Head of School Update

Mr. Art Campbell, Head of School

Ms. Kelly Stauffer, Admin. Asst. to the Head of School

We hope everyone had a wonderful week back and a great start to 2026!

Students should continue to follow up with teachers regarding anything outstanding going into the new year. We are now more than halfway through the 2nd marking period. Please make it your best effort to stay on top of turning in assignments on time. Teachers are always available during Lunch and Learn if extra help is needed. With the everchanging weather, please make sure students are prepared to pivot in the event of a weather related closure resulting in a FID day.

• January 20: The STEM Counseling Department is excited to host our annual Junior College Planning Night for students and families of the Class of 2027 from 6:30-8:30 pm.. Join us for an evening devoted to all things college prep.
• January 22: Save the date! A virtual course selection presentation for families of current students in grade 9 and 10 will be held form 6:00-7:30 pm. The following email was sent out on Thursday, January 8:

  Please see the important Course Selection Information Letter for students currently enrolled in grade 9 and 10 for the 2026-2027 school year. The Course Selection Informational session for parents and students will take place on Thursday, January 22, from 6:00-7:30 pm.

  The purpose of this letter is to provide information about the course selection process and to provide students with several opportunities to ask questions in order to help make an informed decision about their course selections for next year.

  Course selection will begin on January 26, 2026 and will end on February 2, 2026. If there are any questions, please contact the counseling office at 610-269-2420 x 43031.

Taking a Family Trip? With the winter break quickly approaching, we wanted to remind everyone that may be planning a family trip to complete the Request Form for Educational and Family Trips. Once the form is received in the office and approved by Mr. Campbell, attendance will mark accordingly in Infinite Campus.

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.

Dear secondary students, your parents recently received the following information:

After careful consideration, the Downingtown Area School District has decided to update its content filter to block student access to YouTube on all 7-8 devices and block all social media access on all 9-12 devices, effective January 22, 2026. YouTube is already blocked for K-6 students, and social media is already blocked for students in grades K-8.

While streaming media and social media can be used as learning tools, they can also distract students. Additionally, if students are unsupervised while accessing these sites, they may inadvertently come across undesirable content. While students will not be able to access these sites on their devices, teachers will still have access to share content with students when educationally appropriate.

As a reminder, parents are encouraged to download and access the Securly Home app. The parent app is a valuable tool for keeping students safer while on district-issued devices. Parents can use the app to block sites, create schedules when the device is inaccessible to the web (such as during dinner time and bedtime), and receive push alerts for at-risk behaviors.

If you have any questions regarding this update scheduled for January 22, 2026, please submit a service request so your concerns can be addressed.

Have commencement questions or any questions with regards to any of the information below? Please contact Kelly Stauffer.

The Cap and Gown order for the graduating class has been placed. All orders will be shipped directly to the STEM Academy and will be inventoried and stored in the main office until passed out at graduation practice at the end of the school year. If you did not place the order before the extended deadlines, this will now be included as an obligation and students will not receive tickets until this obligation is fulfilled.

If you have not yet placed the Cap and Gown Order for your Class of 2026 graduate, please do so asap. While the month of June seems so far away, it will be here before we know it!

Caps/Gowns and Stoles: Each graduate is responsible for purchasing a cap, gown and stole for graduation. The cost of this package is $38.00 including tax. Other items are available for sale as well through the website.

The Cap/Gown Stole orders should be placed as soon as possible to ensure we have the bulk shipment for STEM students delivered after January 1, so that items can be properly prepared for graduation. Once shipped, grad packs will remain at STEM until graduation in June.

• Online Ordering steps:Go to: Herff Jones SHOP Grad Products Website.
• Click the Cap and Gown Grad Pack tab (located next to Announcements & Accessories)
• Choose Basic Cap, Gown, Tassel and Stole Package: $35.85 +tax ($38.00 total)
• Includes Cap, Gown, Tassel and Silkscreen Stole. Be sure to enter height and weight information that is requested when you click on the picture of the package. After that information is added, then click add to cart.

