Decatur County Community High School
605 E Commercial St, Oberlin, KS 67749
April 6, 2025 (Schedule at the bottom, Skip What You Want)
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Decatur community,
This past week saw the annual Regional Music Festival, League Art, Prom, the NHS Induction, and a home baseball game that in the inaugural year may already hold the record for coldest game ever played in DCHS history for decades to come.
Yes, it was an eventful week heavy with traditions. There are two things that I would point out.
1. The Promenade tradition is a common one for schools, a moment when students walk through an area in their best dresses and suits for family and friends to see. What is not common is the parading through the downtown area on the old brick roads for everyone to see. It's a unique tradition that allows for family and friends to jump out and gather pictures along the way, an opportunity for hundreds to see our students and their guests. I was talking with Roland and Pamela May after the Promendade, and he shared stories of his youth and how friends he met in college were both surprised and impressed by the tradition. It was something that they were proud of and I genuinely believe our students still are today.
At the Prom, I was sitting near Ms. Tamera Rice, our business teacher. She got to experience the Promenade for the first time, and she loved it. She mentioned being from a small town (I believe in Arkansas) but noted how unique our experience is here and how she may mention to family that they should possibly think about suggesting it themselves.
2. Our Home Regional Music Festival also stands out. I will mention some things below, but the rich history and tradition of music here in Oberlin is told best by former teacher and counselor Brenda Breth who most of you know now works at the museum. She has been working on some great material, similar to the way she wrote up the history of Halloween Clean-Up. These are well worth the read, and they go back to the roots and go all the way up to the 2020s. It was fun for me to see Mrs. Tally, Mr. Wendelin, Channing Fortin and more in the material, and I can only imagine it would be even more fun for those that have been here for much longer than I. Here is the Three-Part series:
Part 1 - https://secure.smore.com/n/xrt06
Part 2 - https://secure.smore.com/n/kyps8u
Part 3 - https://secure.smore.com/n/x58vqu
This week, I am going to hit the Prom Shoutouts pretty hard.
Shoutout to our Prom Sponsors Brandon Hardwick, Jillian Springer, and Trevor Williams. This group worked together to organize, plan, and supervise this year's dance. There is a lot that goes into planning an event like this, a lot of time and effort. This trio spent countless hours on the dance, and I can only imagine that they are looking forward to passing the baton to the next group.
Shoutout to the junior class for their efforts in making Prom all it could be. The junior class spent all day Friday decorating the Gateway. The Vegas theme was creative, the inclusion of the dress attire for the sophomore servers was spot on.
Shoutout to the sophomore servers. I was impressed with how seriously they took their job. They served drinks, served the meals, and bussed the tables. They also did an outstanding job cleaning up the serving side of the Gateway before Post-Prom. It was a great experience for them, and it gave them a glimpse of what it would be like for them next year.
Shoutout to all of those in the community and beyond that donated prizes and money toward the Post-Prom activities. Memories like these are built on the support and generosity of a strong community that deeply cares about their children and giving them the fullest experiences in life. No senior that was present went away feeling unappreciated.
Shoutout to Caleb Beisner and Jenna Fortin for being named Prom King and Queen.
Shoutout to every parent that made the journey through the night and into the 3:00 am hour at Post-Prom. One parent mentioned that it had been years since they had been up at that time and I can only assume that there were others that were in the same boat. There were several parents present. I have included several Prom photos below.
I am also going to hit the Music Fesival Shoutouts pretty hard.
Shoutout to all of the students that performed this past weekend in the Regional Solo/Small Ensemble. I have mentioned before that one of my biggest regrets is that I never learned to play an instrument or tried out for the choir. I know just how nervous some of our students are when it comes time to perform, and I commend each of them for being able to get up in front of everyone and do their best. See the results on the attached picture.
Shoutout to Mrs. Lisa Johnson, Mr. Brad Persinger, and Mrs. Jenny Tally. Though it's called Solo and Small Ensemble, there is nothing small about the event that we just had. They began arriving as early as 6:00 on Saturday morning, and the last performer was near 5:00. During that time, there were dozens of schools with hundreds of scored performances in the various events.
They will have Large Group Festival this week at Oakley and a State trip coming up in a few. I appreciate all that they have done.
Shoutout to Mrs. Jenny Tally for another amazing Hospitality Room. As always, it was a great treat for the judges, workers, and bus drivers.
Shoutout to the Lion's Club for working the concession stand. The Lion's Club continues to be such a valuable assest to the DCHS community. I hope our relationship continues to be a strong one for generations to come.
Shoutout to Jess Allen and our maintenance staff. The crew worked diligently to make sure that the building was ready for our big event, and they were consistently around to help throughout the day. Jess then proceeded to help with lining up students at the Promenade and stuck around to assist at the Prom as well.
2:00 Early Release for DCHS Forensic Meet
There will be a 2:00 Early Release Day this week on Thursday.
DCHS is hosting our annual forensics event which occupies many staff members and many rooms in the building. Even starting at 2:00, the event won't end until around 8:00. We have several students in forensics this year, and we are hopeful that many will qualify for State competitions.
Two Inducted into NHS (National Honor Society)
Congratulations to two special young ladies that were inducted into the NHS (National Honor Society) this past Monday. The NHS recognizes students beginning at the sophomore level that have met academic requirements, completed the application process, and have their applications accepted by a panel of staff members. NHS recognizes 4 pillars: Scholarship, character, service, and leadership.
Thanks to NHS sponsor Ms. Jacinta Carter and the NHS members for putting it all together.
Congratulations to the 2024-2025 DCHS National Honor Society Chapter. This year's inductees are:
Elsie Larson and Kelsi Weigel
Kansas State Assessments Start This Week
April is State Assessment month. This week , 8th grade students will be finishing up their science assessment on Monday, and 11th grade students will be taking the science assessment on Wednesday. These tests are very important. It is an opportunity to really see how well our students have gained the knowledge that the State has deemed necessary. The assessment gives us information that we can use to improve teaching strategies and lets us know how we compare to other schools across the state.
Assessments are given to students in the JH and High School at these grade levels:
ELA: 7, 8, 10
Math : 1, 8, 10
Science: 8, 11
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