appreciate your assistance with getting the word out to your students!

FAFSA Student Financial Aid Workshop

Saturday, February 14

Two sessions: 10am or 11am.

CCIU, 455 Boot Road, Downingtown, PA

Advance registration required

Register or learn more at FAFSA Student Aid Workshop

On Thursday, Nov. 6th, our 10th and 11th grade students who took the PSAT/NMSQT on Oct. 16th will be able to access their score reports. Please note that the score release date is set by College Board and is based on the date our school gave the test.

If your student provided their mobile number on test day or during test set-up, they will receive a text message with access to the BigFuture School mobile app to view their scores. If your student didn’t provide a mobile number, or prefers to access their score report online, they can do so by logging into their College Board account (studentscores.collegeboard.org). Students will need to create an account if they don’t already have one.

The PSAT/NMSQT score can be useful to students in several ways. It gives them valuable practice for the SAT, insight into how to prepare, and opens opportunities for scholarships and recognition. You can read more about these opportunities here: https://satsuite.collegeboard.org/psat-nmsqt/scores/using-your-score. College Board has also created a helpful video to walk you through accessing scores and how to use them: https://youtu.be/LJEeKZxLjpA?si=9RQXa9F9oWrnXRwG

If your student is not able to view their scores on Nov. 6th, please contact College Board directly at their customer service number (866-630-9305). The most common reason a student is not able to access their score is because they provided an incorrect name and/or birthdate, and College Board is not able to verify their identity. As counselors, we cannot correct this for the student – they need to reach out to College Board to correct the issue.

2025- 2026 STEM Academy HSA Board

Co-Presidents: Kerri Roberts and Kelly Sears

Co-Vice Presidents: Heather Steiger and Jennifer Zori

Secretary - Marcie Epstein

Treasurer - Kousalya Alapati

Meetings will be held throughout the school year, on the dates designated below each month in the STEM Academy Knowledge Commons at 7:00 pm, unless otherwise noted.

• February 9, 2026: The next meeting will be held beginning at 7 pm in the STEM Knowledge Commons. We hope you can make it!
• March 16, 2026
• April 13, 2026
• May 11, 2026

✨ You can always see the full lineup at STEMHSA.org—and trust me, you’ll want to be part

of what’s coming up next.

🌟 Join the HSA Board!

In addition to this great evening of information, we’ll also be holding elections for our

Freshman and Sophomore Parent-at-Large positions on the HSA Board.

If you’ve been thinking about getting more involved or want to help shape the programs

and direction of our Home & School Association, this is a wonderful opportunity to join

the team. We’d love to have your voice and ideas at the table!

Please visit the external STEM HSA website!

Happy February STEM Families!

We hope you’re staying warm and hanging in through this winter’s snow and freezing temperatures ❄️ Below are a few important updates and opportunities to stay involved this February.

📌 February Home & School Meeting - Topic: Your Student’s Mental Health
February 9 | 7:00 PM | KnowCo

Please join us for our February Home & School meeting. We’re pleased to welcome back Holly Copeland, who will continue the important conversation on the impact of AI and technology on students’ mental health, as well as how families can support students during the stresses of high school. This discussion is valuable for parents of all grade levels, and we hope you’ll join us.

🎉 Post Prom Planning Meeting
February 12 | 6:30–8:00 PM | Atrium

Join us for our next Post Prom planning meeting as we begin preparations for STEM Post Prom – May 2026. All are welcome!

🎓 Graduation Lawn Signs

Celebrate your Class of 2026 graduate with a personalized lawn sign! Lawn signs are available for purchase now on our website.

👉 Order here: Graduation Lawn Sign

🎁 Post Prom Prize Collection Begins!

STEM Post Prom is a fun-filled, safe, and unforgettable night for our seniors—complete with food, games, music, activities, and prizes! Each student receives a prize at the end of the evening as an incentive to stay for the entire event.

