Superintendent's Weekly Update
Happy Halloween! Congratulations for surviving the month of October!
Anyone that works in the world of K-12 education knows that October is one of the longest months of the year, or it sure feels that way.
When we reach Halloween, we know the next couple of months include some much needed school breaks. As an extra bonus this year, Halloween falls on a Friday, so our little ones will have a couple of extra days to come off the sugar high.
I included a couple of memes attached to this email I thought accurately reflect how we feel by the end of October.
The end of October also brings us Durham traditions like the Halloween parade at the elementary school and our Transitional Kindergarten and Kindergarten students trick or treating around town and campus. Seeing our youngest students in their costumes trick or treating at the district office is always an October highlight.
There are many Halloween photos attached.
LaMalfa visits DHS civics class
United States Congressman Doug LaMalfa visited Mr. Stromberg’s Civics class on Tuesday to talk about how the government works and answer questions from Durham High Students.
The event was held in the DHS library during 4th period. Students from Mr. Stromberg’s other Civics classes were invited if their 4th period teacher approved them to attend.
Congressman LaMalfa appeared to be right at home on the Durham campus as he has a son that is a Durham high School graduate.
DHS students kept asking quality questions and LaMalfa was more than happy to answer them all as the conversation lasted well into 5th period.
Chico State talks to junior parents about state testing
Durham High school hosted a team from Chico State this week to help give junior parents information to help them prepare their students for earning entrance to and succeeding in college.
Part of the meeting focused on the importance of students preparing for and doing well on the state tests (CAASPP) in their junior year of high school. They talked about the impacts these tests could have on success in college.
It is important to note that current students are required to take the state test in Language Arts (English) and Math in third grade through eighth grade and then again in 11th grade. Students take the science test in fifth grade, eighth grade and once in high school (usually junior or senior year).
The test can be important to which courses students qualify to take when they get to college. If we want our juniors to do well, teachers and parents should be working together to prepare students and help them succeed on the state tests every year the test is required.
The powerpoint from the presentation is attached, so everyone can see the advice that was given to help parents help their juniors prepare for the tests. These same steps apply in all grade levels that are tested.
Updates from Principals
DES (from Samantha Brown)
This week was a successful blend of academics and community engagement. Teachers continued to conduct Trimester 1 report card assessments. We celebrated Red Ribbon Week with engaging school spirit days and focused on positive behavior, with the PBIS Leadership Team meeting on Tuesday afternoon to plan next steps for targeted behavioral support.
Our students received an inspiring visit yesterday: thanks to coordination by Jenna Juanarena, our students enjoyed meeting and getting autographs from the Walk Across America couple that made their way through Durham!
Our youngest students received essential health checks: TK and Kindergarten hearing and vision screenings were conducted by Nurse Kristin and Health Aide Carina. The week concluded with festive, safe activities as Spooky Grams were delivered yesterday, followed by our Costume Parade this morning on the DES Playground. Our TK students enjoyed trick-or-treating around the district, while Kindergarten students visited local Durham businesses. Teachers and parents organized fun, educational class activities to round out the day, some even with their buddy class.
Upcoming Events and Dates
DELAC Community Event: Our DELAC community will celebrate Día de Los Muertos with a potluck this Sunday from 2:00-4:00 PM in DES Room 39.
Time Change Reminder: Don't forget to turn clocks back on Sunday as Daylight Savings Time ends!
Trimester 1 End: The first trimester concludes next Wednesday, November 5th. Teachers will be conducting make-up report card assessments for absent or incomplete students early next week.
Student Council & Chess Club: Student Council meets Monday during lunch, and Chess Club meets Monday in the DES Library (1:40-2:25 PM).
Staff Meeting: Our November monthly staff meeting is scheduled for Tuesday after school.
4th Grade Field Trips: Our 4th graders will take field trips to the Butte Creek Ecological Preserve: Mr. Martin's class on Wednesday and Mrs. Masuda and Miss Martinez's classes on Friday.
Día de Los Muertos Museum: The museum in DES Room 39 will be open for visits by appointment next week.
We hope everyone has a safe and happy weekend!
