Special Joint Board of Trustees and Personnel Commission Meeting - 12/4/2023

The meeting may be attended virtually on Zoom by accessing the following link: https://dncoe.zoom.us/j/193445536.

In-person Attendance:

The public may attend the meetings in-person at the District Office located at 301 W. Washington Blvd, Crescent City, CA 95531.

Remote Public Comment:

To participate in public comment remotely, please refer to the instructions provided in this document: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19Hdaa_dV_4GSewjjkeIUO0vlHvLU5-PKHJ5kHUCheXE/

Agenda:

When the meeting agenda is posted you can find it by visiting dnusd.org/agenda.

Thank you!

HWY 101 Last Chance Grade Open - School as Usual

Highway 101 at Last Chance Grade is still open to one-lane controlled traffic, with 10-minute delays expected, and school will continue as usual. Caltrans does not anticipate any long-term closures, and buses will run normally.

School Planned to Continue as Normal for Monday 12/4/23

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Early this morning, Sunday, 12/3/23, a landslide occurred on Highway 101 at Last Chance Grade, just south of Crescent City. As of 12:30 PM, Caltrans has opened HWY 101 to one-lane controlled traffic, and the road is anticipated to remain open.

School and Transportation

With this development, we are planning for school to operate as normal for Monday, 12/4/23. This means buses will run according to their regular schedules, and students will attend school as usual. We are monitoring the situation closely and are in constant communication with Caltrans to ensure the safety of our students and staff.

Contingency Plans

Please note that in the event the road is blocked again, or the slide becomes active by 5:00 AM, we will not permit students and staff to travel over Last Chance Grade for safety reasons. Under these circumstances, our Road Closure Plan will be activated. This means students will be redirected to attend school at the alternative locations specified in the plan outlined below:

Road Closure Contingency Plan

• Del Norte High School and Crescent Elk Students residing south of Last Chance Grade will attend Margaret Keating School until further notice.

• Please Note: If roads are closed there will be no bus service available. Families will need to make their own arrangements to transport students. If students are unable to attend school due to a lack of transportation, please contact your child’s school.

Communication Plan:

Regardless of whether or not the road is closed or open, we will send an update out to parents at 5:30 AM.

We appreciate your understanding and cooperation as we navigate this evolving situation. The safety of our students and staff will remain our top priority.

Thank you

Special Joint Board of Trustees and Personnel Commission Meeting - 11/17/2023

The meeting may be attended virtually on Zoom by accessing the following link: https://dncoe.zoom.us/j/193445536.

In-person Attendance:

The public may attend the meetings in-person at the District Office located at 301 W. Washington Blvd, Crescent City, CA 95531.

Meeting Schedule:

Remote Public Comment:

To participate in public comment remotely, please refer to the instructions provided in this document: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19Hdaa_dV_4GSewjjkeIUO0vlHvLU5-PKHJ5kHUCheXE/

Agenda:

For the meeting agenda, visit dnusd.org/agenda.

Thank you!

DNUSD and DNCOE Board Meetings 11-9-2023

The board meeting may be attended virtually on Zoom by accessing the following link: https://dncoe.zoom.us/j/193445536.

In-person Attendance:

The public may attend the meetings in-person at the District Office located at 301 W. Washington Blvd, Crescent City, CA 95531.

Meeting Schedule:

Remote Public Comment:

To participate in public comment remotely, please refer to the instructions provided in this document: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19Hdaa_dV_4GSewjjkeIUO0vlHvLU5-PKHJ5kHUCheXE/

Agenda:

For the board meeting agenda, visit dnusd.org/agenda.

Thank you!

Special DNUSD Board Meeting 11-2-2023 @ 11:30 AM

The board meeting may be attended virtually on Zoom by accessing the following link: https://dncoe.zoom.us/j/193445536.

In-person Attendance:

The public may attend the meetings in-person at the District Office located at 301 W. Washington Blvd, Crescent City, CA 95531.

Meeting Schedule:

Remote Public Comment:

To participate in public comment remotely, please refer to the instructions provided in this document: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19Hdaa_dV_4GSewjjkeIUO0vlHvLU5-PKHJ5kHUCheXE/

Agenda:

For the board meeting agenda, visit dnusd.org/agenda.

Thank you!

Personnel Commission Meeting 10-25-2023

The Personnel Commission meeting may be attended virtually on Zoom by accessing the following link: https://www.google.com/url?q=https://dncoe.zoom.us/j/93929693832&sa=D&source=calendar&ust=1698710533992073&usg=AOvVaw0QAgKWEtOhzDVD-BBOKOfU.  

Meeting Schedule:  

Personnel Commission Study Session:

4:00 PM

Personnel Commission Meeting:

5:30 PM

Date: 10/23/23

*UPDATE 1:28: pm

The shelter-in-place has been lifted. Police have cleared the nearby woods near College of the Redwoods, and there is no threat. School activities are now back to normal. Thank you for your patience and understanding. Safety first!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Del Norte High School has been asked to shelter in place as a precautionary measure in collaboration with local law enforcement. The police are currently addressing an incident taking place off school grounds, nearby in proximity to the high school. We have been told that there is no immediate threat to any staff and students at Del norte High.

Please rest assured that the safety and well-being of our students and staff is our top priority. We will continue to communicate and provide updates as necessary.

We appreciate your understanding and cooperation. Please refrain from coming to the school at this time, as we wish to ensure the safety of all and prevent any hindrance to the ongoing police activities.

Sincerely,

Michael Hawkins

Director of Communications

707-464-6143

The Great American Shakeout

On October 19th, at 10:19 AM, schools throughout Del Norte County and the country will participate in the "Great American Shakeout" earthquake drill. This is a planned exercise and not a real emergency. The drill ensures our students and staff are prepared for potential earthquakes.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call our communications help hotline at 707-464-6143 or reach out to your child's school.

DNUSD and DNCOE Board Meetings 10-12-2023    @ Margaret Keating Elementary

The board meeting may be attended virtually on Zoom by accessing the following link: https://dncoe.zoom.us/j/193445536.

In-person Attendance:

The public may attend the meeting in-person at Margaret Keating Elementary School located at 300 Minot Creek Rd, Klamath, CA 95548

Meeting Schedule:

Remote Public Comment:

To participate in public comment remotely, please refer to the instructions provided in this document: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19Hdaa_dV_4GSewjjkeIUO0vlHvLU5-PKHJ5kHUCheXE/

Agenda:

For the board meeting agenda, visit dnusd.org/agenda.

Thank you!

Educational Benefit Form

All Del Norte Unified School District students will be able to eat free this school year due to the Community Eligibility Provision program. The program is funded through a combination of federal and state sources. In order to guarantee the district continues to qualify for the program, officials are reminding parents to turn in their paperwork. The form can be found in students' back-to-school packets or can be accessed online.

Click here to view the form...

MARY PEACOCK SHELTER-IN-PLACE 9/28/23 @ 2:30 PM

Dear parents, guardians, and community members,

We want to keep you informed about an incident that took place today at Mary Peacock School, similar to the event that took place last week.

Today, at approximately 2:30 PM, shortly after school was out, noises resembling loud bangs were reported in the forest behind Mary Peacock, off school grounds. As a result, Mary Peacock initiated a voluntary shelter-in-place procedure.

Local law enforcement, specifically the Sheriff's Department, was promptly notified and took charge of investigating the situation. Law enforcement reported back that there was no credible threat.

Once the situation was deemed safe, the shelter-in-place procedure was lifted, and the regular after-school activities continued.

We recognize that having two incidents in close succession can be concerning. Please rest assured that the safety and well-being of our students and staff are always our highest priority. We will continue to take every measure to ensure their protection and keep you informed promptly.

If you have any further questions or need clarification on either event, please don't hesitate to contact the school administration.

Special DNCOE and DNUSD Board Meetings 9-28-2023

The board meeting may be attended virtually on Zoom by accessing the following link: https://dncoe.zoom.us/j/193445536.

In-person Attendance:

The public may attend the meetings in-person at the District Office located at 301 W. Washington Blvd, Crescent City, CA 95531.

Meeting Schedule:

Remote Public Comment:

To participate in public comment remotely, please refer to the instructions provided in this document: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19Hdaa_dV_4GSewjjkeIUO0vlHvLU5-PKHJ5kHUCheXE/

Agenda:

For the board meeting agenda, visit dnusd.org/agenda.

Thank you!

Smith River School Bus Incident 9/25/23

Dear Parents/Guardians,

Today, a bus from Smith River Elementary school had a minor incident on Hwy 197 between Smith River and Hiouchi when it struck a tree branch, causing minor damages to the bus’s door. None of the 8 students on board were injured. The Highway Patrol is in the process of responding to the event. Again, everyone is safe, and we will provide more information once we know more. For questions please contact your child’s school office.

*UPDATE 9-20-2023 @ 10:45 AM - MARY PEACOCK SCHOOL INCIDENT*

Dear Parents, Guardians, and Community Members,

We are pleased to provide an update on the incident earlier today at Mary Peacock School.

The Sheriff's Department has thoroughly investigated the situation and has confirmed that the sounds were due to hunters engaging in target practice on private property. They have assured us that, at no point, was there any threat to our staff or students.

We appreciate the swift response of the Sheriff's Department and are grateful for their thorough investigation. As always, the safety of our students and staff remains our top priority.

Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.

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URGENT ANNOUNCEMENT: MARY PEACOCK SCHOOL INCIDENT

Today, at approximately 10:15 AM, out of an abundance of caution, Mary Peacock Elementary School initiated a voluntary shelter-in-place after reports of sounds resembling gunshots were heard from the nearby wooded area off school premises.

Local law enforcement is currently responding to the situation.

To ensure the safety of all students and staff, we request that parents and guardians do not come to the school, until further notice. It is imperative for everyone's safety that we allow law enforcement to manage the situation.

We will provide updates as we receive additional information from law enforcement. Again, our top priority is the safety and well-being of our students and staff, and we appreciate your understanding and cooperation in this matter.

Structure Fire Near DNHS 9/15/2023

Dear parents, guardians, and community members, this morning we were made aware of a structure fire located west of Del Norte High School. This fire is NOT related to any school district facility. While our schools remain unaffected by the fire, there is an increase in traffic in the area due to the presence of first responders.

The safety of our students and the community remains our top priority. Thank you for your understanding.

DNUSD and DNCOE Board Meetings 9-14-2023

The board meeting may be attended virtually on Zoom by accessing the following link: https://dncoe.zoom.us/j/193445536.

In-person Attendance:

The public may attend the meetings in-person at the District Office located at 301 W. Washington Blvd, Crescent City, CA 95531.

Meeting Schedule:

Remote Public Comment:

To participate in public comment remotely, please refer to the instructions provided in this document: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19Hdaa_dV_4GSewjjkeIUO0vlHvLU5-PKHJ5kHUCheXE/

Agenda:

For the board meeting agenda, visit dnusd.org/agenda.

Thank you!

DNUSD Special District Board Study Session 8-31-2023

This special board study session may be attended virtually on Zoom by accessing the following link: https://dncoe.zoom.us/j/193445536.

In-person Attendance:

The public may attend the meetings in-person at the District Office located at 301 W. Washington Blvd, Crescent City, CA 95531.

Meeting Schedule:

Remote Public Comment:

To participate in public comment remotely, please refer to the instructions provided in this document: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19Hdaa_dV_4GSewjjkeIUO0vlHvLU5-PKHJ5kHUCheXE/

Agenda:

For the board meeting agenda, visit dnusd.org/agenda.

Thank you!

OES Update #27

Power Update:
All power should be up today throughout Del Norte County thanks to Pacific Power's efforts.

DNUSD Board Meeting 8-24-2023

The board meeting may be attended virtually on Zoom by accessing the following link: https://dncoe.zoom.us/j/193445536.

In-person Attendance:

The public may attend the meetings in-person at the District Office located at 301 W. Washington Blvd, Crescent City, CA 95531.

Meeting Schedule:

Remote Public Comment:

To participate in public comment remotely, please refer to the instructions provided in this document: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19Hdaa_dV_4GSewjjkeIUO0vlHvLU5-PKHJ5kHUCheXE/

Agenda:

For the board meeting agenda, visit dnusd.org/agenda.

Thank you!

Smith River Complex Fire - OES Update 11 8.20.23 @ 9 AM

GENERAL INFORMATION:

• • The City and County have established an Emergency Operations Center.

  • Traffic Reminder: When traffic lights are not working, treat intersections as a 4-way stop.

  • The American Red Cross is sheltering evacuees at the Del Norte County Fairgrounds.

  • For animal needs, contact DART at 707-954-3703.

  • Del Norte County Sheriff Dispatch Service is working on backup power. Only call 911 for emergencies.

  • Cell towers are on backup, but service remains intermittent.

  • College of the Redwoods: In-person classes are canceled for Monday. Online classes continue.

RADIO & COMMUNITY MEETING UPDATES:

• • KCRE KPOD FM Live radio updates: Sunday, 8/20/23 @ 9 am, Noon, and 5 pm. Monday, 8/21/23, updates at 8 am, Noon, and 5 pm.

  • Gasquet Community daily updates at 8 am at the American Legion Hall on Gasquet Flat Road.

POWER & INFRASTRUCTURE:

• • Pacific Power has de-energized power in Del Norte County. Restoration time unknown. Prepare for a multi-day power outage.

  • "Boil water" notice for residents on Church Tree and National Park Way.

  • City Water and Wastewater facilities are operational, but conservation is advised.

FIRE UPDATES & EVACUATION LEVELS:

• • Evacuation Updates: Level 3 for Pioneer Road to the Oregon border and the Sun Star neighborhood. French Hill Road upgraded to Level 3.

  • Smith River Complex Fire: 22,351 acres. 400 firefighters present with 60 incident command personnel.

COMMUNITY RESOURCE CENTERS:

• • Margaret Keating School and Smith River Elementary School: hydration, charging facilities, and port-o-potties.

  • Del Norte High School Parking lot: Tents with water, charging stations, and port-o-potties.

  • Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation - Xaa-wan’-k’wvt Hall Community Center in Smith River: Open Sunday from 8 am – 5 pm. Offering light snacks, water, coffee. The facility has a generator for phone charging. Separate showers available for all genders (bring necessities). Open to both Tribal and non-Tribal Citizens.

LOCAL BUSINESS INFORMATION:

• • Business community, are you open? Call OES hotline at 707-464-0911 or 707-954-3704 with updates.

  • Walmart: Set to open later today with a generator.

  • Safeway: Open; no propane.

  • Hiouchi Hamlet: Open 6 am – 8 pm; food and fuel available.

  • Fort Dick Market: Open until 10:30 pm; no fuel.

  • Aztec Grill @ Chevron South: Operational.

  • Park City Superette: Open until 8 pm.

  • Fred Meyer in Brookings: Open until 11 pm; has supplies and operational gas station.

  • Recology: Regular hours in non-fire zones.

  • Lucky 7 Casino: Aiming for full power by tomorrow.

  • Several Local Businesses: Seaquake, Port O pints, Elk Valley Casino, Home Depot, Los Compadres, Crescent Ace, Norris Family Kitchen, Far East, CC Diner, Perlitas, Paragon Coffeehouse, and more are operational with varying services.

  • Pacific Power's Generators: Powering businesses including CVS, Rite Aid, Tractor Supply, McDonalds, Chase Bank, US Bank, Flynn Admin Center, Dutch Bros, and others.

DNUSD and DNCOE Board Meetings 8-10-2023

The board meeting may be attended virtually on Zoom by accessing the following link: https://dncoe.zoom.us/j/193445536.

In-person Attendance:

The public may attend the meetings in-person at the District Office located at 301 W. Washington Blvd, Crescent City, CA 95531.

Meeting Schedule:

Remote Public Comment:

To participate in public comment remotely, please refer to the instructions provided in this document: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19Hdaa_dV_4GSewjjkeIUO0vlHvLU5-PKHJ5kHUCheXE/

Agenda:

For the board meeting agenda, visit dnusd.org/agenda.

Thank you!

Special DNUSD Board Meeting 7-24-2023 @ 10 AM

The board meeting may be attended virtually on Zoom by accessing the following link: https://dncoe.zoom.us/j/193445536.

In-person Attendance:

The public may attend the meetings in-person at the District Office located at 301 W. Washington Blvd, Crescent City, CA 95531.

Meeting Schedule:

Open session: 10 AM

Remote Public Comment:

To participate in public comment remotely, please refer to the instructions provided in this document: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19Hdaa_dV_4GSewjjkeIUO0vlHvLU5-PKHJ5kHUCheXE/

Agenda:

For the board meeting agenda, visit dnusd.org/agenda.

Thank you!

District Office Summer Hours

From July 7th to August 4th, the District Office will be open to the public Monday - Thursday, from 8 AM to 5 PM.

Triplicate Misprint: Graduate Special Article

We want to address a recent misprint in the Triplicate newspaper publication, which has caused confusion among some of our parents and students. Due to the volume of inquiries related to this incident, we want to make sure families know that this misprint was not the result of a district ad but rather a publication generated by the Triplicate in an effort to provide a public service announcement to the community.

The misprint inaccurately described Del Norte High School as “Crescent City High School.” Furthermore, the publication included a logo not representative of our high school. There were also a few other mistakes.

We are actively working with the Triplicate to prevent similar issues in the future. We will also make sure that a correction is issued to reflect accurate information.We want to thank the Triplicate for being quick to recognize their mistake and willing to take additional steps in the future to avoid these occurrences.

We value your understanding and appreciate your ongoing support. If you have any further questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us directly by calling our communications hotline at 707-464-6143 or by emailing communications@dnusd.org.

Thank you.

DNUSD and DNCOE Board Meetings 6-29-2023

Today's board meetings will be live-streamed on the front page of DNUSD.org. The board meetings may also be watched on Zoom. The link for the zoom meeting is: https://dncoe.zoom.us/j/193445536

If you would like to attend the board meeting in person, it will take place at 301 W. Washington Blvd, Crescent City, CA 95531.

Schedule:

In order to participate in public comment, please follow these instructions: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19Hdaa_dV_4GSewjjkeIUO0vlHvLU5-PKHJ5kHUCheXE/

The board meeting agenda can be viewed at:

https://simbli.eboardsolutions.com/SB_Meetings/SB_MeetingListing.aspx?S=36030752

Personnel Commission Meeting 6-28-2023

Tonight's Personnel Commission Meeting will take place in person in the District Office Boardroom at 301 W. Washington Blvd. starting at 5:30 pm.

You can also join the meeting via Zoom by clicking the link below.

https://dncoe.zoom.us/j/93929693832

To view the Agenda click here.

Summer Programs

School is officially over! We have a variety of summer programs and encourage everyone to take a look by going to dnusd.org/summer

Personnel Commission Special Meeting 6-9-2023

Tonight's Personnel Commission Meeting will take place in person in the District Office Boardroom at

301 W. Washington Blvd. starting at 5:00 pm.

You can also join the meeting via Zoom by clicking the link below.

https://dncoe.zoom.us/j/93929693832

To view the Agenda click here.

DNUSD and DNCOE Board Meetings 6-8-2023

Today's board meetings will be live-streamed on the front page of DNUSD.org. The board meetings may also be watched on Zoom. The link for the zoom meeting is: https://dncoe.zoom.us/j/193445536

If you would like to attend the board meeting in person, it will take place at 301 W. Washington Blvd, Crescent City, CA 95531.

Schedule:

In order to participate in public comment, please follow these instructions: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19Hdaa_dV_4GSewjjkeIUO0vlHvLU5-PKHJ5kHUCheXE/

The board meeting agenda can be viewed at: https://simbli.eboardsolutions.com/SB_Meetings/SB_MeetingListing.aspx?S=36030752

Special Joint District and County Board Study Session for LCAP and Budget 6-6-2023

Today's special District and County Board Study Session will be held in person and may also be watched on Zoom. The link for the zoom meeting is: https://dncoe.zoom.us/j/193445536

If you would like to attend the board meeting in person, it will take place at 301 W. Washington Blvd, Crescent City, CA 95531.

Schedule:

The board meeting agenda can be viewed at: dnusd.org/agenda

Personnel Commission Meeting 5-31-2023

Tonight's Personnel Commission Meeting will take place in person in the District Office Boardroom at 301 W. Washington Blvd. starting at 5:30 pm.

You can also join the meeting via Zoom by clicking the link below.

https://dncoe.zoom.us/j/93929693832

To view the Agenda click here.

Special Joint District and Personnel Commission Board Meeting 5/30/23

The special meeting is at 4:30 PM and will be live-streamed on the front page of DNUSD.org. The meeting may also be watched on Zoom. The link for the Zoom meeting is: https://dncoe.zoom.us/j/193445536

When: Tuesday, May 30th, at 4:30 PM  

If you would like to attend the board meeting in person, it will take place at 301 W. Washington Blvd, Crescent City, CA 95531.

To participate in public comment, please follow these instructions: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19Hdaa_dV_4GSewjjkeIUO0vlHvLU5-PKHJ5kHUCheXE/

The board meeting agenda can be viewed at: dnusd.org/agenda

DNUSD Board Meeting 5-25-2023

This week's board meeting will be live-streamed on the front page of DNUSD.org. The board meetings may also be watched on Zoom. The link for the Zoom meeting is: https://dncoe.zoom.us/j/193445536

If you would like to attend the board meeting in person, it will take place at 301 W. Washington Blvd, Crescent City, CA 95531.

Schedule:

To participate in public comment, please follow these instructions: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19Hdaa_dV_4GSewjjkeIUO0vlHvLU5-PKHJ5kHUCheXE/

The board meeting agenda can be viewed at: https://simbli.eboardsolutions.com/SB_Meetings/SB_MeetingListing.aspx?S=36030752

Personnel Commission Special Meeting 5-16-2023

Tonight's Personnel Commission Meeting will take place in person at in the District Office Boardroom at

301 W. Washington Blvd. starting at 4:00 pm.

You can also join the meeting via Zoom by clicking the link below.

https://dncoe.zoom.us/j/93929693832

To view the Agenda click here.

DNUSD and DNCOE Board Meetings 5-11-2023

Today's board meetings will be live-streamed on the front page of DNUSD.org. The board meetings may also be watched on Zoom. The link for the zoom meeting is: https://dncoe.zoom.us/j/193445536

If you would like to attend the board meeting in person, it will take place at 301 W. Washington Blvd, Crescent City, CA 95531.

Schedule:

In order to participate in public comment, please follow these instructions: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19Hdaa_dV_4GSewjjkeIUO0vlHvLU5-PKHJ5kHUCheXE/

The board meeting agenda can be viewed at: https://simbli.eboardsolutions.com/SB_Meetings/SB_MeetingListing.aspx?S=36030752

Special Joint District and Personnel Commission Board Meeting 5-9-2023

Today's special board meeting will be live-streamed on the front page of DNUSD.org. The board meeting may also be watched on Zoom. The link for the zoom meeting is: https://dncoe.zoom.us/j/193445536

If you would like to attend the board meeting in person, it will take place at 301 W. Washington Blvd, Crescent City, CA 95531.

