Back to School Information -- UPPER SCHOOL

 
BOOKMARK THIS PAGE TO RETURN TO AS ITEMS ARE ADDED
 
Welcome to the 2024-25 school year!
 
Allison Gill, Upper School Director
Read Allison's 2024-2025 Upper School Welcome Letter
introducing new upper school faculty for this school year. 
 
IMPORTANT DATES: FALL 2024
All School
Upper School Only 
 

Aug 6 OR 14 6:00 - 7:30 pm New Parent/Guardian Orientation (register for one date with Sandy Powell)
Aug 22 5:30 - 7:00 pm BIPOC Family Welcome Dinner (RSVP here: https://forms.gle/oQMCjREwjtn1WBZR8)
Aug 22 7:00 - 8:30 pm New Families Ice Cream Social (RSVP here: https://forms.gle/iRAadLG3fbMFHEaS7)
Aug 26 - 30 Check team schedules Fall Pre-season Sports Practices (Information below)
Aug 27 1:00 - 3:00 pm Common App Workshop (12th grade students only)
Aug 29 1:00 - 3:30 pm Peer Connectors training
Sept 3 8:30 am - 12:00 pm Orientation for new Middle & Upper School students and all 6th & 9th grade students - Note noon dismissal
Sept 3 4:15 - 5:00 pm 12th Grade parent/guardian College Kick-Off with Hallie Ciarlone
Sept 3 5:00 - 7:00 pm Middle & Upper School Barbecue (RSVP HERE)
Sept 4 8:30 am - 3:10 pm First Day of School for Middle & Upper School
Sept 19 6:30 - 8:30 pm Back to School Night for Parents & Guardians
Oct 24 7:00 - 8:30 pm Speaker Series: Dr. Ned Hallowell, ADHD 2.0 (virtual only)
 
INFORMATION AND FORMS
Important forms and actions you need to complete before your Upper School student returns to school on September 4, 2024
Please click below to download a PDF of the Upper School Student-Family Handbook and Handbook Agreement. Please read the handbook over and go over the content with your child. Then BOTH a parent/guardian and the student must sign the Handbook Agreement Form and return it to Amanda Chang by September 4. NOTE: Publicity Consent is also included on the Handbook Agreement Form. If you do NOT wish your student to be in photos or video, please request a Publicity Opt-out Form from Christy.

 
Questions? Please contact Amanda Chang, Upper School Dean of Students
9th GRADE: September 6, Old City Scavenger Hunt
DOWNLOAD AND SIGN THE PERMISSION SLIP -- return signed PDF or photo of the signed slip to Allison Gill by August 30
PRINCETON-BLAIRSTOWN WAIVER -- complete online only
 
9th GRADE: September 12-13, Overnight to Princeton-Blairstown
DOWNLOAD AND SIGN THE PERMISSION SLIP -- return signed PDF or photo of the signed slip to Allison Gill by August 30
 
10th Grade: September 6, Old City Scavenger Hunt
DOWNLOAD AND SIGN THE PERMISSION SLIP -- return signed PDF or photo of the signed slip to Allison Gill by August 30
 
11th Grade: September 6, Marsh Creek State Park
DOWNLOAD AND SIGN THE PERMISSION SLIP -- return signed PDF or photo of the signed slip to Allison Gill by August 30
 
12th Grade: September 6, Canoeing on the Brandywine (NOTE: there are 3 permission slips/waivers to sign for this trip)
 
Return all 3 signed PDFs or photos of the signed slips to Allison Gill by August 30
 
Questions? Please contact Allison Gill, Upper School Director

Each student in upper school will read ONE book selected for their grade this summer - see the list linked below - and two books of their own choosing. All books are available on Learning Ally unless otherwise noted. Students are asked to take notes and/or sketches of the selected book as noted in the handout. When we return to school in September, English classes will begin the term with further literary analysis and projects related to the book selected for each grade. 

 

DOWNLOAD THE SUMMER READING LIST

 

Students, please come to school with a backpack, wired headphones, pens and pencils, and a reusable water bottle. Everything else is provided by DVFriends.

Please log in to the PowerSchool Student Information System Parent Portal and update the Student Demographics information located at the bottom left of the Navigation menu. Review and make any needed changes to your family's addresses, phone numbers (if you would like to receive text message alerts from DVFriends, you must list a cell phone number), email addresses, and emergency contacts. You must provide an emergency contact who is not a parent/guardian.  