Tiger Spotlight of the Week: Mrs. Jen Anderson, Visual and Performing Arts Teacher
DIS (From Josh Rowe)
Cross Country
Our Panthers gave it their all at the Valley Ridge Cross Country League Championships, competing against 11 schools! (see attached pictures)
Team Results:
6th Grade Boys – 4th Place
8th Grade Girls – 2nd Place
Individual Highlights:
Aston Always – 8th Grade Girls, 2nd Place
Austin Southworth – 7th Grade Boys, 5th Place
Ben Webb – 6th Grade Boys, 2nd Place
Way to go, Panthers!
Girls Basketball – Willows Tournament
Our 7th and 8th Grade Girls Basketball Teams continue to shine!
The 7th Grade Girls brought home the Championship Trophy from the Willows Tournament.
The 8th Grade Girls earned 3rd Place honors.
On Wednesday, 6th, 7th and 8th Grade teams all captured convincing wins over Chico Junior.
Fantastic work, Panthers! (see attached pictures)
The Great ShakeOut
After meeting with our 6th graders, Chico State Civil Engineering students returned to help test our students’ earthquake-resistant structures.Students worked hard to engineer and build towers designed to withstand a 10-second simulated earthquake—with a bean bag perched on top! If a structure survived the first test, a second bean bag was added for another round.
Many teams built towers that held strong, and others learned through creative trial and error—but everyone had a great time and learned a lot! A big thank-you to Chico State and our amazing 6th grade team for making this a fun, hands-on learning experience. (see attached pictures)
Upcoming Dates
November 2: Turn your clocks back — Daylight Saving Time Ends
November 6: 7th Grade Medieval Feast
November 10: Non-Student Day — No School
November 11: Veterans Day — No School
November 24–28: Thanksgiving Break — No School
DHS (From Marty Wilkes)
Happy 67 Halloween
Counseling:
Things finally slowed a little this week in Counseling…phew!
This week in Advisory, students received their first “To Be” challenge. These are challenges that encourage our entire campus community to engage, treat others with respect and work on being the best version of ourselves. This week’s “To Be” challenge is to be Interested. Students are encouraged to introduce themselves to someone they don’t know, show interest by asking them a question and then follow up with a thoughtful response after listening closely to their answer.
In Counseling, we hosted the last of our October Tuesday lunchtime College Application Workshops. Since Seniors got an early start on lunch thanks to Mr. Wilkes, we didn’t have any attendees. Students who still need help with college applications should see Ms. Spade or Mrs. Ladd.
We also hosted a Junior Parent Night for students and their families on Tuesday evening before the volleyball game. We had a presenter from Chico State who spoke to the 55 people in attendance about Academic Preparedness vs College Eligibility. It was a great conversation. Mrs. Ladd and Ms. Spade followed with recommendations to help students plan for their final years in high school. Copies of the presentation are available on the DHS Counseling website. Thanks to those who attended!
On Wednesday, a representative from Butte College spoke to seniors about the Reg2Go Program. As part of the presentation, he gave students recommendations for determining what they want to do after high school. He will be back in December to help students complete the Butte College application.
Thursday and Friday at lunch, the Library showed the Nightmare Before Christmas to get students in the Halloween spirit.
Athletics:
Volleyball:
The volleyball team with a 29-5 record advanced to the semifinals by beating Trinity on Tuesday night. We looked a little rusty to start the game but as time went by we started to look like a title contender. Sophomore Josie Landon led the way with 14 kills on the night. The volleyball team will travel to Hamilton City on Tuesday.
Football:
The football team had their chance but could not get over the hump and lost a tough one 20-14 to East Nicolaus last Friday. The loss drops them to 5-4 on the season and 2-3 in league. The boys travel to Pierce tonight to take on the Bears to close out their regular season. The boys have qualified for the playoffs but need to win if they want to host a first round playoff game.
Swim:
The Durham Swim boys and girls both won their division championships on Wednesday.
