 Wildcat Weekly
September 8th, 2019
Interims Already!
It's somewhat hard to believe, but we are already entering into the 5th week of our 9 week 1st Quarter. Please feel free to reach out to us if you and your student are having difficulty finding rhythms and routines to help your student reach his or her fullest potential! Whether it is difficulty with turning in homework on time or a class that your student isn't getting that "A" that they'd hoped for, our teachers, counselors, and administration will be happy to work with you to help you create any routines necessary. Thanks for your continued support!
-Shane Hartley, Deer Park Jr/Sr High School Principal
Chromebook Updates and SAMR Model FYI
Speaking of routines, please help your student set a routine for Chromebook charging. While most days there aren't concerns, students occasionally come to school without a charged Chromebook. This can of course throw off a student's opportunity to best engage within some teacher's lessons, as often our teachers are planning to have our students use their Chromebooks throughout a class period.
One approach to how to use technology within the classroom that our teachers use is called the "SAMR" model. It is an acronym used to describe how much technology has changed education. SAMR stands for: S-Substitution, A-Augmentation, M-Modification, and R-Redefinition. While sometimes we simply can use an online resource as a Substitute to a good old-fashioned worksheet, we also strive to use technology to Redefine what is possible in a classroom. Whether this is engaging through online educational forums or viewing online streaming live conferences, you can see how important our students' access to Chromebooks really is!
Homecoming 2019!
The 2019 Homecoming Dance will take place on October 5, 2019 from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Deer Park students in grades 9-12 are able to attend, and any guest must have a guest form completed before purchasing tickets. Tickets are $25 and must be bought before the dance.
Ticket sales will be after school on: 9/23, 9/25, 10/1, 10/2, 10/3, and 10/4 as well as during lunch on: 9/25, 10/2, and 10/3.
Students must complete Final Forms and be up to date on their school fees before purchasing a ticket. See below for more information about fees. We're looking forward to a great Homecoming this year, and more information will come in future Wildcat Weekly's!
Fees
Please be proactive by paying your student's school fees as soon as you can. Unfortunately, we are no longer creating payment plans for students wishing to purchase homecoming tickets. In order to purchase tickets for homecoming, the following fee balances apply:
- Any student in grades 9-11 must have a balance of $500 or less
- Any student in grade 12 must have a balance of $300 or less
Here is a link to our EZ Pay site for fee payment. You may also pay through our board office or front office at the Jr/Sr High School. Thank you for working with us on this!
Student Safety and Resources
September is National Suicide Prevention Month, and this coming Tuesday, September 10th, is World Suicide Prevention Day. In support of this initiative, we are asking all of our staff and students to wear yellow that day, in fitting with a worldwide recognition of support. Our students' physical and mental safety are always our top priorities, and we want you as parents/guardians to know what systems of support are available. While our counselors, teachers, and administration are always here for our students, here are some other resources:
Best Point (formerly The Children's Home) Therapy: We have an onsite therapist who is available to meet with our students. This outside agency uses our building as a meeting place for its clients, and many students meet with our therapist throughout the week. If you are interested in these services, please contact your student's counselor.
Help Line: One resource we communicate to our students is the national HELP line. Students can text this line if there is ever a feeling of crisis in their lives. Here is a link to more information.
HOPE Squad: Our school has a High School and will soon have a Junior High HOPE squad. This is a student-led group that trains students in ways to support and report as necessary students going through difficult times. Here is a link to a video that WCPO has helped HOPE Squads create to help share the message.
Academic Study Table for Athletes/Extra-Curricular Activities
All students currently involved in athletics that have a combination of 2 Ds/Fs at any given point during the grading period are required to attend at least two of academic study table sessions each week in order to continue participating in the athletic activity. Grades are checked on a bi-weekly basis, starting on Thursday, August 29th. We have four study sessions each week, two before school and two after school.
