Superintendent's Weekly Update
We are in the middle of winter, but it sure feels a lot like spring has sprung!
Driving down the Midway this morning, almond blossoms are popping up everywhere. This may give our students, and maybe all of us, an early bout of spring fever.
We all have to fight the spring fever and bear down as there are many important learning days to come for our students this year.
Yolanda Prentice retiring
Elementary school secretary Yolanda Prentice made it official this week by submitting her letter stating she will retire at the end of this school year.
Yolanda has been a mainstay in Durham for 29 years! After spending many years as the secretary at Durham High School, she moved over to Durham Elementary for many more years.
Thank you Yolanda for all you have done to support our students, parents and staff in Durham!
DHS football stadium under construction
Construction at the high school football stadium kicked off this week with the demolition of the old announcers booth and old permanent home side grandstand.
Work is scheduled to continue next week with concrete work beginning to support the new home grandstand and visiting bleachers.
See attached demolition pictures.
State school funding information
A few weeks ago, I started this update with information about school funding in California, and how that creates a disparity in funding between Durham and other districts around the state. The creator of the tools I shared, Buckeye Union Elementary School District has now launched a web site to illustrate the issues with the school funding system in California.
If you click on the link below, it will take you to the web site where you can learn how the funding system has put Durham further and further behind the funding levels of even the median funded districts in the state.
Updates from Principals
DES (from Samantha Brown)
This week, we celebrate National School Counseling Week and recognize the vital support our counselors provide. On Monday, Student Council held their monthly meeting during lunch in Molly Knobbe’s classroom and began selling Friendship Grams for $2.00. Sales continued all week, 15 minutes before and after school at the bus circle or main hallway, with deliveries scheduled for Thursday, February 12th. Tuesday featured the February Staff Meeting after school and Mrs. Hughes’ 3rd-grade VAPA performance in the MPR. On Wednesday, we kicked off our month-long Kindness Challenge and students and families gathered for STEAM Night in the cafeteria from 5:30–7:00 PM (see photos courtesy of Megan Renner below), while the DHS Girls Soccer Team offered a burger dinner fundraiser. The week concludes with Mrs. Perkins’ 3rd-grade VAPA performance on Thursday evening and the PTS Father-Daughter Dance at Durham Memorial Hall tonight, Friday, 2/6 from 6:00–8:00 PM.
Next week, we will begin our Trimester 2 Report Card Assessments for the upcoming end of the trimester on Wednesday, February 25th. Chess Club will meet in the DES Library after school on Monday. We will announce our last two random daily prize winners from the DES Math-A-Thon on Monday and Tuesday, along with our top three earners on Tuesday. Tuesday is Crossing Guard Appreciation Day; DES PTS will hold their monthly meeting at the Durham Memorial Hall at 8:30 AM; Mrs. Renner's 3rd grade class will hold their evening VAPA Performance at 5:30 PM in the DES MPR; and, the 5th Grade Team will offer a parent preview of the Human Growth and Development unit in room 3 in Australia, Mrs. Johannessen's (formerly Miss Haus) classroom at 6:00 PM. Everyone is looking forward to the four-day President's Day holiday weekend!
Tiger Spotlight of the Week: Ms. Lesleigh Brunelle, First Grade Teacher
DIS (From Josh Rowe)
Rene Brandol Classic
Durham Intermediate is proud to be hosting the 56th Annual Rene Brandol Classic this week. This long-standing tournament continues to showcase the dedication, sportsmanship, and competitive spirit of our student-athletes.
Yesterday, our 7th grade team competed with determination against CK Price and Chico Country Day. While the outcomes did not fall in our favor, the team represented DIS with great effort and perseverance.
Today, our 8th grade team takes on Paradise Charter Middle School at 2 PM. With a win, they will advance to the 6 PM game. Championship play continues Saturday, beginning at 10:00 AM.
We invite the Durham community to join us in supporting our Panthers.
Shady Creek Departure
We are so excited for the fun and memorable experience our 6th graders will have at Shady Creek Environmental Camp beginning this Monday, February 9th! This is a wonderful opportunity for students to learn, explore, and grow together, and we can’t wait to kick off the week.
Please arrive promptly at 7:30 a.m. on Monday with all student belongings outside the Durham Intermediate Gym (DIG). Upon arrival, students will complete required health questionnaire screenings, and we will begin loading the buses shortly afterward. Please note this health screener is required by Shady Creek for any student attending. Buses will depart at 8:30 a.m. sharp. It is very important that students arrive on time so we are able to depart as scheduled without delays. Teachers will already be on-site at Shady Creek and will be there to greet students and see them off the buses upon arrival.
Campus Organization Improvements
Sixth grade students have backpack hooks located outside their classrooms. Eighth grade students have lockers for storing their belongings, and beginning Tuesday of next week, seventh grade students will also have backpack hooks installed outside their classrooms.
These storage options help reduce clutter in hallways and locker areas and support a clean, safe, and well-organized campus. We strongly encourage all students to use the designated storage spaces provided throughout the school day.
