Wildcat Weekly

April 21, 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

Everything You Need to Know About Prom and After Prom 2019!

Deer Park Prom – May 4, 2019 When: May 4, 2019, 7pm-11pm Where: St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church 7000 Winton Rd, Cincinnati, OH 45224 Who: Junior and Senior students and their dates (no Jr. High students and no one over the age of 20) How: EARLY BIRD SPECIAL - $40 if purchased 4/24-4/26          $50/ticket if purchased 4/29-5/3          Tickets sold during lunch and at 3:00pm in front of the Main Office Below, you will find some additional information regarding Prom 2019: All students must arrive at the dance between 7:00 pm and 8:00 pm. Any student who has not arrived by 8:00pm will be denied entrance to the dance and their parents will be notified. Under no circumstances will anyone be permitted to leave the dance prior to 10:00 pm. There will be no mashing, running or jumping into other individuals or lifting others off the ground. There will be no dancing in a sexual or sexually suggestive manner. Young people should not imitate sexual acts while dancing and should dance in an upright position. There is no smoking or use of tobacco products or any illegal products. Prom is a formal event, therefore formal attire is required. Young men should wear a suit or a tuxedo. Young ladies will wear formal gowns and will to remember that Prom is a school-sponsored event and proper coverage of cleavage and midriffs is expected. Any student not dressed appropriately will be denied entrance to the dance. If inappropriate actions occur the individuals will be confronted and asked to stop. If the inappropriate behavior continues, the individual may be removed from the dance floor or asked to leave the dance. After Prom – May 5, 2019 When: May 5, 2019, 12am-4am Where: Adrenaline Trampoline Park 4786 Fields Ertel Rd, Cincinnati, OH 45249 Who: Junior and Senior students and their dates How: Students may sign up for After Prom when the purchase their Prom tickets. After Prom is FREE! Students just need to fill out a waiver prior to After Prom. More details below. With ticket sales for Prom fast approaching, we are excited to also announce the comeback of AFTER PROM! Below, you will find some important information regarding AFTER PROM 2019. It will be held at the Adrenaline Entertainment Center and here are some further details: After Prom is completely and totally FREE!  Absolutely NO COST for students! There will be more than just trampolines!  We will have movies, video games, food, prizes and gift baskets!   It is open to any students attending prom, as well as any student in 11th or 12th grade who does not attend prom! Transportation is provided!  After the dance has ended at 11pm, students will be given time to return home, change into comfortable clothes, and report to the high school.  We will run shuttle busses at 11:45 pm, 12:00 midnight, and 12:30am. Buses will bring the students back when After Prom ends at 4:00am. Busses should arrive at the HS at approximately 4:30 a.m. STUDENTS MAY NOT DRIVE THEMSELVES TO AFTER PROM! Students MUST have a waiver completed into order to attend.  Waivers must be filled out electronically before a student may be added to the After Prom list. The waiver can be found HERE. Please encourage your student (or date!) to attend!  This is an awesome way to have fun and a great way to promote healthy and safe decisions!

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

Announcing Parkers 2019 - Parkers in Toyland

April 26th and 27th, we take you back to your childhood by celebrating the wonderful world of toys! Show times are 8pm Friday, 2pm and 8pm Saturday. Tickets go on sale to the public on April 20th from 8am to 10am in the lobby of Crawford Auditorium at Deer Park High School. New this year, tickets will be available to purchase on the evenings of April 22nd, 23rd, and 24th from 6:30pm to 8pm outside of Crawford Auditorium at Deer Park High School. Tickets prices are $10 orchestra, $8 balcony, $5 senior citizen. Please bring cash or checks payable to Deer Park City Schools. Questions? Email parkersinfo@dpccsd.org or call 513.936.4619.

3rd Quarter Honor Roll

We had many students work very hard 3rd quarter and achieve academic excellence. We have posted the honor roll for all grade levels on the website. Click here to see who made 3rd quarter honor roll. Congratulations students!

Join Us for Spring Sports Senior Night - April 29

Please join us on Monday, April 29 as we take time to honor our spring sports seniors participating in baseball, softball and track & field. We will recognize seniors participating in all of our spring sports as our varsity baseball and softball teams face off against Mariemont High School. Senior baseball, softball and track & field student-athletes will be recognized during pregame activities, starting at 4:30 p.m. This attempt to bring us all together is the athletic department’s way of saying thank you to all the seniors that have chosen to give so much of themselves day in and day out. We hope to see you there! What: Spring Sports Senior Night When: Monday, April 29 | 4:30 p.m. Where: Deer Park High School Athletic Complex

Seeking Donations for Staff Appreciation Week! 

Staff Appreciation Week is May 6th- 10th. As an administration, we are hoping to plan something extra special for the staff this year to say "Thank You" for a wonderful year by providing the staff a nice luncheon. The PTO will provide the main course but we could use some help with drinks, desserts and fun giveaways.  The Staff Appreciation Luncheon will be held on Tuesday May 7th.

Below is a list of items needed for Staff Appreciation.

Gift cards and other fun giveaways: Please drop off all GIFT CARDS or Donated Giveaways to the Main Office (or you can send them in your student) NO LATER THAN Friday, April 26th.   

Food items: All food items for the luncheon should be delivered to the Main Office by Tuesday, May 7th by 9:00 am. Non-perishable food items can be dropped off anytime on or before Monday May 6th.

Thank you in advance for making this a special day for the Deer Park Jr/Sr HS Staff!

Click here to sign up

We Want to Hear From You!

Do you have a story about a Deer Park student that you'd like to share? Did you participate in a special event or charity that needs to be featured? We want to tell your story. Simply fill out the following form, and you might be featured on the Deer Park website, social media pages or this newsletter! Fill out the form today!

