It is always an honor for everyone in the district when one of our own is selected for an award. Today, we were informed that DHS Spanish Teacher Amy Arendt has been selected as the recipient of the 2026 California Language Teachers’ Association (CLTA) Duarte Silva Fellowship. 

By receiving the Fellowship, Amy has the ability to attend the CLTA Conference in Sacramento to receive her award at the CLTA Awards Presentation on Sunday, March 1. 

Here is the announcement as received via email today:

“Congratulations, Amy!  

It is with the utmost pride and delight that we are writing to inform you that you have been selected as the recipient of the 2026 CLTA Duarte Silva Fellowship. The Awards Committee felt that your application dossier demonstrated your commitment and dedication to the CLTA DEI Mission in your proposed project and most definitely warrants your receipt of this acknowledgment. Reading and reviewing all of your application materials was both inspiring and motivating for all of us. We salute you for your dedication, service, and commitment to promoting the CLTA DEI Mission. We look forward to celebrating you and bestowing this award on you at the upcoming conference.

As you are no doubt aware, our CLTA Conference will be held in Sacramento at the Doubletree Hilton from February 28- March 1st. We invite you to receive your award at the CLTA Awards Presentation on Sunday, March 1st at 9am in the Capitol Ballroom. No tickets are required for this event, so you may bring any guests of your choosing. You will have 3 minutes to speak to the audience for thank yous, acknowledgements, etc. We highly recommend practicing and timing your speech in advance. If you are unable to attend the conference, please let us know as soon as possible, and consider choosing a delegate to accept the award for you.  Please reply to us at awards@clta.net at your earliest convenience in order to let us know if you accept the award and if you are able to attend the Sunday Awards Presentation.  Again, congratulations for this well deserved honor, and we look forward to seeing you in Sacramento!

Sincerely,

The Awards Committee

Betsy Basom and Ronit Ron-Yerushalmi

CLTA Awards Co-Chairs

Email: awards@clta.net

Congratulations Amy!

Four-day weekend
I hope everyone is able to enjoy a little rest, relaxation and revitalization over this extended four day weekend!

Board meeting
The February meeting of the Durham Unified School District Board of Trustees is next Wednesday (February 18) at 6 pm.

DES (from Samantha Brown)
his week, we began our Trimester 2 Report Card Assessments for the upcoming end of the trimester on Wednesday, February 25th. Chess Club met in the DES Library after school on Monday. We announced our last two random daily prize winners from the DES Math-A-Thon on Monday and Tuesday, along with our top three individual earners and top three earning classes on Wednesday. Tuesday was Crossing Guard Appreciation Day; DES PTS held their monthly meeting at the Durham Memorial Hall at 8:30AM; Mrs. Renner's 3rd grade class held their evening VAPA Performance at 5:30PM in the DES MPR (see photos below); and, the 5th Grade Team offered a parent preview of the Human Growth and Development unit in room 3 in Australia, Mrs. Johannessen's (formerly Miss Haus) classroom at 6:00PM. Everyone is looking forward to the four-day President's Day holiday weekend!

Next week, we continue with Trimester 2 Report Card Assessments. Tuesday is Chinese New Year and our probationary teachers will meet with Principal Brown for a check in after school. Our Technology Committee will meet after school on Thursday, and on Friday afternoon, students of the month for January will meet Principal Brown in the DES Courtyard for popsicles and a short award ceremony.

DIS (From Josh Rowe)
Rene Brandol Classic – 56th Annual
The 56th Annual Rene Brandol Classic was successfully hosted here at Durham Intermediate School. Over three days, the DIG welcomed teams and families for a well-organized and smoothly executed tournament.

While the competitive results were not what we had hoped for, the event itself was a tremendous success and a great representation of Panther pride and sportsmanship.

A special thank you to Mr. Richards for his leadership in coordinating the tournament and ensuring operations ran efficiently from start to finish.

The boys’ final tournament of the season will be the Chico Country Day Shootout on February 27. Until then, both teams will continue weekly league play as they close out the season. We appreciate the continued support of our families and community.

Shady Creek
Our sixth grade students and staff are heading home today, February 6, from Shady Creek. As always, it was a week filled with learning, exploration, and unforgettable experiences.

Students participated in hands-on science activities, outdoor challenges, and team-building experiences that extend learning beyond the classroom. By all accounts, it was a fantastic week.

A heartfelt thank you to:

• Our high school counselors who served as cabin leaders and role models

Mrs. Lincoln, Mrs. Lash, and Ms. Skelly for accompanying our students

Staff members who attend Shady Creek know it is both rewarding and exhausting — and we are grateful for the time, care, and energy they invested in making this experience meaningful for our students. Thank you Mrs. Lincoln, Mrs. Lash and Ms. Skelly for all of your hard work.

