Nighthawk News

What a beautiful sunrise it was this morning. It was wonderful to see the senior class come together this morning to experience Senior Sunrise as a unified group. These opportunities to be together help develop and strengthen bonds with each other and create lasting memories.

On Friday, September 29th, we will conclude the first six weeks of the school year. It seems like yesterday that we welcomed our awesome 9th-grade class to the Nest and I was standing and delivering the welcome back address to all Nighthawks in the stadium. As we approach the midpoint of the trimester, we ask for your support in encouraging your student to be actively engaged in learning opportunities for their courses. This includes accessing available support from teachers during office hours (Mon, Tues, & Thurs) or attending Nighthawk tutoring on Monday and Wednesday evenings in the DNHS Library from 6:15 - 8:15 p.m.

I want to also give a big shout-out to our DNHS Marching Band, who recently won the Best Marching Band category in the Poway Parade. This is the first time in our history that we have earned this recognition. Congratulations to Dr. Kitelinger, Mr. Hayworth, Mrs. Raymond, and the rest of the Nighthawk Marching Band for their success.

Next week Del Norte has been selected to participate in the KUSI Alarm Clock Pep Rally. The ASB Spirit Committee is working to build an event that demonstrates our students' spirit and passion for Del Norte High School. We are asking that our Nighthawks arrive at campus at 8:00 a.m. on Friday, September 29th, to participate in the pep rally. The theme for the day will be ‘Neon Out’. We look forward to seeing all of our students decked out in their best neon-colored attire and accessories to show off our school spirit on live TV!

Looking ahead, I ask you to block off either October 13, 14, 20, or 21, at 7:00 p.m., to join our Theater Department for their performance of The Ghost of Splinter Cove. The students have started their rehearsals and would love to see a packed house each night, as they showcase their amazing talents.

Thank you for each of your continued support of the Nest.

Ty Eveleth

Principal

Del Norte High School

Nighthawks Together, One Flock Forever!

• Improv Show - Friday, September 22, 2023
• Parent/Teacher Conferences - Thursday, September 28, 2023 (adjusted bell schedule)
• KUSI Alarm Clock Pep Rally - Friday, September 29, 2023 (please see above for details)
• Parent/Teacher Conferences - Thursday, October 5, 2023 (adjusted bell schedule)
• Homecoming Parade - Friday, October 6, 2023 (adjusted bell schedule)
• Homecoming Dance - Saturday, October 7, 2023
• Sports Clearance Deadline for Winter Sports - Sunday, October 15, 2023

Spirit Days:

• Monday, 10/2: Throwin’ Shade (Wear sunglasses “shades”)
• Tuesday, 10/3: Soccer Mom vs. BBQ Dad
• Wednesday, 10/4: Dress Like a Kid Day
• Thursday, 10/5: Country vs City
• Friday, 10/6: Light up the Night (gold, sliver, light grey, yellow)

Floatbuilding:

Join your class in building this year's homecoming float! Floatbuilding will be Monday, October 2nd - Wednesday, October 4th, from 3:45pm to 8:00pm and Thursday, October 5th, from 1:30pm to 6:15pm in the outdoor basketball courts. Come for all or part of the time. Help your class earn participation points and have a great time!

Homecoming Parade:

DNHS will hold their annual Homecoming Parade on Friday, October 6th. Please click here for a copy of the schedule.

Homecoming Football Games: DNHS vs. Fallbrook HS

• ​JV: 10/6, 4:30pm @DNHS
• Varsity: 10/6, 7:00pm @DNHS

Homecoming Dance:

The DNHS 2023 Homecoming Dance will be held from 7-10 pm on Saturday, October 7th, at the California Center for the Arts, Escondido (340 N. Escondido Blvd, 92025). Dress is semi-formal.

Tickets for DNHS Students: Tickets are available for purchase beginning 9/11 for DNHS seniors and 9/13 for all DNHS students. Space is limited to 1500 attendees. Sales end at lunch on 9/29 (unless tickets are sold out before that date). Tickets can be purchased during lunch from the Finance Office and Student Store. They are also available on the DNHS Webstore beginning 9:00am on Monday, 9/11 (see below for PUSD webstore instructions). Please don't delay, and get your ticket today!

Tickets for Non-DNHS Students: In an effort to prioritize our Nighthawks, guest tickets will not be sold until 9/25. For those interested in bringing a non-DNHS student, guest passes are available here or in the front office. Guest passes will need to be approved by a DNHS administrator and submitted when purchasing the ticket. Guest tickets can only be purchased in person.

