Derby High School News

Join us in WELCOMING new members of the Derby Family! No matter how long ago or recent it was, every teacher will always remember their first classroom, their first students, their first grade-level partners, and their first, "First Day of School" at a new school. This year Derby High School welcomes a terrific group of teachers and staff to the Derby High School Family. They have a big year ahead of them and we are so happy they are starting their careers as part of the Derby Family!

Congratulations and welcome to:

• Oriana Camacho, Spanish
• Michael Einig, Social Studies
• John Juliano, Special Education

• Kyle McGinnis, Special Education

We also welcome the following aspiring educators who will be completing field placement and/or student teaching assignments with our dynamic mentors! A big shout-out goes to these great partnerships:

• Austin Harms (Physical Education), Southern CT State University, Mentor: Mrs. Carlin Ali
• Bruno Battaglia (Math), Southern CT State University, Mentor: Mr. Dave Chevarella
• Jenna Costanzo (Special Education) Grand Canyon University, Mentor: Mrs. Shelley Sheridan
  

Derby High School will host a Back to School/Meet the Teacher Night on THURSDAY September 12th from 6:00 - 8:00 PM. Doors will open at 5:45 pm. This program will be held in person with a remote option to provide parents/guardians greater flexibility and access. Our goal is to have every student represented at Open House. If you are unable to attend, we encourage you to please invite a grandparent, aunt, uncle, or other caring adult to attend. This is a tremendous opportunity to visit many classrooms and meet the teachers.

Our program will begin at 6 PM and families will follow "a day in the life of" their students. A bell will ring to start and end classes every 10 minutes and parents "switch" classes just like students do during the day.

• Period 1: 6:00 - 6:10
• Period 2: 6:15 - 6:25
• Period 3: 6:30 - 6:40
• Period 4: 6:45 - 6:55
• Period 5: 7:00 - 7:10
• Period 6: 7:15 - 7:25
• Period 7: 7:30 - 7:40
• All Staff Remote Login: 7:45 - 8:00

Our PTO and Red Raider Trading Post will have tables set up during Open House.

The schedule with links is attached below and will be posted on our website. We hope to see you there!! If you have any questions, please call 203-736-5032

The PowerSchool Parent Portal is now open, allowing families to complete their beginning-of-the-year forms online. To update your information, simply click on "RETURNING STUDENT REGISTRATION 24-25" at the bottom of the left panel. This will automatically update PowerSchool, so there's no need to call the school to update any contact information.

Setting Up Your Account for the First Time?

If you are setting up your account for the first time, please visit http://derby.powerschool.com and select the "Create Account" tab. You will be prompted to enter some parent information and then add your student(s) to your account using the webID credentials found on the sheet sent home in your student's Red Raider folder.

If you need another copy of the webID letter, please email Ms. Hoffman in our Guidance Office at jehoffman@derbyps.org, and she will send it to you. If you already have a Parent Portal account, you can add additional students using their credentials without setting up separate accounts for each child.

We are excited to kick off the 2024-2025 school year with our annual College and Career Readiness Presentations! As we move forward in the year many new and exciting events have been planned for students and families by our School Counseling Department.. We would like to formally invite our students and families to these events:

Upcoming College Planning

• Senior College Application & Financial Aid Presentation: ***Attention senior students/parents: You don’t want to miss this event! ** September 18 @6:00 pm. Join us for an informative evening dedicated to helping you and your student navigate the exciting journey ahead. Our Senior Parent Night will cover everything you need to know about college and career planning, from application tips to exploring career paths. Don't miss this opportunity to get expert advice and ensure your student is set up for success in their post-high school journey. Guest Speaker: Jessica Odlum, Director of The College Place.

• College Fair: October 9th (In School) Grades 9-12
  

• PSAT Day (Gr 9-11): October 24th (In School) Seniors will participate in a college/career planning activity.

In addition to these events, we are currently working with several colleges to secure Derby High School's "Instant Decision Day" which will be taking place in December. Last year we were proud to have 25 of our seniors participate in Instant Decision Day with Post University, University of New Haven, Quinnipiac University, Southern CT State University, Albertus Magnus College, University of Bridgeport, Central CT State University, Western CT State University, and University of Hartford. During this event, 100% of the participating seniors received one or more admission acceptance! Several students were also offered renewable merit scholarships on the spot ranging from $15-$25k with total scholarship offers over $200,000!

A lot is happening in the DHS School Counseling Department! Follow us on Twitter @DreamBigDHS for all updates, news, and announcements about academic advisement and post-secondary planning. #GO BIG RED!!

