Cougar Connection
August 13, 2023
From Principal Celeste Barnette
The new school year is off to a strong start! The photos above show some of the hundreds of new students who participated in Cougar Camp last Tuesday. We also had a strong turnout for the virtual Parent Cougar Camp on Tuesday evening. Here is a LINK to the video recording. Below this message you will see photos from our first annual campus clean-up. Thank you to Dr. Casassa and our ASB/Leadership students for organizing this event!
Now to focus on the week ahead...
Mosey Monday - Students and their families are encouraged to join us for Mosey Monday on Monday, August 14. You can drop by anytime between 1:00 & 3:00 PM to get comfortable with the campus layout and to find your classrooms. You’ll be able to access your class schedule in AERIES, including teacher names and classroom numbers, beginning at 10:00 AM on that same day.
Helpful hints for the first week of school: The first day of school will be TUESDAY, AUGUST 15. Students are expected to be in their classrooms by 8:15 AM. For the first week or so, we anticipate that drop off and pick up traffic will be busier than normal, so plan ahead and practice patience please 😊. There are multiple locations for drop-off and pick-up, including the drop-off circle on Village Park Way and the back gate along Avenida La Posta. Due to the very large number of student bike riders (about 200 daily), parents are not permitted to drop-off and pick-up students in the main parking lot. I encourage you to plan to drop-off your student before 8:00 and, if you wait until 3:00 for pick up, most of the bikes and cars will be long gone. Our young bike riders are still learning the rules of the road so please be hyper aware of your surroundings when near the campus.
Reach out with any questions. We're super excited to get this year started!
Kindly,
Celeste Barnette, Ed.D.
Principal
(760) 944-1892 x6683
From our PTSA
Should 8th Grade Families Join The PTSA?
Short Answer: YES!
Your Membership funds FOR BOTH GRADES are used THIS YEAR.
8th Grade students directly benefit from PTSA Membership Funds in their studies via TEACHER MINI-GRANTS and CLASSROOM SUPPLY ALLOTMENTS. PTSA provides Academic Classroom Support for supplemental curriculum, digital subscriptions, study materials, PE Equipment & more!
The PTSA produces & sponsors 8th Grade Promotion, as well as Knott’s Berry Farms 8th Grade Field Trip Scholarships.
The Assemblies 8th Graders attend are funded by the PTSA.
PTSA supports our student leadership organization, ASB, so they can put on social events and campus activities that connect our community.
8th Grade Parents: We need you more than ever! Please join PTSA – Zero Time Commitment & YOUR kids benefit.
Two ways to join:
PTSA MEMBERSHIP IS NOW OPEN!
Joining the PTSA is ZERO Time Commitment yet makes a WORLD of difference for your child AND there is NO EEF request in middle school so those elementary school funds can be re-routed here to support your child's evolving educational and social-emotional needs.
We're excited to announce that when you join Diegueno's PTSA this year, you'll be included in our new PRIVATE FAMILY DIRECTORY. We heard your requests to know more about your child's new middle school friends, including their parents' names and where they live. This is a PRIVATE directory so your information is only shared with PTSA members.
Your membership includes the FREE Membership Toolkit app so you can have all the information right on your phone.
Our PTSA is committed to bringing back Academic Classroom Support in the form of teacher mini-grants, as well as a classroom supplies allotment for EVERY teacher. This includes supplemental curriculum, digital subscriptions, PE equipment, and more.
When our teachers have what they need, our students thrive!
We also host activities for students and teachers to strengthen our DÑO community!
There is a membership level for every budget and you can even make monthly payments this year! All forms of payment are accepted.
Check out the flyer (above) detailing the awesome perks we have for your kids when you join today.
If you have any questions at all, don't hesitate to reach out to our new PTSA President, Staci Valdez: stacilaw@gmail.com or 323-574-4775.
THANK YOU DIEGUENO FAMILIES! We can't wait to get to know you!
Two ways to join:
Staci Valdez
PTSA President
323-574-4775
How to Purchase PE Clothes
Diegueño's PE clothes are now for sale on our Diegueño Webstore. PE clothes purchased online
will be distributed in your student's PE class over the next couple of weeks. PE teachers will
provide more information the first two days of school). Please allow a few days for processing
and distributing once purchased. You can also purchase with cash (exact change) or check
(made out to Diegueño MS) on Thursday, 8/17 or Friday, 8/18 in your student's PE
class.
All items are adult sizing (S-XL). Pricing can be found below:
- PE Cotton Shirt $10.00
- PE Dry Fit Shirt $15.00
- PE Shorts $10.00
- PE Bag $5.00
If you are purchasing your clothes online, you will need to create an account. The instructions
are on the webstore. When creating the account, please make sure to follow the formula
provided based on your student's information as it appears in Aeries (your student's legal
name). The website is particular, and if it is not what appears in Aeries, it will not allow you to
make an account.
For those purchasing with cash or check, please print out and fill out this form. Your student will
need it to be able to purchase their items.
Questions can be directed to Mallory Reeves at mallory.reeves@sduhsd.net.
Upcoming Dates
- Monday, August 14 - Student schedules available in Aeries (10:00 AM)
- Monday, August 14 - Mosey Monday (1:00 - 3:00 PM)
- Tuesday, August 15 - FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL (8:15 AM - 2:45 PM)
- Wednesday, August 16 - Chromebook distribution (through Science classes)
- Monday, August 21 - School Picture Day
- Thursday, August 31 - In-Person Back to School Night (5:00 - 7:00 PM) Adults only please.
Important Policies to Review
"Away for the Day" cell phone policy - Students can bring a cell phone to campus but they must be "away for the day" in their backpack from the starting bell to ending bell. Please review this policy to understand all the benefits of this district-wide middle school policy.
Bike permit regulations - Nothing is more important to us than your child's safety. We need your help keeping student bike riders (and the cars and pedestrians around them) safe. Please review this policy with your student bike rider. Most importantly, we need your help making sure all riders have properly secured bike helmets. Here are some tips for fitting a helmet for maximum safety.
Dress code policy - Before you do your back-to-school clothes shopping, familiarize yourself with our dress code policy. Even though crop tops are in style right now, they are not appropriate for the middle school setting. Thanks for your support with this!!
Community News
DÑO Surf Club
Open spots available! Causally free surf with the club or take your surfing to the next level and compete in the Scholastic Surf Series and earn your rank! For additional information checkout our website.
Staying Connected
Staying connected: During the school year you will receive this Cougar Connection newsletter every week. This is an important way to stay updated about what’s happening on campus and to learn how to set your child up for success. Other ways to stay connected include:
Bookmark our school website
Subscribe to the Diegueño events calendar
Follow the official Diegueño Instagram account
Follow the official ASB Instagram account