Fill up that 2019 calendar: There's plenty to do in Delaware

The calendar is about to turn.

Holiday shopping, proper dinners and Santa Claus are just a memory and now we're staring at a new year. (Funny how that happens every time, eh?)

With the stress of the season melting away day by day, it's time to shift focus to 2019 — and stress-free fun.

We here at The News Journal had our news elves compile 19 arts and entertainment events, openings and anniversaries that are heading our way and worth your time.

Here's what their big ears and tiny hands came up with.

1. The Delaware State Fair turns 100: One of Delaware's largest events of the year is turning the big 1-0-0! The Harrington-based fair will host a centennial celebration throughout its run in 2019. Want a jump-start on the anniversary fun? Hit the fairgrounds Jan. 12 for the fair's centennial license plate auction at 3 p.m. Fifty-four of the special Delaware plates that bear the state fair 100th anniversary logo will be up for grabs.

2. "Hamilton" does Philly: The smash Broadway musical from Lin-Manuel Miranda heads south to Philadelphia's Forrest Theatre from Aug. 27 to Nov. 17. While the subscription packages are already sold out, the rest of the tickets have not yet gone on sale. If you don't want to throw away your shot, go to kimmelcenter.org and sign up for ticket updates to be among the first to know.

3. The Franklin Institute debuts "Marvel: Universe of Super Heroes": Kids of all sizes will like this trip to the museum. Opening April 13, this new exhibit will offer up more than 300 artifacts from Marvel Comics, including pages, costumes and props. Organizers say to expect "a fully immersive design with life-size scenes straight from the comic world," rare comics and artwork, including original art for Spider-Man’s origin story. They add: "Interactive elements including the opportunity to travel through the mysterious mirror dimension of Doctor Strange, digitally transform into Iron Man and pose for selfies alongside life-size representations of Black Panther, Spider-Man and other iconic Marvel characters."

4. The opening of Wilmington's DE.CO Food Hall: When will this happen? Your guess is as good as ours. The $3.5-million project — a collaboration between Wilmington's Buccini/Pollin Group and Seawall Development, a company that developed Baltimore’s R. House food hall — was supposed to be open by late 2018. Heck, in August they floated in a newsletter that "almost all of the stalls are full with chefs working on building their menus and kitchens, but we can't say who just yet!" Whenever it does open at the DuPont Building (10th and Orange), the 12,000-square-foot space, able to seat 250, should especially be buzzing during the downtown lunch rush. Eight different kitchens are expected, along with a bar. Officials say it certainly won't be open by spring, but chef announcements should start riolling out in the first squartyer of the year.

5. “Costuming THE CROWN”opens at Winterthur: Opening March 30 and running into early 2020, Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library will host a dream exhibition for fans of the Netflix series "The Crown." Get up close and personal with 40 costumes from the show, which snagged an Emmy Award for Claire Foy, who played Queen Elizabeth II on the program. (The show returns for a third season in 2019.) Everything from Queen Elizabeth’s coronation robe to Princess Margaret’s wedding dress will be represented.

6. The opening of U.S. 301: The new cashless toll road is expected to open Jan.1. If you don't have E-Z Pass, you'll get a bill in the mail because your license plate is scanned as you drive by. The new $636 million interstate, which runs 15 miles from Del. 1 to the Delaware/Maryland border, has four lanes. More than 14,000 vehicles are expected each day when cars start rumbling down the long-awaited roadway.

7. Opening of Wilmington's 76ers Fieldhouse: If you have been counting the days until you could finally root for the Delaware Blue Coats in their new Wilmington home, keep counting. The NBA G league team, formerly the Delaware 87ers, had hoped to christen the 76ers Fieldhouse on U.S. 13 on Jan. 4. Construction delays at the $30 million, 2,500-person arena have pushed that moment back to Jan. 23. In the meantime, the Blue Coats will play Jan. 9 and 11 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.

8. Food Bank of Delaware moves: The nonprofit agency that fights hunger in Delaware is now ready to make the leap. The Food Bank of Delaware will move its warehouse from a 42,500-square-foot facility in Ogeltown to a new 80,000-square foot home at 222 Lake Drive in Pencader Corporate Center in nearby Glasgow. They purchased the building three years ago and are currently retrofitting it. It will also house their culinary school, which will be able to double in size. Donate at fbd.org to help fill the new warehouse.

9. Delaware Art Museum's new Loper exhibit: The work of late Wilmington artist Edward Loper Sr. will sit alongside that of his son Edward Loper Jr. for a new exhibit called "The Loper Tradition." Starting March 23, their paintings will be paired for the first time, drawn from the collections of the Delaware Art Museum, other public institutions, local corporations and private individuals. The elder Loper, who died in 2011 at 95, broke racial barriers as the first African-American to have a painting accepted at what is now the Delaware Art Museum.

10. New-look Firefly Music Festival debuts with AEG as sole owner: Four years after concert giant AEG partnered with Firefly's founders Red Frog Events, AEG bought out Red Frog earlier this year and is running the show solo. Its first big move — announcing the 2019 Dover lineup — was somewhat underwhelming, with plenty of fans griping about the lineup headed by Panic! at the Disco, Travis Scott and Post Malone. (Not that whining about the lineup doesn't happen every year.) The real verdict will come June 21-23 when The Woodlands fills up and the beats start to drop.

11. The 40th anniversary of Yuletide at Winterthur: The annual holiday tour of Henry Francis du Pont’s mansion marks its fourth decade starting in November. This past year's tour included everything from an 18-room dollhouse mansion to a display of antique Santas.