 

New families, you will receive an email from Tracy Seggern with information about how to log into the PowerSchool Parent Portal once you have been entered by the school into the system. Guide to updating Demographic Information in PowerSchool

 

Questions? Please contact Tracy Seggern, Academic Systems Coordinator and Registrar

DVFriends offers a community directory as a PDF file. Your student/family information will be included in this directory unless you opt-out by choosing the “opt-out” button when you update your contact information for communications in PowerSchool. The information published will include:

 

  • Student(s) name(s) by grade
  • Parent/Guardian(s) Name(s)
  • Parent/Guardian(s) home email address(es)
  • Parent/Guardian(s) cell phone number(s)
  • Parent/Guardian(s) address(es)

 

The deadline to update your contact information and to opt-out of publishing your family’s information in the Directory is September 3, 2024. The Directory will be published as a PDF file. It is not posted publicly.

 

Guide to Opting-Out of the School Directory 

 

Questions? Contact Tracy Seggern, Academic Systems Coordinator and Registrar.

DVFriends needs your student’s completed physical and immunizations form before they return to campus. Returning families can access Magnus through PowerSchool use their existing login to access and upload completed forms. New families, once you log into PowerSchool, you will be able to access Magnus Health. For your convenience, we have included a link to the physical and immunizations form below. Please upload to Magnus when completed or send by email to Chris Bedard, School Nurse. Please do not send paper forms to school. Health forms are due by August 16, 2024.

 

Download the Student Physical and Immunizations form 

 

Questions about student health information and Magnus forms, please contact Chris Bedard, School Nurse.

Upper School students receive an account to Learning Ally where they can access summer reading and other texts via audio. New students will receive an email from DVFriends with their Learning Ally account information from Tracy Seggern, Academic Systems Coordinator and Registrar, once they are enrolled and added to the system. Returning students, your login information is the same as last year. 

Questions about Learning Ally or your account access, please contact Scott Davis, Technology Director

Follow the link below to a letter from Athletic Director Jalal Rhamirich about our Fall Sports, Pre-Season Practices (August 26 - 30, 2024), and athletic forms needed for the 2024-25 seasons. DVFriends sports teams are open to anyone interested in participating in grades 6 - 12. We have a no-cut policy, three seasons, and girls, boys, and co-ed options in soccer, cross country, tennis, basketball, lacrosse, golf, ultimate frisbee, and volleyball. In order to participate in the fall season, all athletic forms are due by August 4.

 

LETTER FROM JALAL RHAMIRICH ABOUT THE 2024-25 SEASON

 

Fall Pre-Season Schedule: 8/26 - 8/30


Soccer
-- 10:00 am - 12:00 pm on the DVFriends Turf Field


Girls’ Tennis
-- 11:00 am - 1:00 pm at East Goshen Park – East Goshen Park is located at 1661 Paoli Pike, West Chester, PA 19380. Transportation between DVFriends and East Goshen Park will be provided by the school. With written permission from a parent or guardian, students may meet the team and/or be picked up at the park.

 

Cross Country -- 11:00 am - 1:00 pm meet on the DVFriends Lower Field and the team will walk with coaches to Airdrie Forest Preserve Trail, Fennerton Rd, Paoli, PA 19301

 

Questions? Please contact Jalal Rhamirich, Athletic Director.

DVFriends partners with Brock as our food service provider, offering a number of options for daily student lunches. Lunch items can be purchased à la carte or by purchasing an Annual Meal Plan. The annual meal plan cost is $1,100 (25% discount from daily cost) and includes an entree, side, juice or bottled water, and a select snack. Families can purchase the meal plan by sending a check to the school with your student’s name and “Lunch Plan” in the memo or email the business office at [email protected] to have the charges added to your FACTS tuition account. Families can add funds to their account online or they will be able to send in cash with their student to be added to their account. (Note, Brock will not be able to make change, but they can add any change amount to a student’s online account.) Please visit dvfriends.familyportal.cloud to create a Meal Magic account. (This will replace RevTrak.) Once there, you can watch a short video with instructions to create an account. Note: You should have your student’s ID number from PowerSchool available when you log on.

 

Questions? Please contact Erin McMenamin, Director of Finance and Operations.

We like to include extended family members in certain school communications and invitations to events. Even if you have filled out this form before, please provide updated information about your students’ grandparents and special friends. 

 

COMPLETE THE FORM

 

Questions? Please contact Kelly Knox, Alumni and Community Relations Coordinator.

Upper school students who drive to school must apply for and receive a parking permit tag that they display facing outward from their rear-view mirror. Parking on campus is a privilege offered to students in good standing with the school. Please complete the form below and return it to Judy Sheridan, Assistant to the Head of School, to receive your hang-tag.

 

DOWNLOAD AND COMPLETE THE FORM

 

Questions? Please contact Judy Sheridan, Assistant to the Head of School.