Should there be any questions, please contact sbgerhart@herffjones.com

Senior Early Dismissal/Late Arrival Form (Senior Privileges) 25-26: This form grants Early Dismissal/Late Arrival permission for Senior Class students. Students are responsible for printing out this form and obtaining all necessary signatures. Mr. Campbell will provide his signature after all others have been obtained. Once final approval is given, students will receive a notice to come to the office to see Ms. Sokso.

STEM Academy Class of 2026 Senior Class Parking Permit: As a reminder, the parking permit application for the Class of 2026 must be completed by the student using their DASD student email address. For future reference, this information can also be found on our website, under "Backpack."

College visits are being added as they are scheduled and confirmed to the STEM Calendar on our website. These visits are subject to change as colleges change availability. Visits will be scheduled during lunch and learn times, and some seminar dates. If there are any questions, students should check in with the counseling office.

STEM Class of 2026 IB Exam Schedule as of July 30, 2025: Be sure to check for updates throughout the year, as the schedule changes from time to time.

Ms. Katherine Cole, Dean of Academics & Student Life

Ms. Kaitlin Brinker, Admin. Asst.

Anticipated Advisory Club Dates for 25-26SY: January 15, February 3, February 20, March 11, March 24, March 30, April 20, May 6, May 22

January 15: Open Mic Night 6:00-8:00 pm

Auditions for the STEM Spring Play will be taking place next week after school on January 12 and 13 from 3:00 -5:00 pm. Click here to sign up for an audition time. Email Mr. Namerow with any questions.

Attention all students! Have you heard???

Next week, January 12-16, HSA will be hosting a daily scavenger hunt for all students. Tiny wolves will be hiding within (see the flier below for details)!. If you are lucky enough to find one, stop by the main office to claim your prize. There will be 5 lucky winners each day.

....donation bin outside of Mr. Podlesney's Room 130

Enroll today!

STEM French Exchange

HOST A FRENCH TEEN FOR A WEEK THIS SPRING

This is an exclusive opportunity for 13 lucky STEM French students. Applications have already started coming in! So far only Sophomores have applied - where are you, my French Freshmen? DON'T MISS OUT!

Any questions? Email Mme Bosch.

Enroll today!

Please visit: https://yearbookordercenter.com/job/13813 and enter order code 13813

Any questions? Please contact Ms. Dunn or Ms. Romano.

Mr. Michael Sheehan, Dean of Currciulum and Instruction

Ms. Meghan Schell, Administrative Assistant

2025-2026 Program of Study

STEM Class of 2026 IB Exam Schedule as of July 30, 2025: Be sure to check for updates throughout the year, as the schedule changes from time to time.

STEM Academy Class of 2026 IB Fees Letter: Fees have been uploaded to all STEM Academy Senior Class members Payschools accounts. Please contact Ms. Meghan Schell or Mr. Mike Sheehan with any questions.

Ms. Alyssa Sherlock CAS/EE Supervisor

Dr. Troy Podell

Downingtown STEM Academy Internships and Partnerships
Supervisor of Teaching & Learning

Ms. Kaitlin Brinker, Admin. Asst.

As a reminder, the deadline for STEM Juniors and Seniors to sign up for dual credit from Immaculata University for their current IB courses is 1/23/26.

Did you know i you’re the parent of a STEM Sophomore, your child can graduate high school with an Associate’s Degree in Liberal Arts, expediting their college education and saving significant money? Read more about our Associate’s Degree in the HS Program, and please reach out to Dr. Podell with questions or concerns. If you’re interested, select the Associate’s Degree program during course requests, and apply to Delaware County Community College as a dual enrollment student.

If you’d like more information about Dual Enrollment, Internships and Partnerships, or Career Exploration programs, please reach out to Dr. Troy Podell.

As a reminder, all DCCC students will be checking in with Dr. Podell during 5th period of L days in the First Floor Mezzanine.

This week was packed with meaningful programming for our students.