12. Cupid’s Undie Run at The Queen: Get your tighty-whities ready for a good cause. You're invited to prance around Wilmington's Market Street in your underwear on Feb. 16 to raise money for The Children's Tumor Foundation, which fights the genetic disorder neurofibromatosis. Wilmington joins 39 other cities as an estimated 12,000 pantsless people will run nationwide, leaving little to the imagination. Registration costs $35 (cupids.org) to join the fun at The Queen in Wilmington.

13. Delaware Theatre Company does "Honk!: An Ugly Ducking Musical": The average age of the theatergoer at DTC will drop a bit April 17 to May 12 when this musical adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen's "The Ugly Duckling" comes to Wilmington to delight the kiddos. "Honk!," which has had more than 8,000 productions in its 25-year history, won the 2000 Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Musical.

14. A decision on the future of Dewey Beach's northbeach: It's been more than two months since we were supposed to have a decision on the waterfront club owned by Dewey Beach Lions Club. A membership vote was held in late October to determine who would run the spot in early 2020 when the current lease runs up. Why is everyone so interested? Not only is it an iconic, hard-partying bar that draws major crowds in the summer, but two of the town's biggest bar owners are gunning for the property, pitting current owners Highway One Group against the team from The Starboard. Dewey Beach Lions Club has not returned calls for an update since the October vote.

15. Sea Witch Halloween & Fiddlers' Festival turns 30: The three-day free Halloween festival that brings everyone back to the beach for boos instead of barbecues will have its 30th anniversary Oct. 25-27. Rehoboth and Dewey beaches will be filled with families for the weekend's costume parades, bonfires, broom-tossing contests, beach games and fiddlers' festival.

16. Brandywine Creek State Park unveils “social hikes”: Have you ever wanted to go for a hike and had no one to join you? Well, this is just for you. The park has a new offering called "social hikes" starting Jan. 5 at 1 p.m. The free event starts at the Nature Center where everyone gathers before heading off for an hourlong walk and conversation is encouraged. Two others are currently scheduled: Jan. 19 and Feb. 2.

17. OperaDelaware’s 2019 Festival: This year's theme is "In Opera We Trust" with a trio of legal-themed shows April 27 to May 4. First up is "Dead Man Walking," based on the book Sister Jean Prejean. Written by Jake Heggie, this is different than the film adaption but still focuses on an inmate on death row and his spiritual adviser. The second is "Scalia/Ginsburg" by composer Derrick Wang. The one-act opera delves into the friendship between Supreme Court Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the late Antonin Scalia. To round out the festival, check out Gilbert & Sullivan's courtroom comedy "Trial By Jury."

18. Middletown gets its own Two Stones Pub: That's right. The guys behind 2SP Brewing Co. — the brewery that recently made a collaborative coffee stout with Wawa — are opening their fourth brewpub in Delaware. Located in Hedgelawn Plaza off U.S. 301, owners say the taps will be flowing at the 4,766-square-foot, 200-person watering hole and restaurant by March or April. The Middletown location will join other Delaware Two Stones Pub locations in Hockessin, Brandywine Hundred and the Newark area.

19. Dover International Speedway celebrates 50 years of NASCAR: It was July 6, 1969 when NASCAR driver Richard Petty won the first NASCAR race on the Monster Mile. For 2019, the track will feature two NASCAR triple-header weekends (May 3-5 and Oct. 4-6). Every Monster Trophy in 2019 will be gold-colored as a symbol of the 50th and both weekends will feature special appearances by legendary drivers, free concerts and an expanded game-filled FanZone to help mark the occasion.

Contact Ryan Cormier of The News Journal at rcormier@delawareonline.com or (302) 324-2863. Follow him on Facebook (@ryancormier), Twitter (@ryancormier) and Instagram (@ryancormier).

More from Ryan Cormier:

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Firefly '19: Super-huge headliners? Nope. Top-tier female acts? Not at all.

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DuPont gives hotel art to 3 area museums, United Way

Betsy Price, Margie Fishman, and Jeff Mordock

The News Journal

The DuPont Co. announced Wednesday it has donated key pieces of its hotel art collection to three area museums and is giving 400 other works to United Way of Delaware to sell as a fundraiser.

The move ensures that paintings by area artists such as N.C., Andrew and Jamie Wyeth as well as Frank Schoonover and Ed Loper will remain in Delaware, on view, for generations to come.

Splitting the major paintings are the Delaware Art Museum, which took 13 pieces; the Hagley Museum and Library, which chose six; and the Brandywine River Museum of Art, which chose three.

DuPont, which began buying art for the hotel in 1937, did not disclose the collection's value and would not discuss terms of the donations. But museum spokesmen said one of the requirements was that while the art could be stored and undergo conservation treatments, it must be displayed for the public to see, not sequestered in private rooms.

Delaware Art Museum director Sam Sweet praised DuPont's sense of community responsibility, pointing out that during the past 80 years the paintings essentially have been guests at thousands of family dinners and parties at the hotel.

"So many people have personal connections to the work," Sweet said. "We were just delighted to be able to work with DuPont to make sure these pieces stay in the community and make sure they are part of people's lives. This is a great way to strengthen our collection, not just to the works and the artist, but to the individuals who have had these works as part of their family celebrations at the hotel."

“People have the availability to visit their old friends,” added Jill MacKenzie, Hagley’s director of audience engagement.

