Wildcat Weekly

March 31, 2019

Exciting Happenings

Save the Date: April 22 - Volunteer Appreciation Dinner

It’s that time of year again. Time to thank Deer Park’s fun, hard-working, and dedicated volunteers for making Deer Park Schools a part of their life! Come join us on Monday, April 22 at the Deer Park Jr./Sr. High School for dinner catered by Italianette, some good conversation, and a preview of Parkers 2019, which is scheduled for April 26-27. All volunteers are welcome, so help us spread the news! Monday, April 22, 2019 5:30 PM Deer Park Jr. /Sr. HS Cafeteria

DPHS Seeking Donations for After Prom - May 5, 2019

We are looking forward to the first After Prom at DPHS in many years. The Coalition Advocating Teen Success (C.A.T.S.) have been working hard on the plans and now we just need some help from you in order to make this night a safe a fun event for our students. Prom will take place on 5/4 from 7-11pm, followed by After Prom at Adrenaline (Mason, OH) from 12am-4am. If you are interested in helping out, please sign up using the link below. Donations include: Small Cases of Water Baked Goods Basket for Raffle Raffle Items Snack Items Monetary Donations All items can be dropped off at the High School on 5/3 before 3pm or on 5/4 at Adrenaline between 11pm-midnight. Contact Dr. Orso at orso.s@dpccsd.org with any questions. SIGN UP HERE

Hailey Fisk Named Honorable Mention in Mount St. Joseph Annual Writing Contest

Deer Park Jr./Sr. High School sophomore, Hailey Fisk, was honored Wednesday night at the Mount St. Joseph University’s 23rd Annual Writing contest, finishing in the top 3 of the Poetry category out of 60 entries from high school students across the Greater Cincinnati area. The 60 entries in the poetry category were the most in the contest’s 23-year history. Hailey was rewarded with a $50 prize for her honorable mention finish. On March 20th, Fisk appeared at Mount St. Joseph University to accept her award and to read her poem among all of the award recipients. Contestants were all sophomores and entries had to be submitted through their high school English teacher. Mrs. Suzy Beck, 10th grade English teacher at Deer Park Jr./Sr. High School, submitted Hailey’s poem. Fisk was one of six Deer Park students to submit original works in one of three categories, including poetry, fiction and personal essay. Earlier this year, Hailey organized a bake sale to raise money for a local Deer Park family who has been facing some very difficult times. Hailey said she plans to donate her winnings from the writing contest to the same cause. Congratulations to Hailey on this tremendous accomplishment and THANK YOU for representing Deer Park in so many positive ways! You can read Hailey’s winning poem below. The Outlook Optimism is kind. Never glass-half-empty for him. His crimson locks do no justice to his golden smile, But does crowning truth to his charming eyes. His eyes, the hue on the spectrum of the horizon where the meadow brushes against the skyline. His voice soft as velvety honey, and absent of all  hatred. He dreams of a world where love and peace are prominent. He will never be fearful of what is yet to come, nor worry what has already happened. He is a beam of light on the darkest days and the roots grown from the most tenacious of trees. He is rosy and bubbly and never has he hurt a soul, For it is never glass-half-empty, always glass-half-full.

Adult Substance Misuse/Abuse Coalition

DP parent Beth Carpenter and school counselor Jason Spelic held a practice parent meeting with other adults willing and interested in hosting their own gathering.  These meetings would help spread the word to other parents re: methods to keep children from making dangerous choices. If you are interested in hosting your own meeting, or in attending a future one, please contact Beth at 509-3644 or Jason at 891-0010.  Thank you to our caring parents!

Youth Mental Health First Aid Training Available at No Cost to You!

2019-2020 School Calendar

On Tuesday, February 19, the Deer Park Board of Education approved the 2019-20 Deer Park Community City School District calendar. Please see below for the official calendar or click the link provided. As always, please let the Board Office know if you have any questions or concerns.

To view the PDF, click here.

From the Office of 

College and Career Readiness

Need to Know By Grade Level

Seniors:  
Seniors are in the process of getting ready for graduation.  Information regarding the number of tickets that each student will receive will be available in April.  

We have extremely limited availability to accommodate requests regarding seating. However, if you know of a family member that due to a medical necessity will have specific seating needs during graduation, please notify Ms. Madden (madden.c@dpccsd.org).  Requests will be made based on a first come, first serve basis.

*Please note that we may not be able to accommodate all requests.

The Deer Park Business Association is offering a $500.00 scholarship opportunity for interested students.  Applications have been e-mailed out by Ms. Madden and are available in hard copy in Mr. Hubbard’s room. Applications are due to the Deer Park Business Association no later than April 8th at 8:00am.

There is a scholarship opportunity available for any student interested in attending the University of Cincinnati next year.  Scholarship applications have been e-mailed out by Ms. Madden and are available in hard copy in Mr. Hubbard’s room. Applications are due to the counseling office by April 18th at 8:00am

Freshmen:  

We are moving to the final quarter of the year and 4th quarter grades are very important.  They can determine eligibility for fall sports, as well as summer school requirements and/or needing to take a  core class again next year. Please contact your student’s teachers if you have concerns about your student’s grades.

