DKHS WEEKLY NEWSLETTER

What a FULL week here at DKHS!! Today was our Senior Tribute, where we recognized, celebrated, and honored the class of 2026. This class earned over 4 million dollars in scholarships when you add up all of the offers they received from all the places they have been accepted. This includes over $140,000 given out today from a variety of businesses, organizations, families, and the Delton Kellogg Education Foundation. The class of 2026 has graduates headed to the military, trades, apprenticeships, the work world, community college, and multiple universities. We have college athletes, business owners, EMT’s, and some who remain undecided. They have been a joy to be around and work with as they prepared for their next step in life. I’m proud of this class.

On Wednesday, our guidance counselor, Mr. Vanhoose, organized our annual Decision Day Breakfast and the Grad Walk. We had some door prizes and gifts for seniors who best represented their decision for where they are headed next. The grad walk in cap and gown through all 3 buildings always brings lots of smiles and plenty of tears as the seniors travel through the halls and see younger siblings, cousins, and teachers from their early years.

Tuesday night, I was able to attend the EMT Pinning Ceremony at KCC for our 5 EMT students who passed the course test and can now sit for the National Registry test. Izabelle Gruber passed that test on her first try, which doesn’t happen nationally very often on that test. She is now a fully certified EMT. Congrats to Izabelle for this accomplishment, and congratulations also to the other Panthers who were also honored at the pinning ceremony. Shout Out to Mitchell Swift, Sam Champion-Paling, Kristina Koan, and Roman Hull.

This week, our HOSA kids from Allied Health went to the elementary school to teach hands-only CPR to our 4th graders. Our kids reported how impressed they were with those younger Panthers who caught on quickly. Thanks, future health workers, and shout out to Nurse Rhonda for making this class such a success in our first year. Both of these classes are further examples of our push these last couple of years to make learning “Real and Relevant” at DKHS.

On Wednesday, our track teams competed in the Regionals at Bangor. Many outstanding performances were pulled off by our Panthers, highlighted by 4 State Qualifiers. Congratulations to Ryan Sinclair, Izabelle Gruber, Landon Madden, and Nicholas Muday, who will be competing on May 30th at Kent City High School.

This week’s Hogie’s Heroes are the entire Class of 2026. They have embodied our DO A JOB motto and are a great group of young people who are ready to help, serve, and lead positively.

They hold a special place in my heart, and I wish them all the best moving forward.

The plans to remove the press box and bleachers are scheduled to occur on Monday and Tuesday, May 18–19. As a result, Panther Drive will be closed to traffic during this time.

On May 18 and 19:

1. High School Students and Parents
Parking and drop-off will be located in the middle school parking lot. Students will walk to the high school using the sidewalk between the baseball and softball fields.

We anticipate that pick-up traffic during school hours will be limited knowing we will have this constraint; however, parents needing to pick up their student during the school day will need to call the high school office (269-623-1520). Office staff will direct students to meet their parent/guardian in the middle school parking lot.

2. High School Staff
Staff who may need to leave during the school day are encouraged to park in the middle school lot as well.

If you enter near the bus garage, please note that the area behind the middle school will be closed during the school day for lunch and recess. Additionally, staff who park in the high school lots will need to wait until buses have departed before driving down and exiting campus.

We have been assured that all will be completed long before graduation on the 21st ! :)

We appreciate everyone’s patience and cooperation as these improvements take place.

Thank you,

Seniors from the class of 2026 celebrated Decision Day with a banquet on Wednesday, May 13. Students declared their future careers and post-secondary or vocational educational aspirations, followed by a gift card giveaway, breakfast, and finally, the “Grad Walk”, where the seniors walked through all 3 school buildings with everyone cheering them on.

Football/Soccer/Track Turf Field Off-Limits Until Construction is finished June 8-July 31- . We will have to utilize the fields behind the school, and the soccer field across the street. There may also be times Panther Drive is closed- WeI will share that when we know.

Physical Day: Hopefully sometime August 1-9 ( still in the works)

Dead Week: NO ACTIVITIES AT ALL July 1-8

Boosters Golf Outing: July 25

First Day of HS Sports Practices: August 10

First Day of MS Sports (Except Volleyball/Cheer) Practices: August 17

First Day of MS Volleyball/Cheer Practice: August 24

Hall of Fame Nominations Due: October 1

Homecoming: October 9

Senior Night Football: October 23

HS Girls Basketball: Nov 18

HS Boys Basketball: Nov 11

Comp Cheer: Nov 9

Wrestling: Nov 16

WinterFest: February 5, 2027

High School Spring Sports Practices Begin: March 15

Physical Date to qualify for entire following school year: starting April 16

HOSA Mentors Lead 4th Grade Hands-only CPR Event

Our Allied Health and EMT students recently took their expertise to empower the next generation of lifesavers. This group of HOSA (Future Healthcare Professionals) shared with fourth-grade classes the vital skill of Hands-Only CPR.

The younger students didn’t just watch, they dove right in! Students focused on three critical pillars of emergency response:

• Recognizing Emergencies: Identifying when someone needs help.

• Getting help - 911: Practicing exactly what to say to dispatchers to get help fast.

• Push hard, push fast in the center of the chest

By transforming the classroom into a "practice zone," our HS leaders ensured the environment was safe, supportive, and low-stress. The fourth graders demonstrated their new skills with confidence, proving that you’re never too young to make a difference in a crisis.

Watching our Allied Health and EMT students step into mentorship roles was a highlight of the week, they didn't just teach a skill; they built a safer community.

If you or someone you know is interested in learning more about CPR, or if you'd like to find out about upcoming certification opportunities, please feel free to reach out to: Rhonda at rhonda.lundquist2@dkschools.org

AG Awarness Day: Students participated in Argicultural Awarness Day at the Barry County Expo Center. The students worked with third graders by helping move them between stations while also learning about agriculture at each station. Some of the topics covered included electricity, dairy cattle, honey bees, goats, and more. Participants in this event were Elizabeth Freiberg, Cece Champion, Samuel Champion, Skylin Wasserman, Allison Davis, Anna Fergison, Mikalah Freiberg, Rhiannon Richards, Alyce Donley, Mallory Momenee, Sophie Lebeck, and Olivia Post. Thank you to everyone who helped make this event so fun!

The English Language Learner Program was able to take the Foreign Exchange Students to see our State's Capitol in Lansing! We were also able to take a brief moment to see the arboretum on MSU campus where we ate our lunch. The weather was nice and the students were able to see a little bit more of the USA government before they get ready to head back to their home countries after graduation.