This week was full of fun and engaging activities for students, parents, staff  and grandparents! 

With all of the memorable activities that come with the final few weeks of the school year, it is easy to forget there is still plenty of academic work to be completed before the end of the school year.

For example, both the elementary and intermediate schools have been working hard to choose a new math curriculum for adoption that follows the new state framework for math. The staff at both schools are recommending California Math & You, which would make the new curriculum consistent across classrooms from kindergarten to 8th grade. 

The recommendation for the new math curriculum will go to the school board at its May 20th meeting. Until the board meeting, samples of the curriculum can be viewed across from the main office at the elementary school (see attached picture) and in the office at the intermediate school.

The elementary school staff is also making a recommendation for a new curriculum for transitional kindergarten classes. The recommendation for staff is for the board to adopt Frogstreet for TK (See attached photo). This will also go to the board at the May 20 meeting and is currently on display outside the elementary school office.

Grandparents Day

It is always wonderful to see so many grandparents support their elementary students with their presence at Grandparents Day. 

The students are always so excited and proud to see their grandparents at their school and to show them the results of their hard work.

It is testament to the work of our PTS in collaboration with our elementary and MOT staff to see this annual event continue to grow and thrive.

One thing Grandparents Day does for me is to remind me of just how old I really am when I see students I attended Durham High School with attending the event as grandparents.

Durham Band’s time to shine

If you are a fan of the band program in the Durham schools led by Mr. Plummer, this is your time to hear them play. The 7th-12th grade concert was held April 19 at the Center for the Arts at Pleasant Valley High School.

As always, the band will be part of the May Day Parade tomorrow (May 9). 

The 5th grade and 6th grade band concert is scheduled for Tuesday, May 12 at 5 pm in the high school gym.

The band will also be on hand to play at both 8th grade promotion (May 27) and high school graduation (May 28)

DES (from Samantha Brown)
We had a vibrant week at Durham Elementary filled with celebrations, creativity, and long-standing traditions. We kicked off the week of May 3rd by celebrating Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week. We were so grateful for the dedicated professionals who pour their hearts into our students every day! Our Scholastic Book Fair was also open all week, providing a great opportunity for students to find their next favorite read. Mid-week was packed with highlights, including School Nurse’s Day and National Interpreter Day on Wednesday, May 6th. That evening, families joined us for a pizza dinner in the DES MPR and visited the DUSD Art Show in the DHS Gym. Our classrooms were open for tours, and it was wonderful to see so many families viewing the incredible masterpieces our students had created while enjoying Kona Ice in the bus circle. We concluded the week with our cherished community traditions. Friday, May 8th, was a Minimum Day as we hosted our beloved Grandparents Day. The festivities continued Saturday morning, May 9th, with the Kindergarten Stick Horse showcase in the Durham May Day Parade, followed by the community picnic at the park. It was a wonderful week of "DES Pride." Thank you to everyone who participated and made these memories possible!

Next week at Durham Elementary is packed with field trips, fine arts, and special celebrations. We begin Monday, May 11th, with report card assessment and a 1:00 PM safety drill. On Tuesday, our First Grade classes visit Books Farm in the morning, followed by the 5th Grade Band Concert at the DHS Gym at 6:00 PM. Wednesday features the TK ABC Fashion Shows at 9:00 AM, with 4-H meeting in the MPR that evening. Thursday is a major day for travel as 4th Grade heads to Sacramento, 3rd Grade takes their Durham House walking tour, and our 2nd/3rd grade pen pals celebrate the end-of-the-year with Kona’s Ice. We conclude the week on Friday with the 2nd Grade trip to Turtle Bay. It is sure to be an exciting week of learning and exploration!  

Upcoming Events at DES:

May 2026

• May 11: Tri-3 Report Card Assessment Make-ups; 1:00 PM Fire Drill to Shelter in Place.

• May 12: First Grade Classes to Books Farm (8:30-11:00 AM); 5th Grade Band Concert (DHS Gym, 6:00 PM).

