 Wildcat Weekly
September 16th, 2019
Change in Format
These Wildcat Weekly emails always have plenty of great information, but sometimes it can feel like A LOT. I'd like to slightly shift the format of these weekly updates simply into a "What's New" section first, and then an "In Case You Missed It" section second. Hopefully this tweak in format will help us best communicate and navigate the most relevant information in the most efficient manner.
This is how our teachers and processes at Deer Park Jr/Sr High School work too! We constantly push each other to recognize what's going well and keep doing it, and we also look to find ways to adjust and improve our work! Last year, our teachers took on some new and big challenges in an effort to improve our work. One way this is reflected has been through the recent State of Ohio report cards. Please see more information below. If nothing else, we are encouraged by the work our teachers and students put in last year to Help Others, Help the School, and Help Themselves!
-Shane Hartley, Deer Park Jr/Sr High School Principal
What's New?
Quality Profile and State Report Card
Every year, Deer Park Schools, along with more than 85 school districts throughout Ohio, release a comprehensive, community-oriented companion to the State’s District Report Card. Called a “Quality Profile,” the report includes additional accountability measures that are not captured by the state report card, but define a high quality education.
Click here to read the district’s Quality Profile.
This past week, Ohio released District and Building Report Cards. Overall, Deer Park Jr/Sr High School received a "B" grade, and Deer Park Schools received a "B" as well. Here is a link to our building's report card, and here is a link to the district's report card. The report card itself has many details and for a complete guide to the Ohio School Report Cards, please visit the Ohio Department of Education.
We have a lot to celebrate and build upon. We are very pleased with our growth and we want to commend our students and staff for working incredibly hard to move the needle forward. We also realize there are plenty of areas for improvement and we will continue to do our best day in and day out to make steady progress and increase student achievement. If you're ever interested in having a conversation about what the details of the report card are and mean, please reach out to me through email (hartley.s@dpccsd.org) or by phone (513-891-0010).
Washington D.C. Parent Meeting
There will be a Washington D.C. Parent Information meeting on October 14th at 6:00 p.m. at the Deer Park Jr/Sr High School. This meeting will be located in our "Cat Den" room, which is located in the front hallway of the building. The meeting is for parents/guardians of any 8th grader currently planning on attending the Washington D.C. trip. See you there!
PTO Information and Concession Workers
Our Parent-Teacher Organization has kicked off 2019-2020 already, and they have already been helpful to our school in some big and some subtle ways (remember that free Kona Ice at Chromebook handout night? Thank you PTO!). Please consider joining the PTO if you have not yet already done so. More information can be found here
Additionally, our PTO does most of its fund raising through concessions. Please reach out to them if you are willing and able to volunteer your time at one of our athletic events this fall or this winter! Thank you.
Free and Reduced Lunch Important Information
Benefits for Free/Reduced Lunch expire on September 24th. For more information and to reapply, please read here.
Conference Times
Parent/Teacher Conferences are coming up in a little over a month. While we encourage you to reach out to teachers with any concerns before conferences, this is also a great time to have some great conversations about how to best work together with our teachers to prepare your students for success.
Sign-up information will be coming in future weeks, but we want to communicate with you the times for these days:
October 24th - 1:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. (No School all day)
October 25th - 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. (No School all day)
What's New from the Counselors?
Attention Parents of Gifted Students: Registration for Super Saturday classes for the fall 2019 Term opened on September 1st, 2019! For more information, please check out the Fall 2019 Class List. For more information or to register, please visit online registration page.
In Case You Missed It
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.
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!
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)
9th Grade Homework Club is also underway. Students and parents can reach out to their teachers for more information for days and times.
Additional 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.
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.
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!
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.
-
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
Upcoming Events
September 27th - Staff Inservice (No School for Students)
October 4th - Homecoming Parade and Football Game
October 5th - Homecoming Dance
October 24th and 25th - Conferences (No School for Students)
|