Schedule:

To participate in public comment, please follow these instructions: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19Hdaa_dV_4GSewjjkeIUO0vlHvLU5-PKHJ5kHUCheXE/

The board meeting agenda can be viewed at: dnusd.org/agenda

Personnel Commission Meeting 5-3-2023

Tonight's Personnel Commission Meeting will take place in person at in the District Office Boardroom at 301 W. Washington Blvd. starting at 5:30 pm.

You can also join the meeting via Zoom by clicking the link below.

https://dncoe.zoom.us/j/93929693832

To view the Agenda click here.

DNUSD Special Board Meeting 5-2-2023

Today's special board meeting will be live-streamed on the front page of DNUSD.org. The board meetings may also be watched on Zoom. The link for the Zoom meeting is: https://dncoe.zoom.us/j/193445536

If you would like to attend the board meeting in person, it will take place at 301 W. Washington Blvd, Crescent City, CA 95531.

Schedule:

To participate in public comment, please follow these instructions: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19Hdaa_dV_4GSewjjkeIUO0vlHvLU5-PKHJ5kHUCheXE/

The board meeting agenda can be viewed at: https://simbli.eboardsolutions.com/SB_Meetings/SB_MeetingListing.aspx?S=36030752

DNUSD Board Meeting 4-27-2023

Today's board meeting will be live-streamed on the front page of DNUSD.org. The board meetings may also be watched on Zoom. The link for the Zoom meeting is: https://dncoe.zoom.us/j/193445536

If you would like to attend the board meeting in person, it will take place at 301 W. Washington Blvd, Crescent City, CA 95531.

Schedule:

To participate in public comment, please follow these instructions: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19Hdaa_dV_4GSewjjkeIUO0vlHvLU5-PKHJ5kHUCheXE/

The board meeting agenda can be viewed at: https://simbli.eboardsolutions.com/SB_Meetings/SB_MeetingListing.aspx?S=36030752

*UPDATE* Personnel Commission Meeting

There is no personnel commission meeting tonight. The next meeting is scheduled for 5/3/2023 at 5:30 PM.

Preschool & TK Community Survey

The Del Norte Unified School District (DNUSD) requests information concerning preschool and Transitional Kindergarten enrollment. To make informed decisions on Transitional Kindergarten and preschool programs for the 23-24 school year, DNUSD must collect this information.  Thank you for completing this survey!

Click here to take the survey.

Reports of Concerning Behaviour by Staff Member 4-19-2023

2023 Kamome Festival

You can live-stream the Kamome Festival event at dncoe.org

DNUSD and DNCOE Board Meetings 4-13-2023 @ Smith River Elementary

Today's board meetings will take place at Smith River Elementary School and also be live-streamed on the front page of DNUSD.org. The board meetings may also be watched on Zoom. The link for the Zoom meeting is: https://dncoe.zoom.us/j/193445536

If you would like to attend the board meeting in person, it will take place at 564 W First St, Smith River, CA 95567 

Schedule:

In order to participate in public comment, please follow these instructions: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19Hdaa_dV_4GSewjjkeIUO0vlHvLU5-PKHJ5kHUCheXE/

The board meeting agenda can be viewed at: https://simbli.eboardsolutions.com/SB_Meetings/SB_MeetingListing.aspx?S=36030752

DNUSD Drone League Competition Today! 04/12/2023

Professional Development Day - No School - Monday, April 10th

There is no school on Monday, April 10th, due to a professional development day for certificated staff. Classified staff have the day off and will not report to work.

Spring Break - No School

March 27th through the 31st Spring Break and there is no school. Students will return to school on April 3rd.

DNUSD Board Meeting 3-23-2023

Today's board meeting will be live-streamed on the front page of DNUSD.org. The board meetings may also be watched on Zoom. The link for the zoom meeting is: https://dncoe.zoom.us/j/193445536

If you would like to attend the board meeting in person, it will take place at 301 W. Washington Blvd, Crescent City, CA 95531.

Schedule:

In order to participate in public comment, please follow these instructions: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19Hdaa_dV_4GSewjjkeIUO0vlHvLU5-PKHJ5kHUCheXE/

The board meeting agenda can be viewed at: https://simbli.eboardsolutions.com/SB_Meetings/SB_MeetingListing.aspx?S=36030752

DNUSD Special Board Meeting 2-22-2023

Tomorrow's board meeting will be live-streamed on the front page of DNUSD.org. The board meeting may also be watched on Zoom. The link for the zoom meeting is: https://dncoe.zoom.us/j/193445536

If you would like to attend the board meeting in person, it will take place at 301 W. Washington Blvd, Crescent City, CA 95531.

Schedule:

The board meeting agenda can be viewed at:

 https://simbli.eboardsolutions.com/SB_Meetings/SB_MeetingListing.aspx?S=36030752

DNUSD and DNCOE Board Meetings 2-9-2023

Today's board meetings will be live-streamed on the front page of DNUSD.org. The board meetings may also be watched on Zoom. The link for the zoom meeting is: https://dncoe.zoom.us/j/193445536

If you would like to attend the board meeting in person, it will take place at 301 W. Washington Blvd, Crescent City, CA 95531.

Schedule:

In order to participate in public comment, please follow these instructions: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19Hdaa_dV_4GSewjjkeIUO0vlHvLU5-PKHJ5kHUCheXE/

The board meeting agenda can be viewed at: https://simbli.eboardsolutions.com/SB_Meetings/SB_MeetingListing.aspx?S=36030752

DNUSD Board Meeting 1-26-2023

Today's board meeting will be live-streamed on the front page of DNUSD.org. The board meeting may also be watched on Zoom. The link for the zoom meeting is: https://dncoe.zoom.us/j/193445536

If you would like to attend the board meeting in person, it will take place at 301 W. Washington Blvd, Crescent City, CA 95531.

Schedule:

In order to participate in public comment, please follow these instructions: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19Hdaa_dV_4GSewjjkeIUO0vlHvLU5-PKHJ5kHUCheXE/

The board meeting agenda can be viewed at:

 https://simbli.eboardsolutions.com/SB_Meetings/SB_MeetingListing.aspx?S=36030752

Coffee & Conversation Podcast Canceled 

Our regularly scheduled episode of the Coffee & Conversation Podcast will not be released this week. We will be back next Friday with an episode on Early Interventions. Stay tuned!

DNUSD and DNCOE Board Meetings 1-12-2023

Today's board meetings will be live-streamed on the front page of DNUSD.org. The board meetings may also be watched on Zoom. The link for the zoom meeting is: https://dncoe.zoom.us/j/193445536

If you would like to attend the board meeting in person, it will take place at 301 W. Washington Blvd, Crescent City, CA 95531.

Schedule:

In order to participate in public comment, please follow these instructions: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19Hdaa_dV_4GSewjjkeIUO0vlHvLU5-PKHJ5kHUCheXE/

The board meeting agenda can be viewed at: https://simbli.eboardsolutions.com/SB_Meetings/SB_MeetingListing.aspx?S=36030752

Community Survey - DNUSD In Search of an Executive Director of Special Education

Del Norte County Schools are currently searching for a new Executive Director of Special Education.  The Executive Director oversees all aspects of special education for all educational institutions in the county.  We need your help in sharing with potential candidates why they should come to Del Norte, in identifying the challenges that they will be addressing in their role, and in helping to find the right person by letting us know what characteristics or attributes you would value in a new Executive Director of Special Education.  You can provide this feedback by clicking on the survey link below.  Surveys will be open until December 5.  Thank you, in advance, for your help.

English Link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/DelNorteEnglish

Spanish Link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/DelNorteSpanish

The survey will open on Wednesday, November 16, 2022

The survey will close on Monday, December 5, 2022

Dates to Remember in November

There will be no school this Friday, November 11th, in observance of Veterans’ Day to honor those who have served in the armed forces. Next, the entire week of November 21st is Thanksgiving Break. There will be no school that week, and the district office will be closed from November 23rd through the 25th in observance of Thanksgiving. You can find all that information and more at dnusd.org/calendars.

SAEBRS Screener Information for Families

DNUSD is committed to supporting every student’s academic and social, emotional, and behavioral growth. Part of our shared goals for Del Norte students is to be able to regulate their emotions, develop positive relationships, and make responsible decisions. As part of this process, all students in 2nd-12th grade will complete a screener this winter and spring called the SAEBRS, or Social, Academic, Emotional, Behaviors Risk Screener. The screener will ask students a total of 20 questions. The student’s teacher will also complete the screener based on their observations of the students in their classrooms.  The information is confidential and will only be used by your child’s teacher, principal, school counselor, and designated district staff to determine instructional needs in the classroom and at the individual student level.  All information will remain confidential in keeping with the federal Family Education Rights and Privacy Act.

SAEBRS Questions being asked:

Don't hesitate to contact Lisa Howard, program specialist, at lhoward@dnusd.org, or call the school district at 464-0240 with any questions you may have.  For more information on SAEBRS visit:  https://www.illuminateed.com/products/fastbridge/social-emotional-behavior-assessment/SAEBRS/

NCS Division 4 Volleyball playoffs - First Round

Del Norte vs Healdsburg

Wednesday, October 26 at 7:00 PM

Tickets must be purchased at https://gofan.co/app/events/748766?schoolId=CA16672

Cash will not be accepted at the gate.

There will be no Livestream due to CIF regulations.

DNCOE & DNUSD Board Meetings at Margaret Keating 10-13-2022

This week's board meetings will take place in Klamath at Margaret Keating Elementary School. The meetings will be live-streamed on the front page of DNUSD.org or may be watched on Zoom. The link for the zoom meeting is: https://dncoe.zoom.us/j/193445536

If you would like to attend the board meeting in person, it will take place at Margaret Keating Elementary School, located at 300 Minot Creek Rd, Klamath, CA 95548.

Schedule:

In order to participate in public comment, please follow these instructions: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19Hdaa_dV_4GSewjjkeIUO0vlHvLU5-PKHJ5kHUCheXE/

The board meeting agenda can be viewed at: https://simbli.eboardsolutions.com/SB_Meetings/SB_MeetingListing.aspx?S=36030752

DNUSD Board Meeting 9-22-2022

Today's board meeting will be live-streamed on the front page of DNUSD.org. The board meeting may also be watched on Zoom. The link for the zoom meeting is: https://dncoe.zoom.us/j/193445536

If you would like to attend the board meeting in person, it will take place at 301 W. Washington Blvd, Crescent City, CA 95531.

Schedule:

In order to participate in public comment, please follow these instructions: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19Hdaa_dV_4GSewjjkeIUO0vlHvLU5-PKHJ5kHUCheXE/

The board meeting agenda can be viewed at: https://simbli.eboardsolutions.com/SB_Meetings/SB_MeetingListing.aspx?S=36030752

Update to the Community 9-19-2022

Update to the Community

Good afternoon, I’m Jeff Harris, Superintendent of Schools for Del Norte County. We have a special treat for you this week, and that is a very short update. 

DNHS Sports Update

For sports, last Friday, the Del Norte Warriors Football team faced off against West Valley High and claimed victory. The Del Norte High boys soccer team scored 3-0 in a decisive victory over Fortuna High.  Additionally, the girls' varsity volleyball team came out on top over Arcata high in what was an extremely close call. Great job Warriors!  As for the only home game this week, we have the Del Norte High Girls’ Soccer team playing this Saturday, at 1 pm, at Del Norte High School.  I do want to remind you that we no longer live stream our games to Facebook, due to issues with interruptions on that platform, but games are available to watch on the high school’s front page, which can be found at dnhigh.org. We would also like to encourage you to reach out if you have any questions or feedback on the live streams by calling our communications hotline at 707-464-6143.

Career Opportunities at DNCOE & DNUSD

We’re also still looking for people who are interested in working for the district or are curious about what opportunities are available.  For information on employment opportunities, you can visit our website at dnusd.org/jobs, by calling  464-6141 and asking to be connected with Human Resources, or by stopping by our offices and visiting with us about current job openings.

That’s all for this week’s update.  If you have questions specific to your child’s school, please contact them directly or visit their website or Facebook page, but for other questions, you can visit dnusd.org or contact the district office at 464-6141.  

Thank you

Update to the Community 9-12-2022

Good afternoon, all.  I’m Jeff Harris, Superintendent of Schools for Del Norte County. This is our first Monday update since the first day of school.  Sorry, I missed you last week, but I do hope that you had an enjoyable Labor Day weekend.  

Dates to Remember

First of all, I’d like to let you know that a special board meeting is scheduled for tomorrow so that the Board can take action and discuss some of the items that were scheduled to be on last Thursday’s regularly scheduled board meeting.  If you were unaware, our Board meeting last Thursday had to be canceled due to a lack of quorum. Tomorrow, the County Office of Education meeting will begin at 4:00, and the District meeting will begin at 4:15 PM. If you’re interested in attending, you can join in person at the district office, virtually through zoom, or by watching the live stream.  The live stream and links to the Zoom address will all be available on the front page of dnusd.org.

DNHS Sports Update

As for sports, last week, the Del Norte Warriors Varsity Volleyball team won both their games against Gold Beach and Brookings. Our Varsity Football team lost their game on Friday, while the JV Football team was victorious, both played against South Medford. This week is full of home games, with our girls’ and boys' soccer teams playing this Tuesday at 3:30 pm and 5 pm at Del Norte High against McKinleyville and Fortuna. The boy's soccer team also plays this Thursday against McKinleyville at home at 6 pm, and the girls' volleyball team plays against Arcata at home on Thursday at 5:30 PM.   Finally, the Del Norte Warriors JV and Varsity Football teams play against West Valley High at home this Friday at 5 PM and 7 PM, respectively. Since these games will be at home, they will be live-streamed.  I do want to remind you that we no longer live stream our games to Facebook, due to issues with interruptions on that platform, but games are available to watch on the high school’s front page, which can be found at dnhigh.org. We would also like to encourage you to reach out if you have any questions or feedback on the live streams by calling our communications hotline at 707-464-6143.

Career Opportunities at DNCOE & DNUSD

One critical area that impacts almost every aspect of school functioning is the need for qualified staff.  We currently have approximately 100 open job positions in our district. If you are interested in working for the district or are curious about what opportunities are available, you can visit our website to find out more about these positions. You can find employment information at dnusd.org/jobs, by calling  464-6141 and asking to be connected with Human Resources, or by stopping by our offices and visiting with us about current job openings.

That’s all for this week’s update.  If you have questions specific to your child’s school, please contact them directly or visit their website or Facebook page, but for other questions, you can visit dnusd.org or contact the district office at 464-6141.  

Thank you

Board Meeting Canceled Due to Lack of Quorum 9-8-2022

The Board of Education Meetings for the County Office of Education and Del Norte Unified School District on Thursday, September 8, 2022, were canceled due to a lack of a quorum of Board Members. The next regularly scheduled Board of Education meeting will be on Thursday, September 22, 2022. 

DNUSD Board Meeting 8-25-2022

Today's board meeting will be live-streamed on the front page of DNUSD.org. The board meeting may also be watched on Zoom. The link for the zoom meeting is: https://dncoe.zoom.us/j/193445536

If you would like to attend the board meeting in person, it will take place at 301 W. Washington Blvd, Crescent City, CA 95531.

Schedule:

In order to participate in public comment, please follow these instructions: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19Hdaa_dV_4GSewjjkeIUO0vlHvLU5-PKHJ5kHUCheXE/

The board meeting agenda can be viewed at: https://simbli.eboardsolutions.com/SB_Meetings/SB_MeetingListing.aspx?S=36030752

LTIS Information Nights

Are you looking for information on DNUSD's Long Term Independent Study (LTIS) program?

Please come and join us for our in-person LTIS information Nights.

These events will be held in-person at the District Office boardroom. You can also join us via Zoom by clicking the links below the event info.

Del Norte High LTIS Information Night: Tuesday 8/16 at 5:30PM.

https://dncoe.zoom.us/j/91917141886

Del Norte TK-8th grade LTIS Information Night: Wednesday, 8/17 at 5:30PM.

 https://dncoe.zoom.us/j/91049845018 

If you are interested in this program, please click the link below to fill out our survey to help us gauge parent interest.

https://forms.gle/roFx1Xswoe5Nv2ee7

DNUSD and DNCOE Board Meetings 8-11-2022

Today's board meetings will be live-streamed on the front page of DNUSD.org. The board meetings may also be watched on Zoom. The link for the zoom meeting is: https://dncoe.zoom.us/j/193445536

If you would like to attend the board meeting in person, it will take place at 301 W. Washington Blvd, Crescent City, CA 95531.

Schedule:

In order to participate in public comment, please follow these instructions: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19Hdaa_dV_4GSewjjkeIUO0vlHvLU5-PKHJ5kHUCheXE/

The board meeting agenda can be viewed at: https://simbli.eboardsolutions.com/SB_Meetings/SB_MeetingListing.aspx?S=36030752

First Day of School Is August 29th!

The new school year is approaching fast! Please make sure to fill out all the necessary paperwork for your child as soon as possible.

Need to enroll your student? Click here...

Need to register for the school bus? Click here...

Looking for the Educational Benefit Form? Click here...

DNUSD and DNCOE Board Meetings 7-14-2022

Today's board meetings will be live-streamed on the front page of DNUSD.org. The board meetings may also be watched on Zoom. The link for the zoom meeting is: https://dncoe.zoom.us/j/193445536

If you would like to attend the board meeting in person, it will take place at 301 W. Washington Blvd, Crescent City, CA 95531.

Schedule:

In order to participate in public comment, please follow these instructions: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19Hdaa_dV_4GSewjjkeIUO0vlHvLU5-PKHJ5kHUCheXE/

The board meeting agenda can be viewed at: https://simbli.eboardsolutions.com/SB_Meetings/SB_MeetingListing.aspx?S=36030752

DNUSD and DNCOE Board Meetings 6-30-2022

Today's board meetings will not be live-streamed due to staffing shortages caused by COVID-19. The board meetings may still be watched on Zoom. The link for the zoom meeting is: https://dncoe.zoom.us/j/193445536

If you would like to attend the board meeting in person, it will take place at 301 W. Washington Blvd, Crescent City, CA 95531.

Schedule:

In order to participate in public comment, please follow these instructions: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19Hdaa_dV_4GSewjjkeIUO0vlHvLU5-PKHJ5kHUCheXE/

The board meeting agenda can be viewed at: https://simbli.eboardsolutions.com/SB_Meetings/SB_MeetingListing.aspx?S=36030752

Monday Update to the Community 6-27-2022

Good Afternoon, I’m Jeff Harris, Superintendent of Schools for Del Norte County, and this is the final Monday update for this school year.

Outdoor Equity Program Grant Awarded to Del Norte County

I’d like to start with some pretty exciting news. Del Norte County has been selected to receive one of only 125 grants funded through the California State Parks Outdoor Equity program.  The Greater Outdoor Access and Learning (GOAL) grant is a partnership between the Del Norte County Office of Education, Redwoods State and National Parks, Redwoods Parks Conservancy, and the Del Norte Unified School District and was written with the input of students and community members.

This grant will provide three years of year-round opportunities for youth, families, and senior community members to explore and experience the numerous state, national, and local parks and recreation areas throughout Del Norte County and provide opportunities that many of our community members may not otherwise experience. Other benefits brought about by the grant include a portable outdoor education classroom, connecting youth with job pathways and career and technical education, enhancing community service and engagement by youth, and developing future leaders in our community.  We anticipate beginning programs by the end of September 2022.

Graduation and Promotion Ceremonies

We had a fantastic time celebrating our students' accomplishments during our promotion and graduation ceremonies during the last week of school. If you missed an event or just wanted to see it again, all 8-12th grade end-of-year promotion ceremonies and graduations were photographed and recorded and can be found on the front page of each school’s website. You can find links to all of our school websites at dnusd.org/schools. If you have any questions, please contact our communications department by emailing communications@dnusd.org or by calling our communications help hotline at 707-464-6143.

Summer Programs

It’s almost time for our summer programs!  If you registered your child for one of our summer programs, you will receive an email from the District next week letting you know your child’s final program assignments.  You will also receive a call from your child’s summer teacher before the program begins.  Just a reminder that our first summer program starts on Monday, July 11, and the second session begins on Monday, August 1.  For more information, you can visit dnusd.org/summer for more information. 

Kindergarten and Transitional Kindergarten Registration

If you have a child who will be entering transitional kindergarten or kindergarten in August, I’d like to encourage you to enroll them as soon as possible.  We are creating new TK spaces, arranging kindergarten rooms, and working to staff kindergarten classes next year, and we want to make sure that we are planning the best programs possible.  To register your child, you can contact any of our schools or the district office for more information. 

Employee Celebration Event 2022 - Sponsors

Finally, I know that you’re already aware of the annual employee celebration event that takes place at the end of each May, but what you may not know is that many of our local businesses sponsor this event to help recognize the outstanding achievements of our staff and celebrate those retiring.  I’d like to take a moment to personally thank each business for their donations.  If you’d like to know more about our sponsors, so that you can support them, check out the program guide and sponsor information at dnusd.org/employeecelebration.

That's it for this week’s update. We hope you are enjoying the beginning of summer, and I look forward to the first update of the new school year on Monday, August 1st.

Thank you

Monday Update to the Community 6-13-2022

Good Afternoon, I’m Jeff Harris, Superintendent of Schools for Del Norte County. Before I do the normal weekly update, I’d like to share with you personally some information about the rumors of an active shooter at Crescent Elk.

This morning, police dispatch received a call suggesting that there was a threat of a shooting, and  the lockdown at Crescent Elk and Joe Hamilton was initiated as a precautionary measure.  Contrary to what may have been posted on social media, there were no active incidents at either school, no one was found with a gun, and no shots were fired.  The incident began with an altercation between youth off campus earlier in the week, and there were some social media posts following the altercation regarding retaliation.  The youth involved, who were nowhere near either school, were located by law enforcement, prior to the lockdown being lifted, and it was determined that there was no threat to the school or students.  For more information, please visit the Crescent City Police Department website and Facebook page.

I'd like to thank and commend the Crescent Elk and Joe Hamilton staff on their rapid response to the lockdown called by our SRO, Officer Sanders.  I'd also like to publicly thank all of our local law enforcement agencies for their quick response, as well.  Within two minutes of the initial call to dispatch both schools were secured and officers were on site, with Chief Griffin taking command.

I would also like to thank the parents and family members who came to the schools out of concern for their children and staff but who respectfully allowed law enforcement to ensure the safety of everyone prior to lifting the lockdown.  If your child is concerned about attending school next week, please reach out to the school.  Counselors will be available.

Upcoming Announcements

Well, I can hardly believe it is already the last week of school. This week is packed with events taking place across the district, we have a few updates for you.

Dates to Remember

Just a reminder that this Thursday, June 16th, is the last day of school, and I also want to make sure you know that every day this entire week is a minimum day for all K-12 students.

