Deer Creek-Lamont

Elementary Parents:
Reminder students will be at Lamont ready for pick up at 3:20. Deer Creek students will be back to school at 3:20.

The elementary basketball game has changed to 3:00.

Our DCLA FFA Booster club held its annual Bird Hunt Fundraiser Saturday! They had an amazing turnout with 48 hunters from across Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, and Texas! Huge thank you to our two sponsors, Grant County Farm Bureau-Marcie Lusk and Taylor Crop Insurance! Also thank you to the group we couldn't do it without, our land owners who allow us to hunt their fields! Thank you to all the members and students that helped prepare and serve breakfast and lunch and the guides that spent the day making sure it was a success! We are already looking forward to another great year next year!

First State Bank HS Invitational Tournament
December 11, 12, & 13, 2025
Our Eagles will compete in the Pond Creek-Hunter Invitational next week. The brackets for both the girls and the boys are shown below.

Game times:
Girls
• Thurs 6:00 pm – DCLA vs Kremlin-Hillsdale
Boys
• Thurs 7:20 pm – DCLA vs Kremlin-Hillsdale

Come out and support our Eagles as they compete in a great week of basketball! 🦅⛹️‍♀️⛹️‍♂️

Where Are They Now? — Heather Hill Bledsoe, Class of 1997

Heather Hill Bledsoe, DCLA Class of 1997, has dedicated her life to public education. She holds an associate degree in Agriculture from NOC, a bachelor’s in Agricultural Education from OSU, and a master’s in Educational Leadership from SWOSU. She is currently pursuing her second master’s degree in School Counseling at the University of Oklahoma.

Now in her 20th year in education, Heather has taught AG Ed, special education, English, reading, speech/drama, and served as an instructional coach and assistant principal. Today, she’s proud to be back at DCLA as the high school English teacher and the school counselor for the entire district—a role that brings her full circle. She’s happy to be home.

Heather has been married to Dale Bledsoe for 20 years. Together they have two sons—Braden (DCLA Class of 2025), studying secondary math education at NWOSU, and Brice (DCLA Class of 2026). She’s also a proud bonus mom to Brittni Bledsoe Carnes and Nana to Karter and Kooper Carnes.

Heather enjoys reading, watching her boys play basketball, and playing cards with her parents, siblings, and all the kids—soaking up every moment with family.

#DCLAAlumni #WhereAreTheyNow #EaglePride #HappyToBeHome #EducatorLife #FullCircle

Fundraiser to help
the Travis Miller Family
During Thanksgiving break, Travis Miller was involved in a serious accident. As he continues recovering, the Miller family is facing unexpected expenses. Our school community is joining together to help
.HOW YOU CAN HELP
Scan the Venmo or Cash App QR code below to donate directly to the Miller family.
Money can also be donated at either school office.

Congrats to Levi Brown who placed 2nd on his conservation essay. He received his medal at the Oklahoma Association of Conservation Districts Area 1 meeting in Watonga. The Area 1 contest consists of 16 counties. What a great accomplishment!

DCLA is proud of you!

🌟 Elementary Spirit Days! 🌟
Get ready for a week of festive fun! 🎅✨

📅 Monday, Dec. 8 — Candy Cane Day
❤️🤍 Wear red and white!

📅 Tuesday, Dec. 9 — Feeling Grinchy
💚😠 Wear Grinch attire or all green!

📅 Wednesday, Dec. 10 — Tree Topper Day
🎅🦌🎩 Wear reindeer antlers, a Santa hat, or any fun hat!

📅 Thursday, Dec. 11 — Dreaming of a White Christmas
❄️🤍 Wear all white!

📅 Friday, Dec. 12 — Festive Friday
🎄🎁 Wear your favorite Christmas shirt!

🎯 Finish Strong Before Winter Break!
We have just three weeks left in the semester — let’s make them count!
Students who keep up their attendance in December are more likely to stay on track for the rest of the year.
Parents: your encouragement and consistency make all the difference!

#KeepShowingUp #DCLAEagles #AttendanceWorks

Update for December 2 Games

The high school basketball game against Cherokee, scheduled for December 2, has been moved to January 3 at 1:00 p.m. due to Cherokee’s continued football playoffs.

