There is finally a light at the end of the tunnel after the long fall season for staff, families and students. We have just one more week of school before a well needed rest for everyone. Thank you for all of the hard work to this point in the school year. We need to keep our students focused as this next section of the school year will move very quickly. We only have three weeks of school between Thanksgiving Break and Christmas Break this year!

DIS Construction Update

The Durham Unified Board of Trustees approved the completion of the fencing on the East side of Durham Intermediate campus at this week's board meeting. This will fully fence the campus. This will lead to a single point of entry to campus through the Administration building once the school day starts. It will also keep the area between the sixth-grade classrooms and District office fenced as this area will not be a student drop off or pickup location. The fencing installation is a few weeks away. When this is nearing completion, we will send out information to our families regarding appropriate dropoff and pickup locations.

The DUSD Trustees also approved the installation of a new security camera system for Durham Intermediate school at this week’s meeting. 

Please excuse the dust at the District Office

The DUSD Trustees also approved some improvements to the district office at this week’s meeting. This will include some demolition and rebuilding of walls inside the district office. 

We will attempt to keep everyone updated on the changes. This will change the entrance to the district office to the south side of the building (outside of the soon to be new fencing around the intermediate school).

Trustees Loudermilk and Thorpe finish final meeting

Trustees David Loudermilk and Matt Thorpe finished their final meeting as Trustees this week. As a token of our appreciation of their service to the students in Durham, each was presented a plaque with a picture of the new DIS campus.

Updates from Principals

DES (from Samantha Brown)

It has been a somewhat quiet week at DES. This week we had minimum day release for first trimester Parent-Teacher Conferences. Our fourth grade classes are gearing up for next week's evening VAPA performances of "Interplanetary Jammin'."  Mrs. Corrales's class took a field trip to the Gateway Science Museum in Chico on Thursday. Today, we recognized forty-two DES students as October students of the month with a certificate and Popsicles with the Principal.

Tiger Spotlight of the Week: Mrs. Roni Masuda, 4th Grade Teacher

1) Why did you become a teacher? II come from a long line of teachers on my mother's side, so I've had some of the best mentors since childhood.  Once I had my own children, I could not see myself as anything other than a teacher.

2) What are your hobbies and interests outside of work? Outside work I enjoy being with family and friends.  My perfect day would be waking up and going for a hike, fishing along Hat Creek, and enjoying conversations and laughs beside a campfire.

3) A fun fact about yourself or unique talent you possess, if any? IFun Fact:  I believe I've had about 600 students over my 20+ years here at DES!

4) Favorite book, movie, or music (pick only one to share) and why it is your favorite? My favorite music is anything by Bon Jovi...I actually met the band when they were staying in the same hotel in Japan in the 80's.  Crazy thing is I had no idea who they were at the time.

5) Favorite part, so far, about working at Durham Elementary School? My favorite part of working at DES is walking into my class each morning knowing I have the best, and one of the hardest,  jobs in the world! 

DIS (From Joanne Parsley)

Second quarter progress reports come out Friday, November 15. 

The Book Fair continues through November 19. Books will be delivered before Christmas break and the school receives 20% credit from sales.

DIS Sports: Mark your calendars! Our Lady Panthers hit the court at home on 11/20 for their last game before Thanksgiving break. They will have one more home game 12/5.

PE: Our students are hitting the mat room, learning wrestling moves, perfecting tumbling tricks, and mastering body awareness. These are skills that keep them active, focused, and having a blast!

Science: 8th graders are diving into the Periodic Table of Elements. It’s all about discovering the building blocks of our world, from hydrogen to helium and beyond. 7th grade science is learning about the processes deep within the cell and DNA structure leading into genetics.

Math: 7th grade math will begin using Algebra tiles next week allowing for a hands-on understanding of finding an unknown value. Advanced 7th grade math is creating probability models for familiar games such as rock-paper-scissor and Left-Right-Center. They are also working on a probability fair for next week. Integrated math I is working on Bivariate Data and applying to different real world contexts such as cold length with and without cold supplements. Common Core 3 Math is in a fun unit for transformations where many students seem to be gaining confidence due to the change to a geometry unit.

FFA: 8th grade students went to Gridley Wednesday (November 13) for the sectional speaking contest and took 2nd place overall for opening & closing ceremonies.

History:  7th grade is wrapping up Medieval Europe and introducing the Middle East. 8th grade is presenting menu items for the American Revolution Project

English: 7th grade English students are continuing their exploration of the dystopian world of The Giver by Lois Lowry.