Freshmen: Our 9th grade students participated in a session led by our Prevention Specialist, Ms. Jennifer Stull, on reframing failure as feedback. Students learned affirmative strategies to identify problems, acknowledge and label the negative emotions they feel when experiencing failure, and to pivot and formulate next steps.

Sophomores: Our 10th grade students completed Career Interest and Aptitude Inventories in our Smart Futures career education software. The results of these inventories suggest career clusters that align with their talents and interests.

Juniors: Our 11th grade class had multiple noteworthy experiences this week. Students completed exploratory inventories in Smart Futures around college and major choices. This work will inform the valuable post-secondary planning meeting all Juniors will soon have with their School Counselor. The 11th grade class also participated in a session led by Dr. Podell on making a great first impression. The session covered resume writing tips, proper etiquette in virtual meetings, and how to succeed at in-person networking.

Seniors: Our 12th grade students were given a brief crash course in financial literacy. Students learned valuable information about how to access the financial system, and simple wealth-building strategies. Students also put their knowledge to the test in an exciting game called Build Your Stax. The replay-ability of the game is tremendous, so feel free to play as a family and discuss what your child learned through the experience.

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

College App Workshop presentation

Common Date Set Overview

US Dept. of Education College Scorecard

The DASD High School Counseling Departments hosted "Show Me the Money!", a financial aid evening for students and families that included workshops on FAFSA completion, scholarships, dual enrollment, and other savings strategies. Slide decks from the night can be accessed on the Counseling Dept's College Resource Drive.

The STEM Counseling Department is excited to host our annual Junior College Planning Night for students and families of the Class of 2027!

Join us on January 20th in the Auditorium for an evening devoted to all things College Prep!

On Thursday, Nov. 6th, our 10th and 11th grade students who took the PSAT/NMSQT on Oct. 16th will be able to access their score reports. Please note that the score release date is set by College Board and is based on the date our school gave the test.

If your student provided their mobile number on test day or during test set-up, they will receive a text message with access to the BigFuture School mobile app to view their scores. If your student didn’t provide a mobile number, or prefers to access their score report online, they can do so by logging into their College Board account (studentscores.collegeboard.org). Students will need to create an account if they don’t already have one.

The PSAT/NMSQT score can be useful to students in several ways. It gives them valuable practice for the SAT, insight into how to prepare, and opens opportunities for scholarships and recognition. You can read more about these opportunities here: https://satsuite.collegeboard.org/psat-nmsqt/scores/using-your-score. College Board has also created a helpful video to walk you through accessing scores and how to use them: https://youtu.be/LJEeKZxLjpA?si=9RQXa9F9oWrnXRwG

If your student is not able to view their scores on Nov. 6th, please contact College Board directly at their customer service number (866-630-9305). The most common reason a student is not able to access their score is because they provided an incorrect name and/or birthdate, and College Board is not able to verify their identity. As counselors, we cannot correct this for the student – they need to reach out to College Board to correct the issue.

JUNIORS- For those that registered for the upcoming STEM Academy 6-week SAT Prep Course, the schedule is noted below.

The 2026-27 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) is live! This is the first step towards applying for federal, state, and college-based financial aid. Families are encouraged to start their application in early October to ensure all deadlines are met.

See the FAFSA Tip Sheet for details about what documents you need in order to complete.

2025- 2026 STEM Academy HSA Board

Co-Presidents: Kerri Roberts and Kelly Sears

Co-Vice Presidents: Heather Steiger and Jennifer Zori

Secretary - Marcie Epstein

Treasurer - Kousalya Alapati

Meetings will be held throughout the school year, on the dates designated below each month in the STEM Academy Knowledge Commons at 7:00 pm, unless otherwise noted.

• January 12, 2026: The next meeting will be held beginning at 7 pm in the STEM Knowledge Commons. We hope you can make it!
• February 9, 2026
• March 16, 2026
• April 13, 2026
• May 11, 2026

✨ You can always see the full lineup at STEMHSA.org—and trust me, you’ll want to be part

of what’s coming up next.

