Decatur County Community High School
605 E Commercial St, Oberlin, KS 67749
May 5, 2024 (Schedule at the bottom, Skip What You Want)
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Senior parents,
This week is primarily for you. I want to simply focus on some numbers, numbers that look large on paper, and at one time probably seemed like an eternity. Each of these numbers started at 1, and they began in August of 2011, as your student was about to start kindergarten.
2,262
One August long ago, you said goodnight to your young child knowing that tomorrow was their first day of school. I have experienced that emotion personally, and I know how exciting and terrifying that first day and the night's sleep before the first day of my childs school life were for me. Will they make friends? Will they be sad? Will someone love them as much as I do? Over the course of your child's public education career, there are approximately 2,262 times that you will have said goodnight to your student going to school the next day.
16,965
There are approximately 16,965 hours that your student was in school. Those first few that first day probably seemed to last an eternity, but eventually, they became regular old hours, many of them even wished away. It must have felt like there was still so much time left. What would we parents give to be able to go back relive a few of those hours?
1,017,900 & 61,074,000
The first number is approximately how many minutes and the second is how many seconds your child spent at school. These numbers (in the millions) seem like forever. Give me those numbers and I feel I have all the time in the world, and many years, months, days, hours, minutes, and seconds to enjoy parenthood.
4
2,262 is now down to 4. Perhaps you are reading this tonight , perhaps tomorrow, but as I write this final message of the year, there are 4 last "goodnights" before sending your child to school, 4 last "goodnights" left of childhood, for isn't the end of high school the ultimate celebration of truly becoming an adult?
Senior parents, I know that many of you would tell me that 61,074,000 is a number that can actually fly by. I thank each and every one of you for being a part of the community and for choosing DCHS as the place where your kids would spend that big 61,074,000.
Shoutout to Ms. Janee Davis and her 8th grade history students. Over the past two years, Ms. Davis has taught these students Geography, Kansas History, and U.S. History through the 1800s. It has been great watching them tand seeing their various projects on the walls or in the hallways. This past Friday they went to the Dwight D. Eisenhower Museum in Abiline, KS. The students were up early and on the bus around 6:00. It was a great way to cap off two years of history.
Shoutout to Mrs. Marcela Arenas. Mrs. Arenas was an exchange student at DCHS several years ago. She met our current paraprofessional Mr. Erickson while they were in school. Earlier in the school year, the two were married, and Mrs. Arenas moved back to Oberlin. This past week, she went on the field trip with Ms. Davis and the 8th graders, and she has been volunteering for several months at the school, primarily working with our ELL (English Language Learner) students. She comes to school with a positive attitude every day, and she has been a blessing to several of our students.
Shoutout to Mr. Jason Ketterl and his FFA students. Once again, Mr. Ketterl and his students volunteered their time to help assist. On Monday and Tuesday it was helping to feed OES and DCHS when Decatur Beef gave us all a free meal. Friday, it was back to the grill as students were helping with OES lunch during their Fun Day.
Shoutout to Mrs. Iris Mastin, district secretary. This past Wednesday night, the district hosted an annual Staff Appreciation Banquet. Iris did a great job of arranging the meal, the venue, the decorations, and the gifts. It was a great evening that was enhanced by everything that she did.
Shoutout to the following staff members for hitting a variety of service milestones this year.
Libby Fort: ELA - 5 Years
Brad Persinger: Band - 5 Years
Trevor Williams: History - 15 Years
Kathy Almquist: ELA/Spanish/Paraprofessional - 20 Years
Gail Cathcart: Paraprofessional - 20 Years
Vicki Leitner: Paraprofessional - 25 Years
Gina Witt: Math - 25 Years
Shoutout to all of the workers that made their way over to Norton this past Tuesday for the Oberlin Home Invitational track Meet. It was definitely a unique experience to have a "home" invitational 30 minutes away, but it went well with the assistance of many. Thank you to all, and a second shoutout to Mr. Gehring for pulling it all together.
Shoutout to Mr. and Mrs. Brooke and Kyle Breth and their newborn son Bryar Lynn Breth. Mr. Breth has had quite a few big changes in the past month as he brings home child #2 and takes on his new role as DCHS head basketball coach. I am very excited and very happy for the Breths, and I look forward to seeing and hearing the new generation of "Breth Boys" around the halls of DCHS! Congratulations, Breth family!
All You Need to Know About Graduation and Surrounding Events?
