Students

The purpose of Art Club at Deuel is to stimulate and promote interest in the visual arts at the high school and in the community. All interested students are invited to join.

The Deuel School band program provides an excellent music education for the students. Band starts in 5th grade and is open to everyone.  The students meet 2-4 times a week. Depending on the number of students and skill levels, the instructor may have them meet as a large group or spilt into smaller groups during the school year. The 5th grade band has a spring concert that coincides with third through fifth grade music concert, and they also participate in a solo contest that is hosted at the school. 5th grade students also have individual weekly lessons each week.

Sixth grade students are required to either be in band or choir, or both if they choose. The band meets daily and also have a lesson once a week.  Due to numbers, this is typically a group lesson with 2-3 students. MS students participate in marching band, have a Christmas and Spring concert, participate in Solo/Small Group Contest, and have opportunities to audition for festivals/events such as MS All-State Band, Eastern Dakota Junior Musician Festival, and East Central Honors Band. They also get volunteer opportunities and often the invitation to play with the high school pep band.

High School band also meets 4 days a week, but they do not receive weekly lessons.  They participate in marching band, which includes 2-3 competitions plus Homecoming, pep band and concert band.  Pep band plays at home football and basketball events.  Concert band performs at Veteran’s Day, Christmas Concert, Spring Concert, Large Group Contest, Graduation, and a Memorial Day selection rotating at the Gary or Clear Lake program.  They also have optional participation in small group contest in Watertown.  Jazz band selections occur once in a while based on instrumentation and preparation time each year.

Students in the Deuel School Choir Program are offered quality instruction in vocal music education under the direction of Doug Dyk.  The choir program at Deuel School offers a musical experience for students from elementary to high school. The program emphasizes the development of musical skills, teamwork, and self-expression, with students performing a repertoire at school and community events. 

The Deuel Esports Team was started in 2019 to allow students to compete in the new and growing sport of electronic video games.

What is Esports? Esports officially stands for electronic sports, not to be confused with video games. It’s much more than that. What sets it apart is the level of organized competitive gameplay between teams and its own strict set of rules and guidelines. Esports is about teamwork, communication, strategic thinking, and leadership — in all the same ways that traditional sports are and then some.

The group is led by Michael Gohring the school technology coordinator. Esports is available for anyone 13 years and older. They meet during the middle school activities period which is also Flex C Period for high school students. There is no travel involved as everything is online. They have matches with other schools when they are available.

The group plays League of Legends which is a Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) game where two teams of 5 players control "Champions" to battle against each other in a race to destroy the other's base.

Gameplay takes place in an arena that has 3 main avenues for reaching your opponent's base called "lanes." These lanes are protected by mobile waves of computer-controlled creatures called "minions" as well as stationary defenses called "towers."

League of Legends requires a high level of individual skill to beat your adversary in lanes as well as expert teamwork to win the overall game.

As with most sports, League of Legends teaches the players teamwork, communication, strategy, critical thinking, and enhances their motor skills. The game is considered one of the most strategic games out there competing with even games like chess for its complexity, strategy, and difficult to master mechanics.

FFA is an intracurricular student organization for those interested in agriculture and leadership, designed to educate and inspire youth interested in a variety of agricultural subjects. We engage students in activities such as community service, leadership conferences, competitions, recreational activities, and official conventions to expand leadership skills, career opportunities, and personal growth. Not only do we inspire future farmers but also the next generation of engineers, scientists, educators, and business owners. FFA provides the next generation of leaders who will change the world.

Known nationwide as Future Farmers of America, the name of the organization was updated in 1988 to “National FFA Organization”, now commonly referred to as FFA. This change reflects the growing diversity and new opportunities in the industry of agriculture.

The FFA operates on local, state, and national levels, founded in 1929. Student members, ages 12-21, belong to chapters organized at the local school level. Today, the National FFA Organization is a premier youth leadership organization with 507,753 members in 7,439 chapters in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

Deuel FFA was Chartered in 1954 as Clear Lake FFA, changed to Deuel FFA when the high school underwent name change. Annual membership averages 75 students in grades 7-12.

Students can become members starting 7th grade if classes for middle school are offered. Membership can continue during the 8th grade if a class is offered. In high school, students must have 1 semester of an ag class per year to maintain membership. Students can have continuous membership or start and stop membership based on class choices each year of high school.  The deadline each year for joining is October 1st. Dues are covered through participation of the annual fall fruit sales.

FFA has monthly meetings and activities. We have many events throughout the school year including land judging, leadership development events (LDE’s), and career development events (CED’s). Some of the LDE events include parliamentary procedure, ag sales, creed speaking, and ag broadcasting. CDE’s are held in the spring and some of the events include horse judging, cattle judging, floriculture, and veterinary science.

Other events include community service activities, including adapt-a-highway, summer leadership camps, state and national convention and local events which vary from year to year, including annual FFA Week activities during the 3rd week of February.

The FFA Mission Statement - "FFA makes a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership personal growth and career success through agricultural education."

FFA Motto - Learning to Do, Doing to Learn, Earning to Live, Living to Serve

FFA Colors - National Blue & Corn Gold

FFA Officer Applications - Contact FFA Advisor for Application

Key Club is a service organization for high school students whose objective is the development of initiative, leadership ability, and good citizenship practices. Key Club is sponsored by the local Kiwanis Club. Deuel Key Club is under the direction of Taylor Krause.