Graduation and Promotion Ceremonies

If you are looking for the schedule for our upcoming K-8 promotion ceremonies and high school graduations taking place across the county, please visit each school’s website where that information is posted. We will also live-stream all-district 8th grade moving up ceremonies and high school graduation ceremonies. These live streams will only be available on each school’s website, they will not be available on Facebook or Youtube. You can find links to all of our school web pages at dnusd.org/schools. If you have any questions, please contact our communications department by emailing communications@dnusd.org or by calling our communications help hotline at 707-464-6143.

Summer Programs

Registration for our summer programs is now open.  If you have not yet registered your child for one of our summer programs take a look at the programs being offered, you can visit our home page at dnusd.org and click on the summer programs banner for more information. You can also directly access the signups form at dnusd.org/summer.

Kindergarten and Transitional Kindergarten Registration

If you have a child who will be entering transitional kindergarten or kindergarten in August, I’d like to encourage you to enroll them as soon as possible.  We are creating new TK spaces, arranging kindergarten rooms, and working to staff kindergarten classes next year, and we want to make sure that we are planning the best programs possible.  To register your child, you can contact any of our schools or the district office for more information. 

That's it for this week’s update, we hope you have a great week, and we’ll see you next Monday for our special update on the last week of school.

Thank you

DNUSD and DNCOE Board Meetings 6-9-2022

This evening's board meetings will be live-streamed on the front page of DNUSD.org. 

The board meeting may also be watched on Zoom. The link for the zoom meeting is: https://dncoe.zoom.us/j/193445536

If you would like to attend the board meeting in person, it will take place at 301 W. Washington Blvd, Crescent City, CA 95531.

In order to participate in public comment, follow these instructions: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19Hdaa_dV_4GSewjjkeIUO0vlHvLU5-PKHJ5kHUCheXE/

The board meeting agenda can be viewed at: https://simbli.eboardsolutions.com/SB_Meetings/SB_MeetingListing.aspx?S=36030752

Monday Update to the Community 6-6-2022

Good Afternoon, I’m Jeff Harris, Superintendent of Schools for Del Norte County. We are quickly coming up on the end of the school year and are busy preparing for the final week of school.  That being said, today’s update should be brief.

Dates to Remember

Just a reminder that next Thursday, June 16th, is the last day of school, and I also want to make sure you know that next Monday through Thursday, June 13-16, are minimum days for all K-12 students.

Graduation and Promotion Ceremonies

If you are looking for the schedule for our upcoming K-8 promotion ceremonies and high school graduations taking place across the county, please visit each school’s website where that information is posted. We will also be live-streaming all-district 8th grade moving up ceremonies and high school graduation ceremonies. These live streams will only be available on each school’s website, they will not be available on Facebook or Youtube. You can find links to all of our school web pages at dnusd.org/schools. If you have any questions, please contact our communications department by emailing communications@dnusd.org or by calling our communications help hotline at 707-464-6143.

Summer Programs

Registration for our summer programs is now open.  If you have not yet registered your child for one of our summer programs take a look at the programs being offered, you can visit our home page at dnusd.org and click on the summer programs banner for more information. You can also directly access the signups form at dnusd.org/summer.

Kindergarten and Transitional Kindergarten Registration

If you have a child who will be entering transitional kindergarten or kindergarten in August, I’d like to encourage you to enroll them as soon as possible.  We are creating new TK spaces, arranging kindergarten rooms, and working to staff kindergarten classes next year, and we want to make sure that we are planning the best programs possible.  To register your child, you can contact any of our schools or the district office for more information. 

That's it for this week’s update. We hope you have a great week, and we’ll see you next Monday for our special update on the last week of school.

Thank you

Coffee and Conversation Podcast Episode #72 - Tiny Home Build and Auction

Tune in this week as we have Del Norte High School Principal Alison Eckart and Teacher Jeff Van Pelt join us to talk about the new Construction Trades shop, and our Career & Technical Education (CTE) programs at the high school as well as the upcoming Tiny Home Auction.

Host:
Jeff Harris - Superintendent of Schools

Guests:

Alison Eckart - Principal of Del Norte High

Jeff Van Pelt - CTE Teacher at Del Norte High

Special Wednesday Update to the Community 6-1-2022

Good Afternoon, I’m Jeff Harris, Superintendent of Schools for Del Norte County. I hope you had a refreshing four-day weekend, and welcome to our special Wednesday update.  

Dates to Remember

Just a reminder that June 16th is the last day of school, and I also want to make sure you know that the entire last week of school will be minimum days for all students, from kindergarten through high school. 

Independent Study Information Night

If you are interested in enrolling your child in the District’s independent study program for next year, then join us tonight at 6 PM for our Independent Study Information Night. The information night will be held in person in the District Office Board Room or virtually for those unable to attend in person.  The link to attend virtually will be available at DNUSD.org/is. If you have any questions or would like more information, feel free to contact our program administrators.  For K-8, you can email Principal Angie Marshall at amarshall@dnusd.org, and for 9-12, you can contact Principal Alison Eckart at aeckart@dnusd.org.

DNHS Tiny Home Live Auction - June 6 @ 3 PM

Last week, I mentioned that our career and technical education construction class at Del Norte High will be auctioning a tiny home that they recently finished building.  It’s an amazing tiny house. If you are interested in supporting our students and purchasing the home, the auction and tour of the new tiny home workshop at Del Norte High will take place on Monday, June 6.  Doors will open at 2 PM for a shop tour and preview of the tiny house, and the live auction officially begins at 3 PM. The auction’s opening bid is only $40,000, which covers the cost of materials. All proceeds go back to the CTE program to assist in funding the next tiny home build.  If you’re interested in purchasing the tiny home, you will need to register as a bidder at the event between 2:00 and 3:00. You will be asked to confirm that you understand the contract of sale.  The successful bidder will have 24 hours after the auction to complete the purchase with a cashier’s check or money order and to take possession of the tiny home. 

Coffee and Conversation Podcast

Also, if you would like to learn more about all that went into building the Tiny Home you can tune in to our Coffee and Conversation podcast this Friday at 5 PM where we sat down with Alison Eckart, principal at Del Norte High, and Jeff Van Pelt, a teacher at Del Norte High who oversees the Tiny Home Construction class. We had a great conversation, and I encourage everyone to take some time to hear about the great plans for the future.  You can find this and all of our other podcasts at dnusd.org/podcast.

Graduation and Promotion Ceremonies

If you are looking for the schedule for our upcoming K-8 promotion ceremonies and high school graduations taking place across the county, please visit each school’s website where that information is posted.

That's it for this week’s update. We hope you have a great week, and we’ll see you next Monday for our regular weekly update.

Thank you

DNUSD Board Meeting 5-26-2022

We would like to remind you that while the DNUSD (district) board meeting is still taking place this evening at 4:00 PM, the DNCOE (county) board meeting had to be canceled. This evening's district board meeting will be available to watch via zoom, and can attended in-person, but will not be live-streamed on DNUSD.org due to staffing constraints.

The link for the zoom meeting is: https://dncoe.zoom.us/j/193445536

Location: 301 W. Washington Blvd, Crescent City, CA 95531

In order to participate in public comment, follow these instructions: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19Hdaa_dV_4GSewjjkeIUO0vlHvLU5-PKHJ5kHUCheXE/

The board meeting agenda can be viewed at: https://simbli.eboardsolutions.com/SB_Meetings/SB_MeetingListing.aspx?S=36030752

Robb Elementary School Shooting - DNUSD Statement 5-25-2022

Everyone is aware of the tragic events that took place at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, yesterday. As educators, parents, and members of a small community, it is difficult to comprehend the impact that this tragedy is having on the Uvalde community.

Usually, those closest to a tragic event experience the highest levels of trauma, but in this case, social media and the news bring these events into our homes and lives.

Each student will react differently to this type of trauma, and it is important that we all be supportive of children and how they respond to this event. Some children may be angry; others may be scared, and others may have no reaction at all or even be aware of what has occurred. Regardless of how a child responds at the time, the majority of students are resilient; however, some children may experience more intense short-term reactions or could take longer to process these events.

If your child has been affected by yesterday’s events, please talk with them about it, and in the links below you will find tips and strategies on how you can discuss these difficult topics with your family. Please remember, too, that our school site psychologists, counselors, and counseling techs are ready to help any student who may be having a difficult time coping with this tragedy. We encourage you to reach out to your child’s school if you think your child may need extra support during this difficult time.

Please know that your child’s safety is and always will be our top priority, and we will continue to work closely with all of our local law enforcement partner agencies to help ensure that our students are safe at school. 

I ask you all to continue to keep the community of Uvalde and those directly affected by the tragedy that occurred at Robb Elementary School in your thoughts and prayers.

Sincerely,

Jeff Harris

Superintendent of Schools

Resources

• Parent Guidelines for Helping Youth After the Recent Shooting (The National Child Traumatic Stress Network – English/Spanish)  
• Talking to Children About Violence: Tips for Parents and Teachers (National Association of School Psychologists)  
• Helping Children Cope with Frightening News (Child Mind Institute) 
• Coping in the Aftermath of a Shooting (American Counseling Association) 
• Trauma and Disaster Mental Health (American Counseling Association) 
• Teaching in the Wake of Violence (Facing History and Ourselves) 
• Supporting Employees in Coping with Community Violence (Employee Assistance for Education –EASE)

Monday Update to the Community 5-23-2022

Good Afternoon, I’m Jeff Harris, Superintendent of Schools for Del Norte County, and welcome to our regular Monday Update.

Dates to Remember

Just a reminder that this weekend we will be observing the Memorial Day holiday, and there will be no school on Friday the 27th or Monday the 30th. School will resume on Tuesday, May 31st.

Summer Programs Registration

We know that many of you have been waiting for information on our summer programs, so I’m glad to announce that registration begins this Friday at 4 PM. Last year, these programs filled quickly and were at capacity shortly after registration opened.  Registration is on a first-come-first-served basis. If you are interested in signing up your child, we recommend that you do so as soon as the form is made public this Friday at 4 PM, it can be found on the front page of dnusd.org or you can access it directly by going to dnusd.org/summer.

Employee Celebration - Retirees / Service Awards / All-Star Employees

As part of Educator Appreciation month, we held our first in-person annual Employee Celebration in three years.  Over the course of the evening, we were able to recognize retirees and service award recipients for 20-21 and 21-22, as well as All-Star award recipients, who were nominated by their colleagues and recognized for their contributions to the students of Del Norte County. It was a great night, and it was a wonderful time to recognize the accomplishments of all our staff and to spend time with this year's honorees. 

Job Openings 

Speaking of employees, we still have over 100 open job positions in our district. If you are interested in working for the district or just curious about what opportunities are available, take time to visit our website to find out more about these currently open positions. You can find employment information by visiting dnusd.org/jobs or by calling our human resources department at 707-464-6141 and pressing the number “2” and then the number “2,” again, for human resources.

DNHS Tiny Home Live Auction - June 6 @ 3 PM

Last week, I mentioned that our CTE class at Del Norte High will be auctioning a tiny home, which they recently finished building.  It’s an amazing tiny home. If you are interested in supporting our students and purchasing a new tiny home, the auction and tour of the new tiny home workshop at Del Norte High will take place on Monday, June 6.  Doors open at 2 PM, and the live auction officially begins at 3 PM. The auction’s opening bid is only $40,000, which covers the cost of materials. All proceeds go back to the CTE program to assist in funding the next tiny home build.  If you’re interested in learning more about the home, visit Del Norte High’s Facebook page or go to dnhigh.org to see pictures and get more information.

Independent Study Information Night

If you are interested in enrolling your child in the District’s independent study program for next year, I’d like to invite you to join us on June 1st, at 6 PM for our upcoming Independent Study Information Night. The information night will be held in person in the District Office Board Room and virtually for those unable to attend in person. An interest form will be made available to all attendees during the event, and for those unable to attend, the form will be available the day following the event.  The link to attend virtually will be available at DNUSD.org/is. If you have any questions or would like more information, feel free to contact our program administrators.  For K-8, you can email Principal Angie Marshall at amarshall@delnorte.k12.ca.us, and for 9-12, you can contact Principal Alison Eckart at aeckart@delnorte.k12.ca.us.

Sports Update

As for upcoming home athletic events, this week is the NCS Division 4 Varsity Softball Semifinals against Fort Bragg at Del Norte High School. Since this is a playoff event, we are unable to live stream it, but if you would like to attend, you can buy tickets at gofan.com. For the direct link to purchase tickets please go to dnhigh.org.  You can find out more about that and all upcoming athletic events at dnhigh.org under “student activities''.

DIstrict Live Streams

I also want to let everyone know that our live-streamed events will no longer be broadcast on Facebook or Youtube. All events will now be live-streamed to the front page of DNUSD.org, and if it is a school event, it will also be on the front page of that school's website.

We’re doing this for a variety of reasons, but one of the main reasons is that Facebook and Youtube routinely block or remove our live streams for reasons like playing music during football games or performances. When this happens, we have to completely recreate our streams.  This transition will provide a higher level of stability and dependability for everyone in our community.  We understand that this may initially feel inconvenient, but ultimately it is for the best.  We look forward to broadcasting many more streams in the coming days.

If you have any questions or concerns, we encourage you to email communications@dnusd.org.

That's it for this week’s update, we hope you have a great week, and we’ll see you on Wednesday, June 1 for a special weekly update, since Monday, May 30 is Memorial Day.

Thank you

May 26 DNCOE Board Meeting Canceled

The May 26th county board meeting is canceled. The board meeting will be rescheduled for June 9th at 3:30 PM. The district board meeting will still take place at 4:00 PM on May 26th.

DNUSD Special Board Meeting 5-18-2022

There is a special board meeting this morning at 11:30 AM. During this meeting, the classification and compensation study will be discussed.

This event will be live-streamed on dnusd.org and can also be attended through zoom at https://dncoe.zoom.us/j/193445536.

The board meeting agenda can be viewed at: https://simbli.eboardsolutions.com/SB_Meetings/SB_MeetingListing.aspx?S=36030752

Monday Update to the Community 5-16-2022

Good Afternoon, I’m Jeff Harris, Superintendent of Schools for Del Norte County, and welcome to our regular Monday Update.  

Dates to Remember

Make sure and mark your calendars for Memorial Day Weekend. There will be no school on Friday the 27th or Monday the 30th.  School will resume on Tuesday, May 31st.

Summer Programs Registration

Registration for our summer programs begins soon, we are in the process of finalizing our plans and aligning them with new state requirements. Once finished, we’ll send out sign-up information, so if you are interested, keep an eye on our website, or check this Monday's update next week.

Classified Appreciation Week

Our Board recently adopted a resolution naming May Educator Appreciation Month, and as part of Educator Appreciation month, this week we are celebrating Classified Appreciation week. Classified staff includes staff from food services, instructional assistants, clerical staff, bus drivers, maintenance staff, and so much more. If you would like to learn more about all of our classified staff, and the roles they play within our district, please visit dnusd.org/hr and take a look at the page titled “Classified Resources”. Thank you classified staff for all you do to provide for our students and help them get the most out of their time in school.

District (LCAP) Survey for Parents and Community Members

I want to let everyone know that we are extending the LCAP Community input survey and it will now be open until this Friday at noon.  The LCAP is the Local Control & Accountability Plan, which details how specific state funds will be spent to benefit students who are homeless, receiving foster youth services, or are English learners.  Many of the items in the LCAP, such as counseling, transportation, district preschool, and music, among others, also serve all students.

The survey is designed to get your input, whether you are a staff member, parent, or community member, about how our district should prioritize its needs and focus its efforts over the course of the next few years. It should take less than five minutes to complete. If you are interested in taking this survey, you can find it posted below this update on our website or at dnsud.org/lcap.

Early Childhood Education Steam Fair

Last weekend, we had an amazing time at our early childhood education steam fair. Our staff and community partners hosted a variety of educational booths that gave children the opportunity to interact with technology, art, nutrition, cultural learning, and much more. Parents also were able to begin the registration process for preschool for the upcoming 2022-23 school year. If you or someone you know would like more information on how they can register their child for preschool, you can visit dnusd.org/ece or call 464-0720.  For more information on transitional kindergarten and kindergarten registration, please call us at 464-6141.

Sports Update

As for upcoming home athletic events, there are no home games this week, but we do want to recognize the achievements of the Del Norte High Track and Field team. They won the HDN White Star Championship earlier this month, great job. You can find out more about all upcoming athletic events at dnhigh.org under “student activities''.

That's it for this week’s update. We hope you have a great week, and we’ll see you next Monday.

Thank you

DNUSD and DNCOE Board Meetings 5-12-2022

This evening's board meetings will be live-streamed on the front page of DNUSD.org. It will not be live-streamed to Facebook.

The board meeting may also be watched on Zoom. The link for the zoom meeting is: https://dncoe.zoom.us/j/193445536

Location: 301 W. Washington Blvd, Crescent City, CA 95531

In order to participate in public comment, follow these instructions: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19Hdaa_dV_4GSewjjkeIUO0vlHvLU5-PKHJ5kHUCheXE/

The board meeting agenda can be viewed at: https://simbli.eboardsolutions.com/SB_Meetings/SB_MeetingListing.aspx?S=36030752

Monday Update to the Community 5-9-2022

Good Afternoon, I’m Jeff Harris, Superintendent of Schools for Del Norte County, and welcome to our regular Monday Update.  

Educator Appreciation Month

Our Board recently adopted a resolution naming May Educator Appreciation Month, and this Wednesday, May 11, California celebrates Day of the Teacher. This week, we’re focusing on and honoring instructional excellence in our public schools and the impact it has on our students. Thank you teachers for all that you do.  We also want to remember to thank all of our certificated staff.  From counselors and school psychologists to school nurses and other service providers, certificated staff provides services for our students to help them get the most out of their time in school.

LCAP Community Input Survey

I want to remind everyone, too, that our LCAP Community Input Survey will remain open for a few more days before it closes this Friday. The LCAP is the Local Control & Accountability Plan, which details how specific state funds will be spent to benefit students who are homeless, receiving foster youth services, or are English learners.  Many of the items in the LCAP, such as counseling, transportation, district preschool, and music, among others, also serve all students.

The survey is designed to get your input, whether you are a staff member, parent, or community member, about how our district should prioritize its needs and focus its efforts over the course of the next few years. It should take less than five minutes to complete. If you are interested in taking this survey, you can find it posted below this update on our website or at dnsud.org/lcap.

Early Childhood Education Steam Fair

Our annual early childhood education steam fair is this weekend. Families with children ages 0-5 are invited to attend on Saturday, May 14th, between 10 AM and 2 PM in the main building of the Fairgrounds. It is free for families, and children will be able to participate in science, technology, engineering, art, and math activities in a variety of booths. We encourage you to come out and participate with your child.  You can also register your child for preschool, transitional kindergarten, or kindergarten during the fair.

Sports Update

As for upcoming home athletic events, the Del Norte High Varsity Baseball team plays tomorrow, May 10, at 3 PM against Arcata. Since this is a home game, it will be live-streamed. You can find out more about all upcoming athletic events at dnhigh.org under “student activities''.

That's it for this week’s update, we hope you have a great week, and we’ll see you next Monday.

Thank you

Monday Update to the Community 5-2-2022

Good Afternoon, I’m Jeff Harris, Superintendent of Schools for Del Norte County, and welcome to our regular Monday Update.  

District (LCAP) Survey for  Parents, and Community Members

It is officially LCAP season. The LCAP is the Local Control & Accountability Plan. This plan details how designated state funds will be spent to benefit, specifically, students who are homeless, receiving foster youth services, or are English learners.  Many of the items in the LCAP, such as counseling, transportation, district preschool, and music, among others, also serve all students.

The survey is designed to get your input, whether you are a staff member, parent, or community member, about how our district should prioritize its needs and focus its efforts over the course of the next few years. The survey will be open for responses for ten days: from May 2nd, until Friday, May 13th. It should take less than five minutes to complete. If you are interested in taking this survey, you can find it below or at dnsud.org/lcap.

Early Childhood Education Steam Fair

In some fun news, our annual Steam Fair is just around the corner. Families with children ages 0-5 are invited to attend on Saturday, May 14th, between 10 AM and 2 PM in the main building of the Fairgrounds. It is free for families, and children will be able to participate in science, technology, engineering, art, and math activities at a variety of booths. We encourage you to come out and to participate with your child.  You can also register your child for preschool, transitional kindergarten, or kindergarten during the fair. If you want to learn more please visit dnusd.org.

Summer Programs

Last year we had a very successful summer program and we are looking forward to doing it again this year. However, the state has changed a few of the requirements and we are in the process of developing a program that meets those requirements. If everything goes according to plan, we should be opening registration for the program very soon. If you are interested in signing up your child, please keep an eye out for that information on our website, APP, and our future Monday Updates.

Sports Update

As far as sports go, this Saturday at 11 AM the DNHS track team will compete in the White Star Championship Track Meet at Del Norte High. We are in the process of determining if we will be able to live stream this event, please check the Del Norte High website as we get closer to this weekend. You can find out more about all upcoming athletic events at dnhigh.org under “student activities''.

That's it for this week’s update, we hope you have a great week, and we’ll see you next Monday.

Highway 199 Re-Opens to One Way Traffic 4-28-2022 @ 3:30 PM

We just received an update from the California Highway Patrol stating that Highway 199 is now open to one-way traffic. School buses are on their way to Gasquet to bring students home from in-town schools and after that will pick students up from Mountain School to be bused home. Traffic wait times are currently unknown, should there be excessive delays, we will let you know.  If you have any questions please feel free to call (707) 457-3211 or email communications@dnusd.org.

Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Highway 199 Collision Causes Road Closures Update #2 - 4/28/2022 @ 2:35 PM

Both directions of traffic remain closed on HWY 199, and will not re-open in time for Mountain School’s usual dismissal time. Currently, there is no estimated time for the roads to open back up.

The Mountain School afterschool program will remain open this afternoon for students who are unable to go home due to the collision on Highway 199. Students that remain at school will be fed and cared for until the roads open back up. After Highway 199 has re-opened, students will be transported back to town by bus.

Our student's health and safety are our top priority, and if you have any questions or concerns please contact (707) 457-3211 or email communications@dnusd.org.

Thank you

Highway 199 Collision Causes Road Closures - 4/28/2022 @ 12:21 PM

Today, at approximately 10:45 AM, a collision occurred on Highway 199 near Hardscrabble Creek causing both directions of traffic to be stopped while Caltrans clears the road. We have just received a report by the California Highway Patrol that due to the severity of the accident, there is no current estimated time for the road to be cleared. We are continuing to work with Caltrans and the California Highway Patrol and will provide additional information as it becomes available.

If at any point it becomes clear that this accident will interrupt the ability for buses and/or parents to travel to and from Mountain School by the time school is dismissed we will let you know immediately. 

If you have any questions please call the Mountain school office at (707) 457-3211 or email communications@dnusd.org.

