Message from Our Superintendent
|
Greetings DUSD Families, Staff and Community,
As we enjoy this three-day weekend in honor of President Lincoln's Birthday, I have been reflecting on the wisdom of his words, "
The best way to predict your future is to create it.” Our learning community has put Lincoln's sage advice into action. While we have the blueprint for our future in place thanks to our Competitive Advantage Plan, we are in the process now of collecting your insights to fine tune our work as our district's story continues to evolve. Please contribute to the creation of the future of Duarte Unified School District by sharing your feedback with our team. There are several ways to participate.
Attend our
District Stakeholder Engagement Roadshow
forums to give your input, ask questions, and learn about the district's budget, facilities needs, and LCAP development.
The next opportunity is on Wednesday, February 12, at M.I.T. High School from 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. But, everyone is encouraged to attend the date that is most convenient for you from the remaining options listed below:
Wednesday, February 12, 2020, at M.I.T. High School
Tuesday, February 18, 2020, at Royal Oaks STEAM Academy
Tuesday, February 25, 2020, at Beardslee Dual Language Academy
Tuesday, March 10, 2020, at Maxwell Academy - IB World School
Wednesday, March 11, 2020, at Duarte High School
If you haven't yet, please also participate in our online
Thoughtexchange
conversation that will help to inform updates to our district’s Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP).
Find the link to join here.
You can also download the
Thoughtexchange
App
. Your input is kept anonymous and provides the chance for you to see and rate all of the thoughts being contributed by others. The exchange is open now and will remain open until March 16, 2020.
I have appreciated the feedback received so far from our request for input regarding our
facilities needs
. Please continue to send your thoughts either by email to
[email protected]
or call
(626) 599-5037.
Let's create our future together. Thank you and have a great week!
Best,
Gordon
Superintendent of Schools
Duarte Unified School District
|
|
District Stakeholder Engagement Roadshow
|
|
We Need Your Facilities Feedback
|
|
As we continue to plan for improved school facilities to support excellent teaching and learning, please share with us what you think. Refer to our
Facilities Goals Flyer
that will be sent home to our families this week and that is posted on our
website
for more information. Please provide your feedback by email to
[email protected]
or call (626) 599-5037.
|
|
District Meetings & Upcoming Events
|
|
|
|
The next workshop is Wednesday, February 12. The location is Duarte High School. City of Hope will be presenting this session on diabetes risk reduction. All parents in attendance will receive free dinner and chance to win raffle prizes. Childcare will be provided.
Register to attend and learn more here.
|
|
|
|
Open forums will be held at each of our schools to share your input and learn about our district's budget basics, facilities needs, and LCAP development. The next opportunity is on Wednesday, F
ebruary 12, at M.I.T. High School located at 1400 Mt. Olive Drive from
6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Find additional dates and further details here.
|
|
|
|
A Regular Meeting of the Board of Education is scheduled for Thursday, February 13, starting at 7:00 p.m. in the Duarte Community Center located at 1620 Huntington Drive, Duarte. Find the agenda, once posted
here
, and view the live stream or video playback of the meeting
here
.
|
|
Severe Flu Season and Coronavirus Update
|
|
|
|
The cold and flu season has been severe this year. Please follow tips for prevention provided by the
California Department of Public Health. S
taff and students exhibiting flu symptoms should stay home from school until being fever-free for at least 24-hours. We are sharing updates regarding the coronavirus as we receive them from our local, state and federal health agencies.
Find most recent information here.
|
|
Kindergarten Registration Opens February 12
|
|
If you have a child that will be ready to start Kindergarten or Transitional Kindergarten (TK) next school year, it's time to register! Starting February 12, go online to enroll at
register.duarteusd.org
or visit your neighborhood school and inquire in the main office. We offer full-day Kindergarten at all of our Academies, and TK is offered at Beardslee Dual Language Academy and Valley View Academy of Technology and Creative Learning. Students new to the district entering preschool- 12th Grade next school year are also encouraged to begin registering now. Also, if you currently reside within district boundaries and wish to apply for your child to be considered for an intradistrict transfer, the application deadline is February 28, 2020.
|
|
Hope is a Strategy DUSD Students
Can Count on to Access STEM Careers
|
|
Among the host of community partnerships our district has been fortunate to foster, our collaboration with the City of Hope is proving to be revolutionary. Together, we are establishing unprecedented learning opportunities for our students to enter the STEM workforce. With state-of-the-art laboratories as their classrooms and world-renowned scientists as their teachers and mentors, City of Hope is directly equipping students at DUSD in Grades K-12 with the skills to transform the future of medicine.
