Welcome back!

Welcome to August, Derry Township Community! August means a month of preparation and anticipation as we ready ourselves for the 2026-2027 school year. School starts Monday, August 24, 2026 for grades 1-12 and Tuesday, August 25 for kindergarten students! Whether your child is stepping into our classrooms for the first time or returning for a new school year of fresh opportunities, new friendships, and endless potential, we look forward to welcoming them!

This newsletter brings together important information to help your family prepare for the first day of school. Inside, you’ll find transportation updates, school supply information, upcoming back-to-school events and other helpful reminders as we get ready for August 24.

As we continue to make district communication more timely and accessible, most back-to-school information will be shared with families electronically this year rather than through traditional mail. We encourage families to keep an eye on their email throughout August for important updates from the district and your child’s school. Some materials, including elementary parent pickup tags and other necessary documents, will still be sent to homes by mail.

There is always something special about the start of a new school year. The opportunity to reconnect, welcome new faces and begin again is something to look forward to. We are excited for our students and staff to return and for everything the 2026-2027 school year will bring. We’ll see you soon!

Calendar Reminders 📆

District Wide Calendar

Elementary School:

Elementary School Sneak-A-Peek - Wednesday, August 19 - 3:30PM - 5:00PM

Elementary Back to School Night - Thursday, September 10 - 5:30PM - 7:00PM

Middle School:

Grade 6 Bridge Day - Thursday, August 20 - 7:30AM - 1:00PM

Middle School Open House - Thursday, August 20 - 4:00PM - 5:30PM
Middle School Self-Guided Tours - Friday, August 21 - 9:00AM – 12:00PM

Middle School Back-to-School Night - Thursday, September 17 – 5:00PM

High School:

Grade 9 Bridge Day - Thursday, August 20 - 7:20AM - 10:40AM

Hershey High School Block Party - Thursday, August 20 - 2:00PM - 4:00PM

High School Back-to-School Night - Thursday, August 20 - 4:30PM - 6:00PM

District Wide:

National Night Out - Tuesday, August 4 - 6:00PM - 8:00PM

Medication Drop Off - Thursday, August 20 - 8:00AM-1:00PM and 3:00PM-6:00PM

COCOA Bean Game - Friday, August 28 - 7:00PM - at Milton Hershey School

Ben & Tim Day - Saturday, August 22
First Day of School - Monday, August 24
Labor Day Recess - Friday, September 4 - Monday, September 7

Hershey Highlight 💙🧡

COCOA Bean Game

Our 83rd Annual COCOA Bean Game against Milton Hershey School will be held Friday, August 28 at 7:00PM at Milton Hershey School - Henry Hershey Field!! We invite all of our community to mark their calendars and join us to cheer on our Trojan athletes, cheerleaders and marching band for this epic matchup and first game of the season! Check our social media for more information closer to game day!

National Night Out

Join us on Tuesday, August 4th, for National Night Out! DTSD will be represented at this event by our Mini-THON, Transportation Department, and our SRO Officer Shearer! National Night Out is held from 6:00PM to 8:00PM at the Derry Township Community Center.

We hope to see you there! 🧡💙

Follow us on social media for more Hershey Highlights and district news!

Facebook

Instagram

Trojan Trading Post Item of the Month 🛍️

Teacher and Class Schedules

Starting Thursday, August 13, we anticipate that teacher and class information will be finalized and available for all Elementary and Middle School students in ParentVUE. While we aim to have schedules ready by this date, please note that availability may vary slightly.

High School families will be able to view their schedules through the ParentVUE/StudentVUE app beginning Thursday, August 20. Hard copies of schedules will be available at the High School Block Party.

For quick access, here are some helpful Synergy links:

School Supplies 📚

Our back-to-school supply lists are now available!

Get ready for a successful school year with our updated supply lists! We've compiled all the essential items your child will need for their classes, making shopping a breeze. You can find the grade-specific lists on our school website. Be sure to check it out early to avoid the last-minute rush and ensure your student is fully prepared for the first day of school!

ECC & Elementary School List

Middle School List

Bus Information 🚌

As we prepare our bus schedules for the 2026-2027 school year, it is important that all parents whose transportation needs have changed since last year inform us of their changes. These changes could include requiring bussing this year, change of pick up or drop off address or canceling bus services.

If you do have a change, please contact transportation by email at trans@hershey.k12.pa.us before 8/19/2026. Changes beyond 8/19/2026 might not be able to occur for the start of school.

Derry Township School District will also be utilizing Stopfinder as a parent app for student transportation information during the 2026–2027 school year. Stopfinder provides bus information that is specific to each individual student and allows the district to notify families directly regarding bus specific updates, such as delays. Stopfinder invitations were sent to families on July 22, 2026. Once received, families have 30 days to accept the invitation and complete registration.

InfoFinder will remain available as the district’s school bus routing software and address driven information tool.

If your home address has changed, please notify the District Registrar at registrar@hershey.k12.pa.us to ensure your information is up to date and that your child is assigned to the correct bus route. Students utilizing contracted van service provided by Sweger will be contacted directly by Sweger with 2026–2027 transportation information.