1. When is Graduation? Graduation is set for Saturday, May 11th at 2:00 PM sharp. Doors open at 1:00 PM.
2. Where is Graduation? Graduation will be held in the DCHS Gymnasium.
3. When is the last day of class for Seniors? The last day of class for Seniors is Wednesday, May 8th.
4. When is Graduation rehearsal? Graduation rehearsal is set for Thursday, May 9th at 9:00 am. Students will turn in all items, pay all fees, walk in caps and gowns through the OES hallways, and be served pizza after rehearsal. Students are dismissed after lunch.
5. Other Important Items: Seniors and parents should expect a letter with important information regarding Graduation early this week. Here are important dates to plan for.
Awards Program - Wednesday, May 8th at 2:30 in the DCHS Auditorium.
Baccalaureate - Wednesday, May 8th at 7:00 in the DCHS Auditorium.
Jaden Capuzzo
Jaden is the daughter of Fred and Donna. He has 11 siblings but he lives with his sister Sophia who is in 8th grade and brother Noah who is a Freshman.
Jaden was crowned Prom King.
He isn’t certain what his future looks like but his goal is to get a job and make money as fast as he can.
Sports he has participated in throughout high school here at DCHS are football, track, and basketball.
He is thankful for the friendships he has made in such a short time. He will miss his friends and sports but he is looking forward to getting his own house.
He loves sushi and chocolate milk and gaming with his buddies.
Best wishes for your future, Jaden!
Shakira Cook
Shakira is the daughter of Todd and Crystal Cook. She has three older brothers Dakota, Quinton, and the late Corey Cook.
She is planning on going to Kansas State to study Innovation in Digital Media.
She is excited about graduating and moving out, but she will miss getting to talk with her friends every day at school and seeing Mrs. Scott.
This year she was in volleyball, track, shooting sports, D-club, and NHS.
“Don’t worry so much about what others think and make friends outside of your class.”
Shakira loves pumpkin pie, cranberry Sprite, and painting.
Reid Fort
Reid is the son of Elizabeth Fort.
Reid plans on going to NCK Tech at Hays for Construction and Carpentry in the fall.
Reid was crowned Homecoming King and was involved with Student Council, Football, and Wrestling.
He is very thankful for his mother and is going to miss seeing his friends every day.
He loves chocolate milk, macaroni and cheese, and playing video games. He is very excited to meet new people.
Good luck in Hays, Reid!
Ana Freeman
Ana is the daughter of Danielle Wasson and Todd Freeman. She has two older siblings, Eryn Freeman and Gavin Wasson.
She plans on going to Chadron State to major in business and also be on the cheer squad!
This year she was involved with Volleyball, Basketball, Cheer, Track, and NHS and she was Homecoming Queen in the fall.
She is excited to live on her own and meet new people.
Good luck at Chadron next year, Ana!
Cheyanna Hale
Cheyanna is the daughter of Byron and Jean Hale.
She plans on going to Colby Community College to join their nursing program and eventually further her career to become a pediatric nurse.
She is very involved in school; Band, Singers, Speech, Drama Club, the spring play, musical, scholars bowls, and even plays piano.
She is most excited about becoming financially stable and starting a family of her own. Cheyanna is also looking forward to meeting new friends in college and doing activities in Colby.
She is very thankful for her friends and family.
The advice she has for younger classmates is “Try everything you can. There are a ton of fun clubs and activities you can do.”
Her favorite food is sushi and she enjoys working on diamond art puzzles.
Taylor Ketterl
Taylor is the daughter of Anita Weber and Spencer Ketterl. She has two older siblings, Shawn Baker and Ryan Ketterl.
In the fall she plans on going to FHSU to study finance.
This year she was involved with volleyball, basketball, and NHS.
She is excited to have more freedom and also “be able to make decisions for myself and complete all the goals I have as an adult.”
She is thankful for all the opportunities that our school has for learning and being able to do college classes in high school.
She is going to miss how easy school is and her cousin Makadyn.
Good luck in your future endeavors, Taylor!
Jerrit Koerperich
Jerrit is the son of Don and Katie Koerperich. He has three older siblings; Joseph, Jaiden, and Jessica.
Jerrit starts college at Missouri Welding Institute in July and after 4 and a half months, he will graduate and go weld on the pipeline to be a travel welder.
He played basketball this year and he will miss being around his friends here at school and the ones he has had for a lifetime.
“Do your homework and don’t miss out on all the fun things high school offers.”
He is so very excited to get his diploma and finally be an adult.
He enjoys riding his dirt bike and hanging out with his friends.
Your future is bright, Jerrit!
