It is not everyday that we see snow in Durham, but it happened on Thursday and many of our students found time to get outside of the classroom and experience the snow.

We will probably never have a “snow” day like Paradise schools had on Thursday and Friday, but it was fun for our students while it lasted.

Four-day weekend
I hope everyone is able to enjoy a little rest, relaxation and revitalization over this extended four day weekend!

Board meeting
The February meeting of the Durham Unified School District Board of Trustees is next Wednesday (February 18) at 6 pm.

DHS Girls Basketball advances to section championship game
The Durham High School girls basketball team, already champions of the Sacramento Valley League, defeated Trinity 60-56 Thursday night in a Northern Section Division 5 semifinal playoff game.

Senior Payton Santos led the Trojans with 20 points and 16 rebounds. Fellow seniors Karla Rangel and Clare Osbon each chipped in 13 points. 

The No. 2 seed Trojans will play the winner of tonight’s game between No. 1 Modoc and No. 4 East Nicolaus in the championship game.

The championship game is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 28 at 2:30 pm at Shasta College in Redding.

DHS Boys Basketball hosts playoff game tonight
The Durham High School boys basketball team finished tied for the Sacramento Valley League title and earned the No. 4 seed in the Northern Section Division 5 playoffs.

The Trojans host No. 5 seed Hamilton tonight in a section quarter final game. The game will tip off at 7 pm.

A win would send the Trojans into a semifinal road game between the winner of tonight’s game vs No. 1 Weed and No. 8 Los Molinos. The semifinal game is scheduled to take place on Feb. 25. 

Chico State Education Career fair

The district is working hard to fill its open teaching positions for the 2026-2027 school year. As part of the effort Superintendent John Bohannon and Durham Intermediate School Principal Josh Rowe will attend the Chico State Education Career Fair. 

This event is designed for students completing the credential program at Chico State to meet prospective employers.

All of our currently known openings are posted on Edjoin at https://www.edjoin.org/durhamunified.

Help us grow a healthier Durham
Durham Unified is looking for parents, students, and community members to join our School Wellness committee.

We believe that healthy students are better learners. Our committee meets to review our district’s Wellness Policy and sets goals for nutrition, physical activity, and student well-being. This year, we are conducting our Triennial Assessment to see how we’re doing and where we can improve. 
We want your voice!

What: Wellness Committee Planning Meeting
When: March 4, 2016 at 3:30 pm
Where: Durham Elementary Cafeteria
Goal: To ensure our schools provide the best environment for our kids to thrive..

If you are interested in participating or have ideas for school wellness, please contact Durham Unified Cafeteria Manager Dayna Gibbs at dgibbs@durhamunified.org or by phone at 530-895-4697, ext. 6705. Let’s work together to keep the Tigers, Panthers and Trojans healthy and strong!

Elementary school construction project takes next step

The Durham Unified Board of Trustees approved the price for the new TK/K and office construction project at Durham Elementary at its meeting on Feb. 18.

Weather permitting, the project will start immediately.

DES (from Samantha Brown)
This week, we continued with Trimester 2 Report Card Assessments. Tuesday some classes learned about Chinese New Year. DES students continue to practice the Tiger Trait of the month, compassion, and do random acts of kindness throughout the month to earn Kindness Bucks and opportunities to win small prizes. Thursday morning brought a lot of excitement to our students and staff when it began snowing. Our Technology Committee met after school on Thursday. On Friday afternoon, students of the month for January met Principal Brown in the DES Courtyard for popsicles and a short award ceremony. Sunday, February 22nd marks Bus Driver Appreciation Day.

Next week at DES, we will wrap up Trimester 2 Report Card Assessments, as the end of the trimester is on Wednesday, February 25th. The DES Chess Club will meet in the DES Library after school on Monday. Our PBIS Leadership Team will meet on Tuesday after school to plan some fun, community building activities to get students and staff through the long month of March. On Thursday evening at 6 pm the District English Language Advisory Committee (DELAC) will meet in the DES MPR for their monthly meeting and dinner. We will have a school spirit day on Friday, February 27th; staff and students are encouraged to wear a solid color from head to toe.

DIS (From Josh Rowe)
8th Grade Career Day Field Trip Feb. 26

Our 8th graders will once again have the opportunity to participate in this outstanding Career Day event, where students from across Butte and Glenn Counties come together to explore a wide range of career paths. This experience brings together nearly 2,000 students and more than 500 educators, industry professionals, and volunteers for a day focused on real-world learning and future planning. Students will engage directly with local professionals, learn about the skills, education, and training needed for various careers, and begin thinking more intentionally about their goals beyond middle school. We are grateful to everyone who helps make this powerful experience possible and look forward to a meaningful and inspiring day for our students. Check out this video about what our 8th grade students will get to experience next week.

Mr. Ramsden and Mr. Staiger recently wrapped up the annual African Mask Project in 7th Grade World History. This project complements students’ study of African geography and cultural traditions - see attached pictures.

Our history teachers truly go all out. Students begin by creating molds of their own faces and then transform them into masks inspired by animals found in different geographic regions of Africa. The creativity, craftsmanship, and attention to detail are always impressive, and the finished products reflect both artistic talent and academic understanding.

