Red Devil Ready:DCHS Weekly Message

Week 11: Halloween Clean-Up #99

Decatur County Community High School

605 E Commercial St, Oberlin, KS 67749

October 27, 2024 (Schedule at the bottom, Skip What You Want)

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Decatur Community,

This week we will see two traditions, one common all around the country and one common here in Oberlin.

First we have Parent-Teachers Conferences. It's been quite awhile since I was in a classroom, but I remember that first conference of the year was always a time of excitement for me. I loved meeting with parents to discuss the kids that I had gotten to know. Often times I knew the parents, but there were many I had never met before. It was always kind of a game to try and guess which parent belonged to which student if I did not know them. Either way, it was always a great way for students, parents, and teachers to show that we are all on the same team. I hope to see you there, and don't hesitate to stop by and chat.

Next, we have Halloween Clean-Up, a great tradition that is home to Oberlin, an experience that has been a lot of fun for me the past few years. This will be the 99th Halloween Clean-up, a creative and helpful way to give thanks back to a community that gives so much support to the school.

The history surrounding the beginnings of this tradition are both both satisfying and mesmerizing.

I want to give a huge shoutout to Mrs. Brenda Breth for the in-depth article she wrote and continues to update about Halloween Clean-Up. I am going to keep my message rather short this week, because her article is well worth the read.

Read her article here:

Halloween Clean-Up: The Tradition Continues

SHOUTOUTS

Shoutout to freshman XC runner Trevor Witt. Though Trevor did not qualify for State, he narrowly missed, taking 20th. Trevor shows all the promise and ability of a future State runner, and he still has a long way to go. Congrats, Trevor.

Shoutout to the cheer squad for their solid Pep Assemby this past Friday. When I saw an hour on the schedule, I admittedly questioned if they would be able to keep us busy, but the mixture of cheers, recognition videos (created by Mrs. Scott's digital classes), and competitive class games kept us involved the whole time. Great job.

Shoutout to our new science teacher Mr. Ladd Wendelin. He has done a great job adapting to his new curriculum. Remember, Mr. Wendelin is a former English teacher, a very different subject. You can find Mr. Wendelin painting a mural at the public library, dedicating time at the movie theater, and playing with the band on Friday nights. This week, a parent mentioned that Mr. Wendelin was their child's favorite teacher and wished that they could have him for every class. Love the positive feedback, and love the committement he has shown.

Shoutout to our guest speaker Ricky Musgrave. Last Wednesday, we brought in Ricky Musgrave to share his story. A former MMA fighter with a 14-5 record in his career, Musgrave grew up in La Crosse, KS and spent summers in Atwood with his uncle working the farm, a life he has now chosen for himself. Musgrave spoke to the student body about making goals, positive choices, and striving to overcome the difficulties in your life. After the assembly, several students came back and spoke to Musgrave to ask more specific questions. It was a good experience for our students.

Shoutout again to senior parents for being there on Senior Night. Football, cheer, XC, and band were all recognized this past Friday night. For some it was the first time they had ever been a part of a Senior Night, while others had done this plenty of times before. Senior Nights are meant to recognize our athletes for doing something for a final time in front of a home crowd, something that they have spent countless hours of childhood participating in, for many, the last year of their lives that they will ever do it. Thank you, parents.

Shoutout to 7th grade students Brooklyn Osterhaus and Reagan Williby. Aside from them both being on the JH volleyball team that dominated this past Thursday, they came up to me on Friday night after the football game. They asked if there was a trashbag that they could have to pick up trash. I grabbed the big bag and began following around, and together we literally picked up every big and noticeable item that was left behind on the home side. Later that night, I got a text from Terry Ream, our groundskeeper, thanking me for cleaning up the stadium. It wasn't just me. I loved the help, and it was awesome to see it make a difference for someone else.

Things You Should Know

Back to Back: A and B Team JH Volleyball both Win League Titles

This past Thursday, I saw one of the most dominant performances that I have ever seen in the form of our whole JH volleyball program. They always say that it's not how you start, but how you finish that is really going to count.

Thursday, both our A Team girls and our B Team girls won the NWKL Championship. That alone is impressive, but each team won their tournament without losing a single set. I was honestly thinking I would get home around 8:30 that night, but I was home hours earlier due to their swift dispatching of each opponent.

The JH progam has shown a lot of strength the past two years, and A Team will head into high school as Back to Back champions, and I tell you now, my prediction is Back to Back to Back will be coming next year.

Congratulations, girls!

Fall Conferences Monday and Wednesday Evening

Parent-Teacher Conferences Information:

1. The timeframe is listed below:

Monday, October 28: 4:00-8:00 PM (Open House Style Conferences)

Wednesday, October 30: 4:00-7:30 PM

2. Teachers will be in the cafeteria, and parents will be able to come in to meet with individual teachers as they see fit.

3. Grades should be up to date. You should be able to look online through PowerSchool to check your student's progress before conferences.

4. Please reach out to your teachers if you have concerns about your child, and feel free to reach out to myself if you need any clarification about conferences.

Halloween Cleanup Year 99

The 99th annual Halloween Clean-Up is Tuesday, October 29. The teachers chose Weston Barnes, Jack Holloway, Makadyn Ketterl, Jessiah McDougal, and Michaela Wasson to lead the student-led service project. From those five, the student body chose Jessiah McDougal as the General.

If you would like your yard raked, please call the high school at 785 475-2231 and leave your name and number.

Senior Citizens' Thansgiving Meal Coming November 14th

On Thursday, November 14th, we will have our second Senior Citizens' Thanksgiving. This event will be open to any senior citizen. Doors will open at 10:30 with a small program beginning at 10:45 in the cafeteria. Lunch will be served at 11:00. We have already started getting our first reservations.

Can we get more than the 114 that attended last year?

A golf cart will be available to allow for easy access to and from the entrance to the parking lot.

Coats will be hung by students upon arrival.

MENU: Turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie, and more!

Parents and students, please spread the word. We would really like to get a head count so that we can be prepared.

Please reach out to the DCHS office at 1-785-475-2231 or by direct email to jholloway@usd294.org to let us know that you will be attending.

Red Devil Ready

Next year will be the 100th Halloween Clean-Up. I'm thinking it will be a big event that we will start talking about long before it happens with lots of possiblilities.

For now, enjoy the fact that there is no school on the day after Halloween!

Until next week,

Jeremy Holloway

Go Big Red!