Oct. 31 - Football at Pierce
Nov. 4 - Playoff Volleyball at Hamilton City 7:00
FFA:
Up and coming in the Ag Department:
Nov. 5 - Parli Pro interest meeting at 7:00am in Mrs. Kann's classroom
Nov. 5 - Student/parent livestock meeting in the DHS cafeteria at 6:30pm for anyone wanting to show at the Silver Dollar or Butte County Fair next year
Nov. 6 - Durham FFA is hosting a Chili Cook-Off for the North Valley Section
Nov. 10 - Ag Boosters golf tournament! There is still time to sign up if you are interested in playing and supporting our program!
Athletics:
Volleyball: The 4th ranked Trojans had a week of the tail of two teams, on Wednesday they took down the 12th ranked Colusa team in three sets and looked like the SVL champs that they are, but on Thursday they traveled down to the No. 2 ranked team and lets just say they didn’t play up to their potential…. Durham has been awarded the 3rd seed and will play Trinity at home Tuesday night.
Football:
The Boys went to Willows Friday with a freshman quarterback taking his first snaps as a high school quarterback and he responded by leading the Trojans to a 44-12 win against the Honkers. Lane Young threw for 3 touchdowns while setting a school record and tying a national record with a 99 yard touchdown pass to Nolan Meinberg. Jake Reimer had over 100 yards receiving and 2 touchdowns, and Josh Harding had over 100 yards rushing with a touchdown. He also had an interception on Willows’ first drive to set the tone for the rest of the game. Durham has senior night tonight vs East Nicolaus. The varsity game kicks off at 7:30.
Swim:
The Durham Swim boys and girls both won their league championships on Wednesday.
Oct. 24 - Football vs East Nic
Oct. 28 - Playoff Volleyball home vs Trinity 7:00
Oct. 31 - Football at Pierce
FFA:
This week we had 110 students attend our chapter meeting and 30+ Freshmen were awarded their Greenhand degree.
Nov. 5 - Livestock Student/Parent meeting in the DHS Cafeteria at 6:30pm.
Nov. 6 - Chili Cook-Off which is open to the section.
Student Services and Supports (from Marilyn Bertolucci)
Did you know……
SNAP/CalFresh provides monthly food assistance to low-income households through electronic benefit cards. These benefits , depending on household size, income, and other factors, can be used to buy eligible food items like fruits, vegetables, meat, and dairy, but not non-food items such as alcohol or diapers. Eligibility is generally based on income being at or below a certain percentage of the poverty line, which varies by household size. In 2025, a single person is considered at the poverty level if their annual income is $15,650.00 while a four-person household is at the poverty level with an income of $32,150.00.
What do CalFresh benefits provide?
A monthly allowance for purchasing groceries is loaded onto an electronic benefits transfer (EBT) card.
The benefits can be used like cash at most grocery stores, farmers markets, and other food retailers.
Funds can be used for a wide range of food items, including fruits, vegetables, meat, poultry, fish, dairy products, bread, cereals, and even seeds and plants to grow your own food.
Benefits cannot be used to buy non-food items like alcoholic beverages, tobacco, toiletries, or cleaning products.
The Federal Government shutdown is expected to result in the suspension of SNAP / CalFresh (California’s SNAP program) benefits as of Nov. 1, 2025. Currently, 37,500 Butte County residents rely on Cal Fresh benefits to supplement their grocery expenses. This means that 18.3% of the population in Butte County lives at or below the poverty line. This is higher than the national average of 12.4%. (Butte County, CA/Data USA)
Below you will find a list of resources to support those in need.
National Food Pantry Finder: https://foodfinder.us/
211 Butte County (All BC Social Services, including Help During Gov Shutdown tab):
Community Action Agency North State Food Bank: North State Food Bank – Community Action Agency of Butte County, Inc.
CHC Food Assistance (Northstate food pantries listed by county): Local Food Resources
530 Food Rescue (Distributes to organizations): Receive Food - 530 Food Rescue Coalition
Hope Center (Oroville & Paradise): The Oroville Hope Center
South Chico Community Assistance Center: South Chico Community Assistance Center
NVCF Food for All (Saturdays 1 PM Trinity Methodist, Chico): Chico Food For All
If you know of a resource that I have not listed here please let me know. School districts are working together with BCOE to connect those in need with support. Thank you!
-Marilyn