We’re starting prize collection early so we can take advantage of sales and create the best prize lineup possible. As you shop, please consider adding a Post Prom prize to your cart.

You can:

• Purchase directly from our Amazon Wishlist, or

• Shop elsewhere if you find a great deal

If you purchase outside the wishlist, please email one of our prize coordinators so arrangements can be made:

• Kirsten Reeder – Kirsten.reeder@gmail.com

• Kelly Sears – Kelsears@gmail.com

Thank you for helping us create a safe, memorable celebration for our seniors—we truly could not do this without your generosity and support.
— STEM Post Prom Committee

💖 Annual Family Donation Drive

Show us your love this Valentine’s Day!! Our Family Donation Campaign for the 2025–2026 school year is still underway. If you haven’t yet donated, we kindly ask you to consider a one-time suggested gift of $100 per family.

Your tax-deductible donation directly supports the programs, activities, and events that enrich student life at STEM—and helps us minimize (or even eliminate!) additional fundraising later in the year.

👉 Make your donation here: STEMHSA.org

For more details on these events and everything happening at STEM, please visit STEMHSA.org.

With gratitude and best wishes for a wonderful February,
The Downingtown STEM Academy Home & School Association

Message from Corey Sigle, Director of Athletics to STEM Families:

It is hard to believe with all of the snow on the ground and frigid temperatures, but we are one month from the start of the 2026 Spring Sports Season. Please see the links below for information regarding registration, coaches contact, official start dates, physical requirements, and more. Please don't hesitate to reach out to the athletic training staff with registration questions or the athletic office if you need any assistance. Stay warm.

Corey Sigle

Director of Athletics

DE Athletics: Spring Sports Information

DW Athletics: Spring Sports Information

******************************************************************************************************

All students at STEM are encouraged to participate in athletic programs offered at their home schools.

An activity bus is available for students heading to East to participate daily, and is located in the bus loop at dismissal.

To find more information about what sports are offered at your students’ homeschool, please choose one of the following that links directly to the correct Athletics page:

Downingtown East High School Athletics

Downingtown East High School Athletics Schedule

AND

Downingtown West High School Athletics

Downingtown West High School Athletics Schedule

🏆🏆🏆They are Ches-Mont National League CHAMPIONS for the 3rd year in a ROW! 🏆🏆🏆

This is also their 2nd UNDEFEATED season in a row!

West Swim & Dive has some amazing individual swimmers, but in order to dominate in a great league like Ches-Mont, it takes depth and we have so many swimmers that put up the points! 🥇🥈🥉 Every girl on this team contributed to help become Champs!
We are so excited to see how far these girls go in the post-season.

The DHS-MPA is made up of parents and guardians of students involved in any of the Downingtown High School music programs, including Marching Bands, Concert Band, Symphonic Band and ensembles, String Orchestra and ensembles, Vocal Choirs and ensembles, Indoor Drumline, and Color Guard. Our mission is to provide program support to maintain the existence and the integrity of the music programs at all of the Downingtown High Schools, including the Downingtown East Campus, the Downingtown West Campus and the STEM Academy. In the 2024-2025 year we supported over 650 music students!

The MPA is still open for local business sponsorships to help support our music programs for the 2025–2026 season.

As a thank-you for your support, we’ve created a Sponsorship Benefit Program that promotes your business and services not only to our band community but to the entire school district.