Monday Update to the Community 4-25-2022

Good Afternoon, I’m Jeff Harris, Superintendent of Schools for Del Norte County, and welcome to our regular Monday Update.  

Vaccine Updates

First of all, following up on the update we gave last week, the state will delay the implementation of a COVID-19 vaccine requirement for school attendance until after full FDA approval and after consideration of the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Academy of Family Physicians. State action is now expected to take place no sooner than July 1, 2023.  Since staff vaccine mandates were also tied to student vaccines, it appears that the vaccines will not be required for staff at this time, either.

CTE Tiny Home Sale

I’m also excited to announce that our CTE classes at Del Norte High have recently finished the construction of an amazing tiny home. Our students have done some great work, and the quality of the construction speaks for itself. With that, I want to officially announce our plans to auction the tiny home, tentatively, on Monday, June 6.  The opening price of the auction will be the total cost of materials only- no labor is included. We will soon post some photos and videos of the home and will let you know when we have finalized the auction schedule.  If you’re interested in purchasing a tiny home and supporting our students as they learn about construction, keep an eye on our website.

Sports Update

As far as home sports go, the Del Norte High varsity softball team plays against McKinleyville this Tuesday at 4 PM.  This Saturday at 11 AM, our varsity softball and baseball teams play against Arcata. Since all these are home games, they will be live-streamed on the dnhigh.org website as well as the Del Norte High Facebook page. You can find out more about all upcoming athletic events at dnhigh.org under “student activities''.

That's it for this week’s update. We hope you have a great week, and we’ll see you next Monday.

Thank you

DNUSD and DNCOE Board Meetings 4-21-202

Today, the county and district board meeting takes place at Smith River Elementary school. The county meeting public session begins at 3:30 PM, and the district board meeting public session begins at 4:00 PM.

Tonight's board meeting will not be live-streamed on Facebook. The meeting may still be remotely attended through zoom.

The link for the zoom meeting is: https://dncoe.zoom.us/j/193445536

Location: 564 W First St, Smith River, CA 95567

In order to participate in public comment, follow these instructions: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19Hdaa_dV_4GSewjjkeIUO0vlHvLU5-PKHJ5kHUCheXE/

The board meeting agenda can be viewed at: https://simbli.eboardsolutions.com/SB_Meetings/SB_MeetingListing.aspx?S=36030752

Monday Update to the Community 4-18-2022

Good Afternoon, I’m Jeff Harris, Superintendent of Schools for Del Norte County, and this is our regular Monday Update.  I hope you had an opportunity for some relaxation and family time this break, but we are glad to have students back in class today. 

Vaccine Updates

First of all, and most importantly, I want to give you an update on the COVID vaccine mandates proposed by the California Department of Public Health and the State Legislature.  Since the FDA has not yet approved COVID vaccines for children in grades 7 through 12, the state will not move forward with the vaccine requirement in July. The state will delay the implementation of a COVID-19 vaccine requirement for school attendance until after full FDA approval and after consideration of the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Academy of Family Physicians. State action is now expected to take place no sooner than July 1, 2023.  Since staff vaccine mandates were also tied to student vaccines, it appears that the vaccines will not be required for staff at this time, either.

Senator Richard Pan also announced that he will not continue to pursue his legislative bill SB 871, which would have removed the personal belief exemption to opt-out of the required COVID-19 vaccine, due to low vaccine rates among children, and instead will focus on increasing access to the COVID-19 vaccine and expanding education awareness efforts for families.

Del Norte Educator Newsletter

If you haven’t had the opportunity to do so, yet, I’d encourage you to take a look at the Del Norte Educator newsletter that was posted earlier this month.  Our community has told us how much they enjoy learning more about the many things going on in our district, so on the first Monday of each month, we release the new edition of the Del Norte Educator. The Educator also gives information about upcoming events, sports, holiday announcements, and much more, so when you get a minute, take a look.  You can find the Educator at dnusd.org/newsletter. Also, if you would like to submit an article for publication, you can email us at communications@dnusd.org for submission requirements and additional details.

Coffee and Conversation Podcast - Attendance

Before spring break, on our Coffee and Conversation podcast, we were joined by Lisa Howard, our County MTSS Coordinator, and Jennifer Bartholomew, one of our new Family Engagement Liaisons, to discuss the importance of attendance for students and ways we can support families.  If you are interested in learning more about this topic you can find that podcast and all of our previous podcasts at dnusd.org/podcast, or by going to dnusd.org/families and clicking on “podcasts” under the golden section titled “Communication to Families.”  Just like our newsletter, if there’s something you’d like us to address on our weekly podcast, you can submit an idea to communications@dnusd.org.

Sports Update

As far as sports go, the Del Norte High varsity softball and baseball teams play against McKinleyville this Wednesday at 4 PM. These home games will be live-streamed on the dnhigh.org website as well as the Del Norte High Facebook page. You can find out more about all upcoming athletic events at dnhigh.org under “student activities''.

That's it for this week’s update. We hope you have a great week, and we’ll see you next Monday.

Thank you

Coffee and Conversation Podcast Episode #71 - Attendance and Family Engagement Liaisons

Tune in this week as we are joined by Lisa Howard - MTSS Coach, Jennifer Bartholomew - Family Engagement Liaison, and Ryan Bahten - Director of Information Network Services They will be discussing new information on attendance as well as talking with one of our Family Engagement Liaisons to learn how they are supporting our students and their families throughout the district.

Host:
Jeff Harris - Superintendent of Schools

Guests:

Lisa Howard - MTSS Coach

Jennifer Bartholomew - Family Engagement Liaison,

Ryan Bahten - Director of Information Network Services

Incident at DNHS 4-8-2022

The following is a press release by the Crescent City Police Department regarding the incident that took place today at Del Norte High School. This is an ongoing investigation, please call the police department at (707) 464-2133 with any questions you may have.

CCPD Press Release:

Monday Update to the Community 4-4-2022

Good Afternoon, and welcome to the Monday Update.  I’m Jeff Harris, Superintendent of Schools for Del Norte County.

Dates to Remember - Spring Break

I want to remind you that next week is spring break and there will be no school. School will resume as normal on Monday, April 18th.

DNUSD Newsletter - Del Norte Educator

Just to let you know, this month’s Del Norte Educator will be posted today.  Our community has told us how much they enjoy learning more about the many things going on in our district, and on the first Monday of each month you can check in to see all of the great things happening in our schools and county. The Del Norte Educator also gives information about upcoming events, sports, holiday announcements, and much more, so when you get a minute, take a look at dnusd.org/newsletter.

Coffee and Conversation Podcast - Attendance

This week on our Coffee and Conversation podcast we will be joined by Lisa Howard, our County MTSS Coordinator, and Jennifer Bartholomew, one of our new Family Engagement Liaisons, to discuss the importance of attendance for students and ways we can support families.  Over the last few years, more than ever before, we have seen the impact of attendance on education. If you are interested in learning more about this topic then be sure to tune in this Friday at 4 PM when it is released. You can find that podcast and all of our previous podcasts at dnusd.org/podcast, or by going to dnusd.org/families and clicking on “podcasts” under the golden section titled “Communication to Families”.

Sports Update

As far as sports go, the Del Norte High varsity softball and baseball teams play against McKinleyville this Wednesday at 4 PM. These home games will be live-streamed on the dnhigh.org website as well as the Del Norte High Facebook page. You can find out more about all upcoming athletic events at dnhigh.org under “student activities”.

That's it for this week’s update. We hope you have a great week, and we’ll see you next Monday.

Monday Update to the Community 3-28-2022

Good Afternoon, and welcome to the Monday Update.  I’m Jeff Harris, Superintendent of Schools for Del Norte County.

Date to Remember

First, just a reminder that spring break is coming up and there will be no school from April 11th through the 15th, so don’t forget to put it on your calendar.

State Testing Podcast

As we roll into April, we are also gearing up for State Testing. Last week, during our Coffee and Conversation podcast, we discussed state testing and what it would look like this year, and how it has changed from previous years. We had April Martin, DNUSD testing coordinator, Leslee Machado, Director of Curriculum and Instruction, and Rae Fearing, Director of Innovation and Special Projects, on to discuss what we can expect from the state this year. You can listen to that podcast and all our previous podcasts, including our recent podcast on the Class and Compensation Study, at dnusd.org/podcast, or by going to dnusd.org/families and clicking “podcasts” under the golden section labeled “Communication to Families”.

Graduation Ceremonies

It’s hard to believe, but we’re also quickly approaching the end of the year.  We are in the process of finalizing our graduation and moving up ceremony details across the district. Last year, all 8th graders and seniors at Del Norte High had their ceremonies at the high school football field, but this year the 8th-grade ceremonies will take place back at their home schools, while only the high school graduates on Whalen Field.   All of these events will be live-streamed, and we will be releasing our graduation schedule by the end of next week.

Employee of the Year - Classified Staff

This is also the last call to recognize outstanding classified employees.  Nominations are about to close for our Classified School Employee of the Year competition! Each spring, the California Department of Education sponsors this competition, and any staff, student, or community member may nominate one or more classified employees for this recognition.  You can nominate classified employees by going to dnusd.org and clicking on the banner on the front page. All nominations are due no later than noon tomorrow, Tuesday, March 29. 

Sports Update

For our sports update, the Del Norte High varsity softball and baseball teams play against Fortuna this Saturday at 11 AM. These home games will be live-streamed on the dnhigh.org website as well as the Del Norte High Facebook page. We also have tennis, track, and golf competitions taking place this week.  We are not able to live-stream those at this time, but you can always attend in person.  You can find out more about upcoming athletic events at dnhigh.org under “student activities”.

That's it for this week’s update. We hope you have a great week, and we’ll see you next Monday.

Thank you

Coffee and Conversation Podcast Episode #70 - State Testing

Tune in this week as we are joined by Leslee Machado - Director of Curriculum and Instruction, Rae Fearing - Director of Innovations and Special Programs and April Martin - District Testing Coordinator. They will be covering what our district's state testing will look like this year as well as the changes and challenges that have occurred over the last 2 years.

Host:
Jeff Harris - Superintendent of Schools

Guests:
Leslee Machado - Director of Curriculum and Instruction

Rae Fearing - Director of Innovations and Special Programs

April Martin - District Testing Coordinator

DNUSD Board Meeting 3-24-2022

Today, the district board meeting will begin with a closed session at 4:00 PM, and the open session starting at 4:30 PM. In-person participation is allowed, and the meeting can also be attended virtually through zoom.

The link for the zoom webinar: https://dncoe.zoom.us/j/193445536

Due to staffing shortages, there will be no Facebook live stream of the board meeting tonight.

In order to participate in public comment, follow these instructions: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19Hdaa_dV_4GSewjjkeIUO0vlHvLU5-PKHJ5kHUCheXE/

The board meeting agenda can be viewed at: https://simbli.eboardsolutions.com/SB_Meetings/SB_MeetingListing.aspx?S=36030752

The Angst: Building Resilience program is a film-based mental health support program endorsed by educators, psychiatrists and mental health advocates. The film includes interviews with kids, teens, educators, experts and parents. The film and corresponding materials provide tools, resources, and above all, hope. This is intended for 6th through 12th grade students. 

To visit the Angst: Building Resilience site and to view the video, click the link below.

https://watch.eventive.org/california/play/615e46beeacbbb00597d68f8

Coffee and Conversation Podcast Episode #69 - Classified Staff - Classification and Compensation Study

Tune in this week as we are joined by Summer Pyke, Director of Classified Personnel. She will be talking about our ongoing Classified Class and Compensation Study and what this means for classified staff throughout the district.

Host:
Jeff Harris - Superintendent of Schools

Guests:
Summer Pyke - Director of Classified Personnel

Monday Update to the Community 3-14-2022

Good Afternoon, and welcome to the Monday Update.  I’m Jeff Harris, Superintendent of Schools for Del Norte County.

First, just a reminder to mark your calendars, beginning tomorrow, March 15th, and continuing through this Friday, March 18th, our K-8 schools will be on minimum days for parent-teacher conferences. If you would like to meet with your child’s teacher and have not already set a time to meet, please reach out to your child’s school as soon as possible.  Also, this coming Monday, March 21st, there will be no school because of a staff development day. 

As you already know, state mask mandates expired at midnight on March 12 for schools, and while masks are now being strongly recommended per CDPH, they are no longer required to be worn by staff, students, volunteers or visitors at schools.  While many are excited by this move, which comes after two full years of masking, it’s important we remain respectful of those who wish to continue wearing masks.  Students, overall, are excited and happy to see each other’s faces in the classroom, and many of our teachers have told us how refreshing it is to see their students' faces during instruction once again. It’s been a long road getting to this point.

It’s time, again, for our community to recognize outstanding classified employees.  Nominations are officially open for our Classified School Employee of the Year competition! Each spring, the California Department of Education sponsors this competition, and any staff, student, or community member may nominate one or more classified employees for this recognition.  A review panel consisting of CSEA members and county office staff will meet to select the finalists in each of the nine job classification areas identified by the CDE. You can nominate classified employees by going to dnusd.org and clicking on the banner on the front page. All nominations are due no later than Friday, March 25.  All Del Norte finalists will be considered county winners and will be entered into the State competition, along with the finalists from the 57 other counties in the state. 

In upcoming home athletic competition, the Del Norte High JV softball and baseball teams play against the Brookings Bruins this Tuesday at 4 PM. Since these are home games, they will be live-streamed on the dnhigh.org website as well as the Del Norte High Facebook page. You can find more information on upcoming sports at dnhigh.org under “student activities”.

That's it for this week’s update, we hope you have a great week, and we’ll see you next Monday.

DNUSD and DNCOE Board Meetings 3-10-2022

Today, the county board meeting public session begins at 3:30 PM, and the district board meeting public session begins at 4:30 PM.

Due to multiple sporting events being live-streamed, tonight's board meeting will not be live-streamed on Facebook. The meeting may still be remotely attended through zoom. The link for the zoom meeting is: https://dncoe.zoom.us/j/193445536

In order to participate in public comment, follow these instructions: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19Hdaa_dV_4GSewjjkeIUO0vlHvLU5-PKHJ5kHUCheXE/

The board meeting agenda can be viewed at: https://simbli.eboardsolutions.com/SB_Meetings/SB_MeetingListing.aspx?S=36030752

Monday Update to the Community 3-7-2022

Welcome to the Monday Update. 

Important Dates to Remember

First, just a reminder to mark your calendars, March 15th-18th are parent conferences for K-8 students and the entire week will be minimum days. If you have not heard from your child’s teacher, and you want to meet with them, please reach out to your child’s school. Also, on March 21st, there will be no school because of a staff development day.

COVID-19 Update

As for COVID-19, I want to remind parents that masking becomes highly recommended on March 12th, 2022. Between now and then, students who do not have a mask will be offered one but will not be excluded from the classroom.  If the student does not wear a mask, their family will be notified as part of the state-mandated enforcement protocol. Beginning on the 14th, masking will, again, be highly recommended by the state but will become optional for staff and students at all levels, regardless of vaccination status.  Masks will continue to be available for staff and students at schools. If you have questions or concerns about your child attending school after the mask mandate is lifted, please reach out to your child’s school or contact the District Office at 707-464-6141 to discuss options. 

Sports Update

We have a lot of upcoming athletics events taking place at home, here in Crescent City.  The Del Norte High girls varsity softball team also plays against Hoopa this Thursday at 4 PM, before they play against South Fork this upcoming Saturday at 1 PM. The Del Norte High boys varsity baseball team plays this Thursday against Hoopa at 4 PM, while our boys JV baseball team plays against Arcata this Saturday at 11 AM.  Since these are home games they will be live-streamed on the dnhigh.org website as well as the Del Norte High Facebook page. You can find more information on upcoming sports at dnhigh.org under “student activities”.

That's it for this week’s update. We hope you have a great week, and we’ll see you next week.

Thank you

Crescent Elk Incident 3-7-2022

Del NorteScholarship Foundation Application

Form Link:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1foTg_94POQw8aXJSmTN1ixXbjQ8Gb8pk/view?usp=sharing

Monday Update to the Community 2-28-2022

Good afternoon, and welcome to the Monday update for Monday, February 28.

I want to focus on a topic that’s driving conversations all around our state- masking.  As you may recall, our school board voted last Thursday in a 3-2 vote to change the mask enforcement policy from exclusion to education.  This action only applied to students.  For more information, you can see the announcement at dnusd.org/familyresources.

February 28th Announcement

Today, the governor made an announcement related to how much longer we can expect to wear masks at school. He announced that:

• Masking will continue to be mandated until the end of the day Friday, March 11. (Remember that enforcement of this mandate includes education, not discipline or exclusion.)
• The first day of in-class instruction without mandated masking will be Monday, March 14.
• At that time, there will be no distinction made between vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals in the state masking policy.

He also stated that mandated masking of unvaccinated individuals ends tomorrow in all indoor spaces, except for those outlined in the order.  You can find the announcement at gov.ca.gov/newsroom.

Impact

Again, all students are still required to wear masks indoors- this is for all schools in our district. Students who do not wear a mask during instruction will be offered a mask but will remain in class.  For students who do not wear a mask, information will be sent home to their family, notifying them of their child’s refusal to wear a mask.  That will change on Monday, March 14, when masking becomes strongly recommended by CDPH and not mandated.  

Options

If you have concerns about your child attending school once the mask mandate is lifted on March 14, please reach out to your child’s school or contact the District Office at 464-6141.  If you would like additional information on independent study, you can contact the independent study administrator at amarshall@dnusd.org. Information on our independent study program is available at dnusd.org/is.

Thank you, in advance, for supporting our students and our staff as we navigate this transition.  We all look forward to classrooms and interactions that help all of our students feel better connected and engaged.

In other news, our baseball and golf teams kick off their seasons this week with their first competitions, with softball soon to follow.

We hope you have a great week.  Thank you.

DNUSD Special Board Meeting 2-28-2022

Today, the special board meeting begins at 4:30 PM. During this meeting, three agenda items related to masking will be discussed.

Board Meeting Zoom link:
https://dncoe.zoom.us/j/193445536

In order to participate in public comment, follow these instructions: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19Hdaa_dV_4GSewjjkeIUO0vlHvLU5-PKHJ5kHUCheXE/

The board meeting agenda can be viewed at: https://simbli.eboardsolutions.com/SB_Meetings/SB_MeetingListing.aspx?S=36030752

Facebook live-stream: facebook.com/dnusd

DNUSD Board of Trustees Takes Action To Re-Align Masking Enforcement 2-24-2022

Over the past two years, the Board has continually sought ways to ensure that students could participate in their education in-person to the fullest extent possible. On February 24, 2022, the Board of Trustees voted 3-2 in favor of directing staff to shift the enforcement of mask mandates from exclusion to education to further ensure that students remain in class and receive instruction from their teachers.  The Board continues to build on the message that they sent to state leaders in November- that goals are better served by education than compulsion.

This shift in the enforcement process is consistent with the flexibility found in K-12 guidance, which allows districts to create enforcement processes that reflect local needs and that respond to changing circumstances, such as the recent changes by the state to allow group tracing without isolation, to shorten quarantine times, and to lift outdoor mask mandates for students and staff. 

The updated enforcement process will begin on Monday, February 28, and will be implemented as follows:

• Signage will be posted on all entries at each campus to remind students, staff, families, and the community of the ongoing requirement to wear face coverings indoors.  This guidance will be revised as the State updates mask guidance.
• If a student arrives at school without a face covering, a mask will be offered to the student.
• If a student refuses to wear a mask indoors at a school, the school principal will notify parents/guardians, in writing, and remind them of the mandate.
• No student shall be excluded from class due to refusal to wear a mask.
• No student shall be disciplined for refusal to wear a mask.

The Board will continue to work with staff, families, and community partners as our schools, our community, and our state continue our journey back to normalcy.

To review State and Local COVID-19 guidance documentation, please visit dnusd.org/familyresources

Coffee and Conversation Podcast Episode #68 - LCAP

Tune in this week as we are joined by Jeff Napier - Assistant Superintendent of Business Services and Tom Kissinger - Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services. They will be talking about our school district's LCAP (Local Control and Accountability Plan) and what this means for funding in our schools.

Host:
Jeff Harris - Superintendent of Schools

Guests:
Jeff Napier - Assistant Superintendent of Business Services

Tom Kissinger - Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services

https://soundcloud.com/michael-hawkins-890916695/episode-68-lcap?utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

Coffee and Conversation Podcast Episode #67 - COVID - 19 Updates For Schools And Sports

Tune in this week as we are joined by Jeff Napier - Assistant Superintendent of Business Services and Bob Hadfield- Del Norte High School Dean of Students and Athletic Director. They will be talking about the latest changes to COVID-19 regulations in our schools and for our athletics programs.

Host:
Jeff Harris - Superintendent of Schools

Guests:
Jeff Napier - Assistant Superintendent of Business Services

Bob Hadfield- Del Norte High School Dean of Students and Athletic Director

https://soundcloud.com/michael-hawkins-890916695/episode-67-covid-19-updates-for-schools-and-sports?si=cd6b365d32e148efb11e9fd762fd3b46&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

SAEBRS Screener Information for Families

DNUSD is committed to supporting every student’s academic growth as well as their social, emotional and behavioral growth. Part of our shared goals for Del Norte students is for them to be able to regulate their emotions, develop positive relationships and make responsible decisions. As part of this process all students in 2nd-12th grade will be completing a screener in this winter and spring called the SAEBRS or Social, Academic, Emotional, Behaviors Risk Screener. The screener will ask students a total of 20 questions. The student’s teacher will also complete the screener based on their observations of the students in their classrooms.  The information is kept confidential and will only be used by your child’s teacher, principal, school counselor, and designated district staff to determine instructional needs in the classroom and at the individual student level.  All information will remain confidential in keeping with the federal Family Education Rights and Privacy Act.

Here are the 20 questions being asked.

Please contact Lisa Howard, program specialist, at lhoward@dnusd.org or call the school district at 464-0240 with any questions you may have.  You can also visit:  https://www.illuminateed.com/products/fastbridge/social-emotional-behavior-assessment/SAEBRS/

Coffee and Conversation Podcast Episode #66 - By-Trustee Area Elections

Tune in this week as we are joined by Alissia Northrup - County Clerk/Recorder, Registrar of Voters, Public Administrator, Don McArthur - President of the Board of Trustees, and Jonathan Berry-Smith - an associate with the Lozano Smith Law Firm. They will be talking about the by-trustee area elections and what that means for our district.

Host: Jeff Harris - Superintendent of Schools

Guests:

Alissia Northrup - County Clerk/Recorder, Registrar of Voters, Public Administrator

Don McArthur - President of the Board of Trustees

Jonathan Berry-Smith - Associate, Lozano Smith Law Firm

https://soundcloud.com/michael-hawkins-890916695/coffee-conversation-episode-66-cvra-by-trustee-area-elections?si=06a90a79cee0471daa566782d570d623&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

DNUSD and DNCOE Board Meetings & Special Joint Board Meeting 2-10-2022

Today, the county board meeting begins at 3:30 PM, the special joint board meeting begins at 4:00 PM, and the district board meeting open session begins at 5:00 PM.

