Deer Park will be hosting a "transition fair" for parents and students on the 22nd of March in the Deer Park High School Library from 5:30 to 7:30pm.  This evening session is designed to give parents an opportunity to hear what type of services are available for students with special needs outside of the school setting. Special emphasis will be placed on making a positive transition into post-school life, including: vocational training, employment opportunities, independent living, etc.

Informational flyers will be sent home with students, but can also be accessed using the following link - TRANSITION RESOURCE FORUM.  We would love to have you attend and join us in exploring the various opportunities available your children!

The DPHS boys basketball team headed off for the state tournament at the Yakima Sundome on Wednesday - it's been 10 years since their last visit to the State Tournament, and they were hoping to open up with a victory that has eluded the Stags for 55 years...yes, 55 years.  Scott Carlson, athletic director at DPHS, reported that the daily flier handed out at the state tournament contained the following:  "Deer Park has gone longest of the teams in this tournament without playing at state.  Their last appearance was in 2000.  The Stags haven't won a state tournament game since March 3, 1955, beating Palouse 77-68.  Their only other win came in the opening game of the 1932 state tournament, a 2-0 forfeit win over Onalaska.  Deer Park has lost 13 consecutive state tournament games.  It has been 55 years since that 1955 win . . .maybe."

Sweeping aside 55 years of history, the Stags rose to the occasion and defeated Wapato in a 64 - 58 victory!  The team now seeks a second state tournament victory as they play on Thursday night at 5:30 in a quarterfinal match-up against Lynden.  If you can't make the trip, but still want to catch the game, just use the following link on Thursday night at 5:30 - LISTEN LIVE

This past Saturday in Bellevue seven Deer Park DECA Students received medals with four qualifying for National DECA Competition in Louisville, Kentucky in late April.  The medal recipients were:

Barret Cook - Accounting Applications
Drew Adams - Marketing Management Services
Courtney Robbins - Apparel and Accessories

Community Service Project - 4TH PLACE in STATE & National Competitors
Rashai Henry
Courtney Robbins
Bailee Jacka
Cynnea Schreibman

Congratulations to these students! The future is certainly bright for Deer Park DECA.  Of the 22 students who competed at state competition this past weekend, 14 were either Freshman or Sophomores.  They represented our school and community proudly.

Congratulations as well to DECA advisor Dennis Matson and his assistant Chris Snyder.

Roger Hunter, Mission Director for the Kepler Mission at Ames Research Center in Pasadena, CA. is coming to present to students at Arcadia Elementary on Friday, March 5th.  Kepler is NASA's project dedicated to searching the earth's region of the Milky Way for other life forms (that is, looking for planets where liquid water might exist on the surface).  In his role as Mission Director, Mr. Hunter is leading a team of 7 scientists in the use of NASA's one ton telescope - dubbed "the Kepler Instrument."  Launched last March, this telescope takes wide-field pictures of space every 30 minutes looking for possible life-sustaining planets.  If you're interested in reading more about the Kepler project and its mission CLICK HERE.

In National Geographic Magazine's December issue, they featured the Kepler Project - the article gives a excellent description of what the Kepler Mission is all about (CLICK HERE for fascinating reading about this interesting endeavor).  Additionally, Kepler won this year’s Popular Science Grand Prize award for Best of What’s New for Aviation and Space.

We're excited to have Mr. Hunter visit Deer Park and can't wait to hear more about this incredible mission.

Deer Park High School Drama will perform All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten Feb. 24, 26 & 27 (Wed. Fri. & Sat.) at 7 p.m. at Arcadia Elementary.

Adapted by Ernest Zulia and based on the book of the same name by Robert Fulghum, this play features several small stories.  It takes a funny, insightful and heartwarming look at what is profound in everyday life. The stories showcase colorful characters such as: a shy little boy who insists on playing the "pig" in his class production of "Cinderella" and steals the show; a "mother of the bride" who brilliantly orchestrates the perfect wedding until fate rolls down the aisle; and a quiet survivor of Auschwitz illustrating the difference between a problem and an inconvenience. The play also -  while not a musical – is considered a play with music, having some songs in it.

