Dwyer students and staff had opportunities to learn more about school safety this week. On Thursday, October 18, we participated in the California Great Shakeout. This statewide earthquake drill happens each October and reminds students and staff about our school practices. We dropped, covered, and held before evacuating to our primary location. Staff was deployed into their safety teams to practice search and rescue, first aid/triage, student supervision, and student release. It was a very successful drill.

Thursday afternoon, all staff attended Run, Hide, Fight training hosted by the District Safety Committee and Huntington Beach Police Department. Run, Hide, Fight is the Homeland Security backed system that all district staff and students follow for intruder situations. Teachers learned more in-depth planning and will be sharing with students in the next few weeks. Each period will have a discussion about best scenarios in that particular classroom or space. Please let us know if you have any questions.

Dwyer participates in the Orange County Department of Education's Tobacco Use Prevention Education (TUPE) curriculum. Some of the activities are in school components and some are in the community. On November 8, students have the opportunity to participate in a beach clean-up after school. Students from Dwyer and Sowers will come together to keep our beaches clean one cigarette butt at a time. They will also have an education component on how pollution and trash affect our oceans, marine life, and us. For permission slips and more information, please stop by the office.

TUPE also sponsors contests throughout the year about tobacco prevention. Students are encouraged to design posters and/or presentations about the negative effects of tobacco products. 7th and 8th Grade students will have an upcoming assembly from a TUPE speaker as well.

Huntington Beach City School District, along with other schools districts throughout the country, have a process to address truancy and absenteeism. The goal and intent of the process is to increase awareness about the importance of coming to school each day to improve outcomes for students as well as provide interventions and supports for students and families who are experiencing barriers with school attendance. The barriers and circumstance may differ for each family and for each student. Each letter and each step in the process is intended to serve as an intervention by increasing awareness, providing supports and resources, and engaging with families. Attached is a one-page overview of the entire School Attendance Review Process to provide you with information. This may help to alleviate questions and concerns about why families receive letters regarding their child's attendance and the distinction between the two types of letters (chronic absenteeism and truancy).

October 22 - Girls Basketball, 3:30 PM, Harbor Day

October 23 and 25 - parent conferences, planning day schedules

October 25 - "Say Boo to Drugs" Day - costumes allowed (within guidelines)

October 25 - Halloween Dance, 1:45-3:45 PM

October 24 - No School, parent conferences

October 29 - Boys Volleyball, 3:30 PM, Ensign

October 30 - Girls Basketball, 3:30 PM, Costa Mesa HS

October 30 - Haunted Basement Fundraiser, 4-8 PM

October 31 - No School, teacher professional development day