Anyone that has raised a teenager in the last ten years, and certainly current parents of teenagers, are well aware of the pull social media has on our teenagers. Most of us probably spend more time than we should on our smartphones, but teenagers definitely lead the way in terms of time spent scrolling through various social media platforms on their phones.

While the impact social media has on our children represents a large topic of conversation amongst researchers, educators and parents across the country, current federal law only restricts social media accounts to children under 13. 

District staff have had conversations about the impact of social media addiction on our children at admin meetings, wellness committee meetings and with some of our parents.

Durham Unified Director of  Student Services and Supports Marilyn Bertolucci dedicated her portion of the Superintendent’s update to this discussion this week. I have moved her report to the top of the report:

Breaking News from Australia!!
Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act 2024 went into effect 12/10/2025

The Core Rule: Minimum Age is 16 to access common social media platforms. 

• The Restriction: It is now illegal for "age-restricted social media platforms" to allow children under 16 to hold accounts.

• No "Grandfathering": The law applies to both new and existing accounts. If a 14-year-old had an Instagram account prior to December 10, the platform is legally required to close it or prevent access until they turn 16.

• No Parental Consent: Parents cannot override the ban. Even with parental permission, a child under 16 is not legally permitted to have an account on the restricted platforms.

Which Apps Are included in the age restriction? TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, X (Twitter), Reddit and Twitch, YouTube 
How Is It Enforced?

• Age Assurance: Platforms must take "reasonable steps" to verify the age of their users. This does not necessarily mean uploading a government ID for everyone. Platforms may use various technologies, such as:

  • Age estimation technology (facial scanning).

  • Third-party verification services.

  • Device-level age settings (e.g., Apple/Google family controls).

• Privacy: The law includes provisions to protect user privacy, preventing platforms from keeping data collected solely for age verification purposes.

 Penalties

• For Companies: companies face huge fines, up to AUD 49.5 million($32,993,235.00)  if they fail to take reasonable steps to keep under-16s off their platforms.

• For Users/Parents: There are zero penalties for children who manage to sneak onto the platforms, and zero penalties for parents. The legal liability sits entirely with the social media companies.

Why Was This Passed?

The Australian government determined that social media is causing significant harm to the mental health and physical safety of young Australians. The government framed the legislation as a necessary step to let children "have a childhood" away from the pressures of algorithms, cyberbullying, and unrealistic body image standards.

What We Know
Our students’ use of social media has been linked to health and wellness issues such as anxiety, depression, sleep disturbances, social isolation and loneliness, low self esteem  and body issues, cyberbullying, harassment, and addiction to online platforms and games. Parental controls help manage what your students can access online, set time limits, and ensure a safe digital environment.

Interested in this topic and how it presents itself in the United States? The Anxious Generation - a book by Jonathan Haidt 

Watch Me!! Firing Line-Interview with Jonathan Haidt

Former DHS Principal passes away

Paul Arnold served as the principal of Durham High School for eight years from 2000 to 2008. Anyone that has been around Durham for a while knows that his time working at Durham High School represents a long service for a principal.

Several current employees worked for Paul during his time here and respect what he did for the high school during his run as principal.

Paul left Durham High to become the Superintendent/Principal at Bangor Union Elementary School District where he served another eight years.

When we become aware of any planned services for Mr. Arnold, we will share the information.

DES (from Samantha Brown)
This week the holiday fun continues at DES with ASB Candy Cane Gram Sales being sold for 15 minutes before and after school each day for $2.00 each in the bus circle in front of the DES Office (or in the hallway by the office if it's too cold). On Monday, staff (and students) got in on a little Christmas fun by playing Christmas Movie Miscellany and identifying Christmas movie titles after listening to a short movie clip for prizes. On Tuesday, some staff members participated in a Christmas Bake-Off and staff sampled and voted for the winners while enjoying some hot winter beverages in the Staff Lounge. The Bake-Off Winners were BEST PRESENTATION: Jo Richer with a lemon mango bundt cake; BEST FLAVOR: Maria Montante with her Aunt Zia's Sicilian Almond Cookies; and, MOST CREATIVE: Brittany Allen with her Caramel Heavenlies. We also held our monthly safety drill in the afternoon, and the 5th and 6th grade bands held their Winter Concert in the DHS Gym at 6 PM. On Wednesday, PTS hosted the Christmas Boutique in the DES MPR where all students shopped for up to five gifts for their family, and Principal Brown hosted December Popsicles with the Principal in the afternoon to recognize our students of the month. On Thursday evening, Mrs. Buttitta's class held their evening performance of "The Gingerbread Man" at 5:30 PM in the DES MPR.  

Next week at DES, on Monday evening, Mrs. Benson's class will hold their evening performance of "The Gingerbread Man" at 5:30 PM in the DES MPR, and Mrs. Bischel's class will hold their evening performance on Tuesday evening at 5:30 PM in the DES MPR. DES PTS will meet on Tuesday, December 16th at 8:30 AM at the Durham Memorial Hall; they hope you will join them to get involved with the many fun PTS hosted events coming up in the second half of the school year. BCOE DHH program will hold their Winter Social on Wednesday evening from 5:00-7:00 PM in the DES MPR. ASB Candy Cane Grams purchased this week will be delivered on Thursday, December 18th to students in the classrooms. Friday, December 19th is a school spirit day where students and staff can wear pajamas to school; it is also a minimum day for DES students getting out at 12:20 PM to begin their winter vacation.

