Homecoming week at DKHS is one of my favorite weeks of the year. Wildly busy, but so much positive energy in the building and tons of fun. Shout Out to our new Student Council Advisor, Ms. Bronkhorst for running a quality week of activities for staff and students. Lots of tradition she carried over from Ms Dinda, but also some new twists that have been fun. Hope to see you all at the parade, the football game, and other community events connected to Homecoming. We will crown our new King and Queen at halftime of tonight’s game against Saugatuck, and close things out with a semi-formal dance on Saturday night.
The PowderPuff Game was a closely contested game with the juniors winning 18-16. As good as the game was, the highlight might have been the halftime show from the guys. The Pink Out Theme for the day added to the environment and made for a great day of school spirit.
This week puts us at the halfway point of the first marking period at the HS. This counts for 40% of the semester one grades, so students should be focused on getting things turned in to get set up for success. To help with that, our Success Center will start next week. Success Center is free after-school tutoring and support for kids on a drop-in basis. This is available on Tuesday and Thursday from 3-5 PM. I encourage all kids to take advantage of this opportunity to complete work, redo labs, or get extra tutoring support from teachers.
Most of our kids are working really hard in the classroom, and that effort is bringing success. Teachers are going the extra mile to provide support and reteach concepts in new ways when students are struggling. We have a Student Success Team process that can be initiated by teachers, students, or parents for those who want to find solutions and work through any barriers that might be impacting student learning. Feel free to reach out to our guidance counselor, Mr. Vanhoose, to request an SST meeting.
Finally, as a point of Panther Pride, I want to recognize the huge number of students who have been giving back in a variety of ways this week. Just this morning, we had NHS and FFA kids volunteering their time to help with the Elementary Fun Run. Football players and cheerleaders continue to visit the elementary on Friday morning and greet kids at drop off. NHS kids tutoring math during AEP, students teaching their peers new skills in welding class. Student Council members who gave countless hours to this week’s Homecoming activities. The band and their time commitment to assemblies, the parade, the halftime show, and a weekend festival.