Projects like this are a great example of hands-on learning at DIS

Next week marks the end of our athletics season here at DIS. I want to take a moment to thank Mr. Richards, our Athletic Director, for the tremendous amount of behind-the-scenes work he does for our student-athletes.

He coordinates schedules, secures officials, organizes transportation, communicates with schools, coaches teams, and runs our two home basketball tournaments — all while ensuring our programs operate smoothly. Without his dedication and leadership, we would not be able to offer the breadth and quality of athletic opportunities that we do.

We are grateful for the time, energy, and heart he pours into our Panthers each season. Thank you Mr. Richards.

While I don’t know the exact year it last snowed here in Durham, I do know it’s a rare event. Students were debating whether it happened when they were in 3rd grade or 1st grade — and depending on their current grade level, they may all be right.

What we do know is that it doesn’t happen often, and when it does, it’s worth pausing for.

We took a quick break from instruction so students could step outside and experience the snow — for some of them, it was the first time in their lives. There’s something special about watching middle schoolers turn back into little kids for a few minutes.

I’m thankful we were able to capture a few pictures to help us remember this unexpected Durham moment. Sometimes the best lessons aren’t in a textbook — they’re the ones we experience together.

Important Dates

• February 26 – PEG Second Draft Due

• March 5 – PEG Final Draft Due

• March 5 & 6 – Minimum Days

• March 10 & 11 – PEG Presentation Days

• April 6-10: No School - Spring Break

DHS (From Marty Wilkes)
Counseling worked with seniors to make sure everyone has their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) complete.  Most of the seniors have completed their applications but there are still quite a few that are stopped at the parent portion.  Please take a minute to make sure your student has completed their FAFSA.  You can do this by having your student log in studentaid.gov and make sure that the form has been marked submitted.  The priority deadline for this is March 2, 2026, which is right around the corner.

Reg2Go is coming up! This orientation and registration event at Butte College is scheduled for March 3rd. We were lucky to secure such an early date this year so students should have ample access to classes before they fill up. We are encouraging every senior who has Butte College as a back-up plan to attend and register for classes. That way, if their "Plan A" doesn't work out, they will be all set to start at Butte in the fall. Once their plans are finalized, students who ultimately choose not to attend Butte will only need to login to their portal and drop the classes they registered for prior to the start of the semester. Parents of students who plan to attend the trip will receive more detailed information in an email as we get closer to the date.

Athletics:
Basketball:
The girls basketball team is still on a run. They have won 15 straight games.  Their overall record of 26-3 and finished league 12-0 as  the Sac Valley League Champions.  The Girls earned the No. 2 seed for the playoffs and played Trinity on Thursday night.  The game was a story of the Good, the Bad and the Ugly.  The Ugly: We were up by 10 points with a minute left in the game with the ball. Conventional basketball wisdom tells you to run the offense and make them foul you and seal the game on the foul line. We somehow decided to play volleyball around the rim and gave them the ball back.  The Bad: We let them score six points in the last 20 seconds of the game. Their star sophomore scored 32 points on the night.  The Good: None of that matters because the only thing that matters this time of year is we won 60-56 and advanced to the next round.  Payton Santos and Clare Osbone made sure that happened.  Congrats ladies for advancing to the division 5 finals!

The boys basketball team completed the regular season 16-12 overall, and finished SVL play 9-3. They got the help they needed and finished tied for first place in the league.   The boys have now won outright or tied for the SVL crown for 5 years in a row. 

Soccer:  
The Girls team finished 4-5 in the MidValley League (MVL), and earned the No. 5 seed. They played Hamilton on Thursday night at Chico High School.  The score may not have been what we wanted but the ladies will be able to tell a good story on how they had to play a soccer game in the snow at Chico High.  

Wrestling:
The boys and girls wrestling teams both won the Northern Section Division 3 section title on Saturday.  Durham boys have now won 12 Straight Section Titles!  Both teams will be competing this week for the Masters Championship this Friday and Saturday at Shasta High School.  The top 2 finishers in each weight class move on to state.

AG:
Our annual Boots & Bowties Fundraiser was on Thursday night.  

Student Services and Supports (from Marilyn Bertolucci)
Looking for resources to support your student, your family or your mental wellness? 

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Looking for Help in a Crisis in a Butte County
24/7 Crisis Support
(530) 891-2810 | Toll-Free (800) 334-6622

Butte County Behavioral Health’s Mobile Crisis Response Team is available 24/7 to provide immediate mental health support. No matter where you are in Butte County, they come to you.

Trained professionals will assess the situation, provide crisis intervention, and dispatch the Mobile Crisis Response Team if needed.

Walk-In Crisis Services
For in-person support, visit our Crisis Services Office during business hours:

560 Cohasset Rd, Suite 100, Chico, CA
Monday – Friday, 8 AM – 5 PM 

Need help after hours? Call (530) 891-2810 for 24/7 mobile crisis support.

Not in crisis but still need support? Click here to get started.
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline California The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline provides confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, across the United States. 9-8-8 is available via call or text, and online chat. You can also use this resource if you are seeking help in supporting someone who is in crisis. 

If you are experiencing a life-threatening emergency, dial 911 immediately.

Weekly Update Archive