Head of School Updates

Homecoming Week is always an exciting time of year! It reminds us of the importance of school pride, a sense of belonging, and the connections that bring our community together. This year has been no different at Sussex Academy, and it has been wonderful to see our students celebrating together as Seahawks!

I sincerely hope all of our families share that same sense of pride in being part of the Sussex Academy community. I look forward to seeing everyone at Friday night's soccer game as we come together to celebrate Homecoming and a great start to the school year.

WE ARE... SEAHAWKS!

Sussex Academy activity fees were due on September 30 and are now past due if you have not yet paid the fees. Just a reminder that annual fees are $185 for Elementary, $205 for Middle School, and $225 for High School and may be paid by cash, check, or through our online payment system.

If you have not yet submitted your student's activity fee, please make arrangements to do so as soon as possible. Families who need to arrange a payment plan or have questions may contact Mrs. Calli Horsey at calli.horsey@saas.k12.de.us or (302) 856-3636 ext. 1004.

Thank you for your attention to this reminder and your continued support of the programs and experiences we provide for our students!

We are excited to share that Mrs. Petronela (Petra) Vlasin has been named both the Sussex Academy Educational Support Professional of the Year and the Delaware Charter School Network Educational Support Professional of the Year! Petra will now represent Delaware's charter schools in the statewide competition.

From providing instructional support across our K–6 school community to organizing our book fair and contributing to our performing arts program, Petra consistently goes above and beyond for our students. Her dedication, flexibility, and commitment to helping others reflect the very best of Sussex Academy.

Please join us in congratulating Mrs. Vlasin on these well-deserved recognitions! We are incredibly proud of her and look forward to cheering her on at the state level!

Just a friendly reminder to complete our fall survey, if you have not already done so. The deadline to submit your feedback is Friday, October 23rd.

Click here to complete the Fall 2026 survey

As a reminder, please bring a photo ID when visiting either Sussex Academy campus to pick up your child. Until our staff have established personal relationships with families and can confidently verify identities, we will be checking identification before releasing students. This important safety practice helps us ensure that students are released only to authorized individuals.

Thank you, in advance, for your understanding and partnership in helping us increase safety measures!

Please help us spread the word about our upcoming Choice Nights! If you have friends, neighbors or family members who are curious about what it means to be a Seahawk, encourage them to come experience Sussex Academy for themselves!

Remember to keep up to date with us on Facebook and Instagram, and continue to check our website for our most recent news releases.

Please keep sharing the news about your child’s accomplishments by contacting Ellen Driscoll at ellen.driscoll@saas.k12.de.us – we love sharing positive news about our Seahawks!

ICYMI : check out this fantastic Delmarva Life story about our performing arts program and student leaders Marissa Davis and Natalie Howard!

October is Fire Prevention Month, and we are excited to welcome our local fire department to Sussex Academy Elementary on Friday, October 23! Our Seahawks will have the opportunity to learn important fire safety tips, discover how firefighters help keep our community safe, and interact with our local first responders. We are grateful to our firefighters for sharing their time and expertise with our students!

Make-Up Picture Day is Thursday, October 29! Students who were absent on our original Picture Day or need to have their school photo retaken will have another opportunity to do so.

Did you know that your Redner’s receipts can help support Sussex Academy Elementary? Through Redner’s Save-A-Tape Program, our school can earn a 1% rebate on eligible purchases!

Simply save your qualifying Redner’s receipts and send them to school with your child. Teachers and staff will make sure they are delivered to the elementary front office.

Additional information about the program was sent home with students this week, so be sure to check your child's backpack for details!

Every receipt makes a difference! Thank you for supporting our elementary Seahawks! 💙💜

Thank you to all of our families who joined us for our Fall into Reading Literacy Night! We had a wonderful turnout and loved seeing our Seahawks and their families enjoying an evening filled with literacy activities, books, and fun! We appreciate everyone who helped make this special event such a success!

Didn't get a chance to shop at our Scholastic Book Fair, or want to purchase a few more books? The fun continues online until October 25th! Book purchases over $35 qualify for free shipping, and every purchase helps earn funds for Sussex Academy Elementary.

📖 Shop Our Scholastic Book Fair Online!

We are excited to celebrate Seahawk Character Day on Friday, October 30! Students are invited to dress as their favorite book, movie, television, or other fun character as we celebrate a festive fall afternoon together!

Students should arrive in their regular school uniforms and bring their costumes in their backpacks. Costumes will be put on over uniforms toward the end of the school day. Please select a costume that your child can put on independently and that allows for safe movement. For everyone's safety, face paint, masks, pretend weapons, inflatable costumes, and scary costumes are not permitted. School-appropriate shoes must be worn throughout the day.

Families are invited to join us at 2:00 p.m. on the playground as our Seahawks parade around the school building and show off their creative characters! Staff will help direct families to the viewing area.

Following the parade, students will return to their classrooms. Families wishing to take their child home afterward may sign them out directly from their classroom.

We look forward to a fun-filled afternoon celebrating our elementary Seahawks! 🍂💙💜

Sussex Academy Middle School is excited to recognize our September Student Leaders of the Month for Habit 1: Be Proactive from Leader in Me! Habit 1 teaches students that they are in charge of their own choices, attitudes, and actions. Being proactive means taking responsibility, showing initiative, focusing on what they can control, and choosing how to respond to challenges rather than simply reacting.

