Thank you to everyone for a great start to the school year - even thank you to mother nature for dropping the temperatures for us!

The new Transitional Kindergarten/Kindergarten facility has been a hit, especially the playground! The facility still has work being completed which has led to some additional traffic issues. We are working with the contractor to place construction vehicles into locations that have a lesser impact on traffic. 

Traffic aside, seeing our nearly 1,100 students return to  campus has been awesome - the energy level is great!

I want to take a minute to thank our Maintenance and Operations team for working so hard over the summer to have our campuses looking great for the start of school.

A little special recognition goes out to our TK/K teachers for making their classroom look great after not having access to their rooms until last week.

In celebration of our new and improved facilities, we will have two ribbon cutting ceremonies next week. 

For the new elementary office and TK/K facility, the ribbon cutting ceremony will be at 4:30 on Thursday, Aug. 20. We will have a short presentation near the shade structure and people will have about 20 minutes to walk through the facility. We will ask people to be out of the classrooms by 5 pm to allow the TK/K teachers to be ready for Back to School Night, which starts about 5:15. (see attached for first day playground pictures)

The first home football game with the new grandstand is scheduled for Friday, August 21. We will have a short ceremony between the junior varsity and varsity football games. (see attached picture of the new grandstand).

DES (from Samantha Brown)
This week at Durham Elementary was filled with energy, fresh starts, and the excitement of a brand-new school year! On Monday, August 10th, our staff gathered for our "Building Our Best Days Ever" kick-off meeting, setting our shared direction around relationships, literacy growth, and math excellence. On Tuesday, August 11th, Mr. Bohannon and I welcomed our newest Tigers and their families for our TK and Kindergarten Meet & Greet! Families got an early look at our beautiful new facilities, met their teachers, explored the new classrooms and playground, and completed a schoolwide Scavenger Hunt visiting Mrs. Blake in the Library and grabbing a popsicle from Ms. Dayna in the cafeteria. The momentum carried right into Wednesday, August 12th, as we officially opened our doors to all students and launched our brand-new TK and Kindergarten facilities, complete with new shade structures and streamlined double-gate arrivals! Teachers have also been meeting with families all afternoon during our 15-minute Parent-Teacher Interviews to build strong home-school partnerships right from day one. It has been an incredible, smooth start to the 2026–2027 school year!

As we settle into our first full routines, DES is humming with activity and community connection. This Friday morning, we gathered for our first PBIS and Student Introductions Assembly, followed immediately by our 3rd–5th Grade Student Council Kick-Off. Next week brings our first Monday early release for teacher collaboration, and we are counting down to Thursday evening when we officially celebrate our new spaces with a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony followed by Back-to-School Night. We are so proud of how our Tiger community has come together!

Upcoming Events at DES:

August 2026

• August 10: Staff Meeting (8:30–10:30 AM).

• August 11: TK/K Meet & Greet (4:15–5:00 PM).

• August 12–14: Minimum Days (12:20 PM Release for K–5; 11:45 AM Release for TK); Parent-Teacher Interviews.

• August 14: PBIS / Student Introductions Assembly in DES MPR (9:00 AM); 3rd–5th Grade Student Council Kick-Off Assembly.

• August 17: Early Release Monday (1:40 PM Dismissal for K–5; 11:45 AM for TK); PLC: Back-to-School Night Prep.

• August 20: TK/K/Office Ribbon Cutting Ceremony (4:30 PM); Back-to-School Night (TK–1st Grade: 5:15–5:45 PM; 2nd–5th Grade: 6:00–6:30 PM).

DIS (From Josh Rowe)

What a wonderful first week back at Durham Intermediate School! It has been great seeing our Panther Family back on campus and the energy our students and staff have brought to the start of the 2026–2027 school year.

Our teachers were hard at work Monday and Tuesday putting the final touches on their classrooms and preparing to welcome students. We also have a few new faces joining the DIS team this year, along with a familiar face returning to campus. If you haven't already please be sure to welcome Ms. Eastman and Ms. Kusie, who are joining our 6th grade team, and Mrs. Hering, who will be teaching Science and Math. We are also excited to welcome back Mrs. Noble—although some of you may remember her as Ms. Harry! We are excited to have all of them as part of our Panther Family.

On Tuesday evening this week, we welcomed families to campus for Back to School Night. Parents followed their student’s schedule, met teachers, learned about class expectations, and had an opportunity to see firsthand the inviting and engaging classrooms our teachers have created. We had an excellent turnout, and I want to thank all of our families who joined us.