Jr High:

A  reminder that applications for first year foreign language will be due soon!  Also, March is mindfulness month! The ELT classes have been offered the challenge to complete the most mindfulness activities during this month.  Donuts are on the line!

State Testing Coming in April

As you are probably aware, spring End of Course exams and state assessments will begin on April 16th and conclude on May 3rd.  These assessments are reflected on every school district’s report card and can bring a sense of great pride when students perform well. As a result, you will be hearing about review sessions, incentive plans, and other activities to encourage students to fully prepare for these assessments and to work their hardest come testing day.  In case you are not familiar, students will be assessed in the following classes and grade levels:

Junior High - State Assessments

7th Grade - English/Language Arts & Math
8th Grade - English/Language Arts, Math, & Science

High School - End of Course Exams

English 9
English 10
Algebra I
Geometry
Biology
American History
Government

We wanted to take a moment to share some important information regarding these assessments.

• These tests accomplish many tasks.  First, it allows a school to evaluate how well the students are reaching the standards set by the Ohio Board of Education.  Second, it allows schools to identify areas of strengths, as well as areas of need re: curriculum and instruction. Third, high performing schools encourage local investing and can have a positive effect on property values.  Finally, it helps us to identify students in need of an intervention bell as part of their schedule for the following year. For all of these reasons, we ask that you please speak with your student and encourage them to take these assessments seriously and to work diligently.
• Attendance is very important.   Students need to be on time and present on these testing days.  Students do not test very well if they have to be scheduled for a makeup session.  The testing schedule is on the back.
• Test security is a high priority.  Because of this, students will either need to leave their cell phones/smart watches/devices in their lockers or, when they enter the classrooms, place them in a box that will be kept in the room by the test proctor.  If a student is found to have kept their device during the test, the item will be confiscated. Further consequences may be enacted.
• As these tests are statewide, students are not permitted to share out information via social-media, texting, etc. re: the content of these assessments.  Any occurrence of revealing testing information will be thoroughly investigated and consequences will be enacted.
• For those students taking high school level End of Course Exams, this is a reminder that each test is scored on a scale from 1 - 5, 3 being a passing grade.  All high school students graduating in 2018 and beyond will need to earn a total of 18 points on these seven exams in order to graduate.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.  Again, we know that our students are can be excellent achievers and will work extremely hard on these upcoming assessments.  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.

Summer Camp Opportunities at Great Oaks

Great Oaks will again be offering summer camps for students who are currently in 8th and 9th grades.  This information can be found on their website at: http://www.greatoaks.com/camp/

Naviance Student Information

Deer Park students grades 7 - 12 will continue to use the Naviance platform as part of their college and career readiness efforts.  While the look and name has changed, the link is still found by clicking on Naviance Family Connections on the main highschool website under Quick Links.  Your student's account will be their district email address and student ID number.  Students can also download the app to their phone. Please check out this great tool together.

College Application Tips

Start early. Set deadlines for completing essays, collecting recommendations and filling out forms a few weeks before they’re actually required.

Be consistent. Using the exact same name on all your forms makes things easier for admission officers. Decide if you want to use a shortened version of your legal name or your middle name, and then always use the same version. Switching names — going from Bill to Billy, for example — increases the odds that your materials will get misfiled.

Be careful. Careless mistakes on your application can hurt your chances of getting accepted. After you finish an application, put it aside for a day and then check it over for errors. If you can, have a teacher or parent proofread it as well. Save and review online applications before you submit them.

Alert your school. You need to let school officials know which colleges you’re applying to so they can send along your transcripts. The people you ask to write recommendation letters also need to know where you’re applying if they’re mailing the letters themselves.

Completing the Package

Don’t wait. Anything that needs to be mailed, including your application itself, should be sent in several weeks before it is due. This allows time for delivery and processing. Online materials should be sent weeks before the deadline as well.

Submit once. When you apply online, you’ll usually get an automated response saying your materials have been received. If you don’t, contact the college’s admission office. Don’t apply online again or mail in another application.

Keep copies. Make a copy of each piece of each application. Save personal identification numbers, passwords, canceled checks and notes or emails from admission officers. This documentation can save you if a problem arises.

Get confirmation. If you mail applications, put a stamped postcard addressed to your house in each package so admission officers can let you know that your materials arrived. The U.S. Post Office also offers a similar “return receipt” service. It may take a few weeks for confirmation cards to reach you.

If you get a notice saying something is missing, don’t panic. Just call the admission office and calmly ask what steps you can take. This is why you wisely saved copies of everything and sent in your application early!

Schoology Reminder

Don't have access to your student's grades, classes and assignments?  The information to create your own Schoology account can be found HERE.  Please contact Melissa Vickery at 891-0010 for your parent access code.  The Schoology App is also available to download to your phone or mobile device via I-Tunes or Google Play. Looking for tips on how to use the tools in Schoology?  Click HERE for more info!