The donation follows last month's announcement that DuPont had sold its hotel business to Buccini/Pollin, a Wilmington-based developer. Under the agreement, Buccini’s Washington, D.C.-based management affiliate, PM Hotel Group, assumes control of the 217-room hotel’s operations. A price was not disclosed.

DuPont had owned and operated the 12-story Italian Renaissance building for much of its 104-year existence. “The Hotel” has been considered Wilmington’s “front door” ever since it opened in 1913. Its internationally known Green Room restaurant and stately Gold Ballroom will continue to operate, according to Buccini officials.

Separately, DuPont is exploring the sale of its 525-acre country club on Rockland Road in Rockland ahead of a proposed $130 billion merger with the Dow Chemical Co. later this year.

“DuPont is pleased to make this significant gift to the Wilmington community,” Richard C. Olson, senior vice president, DuPont Corporate Services, said in a press release. “These outstanding museums will ensure the care and conservation of important works from our collection so that the public can enjoy them for generations to come. Our gift to United Way of Delaware continues a partnership that spans more than 70 years and will help support programs that benefit more than 100,000 Delawareans each year.”

DuPont is following a different path than Wilmington Public Library, which in 2009 put a series of N.C. Wyeth's "Robinson Crusoe" paintings on sale to help fund a restoration and renovation. The paintings eventually sold for about half of what the library hoped they would bring.

Key among the Hotel du Pont art pieces is "Island Funeral," painted by N.C. Wyeth using blue-green pigments created by DuPont Co. It hung on the wall in the Brandywine Room at the hotel. It will go to the Brandywine River Museum of Art. The museum also will receive Andrew Wyeth's "Master of the Fox Hounds" and Jamie Wyeth's "White House."

Hagley, which specializes in collecting business records and functions as the DuPont archive, chose first among the works, selecting pieces of historical importance to the company and the area. The site of the gunpowder works founded by E.I. du Pont in 1802, Hagley picked “Eleutherian Mills” and “Brandywine Village” by Andrew Wyeth, “Brandywine Valley Industries Hagley Yards” by Bayard Taylor Berndt, “The Brandywine” by Frank Jefferies, “Rockland Houses” by Charles Colombo and “Three Brothers, Three Presidents: Pierre du Pont, Irenee du Pont and Lammot du Pont” by an unknown artist.

The Delaware Art Museum will get Andrew Wyeth's "The Big Chimney," among others including Andrew Wyeth’s “New Castle Ferry,” “Buttonwood Tree” and “The Crystal Lamp”; N.C. Wyeth’s “'Stand away from that girl!’ repeated de Spain harshly, backing the words with a step forward”; Carolyn Wyeth’s “Wild Tiger Lily”; Harvey T. Dunn’s “When the Whaling Fleet Cleared for the Caribes”; John Koch's “Garden at Wilmington”; John W. McCoy’s “Small Craft Storm Warning (Electrical Tower on a Hill)”; Frank Earle Schoonover’s “October Comes”; “Edward Loper Sr.’s “Elfreth’s Alley”; Ann Wyeth McCoy’s “The Overhang”; and Helen Coolidge Woodring's “The White Unicorn.”

The 400 paintings donated to the United Way of Delaware come from the hotel collection, the Chemours building and other properties. Those works are expected to be sold for fixed prices at an event in late April or early May. The first hours of the sale will be open exclusively to DuPont and Chemours employees, before the general public is invited in, said Michelle Taylor, United Way's president and chief executive officer.

The United Way, which has never before received an art donation of this magnitude, is still working to appraise individual pieces, valued at a couple hundred dollars to more than $1,000 apiece, Taylor said. Some of the most expensive pieces, which Taylor did not immediately identify, could be auctioned online if they don't sell locally. The United Way hopes to raise $100,000 from the sale, Taylor said, with proceeds benefiting elementary school reading programs.

One of the most famous and visible pieces of art, a Howard Pyle painting of a powder wagon and DuPont gunpowder called "Conestoga Powder Wagon" that hung in the hotel lobby, was not offered to the museums and will be taken to DuPont headquarters because of its historical connection, museum directors said.

Artist Jamie Wyeth on Wednesday praised DuPont for keeping the works that represent the Brandywine School tradition in the area. Wyeth said the company never approached him about taking some of the paintings. But he was most excited that N.C. Wyeth’s “Island Funeral,” depicting his beloved Maine seascape, would join the Brandywine River Museum of Art’s core collection.

“This is wonderful,” Wyeth said. “I thought they’d go on the auction block."

“My only sadness is that I always enjoyed going to the Brandywine Room and looking at the paintings," he said. A collection by three generations of the Wyeth family previously was displayed in the Brandywine & Christina rooms.

By donating the paintings, DuPont will save millions of dollars in taxes. A donation spares the company from paying corporate income tax on a sale's proceeds and also provides DuPont with deductible donations to charity. DuPont, a $66 billion company, would have had a sale taxed at the United States' top corporate tax rate of 35 percent. Because the paintings don't generate any income for DuPont, donating the collection was a smart move, according to Jordon Rosen, a Wilmington accountant who specializes in business taxes at Belfint Lyons & Shuman.

"Basically, they are saving on the capital gains tax, and they are getting fair market value for their deduction," Rosen said.

Because the United Way and the museums are tax-exempt organizations, they don't have to worry about taxes on sales, either.

"It's win-win for the organizations," Rosen said.

DuPont officials declined to comment on the size of the current hotel collection, but it was large enough for a special exhibit at the Delaware Museum of Art in 1981.