Located in Duarte since 1913, City of Hope is now the leading comprehensive cancer center in the West with the highest recognition bestowed by the National Cancer Institute. The research conducted at this esteemed institution has led to significant medical advances that literally save lives each day. Along-side the clinicians, scientists and researchers responsible for these groundbreaking findings, and the employees in the human resources, food services, business and other departments that contribute to the operations of the organization, are our students.
A variety of programs have been designed with City of Hope to entice students to get excited about careers in STEM and the numerous support occupations needed in the medical field; while also developing their science, technology, engineering and mathematics skills. Students in Grades 6-8 travel to City of Hope and participate in hands-on experiments within their laboratories, receive visits to their classrooms by the finest scientists in the world, and participate in Saturday and Summer Camps; ultimately inventing their own technique to aid in cancer prevention, detection, or treatment. They also are introduced to the concept of health disparities in cancer, and learn how disparities impact their communities.
Labster
, a virtual laboratory class, has been created for Duarte High School freshman this year. The course is designed to help prepare students for the Eugene and Ruth Roberts Summer Student Academy, which is a paid internship program. These students work closely with post-doctorates, graduate students, and lab personnel of the Irell & Manella Graduate School of Biological Sciences at the City of Hope campus. They are charged with communicating their research findings to their peers and instructors in a weekly student seminar series, as well as through the creation of a written report, and their research has been included in published studies.
The newest addition is the Hilton Science and Nutrition Summer Research Program. This three-week long course for high school juniors and seniors focuses on the science of nutrition and the connection between nutrition and disease that includes an understanding of cholesterol and fats, sugars and carbohydrates, and super-foods, diet and disease.
|
|
Duarte High School students Isha Patel, Diego Cabral, Merai Ebrahim, Serene Dowiri, Dania Amaya and Maria Esparza participated in the prestigious Eugene and Ruth Roberts Summer Student Academy.
|
|
Falcons Clinch Winter Sports Championships
|
|
Frosh Boys Basketball
The Freshman Boys Basketball Team finished the season with an overall record of 2-14 and 0-10 in Montview League play. Even though the team struggled on the scoreboard, they increased their skill level and improved their overall basketball IQ tremendously by season's end.
Varsity Boys Basketball
New Head Coach, Cedric Jones, had a tough task this season as he stepped into his new role just two weeks before the season opener on 11/19 against El Monte. The team made solid improvement once league play began and was in the hunt for a playoff berth right up until the last game of the year, finishing 3-7 in the Montview League and 5-21 overall. Led by seniors Eddie Vallin and Chris Camacho, the team excelled on the defensive end of the floor. Game in and game out the defense kept the Falcons in position to be successful in every contest. The highlight of the year was a comeback from an 11 point deficit to defeat Azusa on Senior Night before a raucous home crowd in the Falcon Dome. Coach Jones has already begun planning a rigorous off season training schedule to get the team back atop the Montview League for the 20-21 season.
JV Girls Basketball
Led by Coach Jessica Valdivia, the JV squad proved to be a talented hard working group. They finished 2
nd
in the Montview League with a 7-3 record and team members are eagerly awaiting their chance to compete for a spot on next year’s Varsity roster.
Varsity Girls Basketball WIN Montview League Title
The Lady Falcons finished 15-5 overall and 10-0 in league play to capture the Montview League Championship! Led by Seniors Alyssa Cartagena and Valerie Castaneda, the squad beat back all challengers in league, culminating in the title clinching win against Sierra Vista before a packed Falcon Dome on Senior Night. The season also marked the return of former Head Coach, Darnell Prothro, to the bench as he skillfully directed this talented group into a Championship caliber club. The Lady Falcons will begin CIF Playoff action on February 13. Playoff pairings will be released on February 9, at which time their opponent and location will be announced. Make plans to be in attendance and support the team at their first round game.
|
|
|
|
Varsity Boys Soccer
The Boys Soccer team finished with an overall record of 2-9-2 and 1-9 in Montview League play. The young squad battled youth and injuries all season long, but were highly competitive in all their matches. Wins came against Edgewood and Workman plus the team had two ties against Academia Avance and Mark Keppell. Coach Milan is excited to have many returning underclassmen returning for next season, that will have gained a lot of playing experience from this year.
