Good afternoon. I'm Jeff Harris, Superintendent of Schools for Del Norte County, and here are the updates for the week of Sep 11, 2023.

At this point, we’ve wrapped up our first week back in school, and it is great to see our hallways and classrooms filled with students, as the school year starts back. From reconnecting with friends and colleagues to looking forward to athletics and other social events, the positive energy and enthusiasm in our schools are evident, and we’re looking forward to a great year.

 

Air Quality Update

 

As you know, our delay in starting school came about due to the Smith River Complex Fire and the loss of electricity. While the fire is now about 20% contained and electricity has been restored, the ongoing fire continues to affect air quality. We receive daily updates from the North Coast Unified Air Quality Management District and make any necessary adjustments to outdoor school activities by site in order to prioritize the health and safety of our students and staff. If you’d like to access these updates, you can visit ncuaqmd.org.

 

Upcoming Events

 

As we dive into the school year, we have several events lined up for this week. Tomorrow, September 12th, the Mountain School staff is hosting a Back to School Night at 6:00 PM, in their temporary location at Smith River School. On Wednesday, Smith River Elementary and Del Norte Community School both have events planned for 5:30 PM, followed closely by Pine Grove Elementary School at 6:00 PM. It’s a great opportunity for families to engage with teachers and other site staff and to get a feel for the academic environment our schools provide.

 

Board Meetings

 

Additionally, the board meetings for the Del Norte County Office of Education and the Del Norte Unified School District will be held this Thursday, September 14. Proceedings for the County Office will start with an open session at 3:00 PM. The District meeting will begin at 3:30, with a closed session before convening to open session at 4:30 PM. Both of these meetings will take place at the district office and may be attended either in person or remotely through Zoom. You can find the Zoom link and the meeting agenda by visiting dnusd.org/agenda.

 

Sports Update

 

This week in Del Norte High sports, we have a number of away games. On Tuesday, the Girls’ Tennis Team will be playing in Fortuna, and the Girls’ Soccer Team will be in McKinleyville. Wednesday, the Varsity Boys’ Soccer Team will play in Fortuna. Thursday, the Warriors Volleyball teams will be down at Arcata High, and on Saturday the Boy’s Soccer teams will be playing again in McKinleyville. In-home games, This Thursday, the Girls’ Soccer team will face off against Arcata at 4:00 pm, and last but not least, on Thursday we also have the Girls’ Golf team playing here at the Del Norte Golf Course starting at 11:00 am. If you get a chance, come down and support our student-athletes. For more information on all upcoming athletic events, you can visit dnusd.org/sports.

 

That’s all for this week’s update. I’ll have more updates and information next Monday. Thank you.