Washington-based historian and museum consultant Redmond Barnett said hotels are not as well known for art collections as are banks. Corporations such as Deutsche Bank and UBS have amassed tens of thousands of artworks. Locally, Bank of America, Wilmington Trust Co. and Christiana Health System all have used fine art to grace their lobbies, office corridors and executive suites.

When WSFS Bank sold its downtown Wilmington building, for instance, the bank in 2007 donated a massive mural by N.C. Wyeth, "Apotheosis of the Family," to the Delaware Historical Society.

DuPont epitomized corporate support of arts and culture for a century until the company's contraction in the 1990s. Today, many of Delaware's arts organizations, including the Delaware Art Museum, the Playhouse and the Delaware Symphony Orchestra, credit their success to DuPont family members' ardent support.

The latest round of DuPont donations still came as a big surprise to the museums, directors said.

They were first approached in February, said Thomas Padon, executive director of the Brandywine River Museum of Art.

Hagley made its selections based on the historical significance of the paintings’ subject matter and their ties to DuPont corporate history, MacKenzie said.

“Those six are really six gems for Hagley," she said. "They give such a wonderful window into what this area was like.”

The works will be evaluated by Hagley conservators later this month. Then, they may be put on display as a group on the second floor of Hagley’s Visitor Center, MacKenzie said.

After Hagley made its choices, the Brandywine River Museum and Delaware Art Museum worked together to look through 65 possible choices, Padon and Sweet said.

They found the process easy. Each wanted pieces that extended the collection of their artists or filled gaps in those collections.

Padon wanted "Island Funeral," for example, because of the time period it was painted by N.C. Wyeth, because it was painted in his studio now on museum property and because of its story about its connections to the chemistry of the DuPont Co.

N.C. painted the work at a time when he was taking fewer illustration commissions and working more on fine art.

"I think it’s certainly the masterpiece of N.C.’s later period in his career," Padon said. "It's stunning." With this acquisition, the museum now has about five of the late Maine works, Padon said.

Jamie Wyeth also noted that the donations would help the Delaware Art Museum rebound from one of its most tumultuous periods. In 2014, the Delaware museum board approved selling four seminal works of art to retire the museum’s $19.8 million debt. The move resulted in sanctions from national museum groups, compromising the Delaware museum’s ability to receive loaned works from other institutions.

Sweet is currently working with the American Alliance of Museums and the Association of Art Museum Directors for reaccreditation and to lift the sanctions, a Delaware Art Museum spokeswoman said.

Sweet said DuPont's donation honors the museum's role in the community and recognizes that it can "steer these works into the future for the community and care for them and keep them here."

Sometimes, the works will bring the museum double benefits. The Delaware Art Museum took Loper’s “Elfreth’s Alley." Loper was a prominent African-American artist. His work will hang near Andrew Wyeth's painting of the same street scene, Sweet said.

Contact Betsy Price at (302) 324-2884 or beprice@delawareonline.com. Contact Margie Fishman at (302) 324-2882 or mfishman@delawareonline.com. Contact Jeff Mordock at (302) 324-2786 or jmordock@delawareonline.com.

High School Report Nov. 26

Appo

Appoquinimink

Appoquinimink High School student Casey Wolhar was highlighted by the Boys and Girls Club for her contributions through her senior project. Wolhar created a fundraiser to support the Boys and Girls Club's Pegasus Artworks Program by making and selling decorative holiday bottles. She set a goal of $2,000 and has already raised $1,400 toward that goal. To order a bottle or for more information, please contact Renee Wolhar at rwolhar@verizon.net.

The school’s Cheer Team has been honored by the Christiana Health System for their contribution to the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute. The varsity and junior varsity cheer squads worked together to sell pink breast-cancer awareness T-shirts. Led by Head Coach Brooke Martin, the team sold nearly 300 shirts and were able to donate $1,000.

Brandywine

Brandywine

High school seniors continue to work with counsellors to get college applications in.

Students, their family and friends are invited to attend a High School Career Seminar hosted by the Philadelphia Flyers Dec. 8. Those who attend will get the chance to meet with guest speakers to talk about what it's like to work with such a popular sports organization. Contact Asher Halbert at asher_halbert@comcastspectacor.com for more information.

– Shannon Donovan

Mount Pleasant

Mount Pleasant High School senior Kate Walker signed a letter of intent to play field hockey at the University of Michigan beginning next fall. She was joined by family, friends, teammates and Mount Pleasant and Brandywine School District staff for the signing in the school library Nov. 16.

Math League's first meet was successful, with the group tying for second place at Archmere Academy. Their second meet is Dec. 1 at Brandywine High School.

91.7 WMPH broadcasted Mount Pleasant's home football games on both the radio and online at www.wmph.net this past season, concluding with Mount's Nov. 7 win over Howard High School of Technology. Play-by-play and color commentary was provided by senior Quincy Vaughn and sophomore Jakayla Allen. WMPH plans to air a basketball game in the future, and possibly baseball games in the spring.

–Hannah Gray

Christina

Christiana

On Nov. 14, the Christiana High School Marching Band performed its best show of the season, receiving an overall rating of superior at the New Castle County Band Festival. It is the highest rating given, and this was the sixth year in a row that the CHS’s Marching Band received a superior rating. A crowd of 1,000 spectators cheered during the entire show.

The school will use a $15,000 grant and a $19,800 grant from the Delaware Department of Education's Office of Career and Technical Education (CTE) to develop a three-year computer science pathway and a three-year engineering pathway starting in the fall of 2016. The program prepares students for further education and careers in engineering and engineering technology.