Junior high will still play Cherokee on December 2 at 4:00 p.m. as originally scheduled.

Thanks for your understanding and support. Go Eagles! 🦅

The ag room was a busy place today, preparing for Thanksgiving break! We finished centerpieces, doorstep decor, pies and the FFA officers made a fantastic lunch for the teachers! Happy Thanksgiving Break!!

Our ag students have been busy learning new skills to share over Thanksgiving break! Pie making, centerpieces, and fun decorations are almost ready to be sent home for a fun break!!

Where Are They Now? — Ken Gaskill, Class of 1977

Ken Gaskill, a 1977 graduate of DCLA, has played a unique role in the district’s history. As an 8th grader, he was one of the students who helped choose the Eagle mascot and school colors during the consolidation of Deer Creek and Lamont schools—a decision that still defines our school spirit today.

During his time at DCLA, Ken lettered in football, basketball, baseball, and track, and was active in mixed ensemble and chorus. He earned an associate degree in Radio Broadcasting from NOC, where he served as program director of KAYE-FM and was named to Who’s Who in American Junior Colleges. He then completed a Bachelor of Arts in Speech Education at NWOSU, where he participated in marching band, chorale, and numerous stage productions.

Ken’s career journey began with 14 years at Clyde Co-op in multiple hands-on roles. When the co-op transitioned to digital systems in the early '90s, Ken played a key part in inventory coding and tech support—marking the beginning of his shift into information technology. In 1996, he joined Sykes Enterprises, supporting Gateway computers, where he met his first wife, Pam. He later worked for Computer Sciences Corporation, helping major clients like DuPont and Conoco, and eventually transitioned to federal government support with CSRA, now General Dynamics Information Technology, where he continues to work today.

After Pam’s passing in 2002, Ken later married Brenda Barton, whom he had met years earlier in a Bible study. Together, they’ve built a blended family of four children—Lisa, Kristina, Kari, and Beau—and enjoy spending time with their 16 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.

Ken has always been committed to serving others. He has been a volunteer firefighter and first responder in the Lamont and Deer Creek communities since 1988, a trustee on the Deer Creek town board since the early 1990s, and the announcer for DCLA football from his graduation in 1977 through the 2023 season. He also serves on the leadership team at Nardin Church and plays bass in the praise team.

From the field to the sound booth, from agriculture to IT, and from school pride to small-town service, Ken Gaskill’s story reflects the best of what it means to be an Eagle.

#DCLAAlumni #WhereAreTheyNow #EaglePride #CommunityService #VoiceOfDCLA

DCLA students and staff came together for our school-wide food drive and collected more than 1,400 items for families in our community. Over the past week, students used class breaks to sort donations and package bags that will go directly to local homes. We are so proud of their hard work and thankful for everyone who donated. Eagles helping Eagles! 🦅❤️

Over the weekend, our Quiz Bowl team came just one game shy of advancing to Area, falling in a sudden-death round. They worked hard and represented DCLA well under the leadership of Coach Kelly Riddle. Most of this team is made up of underclassmen, so we’re excited to see them back in action next year. 😊🦅

DCLA High School Esports is competing today in an online tournament! Brice will represent DCLA in College Football, while Tate and Dawson will compete in NBA2K. The team is coached by Mr. Nelson. Good luck to our Eagles as they enter tournament play! 🎮🦅

DCLA Junior High Boys and Girls will be competing in the Timberlake Tournament next week, November 17–20. Games will be played in Helena and Jet. Brackets for both teams are posted here so families can plan ahead. Come out and support our Eagles as they take the court. Let’s go DCLA!

DCLA fans, we’re excited to share that we will be livestreaming all varsity basketball games on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@dclaeagles

We’ve purchased a new camera system to improve the quality of our streaming. It’s brand new to us, so we appreciate your patience as we learn and adjust.

Thank you for supporting our Eagles! 🦅🏀

Last week, our 6th grade students partnered with Kindergarten and Pre-K to create their adorable “How to Cook a Turkey!” entries for the newspaper. It was a wonderful moment of mentoring, teamwork, and big kids helping little kids bring their ideas to life!