Get Involved in a Club/Activity at Deer Park Jr/Sr High School

Anime Club
Rachel Hackney

Art Club
Amber Landers

C.A.T.S.
Jason Spelic

Drama Club
Rachel Hackney
Sara Godwin

eSports
Mr. Moulton

FCA
Greg Tabar

Hope Squad
Corrie Madden
Sean Maher

International Club
Jen Taylor
Marti Kitsinis

INTERalliance
Scott Calcaterra

NHS
Tim Hubbard
Sean Maher

Newspaper
Craig West

Polar Cat Club
Shannon Davison

Photography
Craig West

Self Care Club
Jen Taylor

Step-Up
Jason Spelic

Theatre Appreciation Club
Rachel Hackney

Need to Know

Student Safety Reminder

As you may have heard, Turpin High School has suffered two tragedies over the past couple of weeks. Two of their students died by suicide. We want to encourage and empower you as parents to speak with your son or daughter about this important issue.

Please have regular conversations  with your son or daughter about how s/he is doing and how their friends are doing.

• Please look out for risk factors and warning signs (see HERE for a list from Cincinnati Children’s Hospital).
• If you have worries about depression, anxiety, or other mental health concerns, please reach out to your family doctor, pediatrician, and/or your school counselor.
• However, if you have immediate safety concerns outside the school day, please do not wait until school hours to take action. We ask that you please do the following:
• If you are the parent/guardian, contact your family doctor immediately or one of the numbers listed below.
• If you are not the parent/guardian, please contact the parent/guardian of the child in crisis.  If you are unable to do so, call the Deer Park Police or Hamilton County Police (see prompt below).
• Resources
• Deer Park Police:  791-8056
• Hamilton County Police:  513-828-8600
• National Suicide Prevention Line:  1-800-272-TALK
• Drug and Poison:  1-800-222-1222
• Talbert House Support Line:  281-2273
• When in doubt, call 911.
• If you need a prompt as to what to say when you contact outside services, here is what you can say:
• Hello, my name is ______________________________________and I have safety concerns regarding a child and believe that they need a welfare check.

Important Date Change

Due to the scheduled DC trip for our 8th graders, the Jr Awards and 8th Grade Graduation program has been moved to May 30th 6:30 pm.  Please mark your calendars!

Attendance Line 513-891-2414

Please remember to call the attendance number when you need to report your child absent  or if they will be arriving late to school. This number is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It is important that the student’s name and reason for their absence are left on the attendance line. Thank you.

Deer Park Schools Looking for Substitutes - Secretaries, Food Service and Instructional Aides

Deer Park Schools is looking for substitutes, educational aides, food service workers and secretary substitutes. Short-term and long term-positions are available. Details: Educational Aide: $11.00 per hour Food Service: $9.50 per hour Secretary: $11.00 per hour Short-term and long-term positions available Needs: High School Diploma or GED Clean criminal background check Apply: rachelwixey.com

Deer Park Schools Looking for Substitute Teachers

Deer Park Schools is looking for substitute teachers at both Deer Park Jr./Sr. High School and Amity Elementary. If you are interested in becoming a Substitute Teacher for us please apply here. We are partnered with Hamilton County Educational Service Center for this service. They are located at 11083 Hamilton Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45231. Please log on the Hamilton County Educational Service Center's website. Once on the site please follow the directions on that page to complete and submit the forms. Apply HERE

Homework Club Opportunities

Jr. High Homework Club
Thursday - Ms. Malkowski (Room 151)
Friday - Ms. Sullivan (Room 56)

9th Grade Homework Club
Monday - Dr. West 
Tuesday - Mr. Moore 
Wednesday - Mr. Moulton
Thursday - Mr. Fite 

High School Math Lab
Mondays - Ms. Ginn (Room 226)
Tuesdays - Mr. Benjamin (Room 224)
Wednesdays - Mr. Moulton (Room 157)
Thursdays - Mr. Gabbard (Room 132)

Staying Connected

There are multiple ways to stay connected to Deer Park Jr./Sr. High School. Please see the attached flyer for ways to stay connected through Email, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Text Messages.

• E-Mail: If you are not already signed up, please register for the e-mail communication. To register, simply go to www.deerparkcityschools.org and click on the button on the left side of the page that says “Subscribe to District News”. From there, you will send an email requesting that you be added to future email communication from the district.
• Twitter: Follow Deer Park Jr./Sr. High School for the most up-to-date news and happenings! @DeerParkHS, @DeerParkSchools and @dpcounselor.
• Facebook: follow us at Deer Park Community City Schools and Deer Park Jr/Sr High School
• Text Messages: Through a great program titled Remind, we can provide text message alerts/reminders in a safe, confidential manner.Remind never shows a person's cell number, which means we never see your number and you never see ours. Standard text messaging rates do apply. To subscribe, send an individual text message to: 81010 with the message @dpwildcats. Follow the instructions you receive via text message to complete your registration. Seniors also have a text messaging service. To subscribe, send an individual text message to: 81010 with the message @dpseniors.
• Instagram: follow us at DeerParkHS and DP_Schools

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