Deer Park Jr./Sr. High School Wildcat Weekly: August 24, 2025

A Message from the Principal

Dear Parents and Guardians of Deer Park Jr./Sr. High School Students,

It’s been another great week at The Park! Athletics are in full swing, our band and color guard are preparing to debut their new show next week, and classes are off to a strong start.

One of my personal goals this year is to stay on top of everything and avoid letting things pile up. If your student has a tendency to fall behind, I encourage you to help them stay organized early. Reach out to their teachers now to see how things are going and to ask for updates if they begin to struggle.

We know students are most successful when they stay ahead of their work. Falling behind can feel overwhelming and discouraging—something we want to prevent before it starts.

As always, please reach out if you have any questions or need support. We’re here to help!

Sincerely,

John Vander Meer
Deer Park Jr./Sr. High School Principal

Building Highlights

This year, Ms. Godwin's AP Seminar classes began with some fun and games, with a purpose of course. The new course offering is heavily focused on group work and collaboration and to help set the tone, students and teachers alike started the year by building strong classroom relationships and impactful group dynamics.

A third of the course exam is based on a group presentation so one skill that needs to be honed early is the ability to work well with others and create clear expectations for collaboration. To do this, Ms. Godwin's students worked as a class to create a list of group norms for collaboration as well as outline action steps to address issues if and when they occur. They will use these norms and action steps throughout the year, starting with their first group problem solving activity, the NASA problem.

Students were tasked with figuring out what supplies they needed from a list of 15 to survive being stranded on the Moon. Based on an actual activity used in NASA for team building among astronauts, students practiced skills like problem solving, critical thinking, and argument creation, while also working with others to prioritize their needs for survival. After they created their lists, the class compared them to the list used by NASA. Then the class spent some time debriefing the activity with a focus on teamwork and collaboration skills.

These skills will continue to be reinforced throughout the school year with fun projects and games, culminating in a group presentation that will be assessed through the College Board as part of their AP Seminar exam. Most importantly, though, these are skills the students will be able to access and utilize as they make their way through high school, college, and the workforce.

Building News

School Immunization Requirements

The Ohio Department of Health has issued immunization requirements for school attendance for the 2025-2026 school year. If you are a parent of a 7th grader or a Senior please read this document. Please see below for specific grade level immunization requirements:

View the Letter

Registration for Student Wildcat Packs

Wildcat Packs is a Joshua's Place program that gives food to kids to take home on the weekends. To qualify for a weekly Wildcat Pack a student must be signed up for free and reduced lunches and elect to receive the pack by filling out the linked form. The Wildcat Pack is given at no cost to your child.

Students will receive their packs on Thursday’s from their teacher.

The first Wildcat Weekend Packs will be sent home on Thursday, October 9th.

Learn More

2024-25 Yearbooks

2024-2025 high school yearbooks are in! Didn't reserve one last school year and am interested in buying one now? See Ms. Sullivan! The cost is $70 cash or check made out to Deer Park Junior Senior High School. There are a limited number still available so act fast!

Counselor's Corner

Click HERE for the Counselor’s Corner!

Looking Ahead

• JV/Varsity Volleyball vs. Reading (Youth Night): Tuesday, August 26 | 5:30/6:30 p.m.
• Varsity Girls Soccer vs. Reading: Wednesday, August 27 | 7 p.m.
• Varsity Boys Soccer vs. Lockland: Thursday, August 28 | 7 p.m.
• Varsity Boys Football vs. Shroder (Hall of Fame/Alumni Night): Friday, August 29 | 7 p.m.

In Case You Missed It

Schoology and FinalForms

Please be sure your FinalForms are updated. Please check your previously entered information for accuracy. You may click here to access the forms and get started.

Secondly, as a reminder, teachers use Schoology to keep grades and assignments up to date. Schoology’s platform offers a tremendous amount of information in a user-friendly version. You will be able to communicate with your child’s teachers and check homework and grades through Schoology. If you need your Schoology login information, please contact the main office at 513-891-0010.