We would like to highlight that this evening, the District and County Board will engage in their last meetings to discuss and to adopt a final map and election sequence to meet the requirements under the California Voter Rights Act, or CVRA.  The CVRA requires that trustees be elected by those living in their trustee area and not at large, as has been the case in our community for decades. For more information on the adoption process, the CVRA, and to view the recommended maps, you can visit dnusd.org/cvra. We’ll also follow up on the Board action with a podcast this Friday, where we’ll speak with Jonathan Berry-Smith of the law firm Lozano Smith and members of the Board of Trustees about the CVRA districting process and map and sequencing selection.

DNUSD & DNCOE Board Meeting Zoom link:
https://dncoe.zoom.us/j/193445536

In order to participate in public comment, follow these instructions: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19Hdaa_dV_4GSewjjkeIUO0vlHvLU5-PKHJ5kHUCheXE/

The board meeting agenda can be viewed at: https://simbli.eboardsolutions.com/SB_Meetings/SB_MeetingListing.aspx?S=36030752

Facebook live-stream: facebook.com/dnusd

DNUSD Wednesday Webinar 2/9/2022 @ 1 PM - New COVID Guidelines

Today, at 1 PM, we will have a webinar to provide an in-depth update on the recent changes made to COVID-19 guidelines by both Del Norte Public Health and the California Department of Public Health.

Host:

Jeff Harris - Superintendent of Schools

Jeff Napier - Assistant Superintendent of Schools

Link to the webinar:

https://dncoe.zoom.us/j/261256193

Join by phone:
    Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
        US: +1 669 900 6833  or +1 346 248 7799  or +1 253 215 8782  or +1 312 626 6799  or +1 646 876 9923  or +1 301 715 8592
Webinar ID: 261 256 193

Superintendent's Message to the Community 2-7-2022

Good Afternoon, and welcome to the Monday Update.  I’m Jeff Harris, Superintendent of Schools for Del Norte County.

Important Dates to Remember

First, just a reminder to mark your calendars, as President’s day weekend is coming up and there will be no school on Friday, February 18th, and Monday, the 21st.

Poetry Out Loud

Last Thursday, we had our county-wide Poetry Out Loud competition.  It was a great night, and there were many excellent performances by our students. We are excited to announce this year’s Del Norte County Poetry Out Loud Champion is Kevin O’Sullivan from Sunset High School. In March, Kevin will travel to Sacramento for the Poetry Out Loud state finals, where he will compete on the Senate floor. Great job, Kevin, we wish you the best.

DNHS Dance Concert

Speaking of performances, last Friday and Saturday, Del Norte High hosted their Winter Dance Concert in the newly renovated Crescent Elk Auditorium. We have received many reports from community members who watched the show, either in-person or through our live-stream and who let us know they enjoyed the amazing arrangement of dances. If you missed the event and would like to watch it, the recording will be posted with full audio later this week on dnhigh.org.

Sports Update

In upcoming sports home games, the Del Norte High boys basketball varsity team plays against McKinleyville this Tuesday night, at 7:00 PM. The Del Norte Wrestling team also competes this upcoming Saturday in the HDN finals starting at 11:00 AM. Also, since both of these events will take place at home they will be live streamed. Streams can be viewed at dnhigh.org or at the Del Norte High Facebook page.

COVID-19 Update

You may also recall that every child was eligible to receive a free COVID test kit a couple of weeks ago.  If you did not pick up your child’s antigen test and would still like to receive one, please contact your child’s school.  We were notified last week that another round of test kits were being shipped to Del Norte, possibly as early as today.  The State has issued further clarification that these tests are for staff only.  If additional shipments of tests are sent for students, we will let you know.  

Speaking of COVID, this Wednesday we will have a webinar at 1 PM to provide an in-depth update on the recent changes made to COVID-19 guidelines by both Del Norte Public Health and the California Department of Public Health.

By-Trustee Area Elections

Finally, this Thursday, the District and County Board will engage in their last meetings to discuss and to adopt a final map and election sequence to meet the requirements under the California Voter Rights Act, or CVRA.  The CVRA requires that trustees be elected by those living in their trustee area and not at-large, as has been the case in our community for decades.  The final public hearing and presentation of maps will occur on Thursday at 4:00, followed by the final adoption at 4:45.  For more information on the adoption process, the CVRA, and to view the recommended maps, you can visit dnusd.org/cvra. We’ll also follow up on the Board action with a podcast this Friday, where we’ll speak with Jonathan Berry-Smith of the law firm Lozano Smith and members of the Board of Trustees about the CVRA districting process and map and sequencing selection.

That's it for this week’s update, we hope you have a great week, and we’ll see you next week.

Thank you

DNHS Winter Dance Performance

To view the recorded live stream of the performance, please visit: https://www.facebook.com/DelNorteHighSchool/videos/1400239377045292

DNUSD Phone Outage

There is currently a district-wide phone outage. It has been reported to Frontier, but there is no ETA on a fix. For the time being all inbound and outbound phone calls to and from the district are currently unavailable.

Frontier confirmed this outage, letting us know they have discovered similar outages across Del Norte County.

If you need to contact a school or the district during this time, please email communications@dnusd.org

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

Public Hearing Before the Del Norte County Committee on School District Organization Pursuant to Education Code Section 5019, Regarding the Del Norte County Unified School District’s Proposal to Adopt By-Trustee Area Elections

Pursuant to Education Code sections 5019 and 5030, the Del Norte County Committee on School District Organization (“County Committee”), upon application from a school district’s governing board, is authorized to change the method of election in a school district under its jurisdiction.  On February 10, 2022, the Board of Education of the Del Norte County Unified School District will select a preferred trustee area boundary map and staggering sequence of elections, and adopt a resolution to submit to the County Committee for consideration and potential approval. 

District board members also sit as the Del Norte County Board of Education, meaning any change to the method of election to the District Board will result in a corresponding change to the method of election for the County Board.  Therefore, the County Board of Education will also adopt a resolution to submit to the County Committee for consideration and potential approval on February 10, 2022.

When considering a school district’s proposal to adopt an alternative method of electing governing board members and to establish trustee areas, Education Code section 5019, subdivision(c) requires a county committee to call and conduct at least one public hearing in the district.

Notice is hereby given that the County Committee will conduct a public hearing on the proposal to establish trustee areas within Del Norte County and to establish a by-trustee area election method for the members of the Del Norte County Unified School District Board of Education, and members of the County Board of Education, as follows:

Date:               Thursday, February 10, 2022

Time:              4:45 pm

Location:    

Del Norte County Unified School District

Education Center Building Boardroom

301 W. Washington Blvd.

Crescent City, CA 95531

In the interest of public health, this meeting will take place both online and in person.  A link to the meeting can be found in advance of the meeting at the School District website: Del Norte Unified School District / Homepage (dnusd.org).

For convenience, comments may be made via email in advance, and the County Committee may provide a telephonic option for verbal comments. If you wish to address the County Committee, you may email your public comment in advance to: ashaw@dnusd.org.

Should you have any questions regarding this notice, please call the County Superintendent’s Office at (707) 464-0200, ext. 10200. 

Monday Update to the Community 1-31-2022

Good Afternoon, and welcome to the Monday Update.  I’m Jeff Harris, Superintendent of Schools for Del Norte County.

Dates to Remember

First, just a reminder to mark your calendars, as President’s day weekend is coming up and there will be no school on Friday, February 18th, and Monday, the 21st.

Speaking of important dates, the school board has approved new school calendars for the 2022, 2023, and 2024 school years.  You may remember we collected feedback from the staff and the community on these calendars.  The feedback you provided was shared with a focus group of staff before bringing it to the Board of Trustees on December 21st when the final decision was made.  The calendars have been posted at dnusd.org/calendars.

CVRA By-Trustee Area Election

The Del Norte County Unified School District (“District”) Board of Education (“District Board”) is currently elected using a “hybrid at-large” election system, meaning that governing board members must live in defined trustee areas, but are elected by voters of the entire District.  The California Voters’ Rights Act requires that this change to election by trustee area.  On August 12, 2021, the District Board adopted Resolution # D21-22-4, declaring its intent to transition to by-trustee area elections, where each Board member must reside within the designated trustee area boundary and is elected only by the voters in that trustee area.  District Board members also sit on the Del Norte County Board of Education (“County Board”), meaning any change to the method of election to the District Board will result in a corresponding change to the method of election for the County Board. If you are interested in learning more about this process, please visit dnusd.org and click on the CVRA banner on the front page.

Upcoming Student Events & Performances

In upcoming events, we have our county Poetry Out Loud competition this Thursday at 6 PM, at Sunset High School, which will be live-streamed on our district website and Facebook page. After that, we have our Del Norte High Winter Dance Performance at Crescent Elk Auditorium, those performances are on Friday and Saturday at 7 PM. These performances will be live-streamed at the Del Norte High website and Facebook page.

Sports Update

In upcoming sports home games, the Del Norte High boys basketball teams play against Arcata this Wednesday night, at 4:30 PM.   On Thursday night, also starting at 4:30 PM, the Del Norte High girls basketball teams play against McKinleyville. Since these events are all home games, we will be live streaming the games at dnhigh.org, or on the Del Norte High Facebook page.  For information on away games, and all future games, visit dnhigh.org and click “Athletics” under the Student Activities tab.  Just a reminder, too, that the Humboldt-Del Norte league has allowed spectators back into indoor games but has placed a limit on the number of spectators.  Earlier this month, the State redefined an indoor mega event as 500 or more total people gathering.  This means that if more than 500 athletes, officials, cheer teams, etc. plus spectators are in any indoor space, the league is required to check either vaccination or negative test status.  The league wanted to avoid placing this burden on families and spectators.  As a result, DN athletes will have a minimum of 4 guaranteed seats to any indoor winter sport.  This is designed to fill ½ of the capacity, with the other half being filled by the opposing team.  For more information on tickets for in-person spectators, please contact Del Norte High.

Testing Update

We were asked by St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church to let our community know that while they are no longer able to provide free COVID-19 rapid test kits to out-of-state citizens, they will continue to administer rapid test kits to anyone who brings a test kit with them and provide the person testing with documentation of the test results, if needed. 

California to Provide Additional At Home Test Kits

You may also recall that every child was eligible to receive a free COVID test kit a couple of weeks ago.  If you did not pick up your child’s antigen test and would still like to receive one, please contact your child’s school.  We were notified yesterday that another round of test kits were being shipped to Del Norte, possibly as early as today.  Once we have received these test kits, we will notify families through email, our app, on our website, on Facebook, and on the radio.  

COVID-19 Dashboard

Speaking of COVID-19, staffing shortages caused by COVID-19 quarantines and required documentation and paperwork caused by the large number of positive COVID cases are impacting our ability to update the COVID-19 Dashboard.  We will update the Dashboard as soon as we are able.  

That's it for this week’s update. We hope you have a great week, and we’ll see you next week.

Thank you

DNUSD Policies on Isolation and Quarantine for Staff and Students Per Recent Del Norte Public Health Orders 1-25-2022

Attached are two documents explaining our new isolation and quarantine policies for both staff and students. These documents are based on new local public health orders and go into effect today, 1-25-2022. These changes reduce the required quarantine and isolation duration in certain specific scenarios where a student or staff member has been exposed to a positive case. Public health has informed us that those placed on quarantine before today must abide by the previous guidelines and quarantine duration requirements.

DNUSD Student Policy on Isolation and Quarantine -

https://drive.google.com/file/d/16q9RgA7xIcr7k2nijBDeMr_gwr9urlhs/view?usp=sharing

DNUSD Employee Policy on Isolation and Quarantine - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1iXYDodoeQpu1s9xanHdBycXCoGCmxSxb/view?usp=sharing

If you have any questions, please email communications@dnusd.org

Del Norte Public Health Releases New Guidelines 1-25-2022

Public Health has released the new COVID-19 Quarantine and Isolation Guidance. This guidance is effective today, 1/25/2022, for DNUSD and DNCOE schools. Public health has informed us that those placed on quarantine before today must abide by the previous guidelines and quarantine duration requirements.

We will be releasing the new guidelines and what they mean for families and students moving forward later today.

Thank you

Superintendent's Message to the Community 1-24-2022

There is no video update this week.

Good Afternoon, and welcome to the Monday Update.

Make sure to mark your calendars, President’s Day weekend is coming up and there will be no school from February 18th through the 21st.

Speaking of important dates, the school board has approved new school calendars for the 2022, 2023, and 2024 school years.  You may remember we collected feedback from the staff and the community on these calendars.  The feedback you provided was shared with a focus group of staff before bringing it to the Board of Trustees on December 21st when the final decision was made.  The calendars have been posted at dnusd.org/calendars.

The Del Norte County Unified School District (“District”) Board of Education (“District Board”) is currently elected using a “hybrid at-large” election system, meaning that governing board members must live in defined trustee areas, but are elected by voters of the entire District.  On August 12, 2021, the District Board adopted Resolution # D21-22-4, declaring its intent to transition to by-trustee area elections, where each Board member must reside within the designated trustee area boundary, and is elected only by the voters in that trustee area. District Board members also sit as the Del Norte County Board of Education (“County Board”), meaning any change to the method of election to the District Board will result in a corresponding change to the method of election for the County Board. If you are interested in learning more about this process, please visit dnusd.org and click on the CRVA banner on the front page.

In upcoming sports, the Del Norte High girls basketball team begin play against St. Bernards tomorrow night at home, at 4:30 PM. On Wednesday night, also starting at 4:30 PM, the Del Norte High boys basketball team plays against St. Bernards here in Crescent City. After that, the Del Norte High girls basketball team is back at home this Thursday, at 4:30 PM, and will face off against Fortuna. Since these events are all home games, we will be live streaming the games at dnhigh.org, or on the Del Norte High Facebook page.  For information on away games, and all future games, visit dnhigh.org and click “Athletics” under the Student Activities tab.

We were asked by St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church to let our community know that while they are no longer able to provide free COVID-19 rapid test kits to out-of-state citizens, they will continue to administer rapid test kits to anyone who brings a test kit with them. 

Speaking of COVID-19, the COVID-19 Active Cases Dashboard will be updated tomorrow at noon. Also, please understand we have been dealing with a surge of COVID-19 cases and, due to the increase in paperwork, our numbers may at times be incomplete. To find the most recent information and metrics by school site on COVID-19 positive cases, please visit dnusd.org/familyresources and click the “COVID-19 Dashboard.” Likewise, to see our county data, you can visit covid19.dnco.org.

That's it for this week’s update. We hope you have a great week, and we’ll see you next week.

Thank you

DNUSD Mask Mandate Statement

Throughout the course of the COVID pandemic, our students, families, and communities have suffered for a variety of reasons.  Recently, we have been contacted by several families and community members who are extremely concerned about the continued masking mandates required by the California Department of Public Health and the Del Norte Public Health Officer. We have clearly heard the concerns posed by those who have contacted us regarding the belief that masking is ineffective and infringes on individual rights. 

The legality of requiring masks has also been questioned numerous times.  As a public entity, schools are required to follow the laws as presented to us by the California Department of Public Health, Cal OSHA, the California Department of Education, local governmental jurisdictions, and the federal government.  The following are the legal citations presented to us that establish the authority for the State to issue the mask mandate for schools.  The link in the last citation includes the letter received by all school leaders, making it very clear that the mask mandate is the law and that enforcement is not an option- it is a legal requirement. 

The California Emergency Services Act (“ESA”) provides the Governor with the power to declare a state of emergency.  (Gov. Code, §§ 8550 – 8669.7.  During a state of emergency, the Governor has broad authority to issue orders and regulations to carry out the ESA, and these orders and regulations have the force of law.  (Gov. Code §§ 8567, 8627, 8627.5.)   

The California Department of Public Health (“CDPH”) is also authorized by law to “adopt and enforce regulations requiring strict or modified isolation, or quarantine, for any of the contagious, infectious, or communicable diseases, if in the opinion of the department the action is necessary for the protection of the public health.”  (Health & Safety Code, § 120130(c).)  State law authorizes CDPH to "take measures as are necessary to . . . prevent [the] spread" of communicable diseases such as COVID-19 (Health & Safety Code § 120140.)   Therefore, CDPH guidance and orders carry the force of law.  

The CDPH issued an August 23, 2021 letter that clarified as follows:  “To be clear: failure to enforce the mask requirement breaches not only a legal duty, but also the first and foremost duty of every school leader—to protect students.”  It also stated that school officials “do not have discretion or authority to opt out from enforcing the requirement.”  (See https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/COVID-19/Requirement-for-Universal-Masking-Indoors-at-K-12-Schools.aspx.)

While the District is legally bound to follow these directives, we have repeatedly encouraged all who are opposed to the mask mandate in schools, as well as the upcoming vaccine mandate, to write to your congressperson, state senator, and Governor expressing your concerns. The Board also approved a letter that was sent to State leaders that called for criteria to end the mask mandate.  

For your convenience, you can use the links below to contact your State representatives:

Senator Mike McGuire - https://sd02.senate.ca.gov/contact

Congressman Jared Huffman - https://huffman.house.gov/contact

Governor Gavin Newsom - https://govapps.gov.ca.gov/gov40mail/

COVID-19 Active Cases Dashboard Update 1/18/2022

We are experiencing an increased volume of reported information, in order to provide more accurate dashboard results, we will delay publishing the dashboard until tomorrow, Wednesday, at 12:00 PM.

Thank you!

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

Second Map Consideration Hearing for the Establishment of Trustee Areas for the Governing Board of the Del Norte County Unified School District and County Board of Education

The Del Norte County Unified School District (“District”) Board of Education (“District Board”)
is currently elected using a “hybrid at-large” election system, meaning that governing board
members must live in defined trustee areas, but are elected by voters of the entire District. On
August 12, 2021, the District Board adopted Resolution # D21-22-4, declaring its intent to
transition to by-trustee area elections, where each Board member must reside within a designated trustee area boundary, and is elected only by the voters in that trustee area.

District Board members also sit as the Del Norte County Board of Education (“County Board”),
meaning any change to the method of election to the District Board will result in a corresponding change to the method of election for the County Board. As a result, on August 12, 2021, the County Board similarly adopted Resolution # C21-22-2, declaring its intent to transition to by-trustee area elections.

On September 9 and September 23, 2021, the District and County Boards held two joint public
hearings to receive input from the community on the trustee-area map creation process, pursuant to Elections Code section 10010, subdivision (a)(1). On January 13, 2022, the District and County Boards held the first of two statutorily required public hearings to receive community input on the draft trustee area boundary maps, which are available to view on the District’s website, pursuant to Elections Code section 10010, subdivision (a)(2).

Notice is hereby given that the District Board and County Board will conduct another joint
Public Hearing to receive community input on these maps, pursuant to Elections Code section
10010, subdivision (a)(2). The second of these two public hearings will occur as follows:

Date: Thursday, January 27, 2022
Time: 4:00 pm
Location: Del Norte County Unified School District
Education Center Building Boardroom
301 W. Washington Blvd.
Crescent City, CA 95531

 
In the interest of public health, this meeting will take place both online and in person. We will
post a link to the meeting on our website in advance of the meeting: https://www.dnusd.org/.

For convenience, comments may be made via email in advance, and the District may provide a telephonic option for verbal comments. If you wish to address the Board, you may email your
public comment in advance to: ashaw@dnusd.org. 
 
Should you have any questions regarding this notice, call the Superintendent’s Office at (707)
464-0200, ext. 10200.

DNUSD and DNCOE Board Meetings & Special Joint Board Meeting 1-13-2021

Today, the county board meeting begins at 3:30 PM, the special joint board meeting begins at 4:00 PM, and the district board meeting open session begins at 5:00 PM.

DNUSD & DNCOE Board Meeting Zoom link:
https://dncoe.zoom.us/j/193445536

In order to participate in public comment, follow these instructions: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19Hdaa_dV_4GSewjjkeIUO0vlHvLU5-PKHJ5kHUCheXE/

The board meeting agenda can be viewed at: https://simbli.eboardsolutions.com/SB_Meetings/SB_MeetingListing.aspx?S=36030752

Facebook live-stream: facebook.com/dnusd

Rapid Antigen Test Kits Sent Home

On January 14th, district staff will distribute COVID19 antigen test kits to students to take home. In order for your child to receive their test kit by Friday, a distribution form will be sent home with your child prior to the 14th. A form must be signed and returned for each child that needs a test kit.

Test kits were provided by the Governor’s office for students in our district and will not be distributed to non-DNUSD students. 

These tests are for parents to use at their discretion. They are not required.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact our Communications department at communications@dnusd.org.

School Will Remain Open

It has come to our attention that, over the weekend, misinformation has been spread through social media regarding school closures in Del Norte County.  To be clear:  there are no immediate plans to close schools, and there is also no emergency school board meeting this afternoon.  District officials and leadership from the Del Norte Teachers' Association did meet last Tuesday and did discuss contingency plans, in the event that the State or local public health officer mandated school closures.  However, neither the State nor local public health officials have indicated that they are considering closing any school in Del Norte, at this time.  The Board, staff, and leadership of the District are committed to providing in-person learning opportunities for our students, to the fullest extent possible.  For accurate information on school issues, including closures and board meetings, information will be posted at dnusd.org.

CIF Regulations Sports Update - COVID-19 Requirements

On Wednesday, January 5, the Humboldt-Del Norte League of the CIF voted 6-4 to eliminate all spectators from indoor winter sports between Friday, January 7, and Sunday, January 23.  Del Norte Unified voted against this action.  Failure to abide by this decision will result in game cancelation, forfeiture, or other action against the team that violates the requirement.  

We want to be clear that sporting events not regulated by CIF do not fall under these rules.  At this time, spectators are still allowed in middle school athletic events in Del Norte county.  Should, however, the California Department of Public Health or the Del Norte Public Health officer mandate the removal of spectators at non-CIF sporting events, we will notify athletes, their families, and the community as soon as possible.

Coffee & Conversation, Episode #65 - Academic Calendars

Tune in this week as we are joined by Human Resources Director, Coleen Parker as well as our Area 4 Board Member, Charlaine Mazzei. They will be talking about the new 2022 - 2025 academic calendars and what these new changes mean for students, staff, and families.

Host:
Jeff Harris - Superintendent of Schools

Guests:
Coleen Parker - Human Resources Director

Charlaine Mazzei - Area 4 Board Member, DNUSD, Del Norte County

https://soundcloud.com/michael-hawkins-890916695/episode-65-calendars?si=42c0a3a646584dc2886961f2be8dc0fd&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

Special Citizen's Oversight Committee 1-7-2022

Today is a special citizen's oversight committee, this meeting will only be in-person.