🌟 Join the HSA Board!

In addition to this great evening of information, we’ll also be holding elections for our

Freshman and Sophomore Parent-at-Large positions on the HSA Board.

If you’ve been thinking about getting more involved or want to help shape the programs

and direction of our Home & School Association, this is a wonderful opportunity to join

the team. We’d love to have your voice and ideas at the table!

Please visit the external STEM HSA website!

📌 January Home & School Meeting

January 12 | 7:00 PM | KnowCo

Please join us for our January Home & School meeting. We are excited to welcome Mrs. Hewitt and Mrs. Glowik, our college prep experts, who will be speaking about college application preparation—an incredibly valuable topic for families of all grade levels.

🎉 Post Prom Planning Meeting

January 15 | 6:00–8:00 PM | Atrium

Join us for our next Post Prom planning meeting as we begin preparations for STEM Post Prom – May 2026.

🏆Post Prom Trivia Night is Back!

January 22 | 6:00PM | Al Pastor: See flier and sign up information below!

📅 Upcoming Events

🍲 February 6 – Soup-er Bowl

This is one of our faculty and staff’s favorite events of the year! Start thinking about what soup, chili, or stew you’d like to contribute. Please be sure to read all the details on the sign-up.

👉 Sign up here: Soup-er Bowl Signup

Questions? Please reach out to Marci Epstein at Secretary@STEMHSA.org.

For more details on this event and everything else happening at STEM, visit STEMHSA.org.

💖 Annual Family Donation Drive

Our Family Donation Fundraising Campaign for the 2025-2026 school year is still running. If you haven’t yet donated, would you consider a one-time suggested gift of $100 per family?

Your tax-deductible donation directly supports the programs, activities, and events that enrich student life at STEM—and helps us minimize (or even eliminate!) the need for additional fundraising later in the year.

👉 Make your donation here: STEMHSA.org

HSA Post Prom Trivia Night is Back!

Join us for an evening of FUN, Food, and Friends as we support the Downingtown STEM Academy Post Prom at Trivia Night! It's not just a game night - it's an opportunity to bring our community together for a great cause! Space is limited, so gather your team and secure your spot today!

WHEN: Thursday, January 22 - Doors open at 6:00PM, Trivia at 6:30PM

WHERE: Al Pastor, Wellington Square

COST: $20 per person (Your entry fee includes a ticket for a Beverage of choice OR Chips and Salsa), up to 8 players per team.

Tickets may be purchased as a team or individually. If you want a table reserved for your team, you MUST include a team name when purchasing your ticket(s).

You can purchase your tickets HERE!

Thank you for supporting Post Prom!

STEM Post Prom is a fun-filled, safe, and unforgettable night for our seniors, complete with food, games, music, activities—and prizes! Each student receives a prize at the end of the night as an incentive to stay for the entire event.

We’re starting prize collection early so we can take advantage of holiday sales and put together the best prize lineup possible. As you do your holiday shopping, please consider adding a Post Prom prize to your cart.

• You may purchase directly from our Amazon Wishlist, or

• Shop elsewhere if you find a great deal

If you purchase outside the wishlist, please email one of our prize coordinators so arrangements can be made:

• Kirsten Reeder – Kirsten.reeder@gmail.com

• Kelly Sears – Kelsears@gmail.com

Thank you for helping us create an amazing, memorable, and safe celebration for our seniors—we truly could not do this without your generosity and support!

— STEM Post Prom Committee

All students at STEM are encouraged to participate in athletic programs offered at their home schools.

An activity bus is available for students heading to East to participate daily, and is located in the bus loop at dismissal.

To find more information about what sports are offered at your students’ homeschool, please choose one of the following that links directly to the correct Athletics page:

Downingtown East High School Athletics

Downingtown East High School Athletics Schedule

AND

Downingtown West High School Athletics

Downingtown West High School Athletics Schedule

Downingtown West Boys Tennis will be having an info session/interest meeting for the upcoming 2026 season for prospective players and parents on January 12th in Room 276 at Downingtown West. It will be a 6pm for any new players and parents looking to tryout and at 6:45pm for returning players and parents. Any questions, e-mail Head Coach Justin DePietropaolo at jdepietropaolo@dasd.org.