Glasgow

The Glasgow Wrestling Team will hold a fundraising night at Friendly's Restaurant in People's Plaza Dec. 1 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. No flyer is needed, and all purchases, even take out orders, will help support the team.

The Glasgow High School Swim Team will host its Annual Winter Craft Fair Dec. 12, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Vendor space is available. Contact Dave Kohan at (302) 631-5600 Ext. 15421 or c/o Glasgow High School 1901 S. College Avenue, Newark, DE 19702, david.kohan@christina.k12.de.us, 302-631-5600 Ext. 15421.

The Glasgow Cares Initiative helped raise awareness about breast cancer Nov. 20 during the annual Staff versus Student "Pink Out" Basketball game. The money raised was donated to the American Cancer Society.

Megan Sellers, a senior at Glasgow High School, has been elected Delaware Career Association state treasurer. As a member of the ;eadership Team, Sellers has been invited to attend the National Student Leadership Academy hosted by Jobs for America's Graduates in Washington, D.C., from Dec. 3-6.

Congratulations to seniors Edgar Mena, Mark Harris, Donte Williams, Jai'nova Maple, Jahmar Wolford, William Ricks and Dominic McDonald, who played their last football game for the Dragons Nov. 14.

In varsity volleyball, the team finished 3-12. Congratulations to seniors Ashley Brogan, Rebekah Ahlstrom, Sha'Quell Brown, Celeya Byrd, Margaret Rowles, Stephanie Turk and Shuma Medley.

In field hockey, the team recognized seniors Edna Adejuwon, Jasmine Barcus, Farida Mohammed, Riley Rhodes and Jillian Rupp.

In varsity soccer, the team finished the season 6-9, and the team finished in 2nd place in the conference. It included seniors Utife Affia, Michael Murphy, Daniel Gonzalez, Charles Ndikum, Angel Martinez-Tlaseca, Tanner Fonjweng, Jesus Ayala-Pena and Hector Flores.

The men’s and women’s cross country runners finished 2nd in their conference with seniors Paris Taylor, Desire Singleton, Braulio Florentino, Simeon Dailey, Jawarr Grant and Darius Blalock.

The cheerleading team had a great season showing sportsmanship and amazing spirit with seniors Rachel Bolden, Jasmine Foster, Dyamond Holmes, Myasia Killian, Siani Martin, Anya McKenzie, Schalece Newell, Nyla Richardson, Desire Singleton and Unique Snow.

The school’s marching band also had a great season, placing in the top three in several competitions this season. They are saying good-bye to seniors Amethyst Lee, Caitlin Wilson, Carlos Grau, Hannah Walters, Madison Smith, Mileny Almodovar, Matthew Styles, Michael Leonard, Nick Al-Choklachy and Ryan Lester.

Newark

Newark High School held its annual Orchestra Concert Thursday.

The men's lacrosse team held a fundraiser on Nov. 20 at Claymont Steak House.

On Saturday, the Newark men's basketball team and the Newark Fellowship of Christian Athletes hosted a free one-hour basketball clinic called "Hoops for Hunger." After the session, the FCA provided families that signed up with a complete Thanksgiving dinner.

The school will use a $15,000 grant from the Delaware Department of Education's Office of Career and Technical Education (CTE) of to develop new computer science courses.

Red Clay

Cab Calloway

Ji Seong-Ho, a refugee from North Korea, spoke to Cab Calloway students about his 6,000 mile journey out of North Korea. The presentation, which took place Nov. 12, was part of an effort to highlight the human rights issues in the communist country. The visit was organized by Brian DiSabatino.

– Meredith Lindsey

Charter

The Jefferson Council collected canned goods and turkeys for the annual turkey drive, benefiting low-income Delawareans, mainly senior citizens and families.

The school’s annual Quidditch event was Friday. Quidditch is a sport in the Harry Potter books. All proceeds benefited the Save The Children Foundation, an organization that provides children around the world with "a healthy start, the opportunity to learn, and protection from harm."

– Vilas Annavarapu

Conrad

Nearly two dozen Conrad students were appointed to All-Conference Athletes: first team, Dara Spavlik; field hockey, Sarah Bessel; field hockey, Wynnsome Gadson; field hockey, Katie Dick; field hockey, Lindsay Burg; volleyball, Heather McClure; cross country, Lee-MaximChance; second team, Sarai Flores; field hockey, Breanne Owens; field hockey, Anna Fleetwood; field hockey, Alyssa Faville; volleyball, Johan Silvestre; soccer, Troy Ellis; soccer, Dean Marsh; honorable mentions include Cesar Hernandez; soccer, Nathan Marsh; soccer, Amiya Rattley; volleyball, Aspen Morehead; volleyball, Felicia Mayers; field hockey, Jessica Mah.

The school recently held its annual High School Choice Open House and it was a rousing success.

On Nov. 13, Conrad nursing technology students went on a field trip with teacher Heather Groseclose to Bear to study fingerprinting and DNA analysis used on criminals to solve crimes and murders. They were also fingerprinted themselves to experience first-hand how the process works. The trip was part of their preparation for clinicals due to begin Dec. 7.

– Cole McLaughlin

Dickinson

The fall play, “Where There's a Will There's a Murder,” was performed last weekend in the school auditorium. The murder mystery, starring sophomore Sofia Rose as the female lead, and junior Erik Xaxni in the male lead, was directed by drama teacher Katie Gee.