We are excited to announce that Derby High School partners with Epic Driving School in Ansonia to offer a comprehensive driver's education program for our students. This program came as a direct result of our students' efforts to bring a school-based program to Derby High School. This included lots of research, advocacy and presentations to the Board of Education, who supported this program. We are proud to have this program in place for our students.

Epic offers online classes for students to have flexibility and take classes in any order. Each one of the classes has an independent topic to give students the flexibility to:

• Start at any time (from any lesson)
• Take the classes in any order
• Build their program around their schedule
• Mix and match different times; weekdays or weekends.
• Finish as quickly as they want
• Take as much time as they need

DISCOUNTS: Epic offers a special price for DHS students. Our most popular programs are:

• Safe Driving, minimum mandatory program is typically $125 at the driving school and $99 at the high school.
• Full Teen Program, the most popular program which includes 30 hours of classroom instruction and 8 hours of private driving lessons. This program costs $595 at the driving school and $499 at the high school. We can pick-up and drop-off all students at the high school.
• Road Test @ our school, we offer DMV road tests at some of our locations allowing students to take the road test in a quieter environment.

For more information or to sign up, please call Epic Driving School at (203) 792-1333. The driving school will have a table set up during our Open House on September 19 and a representative will be here to answer questions.

We think DHS has a ton of school spirit and we want to show schools across the state that our student section at athletic events is the best! This year Derby High School will participate in the CIAC Battle of the Fans which rates schools on the best mix of creativity, school spirit, and sportsmanship in the student fan section!

Battle of the Fans is a competition designed to encourage positive fan behavior from school student sections and highlight the great things schools are doing to promote sportsmanship and supportive fan conduct.

The DHS Class Act Council will create Instagram Reels and TikTok videos to highlight the school’s commitment to sportsmanship, and school spirit. A committee appointed by CAS-CIAC will judge the submissions based on sportsmanship, school spirit, originality, and student section leadership. Three finalists will be chosen, and the CAS-CIAC team will visit each finalists’ school on a game night.

• WE NEED YOU AT GAMES!!
• 1st up is FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 13 @ 7 PM DHS Football vs. St. Paul HS
• THEME IS RED OUT!!!! Dress in red from head to toe and get ready to BE LOUD!

Check out our hype reel below from last spring's pep rally to be inspired!

Get ready! Start getting your game on with red color-coordinated clothing & accessories!

Get ready, Derby High School community! The excitement of Friday night lights is back, and we're kicking off the season with a great matchup you won't want to miss. On Friday, September 13th, at 7 PM, our Derby High Red Raiders will face off against St. Paul at DiFilippo Field.

This is more than just a game—it's a celebration of our school spirit, community pride, and the beginning of another unforgettable season of Derby High football and cheer! Whether you're a student, parent, alumni, or a supportive community member, we want you there, cheering on our team as they battle it out on the field.

Why You Should Be There:

• Support Our Players: Our athletes have been working hard all summer, and your presence in the stands means everything to them. Let’s show St. Paul what Derby pride looks like!

• School Spirit: Wear your red and white, bring your banners, and be ready to shout as loud as you can!

• Community Unity: Pop Warner Football players will join our team on the field for the walkout and will also run the concession stand. Additionally, the 2024 Athletic Hall of Fame Class will be introduced and honored at halftime. This is a fantastic opportunity to come together, reconnect with friends, make new ones, and celebrate the spirit of Derby.

Let’s fill the stands and create an atmosphere that our players will never forget. Be a part of the tradition, be a part of the excitement, and let’s start this season with a win!

See you at the game! Go Red Raiders!

SMILE! School Picture Day is coming to Derby High School on Monday, 9/16! All students and staff will have their photo taken for the yearbook and student ID badges, so dress to impress! If you would like to order a package you can access the order form here: www.mylifetouch.com CODE: EVT94QJX2. DHS Picture Day Absentees/Retakes will be held on Tuesday, November 12th

Fall Sports Photos will be taken on Thursday, September 19th on the field from 2:30 - 4:30 pm.

SENIORS who have not had their senior photos taken can schedule them now. Senior Portraits will be taken on Monday, September 30th by appointment only.

• Here is the link to schedule your appointment: https://schedule.prestigeportraits.com/schedule/home.html You can use the access code provided to you earlier from your English teacher, or the post card mailed to your home. If you do not have your personal access code, no worries, simply enter our school name and city to do a search. You will be prompted to enter your first/last name to schedule your appointment.

