Denmark Digest

Danes,

It is difficult to imagine that we are at the end of the semester, but here we are. Students are gearing up for midterms and are preparing for their semester breaks. I have spoken to students about finishing strong and taking advantage of Dane Times sessions where teachers offer make-up and extra help sessions. I have included the midterm schedule below for your convenience.

Please know that students are in school until December 20th. The offices will be closed starting on December 21 - January 2nd. If you need any forms from the school, please let us know before December 20th.

I hope that all of you enjoy these last few weeks before the semester break. We have many amazing things happening on campus, but I want to specifically invite you to our performance of Jekyll and Hyde that begins this weekend. It is going to be spectacular with our performing arts students. This is the same group of students who won Best of Forsyth last year for live theater. It is a show that you do not want to miss. I will be at both Saturday performances if you want me to save you a seat!😃

As always, thank you for entrusting us with your students. It's a Great Day to Be a Dane!

Looking forward to seeing you soon!

Go Danes!

Kim Oliver

Please provide feedback to us through completing the Georgia Department of Education's School Climate Survey for Parents/Guardians.

Click HERE for the survey. The survey should take about ten minutes.

Midterms begin on Tuesday, December 17th and conclude Friday, December 20th. We do not allow students to take midterms early due to test security reasons and because teachers are completing review activities that will enable students to be better prepared for midterms. Should a student miss a midterm, the makeup day is Friday, January 3rd at 9:30 AM.

We highly encourage our families NOT to plan trips on midterm exam dates. Midterms cannot be administered early, and making them up after the long break does not set students up for optimal success. Thank you in advance for planning accordingly.

• Tuesday, December 17
• Wednesday, December 18
• Thursday, December 19
• Friday, December 20

Our students are having a contest to see which grade can bring in the most food. This competition is among the classes with the winning class receiving a cookies and milk party. Last year, the junior class (our current seniors) won this contest. Can any class defeat them?

We enjoyed celebrating our Students of the Month with a breakfast and short ceremony. Please click HERE for the complete slideshow.

These students were so appreciative of the opportunity to be recognized!

24-25 Student Calendar

25-26 Student Calendar

Love to capture memories through photos but don't ever have them printed? Now DHS is offering a photobook service through our new partner, Fusion Photobooks! The very first layflat album for capturing and commemorating your journey. Imagine all the possibilities where memories come to life in vibrant detail; where every milestone, every achievement, and every shared moment is preserved for generations to come. Start creating your photobook TODAY! Click HERE to order! Holiday gifts should be placed by December 15 to ensure production time / delivery. Orders can be made all year around - Graduation, Birthdays, Mother's Day, Anniversaries, and more!

DHS Performing Arts Will Receive a Portion of the Proceeds from Each Sale.

For the first time in school history, one of our cross country teams wins a state championship. Congratulations to our Boys Cross Country Team for their first GHSA State Championship!

We are proud of our Competition Cheerleaders for their performance in Macon that earned them third place in the GHSA 6A State Championship!

These Cheerleaders were also the Region and Sectional Champions!!

Congratulations to our Flag Football Team for winning the Regional Championship. We host State Playoffs this Thursday @ home. We hope you can join us!

Congratulations to our Unified Flag Football Team for ending their season with an amazing home scrimmage this past Tuesday. Special Thanks to Patrick Coffield for refereeing the game! Special Olympics Unified Sports® is an initiative that combines approximately equal numbers of Special Olympics athletes and athletes without intellectual disabilities (called Partners) on sports teams for training and competition. Our Athletes and Partners practice weekly from September until November, then start up in the spring again. Denmark High School is so proud to participate in these games with our Athletes with the support from our Partners.

Congratulations to Ms. Hand who is our Teacher of the Month. Ms. Hand uses many innovative strategies to engage students in AP Human Geography.

Please join us on a special night to see all of our talented students and staff! The money raised will support Unicef!

We have a wonderful partnership with our PTSO who supports staff and students throughout the year. Please consider joining this amazing organization. Click HERE for membership information and to join PTSO.

Check Outs:

Check ins and check outs to school occur through our attendance office. Students are not permitted to simply leave campus; all students must go through the attendance office when leaving campus outside of their regular dismissal times. Please note, students are not permitted to check out after 3:15 PM.

Drop Off Before School / Pick Up After School:

Parents must drop off students in front of the main entrance both before and after school. This year, we ask that you arrive no earlier than 3:00 PM to pick up your student after school in the car rider line. During dismissal, if your child is not physically present when you arrive in the pickup line, you will be directed to circle back around the parking lot to keep traffic moving and minimize congestion.

Drop Off of Items / Deliveries:

Parents are NOT allowed to drop off any items for students, with the exception of prescription medication that is housed in our clinic or eye glasses that students need.

Payment for Lunch Accounts:

We ask that all parents set up an account with MYSCHOOLBUCKS.COM.

if you have not already done so. We prefer online payment in lieu of cash whenever possible.

Transportation for students enrolled in FVA / GAVS Part Time, Dual Enrollment, and/or IE2:

Students who are enrolled in FVA / GAVS part-time, Dual Enrollment, and/or IE2, and come to Denmark HS for some of their classes, MUST enter the building through the front doors only. To ensure the safety and well-being of all Denmark HS students, we ask that all students in this situation arrive no earlier than 5 minutes prior to the start of their first in-person class on Denmark’s campus.

The Sources of Strength focus of November and December is Gratitude & Generosity - The Ripple Effect. This campaign is designed to inspire students to practice gratitude and generosity, emphasizing how small acts of kindness and appreciation can create a ripple effect throughout the school.