Tony Kuhlman
Tony is the son of Windy Kuhlman. He has an older brother Jack, and a younger brother Dillon who is a Sophomore.
In the Fall he is going to Southeast Community College in Milford Nebraska to be a John Deere Technician.
He has been in Singers since his sophomore year.
Some advice he has for younger classmen is “Don’t get behind in class it only gets harder, but more importantly, stay positive.”
He is thankful for his family and his girlfriend.
He loves tacos and enjoys working on cars.
“Don’t let the past hold you down, learn from your mistakes and move on to become a better person.”
Good luck in Milford this August, Tony!
Addison Mathews
Addison is the daughter of Melissa and Kris Mathews. She is the oldest of three children. She has a brother who is in 8th grade, RJ, and a sister who is in 6th grade, Harper.
Addie plans on attending Carl Sandburg in Illinois and majoring in Psychology. She also is on a full-ride scholarship for both Music and Volleyball.
She is involved in singers and volleyball and even went to All-State KMEA.
Addie is very excited to get out of town and see the world.
“Everyone will criticize you for doing the right or wrong thing, so live your life the way you want. I am thankful for all of my supporters, but I am even more thankful for the people who told me I couldn’t do something because that made me want to succeed even more.”
Goodluck at Carl Sandburg, Addie!
Adam McNabb
Adam is the son of Amanda McNabb. Adam has three younger siblings, Aven, Vada, and Vyla.
After High School, he plans on enrolling in Minford, Nebraska for a two-year college program starting in January of 2025 to be a John Deere Mechanic.
Adam is very excited about meeting new people and seeing what is in store for him after school.
“Never get behind on your school work because if you get too far behind you cannot get caught back up.”
Adam is thankful for family, friends, teachers, and everybody else who has been there for him since he first arrived.
He enjoys Pink Brisk tea with pizza and playing video games.
Good luck in Milford, Adam!
Katrina Neal
Katrina is the daughter of Kendal and Tammy Neal. She has a younger brother who is a Sophomore here at DCHS, Jimmy.
She plans on attending Colby Community College to pursue vet nursing. She is so excited about knowing all of the possibilities her future holds.
“Everything will be okay. There was a time in my life where the decisions I thought I made would hurt me and the future I had planned for myself, but it works out with time.”
Katrina is very thankful for all the people who have helped her find success and find the journey that led her to where she is today.
She enjoys working with her animals and also loves working in the woodshop.
She is going to miss all her friends and classmates but is looking forward to graduating from college and finding a great job.
Good luck in Colby, Katrina!
Kamryn Oien
Kamryn is the daughter of Brandon and Alicia Oien. She has one brother, Koen, who is a Sophomore.
In the fall Kamryn plans on going to KSU to dual major in kinesiology and integrative physiology. After that, she plans on earning her DPT (Doctor of Physical Therapy) at the University of Kansas.
She is so excited to meet new people and learn more, but she will miss doing high school sports and her 8th hour with Mrs. Scott as that is her favorite class.
This year she was involved with volleyball, basketball, track, NHS, StuCo, and Scholars Bowl.
She is very thankful for her family and friends. She loves chicken alfredo and Dr. Pepper and her favorite hobbies are reading, crocheting, and walking dogs.
Good Luck at KSU, Kamryn!
Jace Ostmeyer
Jace is the son of Matt and Kristy Ostmeyer. He has two younger brothers, Tyler and Braden.
After he graduates high school he plans to continue to work for his dad at Culligan.
This year Jace was involved with Football and Basketball.
“Enjoy your childhood and high school years, it goes by very quickly.”
He is very thankful for his mom and dad for teaching him all about life, and he is also very thankful for his grandparents.
Jace is going to miss making shop and art projects but is looking forward to going to the lake and camping, boating, and kayaking this summer.
His favorite food is pizza and Root Beer. He also enjoys taking his dog, Bandit, on walks, watching movies, and camping in the summer.
Hope you have a great future Jace!
Parker Stragey
Parker is the son of Kristin and Glen Stragey.
After highschool, he plans on attending Salina Tech to be in their electrical technology program.
He is excited to get school over with.
“Don’t wait until the last second to do your English!”
Parker will miss seeing his friends everyday but is looking forward to finally finishing school.
He loves steak and reading.
Good luck in Salina, Parker!
Terence Wahrman
Terence is the son of Eric and Jessica Wahrman.
In the fall he plans on going to Fort Hays and getting a bachelor's degree in criminal justice, then joining the police force.
He is excited about pursuing his dreams of becoming a police officer and then hopefully becoming a detective.