🔗 Sponsorship Details

✅ Sign up as a sponsor

East Band

• 📅 East Band Calendar

West Band

• 📅 West Band Calendar

• The profit for every purchase you make goes directly to the association and the funds are used to support the music programs in Downingtown East, Downingtown West and the STEM Academy.
• Krispy Kreme Doughnuts DSF Fundraiser - ORDER HERE
• Charleston Wrap Fundraiser - Order by Dec 8 to get everything in time for the Holidays! CLICK HERE TO ORDER
• Wawa Shorti Coupons – $5 each, never expire

📩 Contact Cheryl Wendt (East) or Tina Ayala (West of STEM) or email DHSMPA.waysmeans@outlook.com

• Concession Stands – Sign up and join us! Training is provided by seasoned volunteers. Any student 12+yr can volunteer and earn volunteer credit hours. Anyone can volunteer in concessions at any game hosted by a D'town “home” high school. The best part? All of the funds go right back to support every student in every music program, no matter which school is hosting. 🎶 SIGN UP HERE

• SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER

Go to https://dhsmpa.membershiptoolkit.com/volunteer/105706 to sign up
For non-band members who want to volunteer email dhs.mpa.volunteers@gmail.com
PLEASE NOTE: Student volunteers are welcome and hours can be used toward NHS/NJHS service hours.

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Traffic: Please review the student pick up and drop off procedures located under School Day on our Website. Please allow enough time for traveling to school in the morning.

School Safety: Safety and Discipline are an essential component to any school. Students and parents are required to read the bullet points below as you will be held responsible for following school and school district policies.

All students are required to follow all school and district policies and procedures.

• Student Code of Conduct Policy- please review prior to the start of school.
• Student Rights and Responsibility- please review prior to the start of school.

Student Drop Off

Please be reminded that students are to be dropped off behind the school. No students should be dropped off on Manor Ave. We appreciate your cooperation. Safety is always our first priority.

Also for the safety of all students and staff crossing back and forth during lunch time, the entrance to the STEM Academy on Campbell Drive will be closed during all lunch times for the remainder of the school year. Please use the West entrance to access the campus during that time.

Traffic:

Parents are not permitted to park, drop-off, or pick-up students from the left side of the Academy or on Manor Avenue.

• All parent pick-up vehicles must enter from Manor Avenue on the right side of the building (Campbell Drive). Parents will be directed by the traffic guard to loop around the building in order to pickup students.
• Bus pick-up for students from the Downingtown East High School attendance area will be along the fence that faces Kottmeyer Stadium. Bus pick-up for students from the Downingtown West High School attendance area will be at Downingtown West High School and Downingtown Middle School. Students will then walk to the Academy.
• Please make sure students are prepared for inclement weather. Parents are not permitted to park, drop-off, or pick-up students from the left side of the Academy or on Manor Avenue.
• For the safety of our students, it is essential that all drivers adhere to traffic patterns and regulations

Please review the student pick up and drop off procedures located under School Day on our Website.

Bus Passes are for Emergency use only. All bus rosters are full and only in the event of an emergency will a student be allowed to ride a different bus home. The request for a bus pass should come to the main office and will need approval from Mr. Campbell.

The 25-26 Parking Permit application opened for the Senior Class on Monday, August 4, and for the Junior Class on Monday, August 11. Please be reminded that students should use their DASD student email address to apply, as the permit is issued to the student driving the car on campus. Information regading parking permits can be found on our website in the Backpack. Any student that purchased a parking permit should make plans to pick up in the main office after school. Students will not be ticketed during the first two weeks of school, but should make every effort to pick up their permit as soon as possible. We are not able to issue a parking permit in the morning, before school begins. Thank you for understanding.

Permit Pickup Requirements:

• All obligations listed in Payschools must be paid and up to date.

• Seniors: Must have IB Fee 1 and 2 cleared.

• All outstanding physical forms must be turned in.

• Students should bring their valid drivers' license, car insurance and registration form when picking up the permit.

Early Dismissals, Excuse Notes and Educational Trip Forms: Emails can be sent to stemattendance@dasd.org for any student requiring an early dismissal or in the event that your student was absent for any reason. Students should report to the office in the morning to pick up their early dismissal slip to show their teacher and should check out in the main office prior to exiting the building. Students should not leave out of any door other than the main office. Excuse notes should also be emailed to stemattendance@dasd.org. If your student will be missing school for a family trip please be sure to fill out the family trip form ahead of time. Request Form for Educational and Family Trips. All notes will be processed by Ms. Sokso, attendance secretary.