Please also remind students to lock their lockers at all times and to not share their combinations with anyone. This applies to all students using lockers, including eighth graders and students in PE. Lockers are most effective when they are properly secured.
Thank you for your continued support in helping keep our campus organized and safe.
Presidents’ Weekend – 4 Day Weekend
Just a friendly reminder there will be no school Friday, February 13 and Monday, February 16 in observance of Presidents’ Day.
Enjoy the long weekend!
Important Dates
February 9–12: 6th Grade attends Shady Creek
February 13 & 16: No School — Presidents’ Weekend
April 6-10: No School - Spring Break
DHS (From Marty Wilkes)
Student of the Month:
February’s Student of the Month is Carter Schmid. Carter has a 4.26 GPA and is on Durham’s Swim, Wrestling and Track teams. Carter has applied to several colleges this year, including The Army Academy, The Naval Academy, Air Force Academy, and Embry Riddle. Mr. Schmid would like to major in Business Administration. He is currently taking Calculus, SOU English and Economics, Butte College Hispanic Film, Physics and Ag Mechanic.
Counseling:
This week in Advisory students received grade checks, cleaned out backpacks and spent time working on homework. The Seniors met to discuss end of the year activities.
This week Counseling took around 25 students to tour the Butte College Fire Program. Students were given an extensive tour of the grounds and learned about program expectations. They also got to see some law enforcement action as several agencies were training on the grounds that morning.
Parents of Seniors: There are at least 20 available scholarships posted in your student’s Advisory google classroom. Has your student checked lately!? If not, they need to do so NOW! Going to Butte or Chico State in the fall? Both have scholarship opportunities open right now with deadlines right around the corner. Encourage your senior to get with it!!
Reminder: If students haven’t turned in their 26-27 Course Request Forms, they need to do so immediately.
Athletics:
Basketball:
The girls basketball team is still on a run. They have won 11 straight games. Their overall record of 22-3 and 9-0 in the Sacramento Valley League with three games to go and a three-game lead. More importantly, the playoff points are out, and we are tied for the one seed. The other school holds the tiebreaker, so just keep on playing hard ladies. The ladies play Paradise tonight and host Pierce and Willows next week. Let’s hope they can finish league play undefeated.
The boys basketball team is battling for a playoff spot and got a great double OT win on Tuesday down in Winters. The boys play at home tonight against Paradise. The winner of the game will be in second place. Next week the boys play both games on the road.
Soccer:
The Boys team is 4-4-1 in the Mid Valley League and play Redding Christian today and finish up league play next week at Shasta Charter Academy.
The Girls team is 4-4 in the MVL and close out their season next week at Shasta Charter.
Wrestling:
Feb. 7- SVL Championship at Winters
Feb,. 14- Division Championship at Paradise
Feb. 20-21 - Masters at Shasta High School
AG:
Our annual Boots & Bowties Fundraiser on Thursday, February 19 at 6:30 PM, and we truly hope you will join us for an evening of great food, great company, and meaningful support for our students.This year, we are excited to share a meal change, featuring tri-tip with all new sides. It’s a fresh take on a favorite event, and we’re looking forward to sharing it with our community.
The evening will also include a silent auction, live auction, and our always-popular cake auction, all featuring fantastic items. If you or your business are interested in donating an auction item, we would love to hear from you—your generosity makes a meaningful impact on our program.
Tickets can be purchased using the link below, or you may reach out to any Durham Ag Teacher with questions or for additional information.
Student Services and Supports (from Marilyn Bertolucci)
Feeling stressed and anxious? It might be due to time poverty. Time poverty is the chronic feeling that you have too many things to do and not enough time to do them. It is more than just being busy; it is a psychological state that impacts your well-being.
Technology plays a role in this time suck. Known as the "Autonomy Paradox," there is no longer a boundary between work and home for a lot of us. We can work from everywhere (and we do) with our computers. Furthermore, we are constantly interrupted by our personal devices, either buzzing in our pockets, on our desks, or on our wrists.
Then the "Comparison Trap" rears its ugly head. Social media shows everyone else making life look easy, filling every moment of their life with an activity, leading us to fall into "productivity guilt".
So, what is it costing us?
Our Health: High cortisol levels, poor sleep, and a reliance on fast, processed convenience foods.
Decision Fatigue: When you feel rushed, your brain takes shortcuts. This leads to poorer choices and less patience.
Our Social Life: "Social Erosion"; friendships require "unproductive" time. When we’re time-poor, we cut out the very social connections that buffer us against stress.
How can we help ourselves?
Audit how many times you say "Yes": We often say yes to small tasks that feel easy in that moment but create a "time debt" later.
Protect your little bits of free time or "Time Confetti": Instead of scrolling for 5 minutes between meetings, try to combine those gaps into one solid hour of nothingness.
The Reality: You can always make more money, but the supply of time is strictly non-renewable.
Want to know more about being Time Smart?