Bell Schedule

For the Jr./Sr. High School  Schedule please click here Click Here 

A couple of things to keep in mind regarding the daily schedule:

• The school day will be 8:10 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
• Doors will open at 7:30 a.m Students may buy breakfast during this time
• All students arriving prior to 8:00 a.m. will report to the cafeteria until the bell rings, releasing them to their lockers and class.

Update to Deer Park Jr./Sr. High School Backpack & Cell Phone Policy

Following the recent enactment of a bill by Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, all schools are now mandated to implement cell phone policies. In alignment with this directive and our commitment to fostering an optimal learning atmosphere, Deer Park Jr./Sr. High School students will be required to put all electronic devices—including cell phones, headphones, AirPods, and similar items—in their backpacks or lockers. Students will be allowed to take their backpacks to class this year. This will enable all students to arrive to class on time and provide extra protection for their Chromebooks.

If a student is caught with their phone, headphones, or other electronic devices out anytime during the school day, they will be required to place the device in an assigned Yondr Pouch going forward for a determined period. Please see the student handbook for complete details. For any questions or further discussion, feel free to contact me directly at 513-891-0010 or via email at vandermeer.j@dpccsd.org.

Your support is crucial to the continued success of this expectation at Deer Park Jr./Sr. High School. Together, we can provide a more enriching and distraction-free learning environment for our students.

Attendance Reminders/Updates:

Please review the following instructions:

• When a student is absent, please call the attendance line at 891-2414 before the start of the school day.
• If a student will have a late arrival or early dismissal, please email DPHSattendance@dpccsd.org no more than one day in advance. Be sure to include the student's name, reason for leaving/arriving late, and the time the student will be picked up.
  • Ensure that all emails come from an address we have on file for a parent/guardian. If the email address is not on file, it will not be accepted.
  • If you send an email or a physical note for early dismissal, you do not need to come in to sign your child out; we will allow them to sign out on their own.
  • However, if you only call and do not provide written permission, you will be required to come into the school and sign your child out on the SafeId kiosk, located in the main lobby.
• Even if your child is 18, they will not be permitted to leave without parental permission.
• Any medical appointment or court appearance is excused and will not be counted against a student.
  • These appointments will only be marked as medically excused once documentation (e.g., a medical note) has been received to verify.

Dress Code Reminders

As we welcome everyone back for another exciting school year, we want to remind students and parents about the importance of adhering to our dress code, especially with the extreme heat we're experiencing. We understand that staying cool is a priority, but it's equally important to dress appropriately for the school environment. Please ensure that all clothing choices align with our dress code policy, which promotes a respectful and focused learning atmosphere. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding. For your reference, dress code information can be found in the student handbook which is accessible through FinalForms.

School Supplies

Junior High classroom supply lists are available on the Deer Park Jr./Sr. High School website. At the high school level, specific school supplies are driven by the courses taken.  In other words, teachers will provide information about what you need for their class on the first day of school. All students should plan to bring a notebook and something to write with on the first day.

2025-26 PDF District Calendar

Each year, the Deer Park Board of Education approves the district's yearly calendar, which can be found on the Deer Park Schools website. This calendar includes official school dates, holidays, and breaks. Additionally, a printed event calendar will be sent home with your student during the first week of school. For your convenience, you can access the PDF calendar using the link provided below.

View the Calendar

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: Newsletter: All parents who have completed FinalForms should receive Deer Park Jr./Sr. High School Weekly Newsletters. If you are not currently receiving them, please register for the e-mail communication. To register, simply go to www.deerparkcityschools.org and click on the button on the bottom 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.
• X: Follow Deer Park Jr./Sr. High School for the most up-to-date news and happenings! @DeerParkHS, @DeerParkSchools, @dpcounselor, and @DP_Athletics
• Instagram: Follow @deerparkhs for photos featuring students, teachers and staff!
• Facebook: Follow us at Deer Park Community City Schools and Deer Park Jr/Sr High School.

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Inspiring & Empowering Lifelong Success

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