These students were selected by their teachers for putting Habit 1 into action by making positive choices, taking ownership of their learning, and setting a strong example for their peers.

Congratulations to Jea Gaston, Aubrey Wilson, Cooper Lewis, Ava Gold, Anna Liang, and Piper Graves! We are proud of the leadership these students demonstrate each day and look forward to recognizing more student leaders throughout the school year!

• Capture all the memories from this school year with a Sussex Academy Middle School Yearbook!

• Yearbooks are currently $42.00 when ordered by October 30, 2026.

• Families can order through Jostens using the information on the flyer or this link (Click Here). Students and families can also share photos from throughout the year for possible inclusion in the yearbook. Don’t miss out on the memories — order yours early!

Just a reminder that all 8th grade students receive a yearbook at no cost to families. During this transition year, all students receive a yearbook from school activity fees.

Picture Make-Up Day will be held on Tuesday, November 10! Students who were absent on the original picture day or need to have their photo retaken will have the opportunity to do so. Please mark your calendars!

Seahawk spirit is on full display this week! There’s still time to join the fun. Check out the Spirit Week themes and encourage your student to participate. As a reminder, these are not dress down days; the school dress code still applies.

Keep the school spirit going at our upcoming Homecoming events:

• Senior Games: Wednesday, October 21, 7:00–9:00 p.m. on the turf field.

• Soccer vs. Seaford: Friday, October 23, at 7:00 p.m. Wear black for the blackout game theme!

• Homecoming Dance: Saturday, October 24, 7:00–10:00 p.m. See the flyer for details.

Bringing a guest to the dance? Submit the completed guest form with the guest’s photo ID by 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 22.

Go Seahawks!

One person's outgrown or forgotten clothing could be someone else's new favorite outfit! Our Green Team is collecting gently used clothing, shoes, and accessories in middle school and high school age sizes for our popular annual Pop-Up Thrift Shop!

This event is a wonderful opportunity to give your unwanted items a second life while helping our school community and the planet! By donating and shopping secondhand, we can keep clothing out of landfills, reduce waste, and shrink our environmental footprint.

DONATIONS: Drop off gently used clothing, shoes, and accessories in the school's main lobby through Wednesday, October 28th.

LAUNCH INTO YOUR FUTURE WEEK BEGIN NEXT WEEK!!!!: OCTOBER 26–30

Launch Into Your Future Week will take place October 26–30 in the library. During the week, students will have opportunities to sign out of class to work on college and career-related tasks and attend special information sessions. Students can sign up for sessions here.

NOTE: Starred (*) sessions are open to both juniors and seniors.

PARENTS!!!: There is a FAFSA completion workshop that is open to BOTH students and parents/guardians on Thursday, Oct. 29 at 12:30 in the Library!

SPECIAL FAFSA WORKSHOP NOTES:

• Students MUST know/have their Social Security Number/card.

• Parents are encouraged to bring their own computer/device to complete the FAFSA; however, some Chromebooks will be available to use.

• Students (and parents) will need access to Wi-Fi and mobile phone services to access their Federal Student Aid accounts and personal email. Inquire about wifi access at the front desk.

• All dependent students must have their parent’s email address to invite them into the student's FAFSA.

• If a parent attends without the student, they will not be able to complete the entire FAFSA without the student's login and completing the student section.

• Parents without Social Security numbers WILL be able to create an FSA ID and use it to complete the parents’ section of the FAFSA.

COLLEGE VISITS AT SUSSEX ACADEMY

Throughout the fall, representatives from colleges and universities will host 30-minute information sessions at Sussex Academy. Juniors and Seniors may miss class to attend these sessions.

Upcoming College Rep Visits:

Thursday, Oct. 22

8:30 - Margaret H. Rollins School of Nursing at Beebe Medical Center

12:30 - Towson University

Monday, Oct. 26

11:30 - York College

Wednesday, Oct. 28

11:30 - Hofstra University

12:30 - Lehigh University

1:15 - University of Maine

To view upcoming visits and register, students should:

• Log in to Naviance.

• Select Colleges.

• Under Research Colleges, select College Visits.

• Click Register Now beside any school they are interested in learning about.

• Record the visit’s date and time in their planner.

• Notify their teacher at least one day in advance.

• Check in with their teacher on the day of the visit for attendance and information about missed instruction or assignments.

New visits are added throughout the fall, so students should check Naviance regularly.

ONE-ON-ONE MEETINGS

Juniors and seniors are welcome to schedule one-on-one meetings with Mrs. Bobby as needed. They should use this link to make an appointment.

SCHOLARSHIPS

Some scholarship opportunities have been sent our way! See our Scholarship Spreadsheet to stay up to date on all scholarship opportunities in our area.

COMMUNICATION

Contact erin.bobby@sussexacademy.org with any questions.

Join Sussex Academy and Speak Out Against Hate (SOAH) on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. for Childhood 2.0, a documentary that opens the door to meaningful conversations about cyberbullying, social media, gaming, and young people’s mental health.

After the film, bring your questions to a live virtual Q&A with Titania Jordan, Chief Parenting Officer at Bark and a featured expert in the documentary.

We encourage parents and teens to attend together—a chance to listen, learn, and explore ways to support well-being in an increasingly connected world. Childcare for younger kids and a light dinner will be provided.

Reserve your spot by October 23 or visit the flyer for details.