Submit a Story

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!

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.  

Important Senior Dates and Times

Senior Awards Rehearsal
June 3rd at 8:00am-Auditorium

Senior Awards
June 3rd at 12:35pm-Auditorium
Wear Caps and nice clothing

Senior Picnic
June 4th at 12:35

Graduation Walkthrough and Rehearsal
June 6th at 7:45am-Meet in Auditorium with cap and gowns

Graduation
June 6th at 7pm (students line up at 6pm in the gym)

Students MUST attend all rehearsals in order to participate in events.

Each graduating senior will receive five (5) main floor tickets and three (3) additional tickets to give to family and friends. The three additional tickets will be varied between the rear main floor and the balcony. No one will be admitted without a ticket. Tickets will be assigned through a random lottery, making sure that seats assigned will be on the same side of the auditorium that your student is seated on.  Ticket distribution will begin on Friday, May 24, 2019, in the CCR Office of the high school. Only the student or parent may pick up tickets. If a student knows that he or she will not need all eight (8) tickets, the student should return those tickets to Mrs. Melissa Vickrey as soon as possible. Requests for additional seats can be made to Mrs. Vickrey either in writing or via e-mail and can only be filled if additional seats become available. Mrs. Vickrey’s e-mail address is: vickrey.m@dpccsd.org.

Requests will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Mrs. Vickrey will begin accepting requests for additional tickets on Friday, May 24, 2019.  All student fees, book damage deposits, uniform/equipment returns and other financial obligations must be paid prior to receiving tickets. May 1, 2019, is the last date checks will be accepted for payment of fees and/or financial obligations.

Prestige Portraits will come to Deer Park on Friday, April 12 from 8:30 AM - 10:30 AM to do "Last Chance" photos.  This is the last opportunity to get photos taken for the yearbook and the composite portraits. The fee is $30. Please email Dr. West at west.c@dpccsd.org with any questions.

Freshmen:  

9th graders are about to take their first set of high school graduation tests called the End of Course Exams.  English/Language Arts will be on April 16th and 17th, and Algebra, Geometry, and/or Biology on April 30th - May 2nd.  These tests are very important indicators that your student is on track to graduate in the year 2022. Please contact us if you have an questions about your student’s tests.

Jr High:

As you may already know, all 7th and 8th grade students are asked to keep their cell phones in their lockers.  As a result of this, discipline in recent years related to cell phone usage has decreased tremendously. However, incidents of cyber bullying or just plain unkindness can happen outside the school day.  Please click HERE to read about how you at home can set up an effective cell phone contract with your child that may keep them safe from cyber bullying and/or from committing acts of cyberbullying.

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!

State Testing Coming in April

As you are probably aware, spring End of Course exams and state assessments has begun. We completed the first two days of testing (English 7/8/9/10) this past week.  The final four days of testing will take place April 30 - 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

Schedule

4/30 - Math 8, Algebra I, Geometry
5/1 - Math 8, Algebra I, Geometry
5/2 - Math 7, Science 8, Biology, Algebra I
5/3 - Math 7, Science 8, Algebra, US 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.
• 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.
• Each assessment has two parts and will be taken over the course of one or two days.
• The HS Algebra assessment is spread over the course of 4 days  in order to allow our Algebra students the opportunity to use the most advanced calculator available.  * Jr High Honors Algebra students will be placed in Alg Group A
• Jr High students taking Algebra or Geometry will not take their Grade 7 or Grade 8 Math assessments; instead, they will take a HS End of Course exam.
• High school students who do not have an E.O.C. exam will have late arrival. This applies to HS students only.  Arrival time is 11:40am.
• All scheduled assessments will be from 8:10 - 10:45 (Social Studies & Biology until 11:40); it is imperative that students arrive on time and report directly to their assignment locations.
• Students will still have normal, but shortened classes the remainder of the day.

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 Opportunities at Great Oaks

Great Oaks will again be offering summer camps for students who are currently in 8th and 9th grades.  Due to popularity, they’ve added another culinary camp at their Diamond Oaks campus. This information can be found on their website at: http://www.greatoaks.com/camp/

Preventing Drug Usage

The Prevention Action Alliance has an important new article about marijuana usage.  Please take a few minutes to read their recent newsletter.  Click HERE for the article.

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

Important Information

Deer Park Schools' Fitness Center - Updated Hours

Deer Park Community City School District would like to remind all Deer Park residents that the fitness center at Deer Park Jr./Sr. High School is open to all residents. Next week, the fitness center will begin operating under new hours. Beginning on April 15, the fitness center will be open on Mondays and Thursdays from 6-9 p.m. and on Saturdays from 8 a.m.-noon. All residents MUST bring a photo ID each time they visit the fitness center, and can enter at the lower entrance of the facility on the north side of the school (pictured below), next to the tennis courts. You can see a full calendar of open dates by clicking this LINK. We hope you will take advantage of this opportunity. The room features cardio (treadmills, elliptical machines, and bikes), over 20 pin-loaded strength machines as well as free weight multi-racks and dumbbells. We think you will be impressed with everything the room has to offer.

Mercy Health Offering Pre-Participation Sports Physicals for 2019-20

Where: Jewish Hospital - Same Day Surgery When: Thursday, May 23, 2019 Time: 6-7 p.m. Cost: $20 (Checks made payable to: Mercy Health Who: Athletes entering grades 7-12 ***Portions of the Ohio High School Athletic Association Pre-participation Physical Evaluation must be filled out by the parent or guardian prior to the actual physical. Find the form at ohsaa.org under Sports Medicine or use this direct LINK.***

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

Upcoming Events

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram