January 17, 2024: Deer Park Schools will be running on time today. We will continue to monitor the weather and make adjustments to after-school activities if needed.
January 16 is Good Temperance and Citizenship Day. Following RCW 28A.230.150 our social studies teachers will provide opportunities for our high school seniors to register to vote! If you have not registered to vote. Please remember to vote in the February election! Register to vote here: https://olvr.votewa.gov/
Prop. 1 on the February 13 ballot is an EP&O levy renewal, which replaces an expiring levy that was approved by our community in 2020.
The EP&O levy continues funding for staff (to keep class sizes small), student activities (athletics, drama, arts, etc.) and technology.
K-12 education is not fully funded by the state, which is why we rely on the EP&O levy to bridge the gap between what the state funds and what we need for our students, staff and schools.
Learn more about the measure at https://www.dpsd.org/page/bond-levy-information
Important January dates to remember:
15 - No School, Martin Luther King Jr. Day
30 - K-12 1st Semester Report Cards Posted in Skyward
31 - 1 hour late start (not Home Link)
1/9/24
Good morning,
Due to icy and slushy road conditions, all DPSD schools and programs will be on a 2-hour late start today, Tuesday, January 9, 2024.
All schools and programs will be delayed by 2 hours. There will be no AM ECEAP classes. Home Link students will begin their day at 11:00 AM, for 3rd period class
Food services will provide grab-and-go breakfast at the schools.
The Clayton Community event will still be occurring this evening unless you hear otherwise.
Please drive safely!
DPMS 2024 Archery Club -
Good evening DPMS! Please see the following information regarding DPMS Archery Club opportunity for all 6th, 7th and 8th graders.
We are excited with the number of students who have shown interest in DPMS Archery Club. The Archery Club is designed to improve archery skills, while also practicing for the upcoming state tournament. The club will meet most Thursdays at 7:00AM in the DPMS gym and will increase the frequency of practice as we approach the tournament.
Students who are committed to the team will be eligible to participate at the state tournament. The DPMS team will consist of sixth, seventh, and eighth grade archers. Students who are interested in participation at the state level are required to attend practices. An All Deer Park Shootout will be held on February 29th at Deer Park High School. The state tournament will be held on March 8th or 9th in the Tri Cities. More information will be made available closer to these dates.
We are excited to provide this opportunity for your child and look forward to continuing the DPMS Archery Club’s success. We will start practices on January 11, 2024. Parents, you may drop off your children at the entrance to the gym door at 7:00AM each Thursday, starting on January 11th, 2024.
If you have any questions please contact Mrs. Ranger at 509-464-5842. Please fillout the attached permission slip prior to or upon attendance. Archery Club Release.pdf
Sincerely,
Advisors:
Christine Ranger
Joleen Modaff
Thank you, have a great rest of your weekend and Go Spikes!
2024 Archery Club Letter
Tim Olietti
Principal
Deer Park Middle School
Go Spikes!
IMUA!
What's on the February 13 ballot for Deer Park schools? An EP&O renewal levy and a capital projects replacement bond.
Together these measures ensure we have access to the funding needed to provide our students with the resources, programs, staff, and modern learning spaces that support their education.
Learn more at https://www.dpsd.org/page/bond-levy-information
Wishing you and yours a safe, relaxing, and joyful set of holidays! From the Deer Park School District
Deer Park DECA students put in the work and it showed! Our students qualified in twenty (20) events! Twenty-four (24) of the twenty-seven (27) students will advance to compete in the State Competition in February. Way to go Deer Park!
Deputy Moffett visited Home Link children for Superhero Training Class! We are grateful to have Deputy Moffett full-time supporting all of our schools, pre-K - 12. Our school Resource Deputy is funded through our levy (local) funds.
You are invited to join us for a Tour of Arcadia Elementary School and the Deer Park Transporation Facility! Thursday, December 14th at 11:00 am, starting at Arcadia Elementary. The tour will begin at Arcadia Elementary and then participants can take a bus ride to the transportation building for a tour of the facility. The bus will return to Arcadia at the end of the tour.
Did you know we have 350+ students participating in winter sports in middle and high school? We are thrilled about student participation! Did you also know that 100% of funding for extra-curriculars comes from our EP&O levy (local funds)?
How does school funding work? Districts like ours rely on three main sources of funding: the state government, the federal government, and local funding measures.
Local funding measures include levies and bond, which provides funding not provided by the other two groups, to fund school building projects, staff positions, programs such as athletics, STEM, nursing, safety and security, technology, and custodial and maintenance.
Learn more about Deer Park School District's budget: https://core-docs.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/2495/dpsd/2648927/2023-2024_Citizen_s_Guide_to_Budget.pdf.
DPHS Drama presents a Christmas Carol on December 7, 8 & 9 at 7:00 pm featuring the DPHS band. Please join us!
DPMS - Comprehensive Sexual Health Education Plan
Good evening DPMS families. This message, and the two links below, which are also posted to our website, communicates upcoming lessons in our Health & Fitness courses related to sexual health.
DPMS CSHE Dates and Subjects.pdf - Here you will find our specific dates of instruction and a brief description of what will be taught in Health and Fitness classes grades 6, 7 and 8. These lessons will begin the second week of January.
CSHE Opt Out.pdf If you would like to opt your child out of a particular lesson or are choosing to opt-out of the entire sexual health unit, this is the form you will fill out and return to the DPMS office. Of course, we will have alternate learning for students who are not participating in these lessons.
Rest assured, great care and concern were given to choosing a sexual health curriculum that met the letter of the law, but also met the expectations and general sentiment of our Deer Park community. These lessons are in no way meant to, nor intended to replace or subvert what you as families teach your children at home, but rather to encourage open communication at home around these more sensitive and important topics. In fact, there are a number of lessons that ask students to engage in conversation with parents on specific topics related to sexual health.
The curriculum is available for review at both the Deer Park School District main office as well as here at DPMS. If you are interested in reviewing the materials, please call and reserve a time. As always, thank you for your support and willingness to partner with us in educating YOUR children. We are honored.
Have a great night, and Go SPIKES!
Tim Olietti
Principal
Deer Park Middle School
Go Spikes!
IMUA!
Conferences Follow Up
Good evening DPMS families. I hope you had a pleasant Thanksgiving break! I wanted to thank the many of you who were able to make it to conferences last week. It was good to see you and I trust you were able to connect with your child's teachers in a meaningful way.
For those who were not able to attend conferences, you will be getting a mailing soon with your child's state test scores from last spring, a Student Learning Plan (SLP) for 8th graders that did not meet standard, and district Levy and Bond facts. You are also able to access your child's Student Led Conference Digital Portfolio through Google Classroom. As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please let us know in the office or email your child's teachers.
Thank you for your time, stay warm and drive safe this weekend.
Go Spikes!
Tim Olietti
Principal
Deer Park Middle School
Go Spikes!
IMUA!
Did you know that Deer Park School district is running two measures in the February 2024 election?
We are running an EP&O levy renewal and a capital bond. Together these measures would help ensure our students have access to the resources that support our students, staff, and schools. Learn the details of the measures at https://www.dpsd.org/page/bond-levy-information"
On behalf of Deer Park Schools, we want to take a moment to express our heartfelt wishes for a Happy Thanksgiving to each and every one of you. Enjoy the day of thanks, and may it be filled with love, gratitude, and joy. Happy Thanksgiving! We will see you on Monday, November 27.
In 2008 Deer Park voters approved a bond that funded the renovation of Deer Park High School. This bond will be fully paid in December 2024 and 2025. Deer Park School District is seeking a bond measure in February 2024 to build and renovate buildings and facilities. Our schools, our students, our community! https://www.dpsd.org/page/bond-levy-information
The February 2024 EP&O levy renewal continues funding for 6% of our budget which funds programs, extracurriculars, technology, and staff that support students such as counselors, custodians, and nurses. For more information, visit our website: https://www.dpsd.org/page/bond-levy-information
