8th Grade - Activities Letter

Dear 8th Grade Parents and Guardians,

We hope this message finds you well. As our 8th graders embark on their final year of middle school, we are thrilled to share some exciting news about the special events planned for our Braves. These events mark an important milestone in your child's academic journey, and we want to make sure they are memorable and meaningful experiences for all.

To stay informed, please bookmark the 8th Grade Activities website. We will continue to update this site to share resources and keep you up-to-date with information from now until graduation.

Sam Paulsen - 7/8 Principal

Dave Herlocker - 7/8 Assistant Principal

Thursday, October 17, 2024 from 7:00-8:00pm

Deer Path Middle School (Haskins Center)

95 W. Deerpath Rd, Lake Forest

**Please park in the back parking lot and enter the Haskins through Door K**

Parents and guardians of 8th grade students are invited to learn more about the student activities for your student's final year at Deer Path Middle School, as well as important information to prepare your student for their freshman year at Lake Forest High School. We look forward to seeing you there!

The agenda includes:

• Community service
• PSAT testing
• Washington, D.C. trip
• 8th grade celebrations
• Disney trip
• Honors ceremony
• Graduation
• Preparing for the transition to high school

DPM 8th grade students perform community service as part of their graduation activities. The Class of 2025 has the goal of collectively contributing 2025 hours/acts of service to our community before graduation, providing the opportunity for students to gain an appreciation for civic engagement, their community, and develop a love of volunteering.

Each 8th grade student is encouraged to complete six hours or six acts of service this year. The APT will be providing volunteer opportunities during the school year for both local and international organizations to promote global citizenship. Our first APT facilitated event at Deer Path will be writing cards for Veterans on October 7th, which is right around the corner.

Students should track their completed hours using the Community Service Form, which can also be found on the DPM website under the Community Service page. The deadline for community service submissions is May 2, 2025 at midnight.

8th grade students who meet the six hour/act requirement will be invited with their families to our end-of-year Community Service Breakfast before school on Wednesday, May 14th to celebrate the many acts of service performed by the Class of 2025 and recognize this year's President's Service Award recipients.

School Districts 65, 67, and 115 will co-host the fourth annual Great Full Market with Beacon Place and Quest Food Management Services on Sunday, October 20, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The Great Full Market is a free farmers market and family festival for residents of Waukegan. The event will take place on the grounds of Beacon Place located at 603 S. McAlister Ave. in Waukegan.

The event provides members of the Waukegan community the opportunity to pick up fresh produce, dry goods such as beans and rice, and other pantry items, all at no cost. Families can also enjoy hot chocolate, churros, and activities including soccer, Lotería, face painting, and crafts led by Lake Forest and Lake Bluff students.

Please consider donating to help offset the cost of hosting balloon artists, providing free hot chocolate and churros, as well as funds to help provide personal hygiene products. All donations are tax-deductible and make a significant impact on the event we are able to create! Click here to donate.

Please consider volunteering to help with various activities such as setup, cleanup, food distribution, crafts, and more. If you are interested in volunteering, please click here.

Project F_LL is a tri-district partnership between School Districts 65, 67, and 115. A committee made up of students, staff, and parent volunteers from these three districts coordinate efforts to collect and distribute food or donations to address food insecurity and shortages in Lake County and the surrounding areas. If you would like to make a monetary donation to Project F_LL, all donations will be used to support these efforts through a variety of programs and events offered throughout the school year, including food drives and community markets.

From October 7-11th we will be collecting donations of toiletries in both main entrance lobbies leading up to the Great Full Market event on October 20th. Please have your student drop off any donations in the boxes labeled "Project F_LL Toiletry Collection" next week. Thank you to any and all who generously donate!

• Toothpaste
• Toothbrush
• Bar Soap/Body Wash
  
• Deodorant

Additionally, our DPM Green Team club is partnering with the APT for a Coat Drive before winter weather arrives. All donations will benefit the IWS Family Health Center and students in need at Deer Path. Collection bins will be in both main entrance lobbies from October 7-25th.

Our Deer Path Community has already made a huge impact this year. Following the Children's Book Drive which concluded on September 27th, Bernie's Book Bank shared:

"On behalf of all of us at Bernie’s Book Bank, thank you for hosting a book drive and donating 1,800 children’s books from the families at Deer Path Middle School. This is enough books to provide 225 children with a bag of books this year. Please share our appreciation with all who participated by donating their time and books to our mission. With your support, we are able to create pathways to success through book ownership and empower children to explore new ideas, gain knowledge, and strengthen reading skills."

Monday, April 28, 2025 at 8:35am

(Rain Date - Monday, May 12, 2025)

DPM Back Patio

It is a Deer Path tradition to take an 8th grade class photo in the Spring to commemorate the students' time together in middle school. Mark it on your calendar so you can make sure your student is present so we can capture everyone from the Class of 2025!

Wednesday, May 21, 2025

Market Square

Downtown Lake Forest

8th grade students and teachers will walk uptown in groups to get lunch, do some shopping, and laugh together as the Class of 2025. Students should bring their own money to make purchases during this time.

Thursday, May 22, 2025

Launch Trampoline Park

880 Lakeside Dr, Gurnee IL

Launch offers a wide variety of activities for the 8th graders to enjoy including trampolines, bowling, an arcade, and others. Transportation will be provided by Olson buses to and from the location. Submit your child's permission slip as soon as possible!

Friday, May 23, 2025

Logistics: A parent/guardian must drop-off and pick-up. Students are not allowed to ride their bikes or walk. We will also be collecting cell phones from the kids. They will be collected at check-in, labeled, and tucked away for the duration of the celebration and returned at the end of the evening. We will have photographers on hand to capture pictures of the students that will be posted to a shared drive after the event and sent out.

Tuesday, May 27, 2023 from 5:00-6:00pm

Lake Forest High School West Campus

300 S. Waukegan Rd, Lake Forest

• Admission: Doors will open at 4:00pm with general admission seating. There are NO tickets and NO limit on the number of guests attending. Guests will enter through the door with the blue awning.
• Photography: VIP will be taking a photo of each graduate as they receive their diploma. Photos will be available for purchase on the VIP website approximately 1-2 weeks after graduation.
  
• Diplomas: The name on each graduate's diploma will match the full name of your student in PowerSchool that was submitted during registration. During the ceremony, the reader will use the student's preferred name.
• Recommended Attire:
• Boys: sport coat, collared shirt with tie, dress slacks, dress shoes. (We have a collection of generously donated blue blazers of various sizes, please email 7/8 Admin Assistant, Linda Crowe if you wish to borrow one for the event)
• Girls: semi-formal dress/skirt of appropriate length, or pants suit. (Tradition is for an all-white outfit, but it is by no means required)




• Can't Make It?: If you know your student will not be attending the graduation ceremony, please email our 7/8 Admin Assistant, Linda Crowe. Students who do not attend the ceremony can pick up their diplomas in the DPM West main office following graduation