Junior International Baccalaureate student Arlene Opio and performing arts teacher Matt Jufer are sponsoring the school's Holiday Snowcase Dec. 9 at 7 p.m. in the auditorium. Donations of new and unused toys or a $5 donation will be collected for Toys for Tots. Auditions are Tuesday after school in the chorus room. See Opio or Jufer for details or to sign up to audition.

Toys will also be collected in the office for a holiday toy drive from now until Friday, Dec. 11. Toys should be new and unwrapped and can be dropped off in the main office. All proceeds will go to Kind to Kids. See senior Nazia Chowdhury for details.

Charter

Newark Charter

This year's Global Contexts for Leadership classes have been very busy. With multiple fundraising events, they raised a sizable amount of money at the Newark Charter School Homecoming Weekend Tailgate. Sophomores are raising money to get a former child-soldier to speak, while the junior class is working on their capstone projects. GCL is centered around service and learning. They are already planning exciting events such as a Disaster Preparedness Night, led by Jon Hyson; a pet adoption day, organized by Zoe McFadden; and a Genocide Awareness Night, coordinated by Luci Ostheimer, Sam Roberts and Megan McCormick.

The annual school auction was held Nov. 14, a huge fundraising opportunity for the school, made possible by donations from school families and staff.

– Makenna Higgins

Private

Archmere

Following a 3-0 victory over Charter, the Archmere volleyball team was headed to the semifinals of the DIAA State Tournament Nov. 12, with a game at St. Mark's versus Padua. Zoe Akoto led the Auks with 12 kills and 7 digs. But it was a balanced effort from the entire front row as Archmere posted a total of 39 kills. Archmere's momentum continued into the next two sets as they held the Force at a distance to take the night in a three-set sweep

– Kylie Lavelle and Frances Buckley

Caravel

Caravel Academy's Relay for Life organization got off to an awesome start this year with its Fall Festival. The haunted hallway was the most popular attraction. The costume contest saw many great entries but ultimately selected two winners: an adorable scarecrow and a beautiful gypsy. The festival raised hundreds of dollars, which RFL will put toward its donation to the American Cancer Society later this school year. The organization’s other efforts have included bake sales, concession stands and the sale of "ghost grams" around Halloween. The main event will be May 13.

– Cady Vasaturo

Salesianum

Salesianum began Spirit Week with a wide range of events from house competitions featuring games like a life-size Hungry Hungry Hippos and Big Ball, a giant seven foot soccer ball. The homecoming dance ended the week with 1,100 students dancing to the beats of DJ Z under the big tent. With the Paris attacks happening just a few hours before the dance, students observed a moment of silence to pray for peace and healing. Salesianum student council member James Blackwell made a guest appearance on the DJ table to rap one of his infamous verses to make the crowd go wild.

On Nov. 17 Salesianum hosted a Breakfast Series conference called “The Pope, The Church and the World” with guest lecturer Msgr. Kevin W. Irwin from Catholic University of America. Irwin talked about the Pope's stances on marriage, climate and Catholic education. Regarding said the Catholic Education system is key to the Catholic identity and integrity that it upholds.

– Kevin Brown

Sanford

Three senior scholar-athletes signed their National Letters of Intent last week in the Irene S. duPont Library. Center-midfielder and captain of the field hockey team Carter Ayars will play field hockey at the University of Louisville. Mikey Dixon will attend Quinnipiac University in the fall as a member of the men's basketball team. Taylor Sparks-Faulkner signed to play basketball at Florida Southern College.

The Service Club's canned food drive was to end Tuesday and the donations would be delivered to the Food Bank of Delaware to help with their "Thanksgiving for All" program, which delivers meal boxes 2,500 families throughout the state.

Rehearsals began last week for the musical "Mame." Set during World War II, this musical focuses on the extravagant life of Mame Dennis as played by senior Jordan McMillan. The show will be performed Feb. 11-14 in the newly renovated Geipel Center.

The B+ Dodgeball Tournament sponsored earlier this month by the junior class officers raised more than $700 for the B+ Foundation.

– Kimmie Riorden

St. Elizabeth

St. Elizabeth High School junior Kailee Crozier was named Student of the Week for Nov. 16 for mastering a monologue for the Cedar Street Players' presentation of “All I Really Needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten” in just one week. Crozier owned the stage with just a mirror and her interpretation of life.

The Maroon & Gold Athlete for the week of Nov. 16 is a visible and valuable presence on campus with a talent for technology and solving complex problems, junior Declan Kennard. A consistent honor roll student and new member of National Honor Society, he demonstrates character, scholarship, leadership and service. He served as a technical assistant for the fall show and was part of the Code for Good team at JP Morgan Chase. He also was a member of the cross country team, exhibiting the Benedictine balance of work and study.

On Nov. 19, 32 students were inducted into the National Honor Society: seniors Elisa Hackendorn and Joshua O'Donnell and juniors Jake Barks, Maya Blackwell, Mason Bondrowski, Peter Brush, Alexa Cruz, Hedi Cui, Abigayle Gant, David Hazelton, Johnathan Hendricks, Alfred Holliday, Brandon Holly, Madeline Hornung, Declan Kennard, Kevin Marchioni, Andrew Mazalewski, Megan McLaughlin, Robert Miller, Jack Newswanger, Madelynn Norris, Juliana Owens, Joseph Pritchard, Alyssa San Diego, Madison Schulz, Luna Sheng, Thomas Shield, Kellen Sweeney, Angelo Tuono, Sophia Vivolo, Maria Whiting and Emma Yerger. They joined current NHS members Marc Brown (president), Anjenee Cannon, Christopher Carver, Stephanie Charney, Dylan Gerstley (vice president), Alex Hantman, Ashley Kleinhomer, Nathaniel Kohl, Doreen Liu, Brian Marchioni, Jillian McAndrew (secretary), Nicholas Moffitt, John Paul Moryc (treasurer), Rafael Parra, Masoom Patel, Mitali Patel, Daniel Patterson, Michael Ricci, Bridget Rizzo, Aika San Diego, Matthew Spychalski, Tiara Tanzilli, Leighton Trimarco and Jeannette Veasey, all of whom are seniors.

