August 27, 2025

Secretary Marten welcomes students, staff back to school

Secretary Marten's video recognizes the incredible work of educators and encourages a strong start to the school year. 

Welcome to the 2025-26 school year! Some students started school his week with more arriving next week. Delaware Education Secretary Marten helped welcome students at Woodbridge School District's Woodbridge Early Childhood Education Center and Laurel School District's Laurel Middle. View welcome visit pics.

She also expressed her gratitude to school staff in a recent video for their hard work and dedication as the new school year begins. She encourages everyone to start the year strong and continue fostering supportive, inclusive learning environments for all students. 

Have a wonderful academic year!

Delaware School Safety Center presents back-to-school safety tips

As Delaware students and teachers prepare to return to school, the Delaware School Safety Center (DSSC) presents a series of safety tips for families and caregivers that support personal safety and psychological well-being throughout the school year. The DSSC, part of the Delaware Emergency Management Agency, works year-round to help schools create safe, supportive learning environments, and encourages parents to review their safety routines with their children.

“Keeping students safe continues to be a top priority for parents and educators,” commented DEMA Director, A.J. Schall. “By partnering with local schools, DSSC supports proactive measures that contribute to safe learning environments.”

Consider the following important back-to-school safety tips for families:

● Open Communication – Encourage your child to share concerns about safety, peer interactions, or unusual incidents. Tools like SafeDE, developed specifically for use in district and charter schools, make it easier for students and parents to report concerns quickly and confidentially. Take time to familiarize yourself and your child with how to access and use these reporting tools. (https://de.gov/demaschoolsafety)

● Safe Routes to School – For children who walk or bike, choose and practice the safest routes, avoiding busy roads and crossing only at designated areas. Practice the route together until they feel confident traveling on their own. (www.saferoutesinfo.org)

● Personal Safety – Review personal safety practices with children, regardless of age. Avoid relying solely on the term “stranger danger,” as many unsafe situations involve someone the child already knows. Instead, provide a list of trusted adults children can turn to in an emergency. (www.missingkids.org/education/kidsmartz)

● Internet Safety – For children with internet access, discuss the importance of protecting personal information, recognizing potential online risks, and avoiding sharing sensitive details. The Delaware School Safety Center also works with schools to train staff in identifying potential online threats as part of broader prevention efforts. (www.dfinow.org)

● Emergency Contacts – Ensure children know their full name, your phone number, and at least one alternate emergency contact. Encourage memorization so they can get help even without a phone.

● Bullying Awareness – Talk to children about kindness, respect, and inclusion. Encourage them to speak up if they witness or experience bullying. Through the Delaware School Safety Center's Behavioral Threat Assessment training, schools learn to recognize signs of distress and connect students with resources before situations escalate. (https://www.centerforsafeschools.org/bullying-prevention)

● Emergency Preparedness – Schools will review emergency procedures early in the year. Reinforce these lessons at home by discussing what children should do in various scenarios, from fire drills to lockdowns. Emphasize the importance of staying calm and following directions during emergencies.

Summer enrichment programs focus on literacy, well-being

Students at one of Smyrna School District's summer camps prepare for school before the start of kindergarten. View more summer programming pics.

Students across Delaware spent the summer building essential skills through enrichment programs designed to strengthen literacy and support overall well-being. 

Many initiatives centered on evidence-based literacy instruction, health and wellness, social-emotional learning, and exposure to the arts and STEM. Some schools incorporated high-dosage tutoring – frequent, consistent sessions often one-on-one or in small groups – to accelerate student learning before the start of the school year.

Examples of programs tailored to meet local needs:

The Sussex Academy Summer Enrichment Program welcomed elementary students for weekly themed sessions throughout July. Mornings focused on academic skill-building in math, reading, and writing, while afternoons featured enrichment activities in the arts, music, science, gardening, and cooking. Weekly themes focused on circus fun, space camp and more. Special guests also attended, including jugglers and representatives from the MERR Institute, NASA's Wallops Island Flight Facility, and ILC Dover. Each Thursday, the program recognized a “Camper of the Week” to celebrate participation and achievement.

In Seaford School District, the summer programs focused on academics and family engagement. Families of pre-kindergarten students participated in shared reading activities and received tools to support literacy at home. The district also provided an Extended School Year (ESY) program for students with special education needs. Enrichment extended beyond classrooms through unique activities like a paddleboarding physical therapy session, combining mobility, strength, and outdoor learning. 

At Sussex County Vocational Technical School District, students attended Raven Academy, a program designed to help incoming ninth graders transition to high school. The program offered academic preparation, school orientation, and community-building activities, giving students confidence for the year ahead.

Programs like Brandywine School District’s multilingual learner (MLL) Summer Academy, Colonial School District’s WE Learn English, and Appoquinimink School District’s MLL program focused on helping multilingual learners build language skills while maintaining academic progress.

Additional opportunities ran in districts and charter schools across the state. As Delaware continues to prioritize educational equity and student success, these summer enrichment efforts remain a key strategy for preparing students for the upcoming academic year.

In Delaware, nearly 2,000 high school students are already engaged in work-based learning activities. CTE programs are the backbone of Delaware Pathways and the state's workforce preparation system.

Check out Justin Land, a 2016 POLYTECH High School graduate and a former SkillsUSA Delaware state champion, who now serves as the POLYTECH H.S. welding instructor. With extensive experience across multiple roles in the welding industry, Justin is dedicated to equipping the next generation of welders with the technical expertise and industry insights needed for success.

Justin’s CTE journey began in POLYTECH’s welding and fabrication program, where they gained hands-on experience. As a junior, they represented POLYTECH at SkillsUSA, earning second place in the state and securing their first job offer as a pipe apprentice at Shureline Construction. By senior year, Justin achieved first place in the state welding competition and competed nationally at SkillsUSA in Louisville, Kentucky. Following high school, Justin has held positions as a pipe welder, fabricator, heavy equipment welder, and shop foreman.

Today, Justin applies their extensive industry experience to teach the next generation of welders. Justin’s journey exemplifies how Delaware Pathways and CTE programs foster leadership, technical skills, and career readiness through real-world learning opportunities.

Read other success stories and learn more CTE's impact in Delaware: https://delawarepathways.org/annual-report/

Farm-to-school programs strengthen education, nutrition

Seaford High School’s farm-to-school program is thriving thanks to a partnership between Nutrition Services Supervisor Julie Kirby and Environmental Science teacher Matthew Cohee. Through funding from the Delaware Council on Farm and Food Policy, the pair refurbished a greenhouse and invested in a hydroponic system that now allows FFA students to grow, market, and sell fresh greens and herbs for school meals.

Students lead every step of the process – from crop planning to packaging – while integrating these experiences into classroom learning and creating a sustainable model that supports both education and nutrition.

Read more about Seaford's program at https://tinyurl.com/5ch92cze.

Delaware Department of Education I education.delaware.gov