If a student is sent home by Mrs. Mikulich, our school nurse, they will be dismissed through the main office as well. If a student is feeling ill they should ask their teacher if they may go to the nurse and the nurse will assist in next steps. Parents, please do not allow your student to text or call you to come get them and then pick them up and leave. Please tell them to go to the nurse and the nurse will be in contact or please call the school to let us know your child isn’t feeling well. This is extremely important for student safety and accountability. If there are any questions, please reach out to Ms. Mikulich.

Arriving at School on Time: We have a lot of work to do each day with our STEM Academy students. Therefore, it is critical for students to arrive on time whether they are riding with a family member, friend, or driving themselves to school. The school day begins promptly at 8:00 am. Students are expected to be in their classroom by 8:00 am each morning in order to maximize their experience with us. We will be lenient the first week but students driving or obtaining a ride are expected to be to school on time. If students ride the bus and their bus arrives late, they will not be marked late due to a late arrival of the bus.

Traffic: Please review the student pick up and drop off procedures located under School Day on our Website. Please allow enough time for traveling to school in the morning.

School Safety: Safety and Discipline are an essential component to any school. Students and parents are required to read the bullet points below as you will be held responsible for following school and school district policies.

All students are required to follow all school and district policies and procedures.

• Student Code of Conduct Policy- please review prior to the start of school.
• Student Rights and Responsibility- please review prior to the start of school.

Volunteers: We would like to welcome volunteers throughout the school year. Please take a moment to review the Volunteer Requirements. The Annual DASD Volunteer Disclosure Form should be completed and returned each school year. All volunteer clearances and forms can be emailed to Kstauffer@dasd.org.

• Medication: If your child requires prescription or non-prescription medication this school year, please complete the Authorization for Medication and bring in both the completed form and medication. This form can also be accessed on the DASD website. Your child’s physician may also use their own form for medication administration.

  Epinephrine Auto Injector and Nasal Epinephrine: Nasal Epinephrine/Neffy is currently only approved for licensed personnel (nurses) to administer in school and students may not self-carry/self-administer this medication in school or on field trips. Please request your child’s physician to prescribe an auto-injector for school.

  Immunizations: Please review your child's immunization information via Infinite Campus Parent Portal. Accessed via MORE > HEALTH > IMMUNIZATIONS. If your child has non-compliant immunizations, please provide updated immunization documentation or an updated immunization exemption to the school nurse at jmikulich@dasd.org

• Please contact Ms. Jennifer Mikulich with any questions or concerns.

• • 2025-2026 School Year

    The DASD 2025-2026 was board approved on Wednesday, January 2025.. Please review the school start times as shared on the district website and noted below:

    The schedule for the 2025-2026 school year is as follows:

    
    

    • Elementary (Grades K-6): 9:00 a.m.-3:35 p.m.
    • Secondary (Grades 7-12): 8:00 a.m.-2:45 p.m.
    
    
  • Infinite Campus: Student schedules, report cards, and access to updating the annual registration verification can be accessed here.
  • Payschools: All Activity, Technology and Food services fees can be paid quickly and easily in this portal. (All parking permit fees should now be showing in student accounts.)
  • Schoology: Many courses and classes are updated daily. This is a very important tool for communicating!
  • Service Desk: Technology support can be accessed here.

The Downingtown STEM Academy is the third high school in the Downingtown Area School District. The STEM Academy opened in the fall of 2011 at 335 Manor Avenue, Downingtown, PA 19335.

The Academy is an IB World School offering every student the opportunity to earn an IB Diploma. The curriculum offers Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Pathways. Students are engaged in rigorous, challenging academic work that requires a mindset of growth and effort.

Email: stinfo@dasd.org
Website: https://st.dasd.org/
Location: 335 Manor Avenue, Downingtown, PA, USA
Phone: 610-269-2420