Decatur County Community High School
605 E Commercial St, Oberlin, KS 67749
September 4, 2022 (Schedule at the bottom, Skip What You Want)
Follow us on Twitter at @DCHSREDDEVILS
Decatur community,
It doesn't matter how many years pass or how many times someone has done it. The feeling and excitement in a small community on that first "Friday Night" in the fall, that one where the lights are back on at the local stadium and every person, regardless of age, is either beaming with excitement or nostalgia:
It's time to go to the game and run around with my friends.
It's time to play, my 4 years on the field, on the track, in the band.
It's time to watch my own child in action on Friday night.
It's time to watch the hometown kids and remember back to the days of yesteryear when I was one of those first three "It's times."
It was my first time to do Friday Night Lights in Oberlin, and it did not disappoint. The results may not have been what we wanted, but the experience was everything that I had hoped for.
Great kids, great support, and a great Big Red Way of life.
Shoutout to the student sections this past week. At the volleyball game, Dr. Applegate sent me a picture of the students getting excited during a tough matchup with rival Atwood, and the students were loud and proud at the football game Friday night. For those of you wondering, "Water Safety" was the theme, hence the floaties and now famous Pongo the Flamingo.
Shoutout to our cheerleaders. I was thoroughly impressed by the dedication of the squad. Throughout the whole matchup on Friday, they continued to cheer loudly and keep the fans engaged. They had just returned from a "Spirit Spreader" the day before, and you can tell they were in top spirits.
Shoutout to the band students for their performance. I watched them practice during class this week, and I was excited to hear the songs they had chosen, many of them classic rock songs from the 70s and 80s. It stood out to me that we had lots of students that wouldn't be able to perform on Friday because they were football players or cheerleaders. That shows great school involvement. The students that were there were great under Mr. Persinger's guidance.
Shoutout to art teacher Jillian Springer. I was in her class this past week and saw some art journals that the students were working on. Aside from the fact that the journals themselves were very creative, she had students blend topographical geography with the covers to show emotions. Clever and creative, just what you would want from your art teacher.
Shoutout to science teacher Mark Bricker. While in Mr. Bricker's classroom, I was impressed by the attentiveness given by every student as he led them through his lesson. It was a great blend of info. given, student discussion, and student discovery.
Shoutout to Industrial Arts teacher Kyle Breth. When I walked through his room this past week, it was almost like I was in the back of a furniture shop where the store was getting products ready to sell. Undoubtedly, there were projects being completed by students that could easily be sold to someone if that were ever the intent. Top notch learning environment.
New Teachers Join DCHS
1. Ms. Kathy Almquist is teaching English for us this year. She is not a new face around Oberlin or DCHS. Ms. Almquist has lived here since 2001 and has spent 18 years as a para at DCHS. She has years of experience in education, and it's great to have her on board.
Fun Fact: Ms. Almquist has lived out of the country before, and she has been to 12 different countries.
2. Mr. Jerry Janes has joined the staff this year as an interventionist and computer teacher. He is literally a human swiss army knife that has taught interventions, computers, Spanish, and English.
Fun Fact: Like Ms. Almquist, he has lived outside of the country, and he has written and recorded over 200 songs.
3. Mrs. Patti Hendrickson is in her 5th year teaching Special Education here in Oberlin, but this will be her 1st year at DCHS. Although there is a learning curve in her transition, her experience shines through.
Fun Fact: Ms. Hendrickson played in the band, ran track, and cheered during high school. She also considers taking college classes a hobby.
4. Ms. Lisa Johnson is our new choir teacher. Year 1 in Oberlin is year 14 in education for a former DCHS graduate that has returned home.
Fun Fact: Ms. Johnson has always loved music, and she was on the flag team, in the band, and a part of the choir in high school. It seems music was her destiny.
