We are right in the middle of one of the longest stretches of the school year without a break. The last “extra” day off was Labor day and the next one isn’t until Veteran’s Day (Nov. 11).

This is a time that can be very exciting. This week alone we had boat races at the intermediate school, spooky gram FUNraiser at the elementary school and homecoming week for football at the high school.

All of these events are amazing and nobody does them better than Durham. They also can be very taxing and stressful for adults and students alike.

Lets all enjoy all of the excitement of these events and also find time for ourselves to recharge when the weekend hits! Together we can make this long stretch the best for our students.

Boat races make the Chico Enterprise-Record
I think everyone in Durham is aware of the annual 8th grade cardboard boat races at Durham Intermediate School. This tradition was started 25 years ago by now retired intermediate school teacher Cheri Riley.

DIS teacher Mike Richards has successfully continued the races, and this year the races were featured in the Chico Enterprise-Record (see attached).

Monday Minimum Day
A reminder that Monday is a minimum day for staff development. The intermediate school release time is 12:10 with release times at the elementary school (12:20) and high school (12:50) to follow. 

This is the second of two minimum days to provide important professional development to our staff.

Nov. 10 staff development day
As mentioned earlier Veteran’s Day falls on Tuesday, Nov. 11 this school year. The district has one non-student day during the school year each fall dedicated to staff development. This year, the staff development day is scheduled for Monday, Nov. 10.

This schedule will provide our students and families with a four day week Nov. 8-11. 

Staff will be provided important professional development on Nov. 10.

Updates from Principals

DES (from Samantha Brown)
What a packed and productive week at DES! Our students and staff were busy collaborating, celebrating, and preparing for continued success.

This Week’s Highlights: 

Our amazing Student Council met with advisor Molly Knobbe to kick off planning for the Spooky Gram FUNdraiser Sales and our important Red Ribbon Week activities.During Early Release Collaboration (ERC), our K-4 Math Pilot Team checked in with the Amplify team to ensure our math implementation is on track. In the staff meeting, we reviewed our recent spring CAASPP scores and began important conversations about strategies to continue improving student outcomes.Teachers felt prepared for the month after our staff meeting featured guest speakers from the Durham Library and a review of October events. Students wrapped up the week with a colorful Chalk Day, postponed from last Friday, where classes (including Buddy Classes) drew beautiful aerial images and pictures reflecting teamwork! This afternoon, our students enjoyed a special visit and fantastic performance from the DHS High School Band! We always appreciate their talent.

Looking Ahead: Important Dates & Focus (Oct. 13th – 17th) 

Next week is a mix of deep professional learning, vital safety practice, and exciting student field trips!

Monday, Oct. 13th school is released early at 12:20 PM. DES Teachers will meet to review the 2023 CA Mathematics Framework and focus on Math Instruction Aligned with the Science of Math. DUSD Lifetouch Picture Make-Up Day will be held for any students who missed their initial picture session on Wednesday, Oct. 15th. On Thursday, Oct. 16th, we will conduct our monthly safety drill and participate in the global Great American Shakeout earthquake drill. Join us for the October DELAC meeting at 6:00 PM in the DES MPR. On Friday, Oct. 17th, 2nd Grade heads to the Feather River Fish Hatchery; TK classes visit the Patrick Ranch Pumpkin Patch; and, in the afternoon, all students will enjoy an exciting BMX Assembly on the big playground!

DIS (From Josh Rowe)
Cardboard Boat Races

Mr. Richards and our 8th grade students did an amazing job with the 25th Annual Cardboard Boat Races! We had a fantastic turnout, with parents, friends, and students from DES and DHS cheering on our 8th graders. Out of 36 teams, 19 successfully made it the full length of the DRPD Pool—an impressive feat! Thank you to everyone who supported this long-standing DIS tradition.

BCSO Online Safety Assembly
DIS hosted an engaging and informative assembly presented by the Butte County Sheriff’s Office on the critical topic of online safety. Students learned valuable strategies for staying safe while using social media, gaming, chatting, and other online platforms. We’re grateful for this important presentation and the helpful insights shared with our students.

Cross Country
Our Panther Cross Country team continues to train and compete with dedication! On Thursday, they raced at Wildwood Park and delivered some terrific performances. The season wraps up soon with two remaining meets, including the final league championship on October 23rd at Hooker Oak Park. Go Panthers!

Student of the Month
We’re excited to announce that DIS has reinstated the Student of the Month program to recognize students who exemplify our core values of being Respectful, Empathetic, and Purposeful (REP). Each month, a teacher selects one student who demonstrates these traits in and out of the classroom.

• September Student of the Month
  Zachary “Tate” Meinberg, nominated by Mrs. Lincoln, for his responsibility, dedication to completing homework, and consistent kindness and respect toward others. Tate’s cheerful attitude, strong work ethic, and love of reading—he finishes about one book each week, often graphic novels—make him a wonderful example for his peers.
  

