Head of School Update
September 5, 2025: Issue #4
Mr. Art Campbell, Head of School
Ms. Kelly Stauffer, Admin. Asst. to the Head of School
Thank you to the parent volunteers that were able to assist with picture day and health screenings yesterday. If your student was absent for picture day, please mark your calendar as make up day will be October 22 first thing in the morning.
The final senior portrait sessions also took place this week. If you are a parent of a senior class member that did not have their picture taken, please make sure to make an appointment with Prestige Portraits at their Warminster Studio.
New in our entry way this year parents will find a table for dropping off items for your students. Families should use a post it note from the table to mark the items being dropped off, and then be sure to notify your student to come pick up.
If you are a family with a student in 8th grade, that is considering applying for the STEM Academy Class of 2030, please mark your calendar as the virtual presentation will be taking place on Wednesday, September 24 at 6:30 pm. The link will be provided closer to the event. The application will open immediately following the presentation. The 26-27 school year application will close on Monday, October 20, 2025 at 9:00 pm.
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. Below are some additional important dates to remember during the month of September.
- Home and School Meeting: Monday, September 8 at 7:00 pm in the STEM Academy Knowledge Commons. All are welcome to attend.
- Senior Panoramic Photo: Monday, September 15 during advisory. All orders for the group photo must be placed before 9/15. The cost of the photo is $17 and can be placed through www.mylifetouch.com, using code MJ105008T0 . Please contact Ms. Bradley or Ms. Snyder for any additional details or order forms if you prefer to not order online.
- Back to School Night: Thursday, September 18 at 6:00 pm. Parents will follow the "A" Day schedule for their student. It is important to make sure that you arrive with a copy of your students' A Day Schedule. Below is time schedule we will follow for the evening:
25-26 STEM Academy Back to School Night Schedule
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.
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.
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.
The Common Application is open for the Class of 2026!!
Remember this is just the starting line, NOT A DEADLINE! No college expects you to submit everything in the first day or week of the application season. Pace yourself and pay attention to deadlines, but do not sacrifice this last month of summer!
Use this FAQ to help in completing your apps and Self-Reported Academic Record (SRAR).
It was such a pleasure to debrief your Practicum experience with you. If you were unable to attend one of those sessions, please see me during Seminar on 9/19 in the Knowledge Commons. If you indicated interest in joining the LeadX Course, an email should be in your inbox from 'Canvas Free for Teachers' that looks like the attached screenshot. Please follow the directions to register for the course in Canvas. That is where all work will be housed. Looking forward to the journey together!
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
Important Links for Parents & Students
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.
Downingtown STEM Academy
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