Twenty students started rehearsals before winter break and have been busy memorizing lines and working on character portrayal under the direction of Cheryl Demke.

Due to construction at the high school, this will be the only play DPHS Drama Club puts on this school year. The group is looking forward to opening the new theatre next fall with William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream.

All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten tickets cost $5 for adults and $3 for students at the door.

Congratulations to the Deer Park High School wrestling team ... three time state 2A champions!

On Saturday night DPHS won the 2009-10 State 2A Wrestling championship with 150 points.  Pre-tournament favorite, W.F. West High School of Chehalis was second.  

Freshman Jake Konzal (103) was Deer Park's lone individual state champion, defeating fellow freshman Cole Harris, also of Deer Park.  Finishing in second place along with Harris were senior Blake Adams (119), Billy Rhoads (140), and Shaun Burton (275).  Two Stags, sophomore Dylan Miller (152) and senior Ammon Collins (189) finished third.  Sophomore Jason Jorgensen (145) scored in the tournament, but did not place.  Freshman Jesse Molina (112), junior Joe Hilpert (130) and senior Austin Bast (189) also competed at state.

Congratulations to Coach Matt Jorgensen and his outstanding wrestlers.

• 5:30-6:00 pm - Corn dog dinner & check-in
• 5:45-7:00 pm - Math games and activities
• 7:00 pm - Door prizes & estimation jars awarded - (2nd graders have a candy jar in their classroom. The student who most closely estimates how many candies are in the jar, will win the jar. The student must be present to win).

In 1958, Dr. Irving Fradkin asked for one dollar from each person to establish community-based scholarship support for local students. Eleanor Roosevelt donated the first dollar to Dr. Fradkin’s effort, which soon became the model for local chapters of “Dollars for Scholars.”

Now Deer Park Dollars for Scholars will ask for community support for local scholarships. From February 6 to 21, 2010, participating Deer Park businesses will have Hearts “for sale” for your $1 donations: Rosauers, Hagen’s Hometown Hardware, Ace Hardware, Zips, Classic Café, and others.

This is the eighth year of the “Dollars for Scholars Hearts” fund raising project.  Over the last eight years, and thanks to generous donors, Deer Park Dollars for Scholars has been funding scholarships for local students since 2001. The Deer Park High School Class of 2009 scholarship recipients received over $14,000 from Deer Park Dollars for Scholars’ donors.

The donors offering scholarship awards to 2010 graduating DPHS students are: Deer Park Auto Freight, Providence Holy Family Foundation through the E & M Braun Endowment Fund, Don Meyer Memorial Fund, Matthew F. Hjelm Memorial Fund, Deer Park Education Association, North Country Organic Gardeners, Deer Park Rotary Club, Tri-County Driving School, Eickmeyer Farms Fund, Deer Park School District Staff, and Friends of Deer Park Library, totaling over $12,000.

Contact Bill or Flo Moore at 276-7070 or email moore3@ix.netcom.com for further information.

On Wednesday, February 10th, we had just over 500 families participate in our SchoolMessenger phone survey - we sincerely appreciate the participation and feedback regarding access to and use of technology.  We were able to get some valuable insight from this survey.

We are continually looking for ways to use technology to increase communication with families and thus, we are interested learning more about the level of computer and Internet access in homes of Deer Park students.  The information we gathered will play an important role in the development of our district's next three year technology plan - to be completed in the month of April.

If you are interested in seeing the results of the survey, just click the "Read More" link in the lower right corner!

Friday, February 12 and Monday, February 15, are non-student days in the Deer Park School District.  Friday was a built in snow day (not of much use this year!!) and Monday is President's Day.

We apologize for the incorrect listing of February 16 as a non-student day in our newsletter.  We will be back in school on the 16th.

Have a wonderful weekend.