February 2020

Congratulations to the Deer Park High School Broadcast Journalism team for winning second place at the University Interscholastic League State Film Festival (UIL Young Filmmakers Festival) in the division II narrative category! The group’s short film, “A Link Between Time,” tells the story of a timid high school boy who—along with his best friend and little sister—discovers a mysterious artifact that turns a typical day into an unusual, yet somehow familiar adventure. The Deer Park team's film competed against 220 submissions from large schools across the state.
The cast and crew included:
PRODUCTION
Julie Perez (junior) – Writer, Director
Mandi Gamble (senior) – Writer, Director of Photography
Maci Thomas (junior) – Writer, Production Designer
Zeek Trevino (senior) – Camera/MōVI Operator
Savannah Gonzalez (senior) – Videographer
CAST
Nathan Hebert (senior)
Jacob Reiger (junior)
Emily Little (sophomore)
Abby Kerckhoff (junior)
Matt Wasson (DPHS theater teacher)
Photos courtesy of Savannah Gonzalez and Broadcast Journalism Teacher Jared Creel.

Congratulations to the Deer Park High School Commercial Photography team for a successful state competition! The Association of Texas Photography Instructors Winter Photography Conference took place over the weekend at the Texas State Capitol in Austin and several DPHS students competed in Self Portrait photography.
There were more than 350 entries in the self-portrait competition from high schools across Texas, and Deer Park students earned the following awards:
Advanced category: (only five 2nd place winners were selected, and Deer Park took three spots)
Tabitha Burnett - Excellence “2nd place”
Melanie Maldonado - Excellence “2nd place”
Aden McDuff - Excellence “2nd place”
Beginner category: (only five 2nd place winners were selected, and Deer Park took one spot)
Denise Barragan - Excellence “2nd place”
Faculty category: (only winner selected for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place)
Commercial Photography Teacher Yanira Roubi - Honorable mention “3rd place”
On-site faculty competition - Theme “Go to Work” (only winner selected for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place)
Mrs. Roubi - 2nd place
Students that Attended the Winter Conference and visited Austin area were:
Roslyn Aquines
Denise Barragan
Tyler Davidson
Derrick Garcia
Cassandra Garza
Ethan Juarez
Ryan Lenz
Melanie Maldonado
Kaitlyn Meza
Rachel Rice
Paige Willhite
The Board of Trustees welcomed a number of students and employees as special guests at recent School Board meetings.
HOUSTON LIVESTOCK SHOW AND RODEO ART CONTEST
Eight DPISD art students earned a Gold Medal, Best of Show, or Special Merit award during the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Art Contest. Several students attended the Feb. 17 Board Meeting, including Best of Show winners Dalton Burke, Loren Burke, and Sofia Perez and Special Merit winner Bianca Curry-Naguit. They were joined by art teachers Amanda Baker, Kate Harrel, Gloria Zuniga, Victoria Ramos and Viviana Guzman. (Gold Medal winners Zoe Aubin , Celeste Flores, Lizeth Garcia, and Samuel Teekel were unable to attend the meeting.)
TEXAS MUSIC EDUCATORS ASSOCIATION ALL-STATE CHOIR
Deer Park High School Choir took seven students to participate in state competition at Ridge Point High School, with three being named alternates and two earning a place in the All-State Choir. Over 20,000 students began this process in September, and Deer Park is proud to have two vocalists who made it all the way through the four-audition process. Braden and Sebastian performed with the All-State Choir at the Texas Music Educators Convention in San Antonio.
All-State Choir Members:
Braden Buffaloe - Junior #8 Men’s Choir
Sebastian Pineda - Senior #3 Mixed Choir
All-State Alternates:
Brianna Alvarado - Junior 1st alternate
Jackson Baggett - Senior 1st alternate
Aryssa Kemp – Sophomore 2nd alternate
They were joined at the meeting by choir directors Jason Dove, Anita Ladd, Stacy Nissen, and Tommy Van Sickle.
APPLE DISTINGUISHED SCHOOL
At the Jan. 20 Board Meeting, Deer Park Junior High Principal Tiffany Regan was recognized on behalf of her staff because DPJH has been honored for the second time as an Apple Distinguished School for 2019-2022. DPJH is one of only five Apple Distinguished Schools in the greater Houston area. These schools are noted centers of innovation, leadership, and educational excellence that use Apple products to inspire creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking. Being named an Apple Distinguished School also means the school’s students and staff will benefit from exciting learning and collaborative opportunities. Dr. Regan also serves on the national Apple Distinguished Schools Advisory Board and has had the opportunity to share ideas with schools around the world and tell DPJH’s story of success on a global stage.
OPENING EXERCISES
DPHS-Wolters Campus students Rebeca Salas, Alyna Khan, and Valerie Correa led the opening exercises for the Feb. 17 meeting.
In honor of School Board Recognition Month, Texas State Senator Carol Alvarado visited the Board to thank Trustees for their service to the students and community of Deer Park ISD.

Jan. 30, 2020: Carpenter students move into the new school
Carpenter Elementary students and team members officially moved into their newly-constructed school today! Students arrived at the old school, and each class walked to the new building. Members of the Deer Park High School PALS and the Bonnette Junior High Band, cheerleaders, and athletics teams joined the celebration!
Thanks to the voters of the Deer Park ISD community for overwhelmingly supporting the 2017 Bond Election, which funded the new campus, and to cre8 Architects and Durotech for designing and constructing the 142,440 square foot school.
In spite of the excitement and occasional interruptions, the day went very well! As one student said near the end of the school day, “This school is cool!”
It's not every day that we open a brand new campus, so we are excited to share hundreds of photos showing the day's events.