Seniors Christopher Carver and Alex Hantman participated in the DIAA senior all-star soccer game Nov. 20.

Sophomore T'Kel Brown has been selected to participate in the annual Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership (HOBY) Seminar that will take place at Wesley College in June 2016. Sophomore Ya-Kyra Smith-Hines was selected as an alternate. The HOBY Leadership Seminars are designed for high school sophomores to recognize and hone their leadership talents and abilities.

St. Elizabeth's Academic Bowl team is off to an undefeated start. Seniors Marc Brown and John Paul Moryc and junior Johnathan Hendricks have captained the team in its 2-0 start, defeating Padua and Ursuline academies. Senior Brian Marchioni answered the final question against Padua to win the match, prompting coach and teacher Patrick Jordan to praise Marchioni's "walk-off" heroics.

– Dylan Gerstley

St. Mark's

Saint Mark's High School Theater Department presented “The Game's Afoot or Holmes for the Holidays” by Ken Ludwig last weekend.

On Nov. 12, Saint Mark's National Honor Society held one of its two biannual blood drives in the gym. More than 65 donors were scheduled and 50 members of the honor society worked it.

The girls’ cross country team ended their season with a fifth lace finish at the DIAA state meet on Saturday. Senior Analise Kaminski concluded her Saint Mark's career with a 4th place finish in a season-best 19:15. She now holds both the No. 1 and No. 2 fastest times at Killen's Pond in school history. Kaminski led Saint Mark's in all 42 races during her running career, a first for the school. Sophomore Lauren Augustynowicz led a team of senior Brenna Marzano, sophomore Cameron Johnson and freshman Kacey Tramont, who all finished in the top 10. Junior Ally Walls and sophomore Ana Dacey also competed well.

The senior Mathletes crushed their opponents Nov. 3, scoring 28 points to the closest team's 16. The team was led by Tony Chutong and Nathaniel Spagnolo who scored perfect 6's. Ben Daghir, Zach Hopkins and Mike Hanling also performed well. Opposing teams were Newark Charter, Newark, Glasgow and Hodgson high schools. The next meet is Dec. 1 at Newark Charter.

More than 160 students earned first and second academic honors for the first quarter of the school year.

Tall Oaks

On Nov. 7, Tall Oaks' debate team traveled to Virginia to participate in a tournament at Summit Christian Academy. Juniors Megan McGraw and Calvin Pozsonyi placed second in the varsity division, sophomore Josita Marshall and a student from New Covenant Christian Academy were undefeated and placed first in the junior varsity division, and sophomores Luke Sherman and Brandan Leauby placed third in the junior varsity division.

Tall Oaks' annual Harvest Dinner was held on Nov. 9 for donors to the school. Donors were treated to a four-course dinner and presentations from administration, current parents and alumni. High school students served as greeters, kitchen helpers and servers during the event and ended the evening by singing the Doxology and Psalm 119X.

Tall Oaks' Fall Sports Awards night was Nov. 13. Fall athletes were recognized and honors were awarded. For junior varsity volleyball, junior Jordan Hunt received the Leadership Award, and freshman Alexee Gray was named Best All-Around Player. For varsity volleyball, sophomore Talitha Issavi received the Barnabas Award for her encouragement of the team throughout the season, sophomore Naomi Mengel was named Most Improved Player, and sophomore Josita Marshall was named Best All-Around Player. For cross country, sophomore Jessie Silver was named Top Female Runner, junior Ben Schneider was named Top Male Runner, and freshman Josh Deitrich received the Coach's Award.

Tall Oaks eighth-grader Sam McGarvey will play the White King in the Carousel Performing Arts Center musical production of “Alice in Wonderland.” The performances will be held at the Willowdale Chapel in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, in January.

– Naomi Mengel

Tatnall

Three seniors have committed to become college student-athletes. David Crossland '16 and Elena Hurd '16 both recently signed a National Letter of Intent. In the fall, Crossland will swim at Auburn University while Hurd will compete as an equestrian at Texas Christian University. Additionally, Scott Battaglia '16 will continue his tennis career at St. Joseph's University in the fall. !

On Nov. 14, the Tatnall Cross Country team competed in the Delaware Division II State Championships, sweeping the Division II and solo titles. The 2015 Division II team championship was the 12th consecutive state cross country title for the Tatnall girls and the boys' 10th cross country state title in the past 12 years. During the race, Joey Garrett '16 won his first individual state title, covering the 5k course in 16.05. Keelin Hays '19 also claimed her first individual state championship title in 17.57, a time matched by only one other female runner in the later Division I race.

During the state championship day, each member of the team and all Tatnall parents wore a circular sticker over their left chest with the letter “E” to remind them they were running for Steve, Teresa, Sean and Ryan Esmond, who were poisoned on vacation. The Tatnall team wanted the Esmonds to know that they are not forgotten and the effort they put into winning the championship was in their honor and with their hopes of continued improvement.