We have placed gratitude trees in the main hallway for students to "Leaf a note of gratitude. Take an apple of joy.". The students have loved gathering at lunch and looking at all the responses. We will be releasing a social media challenge when we return to school in December and pushing out the last call for all our schools December giving drives. Don't forget to look out for our clubs Giving Drives for opportunities to give back this December!

College Visits

Friday, December 6th– Lunch- Marines

Wednesday, December 11th– Lunch- Navy

The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) is a multiple-aptitude battery that measures developed abilities and helps predict future academic and occupational success in the military. It is administered annually to more than one million military applicants, high school, and post-secondary students. We are excited to offer ASVAB testing to students who may be interested in entering the military in the future.

Join us for one of six shows December 6, 7, 12, 13, 14 at 7pm and December 8 at 3pm.

We are offering a Student Ticket Special for $10! This is an ONLINE ONLY deal for students ages 18 and under. Student tickets at the door are $15. Secure your seat early as this is a show you don't want to miss. Visit our website to purchase yours TODAY - www.denmarkperformingarts.com. Follow us on Instagram @denmarkperformingarts or Facebook @denmarkperformingarts for the latest show news, videos, backstage interviews and more! December 14th is when the show will be adjudicated for the Georgia High School Musical Theater Awards (Shuler Awards) and we want to pack the house. Let's Go Danes!

Please click HERE for our DHS Fine Arts Newsletter for December. It includes highlights and upcoming event details.

Ready for the holidays? Support Denmark Performing Arts by purchasing your fresh wreaths, garland, centerpieces, and more! These make great gifts and will be shipped for you! DPA earns 15% of each order and your holiday list just got a lot shorter! Click HERE to order online or use the QR code provided. Thank you for your support of the arts!

Congratulations to Sara, Ethan, Maya, Hannah, Bradan, and Dylan who will continue their athletic journeys next year in college. Dane proud of these student athletes!

Congratulations to our Flag Football Seniors! These athletes have won Back to Back Region Championships!

Mountain Bike Team at Denmark HS Wraps Up Its 2024 Season

By Coach Jonathon Kent
Denmark High School Mountain Bike Team Coach

“Mountain Bike Team? I didn’t know there was a mountain bike team.” That’s usually the reaction I get when I tell people that we have a mountain bike team at the high school. It’s a club, not a GHSA sport, so it doesn’t get the same recognition as the major sports. The Georgia Cycling Association governs the sport statewide, and all the participants are middle and high schoolers. There are 80 teams with over 1,100 athletes riding and racing their way through local trail systems across the state. You can find the Denmark Danes Mountain Bike Team riding at Matt Park, Charleston Park, and Big Creek Trails during the week. On the weekends, we make treks out to the North Georgia mountains, including Yonah, Rope Mill, Blankets Creek, and Talking Rock Preserve. It truly is an adventure sport.

Since our inception in 2021, we’ve climbed as high as 3rd and 2nd place in the state. We’ve consistently had a competitive group of riders that made those high-placing races very exciting to watch and be a part of. Each year, as our seniors graduate, we send off our strongest riders—some to ride at the collegiate level and others who return to help coach our younger athletes coming through the program. And the races are just pure fun for the kids. Hundreds of riders from other schools gather in a fair-like setting with tents, music, food, and friends. The kids love it—and I think the coaches do too.

Our athletes this year included 7 riders from the high school and 2 riders from the middle school.

• Hailey N. – Junior - 3rd in the state 2024 Varsity. 1st in the state 2022-2023. MVP award. Varsity letter.
• Jack L. – Senior – 13th in the state Varsity. Great Dane Award, Varsity letter.
• Finn L. – Sophomore – 25th in the state JV2. Varsity letter.
• Brennan S. – Sophomore – Varsity letter. Scholar Athlete award.
• Aaron S. – Sophomore - Most Improved Rider
• Jake G – Senior
• Devin E. – Sophomore – Unsung Hero Award
• Grayson S. – 8th grade
• Nick J. – 8th grade

Paul Lawler is our head coach. He plans all the practices and determines what each rider should accomplish. He pretty much runs the show, and all the coaches and riders are better for it. As a seasoned and competitive rider himself, you’ll always see him sharing his high expectations with the team in true head-coach fashion.

His wife, Amanda, takes care of everything behind the scenes—organizing race setups with food and drinks, managing uniform orders, T-shirts, the banquet, and a myriad of other things. She is second to none.

Steven and Nathan Krsulic are a father-son coaching duo. Nathan graduated last year as our top rider and stayed around to help coach the team. He has competed nationwide and is an incredible talent. Steven, an avid rider, ensures everything gets to our races for setup. They have both been invaluable.

I, Jonathon Kent, am a teacher at Denmark and have been cycling since I was a kid. I just love being in the woods, riding trails and helping kids reach their potential.

If you or someone you know is interested in being part of our team as a rider or a coach, please email us at denmark.mtb@gmail.com. We would love you have you as part of our team.

Follow us at @denmarkhs.mtb on Instagram

Please see the Midterm Schedule below. We wanted to share this schedule as early as possible in the event that you are planning to travel over the semester break. Please note: students are not permitted to take midterms early.

Leadership For Teens: Free Trial Class!

As we prepare for our Spring 2025 semester, we invite you to experience the benefits of our Leadership for Teens class firsthand. Don’t miss this opportunity—join us for a free trial class!

Sign up now at: www.frolific.com/free-trial-class

Please click HERE for the 2024 - 2025 bell schedule.