English Learner: Students are working on a Future Cities project. They have already constructed a model and soon will be writing an essay about it (describing transportation, commerce, dwellings & agriculture) and then presenting their cities as a final project for the semester.

6th Grade: Mrs. Lincoln's class had a special guest from Washington DC, Mr. Mike Fritz, a US diplomat from the USAID program. He spoke to the children about career opportunities and some wonderful things you can do working for the foreign service. He has visited over 100 countries, eaten strange and exotic foods, and learned about cultures worldwide. He had the students mesmerized by the story of his adventures being lost on the steps of Mongolia on a Yak.

DHS (From Marty Wilkes)

Counseling:

The counseling department hosted a college application work day on Nov. 12.  Today, 35 students took a tour of the CTE facilities at Butte College. 

SAT and PSAT scores have been posted.

Nov. 20 -  Chico State tour

Nov. 21 -  Exchange Club student of the month.

Academics:

World History is covering the causes of the French Revolution

US History is studying the Progressive Era

US Government is doing a simulation game about elections

The AG Department:

This week, we had 18 high school and 10 8th grade students compete at the Fall Section Speaking Contest in Gridley.  Jonny Birchard tied for 1st place on the Best Informed Green-hand test. BIG team placed 3rd overall.

Up and coming in the Ag Department

Nov. 20 - Student/Parent livestock meeting for students interested in showing at the Silver Dollar Fair. 

Nov. 21 - Thanksgiving Arrangement pick-up

Nov. 22 - Community Service Event with Farm Bureau 

Athletics: 

Fall sports are putting the finishing touches on their seasons, football will play at East Nicolaus tonight in the semifinals of the playoffs and cross country finished up their season on Thursday.

Winter sports have started practice. 

Soccer has lower numbers than expected on the boy’s side but the girl’s team looks like they will be in the low 20s.

Basketball teams are looking like they will have great numbers. Girl’s varsity and JV teams will both have 10-12 players each.  The boy’s team is still waiting to see what happens with football before they will know how many players they will have.

Wrestling is coming off a season where they won the Northern Section Masters Championship.  Our wrestling team has around 50 athletes which means we will have a full varsity and jv boys team and for the first time it looks like we will have a full girls team as well.  Our wrestling team will feature 7 athletes on the preseason state watch list, led by seniors Richie Halvorson, Hayden Solinger, junior Isaiah Vaughn and sophomore Landon Salindong. 

Nov. 20 - Soccer at Anderson

Nov. 15 -  Football at East Nic

Dec. 3 - Boys and Girls Basketball at Quincy

Update from Student Services and Supports (from Marilyn Bertolucci)

A focus of the Health and Wellness Team is supporting students who are experiencing anxiety. A student who is experiencing anxiety may have poor attendance, decreased ability to focus , impaired memory, have trouble thinking critically, demonstrate difficulty adapting to new situations, show a need for perfectionism, and/or impaired ability to organize or plan. 

“Anxiety is the most common mental health condition seen in our society,” explains Danesh Alam, MD, medical director of Behavioral Health Services at Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital.

Understanding anxiety can help us better support our students who are experiencing it. Anxiety is a complex process involving various brain regions that interact to influence emotional responses. Here’s an overview:

1. Key Brain Areas Involved:

   • Amygdala: Known as the brain's emotional center, it heightens fear and anxiety responses. In students with anxiety disorders, the amygdala is more sensitive to these cues.

   • Dorsal Anterior Cingulate Cortex (dACC): This part of the frontal lobe amplifies fear signals from the amygdala, contributing to the anxiety experience.

   • Prefrontal Cortex: Responsible for cognitive functions, helping regulate emotional responses but may be less effective in people with anxiety.

   • Limbic System: This area, which includes the hippocampus, hypothalamus, and thalamus, manages most emotional processing and can become hyperactive in those with anxiety.

2. Physical Symptoms:

   • Anxiety can lead to physical symptoms like a rapid heartbeat, sweating, lightheadedness, and trouble sleeping. Students may also experience stomachaches, headaches, trembling, and other discomforts.

3. Mental and Emotional Effects:

   • Anxiety often brings feelings of being overwhelmed and persistent intrusive thoughts, which will interfere with learning and concentration.

4. Causes of Anxiety:

   • The causes of anxiety are very complex and stem from a mix of factors; including chemical imbalances, genetics, and environmental triggers like trauma or chronic stress.

As a District we can work together to create supportive classroom and campus environments that will help students manage anxiety’s effects on learning and emotional well-being. When this is accomplished we can then focus on teaching the skills students need to manage their anxiety in the world outside of school.

Weekly Update Archive