Recently, Tatnall alums Katie Kobasa '12 and Christina Zeszut '12 met with Tatnall students who were visiting the University of Delaware's Biomedical Engineering Club. During the visit, Kobasa and Zeszut spoke with the students about biomedical engineering applications, careers and projects. The students also had the opportunity to participate in an EKG reading using an EKG circuit board created at The University of Delaware.

Tome

Basketball tryouts for the girls' and boys' varsity and JV teams were held Nov. 9-10, with practices starting soon after.

The annual Fall Sports Awards were held Nov. 13 following a spaghetti dinner fundraiser cooked and served by the students going on the Promise in Sight mission trip to Nicaragua in January. These students include seniors Frank Donley, Gabby Szymanski,Olivia Palmeri,Max Pierce,Joe Llewellyn, and Sydney Tristani, as well as juniors Nick Hughes, Alli Martinie,Alex Williams and Hannah Miller. Recent Tome graduates Scott and Mark Blumberg will also be returning to help on the trip. Students are also raising funds for the trip through the sale of $1 cider donuts from Milburn Orchards every Wednesday morning in the cafeteria.

The Upper School Student Council has also been busy planning the annual high school field trip. So far, the ski trip is in the lead, with Hershey Park a close second and the Washington, D.C., trip to the National Zoo and downtown area not far behind.

Holly Ball, a holiday volleyball tournament between the high school homerooms, will take place Dec. 17 during seventh period in the gym; freshmen are to dress as reindeer, sophomores as snowmen, juniors as elves, and seniors as Santas.

– Gabriela Rivero

Tower Hill

Tower Hill is adding a squash team to the list of athletic opportunities for students. Tryouts were last week, and the best players were selected by Ed Chilton and Ray Chan-a-Su, two highly skilled local pros. The team is still in the process of creating a schedule, and questions should go to Director of Athletics Jack Holloway.

On Friday, the first Thanksgiving Town Meeting was held from 11:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. The entire school community gathered to celebrate gratitude, and prepare for Thanksgiving break.

The Blue-Gold Fashion Show and International Dinner will be Dec. 5. The International Dinner, which features cuisine from multiple cultures, will be held at 6:30 p.m. in the dining hall. The Blue-Gold Fashion Show will be held at 7:30 p.m. in the Pierre. S. Dupont Theatre. Proceeds will benefit Delaware Foundation for Reaching Citizens with Intellectual disABILITIES, an organization committed to raising funds and awareness to support programs that improve the lives of Delaware citizens with intellectual disabilities.

Nov. 13 and Nov. 14 was an exciting weekend for Tower Hill athletics. The football team upset Wilmington Friends, winning the Delaware Independent School Conference Championship. The next day, field hockey, soccer and cross country all had exciting contests. Field hockey defeated Polytech, soccer beat Carave, and cross country competed in the DIAA Championships, in which sophomore Hudson Pepper placed fifth.

– Jade Olurin

Ursuline

The sophomore theology class created children's books about biblical parables and read them to the first and second grade students. After that, the students worked on Thanksgiving crafts together.

Kailyn Kampert '16 was named one of eight state finalists for the Wendy's High School Heisman Award. She was chosen based on her outstanding athletic and academic performances and achievements throughout high school.

Alyssa Irons '16 earned an athletic scholarship to Southern Connecticut State University. She was awarded more than $136,000 over four years of study.

This week, Bella Tuo '17 was able to share her artwork at National Portfolio Day. Admissions personnel from schools including Parsons, Pratt and the Union School of Art were available to give her feedback.

On Nov. 14, Ursuline's cross-country team placed seventh in Division II at the DIAA State Championship Meet.

On Nov. 16, the volleyball team defeated Padua in the DIAA State Volleyball consolation game at the Bob Carpenter Center.

The field hockey team finished their season with a 10-5-1 record and was seeded 13th in the DIAA State Tournament.

– Lauren DePiero

Wilmington Christian

Headmaster Bill Stevens was to be the speaker for the the school’s Thanksgiving Chapel Wednesday. Many school alumni attended. There also was a Parking Lot dedication ceremony.

Dec. 1 brings the High School Poetry Out Loud Competition from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. The winner of the competition will represent the school in the state competition in February.

Also on Dec. 1, the High School Math League will participate in their second meet.

Dec 2 is another WCS Welcome Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Collections for WCS' annual Christmas Food Drive have begun. Tables are set up in the school lobby for canned and boxed goods donations. Donations from the community are welcome.

– Robin Foster

Wilmington Friends

The annual Model Organization of American States (MOAS) trip starts Wednesday and goes until Dec. 4. Twenty-four Wilmington Friends students will be traveling to Washington, D.C., to learn about politics in the American hemisphere while representing Haiti and Uruguay. Head Delegate of the Haitian delegation is senior Jodi Lessner. Head Delegate of the Uruguay delegation is junior Andrew Jaworski. Clerks are seniors Nolan Delaney and Emilio Ergueta. Serving in leadership roles are senior Joslyn Gardner, vice president, and junior Simone Veale, vice chair of the First Committee.

At the WFS Geography Championship Nov. 11, Maggie Coons defended her middle school title from last year by taking the championship as a freshman.

On Monday, the college guidance office will host its annual "Kick Off for College" program. The event is required for juniors, with interested parents and guardians also encouraged to attend.

The Home and School Association's Gifts and Greens Sale will be Dec. 3. The sale will include candles and flowering plants, as well as school items and spirit wear.

– Jodi Lessner