UDHS Purple & Gold

Members of Ms. Zoccola's and Ms. Arcamone's 18-22 Transition Class learned some new job skills this past month when they took on the role of document shredders. Students learned how to operate a shredder safely, to take out staples and paper clips from documents, to empty the shredder, and to work together as a team. They also had a blast doing the job!

The band also paid tribute to Dolly Parton shortly after her death with a performance of "Nine to Five" at the football team's season home opener.

Congratulations to Upper Darby High School Class of 2015 alumnus and Wall of Fame honoree Immanuel Wilkins, who has been named as one of the this year's MacArthur Foundation fellows, a highly prestigious prize awarded to individuals who have shown extraordinary originality and dedication in their creative pursuits. Mr. Wilkins is an alto saxophonist who, according to the MacArthur website, "blend[ing] traditional jazz motifs with modern textures in works that reflect on historical narratives of injustice and resilience." His 2020 debut album, Omega (2020), "...he draws a throughline from the lynching of Mary Turner in 1918 (“Mary Turner – An American Tradition”) to the killing of Michael Brown in 2014 (“Ferguson – An American Tradition”), giving voice to repeated and ongoing violence against African Americans." Mr. Wilkins is truly the pride of our school!

On September 11, the class of 2027 had one of their first events as seniors and participated in the first Senior Sunrise. It's just one of many to come as they enter their final year of high school.

Congratulations to all of our honorees who were celebrated at the monthly school board meeting for their 25 Years of Excellence in the Upper Darby School District. Among them was Mrs. Sue Beck. Congratulations Mrs. Beck!

Maintenance Employee Fran Conneen was celebrated early this month with an "Appy Hour" (baby shower) for he and his wife Amy. They are expecting their first child this month, and were celebrated with a very well-attended baby shower complete with a number of gifts (including a car seat!) and some yummy snacks. The party was arranged through the efforts of many people, especially Nurse Janet Braneky, Teacher Jackie Sharkey, and Teacher Assistant Lucy Kurz. Thanks for Ms. Jojo Couch for delivering the dad to be to the festivities.

Woods and Remy Lazur are both outstanding members of the Marching Royals who consistently demonstrate leadership, responsibility, and a strong commitment to the program.

Woods, a tuba player and our Junior Drum Major, embodies the qualities we expect from that position: he is dependable, mature, supportive of his peers, and willing to lead by example. Outside of band, he is also active in our school theatre program and most recently performed as the leader of the barbershop quartet in The Music Man.

Remy serves as our Assistant Brass Captain and performs on mellophone in the Marching Royals, with French horn as his primary concert instrument. Like his brother, he is reliable, positive, and willing to step up when needed. He is also involved in theatre through stage crew, where he works with lighting design. Both students are excellent representatives of the music department and contribute positively well beyond their individual performance responsibilities.