When: 3:00 PM

Where: District Office Board Room

Address: 301 W Washington Blvd., Crescent City, CA

Agenda Link: https://simbli.eboardsolutions.com/SB_Meetings/ViewMeeting.aspx?S=36030752&MID=9789

Superintendent's Message to the Community 1-3-2021

Good Afternoon, and welcome to the Monday Update.  I’m Jeff Harris, Superintendent of Schools for Del Norte County.

First, I’d like to welcome everyone to 2022!  I hope you all had a safe time over the holidays and were able to catch up on some rest.

Important Dates to Remember

As we dive into this second semester, there are a few dates to put on your calendar.  First, there will be no school on Monday, January 17th, in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.  Second, January 21st is the last day of the semester for high school students. 

New Academic Calendars

Speaking of important dates, the school board has approved new school calendars for the 2022, 2023, and 2024 school years.  You may remember we collected feedback from the staff and the community on these calendars.  The feedback you provided was shared with a focus group of staff before bringing it to the Board of Trustees on December 21st when the final decision was made.  The calendars will be posted by this Friday.  If you would like to learn more about these calendars, we will be releasing a podcast this Friday at 5 PM. That can be found at DNUSD.org on the families page under the golden section labeled “Communications to Families”.

Sports Update

In sports, the Del Norte Warriors JV and Varsity boys basketball teams were victorious against Gold Beach over Winter Break. Great job warriors.  In upcoming sports, the Del Norte High boys basketball teams begin to play against Eureka tomorrow night, at 4:30 PM.   On Wednesday night, starting at 6:30, the Del Norte High wrestling team competes against Arcata here in Crescent City. Since these events will be at home, we will be live streaming them at dnhigh.org, or on the Del Norte High Facebook page.  For information on away games, and all future games, visit dnhigh.org and click “Athletics” under the Student Activities tab.

Mental Health Support

We also know the holidays and the time following them can be stressful.  If you need support or would like to know more about local support for you and your family, including mental health help, information on health care, jobs, etc., please visit two sites that are loaded with information, ConnectDelNorte.org or DelNorteWellnessCenter.com.  With over 250 local partners, help may only be a few clicks away.

COVID-19 Active Cases Dashboard

We are also still dealing with COVID, and the COVID-19 Active Cases Dashboard will be updated tomorrow at noon. To find the most recent information and metrics by school site on COVID-19 positive cases, please visit dnusd.org/familyresources and click the “COVID-19 Dashboard.” Likewise, to see our county data, you can visit covid19.dnco.org.

Free COVID-19 Tests

Last week, I was contacted by representatives from the State Department of Education and was notified that we would be receiving one at-home COVID antigen test for each student in our county.  Once we have received those tests, we will provide additional information on how you can pick up a test for your child or children.

School Remains Open

Finally, I’ve heard rumors that schools may be closing due to COVID.  Let me be clear, short of a major outbreak or lack of staff, there are no plans to close schools for in-person learning.  In fact, both federal and state leaders have said that schools should not plan to close, unless absolutely necessary.  At times, information is posted on social media that is incorrect or misleading.  Please know that, in the event of a school or district closure, we will always post the information on Facebook, our website, and our app, and we will call, text, and email, as well as announce any closure on local radio.

That's it for this week’s update, we hope you have a great week, and we’ll see you next week.

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

First Map Consideration Hearing for the Establishment of Trustee Areas for the Governing Board of the Del Norte County Unified School District and County Board of Education

The Del Norte County Unified School District (“District”) Board of Education (“District Board”)
is currently elected using a “hybrid at-large” election system, meaning that governing board
members must live in defined trustee areas, but are elected by voters of the entire District. On
August 12, 2021, the District Board adopted Resolution # D21-22-4, declaring its intent to
transition to by-trustee area elections, where each Board member must reside within a designated trustee area boundary, and is elected only by the voters in that trustee area.

District Board members also sit as the Del Norte County Board of Education (“County Board”),
meaning any change to the method of election to the District Board will result in a corresponding change to the method of election for the County Board. As a result, on August 12, 2021, the County Board similarly adopted Resolution # C21-22-2, declaring its intent to transition to by- trustee area elections.

On September 9 and September 23, 2021, the District and County Boards held two joint public
hearings to receive input from the community on the trustee-area map creation process, pursuant to Elections Code section 10010, subdivision (a)(1).

Draft trustee area boundary maps will soon be published by the District’s demographers for the
public’s consideration, and will be available to view on the District’s website. Notice is hereby
given that the District Board and County Board will conduct a joint Public Hearing to receive
community input on these maps, pursuant to Elections Code section 10010, subdivision (a)(2). The first of these two public hearings will occur as follows:

Date: Thursday, January 13, 2022
Time: 4:00 pm
Location: Del Norte County Unified School District
Education Center Building Boardroom
301 W. Washington Blvd.
Crescent City, CA 95531

In the interest of public health, this meeting will take place both online and in person. We will
post a link to the meeting on our website in advance of the meeting: https://www.dnusd.org/Page/1.

For convenience, comments may be made via email in advance, and the District may provide a telephonic option for verbal comments. If you wish to address the Board, you may email your
public comment in advance to: ashaw@dnusd.org.

Should you have any questions regarding this notice, call the Superintendent’s Office at (707) 464-0200, ext. 10200

DNUSD and DNCOE Special Board Meeting 12-21-2021

DNUSD & DNCOE Board Meeting Zoom link:
https://dncoe.zoom.us/j/193445536

In order to participate in public comment, follow these instructions: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19Hdaa_dV_4GSewjjkeIUO0vlHvLU5-PKHJ5kHUCheXE/

The board meeting agenda can be viewed at: https://simbli.eboardsolutions.com/SB_Meetings/SB_MeetingListing.aspx?S=36030752

Mental Health Resources for Employees at DNUSD

Click here for the full size PDF

Alarming Youth Social Media Trends

DNUSD and DNCOE Board Meetings 12-14-2021

Today, public comment on closed session items for the district board meeting begins at 3:30 PM, the county board meeting begins at 4:00 PM, and the district board meeting public session begins at 4:30 PM.

DNUSD & DNCOE Board Meeting Zoom link:
https://dncoe.zoom.us/j/193445536

In order to participate in public comment, follow these instructions: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19Hdaa_dV_4GSewjjkeIUO0vlHvLU5-PKHJ5kHUCheXE/

The board meeting agenda can be viewed at: https://simbli.eboardsolutions.com/SB_Meetings/SB_MeetingListing.aspx?S=36030752

Facebook live-stream: facebook.com/dnusd

Superintendent's Message to the Community 12-13-2021

Good Afternoon, and welcome to the Monday Update.  I’m Jeff Harris, Superintendent of Schools for Del Norte County.

Dates to Remember

Reminder, next week starts winter break, make sure you mark your calendars, there will be no school from December 20th through December 31st. We will return to school on Monday, January 3rd, 2022. 

Heroes in Education & Academic Calendar

During last week’s webinar we talked about Heroes in Education and our Academic Calendar.  Our Heroes in Education will be recognized this week at our school board meeting and in the Triplicate. As for the calendars, there are a few possible changes proposed over the next three school years, and our school board will be discussing those calendars tomorrow night, during their board meeting.  You can download that webinar and all of our past webinars at dnusd.org/families under the gold section titled “Communications to Families”.

Sports Update

Last week the Del Norte Warriors Varsity basketball team was victorious against Grants Pass after Del Norte High student Wyatt Robson hit the game-winning free-throw with 3 seconds left in the game, great job Warriors!  In upcoming sports, the Del Norte High girls basketball team plays against North Medford tomorrow night, at 4:30 PM. Since this is a home game, we will be live streaming it at dnhigh.org, or on the Del Norte High Facebook page.

DNHS Media Arts Calendar

I also want to let you know that our media arts career and technical education program and Del Norte High photography classes have completed their annual calendar filled with student photography.  If you're interested in purchasing one, or several, they are available at Del Norte Office Supply or in the front office at Del Norte High School for the low price of $10.00.  All proceeds go to the Del Norte media arts and photography programs.

Mental Health & Wellness

While I know that almost everyone is looking forward to vacation and the holidays, I also know that this time of year can be stressful.  If you need support or would like to know more about local supports for you and your family, including mental health help, information on health care, jobs, etc., please visit two sites that are loaded with information, ConnectDelNorte.org or DelNorteWellnessCenter.com.  With over 250 local partners, help may only be a few clicks away.

COVID-19 Active Cases Dashboard

The COVID-19 Active Cases Dashboard will be updated tomorrow at noon. To find the most recent information and metrics by school site on COVID-19 positive cases, please visit dnusd.org/familyresources and click the “COVID-19 Dashboard.” Likewise, to see our county data, you can visit covid19.dnco.org.

That's it for this week’s update, we hope you have a great week, safe vacation, and happy holidays, and we’ll see you next year.

DNUSD Wednesday Webinar 12/8/2021 @ 1 PM - Heroes in Education & Academic Calendar Survey

During this week's webinar, we will share a few stories submitted through our Heroes in Education nominations, and provide an update on the feedback provided by the community regarding possible changes to our Academic Calendar for the next three school years.

Host:

Jeff Harris - Superintendent of Schools

Coleen Parker - Director of Human Resources

Link to the webinar:

https://dncoe.zoom.us/j/261256193

Join by phone:
    Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
        US: +1 669 900 6833  or +1 346 248 7799  or +1 253 215 8782  or +1 312 626 6799  or +1 646 876 9923  or +1 301 715 8592
Webinar ID: 261 256 193

Superintendent's Message to the Community 12-6-2021

Good Afternoon, and welcome to the Monday Update.  I’m Jeff Harris, Superintendent of Schools for Del Norte County.

Heroes in Education

Thank you to everyone that submitted their nominations for our Heroes in Education campaign. There were so many wonderful stories submitted that highlight the great work being done by our staff to help students and the community. We look forward to sharing some of those stories with you at this week’s webinar.

Wednesday Webinar

Speaking of this week’s webinar, not only will we be talking about Heroes in Education, we will also be providing an update on the feedback provided by the community regarding possible changes to our Academic Calendar for the next three school years. Be sure to tune in, and we hope to see you there. Also, in case you can't make it, you can download all of our past webinars, at dnusd.org/families under the gold section titled “Communications to Families”.

Sports Update

Over the weekend the DNHS Warriors hosted the Battle at the Border wrestling tournament and our girls' team took first place. Also, the DNHS Warriors boys wrestling team took second place behind Grants Pass. Great job, Warriors!  In upcoming sports, the boys' basketball team plays against Grants Pass tomorrow night, at 5:30 PM. Since this is a home game, we will be live streaming it at dnhigh.org, or on the DNHS Facebook page.

Madrigal Dinner

This Friday and Saturday at 6 PM are the DNHS Madrigal Dinner at the Crescent City Cultural Center, tickets are on sale now at Del Norte Office Supply for $30 a piece. There are 120 tickets available per evening so get your tickets quickly before they run out.

Media Arts Calendars for Sale!

I also want to let you know that our media arts career and technical education program and Del Norte High photography classes have completed their annual calendar filled with student photography.  If you're interested in purchasing one, or several, they are available at Del Norte Office Supply or in the front office at Del Norte High School for the low price of $10.00.  All proceeds go to the Del Norte media arts and photography programs.

COVID-19 Update

For our COVID-19 update, in case you didn’t hear our update last week, the Del Norte Public Health Officer issued modified masking orders that allow for weekly testing in place of masking, when actively participating in indoor sporting events. You can find the entire order on the front page of DNUSD.org.  CDPH also issued additional updates to indoor sports and music just before Thanksgiving, and we’ve asked for clarification on several points and are waiting for a response from the state.

Last week the COVID-19 Active Cases Dashboard was on pause, but we are restarting it this week. You can look forward to that update tomorrow at noon. To find the most recent information and metrics by school site on COVID-19 positive cases, please visit dnusd.org/familyresources and click the “COVID-19 Dashboard.” Likewise, to see our county data, you can visit covid19.dnco.org.

That's it for this week’s update, we hope you have a great day and we will see you next week.

Thank you

Voluntary COVID-19 Vaccines

Free COVID-19 Vaccines for Ages 5+

Takes place on the 9th and 13th of December.

Both events are at 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM

Parents or caregivers must be present for minors to receive their vaccines.

This is NOT a school event, it is a joint effort by Public Health and the Open Door Clinic.

Flyer Link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/13dAIczvv1zxGMnlrDo4ii_vmV2mdpzrT/view?usp=sharing

Social-Emotional Strategies for Parents and Caregivers

When: Every Tuesday at 6:30 PM until Feb 8

This is a FREE 6-week course for parents to learn:

-How to stop behaviours before they begin

-Create a deeper positive relationship with your children

-Positive acknowledgements that will help your children feel good about themselves

-Understand why behaviours are happening

-Strategies to support difficult emotions and behaviours

Scan the QR Code or go to 

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfGnvpi7mKcv01XKYp_Ty_RKw_IgMbYiYRb1SwhDYHQA7xHcg/viewform

Superintendent's Message to the Community 11-29-2021

Good Afternoon, and welcome to the Monday Update.  I’m Jeff Harris, Superintendent of Schools for Del Norte County.

Dates to Remember

We hope you had a relaxing and safe Thanksgiving break. Speaking of breaks, make sure and mark the Winter Break on your calendars, there will be no school between December 20th to December 31st.

Heroes in Education - Nominations STILL Open!

Don't forget to nominate a Hero in Education! It is often the case in education that staff work tirelessly to have a positive impact on the lives of students, but in the end, they still wonder if they made a real difference in someone's life. That is why it is SO important to share your story of the positive impact a staff member had on YOU by nominating a hero in education! A hero may be any staff member that works for the school district in any capacity and has positively impacted the life of a student, staff member, or community member. You can find the nomination form on the front page of DNUSD.org.

Sports Update

Last Friday the DNHS Warriors Football Varsity team played against San Marin High in the Division finals but were not victorious. Even though we lost the division, the Warriors had a 10-2 record and took the H-DNL Big 4 crown. Great job Warriors.

Crescent Elk Auditorium Renovation Grand Opening

Also last Friday, many from around the community attended the Crescent Elk Renovation Grand Opening and enjoyed a variety of performances from our students, a local Jazz Quintet, and the saxophone prodigy, Jacob Scesney, from the popular band Postmodern Jukebox. During that event the development of a brand new performing arts center for our community was announced. You will definitely be hearing more about this as time goes on, and we are all very excited to watch this unfold.

Bi-Weekly Wednesday Webinar

Our next webinar will be on Wednesday, December 8th. You can, though, download all of our past webinars, at dnusd.org/families under the gold section titled “Communications to Families”.

COVID-19 Update

For our COVID-19 update, last week the Del Norte Public Health Officer, issued modified masking orders that allow for weekly testing in place of masking, when actively participating in indoor sporting events. You can find the entire order on the front page of DNUSD.org.  CDPH also issued additional updates to indoor sports and music just before Thanksgiving, and we’ll be getting clarification on those mandates in the upcoming days.

In addition to everything else happening within our district, we are still dealing with COVID.  To find the most recent information and metrics by school site on COVID-19 positive cases, please visit dnusd.org/familyresources and click the “COVID-19 Dashboard.” Likewise, to see our county data, you can visit covid19.dnco.org.

That's it for this week’s update, we hope you have a great day and we will see you next week.

Thank you

Citizens Oversight Committee Vacancy

The Del Norte Unified School District is accepting applications from residents within the county to fill a vacancy on the Citizens’ Oversight Committee. The vacancy must be filled by a parent of a student that attends a school within the district.

For an application please visit dnusd.org/coc. Applications are due to the Business Services department located at 301 W Washington Blvd, Crescent City, CA 95531

If you have any questions, please contact the Business Services Department at (707) 464-0202.

Title VI Indian Education Annual Art & Writing Contest

Superintendent's Message to the Community 11-23-2021

There will be no video update this week.

Dates to Remember

We hope you are enjoying Thanksgiving break, we hope you get an opportunity to spend it with loved ones, and we will see you back at school on Monday, November 29th. 

No Webinar this Week

There is no webinar this week due to Thanksgiving break, our next webinar will be on Wednesday, December 8th. You can, though, download all of our past webinars, at dnusd.org/families under the gold section titled “Communications to Families”.

Heroes In Education Nominations Now Open!

Nominations for our Heroes in Education campaign are now open! It would mean the world to us if you would tell us who YOU think is a real hero in education. A hero may be any staff member that works for the school district in any capacity and has impacted the life of a student or co-worker.

Heroes in Education Nomination Form: https://forms.gle/uk27ZzWM9Cd4r7Dc6

As part of our Heroes in Education campaign that highlights our classified and certificated staff. During that series, we recorded two podcasts each week focusing on different job families within our district and the county office of education. We had an amazing time hearing from those staff members why and how they contribute their valuable skills to ensure the best education for our students. You can listen to those podcasts by going to: https://soundcloud.com/michael-hawkins-890916695/sets/heroes-in-education

COVID-19 Update - Masking & Indoor Sports

For our COVID-19 update, Last Thursday night during the school board meeting, Dr. Aaron Stutz, DN Public Health Officer, presented the CDPH masking guidelines for indoor sports, which included the masking of all participants, regardless of activity.  Dr. Stutz fielded questions from school board members and heard comments from the public regarding the uses and impacts of masks when actively participating in indoor sports, such as basketball.  Dr. Stutz responded to the concerns discussed at the board meeting by working over the weekend to issue modified masking orders that allow for weekly testing in place of masking, when actively participating in indoor sports, and that encourage vaccinations and enhanced testing for those participating in unmasked sporting events. You can find the entire order on the front page of DNUSD.org.

Sports Update - Warriors Football vs San Marin for Division V Title

Last Friday the DNHS Warriors Football Varsity team played against Miramonte High and were victorious, with a final score of 42-13. We were unable to live stream the video of the game, due to CIF regulations. This Friday the DNHS Warriors play against San Marin High for the North Coast Section Division V crown. This away will be live-streamed on the NFHS subscription-based platform at https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/events/san-marin-high-school-novato-ca/gam0aa3314450.

COVID-19 Dashboard

In addition to everything else happening within our district, we are still dealing with COVID.  To find the most recent information and metrics by school site on COVID-19 positive cases, please visit dnusd.org/familyresources and click the “COVID-19 Dashboard.” Likewise, to see our county data, you can visit covid19.dnco.org.

That's it for this week’s update, we hope you have a great day and we will see you next week.

Del Norte Public Health Indoor Sports Masking Order 11-22-2021

Last Thursday night during the school board meeting, Dr. Aaron Stutz, DN Public Health Officer, presented the CDPH masking guidelines for indoor sports, which included the masking of all participants, regardless of activity.  Dr. Stutz fielded questions from school board members and heard comments from the public regarding the uses and impacts of masks when actively participating in indoor sports, such as basketball.  Dr. Stutz responded to the concerns discussed at the board meeting by working over the weekend to issue modified masking orders that allow for weekly testing in place of masking, when actively participating in indoor sports, and that encourage vaccinations and enhanced testing for those participating in unmasked sporting events.

The Board would like to thank Dr. Stutz for his deliberation on this issue and for his concern for our community and for issues that are unique to youth. We will begin testing basketball players, as soon as possible, so that they are able to play without masks if they choose.

Crescent Elk Auditorium Renovation Grand Opening - Tonight @ 7 PM!

We are very happy to see the wonderful work that was done at the Crescent Elk Auditorium! We hope to see you there tonight at the Grand Opening at 7 PM. Join us for a night of music and dance performances, we are so excited! Oh yeah, its free thanks to our wonderful donors!

Event Details: 

Celebrating our Youth with Live Music & Dance

November 19th @ 7 PM

994 G ST, Crescent City, CA 95531

Tickets will be FREE and available at the door on a first-come-first-served basis for in-person attendees.

This event will be live-streamed at DNUSD.org and Facebook.com/DNUSD

 WATCH THE LIVESTREAM AT:

https://www.facebook.com/dnusd/videos/1536553120010764

Heroes in Education Nominations Now Open!

Nominations for our Heroes in Education campaign are now open! It would mean the world to us if you would tell us who YOU think is a real hero in education. A hero may be any staff member that works for the school district in any capacity and has impacted the life of a student or co-worker.

Heroes in Education Nomination Form: https://forms.gle/uk27ZzWM9Cd4r7Dc6

As part of our Heroes in Education campaign that highlights our classified and certificated staff. During that series, we recorded two podcasts each week focusing on different job families within our district and the county office of education. We had an amazing time hearing from those staff members why and how they contribute their valuable skills to ensure the best education for our students.

 You can listen to those podcasts by going to: https://soundcloud.com/michael-hawkins-890916695/sets/heroes-in-education

Coffee and Conversation Podcast Episode #63 - Heroes in Education - Paraprofessionals

Over the past few weeks, we have dedicated a podcast series to our classified and certificated staff. Each week, we've focused on different job families within our district and the county office of education and hear from those staff members why and how they contribute their valuable skills to ensure the best education for our students. After we’ve hosted representatives from the different departments and certificated staff, we’ll be able to celebrate them together by nominating Heroes in Education in November and recognizing them publicly in December. This week we were joined by members of our Paraprofessionals group from throughout the district.

Host:
Jeff Harris - Superintendent of Schools

Guests: 

Hilary Fahning - Library Tech 2, Redwood Elementary

Alex Gastineau - Behavioral Intervention Assistant (BIA), Mary Peacock Elementary

https://soundcloud.com/michael-hawkins-890916695/episode-63-heroes-in-education-paraprofessionals?si=24ef569afcfb473a820d64072fa239af

Citizens Oversight Committee 3:00 PM

COC Website: dnusd.org/coc

When: Nov 19, 2021 03:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
Topic: Citizens' Oversight Committee - Friday 11/19/2021 at 3:00 pm

To watch the livestream on Facebook, please visit facebook.com/dnusd

Please click the link below to join the zoom webinar:
https://dncoe.zoom.us/j/96759605057
Or One tap mobile :
    US: +16699006833,,96759605057#  or +13462487799,,96759605057#
Or Telephone:
    Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
        US: +1 669 900 6833  or +1 346 248 7799  or +1 253 215 8782  or +1 312 626 6799  or +1 646 876 9923  or +1 301 715 8592
Webinar ID: 967 5960 5057
    International numbers available: https://dncoe.zoom.us/u/ab1UKI8fup

DNUSD and DNCOE Board Meetings 11-18-2021

Today, public comment on closed session items for the district board meeting begins at 3:30 PM, the county board meeting begins at 4:00 PM, and the district board meeting public session begins at 4:30 PM.

DNUSD & DNCOE Board Meeting Zoom link:
https://dncoe.zoom.us/j/193445536

In order to participate in public comment, follow these instructions: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19Hdaa_dV_4GSewjjkeIUO0vlHvLU5-PKHJ5kHUCheXE/

The board meeting agenda can be viewed at: https://simbli.eboardsolutions.com/SB_Meetings/SB_MeetingListing.aspx?S=36030752

Facebook live-stream: facebook.com/dnusd

DNUSD Academic Calendar Planning Survey 2022-2025

We are also in the process of putting together school calendars for the next three years.  We’re looking at ways to make the calendars better meet the needs of our families and students' education. We are requesting information concerning school days around a few different holidays. This information will be provided to a committee that will present calendar options and community recommendations to the school board at an upcoming meeting. Your input is GREATLY appreciated.