“Don’t wait till your senior year to go out for the musical and the play. I waited till my senior year to go out for the musical and the play and I honestly regret not doing them years prior.”
Terence is currently participating in Singers and Band.
He is very thankful for all of his friends and family who helped me along the way.
Good luck in Hays, Terence!
Maci Weigel
Maci is the daughter of Jim Weigel and the late Julie Weigel. She has two younger siblings, Shelbi who is a Sophomore, and Kelsi who is a Freshman.
She plans on attending Kansas State University to study Kinesiology.
She is currently in Track and participates in volleyball and basketball. She is also a member of NHS and CYO.
She is thankful for her family and friends.
“It’s going to get harder, but remember to find joy in the little things and remember to smile.”
Maci will miss experiencing homecoming as a student and being with her classmates, but she is looking forward to Graduation.
She loves spaghetti and Dr. Pepper and her hobbies are baking, knitting, and reading.
Good luck at KSU this fall, Maci!
Dannielle Weyeneth
Dani is the daughter of Sara and Jacob Weyeneth. She has 3 siblings, Lizzy, Celi, and Evan.
In the fall Dani plans on attending the University of Nebraska in Kearney to receive a Bachelor's in Business Management.
She is very excited about becoming financially independent.
She is involved with Volleyball, Basketball, Cheer, the Spring Play, and 4-H.
She is very thankful for her mother and she is going to miss the people she has grown up with since Kindergarten.
She loves Spaghetti and Caramel Macchiatos. She also loves running, doing her nails, and market goats.
Good luck in Kearney, Dani!
Aidyn Witt
Aidyn is the daughter of Gordon and Gina Witt. She has two older brothers, Konnor and Reegon.
Aidyn plans on going to Southeast Community College in Lincoln Nebraska to get an Associate Degree of Applied Science in Paramedicine to be a paramedic.
She looks forward to making new friends and getting to experience college life, but she will miss getting to play sports and hang out with friends.
This year Aidyn was involved with Volleyball, Basketball, the Spring Play, and Forensics. She was also the 2024 Prom Queen!
“Always try as many school activities as you can because you never know what you might enjoy.”
Aidyn is very thankful for her mother. Even through all the disagreements she is always there for her and always puts others first.
Aidyn loves spending time with her best friends Dani Weyeneth and Jaden Capuzzo and also spending time with her 4-H show pigs.
Her favorite foods are spaghetti and Dr. Pepper.
Good luck, Aidyn!
Lukas Zodrow
Lukas is the son of Mory and Deena Zodrow. He has two older siblings, Lara and Ray Zodrow.
In the Fall he plans on attending Cloud Community College to wrestle.
He is very excited for Graduation and to have more freedom!
This year he did Wrestling and Football. He also placed second at State Wrestling this year!
“Don’t quit on things when they get hard.”
Lukas loves Steak and Gatorade and also enjoys playing spike ball.
He is thankful for his friends and family and all the people that have supported him.
Good luck wrestling in Concordia, Lukas!
A Final Special Shoutout to the Class of 2024. You are a class that will be remembered for a long time, a class that teachers will talk about for years to come as a group that shined in the classroom, shined with character, and will frequently be refreneced with complimentary quotes like, " Man those were good kids."
You will do amazing things, Class of 2024.
It was an honor to be your principal!
Jeremy Holloway
Go Big Red!
Monday, May 6, 2023
3:00 JH Golf @ St. Francis
5:00-6:30 Open House
7:30 HS Band Concert
Tuesday, May 7, 2023
1:00 DCHS Signing Day: College Letters of Intent
7:30 DCHS JH and SH Vocal Concert
Wednesday, May 8, 2023
2:30 HS Awards Assembly
5:45 Booster Club Meeting
7:00 Baccalaureate
Thursday, May 9, 2023
9:00 Last Day for Seniors (Rehearsal, OES walkthrough, pizza lunch)
9:00 JH Track @ St. Francis
3:00 HS NWKL League Track @ St. Francis
Friday, May 10, 2023
2:50 Sixth Grade Orientaation
3:00 HS NWKL Golf Home
Saturday, May 11, 2023
2:00 Graduation (doors open at 1:00)
Decatur County Community Junior/Senior High School
Email: jholloway@usd294.org
Website: https://www.usd294.org/vnews/display.v/SEC/DCHS
Location: 605 East Commercial Street, Oberlin, KS, USA
Phone: 785-475-2231
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Decatur-Community-JrSr-High/372347636275932
Twitter: @DCHSREDDEVILS