DHS News

The Darien Public Schools and Darien Music Parents Association will host the West Point Concert Band in the Darien High School Auditorium on Thursday, April 3rd at 7:00pm. Band students in grades 5-12 will participate in the concert, playing alongside the members of the West Point Concert Band!  To reserve your free tickets, visit https://darienmpa.ludus.com/ The concert will also be live streamed on YouTube at DarienPS Live Events

On Tuesday, March 25th, DHS will follow a special schedule to facilitate the CT SCHOOL DAY SAT for all Juniors.   Juniors should arrive at the regular start time. The test will begin promptly at 7:40 am. Testing rooms will be posted on Friday afternoon, March 21st,  in the Main Entrance, the Library Entrance and the Counseling Office. 

Students in grades 9, 10 and 12 will begin their school day at 11:35 am. Because of the shorter schedule, they should eat lunch at home prior to arriving. There will be a late morning bus run to bring students to school who are not taking the SAT. The pick up times will be 4 hours later than the regular pick-up times.  DHS juniors  will be dismissed following testing and may go home on the midday bus run at approximately 11:00 am, allowing for lunch at home.

There will be no lunch period scheduled on March 25th, however, a light fare will be offered between 10:45 am and 12:45 pm for purchase in the cafe.

It is a “C day” and there will be no “minis” due to the abbreviated schedule.  

SAT Testing for all Juniors- 7:40 am -10:45 am 

Classes for grades 9, 10 and 12

Period 4 - 11:35 am - 12:11pm

Period 2 - 12:18 pm - 12:54 pm

Period 8 - 1:01pm - 1:37 pm

Period 6 - 1:44 pm - 2:20 pm

SAT information for Juniors and Parents - On Tuesday, 3/11 and Wednesday, 3/12, Mrs. Ostar will stop into Junior English classes to hold a brief Digital Readiness Check.  Please be sure Juniors bring the device they will use for the SAT test on 3/25.  If a student needs a device, iPads will be available to borrow. 

Students need to have the College Board testing app downloaded on their device.  We recommend this is completed before the Readiness Check.  To download “Bluebook™ go to  bluebook.app.collegeboard.org.  Please contact Cathy Ostar (costar@darienps.org) with any questions or concerns.

Reminder:  This is a required state test for all Juniors in CT.  Students can use their own device or an iPad will be provided.   There is no registration, and it is free to all juniors.   Students will receive a valid SAT score from College Board that can be used for college admissions, if students choose.  A Parent’s Guide: Getting Your Teen Ready for the SAT reviews the SAT or you may watch this brief informational video. Please contact Cathy Ostar or your school counselor with any questions.

 

Darien High School will offer its spring SAT review course headed by Mr. Dooley from the math department and Mr. Speiser from the English department.  The April class is appropriate for JUNIORS who will be taking the SAT on May 3rd or on June 7th .  The class is also open to SOPHOMORES who want to get a head start on next year’s SAT preparation.  This is the final SAT course of the school year.

SAT Math:  The Math course will run on four Tuesday nights from 7pm – 9pm in room B112 for a total of 8 hours of instruction.  The dates of the math class are April 1, April 8, April 22 and April 29.  The cost of the course is $225.   To register for the Math course, you can sign up through school cash online.  Any questions, please contact Patrick Dooley at pdooley@darienps.org.

SAT English:  The English/Verbal course will take place on four Wednesday nights in room B203 from 7pm – 9pm for a total of 8 hours of instruction.  The dates of the class are April 2, April 9, April 23 and April 30.   The cost for the course is $225.  To register for the English course, you can sign up through school cash online.  Any questions, please contact Alex Speiser at aspeiser@darienps.org.

 

Darien High School will be hosting the PreACT (Practice ACT) on Saturday, April 5th, for Sophomores. This is an OPTIONAL test and is not required. The PreACT will be a paper/pencil-based test with no writing section (essay). 

Registration will be open from Wednesday, March 5th through Thursday, March 27th via MySchoolBucks. The cost is $55.00 per student. If your student is unable to test due to scheduling conflicts, the ACT provides full access to an at-home practice test that can be self-scored. That, along with more information about free test prep materials, can be found here. 

For information regarding accommodations on the PreACT, click here. 

Test-Day Information: 

• Check-in will begin at 7:40 AM. Testing will begin promptly at 8:00 AM. No students will be admitted after 8:00 AM.
• Check-in will be located on the 2nd floor of the "A" Building. Drop off location will be the Library Entrance. 
• Testing Staff will provide test room locations to testers upon check-in. 

Ending Times (Approximate):

• Standard Time Testers - between 10:45 AM and 11:15 AM
• Time & One-Half Testers - between 11:45 AM and 12:15 PM

Students are required to bring the following: 

• School ID
• No. 2 Pencils (Not Mechanical)
• Calculator
• Drinks and snacks for breaks during testing (if desired)

Registered students will receive a reminder notice the week of testing with test-day details. If you have any questions, please reach out to Peter Trombley, ACT and SAT Coordinator, at ptrombley@darienps.org.

DARIEN COMMUNITY SCHOLARSHIPS  application is now available through THIS LINK.

All the information you need to apply for local scholarships is accessible through the link.

All applications must be submitted by March 22nd.

Please reach out to Mrs. Farren in the main office with any questions.

 

DARIEN JUNIOR BOOK AWARD

This award is in recognition of an outstanding junior who has an interest in education.

The winner will receive a book of presentation quality, to be presented at the annual Awards Ceremony later this spring. The recipient’s name will be engraved on a plaque to be hung in Darien High School.