It may only be January, about halfway through the school year, but we are already working hard to prepare for next school year!

We are working on enrollment numbers and staff decisions for next year already. We have been informed that three teachers are retiring at the end of the school year - Jona O’Shea (again) and Roni Masuda at Durham Elementary and Jacqueline Lincoln at Durham Intermediate. We can’t say thank you enough to these three teachers for the immeasurable impact they have had on students in Durham Unified.

These are very large shoes to fill, but we will be starting the process of finding teachers very soon. Positions are scheduled to be advertised to internal staff at the end of the month, and external advertisements will start in February.

Coach Colleen Coutts was more than a golf coach- she was a mentor, a leader and an inspiration to countless athletes and students throughout her years as a classified student advisor and coach. Her unexpected passing last year has left a profound impact on our community. 

The Durham High Golf team is holding a memorial golf tournament to honor Coach Coutts’ legacy and to support the Durham Golf program.

The tournament is scheduled for Monday, April 20th. See attached flyer for more information.

This week at DES we highlighted student creativity through three nights of 4th Grade VAPA performances and welcomed new families during TK/K In-Person Registration on Thursday. We wrapped up the week by celebrating our students of the month with Popsicles with the Principal, and PTS will hold the Mother-Son Dance this evening at the Durham Memorial Hall.

Upcoming next week, DES PTS will hold their monthly meeting at the Durham Memorial Hall at 8:30 AM. We will hold our second and final TK/K In-Person Registration on Wednesday from 9AM-12PM in the DES Office. We will be holding the January District English Language Advisory Committee (DELAC) meeting on Thursday, January 22nd at 6:00PM in the DES MPR. It will be the final stretch for students to collect pledges for our 100th Day of School Math-A-Thon on Monday, January 26th, as envelopes are due back to classroom teachers on Friday (or at the beginning of the day on Monday) before the Math-A-Thon.

Believe it or not, it’s already time to begin thinking about the transition to Durham High School. The Durham High School Academic Counseling Team will be visiting DIS on Thursday, January 22, to support our 8th grade students and families as they prepare for this exciting next step.

That evening, Durham High School will host its annual 8th Grade Parent Night at 6:00 p.m. in the DIS Commons. All 8th grade students and their parents are strongly encouraged to attend this important and informative event.

Families will hear from the DHS Academic Counseling Team, who will share information about the transition to high school and the course registration process for incoming 9th graders. A representative from Chico State will also be present to discuss ways students can begin thinking about high school, college, and postsecondary options.

We hope you can join us for this valuable opportunity to learn more and ask questions as your student prepares for high school.

Our 7th and 8th grade boys basketball teams kicked off their season this week with a game against Palermo and participation in the Willows Tournament. The boys fought hard against Palermo but came up just short. They are hungry to compete in Willows and throughout the rest of the season—be sure to come out and support our Panthers!

Shady Creek Outdoor Science Camp is coming up quickly, and we want to remind families the next important deadline for Shady Creek:

January 26: Shady Creek apparel orders and tuition are due

It is very important that all required forms, medications, and payments are submitted on time. We can’t wait for our 6th grade students to head to Shady Creek to learn, explore, and have fun!

Upcoming Dates

January 19: No School — Martin Luther King Jr. Day
January 22: A–G Presentation for 8th Grade Students and Parents
January 26: Last day to turn in Shady Creek tuition
February 9–12: 6th Grade attends Shady Creek
February 13 & 16: No School — Presidents Weekend

This week in Advisory students completed the Character Strong curriculum. This week’s To Be Challenge is To Be Present. Students were encouraged to "stack their phones" with friends and see who can go the longest without "splitting the stack." The goal: enjoy quality time together, screen-free…something we could all use more of.

Next week we will begin registration for the 2026-2027 school year. Ms. Spade will be going into classes over the next two weeks to discuss the process and help students complete their registration paperwork, culminating in students inputting their class requests in Aeries. Please watch for paperwork to come home and make sure to discuss your student’s course selections with them before signing and returning. 

This week we took seven students to tour the Sacramento Job Corps program. It was an enlightening experience. Both students and staff learned quite a bit. Next week we will be taking students to tour the Butte College HVACR and Heavy Equipment programs.