• May 13: TK ABC Fashion Show (Cafeteria, 9:00–9:30 AM); Durham 4-H in MPR (6:30–8:30 PM).

• May 14: 3rd Grade Durham House Walking Field Trip (8:30–11:30 AM); 2/3 Pen Pal End of Year Celebration (Kona’s Ice, 12:15 PM); 4th Grade to Sacramento (Sutter’s Fort/RR Museum).

• May 15: TK ABC Fashion Show (Cafeteria, 9:00–9:30 AM); 2nd Grade Field Trip to Turtle Bay (8:30 AM – 2:00 PM). 

• May 18: National Speech-Language Pathologist Day; 5th Grade to DIS (AM); 2nd Grade Pool Party (11:20 AM - 1:20 PM).

• May 19: 5th Grade to Forebay Aquatic Center (8:30 AM - 2:00 PM); 1st Grade Pool Party (12:00–2:00 PM); Probationary Teachers Meeting (3:00–4:00 PM); PTS at Memorial Hall (8:30 AM).

• May 20:  DHS Senior Walk (through 10:15 AM); 4th Grade Pool Party (12:00–2:00 PM).

• May 21: 5th Grade Pool Party (12:00–2:00 PM); RP/MB End of Year Celebration in MPR (1:00-2:00 PM in MPR); TK to Silver Dollar Fair for Farm Babies Field Trip (8:30–11:00 AM).

• May 22: School Spirit Day - Dress Like A Celebrity; TK Courtyard Day (10:00–11:30 AM); 3rd Grade Pool Party (12:00–2:00 PM); Kinder to Silver Dollar Fair for Farm Babies Field Trip (8:30–10:30 AM);  Popsicles w/ Principal (2:00 PM).

• May 25: Memorial Day (No School).

• May 26: Minimum Day (12:20 PM Release); End of the Year Awards Assembly (MPR, 9:00 AM); 5th Grade Advancement Practice; DUSD PTS Luncheon (DES Courtyard, 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM).

• May 27: Minimum Day (12:20 PM Release); 5th Grade Advancement (MPR, 8:30 AM); K Water Day (9:00–11:00 AM); 1st–5th Field Day (9:30-11:30 AM).

• May 28: Last Day of School; Minimum Day Release (12:20 PM); End of Trimester 3; Variety Show/Staff Performance in MPR (9:00 AM).

• May 29: Teacher Work Day.

June 2026

• June 1: First Day of Summer School (8:00 AM)

DIS (From Josh Rowe)
Open House Success
Thank you to everyone who came out for our Open House last night. It was great to see so many families on campus visiting our 6th grade classrooms, viewing the monument projects in the library, and connecting with teachers during our gallery walk showcasing the incredible work our students have completed this year. We appreciate your continued support and partnership in making DIS such a special place for our students to learn and grow. 

PE is back in the Pool
PE has begun its end-of-the-year unit with some time in the pool. As temperatures start to rise, students are able to take advantage of the DRPD pool across our parking lot and refresh their swimming skills before heading into summer. 

Monument Projects
This year’s class did an amazing job with their monument projects. From a 5-foot-2-inch Statue of Liberty, to the Empire State Building, to three different waterfalls complete with flowing water, the creativity and effort on display were incredible.

We were also excited to welcome students from Durham Elementary School for a tour, and they had an absolute blast exploring all of the projects.

Great job to all of our students for their hard work, creativity, and attention to detail, and a special thank you to Mr. Ramsden for leading such an outstanding project experience for our students.

For Most Creative, Layla Mormann earned top honors with an incredible recreation of Yosemite Falls that captured both imagination and artistry.

The award for Most Realistic went to Liam Kennedy and Braden Baker for their impressive build of Multnomah Falls, which wowed visitors with its detail and realism.

Taking home the title of Most Epic, Sammy McCurdy and Jacquelynn Plummer impressed everyone with their towering and ambitious recreation of the Statue of Liberty.