Ticket prices are as follows:

9/11-9/12 (DNHS seniors only): $43 without ASB Sticker; $40 with

9/13-9/18 (DNHS students - all grades): $43 without ASB Sticker; $40 with

9/19-9/24 (DNHS students - all grades): $46 without ASB Sticker; $43 with

9/25-9/29 (DNHS students - all grades & non-DNHS student guests): $49 without ASB Sticker; $46 with

Reminders for the day of the dance:

• Students must have a student ID (physical or electronic) to enter the dance. Guests must have a completed guest pass and an ID.
• No entrance is permitted after 8:30pm (unless pre-arranged between coach/teacher and administration due to school schedule conflict i.e. Band Tournament).
• There is no coat check. Please plan to bring only what you can wear/carry.
• To prevent injury, all students must wear closed toe shoes while at the dance.
• Bags should not exceed 8 inches in size.
• No outside food/drinks/liquid allowed in the dance.
• Please remember to always be respectful and safe on the dance floor.

We are looking forward to a wonderful evening!

Instructions for PUSD Webstore:

PUSD has moved to a new district wide Webstore (https://pusd.graystep.com) where a family can log in to one account and view all items from the individual schools their students are attending. An account needs to be created before Webstore items can be accessed. Instructions for setting up an account with the new district Webstore can be found here and on the webstore. If you are a parent creating an account, you must know your students' ID number(s) to add them to your account in order to purchase items from their school. Please note that while processing fees and convenience fees are applied to credit card and Webstore transactions, there are no additional fees for in person purchases paid by cash or check.

The San Diego County Office of Education and Computers2Kids are hosting an event for families to purchase affordable computers on Saturday, Oct. 7 from 9 to 11:30 a.m. at San Marcos Elementary School 1 Tiger Way, San Marcos CA 92069 (Drive Thru Event).

See attached or on this link for details.

Since July 2023 the partnership between SDCOE and Computers2Kids has provided over 1,288 refurbished computers to 797 San Diego families. We hope your families are able to benefit from this event.

All athletes interested in playing a winter sport must complete their Home Campus profile and turn in all required documents by October 15th.

WHAT TO DO:

• Complete all electronic forms in HOME CAMPUS. When finished, make sure you scroll down to the bottom of the "Files" section and click the blue button that says "Submit Completed Application". The status should then change from "In Progress to "Pending".
• Obtain a current sports physical for your athlete if needed
• Turn in hard copies of the forms below to the Athletics Department

1. Physical Exam Form (NOTE* if your student attended Physical Night back in May, we kept this form when they went through checkout)
2. Spectator's Code of Conduct (found in Home Campus)

Once hard copies have been received, the Athletics department will review Home Campus profiles. If everything is complete and submitted, you'll receive and email from Home Campus when your athlete has been cleared. We do appreciate your patience as we have hundreds of athletes to clear.

Please refer to the ATHLETIC CLEARANCE page on the Del Norte website at the link below for more detailed information and FAQ's.

No Clearance - No Tryouts - No Exceptions

• Chronic absences (missing 2 days a month or more than 18 days of school in a year) has doubled since the pandemic started.
• Missing just two days a month throughout the course of a child's K-12 education amounts to the equivalent of missing an entire school year!
• Students missing just two days a month are less likely to read proficiently by third grade, achieve in middle school and graduate from high school.

At Del Norte we cannot accept items to be picked up or delivered to students during the instructional day in the front office. Please ensure that your Nighthawk has their lunch, phone, homework, clothing, athletic equipment, computer/Chromebook, books, etc. that they need for school before dropping them off.

Part of the positive experience of high school is being involved and engaged in the learning community. In my message to our student body the first day of school I spoke about the importance of establishing strong and meaningful relationships. To build relationships, it requires us to step outside of our comfort zone at times, as well as engage in similar and different experiences. That is why we encourage each of our Nighthawks to join clubs and organizations, participate in extracurricular activities, and engage in community service projects. These experiences will not only help them develop new skills and interests, but they will also provide them the opportunities to connect with like-minded peers and make memories that will last a lifetime.

As parents and guardians, you are important members of the Nighthawk Nation! We hope that you will become involved in our various adult organizations, PTSA, Del Norte Education Foundation, Athletic Foundation, Music Foundation, and other various booster groups that exist to help our faculty and staff provide a world class high school experience for your student(s).

Traffic is extremely heavy the first few weeks of school as we welcome back all our Nighthawks to the Nest. Plan accordingly and drive with extra caution as the community settles in. Please be respectful of each other and our neighbors when parking on side streets around campus. On time attendance to classes is critical to student success, please see that your Nighthawk gets to school on time.

If you will be dropping your student off in the front of the school, use the traffic circle off the main school entrance on Nighthawk Lane. Do not enter the staff lot off Nighthawk Lane. The traffic circle gets congested in the morning and immediately after school, so be cautious and patient when dropping off your student.

As a reminder, Del Norte High School is a closed campus and all visitors to campus must check-in at the front desk. To continue our efforts to increase campus safety, the door to the front office has been equipped with a new door buzzer. This means the front door remains in a locked position throughout the day. When approaching the door, you will knock on the door and school staff will “buzz” you into the office. We remain committed to welcoming and supporting all families coming to Del Norte High School and appreciate your patience in working with us to assure all Nighthawks remain safe.