DCHS to Perform Seussical the Musical (Tryouts this week)
Tryouts schedule:
Tuesday 9-6 & Tuesday 9-8 at 6:00pm in the auditorium
Synopsis provided from mtishows.com:
Now one of the most performed shows in America, Seussical is a fantastical, magical, musical extravaganza! Tony winners, Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty (Lucky Stiff, My Favorite Year, Once on This Island, Ragtime), have lovingly brought to life all of our favorite Dr. Seuss characters, including Horton the Elephant, The Cat in the Hat, Gertrude McFuzz, lazy Mayzie and a little boy with a big imagination – Jojo. The colorful characters transport us from the Jungle of Nool to the Circus McGurkus to the invisible world of the Whos.
The Cat in the Hat tells the story of Horton, an elephant who discovers a speck of dust that contains the Whos, including Jojo, a Who child sent off to military school for thinking too many "thinks." Horton faces a double challenge: not only must he protect the Whos from a world of naysayers and dangers, but he must guard an abandoned egg, left in his care by the irresponsible Mayzie La Bird. Although Horton faces ridicule, danger, kidnapping and a trial, the intrepid Gertrude McFuzz never loses faith in him. Ultimately, the powers of friendship, loyalty, family and community are challenged and emerge triumphant.
DCHS Attendance and Truancy Policy
1. Research shows that the single greatest factor contributing to student achievement is attendance at school. Although we realize there will be occasions when students legitimately need to be gone from school, it is the combined responsibility of the school officials and parents to see that these absences are kept to a minimum.
2. Approval for an absence by a parent does not necessarily mean that the absence will be excused. School administrators will make the final determination as to whether or not an absence will be considered excused.
3. A student is considered absent when he/she is not in regular school classes or in a school-sponsored activity. Upon an absence, a student must have a written or verbal excuse from a parent or guardian. If the parent fails to call the school, the school will make an attempt to reach the parent via an automated Skyward attendance message.
4. Each semester a student has 6 absences that can be excused by a parent. All other absences must be excused by a doctor. Absences that are accompanied with a doctor's note do not count toward the 6 absences that student can have excused by a parent. Parents should call the school on the morning that they know their student is not going to be in attendance, regardless of why their student is not going to be there. Only a doctor’s note or special administrative approval can excuse a student beyond 6 absences per semester.
5. Once a student has 6 full excused absences per semester, any additional absences that are not accompanied with a doctor's note will be considered unexcused and be treated according to school and state truancy policies. Administration has the discretion/flexibility to excuse an absence if deemed necessary due to extenuating circumstances. Examples could be accidents, extended illnesses, or surgeries that require the student to miss more than the days allowed.
TRUANCY POLICY
Students accumulating three consecutive unexcused absences, five unexcused absences in a semester, or seven unexcused absences in a year will be identified as truant. In accordance with the Kansas Compulsory Attendance Law (K.S.A. 72-1113), students under the age of 18 will be referred to the county attorney. Students 18 years of age or older can be dismissed from DCHS. Re-admission will be determined by a hearing with the student and parents/guardians.
Early Release this Wednesday
This Wednesday, September 7th, students will be released from DCHS at 2:00.
Twitter (I will leave this Info. throughout September)
I urge you to sign up for our Twitter page. You can look up Decatur County Community Red Devils or follow @DCHSREDDEVILS .Twitter is generally the fastest way to get information. Even my Weekly Messages will typically go out on Twitter before they are sent to you through PowerSchool. I would share this with loved ones as well. Twitter is the easiest way to catch a quick glimpse into the school and also get updates on changes. Our hope would be to grow our Twitter following and continue to share what we are doing at the school.
That's going to do it. The faces are becoming more familiar, the names remembered, and the strangers fewer and farther between. It's been a great first few weeks, a true welcoming experience, and I continue to look forward to being a bigger part of this community every day.
Enjoy the rest of your Labor Day weekend.
Jeremy Holloway
Learning
Living
Leading
The Big Red Way
Decatur County Community Junior/Senior High School
Email: jholloway@usd294.org
Website: https://www.usd294.org/vnews/display.v/SEC/DCHS
Location: 605 East Commercial Street, Oberlin, KS, USA
Phone: 785-475-2231
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Decatur-Community-JrSr-High/372347636275932
Twitter: @DCHSREDDEVILS