What's New?

A Message from the Principal

Hello Deer Park Families! 

We are officially on the countdown to Winter Holiday Break! As we enter the final full week of classes I just want to give you a couple reminders.

• The second quarter ends December 15th.
• Check your student’s Schoology to make sure they do not have any missing work still out.
• Students should be taking time every night to review for their upcoming exams.
• See below for homework club days next week.
• Students can also come in on Thursday mornings at 7:30 a.m.

Here is the Winter Exam Schedule. Please let us know if you have any questions!

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

Staff Spotlight

Staff Member:  Mr. Mark Devine Position: History Teacher Student Submission: Mr. Devine is a shining light in the hallways and classrooms of Deer Park. I had a class with Mr. Devine last year and I still feel like I can always go see him and talk to him although I don't have him this year. It's your turn to shout out a Deer Park Jr./Sr. High School staff member! We are blessed to have one of the best staff to work with day in and day out at Deer Park Jr/Sr High School. We praise them everyday for all the amazing things they do for our kids and our community! We want to give you a chance to do the same! If you would like to give a shout out to any staff member, please fill out this form so we can celebrate them! Staff Shoutout

Building Highlight

Mr. Moore’s Street Law Class

Street Law is an elective social studies class for Deer Park High School students to learn about how the law can and will affect their life. A major topic in the class is the criminal justice process from arrest through corrections. As a way to witness this process, Street Law students in Mr. Moore class took an end of semester field trip to the Hamilton County Courthouse on Thursday, November 30th.

At the courthouse students talk with the Jury Commissioner Brad Sietz about his job, jury duty and patterns that he sees at the courthouse. Students witness live arraignment court, where the accused first meet in front of the judge to hear the facts of their case, give their plea and get their bond set. Then students talk with at least one active judge in the courthouse about patterns they see, what it takes to be a judge, how to behave in court and other legal issues.

Finally, students get to witness aspects of a trial such as witness testimonies and criminal sentencing. The Street Law students were fortunate to talk with Judge Jody Luebbers who is a common pleas judge at the courthouse. Judge Luebbers grew up in Deer Park and takes great pride in bringing the students into her courtroom to share her knowledge of the law.

Building News

High School Student Exchange Applications

Homework Club

Did You Know: If your child needs extra help with their school work or just a place to do homework we have a homework club available for your child after school. Please see below for the schedule:

Junior High:

• Monday: Tracy Smith, Room 153
• Tuesday: Jami Baker, Room 137
• Wednesday: Lauren Troxell, Room 58
• Thursday: Mckenzie Wills, Room 58
• Friday: Lauren Troxell, Room 58 (until October 19th)

High School:

• Monday: Suzy Beck, Room 233
• Tuesday:
  • Sept. 5 - Oct. 24: Mark Devine, Room 239
  • Beginning Oct. 31: Elaine Feldman, Room 155
• Wednesday: Suzy Beck, Room 233
• Thursday: Mark Devine, Room 239
• Friday: Alex Moore, Room 275 (until October 19th)

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Fall EOC Testing

Parents of high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors: 

Winter End of Course exams will take place starting November 28th- December 15th. Winter End of Course exams are provided for students who will need to retest an End of Course exam from last spring to satisfy a graduation requirement: either to earn a competency score in Algebra 1 or English 2, or to attempt to earn a graduation seal in social studies or science. Your son/daughter will receive a letter by next week, and you will also receive one in the mail later this week if this pertains to you.We will be holding testing on the following dates. This does not impact the schedule for the school day:

• Dec. 4- US History & Government
• Dec. 5-6th- ELA 2 (one day for part 1, one day for part 2)
• Dec. 8- 15- All missed End of Course makeups

Counselor's Corner

Check out important info from the guidance office by clicking the link below.

Counselor's Corner

Looking Ahead

Please mark these important dates on your calendar:

• 7th/8th Grade Girls Basketball vs. Indian Hill: Monday, December 4 | 4:30/5:30 p.m.
• HS Choir Winter Concert: Wednesday, December 6 | 7 p.m.
• 7th/8th Grade Girls Basketball vs. Finneytown: Wednesday, December 6 | 4:30/5:30 p.m.
• 7th & 8th Grade Band & Choir Concert: Thursday, December 7 | 7 p.m. (7th Grade), 8:15 p.m. (8th Grade)
• JV/Varsity Boys Basketball vs. Indian Hill: Friday, December 8 | 6/7:30 p.m.
• HS Band Holiday Concert: Tuesday, December 12 | 7 p.m.

In Case You Missed It

Deer Park Students to Participate in Night for the Fight

Deer Park Jr./Sr. High School students are participating in CancerFree KIDS' Night for the Fight. Scheduled for February 24, 2024, at the University of Cincinnati's 5/3 Arena, students, along with others across the Cincinnati area, aim to raise $325,000 for childhood cancer research during this impactful event..

Those interested in contributing, can find the donation link at www.NightForTheFight.org. Simply click "Donate" and enter “Stay Golden” in the designated box. Alternatively, checks can be made payable to CancerFree KIDS, with Stay Golden in the memo line, and sent to:

CancerFree KIDS
P.O. Box 575
Loveland, OH 45140

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Parents/guardians of students who took the PSAT in October: 

Students will receive their PSAT scores this week. The score will be provided through a PSAT report. If you would like more information on understanding the score report, see this document, provided by the College Board.

In March, all juniors will take the SAT, paid for by the district. More information will be shared as that date gets closer.

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Winter Sport Academic Expectations

We are excited if your child has made a winter sports team. I wanted to make you aware so that you can remind your students that there are academic expectations that go along with representing the Cats in the right way. Please remind them if they are failing classes they could be required to attend an academic study hall until the grader(s) are up. Please connect with Greg Huster or your student coach for more details.

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Sandy's Closet Donations

Please remember Sandy's Closet for your donations of clean, gently used clothing, shoes, boots, etc. We are always accepting infant, toddler, youth sizes and clothing appropriate for our high school students.

Items can be dropped off at the Holmes Building during school days between 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Thank you for your continued support of Sandy's Closet!

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New Safer Ohio School Tip Line

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine recently announced several enhancements to the state's free Safer Ohio School Tip Line (1-844-SAFEROH) that will make it easier for Ohioans to report school safety concerns. 

In addition to calling and texting the tip line, Ohioans anywhere in the state now can report school safety information through a new smartphone app and online web form.

The new Safer Ohio School Tip Line smartphone app, available both on iOS and Android devices, and the online web form include pre-populated prompts to help users quickly upload information.

Read the Full Release

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See You At School!

It's always tough to tell if you should send your student to school. As part of attendance month, we put together this flier to be helpful in making that decision.

Paying School Fees

Please remember to pay your student fees for the 2023-2024 school year. Fees can be paid in the front office during regular office hours or by using PaySchools. You will need a student ID to set up a PaySchools account. These are found on fee forms and are the same number your student uses for their lunch account. If your student doesn’t know this number, please feel free to reach out to us with questions at 513-891-0010.

Staying Connected

There are multiple ways to stay connected to Deer Park Jr./Sr. High School. Please see the links below for ways to stay connected through Email, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. 

• Newsletters: All parents who have completed FinalForms should receive Wildcat Weekly Newsletters. If you are not currently receiving them, please register for the e-mail communication. To register, simply go to https://www.deerparkcityschools.org/ and click on the button on the bottom of the page that says “Subscribe to District News”.
• 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
• Instagram: follow us at DPHS Principals

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Inspiring & Empowering Lifelong Success
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