Last week culminated in 2 fun and new events here at DMS.

First up we held our very first eSports Electronic Gaming League competition. Almost 40 Eagles who belong to the eSports club competed with teams from other schools in 4 games across 2 platforms. The library was filled with excitement, cheering and games that were worlds beyond the Atari I grew up with. Check out the photos below.

Then, Friday students participated in Cultural Day by dressing to represent their culture and that evening families got together to share their culture in a night of food, education, music and dance. We had families bring food totaling 60 dishes from 24 countries and we had an amazing turnout. Thanks to HSC and Dr. Ruiz for organizing this and to all the families who provided food, entertainment and came out to celebrate.

• USD will be holding an Attendance Matters webinar on Sept 19th from 6-7pm. See this flyer for more info.
• Be Seen and Heard Assemblies for our Eagles will be on Sept 21st during the day.
• Odyssey of the Mind will hold an Informational Meeting via Zoom on Sept 21st at 7pm. See the flyer HERE for more info. The Zoom link is HERE.
• Dartmouth Band has a Dining Day Out on Monday, September 25 at the Los Gatos location of Erik’s Deli Cafe. Erik’s will contribute a portion of all sales between 10am and 7pm to our band boosters. Grab a sandwich and support the band!
  

On the horizon:

• Picture Retake Day is Oct 4th.
• DMS students can participate in the International Walk to School Day on Oct 4th. See the flyers here (English | Spanish | Vietnamese) for more information.

• DMS Band is holding a uniform fundraiser on Oct 14th. See the flyer HERE for more info. Garba is a traditional folk dance from the western Indian state of Gujarat. Garba is performed in a communal gathering during the festival of Navratri (meaning 'nine nights') dedicated to the goddess Durga. Event tickets: $35 per person (includes 3 hours of music and dancing, food and a beverage). Fill out this google form and submit payment via Paypal or by check/cash turned in to Mrs. Buchanan in the band room.
  

  
  

  
  

Join the Union School District Team!

• Become a Substitute (Teaching, Instructional Assistant, Office, and Food Service positions available). Apply today: Teaching Positions | Other Positions

• Get a full or part time position (Teaching, Instructional Assistant, Office, Food Service, and Extended Care positions). Apply today on EdJoin.

• Become a noon duty aide. Contact your school front office for more information.

The Union School District is proud to continue our partnership with We Tip. WeTip is designed to serve as a resource for students who experienced or observed school-related bullying, racism, harassment, vandalism or other inappropriate behaviors. Once a report is filed, WeTip will contact our Student Services in our Learning and Innovation Department with the specifics of the incident, and Student Services will work with the administration, counselors, and other school staff.

Through WeTip, the anonymity of the person reporting is maintained. Students and parents are also encouraged to contact school staff directly to report inappropriate behaviors because this typically provides us with more detailed and helpful information. A We Tip report can be submitted via the We Tip hotline (844) 408-0580 or online using this link.

USD is committed to the well-being of our students, staff, and families to create a safe and healthy learning environment. In support of our ongoing commitment, USD has partnered with Care Solace to provide an additional layer of care for our community.

Care Solace helps individuals find mental health care providers and substance use treatment centers. Their Care Companion™ team is available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, and 365 days per year to quickly connect you to carefully verified providers in your community.

Students, staff, and families may access Care Solace services in two ways:

• Call (888) 515-0595 at any time. Support is available in 200+ languages. A dedicated Care Companion™ will help you every step of the way to research options, secure appointments, and follow up to make sure it is a good fit.
• For an anonymous search, answer a few questions to get matched with an extensive list of care providers at www.caresolace.com/unionsd.

Care Solace is now available for use at no cost to you. They will connect you with providers accepting all medical insurances including Medicaid, Medicare, and sliding scale options for those without insurance. All information entered on the Care Solace tool is completely confidential and securely stored.

Please note, this service is an optional resource available by choice and is not mandatory to use. Care Solace is not an emergency response service or mental health services provider. In the event of a life-threatening emergency, please call 9-1-1 or the National Suicide Hotline 1-800-273-8255. If you are interested in counseling-related services for your child, yourself, or another family member, please contact Care Solace for valuable assistance. This is a complimentary resource provided by Union School District.

We wanted to let you know attendance will be a top priority. When children miss school days, they miss out the opportunity to learn from their teachers. The more children miss, the harder it is for them to keep up with those who attend school regularly. While some absences are unavoidable for health reasons or other important family matters, but we also know that even when children have missed school for good reasons, too many absences can cause them to fall behind.

Let’s work together to make sure that your child does no fall behind in school this school year. Please ensure that your children attends school every day and also arrives on time so they benefit as much as possible from what is taught in the classroom. Here are a few practical tips to help support regular attendance:

• Make sure your children keep a regular bedtime,

• Lay out clothes and pack backpacks the night before.

• Establish a morning routine.

• Ensure your children go to school every day unless they are truly sick (e.g child has a fever, is throwing up or has diarrhea versus a minor stomach ache or runny nose.)

• Avoid scheduling vacations or doctor’s appointments when school is in session.

• Talk to teachers and counselors for advice if your children feel anxious about going to school.

• Develop back up plans for getting to school if something comes up. Call on a family member, neighbor, or another parent to take your child to school.

Please watch this short video on the importance of attendance.