Urgent for Seniors: Check College Portals for Scholarships

Many students wait for an acceptance letter before looking for scholarships—this is a mistake. Most colleges require students to submit supplemental scholarship applications before an admission decision is even made. If you wait for the "Yes," the deadline for institutional money may have already passed.

Please have your student log in to their applicant portals for every school today - and then check them regularly for important information. 

This is where they will find:

Scholarship Applications: Many are due now, regardless of admission status

To-Do Lists: Check for missing documents that could stall their application

Financial Aid Packages: Official award offers will be posted here once accepted

Don't let the opportunity for funding pass you by—check those portals this weekend!

A Durham first, On Monday I had a Durham first experience, all 6 teams won their games on the game day.  Boys and girls soccer beat Los Molines, and the Basketball teams all beat East Nicolaus.

Basketball:
The girls basketball team is on a run! They have won four straight games, are 15-3 overall, and 3-0 in the Sacramento Valley League (SVL). They took down Winters,  who was 3-0 in league going into the game, on Wednesday.  The girls will start a road show this week playing at Paradise tonight with tip off at 6 and then playing at Pierce, Willows and East Nicolaus before coming home to play Colusa on Jan. 28.

The boys basketball team has been having a hard time finding the bottom of the net the last few games and is now 8-10 overall and 1-2 in the SVL.  The boys will work to even their SVL recorded tonight at 7:30 up in Paradise. 

Soccer:  
The Boys team is 2-1 in the Mid Valley League. They play at Redding Christian today.

The Girls team is 2-1 in the MVL and plays Shasta Charter Academy on the 20.

Wrestling:
The wrestling teams are traveling to Huntington Beach and to Corning this week.

AG:
Boots and Bowties (Feb 26)  tickets are now on sale! Here is the Link.

We have individual tickets and tables (seats 8) for sale.

If you would like to donate any auction items please contact an Ag Advisor.

Next week on Friday and Saturday we will be taking 33 students to the Made for Excellence and Advanced Leadership Academy Conferences in Redding.

State FFA Conference applications are now open and are due by January 30th. The Conference is March 20th-25th in Ontario, Ca. The cost to attend is $250. If you have any questions please contact an Advisor.

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Student Services and Supports (from Marilyn Bertolucci)

Ahhh it's finally Friday, looking forward to a long weekend and getting some REST.  

Did you know that there are seven types of rest?

If you have been relying on sleep alone to overcome exhaustion it may not be enough. We need mental, spiritual, emotional, social, sensory, creative and physical rest.

The short TED Talk by Saundra Dalton Smith, MD, The Real Reason Why We Are Tired and What To Do About It explains the different types of rest we require. The amount of each type will vary from person to person. 

Do you find it hard to rest because you feel it is a waste of time? Try thinking about rest as an investment in your energy bank for future activities. 

Want to know more????

Check out the book by Saundra Dalton Smith, MD  Sacred Rest: Recover Your Life, Renew Your Energy, Restore Your Sanity 

The State of California is expanding access to health and mental wellness services for students by requiring health plans and insurers to reimburse public schools for certain services—at no cost to families. Under the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative (CYBHI) Fee Schedule program, schools can now receive payment for eligible health and mental wellness services provided on campus.

This means that there are no copays, deductibles, or out-of-pocket expenses for families. State law ensures that health plans and insurers cannot shift any portion of the cost to students or their families.

To participate in this program, the District will request health insurance information from families. 

All information provided will be kept strictly confidential and used solely to allow the District to seek reimbursement for services. Insurance data will not be shared outside of what is necessary to process reimbursements or as otherwise required by law (e.g., with the California Department of Health Care Services).

While this reimbursement model is new for general education services, it is not new to education overall. DUSD and other districts have been using a similar process, known as "Medi-Cal Billing," to fund some special education services for many years. With this expansion, DUSD can now seek reimbursement for support provided by school counselors, psychologists, nurses, health staff, and a new category of wellness coaches.

The funding we receive through this program can be reinvested into expanding services, hiring additional staff, and providing professional development to support student wellness now and in the future. Please help us help students but choose to participate when asked. The funds will go directly back to student support. 

More information will come soon!