Survey Link: https://forms.gle/49NP2kRCnseteVoZ9

Thank you!

Superintendent's Message to the Community 11-15-2021

Good Afternoon, and welcome to the Monday Update.  I’m Jeff Harris, Superintendent of Schools for Del Norte County.

Dates to Remember

We hope you had a safe and appreciative Veterans Day. I want to remind you, too, that there will be no school for the entire week of Thanksgiving break, which is next week, November 22nd through 26th. 

Crescent Elk Auditorium Renovation Grand Opening

As you may already know, this Friday, November 19th, we are excited to invite you to the Crescent Elk Auditorium Renovation Grand Opening event.  You can join us, either in person or through our live stream, which will be available at dnusd.org or on our Facebook page. We would like to give a big thank you to Nick and Lisa Rail, for their generous donations, which have made this possible.

Heroes in Education Nominations This Friday

Heroes in Education is still moving forward, and we are at the end of our podcast series focusing on different groups of staff working throughout our schools. In last week’s podcast we spoke to several of our certificated staff, and this week we will be joined by our paraprofessionals. You can get all of our past and current podcasts at dnusd.org/families, under the gold section, labeled “Communication to Families.”  We’ll be opening our nomination form this Friday morning.  We hope that you’ll nominate a hero or several Heroes in Education now through December 10.  We will be recognizing them publicly in December.

No Webinar This Week or Next Week

I’d like to remind everyone that there is no webinar this week, or the next week due to Thanksgiving break. You can, though, download all of our past webinars, at dnusd.org/families under the gold section titled “Communications to Families”.

Academic Calendar Planning - Community Input Survey

We are also in the process of putting together school calendars for the next three years.  We’re looking at ways to make the calendars better meet the needs of our families and students' education. We want to hear from you about this topic.  We will be sending out a DNUSD Academic Calendar Survey to families on Wednesday to collect feedback about what changes we should, or shouldn’t, consider. We appreciate your help. The survey will be available at dnusd.org/calendars and will be emailed to families.

Sports Update

Finally, for our sports update - Last Friday the DNHS Warriors Football Varsity team played against Archie Williams High and were victorious, with a final score of 49-6. We were unable to live stream the video of the game, due to CIF regulations, but we are working on an agreement with them so that we can stream this Friday’s varsity game against the Miramonte Matadors. You can also listen to the game on KPOD 97.9 FM or buy tickets at https://gofan.co/app/events/458678?schoolId=CIFNCS, that link you can also find on dnhigh.org

COVID-19 Dashboard

In addition to everything else happening within our district, we are still dealing with COVID.  To find the most recent information and metrics by school site on COVID-19 positive cases, please visit dnusd.org/familyresources and click the “COVID-19 Dashboard.” Likewise, to see our county data, you can visit covid19.dnco.org.

That's it for this week’s update, we hope you have a great day and we will see you next week.

Thank you

Parent Connections w/Cheryl Simons - Tools for Parenting in Uncertain Times

With Local MFT Cheryl Simons
For Caregivers and Parents
Tuesday 11/16 @ 6:00-7:00 PM

Link to registration flyer:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1z729q3YZLKcqRl55kknePqnE_40doypX/view

During this 60 minute session, participants will:
-Learn about anxiety and the brain.
-Learn some simple calming techniques based on brain science.
-Discuss and share caregiver/parent concerns, insights, and questions.

Questions? Email tmusbach@dnusd.org

Coffee and Conversation Podcast Episode #62 - Heroes in Education - Certificated Staff

Over the past few weeks, we have dedicated a podcast series to our classified and certificated staff. Each week, we've focused on different job families within our district and the county office of education and hear from those staff members why and how they contribute their valuable skills to ensure the best education for our students. After we’ve hosted representatives from the different departments and certificated staff, we’ll be able to celebrate them together by nominating Heroes in Education in November and recognizing them publicly in December. This week we were joined by members of our Certificated Staff group from throughout the district.

Host:
Jeff Harris - Superintendent of Schools

Guests: 

Mia Rigden - Teacher, Redwood Elementary - 7th & 8th-grade History

Ron Gastineau - Teacher, Del Norte High School - Media Arts, Tech Support, Yearbook

Gale Caponi - Teacher, Joe Hamilton Elementary - Special Education

Superintendent's Message to the Community 11-1-2021

Good Afternoon, and welcome to the Monday Update.  I’m Jeff Harris, Superintendent of Schools for Del Norte County.

Important Dates to Remember

We hope you had a safe and exciting time over the Halloween weekend.   As you already know, today there was no school while our staff attended a full day of professional development, but I also wanted to remind everyone that Veterans’ Day will be observed, next Thursday, November 11, and there will be no school. Remember, too, to mark your calendars that November 22 through the 26 will be Thanksgiving break.

Heroes in Education - Podcast

Last week, over two different podcasts, we talked with staff members from health, clerical, and administrative services.  This week, I’m looking forward to talking with several of our paraprofessionals in this week’s podcasts. You can get all of our past and current podcasts at dnusd.org/families, under the gold section, labeled “Communication to Families.”  After we’ve hosted representatives from all classified job families and certificated staff, we’ll be able to celebrate them together by nominating Heroes in Education in mid-November and recognizing them publicly in December.

Next Week's Webinar - Veteran's Day

I want to remind everyone that we will not have a webinar this week, but I am looking forward to our webinar on Wednesday, November 10, as we talk with local veterans and those currently serving in our armed services.  In case you missed our last webinar, I spoke with our Human Resources and Personnel Commission departments and discussed our employment application process for those who may be interested in joining our team.  In fact, if you are interested in joining our team at DNUSD, you can go to dnusd.org/jobs to see all of our current openings.

You can download all of our webinars, at dnusd.org/families under the gold section titled “Communications to Families”.

Sports Update

Finally, here’s our sports update.  This week is a big week for DN athletics.  On Wednesday, boys soccer competes in San Francisco in the first round of regional playoffs at 6 pm against Bayside.  On Friday, our football team plays against Eureka at home.  JV starts at 5 with Varsity starting at 7:30.  Because football is a home game, it will be live-streamed.  For more athletics schedules and additional information about upcoming home games, check out the Del Norte High page and click Athletics under Student Activities. 

COVID-19 Update

In addition to everything else happening within our district, we are still dealing with COVID.  To find the most recent information and metrics by school site on COVID-19 positive cases, please visit dnusd.org/familyresources and click the “COVID-19 Dashboard.” Likewise, to see our county data, you can visit covid19.dnco.org.

That's it for this week’s update, we hope you have a great day and we will see you next week.

Thank you

Coffee and Conversation Podcast Episode #61 - Heroes in Education - Health Services

Over the next few weeks, we’re going to dedicate a podcast series to our classified and certificated staff. Each week, we’ll focus on different job families within our district and the county office of education and hear from those staff members why and how they contribute their valuable skills to ensure the best education for our students. After we’ve hosted representatives from the different departments and certificated staff, we’ll be able to celebrate them together by nominating Heroes in Education in November and recognizing them publicly in December. This week we were joined by members of our Health Services group from throughout the district.

Host:
Jeff Harris - Superintendent of Schools

Guest:
Amanda Cabrera - School District LVN

Celeste Lovaas - School District LVN

Starlene Francis - School District LVN

DNHS Jazz Band and Madrigal Choir National Christmas Tree Lighter Performance

Check out the Jazz Band and Madrigal Choir's awesome performance in honor of the first official stop of the National Christmas Tree on it's way to Washington D.C.

Great Job everyone!

DNUSD and Special DNCOE Board Meetings 10-28-2021

Today, public comment on closed session items for the district board meeting begins at 3:30 PM, a special county board meeting begins at 4:00 PM, and the district board meeting public session begins at 4:30 PM.

DNUSD & DNCOE Board Meeting Zoom link:
https://dncoe.zoom.us/j/193445536

In order to participate in public comment, follow these instructions: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19Hdaa_dV_4GSewjjkeIUO0vlHvLU5-PKHJ5kHUCheXE/

The board meeting agenda can be viewed at: https://simbli.eboardsolutions.com/SB_Meetings/SB_MeetingListing.aspx?S=36030752

Facebook live-stream: facebook.com/dnusd

Superintendent's Message to the Community 10-25-2021

Good Afternoon, and welcome to the Monday Update.  I’m Jeff Harris, Superintendent of Schools for Del Norte County.

Important Dates to Remember

I want to remind you about a few important upcoming dates.  Next Monday, November 1, there will be no school for students.  All staff will be participating in district-wide staff development training sessions. Also, Veterans’ Day will be observed on November 11, and there will be no school. Finally, the 22nd through the 26th of November will be Thanksgiving break, and there will be no school that entire week.  Please make sure and mark your calendars.

Heroes in Education - Podcast

Over the last few weeks of podcasts, we have focused on different classified job families within our district and county office of education and have heard from those staff members why and how they contribute their valuable skills to ensure the best education for our students.  Last week we talked with staff members from our grounds, custodial, and skilled trades during two different podcasts.  This week, I’m looking forward to talking with staff from health services, clerical, and administrative staff families during the two podcasts we will be releasing at the end of this week.  You can get all of our past and current podcasts at dnusd.org/families, under the gold section, labeled “Communication to Families.”  After we’ve hosted representatives from all departments and certificated staff, we’ll be able to celebrate them together by nominating Heroes in Education in November and recognizing them publicly in December.

This Week's Webinar - No Webinar this Week

We will not have a webinar this week, but I am looking forward to our webinar on Wednesday, November 10, as we talk with local veterans and those currently serving in our armed services.  In case you missed our last webinar, I spoke with our Human Resources and Personnel Commission departments and discussed our employment application process for those who may be interested in joining our team.

You can download this week’s webinar, after it is posted, and access all of our previous webinars, at dnusd.org/families under the gold section titled “Communications to Families”.

Capitol Christmas Tree in Washington D.C. - Michael Mavris

Moving on to some exciting news, we want to give a huge shout out to Michael Mavris, one of our fifth-grade students attending Mary Peacock, whose essay was selected from a nationwide competition, and as a result, Michael will be the tree-lighter for this year’s Capitol Christmas Tree in Washington D.C. As the youth tree lighter, Michael participated in the Harvest ceremony this past Sunday and will be traveling to Washington D.C. to participate in the lighting ceremony on the West Lawn of the U.S Capitol.

Great job Michael!

Sports Update

Finally, here’s our sports update.  Over the next week, our students will compete in football and soccer. While we are continuing to live stream home games, there are no home games this week.  For more athletics schedules and additional information about upcoming home games, the Del Norte High page and click Athletics under Student Activities. 

COVID-19 Active Cases Dashboard

In addition to everything else happening within our district, we are still dealing with COVID.  To find the most recent information and metrics by school site on COVID-19 positive cases, please visit dnusd.org/familyresources and click the “COVID-19 Dashboard.” Likewise, to see our county data, you can visit covid19.dnco.org.

That's it for this week’s update, we hope you have a great day and we will see you next week.

Thank you

Citizens Oversight Committee Meeting 10-22-2021 @ 3 PM

Zoom Link:

https://dncoe.zoom.us/j/96759605057

Special Board Meeting 10-8-2021

On Friday, 10/8/2021, we have special board meetings beginning at 12:00 PM for the County and 12:30 PM for the District.

*These board meetings were originally scheduled for Thursday, 10/7/2021, but due to unforeseen circumstances, needed to be rescheduled to Friday the 8th. Thank you for your understanding*

DNUSD & DNCOE Board Meeting Zoom link:
https://dncoe.zoom.us/j/193445536

In order to participate in public comment, follow these instructions: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19Hdaa_dV_4GSewjjkeIUO0vlHvLU5-PKHJ5kHUCheXE/

Board meeting agenda can be viewed at: https://simbli.eboardsolutions.com/SB_Meetings/SB_MeetingListing.aspx?S=36030752

Facebook live-stream: facebook.com/dnusd

Superintendent's Message to the Community 10-4-2021

Good Afternoon, and welcome to the Monday Update.  I’m Jeff Harris, Superintendent of Schools for Del Norte County.

Just a reminder, the week of October 18th will be minimum days so that we can have our annual parent-teacher conferences for our TK-8 grade students. You can expect to be contacted by your child’s teacher or school sometime between now and the 3rd week of October to set an appointment. In addition to that, November 1st will be a staff development day so there will be no school, make sure you mark it on your calendar.

Over the next few weeks, we’re going to dedicate our podcast series to our classified and certificated staff.  Each week, we’ll focus on different job families within our district and the county office of education and hear from those staff members why and how they contribute their valuable skills to ensure the best education for our students.  After we’ve hosted representatives from the different departments and certificated staff, we’ll be able to celebrate them together by nominating Heroes in Education in November and recognizing them publicly in December.

This week, during our podcast we will be joined by Heather Rodriguez and Paul Wenning from our Transportation department. You may remember them from a previous podcast focused on transportation. Our conversation was great, and I look forward to talking with them again this week. There will not be a webinar as it is the off-week of our bi-weekly Wednesday webinar schedule. In case you missed it during last week’s webinar we took the opportunity to answer questions regarding home COVID tests, our modified and shortened quarantine process, and had our school nurses Luana Pennington and Amanda Cabrera join us to demonstrate how COVID-19 tests will be administered to students that choose to participate in modified quarantine when it becomes available. 

You can download this week’s podcast after it is posted, and access all of our previous podcasts, as well as webinars, at dnusd.org/families under the gold section titled “Communications to Families”.

If you are interested in reading about more of the great things that happen at our schools or want to stay up to date on the important issues happening in the district, then we encourage you to take a look at this month’s edition of the Del Norte Educator, which was released just a couple of days ago. The Educator will be available on the front page of DNUSD.org or you can go to dnusd.org/newsletter, which will always direct you to the most current version of The Educator.

Also on our webpage is the most recent information and metrics by school site on COVID-19 positive cases.  To find this information, please visit dnusd.org/familyresources and click the “COVID-19 Dashboard.” Likewise, to see our county data, you can visit covid19.dnco.org.

Finally, our sports update.  Over the next week, our students will compete in volleyball, tennis, golf, cross country, football, and soccer. We are currently live streaming home games for several sports and are in the process of finishing the installation of a new state-of-the-art live-streaming system for our soccer and baseball fields. While the camera is installed, there are some final hardware adjustments that need to be made.  Our goal is to stream soccer today, but we may have to postpone for another day or two.  These systems will allow families to watch the games from the safety of their homes and reduce the risk of community spread of COVID-19. We also understand that there have been some issues about some home games not being live-streamed, and due to changing schedules because of COVID, we are doing our best to verify home games so that they can be streamed.  All live streaming athletics events are available on the Del Norte High Facebook page. For more information on all our upcoming games, times, and locations, please visit dnusd.org/sports.

That's it for this week’s update, we hope you have a great day and we will see you next week.

Jeff Harris

DNUSD Wednesday Webinar 9/29/2021 @ 1 PM - COVID19 Tests, Modified Quarantine, Returning from Quarantine

During today's webinar, we will go over our COVID-19 resources and how parents can learn more about our health and safety protocols. Learn more at dnusd.org/familyresources

Be sure to bookmark the link for our weekly webinars because every Wednesday webinar uses the exact same recurring link, so you can re-use the same link to join for every Wednesday webinar.

Host:

Jeff Harris - Superintendent of Schools

Link to the webinar:

https://dncoe.zoom.us/j/261256193

Join by phone:
    Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
        US: +1 669 900 6833  or +1 346 248 7799  or +1 253 215 8782  or +1 312 626 6799  or +1 646 876 9923  or +1 301 715 8592
Webinar ID: 261 256 193

Tree Lighter Essay Contest

DNUSD and DNCOE Board Meetings 09-23-2021

Today, the public session for the special Joint District and County Board meeting begins at 3:30 pm and that is followed by the DNUSD Board meeting starting at 4:00 PM.

DNUSD Board Meeting Zoom link:
https://dncoe.zoom.us/j/193445536

In order to participate in public comment, follow these instructions: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19Hdaa_dV_4GSewjjkeIUO0vlHvLU5-PKHJ5kHUCheXE/

The board meeting agenda can be viewed at: https://simbli.eboardsolutions.com/SB_Meetings/SB_MeetingListing.aspx?S=36030752

Facebook live-stream: facebook.com/dnusd

Parent Connections w/Cheryl Simons

With Local MFT Cheryl Simons
For Caregivers and Parents
Tonight at 6:00-7:00 PM

Link to registration flyer:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tVpPjPjWo470i86Sukw5_e1CtvHgktQc/view

During this 60 minute session, participants will:
-Learn about anxiety and the brain.
-Learn some simple calming techniques based on brain science.
-Discuss and share caregiver/parent concerns, insights, and questions.

Questions? Email tmusbach@dnusd.org

DNUSD Wednesday Webinar 9/15/2021 @ 1 PM - COVID19 Resources

During today's webinar, we will go over our COVID-19 resources and how parents can learn more about our health and safety protocols.

Be sure to bookmark the link for our weekly webinars because every Wednesday webinar uses the exact same recurring link, so you can re-use the same link to join for every Wednesday webinar.

Host:

Jeff Harris - Superintendent of Schools

Link to the webinar:

https://dncoe.zoom.us/j/261256193

Join by phone:
    Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
        US: +1 669 900 6833  or +1 346 248 7799  or +1 253 215 8782  or +1 312 626 6799  or +1 646 876 9923  or +1 301 715 8592
Webinar ID: 261 256 193

Student Close Contacts: School Settings only

To see the infographic full size, click the image

Parental Consent for Student COVID19 Testing - Primary.Health

Del Norte County COVID19 Town Hall

Register in advance for this webinar:

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_LwMPur6-TRCXTJHGqgr1yg

DNUSD Board Meeting 8-26-2021

This week in accordance with recommendations from our local public health department, we will be allowing 10 attendees to join our board meeting in person. This is on a first come first serve basis, if you would like to be put on the list please call 707-464-0200.

Today, the public session for the DNUSD board meeting starts at 4:30 PM. The closed session begins at 3:30 PM.

DNUSD Board Meeting Zoom link:
https://dncoe.zoom.us/j/193445536

In order to participate in public comment, follow these instructions: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19Hdaa_dV_4GSewjjkeIUO0vlHvLU5-PKHJ5kHUCheXE/

Board meeting agenda can be viewed at: https://simbli.eboardsolutions.com/SB_Meetings/SB_MeetingListing.aspx?S=36030752

Facebook live-stream: facebook.com/dnusd

DNUSD Wednesday Webinar 8/25/2021 @ 1 PM - Back to School

This Wednesday’s webinar at 1 PM will be a back to school webinar and will host a variety of departments providing information on how to register children for school and for transportation, how to get information on meals, how to register for after school programs and to provide information on technology distribution and the independent study program.  

Also, if you would like to be notified of these webinars in advance, please tune in to our Monday updates from Superintendent Jeff Harris where we let you know all the important updates/events for the upcoming week!

Be sure to bookmark the link for our weekly webinars because every Wednesday webinar uses the exact same recurring link, so you can re-use the same link to join for every Wednesday webinar.

Host:

Jeff Harris - Superintendent of Schools

Tarra Kleiser - Director of Early Childhood Education

Angie Marshall - Director of the Independent Study Program

Derrick Campbell - Director of Transportation

Denise Doyle-Schnacker - Bess Maxwell After School Program Coordinator

Ryan Bahten - Director of Network Information Services

Michael Hawkins - Director of Outreach & Communications

Julie Clark - Director of Nutrition Services

Link to the webinar:

https://dncoe.zoom.us/j/261256193

Join by phone:
    Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
        US: +1 669 900 6833  or +1 346 248 7799  or +1 253 215 8782  or +1 312 626 6799  or +1 646 876 9923  or +1 301 715 8592
Webinar ID: 261 256 193

Superintendent's Message to the Community 8-23-2021

Good Afternoon, and welcome to the Monday Update.  I’m Jeff Harris, Superintendent of Schools for Del Norte.

I’m excited to say that school is scheduled to open in-person, for full days, five days per week, beginning next Monday, August 30.  I just want to let you know, too, that in years past, schools have been let out early on Wednesdays, but this year minimum days will be on Mondays. Wednesdays will now be full school days. So to be clear, the first day of school is a minimum day. Please check with your child’s school for information on their bell schedule.

Last week, during our Wednesday webinar, we discussed COVID health issues that we expect to face and solutions that we expect to implement this year. We also held a special evening webinar on independent study on Wednesday and posted a podcast last Friday discussing the program. If you have questions about independent study, you can visit dnusd.org/is or dnusd.org/independentstudy for more information. You can also view all our webinars and podcasts at dnusd.org/families under the golden section titled “Communications to Families”.

This Wednesday’s webinar at 1 PM will be a back to school webinar and will host a variety of departments providing information on how to register children for school and for transportation, how to get information on meals, how to register for after school programs and to provide information on technology distribution and the independent study program.  The Wednesday webinar link will be posted at dnusd.org.

And, finally, sports are back and the Del Norte High Warriors are playing at home against Enterprise high this Friday night.  Games are at 5 PM for JV, and 7:30 PM for varsity. We will be live streaming those games at dnhigh.org and the Del Norte High Facebook page. For more information, please visit the high school website.

Again, we’re looking forward to seeing all of our students next week.  We’ll continue to update you on local and state mandates and other information regarding the beginning of school throughout this week.

Thank you

DNUSD Special Webinar - 8/18/2021 @ 5 PM - Independent Study Program

During this webinar, we will be joined by Leslee Machado, Director of Curriculum, Angie Marshall, Principal of Mountain School, and Jeff Harris, Superintendent of Schools to discuss our independent study program for the upcoming 21-22 school year. If you are interested make sure and tune in when we go live today at 5 PM.

Host:

Jeff Harris - Superintendent of Schools

Leslee Machado - Director of Curriuculum

Angie Marshall - Principal of Mountain School

Link to the webinar:

https://dncoe.zoom.us/j/261256193

Join by phone:
    Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
        US: +1 669 900 6833  or +1 346 248 7799  or +1 253 215 8782  or +1 312 626 6799  or +1 646 876 9923  or +1 301 715 8592
Webinar ID: 261 256 193

DNUSD Covid-19 Active Cases Dashboard

Total Confirmed Active Cases District-Wide (Staff & Students): 0

You can view our COVID-19 Active Cases Dashboard at https://www.dnusd.org/familyresources

DNUSD Wednesday Webinar 8/18/2021 @ 1 PM - COVID19 Health and Safety Protocols

During this Wednesday webinar, we will be joined by Jeff Napier to discuss COVID-19 health and safety protocols for the upcoming 21-22 school year. If you are interested make sure and tune in when we go live today at 1 PM.

