Good afternoon. I’m Jeff Harris, Superintendent of Schools for Del Norte, and this is the update for the week of September 21, 2026.

Attendance Awareness Month
It’s hard to believe, but we’re already in our fifth week of school, which means that almost 12% of our school year has passed. As Attendance Awareness Month comes to a close, it is worth remembering that attendance is built one day at a time.

Education depends on consistency, and missed days can add up quickly. University of Chicago research found that ninth-grade attendance was eight times more predictive of graduation rates than eighth-grade test scores.

We also know that illness, transportation, family circumstances, and other challenges can make regular attendance difficult. If that is happening, please reach out to your school early so we can work together to help your student stay on track.

Attendance Awareness Month may be ending, but helping students remain connected, engaged, and learning continues throughout the year.

See Something. Say Something.
Student health and safety are a core focus for our staff. That’s why we are kicking off our annual “See Something. Say Something.” awareness campaign. We are encouraging students to speak up about bullying or harassment, threats, concerning behavior, weapons or drugs, troubling social media posts, self-harm concerns, or anything else that may affect the safety of a student or school.

We want students to feel comfortable talking with a teacher, counselor, administrator, or another trusted adult. If there is an immediate concern at school, tell a staff member right away.

Concerns can also be reported through our confidential online Tip Line at DNUSD.org/tip, and reports can be submitted without providing a name or contact information. We’re also publishing our first-ever Student Safety Spotlight flyer for middle and high school students. Each quarter, we’ll provide reminders, resources, and information on student safety.

Students do not need to know exactly what is happening or decide whether something is serious before speaking up. If something does not seem right, let someone know. So if you See something. Say something.

School Safety
Another aspect of school safety is emergency preparedness. This week in collaboration with the County of Del Norte, we will be posting “Tsunami Safe Zone” posters at all schools that are outside of the tsunami inundation zone. This includes Del Norte Unified and County Office of Education schools, with the exception of ‘O Me-nok Learning Center. In the event of a tsunami, District schools north of Klamath will not need to evacuate, while ‘O Me-nok Learning Center will follow their evacuation procedures. Please know that our schools will also be practicing fire, earthquake, and active event responses throughout the year.

Roots of Wellness Summit Is Full
Our second annual Roots of Wellness Summit is coming to Del Norte on October 1 and 2, bringing together experts, practitioners, and community partners focused on youth mental health and substance-use prevention.

This year’s summit is officially full.

Under the theme “The Way Back,” presenters, including Judge Abby Abinanti and Dr. Virgil Moorehead Jr., will explore prevention, early intervention, connection, and the protective factors that help young people thrive.

Thank you to everyone who registered and to the presenters and community partners helping make this year’s summit possible.

Del Norte COMPASS
The Del Norte Special Education Department is launching COMPASS — Collaborating on Meaningful Parent Advocacy for Student Success, a monthly opportunity for parents and caregivers of students with learning challenges to connect, learn about available supports, and share their experiences.

Meetings are held on the second Thursday of each month from 2:30–4:00 p.m. at the Instructional Media Center, 400 Harding Avenue. For more information, call 707-464-0725.

Sports Update
It’s a busy week for Warrior athletics. At home this week, JV Boys' Soccer hosts Fortuna today and Brookings on Wednesday. Tuesday brings Boys' and Girls' Varsity Soccer against Arcata, along with Volleyball against Fortuna. Volleyball hosts Arcata again Thursday, and Warrior Football welcomes Arcata Friday at 6:00 p.m.

Saturday, Varsity Soccer travels to Eureka, Girls' Tennis heads to St. Bernard’s, and JV Volleyball competes in the St. Bernard’s Tournament.

Best of luck to all of our Warrior student-athletes. You can find complete fall sports schedules at dnhigh.org/sports

That’s all for this week’s update. Thank you.