DIS (From Josh Rowe)
Girls Basketball
Our 7th and 8th grade girls wrapped up their regular seasons on a high note this week, earning convincing wins over Nelson and Palermo. Today, December 12th, they will begin competition in the Chico Country Day Basketball Tournament.
Good luck to our athletes!

Shady Creek Parent Meeting
Parents and guardians of 6th graders are invited to attend a Shady Creek Parent Meeting on December 16th at 5:30 PM.
This meeting will provide important information about the memorable outdoor education experience your student will participate in at Shady Creek.

Se ofrecerá interpretación en español.

Winter Wonderland Dance
Get ready to celebrate the season at our Winter Wonderland Dance on Thursday, December 18th from 5:30–7:00 PM!
This event is for DIS students only.

Enjoy a fun evening with:
DJ
Photo Booth
Pizza & Dessert
Games

Students are expected to wear school-appropriate attire and are encouraged to dress semi-formally.

Cost: $10.00 If the cost is a concern, students may speak with Mr. Rowe, Ms. Holly, or Mr. Halsey. A limited number of scholarships are available.

Come celebrate and close out the second quarter in style!

5th and 6th Grade Band
Congratulations to our 5th and 6th grade band students on a wonderful performance Wednesday night in the DHS gym! It was great to see so many parents, grandparents, and friends in attendance supporting our musicians.

Be sure to join us next week at PV High School for the 7th–12th Grade Band Concert. All band students will be performing—don’t miss it!

Upcoming Dates

• December 16: Shady Creek Parent Meeting — 5:30 PM

• December 17: 7th & 8th Grade Band Concert — 6:00 PM, PV High School Performing Arts Center

• December 18: Winter Wonderland Dance — 5:30–7:00 PM

• December 19: Minimum Day

• December 22 – January 2: Winter Break — No School

DHS (From Marty Wilkes)

Finals week is coming, is your student preparing?  Here are five things to help your student.

1. Flash card for key terms

2. Have your student teach you the concept they are studying. (explaining it out loud helps them hear their mistakes)

3. Get all your quizzes and tests together and review them.

4. Be sure your student gets plenty of rest, eats well and stays hydrated.

5. Schedule time to study, avoid cramming.  

 Counseling:
This week, Advisory was ‘Snow Much Fun’ to quote the winner of our door decorating contest! Students had a great time getting creative and working together to create amazing Winter Wonderland displays on our classroom doors. It was SO hard to only pick one winner because they were all so festive and fun! Mr. Bear’s class was our winner. And because she helped with the judging, Ms. Maize selected Mrs. Coughenour’s class as her personal favorite so they earned a popcorn party and bragging rights along with Mr. Bear’s class. What a fun way to wrap up the semester. Here’s the link to a video with pictures of each of the doors curated by senior Karla Rangel. Door Decorating Video Also see the attached picture of Ms. Mazie in front of her favorite door. Feel free to stop by and see them in person if you happen to be on campus. Next week students will have time to organize their backpacks, check grades and prepare for finals in Advisory. 

On Tuesday, Butte College was here to help seniors with the second step in the Reg2Go program, which is applying to the college.  Most of the seniors completed the process.

Yesterday, the seniors learned how to make a resume in their Civics classes.  We went over the basics of a resume and where to find step by step instructions and reference materials.  We also discussed the upcoming scholarship season and what documents they will need to complete scholarship applications. Students were encouraged to start listing their activities and achievements to begin the process of writing a resume. Additionally, they should start talking to people about writing letters of recommendation for them. Encourage your student to take advantage of vacation to work on these important activities. 

The Library is open before and after school, as well as lunchtime, for students to study for finals or take a break. We have puzzles, books, coloring sheets and students can also create a fun Christmas craft if they’d like to.

Athletics:
Basketball:
The Girls Basketball team went 2-1 over the weekend and started their home tournament with a win over Lower Lake on Thursday night which improved their record to 4-2.  They play Princeton Friday night at 7  and Central Valley Saturday night at 6.

The Boys team  played well defensively but could not generate much offense and lost to Weed 39-32 at the Mt. Shasta tournament.  The loss droops their record to 3-2.  The Boys play St. Bernards Friday night at Mt Shasta.

Upcoming Basketball Games
Dec. 16 - Boys and Girls at Oroville High School 6:30 and 8:00 PM

Wrestling:
Wrestling season is off to a good start for both the boys and the girls’ teams winning their weekend tournament at Orland.  They will be at another tournament this weekend at River Valley High School in Yuba City.  Then on Wednesday, Durham will host a dual meet with Las Plumas.  If you have never been to a Durham Dual meet this is a great opportunity to see some outstanding student athletes perform.  Wrestling Starts at 6:00. 

Soccer:
Both the boys and girls  teams are set to host Oroville on Oct. 18. The schedule shows the girls starting at 4 and boys at 5:30.

FFA:
This week, our chapter wrapped up the semester with our final FFA meeting, where students enjoyed hot chocolate before heading out on a festive hay ride to see Christmas lights together. Our poinsettia sale is still underway—please contact Ms. Trujillo (atrujillo@durhamunified.org) if you’d like to purchase one; quantities are limited. We look forward to picking back up with all of our activities when we return from Winter Break in January!

Weekly Update Archive