Host:

Jeff Napier - Assistant Superintendent of Business Services

Michael Hawkins - Director of Communications

Link to the webinar:

https://dncoe.zoom.us/j/261256193

Join by phone:
    Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
        US: +1 669 900 6833  or +1 346 248 7799  or +1 253 215 8782  or +1 312 626 6799  or +1 646 876 9923  or +1 301 715 8592
Webinar ID: 261 256 193

Superintendent's Message to the Community 8-16-2021

There is no video update this week.

Good Afternoon, and welcome to the Monday Update.

School is scheduled to open for in-person, full days, five days per week, on August 30, 2021. This year minimum days will be on Monday, and Wednesdays will now be normal school days. To be clear, the first day of school will be a minimum day. Please check with your child’s school for scheduling information.

Last week, during our Wednesday webinar, we discussed our upcoming independent study program. For those of you who missed last week’s webinar, there is a special evening webinar on independent study this Wednesday at 5 PM, if you have questions about this program be sure to attend. You can also visit dnusd.org/is or dnusd.org/independentstudy for more information.

Speaking of questions from parents, during this Wednesday webinar we will be answering parents’ questions regarding COVID-19 health and safety protocols, that webinar is at 1 PM. Again, to be clear, there will be two webinars this Wednesday, one at 1 PM on COVID-19 health and safety, and the second at 5 PM on our independent study program. Both webinars will use the same link that we use for every other Wednesday webinar and will be posted at dnusd.org.

Well, that’s all for this week's update, I hope you have had an enjoyable summer, and we’ll continue to update you on local and state mandates and other information regarding the beginning of school.

Thank you

DNUSD Intradistrict Lottery #2 Drawing - Today @ 2 PM

You are invited to a Zoom webinar.
When: Aug 13, 2021 02:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
Topic: DNUSD IntraDistrict Lottery #2 Drawing - Friday 8/13/2021 at 2:00 pm

Please click the link below to join the webinar:
https://dncoe.zoom.us/j/99409365487
Or One tap mobile :
    US: +16699006833,,99409365487#  or +13462487799,,99409365487#
Or Telephone:
    Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
        US: +1 669 900 6833  or +1 346 248 7799  or +1 253 215 8782  or +1 646 876 9923  or +1 301 715 8592  or +1 312 626 6799
Webinar ID: 994 0936 5487
    International numbers available: https://dncoe.zoom.us/u/abcnD6gsau

DNUSD Job Fair

When: August 13th, and 14th

Where: Del Norte High School

Address: 1301 El Dorado St, Crescent City, CA 95531

Tomorrow our job fair is taking place! We will be testing and interviewing for various open positions. If you would like to learn more be sure to stop by Del Norte High School.

DNUSD + DNCOE Board Meeting 8-12-2021

Today, the public session for the DNCOE board meeting begins at 4:00 PM, and the public session for the DNUSD board meeting starts at 4:30 PM. The closed session begins at 3:00 PM.

DNUSD Board Meeting Zoom link:
https://dncoe.zoom.us/j/193445536

In order to participate in public comment, follow these instructions: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19Hdaa_dV_4GSewjjkeIUO0vlHvLU5-PKHJ5kHUCheXE/

Board meeting agenda can be viewed at: https://simbli.eboardsolutions.com/SB_Meetings/SB_MeetingListing.aspx?S=36030752

Facebook live-stream: facebook.com/dnusd

DNUSD Independent Study Resources

DNUSD Wednesday Webinar 8/11/2021 @ 1 PM - Independent Study Program

Today we are joined by Leslee Machado, Director of Curriculum, where we will discuss our independent study program for the upcoming 21-22 school year. If you are interested make sure and tune in when we go live today at 1 PM.

Host:

Jeff Harris - Superintendent of Schools

Leslee Machado - Director of Curriuculum

Link to the webinar:

https://dncoe.zoom.us/j/261256193

Join by phone:
    Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
        US: +1 669 900 6833  or +1 346 248 7799  or +1 253 215 8782  or +1 312 626 6799  or +1 646 876 9923  or +1 301 715 8592
Webinar ID: 261 256 193

Letter to the Community 8-9-2021

Superintendent's Message to the Community 8-9-2021

Good Afternoon, and welcome to the Monday Update. I’m Jeff Harris, the Superintendent for Del Norte Unified School District and the Del Norte County Office of Education. 

Well, we are drawing closer to the first day of school - August 30th. We know parents have a lot of questions concerning the upcoming school year, and we hope to address as many of them as we can over the next few weeks.

It has come to our attention, however, that rumors and comments on social media are leading many of our families to believe that the Board of Education is considering closing schools this fall. 

This is not true.  These rumors seem to have started because the Board of Education met on Monday, August 9, in a legally noticed meeting, to discuss whether or not to allow the public to attend the August 12 Board meeting in person, due to the increase of COVID cases within the county and requests by the hospital and Office of Emergency Services to limit gatherings.  At no time was the discussion about whether or not to reopen schools.

School is scheduled to reopen for everyone in-person, full days, five days per week, on August 30, 2021, in alignment with California Department of Public Health guidelines.

Last week, during our Wednesday Webinar, we discussed the CDPH COVID-19 guidelines that were released on August 2nd.  I was able to answer many questions during that webinar, but I know that there are still questions that families would like to ask.  We plan on answering those questions during our Wednesday Webinar on the 18th of this month, where we will be joined by Jeff Napier, our Assistant Superintendent of Business to discuss our COVID-19 protocols and safety procedures for the upcoming school year. To watch last week's webinar, you can go to dnusd.org/families under the golden section titled “communication to families”.

Speaking of questions from parents, we will be sending out information regarding our independent study program, through email, on our website at DNUSD.org, on Facebook, and through our app.  We will also be discussing an independent study on this week’s Wednesday Webinar at 1 PM. We will also be recording a special podcast this week and will be joined by Leslee Machado, Director of Curriculum, and Tom Kissinger, Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services. During our podcast, we will discuss the various factors and information that goes along with our independent study program. So if you are interested make sure and tune in when it is released this Friday at 5 PM. 

On another note, one of the most urgent issues that we’re facing right now is the need for staff.  I want to let everyone in our community know that we are hiring quite a few new positions throughout the district to support our students in the upcoming school year. If you or someone you know may be interested please attend our upcoming job fair this Friday and Saturday at Del Norte High school.  For more information, please visit dnusd.org/hiring.

Again, I hope that your summer is off to a great start, and we’ll continue to update you on local and state mandates and other information regarding the beginning of school as the summer progresses. 

Thank you

DNUSD Wednesday Webinar 8/4/2021 @ 1 PM - COVID19 Guidelines & Documentation Review

The State has recently released guidance that requires masks to be worn inside school facilities when students are present.  CDPH, though, has said that local schools should determine how to enforce the mandate. If you would like to learn more about this we encourage you to join us today, August 4th, during our Wednesday webinar where we will dive into current guidance, documentation, and what it means for the upcoming school year.

Host:

Jeff Harris - Superintendent of Schools

Link to the webinar:

https://dncoe.zoom.us/j/261256193

Join by phone:
    Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
        US: +1 669 900 6833  or +1 346 248 7799  or +1 253 215 8782  or +1 312 626 6799  or +1 646 876 9923  or +1 301 715 8592
Webinar ID: 261 256 193

Superintendent's Message to the Community 7-26-2021

Good Afternoon, and welcome to the Monday Update. I’m Jeff Harris, the Superintendent for Del Norte Unified School District and the Del Norte County Office of Education. 

Well, it’s been a while!  I hope that everyone’s having a great summer so far.

One of the most urgent issues that we’re facing right now is the need for staff.  I want to let everyone in our community know that we are hiring quite a few new positions throughout the district to support our students in the upcoming school year. If you or someone you know may be interested please visit dnusd.org/hiring.

Another important piece of the new legislation is that parents of high school students or students ages 18 or older who attended high school last year may request a grade change for the courses taken in the 2020-21 school year, in order to accommodate students who struggled with distance learning during the pandemic. Parents should meet with their child’s principal and teacher to discuss their options. The change request form is available on the Del Norte High School website, at dnhigh.org. 

Finally, I know that there has been some confusion out there based on what has been put out by the state regarding masks.   Many of you are already aware that the State has recently released guidance that requires masks to be worn inside school facilities when students are present.  CDPH, though, has said that local schools should determine how to enforce the mandate.   We’re still trying to get clarification about the mandate and discussing legal requirements.  If you would like to learn more about this we encourage you to join us on August 4th during our next weekly webinar where we will dive into current guidance, documentation, and what it means for the upcoming school year.

Again, I hope that your summer is off to a great start, and we’ll continue to update you on local and state mandates and other information regarding the beginning of school as the summer progresses. 

Summer School Begins this Monday @ 8:30 AM | 7-12-2021

We want to remind everyone that summer school is about to begin! For everyone who signed up, here is the important:

Session Locations: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Ai7B70BLzVukjXAE1MFi3ASd0iRLWf8E9LVwVxYzh4Q/

Summer School Schedule

• 8:30 AM - Breakfast is available in class
• 8:50 AM - Sessions begin
• 12:30 PM - Sessions end and lunch-to-go will be provided
• 12:30 PM to 4:30 PM - After School Program will be available to K-8 students participating in our summer school sessions, you can find the ASP schedule below:
• 12:30-1:30 pm   Lunch & Recess/ Outdoor Games
• 1:30-2:30 pm     Academic Enrichment 
• 2:30-3:00 pm     Snack & Recess / Free Play
• 3:00-4:00 pm     Enrichment Activities 
• 4:00-4:30 pm     Free Play & Chores
• 4:30 pm             Pick up at the front of the school

DNUSD + DNCOE Board Meeting 7-8-2021

Today, the public session for the DNCOE board meeting begins at 4:00 PM, and the public session for the DNUSD board meeting starts at 4:30 PM. The closed session begins at 3:00 PM

DNUSD Board Meeting Zoom link:
https://dncoe.zoom.us/j/193445536

In order to participate in public comment, follow these instructions: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19Hdaa_dV_4GSewjjkeIUO0vlHvLU5-PKHJ5kHUCheXE/

Board meeting agenda can be viewed at: https://simbli.eboardsolutions.com/SB_Meetings/SB_MeetingListing.aspx?S=36030752

Facebook live-stream: facebook.com/dnusd

Superintendent's Message to the Community 6-28-2021

There will not be a Superintendent's Message this week, please check back in with us next week for our normal message.

Thank you

DNUSD + DNCOE Board Meeting 6-24-2021

Today, the public session for the DNCOE board meeting begins at 4:00 PM, and the public session for the DNUSD board meeting starts at 4:30 PM. Closed session for begins at 3:30 PM.

DNUSD Board Meeting Zoom link:
https://dncoe.zoom.us/j/193445536

In order to participate in public comment, follow these instructions: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19Hdaa_dV_4GSewjjkeIUO0vlHvLU5-PKHJ5kHUCheXE/

Board meeting agenda can be viewed at: https://simbli.eboardsolutions.com/SB_Meetings/SB_MeetingListing.aspx?S=36030752

Facebook live-stream: facebook.com/dnusd

DNUSD Wednesday Webinar 6/23/2021 @ 1 PM - COVID19 Guidelines Updates

Today at 1 PM during our regularly scheduled webinar we will go over some of the new COVID-19 requirements and guidelines and take a deeper dive into what this could mean for the upcoming school year.

Host:

Jeff Harris - Superintendent of Schools

Link to the webinar:

https://dncoe.zoom.us/j/261256193

Join by phone:
    Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
        US: +1 669 900 6833  or +1 346 248 7799  or +1 253 215 8782  or +1 312 626 6799  or +1 646 876 9923  or +1 301 715 8592
Webinar ID: 261 256 193

Superintendent's Message to the Community 6-21-2021

Good Afternoon, and welcome to our Monday Update.  I’m Jeff Harris, the District & County Superintendent of schools for Del Norte County.

It was great seeing students, their families, and community members in person at the Del Norte High Graduation last Wednesday. That was without a doubt, the best and most memorable gathering of the year, and it was very apparent that everyone was happy to be able to attend in person. Graduation photos will be available on the Del Norte High website and Facebook pages, if you are unable to find your student’s graduation photos, please email communications@dnusd.org.

In looking forward to next year, we have started to receive guidance from the state, from both the state department of public health and Cal OSHA, regarding changes to COVID health and safety requirements. Most guidance has been in regards to employees, but there has also been some movement around masking for students.  For the time being, all students and staff in our summer school programs are required to wear masks.  The California Department of Public Health will be issuing new guidance once the CDC has updated their school guidelines, which will hopefully be this week. I would like to invite everyone to our webinar this week on Wednesday at 1 PM to go over some of the new requirements and guidelines and take a deeper dive into what this could mean for the upcoming school year.

Our Seamless Summer food program is also officially underway.  If you aren’t familiar with the program, we provide meals every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday through August 13.  Meals are available from 10:30 am to 12:00 pm, again, on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at a variety of locations across the county, including in the Klamath community, all of which you can find listed at dnusd.org/food. All children and youth ages 18 and under will be provided two days of meals on each service day. 

Finally,  with school officially over, all student devices should have been returned last Friday.  If for some reason you were unable to return your child’s device to their school, you can drop it off at the district office, which is located next to the football field on Washington boulevard.

I hope that your summer is off to a great start.  We’ll continue to update you on guidance changes, local and state mandates, and other information as the summer progresses. 

Thank you

Del Norte High School In-Person Graduation - 6/16/2021 @ 6:00 PM

Tonight at 6:00 PM is the Del Norte High School in-person graduation at Mike Whalen Field. The graduation will be live-streamed on Youtube and Facebook and you can find those links below. Masks are encouraged but not required, and all our parents and family members are invited to attend. If you have any further questions please call Del Norte High School at 707-464-0274.

Facebook -

https://www.facebook.com/DelNorteHighSchool/

Youtube -

https://youtu.be/nDylDfqBNP0

DNUSD + DNCOE Board Meeting 6-15-2021

Today, the public session for the DNCOE board meeting begins at 4:00 PM, and the public session for the DNUSD board meeting starts at 4:30 PM. Closed session for begins at 3:30 PM.

DNUSD Board Meeting Zoom link:
https://dncoe.zoom.us/j/193445536

In order to participate in public comment, follow these instructions: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19Hdaa_dV_4GSewjjkeIUO0vlHvLU5-PKHJ5kHUCheXE/

Board meeting agenda can be viewed at: https://simbli.eboardsolutions.com/SB_Meetings/SB_MeetingListing.aspx?S=36030752

Facebook live-stream: facebook.com/dnusd

Youtube live-stream: https://youtu.be/iYce12X6ShQ

Low-Income Housing & Financial Assistance Programs

Below you can find links for the Low-Income Energy Assistance Program, the California Emergency Rental Assistance Program, and the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program. These are free programs that provide additional benefits to families, please take a look at the details for each program to determine eligibility.

Low-Income Energy Assistance Program

California Emergency Rental Assistance Program

Emergency Broadband Benefit Program

Seamless Summer Food Program 2021

Our Seamless Summer food program is officially underway.  If you aren’t familiar with the program, we provide breakfast and lunch beginning today and ending August 13 from 10:30 am to 12:00 pm every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at a variety of locations across the county, including the Klamath community, all of which you can find listed at dnusd.org/food. All children and youth ages 18 and under will be provided two days of meals on each service day. 

Meal Pick-up

June 14th - August 13th

Monday/Wednesday/Friday

10:30 am to 12:00 pm

Click here to view the flyer for full details

Possible Armed Subject Response at Del Norte High School - 6/9/2021 @ 6:45 PM

We want to thank all of the outstanding law enforcement departments who responded. Their professionalism and commitment to the safety of our schools is something that every person in Del Norte County should be proud of. Further questions should be directed to the Crescent City Police Department. You can reach them at 707-464-4191.

The Crescent City Police Department released the following statement earlier this evening:

Graduation Schedules & Stream Links

Click here to view all of the upcoming graduation schedules and links to live streams.

Summer School Programs Registration Now Open!

Summer school registration closes on Friday, June 4th. After June 4th, we will begin reaching out to parents through email. All parents should be contacted by June 11th regarding summer school.

Registration for our summer school is now available for K-12 students that attend a district or county school. Please read all of the information posted to make sure you do not miss out on these wonderful opportunities! 

Minecraft Camp and the Sources of Strength summer program have a separate registration process, please view the bottom of this post below for more information.

Summer School Programs Registration Form (English) - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfljJOQhwsvdA6Gz-9jAIHUjePQLXxXJcyhweqwPaTKksftCg/viewform?usp=sf_link

Summer School Programs Registration Form (Spanish) - 

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfkuTuewSUYKyyje909C7Mq6lAkOBckA2wecsICeyovQxJDYQ/viewform?usp=sf_link

*ATTENTION*

-Registration is limited and operates on a first-come, first-served basis.

-In order to participate, your child must be registered at a district or county school for the 2021-22 school year by June 4th, 2021.

-You must submit a separate form for each student you are signing up for summer school

-Transportation may be available to students participating in the program, you can sign up for bus service at the end of the registration process.

-Students will be fed during the day.

-After School Program will be available to K-8 students participating in our summer school sessions.

-Minecraft Camp and the Sources of Strength summer program have a separate registration process, please read below for more information.

To register for Minecraft Camp, Sources of Strength, to see what sessions are being offered, or sign up for the after school program, and view the daily schedule, please visit our e-flyer: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jPkV5Kg9gdJPx9tXSphflBDnCAl-J56LawDXgqV1AK0/preview

Smith River Graduation Live Streams - Tonight @ 6:30 PM

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/SmithRiverElementarySchool/

Youtube:
https://youtu.be/_DWfEru7b4Q

Special Board Meeting 6-3-2021

Today, the special board meeting begins at 2:00 PM

DNUSD Board Meeting Zoom link:
https://dncoe.zoom.us/j/193445536

In order to participate in public comment, follow these instructions: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19Hdaa_dV_4GSewjjkeIUO0vlHvLU5-PKHJ5kHUCheXE/

Board meeting agenda can be viewed at: https://simbli.eboardsolutions.com/SB_Meetings/SB_MeetingListing.aspx?S=36030752

Facebook live-stream: facebook.com/dnusd

Superintendent's Message to the Community 5-31-2021

The video update can be watched below, or you can visit https://www.facebook.com/dnusd/videos/801632763814830

Good Afternoon, and welcome to our Monday Update.  I’m Jeff Harris, the District & County Superintendent of schools for Del Norte County.

We hope you’ve had a restful three-day weekend this Memorial Day and are ready for a strong finish in the last nine days of school.

Just a few reminders:

• First,  this Friday, June 4 is an in-person school day.  If your child normally attends in-person on Monday, they will report to school in person this Friday, June 4.
• Second, summer School registration is in full swing.  Registrations will be closing, however, on June 4 and some classes are already full. If you have already registered your child, you may have been contacted by the district confirming your registration.  If not, we will notify all families no later than June 11, by email.
• Finally, as we discussed last week on our graduation webinar, school principals have already begun having families pre-register for in-person graduations and have been and will continue to send out information on graduations this week.  If you have not received any information on your child’s graduation, please contact your child’s school to confirm that they have your most current contact information.

Moving on to sports, and similar to last week, we have either a home or away sporting event every day from now through this Saturday. Remember, we are live streaming all of the following home games:  Varsity girls basketball play tonight at home against South Fork starting at 4:30 PM, boys wrestling meet tomorrow on Tuesday meet at home against McKinleyville at 4 PM, boys wrestling also meets Wednesday at home against Eureka at 4 PM,  Freshmen, JV, and varsity boys basketball play this Thursday at home against St. Bernards at 4:30 PM, 6:00 PM, and 7:30 PM, and once again Freshmen, JV, and varsity boys basketball also play this Friday at home against Eureka at 4:30 PM, 6:00 PM, and 7:30 PM, all of which will be live-streamed.  All other athletic events are away this week.  For more information please visit the Del Norte High web page.

Over the next weeks and months, we also anticipate a large number of openings throughout the district in a wide variety of jobs.  If you’re interested in working with our schools, please visit edjoin.org frequently over the next weeks or contact the district office at 464-6141 to be placed on a notification list.

As we finish the year and move through graduations, we are putting a pause on podcasts and webinars, until June 16, where we will discuss new COVID-19 guidance changes, summer school, and any information that we have regarding the beginning of the 21-22 school year. We will, though, continue to provide Monday updates for your information.

Finally, you can stay up to date on all of these topics and more by making sure you have an updated email and cell phone number in your child’s school records.  You can also download our app, visit us on social media, or get up-to-date information at school and district websites, all of which can be accessed through DNUSD.org/families.

That’s all for this week’s Monday update, and I hope you have a healthy and safe week ahead.

Thank you

DNUSD + DNCOE Board Meeting 5-27-2021

Today, the public session for the DNCOE board meeting begins at 4:00 PM, and the public session for the DNUSD board meeting starts at 4:30 PM. Closed session for begins at 3:30 PM.

DNUSD Board Meeting Zoom link:
https://dncoe.zoom.us/j/193445536

In order to participate in public comment, follow these instructions: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19Hdaa_dV_4GSewjjkeIUO0vlHvLU5-PKHJ5kHUCheXE/

Board meeting agenda can be viewed at: https://simbli.eboardsolutions.com/SB_Meetings/SB_MeetingListing.aspx?S=36030752

Facebook live-stream: facebook.com/dnusd

Youtube live-stream: https://youtu.be/nX7iZg5J73U 

DNUSD Wednesday Webinar 5/26/2021 @ 1 PM - Graduations & Moving Up Ceremonies Update

Today at 1 PM during our regularly scheduled webinar we will touch on upcoming graduations and moving up ceremonies, during this webinar, you will learn about how you can either attend or watch these events live online.

Graduation Schedules - https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/19P2xBOhmAqOdAIhDW04w2Zr6FL-MLKP5t5i7SEWJvx0/

Host:

Jeff Harris - Superintendent of Schools

Guests:

Alison Eckart - Principal of Del Norte High School

Tony Fabricius - Principal of Sunset High School

Paige Swan - Principal of Crescent Elk Middle School

Nicole Cochran - Principal of Smith River Elementary School

Rae Fearing - Principal of Mountain Elementary School

Theresa Slayton - Principal of Redwood Elementary School

Jeff Slayton - Principal of Castle Rock Charter School

Tarra Kleiser - Director of Early Childhood Education

Link to the webinar:
https://dncoe.zoom.us/j/261256193

Join by phone:
    Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
        US: +1 669 900 6833  or +1 346 248 7799  or +1 253 215 8782  or +1 312 626 6799  or +1 646 876 9923  or +1 301 715 8592
Webinar ID: 261 256 193

DNUSD Covid-19 Active Cases Dashboard

Total Confirmed Active Cases District-Wide (Staff & Students): 1

You can view our COVID-19 Active Cases Dashboard at https://www.dnusd.org/familyresources