Bus schedules are expected to go live the week of August 3rd. For more bussing information, please visit https://www.hershey.k12.pa.us/servicessupports/transportation-services or contact us by phone at 717-566-7422 option 1. We kindly ask parents to double check bus arrival time information again the day before school starts. As new students continue to enroll in the district, bus pick up and drop off times are likely to change.

Medication Drop Off Day

This is for students who will require medication to be dispensed at the nursing office during the 2026-2027 school year. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) for grades K-12, and Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) and Tums for grades 6-12 are the only medications that can be given at school without a private physician's order on file. Parents are encouraged to deliver any other necessary medication with the appropriate paperwork on Medication Drop-Off Day. Medications and signed physician orders not received on drop-off day may not be ready for administration to your student when school begins on Monday, August 24th.

When:

Thursday, August 20, 2026 8:00AM-1:00PM and 3:00PM-6:00PM

Where:
Nursing Offices in each school building

Bring:
1.The physician's written order for each medication to be administered at school. The order should include the child's name, date of prescription, name of medication, dosage and route of administration, specific time at which or special circumstances under which the medication should be administered, and the signature of the prescriber. Note: The label on the container does not count as the physician order. This is a separate item.

2. The medication must be in the original container and labeled with the child's name, content identification and instructions for administration. Ask the pharmacist for a "school bottle" with a complete label. Over-the-counter medication must be in the original, unopened bottle with a readable label and does require a physician's order to administer.

Welcome Back from Food Services 🍎

Our Food Service team is excited to welcome students back for another great school year!

A quick reminder: Don’t forget to log into your SchoolCafé meal account to:

✔️ Add funds to your student’s meal account

✔️ Set up automatic payments

✔️ Enable low balance notifications

2026–27 Meal Prices:

Breakfast:

• FREE for all students again this year!

Lunch:

• $4.10 – ECC/Elementary

• $4.25 – Middle/High School

To avoid online processing fees, payments may be made via check at no cost. Checks should be made payable to DTSD Food Service and mailed to 30 E. Granada Ave, Hershey, PA 17033. Please include your child’s name and student ID number to ensure the payment is applied correctly to their account.

For menus, nutrition information, and additional Food Service resources, please visit the district website. Thank you for partnering with us to keep students fueled and ready to learn each day. We look forward to serving your family this school year!

Elementary School Building Project Update 🏫

What's Happening?

The Derry Township School District Board of School Directors has approved the bids for the Elementary School project, allowing the District and selected contractors to move forward with construction. Construction staging and site preparation are now underway.

The District continues to plan traffic flow, parking, student arrival and dismissal procedures, and safe campus walking paths. Families and staff should watch for building-specific communications, with finalized information also posted on the District website.

What's Next?

Contractors will continue preparing work areas, mobilizing equipment, and installing construction fencing and safety measures. Families may begin to notice increased activity and changes to campus access.

Please continue to visit the District website for updates on construction progress, traffic patterns, parking, and arrival and dismissal procedures. To reduce congestion and support safety, Elementary School families are strongly encouraged to use school bus transportation when possible.

Derry Township School Board of Directors

Upcoming Meetings

August 10, 2026:

Board Meeting - 7:00PM

August 24, 2026:

General Services - 4:00PM
Finance Committee - 5:00PM

Board Meeting - 7:00PM

School Board Information

Useful Links 🔗

Need Accessibility or Language Translation Tools?

Read Our Newsletter Online!

DTSD DIGEST

Derry Township School District - August 2026

Welcome back!

Calendar Reminders 📆

Hershey Highlight 💙🧡

COCOA Bean Game

National Night Out

Trojan Trading Post Item of the Month 🛍️

Teacher and Class Schedules

School Supplies 📚

Our back-to-school supply lists are now available!

Bus Information 🚌

Medication Drop Off Day

Welcome Back from Food Services 🍎

Elementary School Building Project Update 🏫

What's Happening?

What's Next?

Derry Township School Board of Directors

Upcoming Meetings

Useful Links 🔗

Need Accessibility or Language Translation Tools?

Welcome back!

Calendar Reminders 📆 Calendar Reminders 📆

Hershey Highlight 💙🧡 Hershey Highlight 💙🧡

COCOA Bean Game

National Night Out

Trojan Trading Post Item of the Month 🛍️ Trojan Trading Post Item of the Month 🛍️

Teacher and Class Schedules Teacher and Class Schedules

School Supplies 📚 School Supplies 📚

Our back-to-school supply lists are now available!

Bus Information 🚌 Bus Information 🚌

Medication Drop Off Day Medication Drop Off Day

Welcome Back from Food Services 🍎 Welcome Back from Food Services 🍎

Elementary School Building Project Update 🏫 Elementary School Building Project Update 🏫

What's Happening?

What's Next?

Derry Township School Board of Directors Derry Township School Board of Directors

Upcoming Meetings

Useful Links 🔗 Useful Links 🔗

Need Accessibility or Language Translation Tools?

Calendar Reminders 📆

Hershey Highlight 💙🧡

Trojan Trading Post Item of the Month 🛍️

Teacher and Class Schedules

School Supplies 📚

Bus Information 🚌

Medication Drop Off Day

Welcome Back from Food Services 🍎

Elementary School Building Project Update 🏫

Derry Township School Board of Directors

Useful Links 🔗