• October Student of the Month
  Gustavo Vega-Villarreal, nominated by Mrs. Bunch, for his kindness, patience, and willingness to help classmates in Math and Science. Gustavo’s positive attitude and supportive nature make a meaningful impact on his peers and the classroom community.

Mark Your Calendars

• October 13 — Minimum Day

• October 15 — Picture Make-Up Day

• October 15 — 7th & 8th Grade Girls Basketball: First Home Game

• October 18 — Gala Dinner

DHS (From Marty Wilkes)

I can't believe that the first quarter ended today.  Grades come out Wednesday and these grades will count toward athletic eligibility.  As I go through grades it is pretty clear the students that do and turn in their work do just fine and those who don't struggle.  

Homecoming week is wrapping up tonight. I always love a good reason to wear shorts to school. Big thanks to our PTS moms that helped make homecoming 2025 such a great event. The Sophomore girls won the Flag Football title and the Junior boys edged out the senior boys for the Volleyball title.

Counseling:
This week’s Advisory time was used to build community amongst grade-level peers with students preparing their homecoming skits and holding grade level class meetings. Students also received a copy of their grades in preparation for the end of the 1st quarter today.

On Tuesday, Counseling took 21 juniors and seniors to tour Chico State. In addition to exploring the campus students were given a presentation regarding all Chico State has to offer. 

Counseling also kicked off their College Application Help Workshops. These lunchtime workshops will happen every Tuesday throughout the month of October. Six seniors showed up this week to work on their college apps. Next week the focus will be on the UC application, specifically the academic section. Any students needing help should bring their lunch and join us.

Athletics:
Volleyball:  The girls title march is still going strong after weathering a hard fought five-set match at the 8th-ranked Pierce High School to improve their record to 9-0 in the Sacramento Valley League and 26-4 overall. The volleyball team has three games left before the playoffs start.  We will host Willows on Tuesday before finishing out the regular season the following week with tough back to back games hosting Colusa and then traveling to East Nicolaus.

The tennis team: Regular season is in the books and playoffs start next week.

Football:  The Trojans team played well against Paradise notching a 26-14 win over the visiting Bobcats.  Kolton Beynon is looking more and more comfortable at QB.  Kolton helped account for all four of the team's touchdowns.  He ran for two, threw one and had a 50-yard touchdown catch of his own on a reverse pass from Freshmen Lane Young.  The boys improved their record to 4-2 overall and 1-1 in the SVL.  The Trojans will play Colusa tonight for Homecoming.

Oct. 14 - Volleyball vs Willows
Oct. 1 - Football at Willows

FFA:
Eighteen students attended Shasta Field day yesterday and competed on a variety of teams, including; welding, farm power, veggie judging, horse judging, and livestock judging.

Oct. 10 (Today!) DHS Spirit Arrangement Pick-up: In the floral shop from 2:20pm-4:30pm.

MFE/ALA registration is now open

We have one more week of the FFA Canned Food Drive: students are asked to bring five cans to earn FFA points.

Oct. 15 - We are taking 18 freshmen to GridZaaaaaaley for the freshman FFA conference (GLC)

Oct. 17-18 -  Mum Sale (Date Changed!)

Student Services and Supports (from Marilyn Bertolucci)

CalHOPE Schools provides mental health and wellness resources to schools across California at no cost. The website contains resources that focus on creating trusting spaces, building resilience, and recognizing the signs of mental stress and duress in colleagues, students, and family members.

CalHOPE Schools
CalHOPE is offering two digital mental health supports for youth, young adults and families. 

Brightlife Kids offers Personalized support for California families. Kids ages 0–12 get free, expert coaching for sleep issues, worry, social skills, and more. Live, 1:1 video sessions, secure chat, on-demand content, and more. No cost. No insurance needed. All right from home.

Soluna offers confidential support for 13- to 25-year-olds in California. No cost. No pressure. Chat 1:1 with a professional coach, use interactive tools to destress, or explore quizzes, videos, forums, and more. 

And finally,  not to leave adults out of the mix I recommend Calm available online and through an app.  Calm is a mental health support designed to manage stress, sleep better, and live a happier, healthier life. Calm’s goal is to help you build life-changing habits to support your mental health. They offer 500+ Sleep Stories®, soundscapes, and guided sleep meditations that can lull you to sleep. If you find yourself spiraling in negative thoughts and need immediate relief, try a  60-second Breathe Bubble that grounds you in the moment and helps your body return to a state of relaxation. 

Overwhelmed at work and need a breather? Calm offers stress and burnout specialists who can guide you through exercises to help calm your mind. Calm does have a subscription fee to access all features.    

Are you a CTA member? Here is a CTA linkCalm. You can get a free membership. nationalonlinesafety.com

Weekly Update Archive