What's New?
A Message from the Principal
Hello Deer Park Families! Happy Sunday!
This Wednesday, October 5th from 6-7 p.m., we will be having our first Coffee with the Administrators in the Cat Den at the Jr./Sr. High School. The purpose of the first meeting is to have the opportunity to meet you, give you an overview on what is happening at school and answer any questions that you have.
Future meetings will include topics such as cell phone safety for students, continuing to build a positive school environment, and topics that you as parents would like for us to cover.
We know you are very busy but I hope you will take the time to come have some free coffee and talk with us. Please let me know if you have any questions.
John Vander Meer
Principal
Deer Park Jr./Sr. High School
Classroom Spotlight
Have you heard that there’s a new social studies elective at Deer Park High School? This year Mrs. Wilkerson has a new history course called Cincinnati and Local History. Students in grades 9-12 have been busy learning about all things Cincinnati. Each week the class tackles a new Cincinnati related topic. They’ve already discussed the history of transportation, immigration, and famous Cincinnatians. They also investigated how Cincinnati became known as Porkopolis and the Queen City.
This week, students researched major events like the tragic Who concert, the Beverly Hills Supper Club fire and the Flood of 1997 and created presentations for their classmates. They learned about the background of the events and what the historical impact was.
But we can’t learn about Cincinnati without learning about our famous cuisine! Each Friday the students have “Foodie Friday” where they sample a treat that has its origins in the Cincinnati area. So far this year they’ve tried AirHeads, Grippos and some Doscher’s candies! The students get to enjoy the samples and learn a little bit about how the companies got started in the Cincinnati area. The class is also planning to finally answer the question on everyone’s minds later this semester: Which chili is better-Skyline or Gold Star?
Building news
Terrace Metrics Social/Emotional Strengths and Needs Survey
Deer Park Community School District is proud to provide an innovative assessment service to students and their families to guide our support of students’ social/emotional needs. All students in grades 6 to 12 will be given the opportunity to complete a brief assessment that assesses social/emotional strengths and needs. This assessment, provided by Terrace Metrics, will begin this week. Each grade level is scheduled for a day this fall and another day this spring.
The results of the assessment are confidential; no teacher will have access to your child’s results. Only members of the school’s response team (e.g., counselors, school psychologists) will see student’s results, which are available immediately after the assessment is completed. This allows us to understand the strengths and needs of every student, including those who would benefit from additional strategies. If your child has endorsed high distress, a member of the school’s response team will contact you by phone to discuss next steps. One of these steps may include a “Clairity” assessment, provided by Clarigent Health. Clairity involves a private, ten-minute interview where the student is asked about their thoughts and feelings by a trained member of the response team. The interview is securely recorded and the speech patterns (rather than the answers themselves) are analyzed to assist the response team in determining the appropriate course of action for the student.
For more information or to opt your child out of this survey, please click here.
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Donations Needed
The recent tragic flooding in eastern Kentucky and the landfall of Hurricane Ian has left many in our nation in need. The Jr./Sr. High Step-Up Club is collecting donations to be given to Matthew 25 in Blue Ash. In case you're not familiar, Matthew 25 is an international humanitarian aid and disaster relief organization located in Blue Ash. If you are able to donate and bring to school any of the following items, the Step-Up Club will collect it from X-bells and make sure the supplies get to Matthew 25.
We are looking for:
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Professional Speaker: Building Resilience in Students
On Thursday, October 6th, Deer Park Schools is excited to welcome Dr. Brooks Gibbs to the district. Dr. Gibbs is a social psychologist and one of the top speakers across the country on raising emotionally resilient kids and teaching students to live by the Golden Rule; treating others how you want to be treated! Dr. Gibbs has a humorous and engaging way to help students learn how to regulate their own emotions while also teaching them how to solve social problems.
Throughout the day on Thursday, October 6th, Dr. Gibbs is going to speak to all of our students in grades K-12 and then we will be holding a parent session at Crawford Auditorium at 7:00 p.m. for any and all parents in the district.
We hope that you all consider attending this important and informative session on Thursday, October 6th at 7:00 p.m. in Crawford Auditorium.
Details
What:
Dr. Brooks Gibbs Parent Session
Raising Resilient and Emotionally Strong Children
When:
Thursday, October 6
7 p.m.
Where:
Crawford Auditorium
Deer Park Jr./Sr. High School
Who:
Any and all Deer Park parents are invited to attend this FREE session!
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Smile Program Coming to Deer Park Jr./Sr. High School
Great news! Deer Park Community City Schools has again partnered with the Smile Programs…the mobile dentists to offer in-school dental care!
The mobile dentist will be coming to both Amity Elementary and the Jr./Sr. High School on:
Counselor's Corner
Check out important info from the guidance office by clicking the link below.
Looking Ahead
Please mark these important dates on your calendar:
In Case You Missed It
Bike Racks
Because of the generosity of our community we now have enough bike racks for all our kids to ride their bikes to school or practice and safely lock their bikes up! Thank You!
Lunch Charge Policy
This is a reminder to parents that once a student reaches $30 of charges on their account, they will be provided with a minimal lunch which includes a peanut butter sandwich (or equivalent for those with allergies), a fruit, a vegetable, and a milk. Once they pay their charges, students can resume purchasing a lunch of their choice. For questions on your student's lunch charges, contact the main office.
New Crisis Lifeline
If you haven’t heard, the new suicide and crisis lifeline is 988. You can also text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org
For more information about this new system, please click the attached link to go to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
After-School Assistance
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Need other academic help after school? We have homework club after school M-F from 3-4 p.m. at these days/locations:
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Wednesday: Ms. Troxell, Rm 58
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Monday: Mr. Marsh, Rm 157
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Tuesday: Mrs. Deller, Rm 226
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Thursday: Ms. Taylor, Rm 252
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Friday: Mr. Moore, Rm 155
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Junior High:
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High School:
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Need some academic help? Morning Intervention is available all year for students to come in for extra help from teachers on Thursdays at 7:35am. Students also have a daily “extra help” bell during the day to meet with their teachers.
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.
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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”.
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Twitter: Follow Deer Park Jr./Sr. High School for the most up-to-date news and happenings! @DeerParkHS, @DeerParkSchools and @dpcounselor.
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Facebook: follow us at Deer Park Community City Schools and Deer Park Jr/Sr High School
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Instagram: follow us at DPHS Principals
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