Deer Park Jr./Sr. High School Wildcat Weekly: August 31, 2025

A Message from the Principal

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

We hope everyone has a great three-day weekend. As most of you know, high schools have two lives. The first life is from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., where the focus is on a student's academics. The second life of a high school is the after-school events that run from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m., which is where student life happens.

Last Friday was a beautiful picture of that. We had our first home football game of the year, and it was so much more than just a game. From the choir singing our alma mater and the national anthem to our amazing cheerleaders leading the crowd and our award-winning band performing at halftime, it was an amazing night. The excellence of Deer Park is simply amazing. We don’t just have students participating in these events; we have students performing at a very high level. The talent from our small community is second to none.

I am so proud of our students, parents, directors, and coaches who make all of this happen, not only for our students but also for the community, which was out in full force. It was one of the greatest examples of why Deer Park is a destination school district that offers so much more than any large school district can. It was truly a GREAT DAY TO BE A WILDCAT!

Sincerely,

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

Building Highlights

September MVP H3 Students of the Month

We are excited to announce our September MVP H3 Students of the Month! These students have gone above and beyond by living out the spirit of Help Others, Help Your School, Help Yourself and are being recognized for their positive impact on our school community.

• 7th Grade: Sam Barger
• 8th Grade: Johnisha Johnson
• 9th Grade: Raven Gordon
• 10th Grade: Franky Petrosky
• 11th Grade: Natily Reese
• 12th Grade: Brionna Rayford

Congratulations to each of our MVP H3 Students of the Month!

Homecoming Court

Congratulations to our 2025 Homecoming court:

Building News

Deer Park Dress Swap

Please help us give a HUGE shout-out to Plato's Closet at Fields Ertel for their donations of dresses.  We have over 70 dresses to use in our dress swap to "Help Others" in our community.  When you visit Plato's Closet, please show your appreciation for their support of our students.  Also, if you have any gently used dresses you would like to donate to our dress swap, please help us "Help Others" by dropping them off in the office at the high school.  Thank you in advance!!!

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

• Labor Day (No School): Monday, September 1
• JV/Varsity Volleyball vs. Madeira: Tuesday, September 2 | 5:30/6:30 p.m.
• Boys Soccer vs. Finneytown: Tuesday, September 2 | 7 p..m.
• JH Volleyball vs. Mariemont: Thursday, September 4 | 4:30/5:30 p.m.
• JH Football vs. Wyoming: Thursday, September 4 | 4:30 p.m.
• Kings Band Invitational: Saturday, September 6

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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