Math Curriculum Adoption 

We are also excited to share that Durham Intermediate is in the process of adopting new, high-quality instructional materials to support student learning. The math curriculum is still available for Public Display in the DIS Front Office until Monday May 18th.

Materials available for review will include:

Middle School Math:  The CA Math & You curriculum. 

Summer School
Invitation letters for Summer School were mailed home last week to select families. This program is a great opportunity for students to strengthen skills and build confidence before the next school year.

If your student received an invitation, please be sure to register using the provided link.

If you have questions, please contact Morgan Alayways at DIS.

Intervention Summer School

Important Dates

• May 15: CJSF Dance

• May 18: 8th Grade / 5th Grade Shadow Day

• May 19: Honor Roll Field Trip

• May 27: 8th Grade Promotion

• May 28: Last Day of School / Sun Splash / Pool Party

DHS (From Marty Wilkes)
13 Days until graduation!

May’s Student of the Month is Hayden Poyner.  Hayden has a 4.19 GPA.  Ms. Poyner will be majoring in Land Scape Architecture at Cal Poly in the fall.  She is currently taking SOU pre-calculus, SOU English, SOU Econ, Physics and Ag Floral.  Hayden has been attending Durham schools since the 1st grade.  Hayden has played four years of volleyball, one year of basketball, three years on snowboard and four years of softball.  She has been on the all SVL team in volleyball and snowboarding.

 With decision day in the books,  Durham High School will see seven students going to Cal Poly in the fall, one going to TCU, UCLA.and Emory Riddle. Several going to Chico State and Butte, six going to the military and several others going to trade schools.

Athletics:
Baseball: The boys have won 10 straight games and are 25-1 overall and are 11-0 in league with one game to play.  The boys locked up the Sacramento Valley League title yesterday with an ugly 14-12 win over Winters.  The boys close out the regular season today vs East Nicolaus at 4:00.  Wednesday, the Northern Section publishes the playoff brackets and play will start on Friday. 

Softball: The ladies are 15-8 and 8-3 in the SVL with their last  regular season game today vs East Nic.  The girls playoff brackets will also come out on Wednesday.

Golf: The golf team closed out their regular season on Thursday with a win down at East Nicolaus which secured the SVL title for them as well.  Golf travels to Alturas next week with the boys playing for the Division Title.

AG:
Awards Banquet will be May 13 in the gym,

-Mr. Deaton: Sheep, Goats, and Steers
-Mrs. Kann: 1/2 of the Pigs and Turkeys
-Ms. Trujillo: 1/2 of the Pigs and Rabbits

Upcoming Events:

May 11 - AP Calculus Test
May 13 - FFA Banquet
May 14  - Senior Awards
May 17 - Baccalaureate
May 18 - Senior Picnic
May 18 - 8th Grade Shadow Day
May 20 - Senior Walk
May 28 - Graduation

Student Services and Supports (from Marilyn Bertolucci)
May Is Mental Health Awareness Month                                                                                                                                                          

Mental Health Awareness Month, observed annually in May, began in 1949 when it was founded by Mental Health America. This observance is a critical time to emphasize the importance of mental wellbeing, educate, decrease stigma, and champion support for those impacted by mental health conditions. Throughout the month, individuals and organizations unite to raise awareness and advocate for improved mental health care and resources.

This Mental Health Awareness Month, help us make mental wellbeing a reality for everyone, everywhere. Take the pledge!
Are you a current Butte Schools Self-Funded Program Member click here to see current wellness supports you can access. 

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

24/7 Crisis Support  (530) 891-2810 | Toll-Free (800) 334-6622

The Butte County Behavioral Health- Mobile Crisis Response Team is available 24/7 to provide immediate mental health support. No matter where you are in Butte County, they will support you. Trained professionals will assess your situation, provide crisis intervention, and dispatch the Mobile Crisis Response Team if needed.

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