Presidents’ Weekend – 4 Day Weekend Reminder

There will be no school on Friday, February 13 and Monday, February 16 in observance of Presidents’ Day.
We hope everyone enjoys a safe and restful long weekend.
Important Dates

• February 26 – PEG Second Draft Due

• March 5 – PEG Final Draft Due

• March 5 & 6 – Minimum Days

• March 10 & 11 – PEG Presentation Days

• April 6-10: No School - Spring Break

DHS (From Marty Wilkes)
Even when it is only a four day week things are busy at the high school.  Monday we saw 16 kids go to Shady Creek to help out with the 6th graders.  Many of our kids that stayed at school felt like it was a mini vacation from their younger siblings.  Tuesday our girls played Pierce and won their 24th game of the season!  Wednesday we had a few parent meetings with potential interdistrict transfers for next school year, and 3rd progress grades came out. Today the counselors are at Butte College to get the newest information on the different college requirements that may be changing.  Friday we will have the girls basketball team hosting Willows for senior night and to wrap up the regular season, and Saturday the wrestling team goes to Paradise for the Division championship.  

Athletics:
Basketball:
The girls basketball team is still on a run. They have won 13 straight games.  They boast an overall record of 24-3, are 11-0 in league, and are the Sacramento Valley League Champions with one game to play before playoffs start.  The Girls host Willows Friday night to close out the regular season play.  The play off brackets come out on Saturday and the section has them at the No. 2 seed.

The Boys Basketball team played their most complete game of the season during homecoming by defeating Paradise 72-44.  The boys had four players in double figures on the night.  The boys are now 8-3 in the SV,  are currently in 2nd place in league and the No. 4 seed in the section.  The boys travel to Willows Friday to close out the regular season.

Soccer:
The Boys team is 4-6-1 in the Mid Valley League, and will also be waiting on Saturday to see if they made it into the playoffs.
The Girls team is 4-5 in the MVL and also will be waiting to see if they get seeded in the playoffs on Saturday.

Wrestling:
The boys and girls wrestling teams both won the Sacramento Valley League Championship on Saturday.  Lilah Cardoza and Isaiah Vaughan were named Outstanding Wrestlers of the League.  The competition goes up this week when they head to Paradise for division championships.  Wrestling will start around 9:30.  Durham will be competing for their 12 straight Section Title!

Feb. 14 - Division Championship at Paradise
Feb. 20-21 - Masters at Shasta High School

AG:
Our annual Boots & Bowties Fundraiser is on Thursday, February 19 at 6:30 PM, and we truly hope you will join us for an evening of great food, great company, and meaningful support for our students.This year, we are excited to share a meal change, featuring tri-tip with all new sides. It’s a fresh take on a favorite event, and we’re looking forward to sharing it with our community.

The evening will also include a silent auction, live auction, and our always-popular cake auction, all featuring fantastic items. If you or your business are interested in donating an auction item, we would love to hear from you—your generosity makes a meaningful impact on our program.

Tickets can be purchased using the link below, or you may reach out to any Durham Ag Teacher with questions or for additional information.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2026-boots-and-bowties-dinner-fundraiser-tickets-1978157538448?aff=oddtdtcreator 

Student Services and Supports (from Marilyn Bertolucci)
Did you know…

Presidents Day was originally established to honor George Washington’s birthday with a particular focus on the contributions of Abraham Lincoln. 

In 1879, Congress officially made February 22nd a holiday for government workers in Washington DC and in 1885 this was expanded to include all federal employees. 

In 1968, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act to give workers more three day weekends. When that law took effect in 1971 Washington’s Birthday was moved to the 3rd Monday in February. Since this new date is very close to Lincoln’s birthday  the public and advertisers started calling it “Presidents’ Day”, honoring both men. This led to the holiday honoring all presidents. 

We encourage our students to explore the civic values of integrity, service, and responsibility. It is a day to look back at our past achievements and learn from the historical precedents that continue to guide our progress toward a more perfect union.

Want to know more about U.S. History? Click here!

Community Resources
Butte / Northstate Food Resources National Food Pantry Finder: https://foodfinder.us/

Community resources Butte/Glenn (Nutrition tab has food resources):
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1qi_jaQVbjmA_Mg5TrZVzL7iz8Zcpt-Om/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=108712008487879490534&rtpof=true&sd=true

JBAY food resources for transition-aged youth in California:
https://jbay.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Food-Resources-for-TAY-in-CA-2025.pdf

211 Butte/Glenn (All Social Services, including Help During Gov Shutdown tab): https://helpcentral.org/Subcategory.aspx?;;0;;N;0;1700975;HELP%20DURING%20GOVERNMENT%20SHUTDOWN%20Food/Clothing/Personal%20Goods;;1517

Community Action Agency North State Food Bank: https://www.buttecaa.com/north-state-food-bank/

CAA Butte County food resources List: https://www.buttecaa.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Current-NSFB-Pantry-Partners.png

Chico Food Locker, 1386 Longfellow Ave., Chico, 95926 - Distributes food M-F 9Am-Noon

https://www.facebook.com/p/Catholic-Ladies-Relief-Society-3-100069736004119/

530-895-8331

Health Education Council (Food Resources listed by county)l: https://healthedcouncil.org/what-we-do/programs/access-to-hlth-srvcs/healthy-food-access.html

CHC Food Assistance (Northstate food pantries listed by county) https://chcfoodassistance.org/local-food-resources/

530 Food Rescue (Distributes to organizations) https://530foodrescue.org/receive-food/

Hope Center (Oroville & Paradise) https://hopecenteroroville.org/

South Chico Community Assistance Center: https://www.southchicocac.org/

NVCF Food for All (Saturdays 1 PM Trinity Methodist, Chico): https://www.nvcf.org/funds/chico-food-for-all

Weekly Update Archive