The Wildcat Weekly

August 30, 2026

A Message from the Principal

Dear Deer Park Jr./Sr. High School Families,

What a great first full week in the Park!

We hope your child has had a great start to the school year. There was so much happening both in and out of the classroom, and it was exciting to see our students and staff back together!

I want to give a special thank-you to our band parents who helped put on an impromptu performance last Wednesday when the football game was stopped because of lightning and the second half had to be moved to Saturday. Over 200 people showed up Wednesday evening to support our kids, and it was a great reminder of what makes the Park such a special place!

On Friday, we held our annual Senior Retreat at Connection Point Campground. It was a full day focused on learning how to lead themselves, their classmates, and our school. What a great class to represent as we celebrated 200 years at Deer Park! The culmination of the day was the signing of the shirts, and it was so cool to see the entire class come together, enjoy the day, and build memories together.

A huge thank-you to Valley Church for providing and cooking the hot dogs and hamburgers for our seniors. We truly appreciate your support of our students and school!

As always, there is so much going on in the Park, and we are excited about all that is ahead. Please let us know if there is anything we can do to support you or your child.

Have a great weekend, and Go Wildcats!

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

Building Highlights

Seniors Kick Off the Year at Senior Retreat

The Class of 2027 came together Friday for the annual Senior Retreat, an opportunity to connect, build relationships and set the tone for their final year at Deer Park.

Throughout the day, seniors participated in activities focused on teamwork, leadership and making the most of their final year together as Wildcats. It was a great way to celebrate the start of senior year and create a few memories along the way.

Check out our Senior Retreat photo gallery for highlights from the day!

Marching Wildcats Perform for Friends & Family

Thank you to everyone who came out Wednesday evening for the Marching Wildcats Friends & Family Performance! A great crowd filled the stands to support our students and see the band and color guard showcase the hard work they’ve put in to start the season.

We appreciate our families, friends and community members for showing up and supporting the Marching Wildcats. We’re looking forward to a great season!

Building News

Picture Day

Picture Day will be September 8th. All students are expected to have their picture taken, even if they do not plan to purchase school pictures. This allows us to update student profiles and maintain current records.

Schoology and FinalForms

Please be sure your FinalForms are updated prior to your child starting school, as mentioned above, before receiving his/her Chromebook. 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.

A Message from the Nurse

If your child is due for any state-mandated immunizations, please make sure those are taken care of as soon as possible and that the school receives updated documentation. If you have any questions about your child’s immunization records or requirements, please contact Christie Scholl, our school nurse.

School Fees

Please make sure your school fees are paid. The school fee for this year is $50. High school students must have this year's school fees paid in order to attend Homecoming.

Deer Park Schools to Administer Terrace Metrics Assessments for Grades 6–12

Deer Park Community City Schools will once again administer the Terrace Metrics Assessments to students in grades 6–12 throughout the fall. These assessments help the district better understand students’ social and emotional strengths and needs, ensuring that appropriate support systems are in place.

The assessment schedule is as follows:

• Amity 6th Grade: September 9
• HS Grades 7, 9 and 12: September 10
• HS Grades 8, 10, and 11: September 16
• DP Discovery: September 22

All results are confidential. Teachers will not have access to individual student data. Only members of the school’s response team—such as counselors and school psychologists—will review the results, which are available immediately after completion.

This process allows the district to identify students who may benefit from additional support strategies. If a student indicates high distress, a member of the response team will contact parents or guardians to discuss the next steps.

One possible follow-up step may involve a “Clairity” assessment provided by Clarigent Health. This assessment includes a private, ten-minute conversation with a trained member of the response team. Rather than focusing on the answers themselves, the technology analyzes speech patterns to help determine the best course of action for the student.

For more information about the Terrace Metrics Assessments, click the link below.

To opt out, click the link below and bring the signed form to the main office.

Counselor Corner

Click the link below to view the 2026-27 Counselor Corner

Looking Ahead

• Junior High Volleyball vs. Reading: Monday, August 31 | 4:30/5:30 p.m.
• Girls Varsity Soccer vs. Withrow: Monday, August 31 | 5 p.m.
• Board of Education Work Session: Tuesday, September 1 | 4:30 p.m.
• JV/Varsity Volleyball vs. Wyoming: Tuesday, September 1 | 5:30/6:30 p.m.
• Girls Varsity Soccer vs. Wyoming: Wednesday, September 2 | 7 p.m.
• JV Football vs. MVCA: Saturday, September 5 | 9 a.m.
• JH/High School Cross Country at Loveland (Home of the Brave Park): Saturday, September 5 | 9 a.m. 
• Labor Day (NO SCHOOL): Monday, September 7
• Picture Day: Tuesday, September 8

In Case You Missed It

Clubs and Extracurriculars

Deer Park offers a TON of free and fun clubs for students to take part in. Click the link below to see the list with start dates, times, etc!

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.

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

As we begin the 2026-27 school year, we want to remind students and families of a few important expectations regarding backpacks, electronic devices and Chromebooks.

Students are permitted to carry their backpacks with them throughout the school day and will also be assigned a locker.

All personal electronic devices—including cell phones, AirPods, headphones and similar items—must be turned off and stored in the student’s backpack during the school day.

All students will be issued a district Chromebook for use at school. Students should not bring personal computers, laptops or iPads to school.

Thank you for your continued support in helping us maintain a focused, distraction-free learning environment for all students.

Apply for Free/Reduced Lunch

Attendance Reminders/Updates:

Please review the following instructions:

• When a student is absent, please call the attendance line at 513-891-2414 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 students back for another school year, we want to remind students and families of our expectations regarding appropriate dress at Deer Park Jr./Sr. High School.

Students should make clothing choices that align with the school dress code and help maintain a respectful, comfortable and focused learning environment for everyone.

We appreciate the support of our families in reviewing these expectations with students before the start of school. Complete dress code information can be found in the Student Handbook, accessible through FinalForms.

From the School Nurse

As we prepare for the start of the school year, please review these important health reminders:

Medication Drop-Off: Daily or emergency medications may be dropped off on Thursday, August 13 from 8 a.m.-3 p.m., Monday, August 17 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m., or on regular school days from 7:45 a.m.-3:05 p.m.

Per school policy, students may not carry their own medications, with the exception of inhalers and EpiPens when the required forms have been completed. Medication forms and additional information are available on the district’s Student Health Services webpage: https://www.deerparkcityschools.org/parents/student-health-services

Required Vaccinations: All 7th-grade students must have documentation showing they received the Tdap and meningococcal ACWY vaccines after age 10.

All seniors must have documentation showing they received a second/booster dose of the meningococcal ACWY vaccine after age 16.

Please send updated vaccination records to Nurse Christie at c.scholl@dpccsd.org.

2026-27 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.

There are multiple ways to stay connected to Amity Elementary School.

• Email Newsletter: All parents who have completed FinalForms should receive Amity Weekly Newsletters. If you are not currently receiving them, please register for the email 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 Schools for the most up-to-date news and happenings at @DeerParkSchools or @DeerParkAmity
• Facebook: follow us at Deer Park Community City Schools.

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