Head of School Updates

Consistent attendance is one of the most important factors in a student’s success. When students are present each day, they stay connected to their school community, build strong learning habits, and make steady academic progress. Attendance also impacts our state accountability rating, as the Delaware Department of Education measures school performance in part by attendance rates.

While we understand that absences happen, we ask families to make every effort to ensure students attend school consistently and arrive on time. Please also remember to submit an excuse note if your child is absent. Thank you for helping Sussex Academy continue to soar higher!

Our Communication & Outreach efforts have been enhanced this trimester with the help of teaching assistant Kaia Medrano!

Kaia, a sophomore, has been instrumental in capturing photographs, creating flyers and even designing scarecrows for Georgetown’s annual contest. Kaia’s photography for Sussex Academy has twice – so far – been featured in the Cape Gazette!

Special thank you to Kaia for all her hard work!

Don't forget that Ticket sales for Sussex Academy Theatre's high school fall production of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night’s Dream are now open at https://cur8.com/19395/project/135319.

The show will run Friday, Nov. 14 at 7pm; Saturday, Nov. 15 at 2pm and 7pm; and Sunday, Nov. 16 at 2pm. Tickets cost $10 per adult and $5 per student/child. There are only 50 seats available at each of the four performances, so act quickly.

Keep up to date with school and student happenings by following us on Facebook and Instagram, and continue to check our website for our most recent news releases.

Share the news about your child’s accomplishments by contacting Ellen Driscoll at ellen.driscoll@saas.k12.de.us.

November 17 - Picture Make-up/Retake Day: If you would like your child to have a retake, please let us know and send the pictures back to school as a complete package.

November 21 - Dress Down Day - Free

November 24 & 25 - Parent/Teacher Conferences (No school for students)

December 12 - Winter Concert: Grades K-2 @ 12:15 & Grades 3-5 @ 1:30 PM

At Sussex Academy, we believe every student has the potential to be a leader. This year, we are excited to build a culture of leadership in our middle school through a three-year journey implementing the Leader in Me framework. This program is designed to empower our students, teachers, and families to lead with purpose and confidence.

Based on Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Leader in Me helps students take ownership of their learning, set and achieve goals, collaborate effectively, and reflect on personal growth. Our goal is to nurture confidence, empathy, responsibility, and initiative—skills that prepare students to thrive in school and beyond.

As part of this work, we invite middle school families to complete the Leader in Me Measurable Results Assessment (MRA) survey by November 19th. Your feedback will provide valuable baseline data to identify strengths and opportunities for growth in academics, leadership, and school culture.

Thank you in advance for your partnership in this important work. Together, we can empower every Sussex Academy student to lead.

Last Friday, student-led groups, including the Leo and Scrub clubs, hosted Chips for Charity to raise money for Tanya Garcia's family. The SA graduate passed away after a courageous battle with ovarian cancer. The students raised over $ 2,000 to give to the family to help with their expenses.

To continue assisting the family with expenses, a GoFundMe was created.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/honoring-tanyas-memory-help-with-funeral-costs

November 24-25: Parent/Teacher Conferences (No school for students)

December 2-4: Browseabout Book Fair in School Library

December 3: Browseabout Book Fair Family Night

There will be 2 additional after-school rehearsals from 3:30 - 4:30 on Thursday November 13 and Thursday November 20th. Please reach out to Mr. Decker with any questions.

Interest Meeting After School

Tuesday November 18 - 3:15 - 4:15 in the Secondary Campus Library

Calling all middle and high school students who are interested in Odyssey of the Mind ...

If you like creative problem solving and team work, have a special talent or love to think outside the box then you may just fall in love with Odyssey of the Mind!

All students interested in participating on an OM team for SA are required to attend this meeting.

Learn more at deootm.org

Parents at all grade levels are encouraged to attend. OM is an amazing program that enriches students beyond the classroom but it requires each team to have an adult volunteer coach and judge, so parent involvement is essential to a successful program.

If you have any questions, contact Nicole Bowman nicolejeanbowman@gmail.com 917-771-4821.

The Sussex Academy Counseling Department continues collaborating and supporting students' social-emotional Learning (SEL) through the MTSS framework to promote student well-being. After reviewing SAEBRS universal screening data, counselors identified students who may need additional help in areas such as behavior, attendance, social skills, or executive functioning. Over the next weeks, counselors will initiate implementation of targeted interventions in those areas of need. Families of identified students will receive official SEL MTSS notification letters the week of November 10, and small-group interventions will begin the week of November 17. Please reach out to your child's counselor if you have any questions or concerns.

All seniors had a meeting on November 12, 2025, to learn how to order their cap and gown, graduation announcements, and senior gear.

In-person ordering with Jostens will be available during all lunches on November 19, 2025.

Seniors- It’s essential to get your cap and gown ordered on time!

Parents- If you have any questions, please contact Jostens at 1-800-JOSTENS (567-8367).

Our Winter Sports Flash Store is officially open — but only for a limited time!

Grab all-new winter sports gear and take advantage of special discounted pricing across the entire store. Everything is marked down from our Year-Round Store prices — so don’t wait! Hoodies, jackets, warmups, and more — perfect for showing your Sussex Academy pride this season!

Order your gear today before the store closes!

• Wrestling: https://allproteamsports.chipply.com/sussexacademywrestling

• Cheer: https://preview.chipply.com/store.aspx?eid=450689&action=viewall

• Winter Track: https://allproteamsports.chipply.com/store.aspx?eid=450680&action=viewall

• Basketball: https://allproteamsports.chipply.com/store.aspx?eid=450673&action=viewall

• Swimming: https://allproteamsports.chipply.com/store.aspx?eid=450687&action=viewall