The Academic Watch Study Table hours are:
Tuesday 6:30 am - 7:30 am
Tuesday 3:15 pm - 4:15 pm
Thursday 6:30 am - 7:30 am
Thursday 3:15 pm - 4:15 pm
Homework Help
Various opportunities for students to get extra time and help exist after school throughout each week. Here are the Homework Club days and times we are currently offering:
Junior High Homework Club
Thursdays - Ms. Malkwoski (Room 151)
Math Homework Club
Monday - Ms.Ginn (Room 226)
Tuesday - Mr. Benjamin (Room 224)
Wednesday - Mr. Gabbard (Room 256)
Thursday - Ms. Adler (Room 157)
Notes from the Guidance Office
Drug Prevention: Deer Park Jr/Sr HS is committed to helping students make safe choices! To help us with this, please consider signing up for Know! Parent Tips. These short yet informative articles from the Prevention Action Alliance have solid information on how you can prevent your students from the use/misuse of illegal substances.
College Fair: The Cincinnati National College Fair will be held September 14th, 2019 It will take place from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Duke Energy Convention Center in downtown Cincinnati. Click HERE for more info.
Jr. High Presentation: In October, the Junior High students will see a program from the National Theatre for Children sponsored by Duke Energy on energy conservation. If you are interested in receiving a FREE energy saving kit, please click HERE.
Naviance Student Information: Deer Park Jr/Sr High School students 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.
IBM eMentoring Opportunity: Attention 7th grade parents! If you are interested in giving your student an extra boost in mentoring through an IBM employee, please contact Jason Spelic at 936-4652 about this great program! Students are exposed to career in the tech world with their mentor, along with opportunities to explore various tech career opportunities online! There's also Doughnuts, basketball events, and a free trip to Kings Island!
Need to Know by Grade Level
Junior High: Coming up October 1 and 2, our 7th and 8th grade students will take part in the programs The ID Project. This program identifies disrespect, stereotyping, and bullying as the main causes negatively impacting middle and high school climate and seeks to help our students grow through a day of fun activities, presentations, and learning about each other. The program from Changepoint Learning is designed to give adolescents key tools that will serve them lifelong. The primary emphasis will be Self-Leadership focusing on the following:
- SMART Action Goals and SMART Action Plans
- Future Self (focusing on personal values and who each one desires to become)
- Time Management (utilizing the metaphors of Four Quadrants/Big Rocks)
- Key Behaviors of Leadership
- Qualities of Character
The program does involve learning about the challenges and hardships that peers have gone through and students are given the opportunity to share their experiences only if they are willing. While we hope that all students will participate, you may choose to opt out if you do not wish for your child to participate. To do so, please contact us at 891-0010 and/or if you have any questions, you can contact Jason Spelic at 936-4652 or at spelic.j@dpccsd.org.
Freshmen: 9th graders will start the year reviewing the requirements for graduation and the tentative options for after highschool. Please talk with your student about how their 9th grade year will impact their 12th grade possibilities!
Sophomores and Juniors: One of the ways that Deer Park is working to provide students with College and Career Readiness skills is by offering the PSAT, which will be administered here at Deer Park High School on Wednesday, October 16th. The cost of the assessment is $17. Payment should be given to Secretary Mrs. Vickrey by October 7th (checks can be made payable to Deer Park High School). Below is some information about the PSAT.
As students begin preparing for college, the PSAT is an excellent opportunity to receive feedback on strengths and weaknesses on skills necessary for college study. In addition to receiving invaluable information about skill level, the PSAT also enters juniors into the National Merit Scholarship. Additionally, the PSAT helps students to prepare for the PSAT by becoming familiar with the kinds of questions that will be on the SAT, as well as becoming familiar with the formatting of directions often seen in standardized testing.
The PSAT provides the first step for students as they begin to prepare for the next step after high school. Please feel free to contact Corrie Madden (madden.c@dpccsd.org) with any questions.
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 513-891-0010 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
eSports
Mr. Hills
FCA
Amber Landers
Hope Squad
Corrie Madden
Sean Maher
International Club
Jen Taylor
INTERalliance
Scott Calcaterra
NHS
Tim Hubbard
Sean Maher
Newspaper
Craig West
Polar Cat Club
Shannon Davison
Photography
Mandy Stevens
Self Care Club
Jen Taylor
Step-Up
Jason Spelic
Theatre Appreciation Club
Rachel Hackney
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.
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.
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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.
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Twitter: Follow Deer Park Jr./Sr. High School for the most up-to-date news and happenings! @DeerParkHS, @DeerParkSchools and @dpcounselor.
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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
Upcoming Events
September 13th - Midterm for 1st Quarter
September 27th - Staff Inservice (No School for Students)
October 4th - Homecoming Parade and Football Game
October 5th - Homecoming Dance
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