Varsity Girls Soccer
New Head Coach Mary MacDonaugh guided a young and inexperienced team through a tough schedule. The team got better and better as their hard work in practice started to show in match play. The team finished with a 2-13 overall record and 2-8 in Montview League play. The highlight of the season was a 5-0 victory over Workman at the end of the year when the squad was playing their best soccer.
|
|
|
|
Wrestling Team Heads to CIF
The Montview League Wrestling Finals were held on February 6 at Duarte High School and all six of the members of the Girls Team won League Championships and several wrestlers on the Boys Team also earned League Titles.
Girls Results:
Dulce Maldonado 1st
Elizabeth Carrillo 1st
Jenny Castaneda 1st
Emely Carrillo 1st
Kayla Castellanos 1st
Bridget Oregel 1st
Sidney Romejko 1st
Boys Results:
Eric Leon 3rd
Joan Ruiz 3rd
Miguel Velasquez 3rd
Justin Popp 3rd
Sebastian Acevedo 3rd
Juan Rocha 3rd
Pedro Rodriquez 3rd
Aidan Dugan 3rd
Kirk Garcia 2nd
The Boys that placed will compete at the CIF Finals on February 14-15 at Brea Olinda High School. The Girls that placed will compete at the CIF Qualifying Meet on February 15 at Hillcrest High School. Congratulations to Coach Josh Perez, Coach Hector Lopez and Coach Noah Clark for all the hard work and dedication towards the success of our Wrestling Program.
|
|
|
|
ADAA and DHS Visit Aquarium of the Pacific
|
|
Made possible by a scholarship provided by the Aquarium of the Pacific's education program, 95 students from Andres Duarte Arts Academy and Duarte High School took a field trip to Long Beach to see what they are learning in their Earth Science and Physics classes in action. Students in Grades 7-9 explored marine life and water use, while students in Grades 10-12 learned about data representation through climate change and water conservation. Thank you to Cuong Luu, Science Teacher at both Andres Duarte and Duarte High School, for coordinating this opportunity, and to our amazing chaperones for your support: Mr. Teran, Mrs. Guzman, Mrs. Johnson, Mr. Tsuyuki, as well as Vanessa Cardenas, Laura Thomas, Ana Urias, and parent volunteers Kimberly Soto, Tess Yared, and Board Member Ceci Carroll.
|
|
DUSD Student Musicians Rehearse with LA Phil
|
|
|
|
Many of our middle grades instrumental musicians from our Academies visited the Walt Disney Concert Hall for the amazing chance to learn from and rehearse with the members of the world renowned LA Philharmonic. This is the type of opportunity Duarte Unified is proud to offer as a district focused on arts education.
|
|
Special DUSD/CSArts Middle School Preview Day
|
|
|
|
Special Preview Day just for prospective families of students who will be entering Grades 7/8 next school year has been added on Saturday, February 29! Join us to learn about the joint DUSD and CSArts program. The deadline has been extended, applications are still being accepted!
|
|
Show Your School Pride with our New Car Decals
|
|
|
|
Show your DUSD school pride and style your ride with our new car decals! They are available for
FREE
at all our schools and district office while supplies last. Display one school or get them all. We can’t wait to see these stickers driving all over town! Thank you for sending us your photos showing how you are proudly displaying your school pride on your cars! Which of our schools will be next to represent?
Submit photos here.
|
|
Read All About DUSD in the School News Roll Call
|
|
Second Issue is Hot Off the Press!
|
The second issue of DUSD's
School News Roll Call
newspaper is out now! Look for a copy being sent home to all our families from every school. It’s FREE and jam packed with information from all our schools. Get your hard copy at any of our sites and/or district office. You can also view it online at the link below. Please share with friends and family too!
|
|
|
|
|
Download it Today for FREE
|
Stay up to date with everything that is taking place at every school across our district by downloading the DUSD APP. Check your child's grades, attendance, lunch balances, sports scores, notices from teachers, calendar of events and more all in one place! Download our free app from the Apple App and Google Play Stores.
|
|
School Flyers Available Via Email
|
|
|
|
Save Paper & Stay Informed
|
DUSD uses Peachjar to send home school-approved flyers digitally, saving our schools time and money while eliminating paper waste. This means that now our parents can opt to receive flyers via email.
|
|
|
|
Duarte Unified is where academics, art, and community come together to create a one-of-a-kind experience for students and their families. Signature programs and progressive initiatives for students in PK-12th grade can only be found here. Sign up for a tour and learn why students from 86 cities throughout Southern California choose to attend our district. Read about each of our schools
here
and schedule your visit today!
|
|
Submit Your Newsletter Ideas
|
|
Have an idea, information or a suggestion for a story for our newsletter?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