Don't miss out on the chance to have your picture taken! Your appointment will be dedicated just to you. You are able to bring a change of clothes and have multiple poses. Pictures will be taken indoors and outdoors (weather permitting). If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out. Congratulations, on this exciting milestone! Great things are waiting for you during your senior year!

Each year, Americans observe National Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15, by celebrating the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America. Derby High School will formally celebrate this event on Thursday, October 7th. Derby High School is proud to help bring attention to and celebrate our Hispanic and Latino students! This year 160/372 (43%) of students who call DHS home are Hispanic or Latino.

We will assemble a committee of students who would like to help plan this event with faculty advisors. In addition to learning about the culture, we will look to include music, dance, art, activities, and food that are a large part of the Hispanic and Latino cultures. If you are interested in participating, please email Mr. Salazar fsalazar@derbyps.org or Ms. Camaco ocamacho@derbyps.org.

From: Kimberly Tovar, PTO President

I wanted to send this message out to welcome you to the 24/25 DHS PTO school year. I am incredibly excited to come together with all of you to make this PTO school year super successful for all of the kids. For those of you who do not know me, my name is Kimberly Tovar, this school year's PTO President.

The PTO sponsors many fundraisers and events throughout the year. The three biggest events are the annual teacher appreciation celebration, Jr/Sr Safe Post-Prom event, and 11 scholarships presented to graduating seniors. Parents and school staff are welcome to volunteer to help in one or all of our fundraisers or consider a family/staff sponsorship.

We invite you to stop by the PTO table during the DHS Open House to get information and express interest in joining us. If you are unable to attend, or have questions in the meantime, please do not hesitate to reach out by emailing dhsptopride@gmail.com

Monday 9/9

• DHS/DMS X-Country Ziti & Meatball Fundraiser @ DHS Cafe 5:00 - 6:30 pm (Tickets $15 & available at the door) Menu includes salad, ziti, meatballs, rolls, cookies & drinks
• Boys Soccer @ Woodland 3:45 pm
• Girls Soccer vs. Wolcott @ 6:00 pm (Come cheer @ home!)

Tuesday 9/10

• Boys/Girls X-Country vs Oxford, WCA & Wolcott @ Home 4:00 PM (Come cheer @ home!)
  
• Girls Volleyball vs Naugatuck: JV @ 4:45 pm/Varsity @ 6:00 pm (Come cheer @ home!)
  

Wednesday 9/11

• Boys Soccer vs. St. Paul @ 6:00 pm (Come cheer @ home!)
  
• Girls Soccer @ St. Paul @ 6:00 pm

Thursday 9/12

• Girls Volleyball @ Crosby: JV @ 4:45pm/Varsity @ 6 pm
• Girls Soccer vs Seymour 3:00 (Come cheer @ home!)

Friday 9/13

• DHS Fall Pep Rally!
• Early Dismissal @ 11:25 am *All student-athletes must go home and return for their practices and/or games.
• Boys Soccer @ WCA @ 3:45 pm
  
• Football HOME OPENER! vs St. Paul's 7:00 pm (Come cheer @ home!)

We are here for you if you need to help! The main office is open from 7:15 - 3:30 PM.

Principal Mrs. Jennifer Olson jolson@derbyps.org

Assistant Principal: Mr. Ray Coplin rcoplin@derbyps.org

Freshman Academy Coordinator: Ms. Gabby Delgado gdelgado@derbyps.org

Admin Assistant: Mrs. Angela Lillemoe alillemoe@derbyps.org

Guidance Secretary: Ms. Jennylee Hoffman jehoffman@derbyps.org

School Counselor: Mr. Brian Nutcher bnutcher@derbyps.org

School Counselor: Mrs. Jennifer Ostrosky jostrosky@derbyps.org

School Social Worker: Mrs. Nichole McKitty nmckitty@derbyps.org

School Social Worker: Ms. Gretchen Marino gmarino@derbyps.org

School Nurse: Mrs. Erin Gregoire, RN egregoire@derbyps.org

Special Education Supervisor: Mrs. Brigitta Abakumova babakumova@derbyps.org

Athletic Director: Ms. Jennifer Moffat jmoffat@derbyps.org

Jen Olson

Principal

Derby High School

#GoBigRed!

Email: jolson@derbyps.org
Website: https://www.derbypride.org
Location: 75 Chatfield Street, Derby, CT, USA
Phone: 203-516-4073
Twitter: @DerbyRedRaider