The MPA is still open for local business sponsorships to help support our music programs for the 2025–2026 season.

As a thank-you for your support, we’ve created a Sponsorship Benefit Program that promotes your business and services not only to our band community but to the entire school district.

🔗 Sponsorship Details

✅ Sign up as a sponsor

East Band

• 📅 East Band Calendar

West Band

• 📅 West Band Calendar

• The profit for every purchase you make goes directly to the association and the funds are used to support the music programs in Downingtown East, Downingtown West and the STEM Academy.
• Krispy Kreme Doughnuts DSF Fundraiser - ORDER HERE
• Charleston Wrap Fundraiser - Order by Dec 8 to get everything in time for the Holidays! CLICK HERE TO ORDER
• Wawa Shorti Coupons – $5 each, never expire

• Concession Stands – Sign up and join us! Training is provided by seasoned volunteers. Any student 12+yr can volunteer and earn volunteer credit hours. Anyone can volunteer in concessions at any game hosted by a D'town “home” high school. The best part? All of the funds go right back to support every student in every music program, no matter which school is hosting. 🎶 SIGN UP HERE

• SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER

Go to https://dhsmpa.membershiptoolkit.com/volunteer/105706 to sign up
For non-band members who want to volunteer email dhs.mpa.volunteers@gmail.com
PLEASE NOTE: Student volunteers are welcome and hours can be used toward NHS/NJHS service hours.

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.

Student Drop Off

Please be reminded that students are to be dropped off behind the school. No students should be dropped off on Manor Ave. We appreciate your cooperation. Safety is always our first priority.

Also for the safety of all students and staff crossing back and forth during lunch time, the entrance to the STEM Academy on Campbell Drive will be closed during all lunch times for the remainder of the school year. Please use the West entrance to access the campus during that time.

Traffic:

Parents are not permitted to park, drop-off, or pick-up students from the left side of the Academy or on Manor Avenue.

• All parent pick-up vehicles must enter from Manor Avenue on the right side of the building (Campbell Drive). Parents will be directed by the traffic guard to loop around the building in order to pickup students.
• Bus pick-up for students from the Downingtown East High School attendance area will be along the fence that faces Kottmeyer Stadium. Bus pick-up for students from the Downingtown West High School attendance area will be at Downingtown West High School and Downingtown Middle School. Students will then walk to the Academy.
• Please make sure students are prepared for inclement weather. Parents are not permitted to park, drop-off, or pick-up students from the left side of the Academy or on Manor Avenue.
• For the safety of our students, it is essential that all drivers adhere to traffic patterns and regulations

Please review the student pick up and drop off procedures located under School Day on our Website.

Bus Passes are for Emergency use only. All bus rosters are full and only in the event of an emergency will a student be allowed to ride a different bus home. The request for a bus pass should come to the main office and will need approval from Mr. Campbell.

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.

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.

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.

• Medication: If your child requires prescription or non-prescription medication this school year, please complete the Authorization for Medication and bring in both the completed form and medication. This form can also be accessed on the DASD website. Your child’s physician may also use their own form for medication administration.

  Epinephrine Auto Injector and Nasal Epinephrine: Nasal Epinephrine/Neffy is currently only approved for licensed personnel (nurses) to administer in school and students may not self-carry/self-administer this medication in school or on field trips. Please request your child’s physician to prescribe an auto-injector for school.

  Immunizations: Please review your child's immunization information via Infinite Campus Parent Portal. Accessed via MORE > HEALTH > IMMUNIZATIONS. If your child has non-compliant immunizations, please provide updated immunization documentation or an updated immunization exemption to the school nurse at jmikulich@dasd.org

• Please contact Ms. Jennifer Mikulich with any questions or concerns.

• • 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.

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