Red Devil Ready:DCHS Weekly Message

Week 3: Labor Day Brings Another Sunturday

Decatur County Community High School

605 E Commercial St, Oberlin, KS 67749

September 1, 2024 (Schedule at the bottom, Skip What You Want)

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Decatur community,

It's Labor Day weekend, and that means today is Sunturday, a magical Sunday that actually feels like a Saturday. Let's be honest, do you think students are going to bed at their usual Sunday bedtime, or that teachers are rushing to sleep to get up early tomorrow to ensure proper planning? I think not, because, as I said, it's Sunturday, which usually follows a Satiday. You get the drift.

I am old enough to remember that Labor Day was simply the last weekend of the summer. We got the Monday off, and school always began the Tuesday after. One of my first gifts when I graduated from college was from my cooperating teacher in good old Olathe, KS. That gift? A mug that said that the three best reasons to become a teacher were none other than:

1. June

2. July

3. August

Funny, but I would argue perks, not reasons.

Now, even on about the earliest possible Labor Day, in a year we actually started later than normal, we already have a week and a half under our belt. Younger teachers probably think of the old Memorial Day to Labor Day summer similarly to old conversations about phones that were at one time attached to the wall. (It wasn't really that long ago)

I don't want to get too long-winded here, so I will simply state that Labor Day's roots stem from the late 1800s and the difficult conditions that workers (laborers) faced in many industries during the American Industrial Revolution. At that time, many laborers were working 7 days a week and up to 16 hours days, and there was a need for change. Labor Day is a day of rest from labor, a celebration and recognition of all the hard work that Americans do on a daily basis.

In honor of Labor Day, I am going to write quick this week.

SHOUTOUTS

Shoutout to Ms. Teresa Saul and her cheerleaders. For starters, it's a large squad this year, and they have worked hard throughout the summer to build comraderie and expectations. This past Thursday the squad went to the Colby Event Center for the annual Spirit Spreader. After a long day, they then had a study hall that evening. When I asked a few of the members about it the next day, several of them said that they got all of their work done. I love the concept.

Shoutout to Ms. Sharee Dempewolf the DC-Oberlin Economic Development and Chamber Executive Director. I appreciate the way that she has always thought of us. Last year she got me set up with the sound for Prom and helped our new teacher settle in with the help of the Economic Recruitment program that is offered through the Chamber. This year she is back at it helping other new staff, reaching out to inlcude us in the new unveiling of the band shell at the park, and working together with Ms. Saul to hopefully bring a YEC (Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge) to Oberlin later in the spring.

Shoutout to Ms. Tamera Rice for finishing her first week as a teacher in Oberlin. As a teacher, one of the big milestones is getting through that first week of school, and I was so impressed by how thorough she has been with each detail. I look forward to seeing what she can accomplish over the next few years.

Shoutout to Mr. Jesus Cepeda. Mr. Cepeda is our first ever teacher's apprentice, a program just started by the State this year. Watching him, you can tell that he is a natural, and his organization is way beyond what a first year teacher would be. He has showed poise and confidence, and his ability to communicate with our dual language students is an unbelievable asset. He has already shown his value in both the ESL and Spanish classrooms.

Shoutout to substitute teacher Jeanie Unger. Jeanie is one of the highly experienced and capable subs that Oberlin is lucky to have in our district. Jeanie has been working with both Mr. Cepeda and Ms. Rice as a mentor here at the beginning of the year. Jeanie enjoys being retired, and it was her desire to ensure that our Spanish program sustained and got off to a good start that prompted her to help.

Shoutout to TV usage. I know that sounds weird, but we added 7 new smart TVs to teacher classrooms this year, and the feedback has been positive. These TVs have several abilities. Aside from carrying their own computers inside, they can also be cast to, written on with the Stylus, and teachers can even take snap shots. If a teacher wanted to pull up notes, draw on them, and then save those notes as screenshot, they could them send them to students either in the class or at home. Brainstorming could be shared. The sky's the limit with these things.

Shoutout to Vo/AG teacher Mr. Jason Ketterl. I was fortunate to get around to several classes last week, but I ended up hanging around out in Mr. Ketterl's Animal Science class. It was a standard classroom setting, but I appreciated the communication that was taking place between students and teacher about various animal diseases and how they could affect farms. I was mainly impressed with the knowledge the students had and how engaged they were with the class.

Shoutout the football team. In this past weekend's Jamboree, the boys went undefeated. It's really more of a preaseason, and it doesn't count on the record, but this is an athletic team that is really hitting its stride. Coaches Breth and Hardwick are consistently communicating about the gameplans they have in store, and we have a large group of young men out there that promise to make it an exciting year.

Things You Should Know

Early Release

There will be Early Release Days from school on the first Wednesday of most months. Teachers will meet together in teams, and it will give them some much needed time to meet together in groups, work on data, and plan for the following month.

This Wednesday, September 4th, students will be released from DCHS at 12:00.

Online Pay Now Available (Please Pay School and Lunch Fees)

Last week, our online payment platform went live. Several of you began taking advantage. Please make sure that you have paid your student's enrollment fees and have added money to your student's lunch account.

All fees can be paid online with a credit card. You can still pay by cash, check, or credit card in person as well.

We will be sending out notifications soon to those familiest that still owe fees or need to add funds to a school lunch account.

School Messenger

This past week, you may have received a message from our new School Messenger system. Last year we were informed that our old communication system that relayed USD 294 info. via texts, calls and emails would cease to exist after this September.

We now have a new system that we will be using a new program called School Messenger. I am including a picture of the text that you may have recieived or may be receiving soon. You simply have to respond with the a capital Y. This will say that yes, you do want to receive notifications. These notifications are important for last second information such as school closings, changed bus routes, or sports' cancellations.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out, as it is a bit of a learning experience for us as well as we transition to a new system.

FastBridge Testing

This week, students at all levels will be taking the FastBridge universal screener test. The district started using FastBridge about three years ago, and we look to continue to use the data gathered to improve both instruction and achievement.

What is FastBridge? As a universal screener, FastBridge is a test that is taken 3 times a year, fall, winter, and spring. It is a combination of reading and math tests taken by students throughout the country. Whereas State Assessments compare students in Kansas and only include how well a student performs on content taught at grade level, a universal screener compares students to others throughout the country and measures their level across grades.

Upon completing the test this week and the closing of the testing window throughout the country, student results will be available, and each student will be identified as either advanced, on-track, some risk, or high risk.

Parents and students, it is important to discuss doing your best on these tests. Without top effort, it is very difficult to use the information to help our students and teachers improve in the appropriate ways. It's also possible that students would be identified as needing assistance when they don't.

I will speak more on FastBridge as the year goes on.

Attendance and Truancy Policy (Repeat Info.)

We are beginning the year, and I want to make sure that I get this out to everyone right away.

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 PowerSchool 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 students 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.