Wednesday was the day we had all been waiting for—the first day of school! It was wonderful to see our campus full of students again as we officially kicked off another year at DIS.

On Thursday, students reviewed our campus-wide expectations during Advisory. Classes participated in a campus tour, stopping at different locations to learn and review the expectations specific to each area. Taking the time to clearly teach and reinforce our expectations helps us start the year with everyone on the same page and supports a positive campus built around Respect, Empathy, and Purpose (REP).

We wrapped up the week on Friday with our Welcome Back Rally, organized by our new ASB Advisors, Mrs. Lash and Mrs. Montgomery. Students and staff came together for some fun, school spirit, and an opportunity to get to know our teachers a little better. We followed the rally with our annual Ice Cream Social—a great way to celebrate the end of a successful first week. Thank you Mrs. Lash and Montgomery for your hard work in organizing this!

Thank you to all our students, staff, and families for helping us get the year off to such a positive start. It is great to have our Panthers back, and we are looking forward to an outstanding year ahead!

Upcoming Events

• August 28 — ASB Election Speeches & Election

• September 4 — Jog-a-Thon Tally

• September 4 — Back to School Dance

• September 7 — Labor Day — No School

• September 14 — Minimum Day

• September 16 — Picture Day

DHS (From Marty Wilkes)
177 Days until graduation!

Welcome back to School!   

Counseling is busy working through all of your student’s class change forms.  Be patient, it's going to take a few days.  Summer assignments are due today so that might change a few more class schedules for students that procrastinated to the point of not getting their summer work done.

SAT,  PSAT and ASVAB  sign up deadline is August 12 - next Friday!

Athletics:
Athletics kicks off this weekend with our home volleyball tournament.  Games start at 8:00 in the morning.  Football will go to Live Oak to scrimmage Saturday morning. Practice has started for Cross Country, Swim and Tennis.

Volleyball: 
Aug. 15:  Home Tournament all day!
Aug. 18:  Home vs CORE Butte 5:00 (JV) - 6:00 (V)
Aug. 20:  Home vs Las Plumas  5:00 (JV) - 6:00 (V)
Aug. 25:  Home vs Uprep  5:40 (JV) - 6:30 (V)

Football:
Aug. 21:  Home vs Modoc  5:30 (JV) - 7:30 (V)
Aug. 28:  Home vs  Redding Christian 5:30 (JV) - 7:30 (V)

AG:
Aug 24-29: County Fair
Aug. 23-25: COLC

Student Services and Supports (from Marilyn Bertolucci)

Mental Wellness is the Secret to Academic Success

Welcome Back Everyone!!! 

Did you know….

The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act is a federal law ensuring that children and youth experiencing homelessness have immediate, barrier-free access to public education. Housing instability directly affects classroom engagement, attendance, and academic performance, school staff play a vital role in identifying eligible students and connecting them with support. 

Eligibility: How McKinney-Vento Defines Homelessness

Under the law, a student is eligible if they lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence. This definition includes students living in:

• Doubled-Up Housing: Sharing housing with relatives or friends due to loss of housing, economic hardship, eviction, or family disruption (the most common scenario).

• Temporary Accommodations: Motels, hotels, trailer parks, or campgrounds due to a lack of alternative options.

• Shelters: Emergency shelters, transitional housing, or domestic violence shelters.

• Unsheltered Locations: Cars, parks, abandoned buildings, public spaces, or substandard housing without working utilities.

• Unaccompanied Youth: Students who are not in the physical custody of a parent or legal guardian and meet any of the housing conditions above.

What should teachers and staff watch for-

Families do not disclose housing instability due to stigma or fear of child protective services, educators are the primary line of identification. Indicators include:

• Attendance & Academic Patterns: Frequent tardiness, sudden attendance drops, frequent school transfers, or incomplete assignments requiring home technology or supplies.

• Physical & Behavioral Signs: Chronic fatigue/sleeping in class, wearing the same clothing repeatedly or weather-inappropriate clothes, hoarding food at lunch, or sudden withdrawal/anxiety.

• Verbal Cues: Mentions of "couch surfing," staying at an aunt's house temporarily, living in a hotel, or packed bags brought to school.

If you have any questions about McKinney-Vento or are concerned about a student please email me at mbertolucci@durhamunified.org

Weekly Update Archive