Anyone in grades 9-12 can be a member. The first meeting every school year is usually held in August/September. They sign up at the meeting and pay the required $12 dues. The only requirement is that they attend at least four different service events throughout the year, including the Key Club Carnival held every spring.

Meetings are held during lunch time and as needed. Usually once every two months or when they have events coming up and plans need to be made.

Key Club members participate in a variety of volunteer events, including Key Club Carnival, attending Kiwanis meetings, helping out at the Crystal Springs Rodeo handing out programs, serving at Tour of Tables, Bell Ringing for the Salvation Army during the Christmas season, helping with our local Blood Drive, as well as many other events.

Advisor Taylor Krause said, “Key Club members value service & helping others. We are always willing to volunteer to help in our community & are willing to help whenever we are needed.”

The National Honor Society (NHS) is the nation’s premier organization established to recognize outstanding high school students. More than just an honor roll, NHS serves to recognize those students who have demonstrated excellence in the areas of scholarship, service, leadership, and character. 

NHS membership not only recognizes students for their accomplishments but challenges them to develop further through active involvement in school activities and community service.

Prospective members may be sophomores, juniors, or seniors with a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.50. Students meeting the GPA requirement at the end of the fall semester will be invited to submit an information form to assist the Faculty Council in making their selections. The Faculty Council consists of five faculty members selected by the high school principal.  The NHS advisor is not a voting member of the Faculty Council.  Any eligible student who does not submit an information form will not be considered for membership at that time.

Each member of the Faculty Council votes on the individual qualifications of each prospective member.  Selection to NHS is by majority vote of the Faculty Council. Students who are not accepted for membership may be considered for membership the following year if the GPA requirements are met, and a new information form is submitted. Membership is a privilege and can be revoked, by vote of the Faculty Council, for conduct unbecoming to the National Honor Society.

The Honor Society chapter establishes rules for membership that are based upon a student's outstanding performance in the areas of leadership, service, and character.  These criteria for selection form the foundation upon which the organization and its activities are built.

Leadership: Student leaders are those who are resourceful, good problem solvers, promoters of school activities, idea-contributors, dependable, and persons who exemplify positive attitudes about life. Leadership experiences can be drawn from school or community activities while working with or for others.

Service: This quality is defined through the voluntary contributions made by a student to the school or community, done without compensation and with a positive, courteous, and enthusiastic spirit.

Character: The student of good character consistently exemplifies positive and desirable qualities of behavior (cheerfulness, friendliness, poise, stability). Cooperates by complying with all school policies and regulations and codes of student conduct. Demonstrates the highest standards of honesty, academic integrity, and reliability.

Multi Media is a one-year course that can be taken as an elective for credit towards graduation. It is open to any student in grades 9-12, and there are no prerequisites needed to enroll in the class. This course introduces students to various multimedia platforms and the basics of video production. 

Students will create original production pieces, work to meet goals and timeline dates, and implement elements of design and style in products to prepare them for publishing/distribution.  Some production examples may include working with the green screen, creating public service announcements, video updates of school related activities, editing/producing sports related projects, or interviews/projects with school related personnel.  An emphasis will be placed on elements of broadcasting and working with the school TV channel.

Students explore and work with programs such as Photoshop Mix, iMovie, Green screen application, GarageBand, and Final Cut Pro.

Oral interpretation (often abbreviated as "oral interp") is a form of performance art that involves the dramatic reading or recitation of literary works, such as prose, poetry, or dramatic scripts.  In oral interpretation, participants use their voice, facial expressions, and body language to bring the text to life and convey its meaning to the audience. Oral interpretation provides individuals with the opportunity to enhance their public speaking, communication, and acting skills while exploring the artistic aspects of literature.

The Deuel High School Student Council is comprised of a mixture of students and the advisor, is Sara Maaland.

Student Council organizes many different activities, fundraisers, and events for the high school students. The main purpose of student council is to serve as a voice for the student body at Deuel High School. That is just one of the reasons Student Council exists. They are also here to help raise funds for school-wide activities including social events (dances, movie nights, etc.), community projects (Red Cross Blood Drives), other charities/fundraisers, and to plan and execute school-wide events such as homecoming week, Christmas dress up days, etc.

How often the student council meets, depends on the time of year. They meet once a month, but if there are major events coming up then it could be as often as once a week. The meetings usually take place during the school day, often during a flex period or lunch. Meeting times are dependent on the students involved and what other activities they are involved in.

Any student who is going to be in high school the following year can apply to be on student council. Students who want to be part of student council need to apply to be on it for the following year. In the spring an application is sent out to all the current 8th graders, freshmen, sophomores, and juniors to apply for the following school year. During the application process they must get teacher endorsement signatures and as well as a list of signatures from their peers, showing that they are supported to make decisions on their behalf. There is also a questionnaire for them to explain why they deserve to be on it and goals they would have for the following year. Their applications are then reviewed and taken to a teacher selection committee.

The high school yearbook commemorates the events, activities, and achievements of students and staff throughout the academic year. It includes individual and group photos of students, faculty, and staff, as well as sections dedicated to clubs, sports, academic achievements, and various school events. Yearbooks serve as a keepsake for students, allowing them to look back on their high school memories and experiences. 
The school has an online archive of past yearbooks. You can find these yearbooks on the school touch wall platform.