Panther Parent Update

De Portola welcomes individuality by empowering and developing students’ communication, curiosity, and critical thinking skills through a growth mindset. We are Panthers! Rooooaaaarrrrrrrr!!

04/16 DP Foundation

04/19 SGT 8:00am

04/19 School Dance Neon Theme

04/26 Panther Bowling Night

05/01 Spring Open House 5:30 - 6:30

Career Fair

On Tuesday, we held our annual Career Fair for 8th graders. This was graciously organized by Lindsey Hudson and Andreanna Murphy. Andreanna is a former and future parent, but does not even have kids attending DP this year. We are grateful to all the parents who volunteered their time to share their career path with our students. We had a few retirees, realtor, small business owners, medical sales rep, and a pilot...just to name a few.

Navy Fitness Day

With the support of the DP Foundation, the PE Department, and our Military Family Life Counselor, we organized an incredible Navy Fitness Day. The Navy volunteers came out to share their journey in the Navy, lead PT drills, and emphasize the importance of team work. It was very inspirational and our students were exhausted. HUGE success!

Panther Bowling Night

This was our third year hosting Panther Bowling Night at Aztec Lanes. Many thanks to the DP Foundation members, Sally Viavada, Emily Krause, and Lauren Karkenny. This event just gets bigger and better every year. The bartender at the event happened to be a DP alumni. So cool!

Please see the schedule below for State Testing. All students will test from 9:41 - 11:42. We ask that students go to bed early, eat a balanced breakfast in the morning, and brings a fully charged laptop to school each day. We also strongly recommend that students bring their own wired headphones that are comfortable for them and their computer charger. Students will be allowed to read, draw, or color after they complete their test. Any student who does not finish in the time allotted will be pulled from class to finish.

All middle school students should be going to sleep by 10:00pm. This means they need to be off phones and video games by 9:00pm to allow their body time to settle from the high stimulation that phones and video games provide. The best activity for students to participate in just before bedtime is reading. While reading isn't every middle schooler's favorite thing to do, it is highly recommend to soothe the soul before sleepy time.

Also, the cafeteria provides free breakfast everyday starting at 8:30am. The menu varies from yogurt parfait to breakfast burritos to cinnamon rolls. Cereal, juice, and milk are provided everyday. It is our observation that many students, often the girls, don't like to eat during the school day. We are here to encourage all students to eat healthy, balanced meals throughout the day...especially during testing.

ASB will be providing mints for all students through the testing window. If you would like to donate a box of snacks to your child's class, please mark it with their 5th period teacher's name on it and we will be sure to deliver. Great snacks include fruit snacks (because they are gluten-free), fish crackers, and granola bars. Class sizes average around 30 and we have seven days of testing. We are grateful for any donations provided.

We encourage students to buy their yearbook before that date at www.yearbookforever.com for $60. Students will be able to buy a yearbook again starting Monday, June 3rd AFTER the pre-ordered yearbooks have been distributed.

From June 3rd on, students WILL NOT bring in cash, they will purchase the yearbook online at www.yearbookforever.com. When they come to school the next day, they will go to the financial office and Ms. Dora will give them their purchased yearbook. Please email Ms. McIntosh at smcintosh@sandi.net with any questions.

We will have Spring Open House on Wednesday May 1, 2024 from 5:30 - 6:30. All classrooms will be open and families can determine what classes they want to attend and how long they want to stay. Each classroom will have a showcase of student work highlighting all their accomplishments over the year. Kona Ice will be available for purchase. Additionally, there will be a Buy One Get One Book Fair in the library. Make it easier for your child to make purchases by signing up for eWallet.

Promotion will be on June 6 starting promptly at 9:15 and ending around 10:00am. The promotion is on the black top and seating is first come, first serve. There are no ticket limits. However, current De Portola 6th and 7th graders are not allowed to attend even if they are siblings or family members. Siblings can be released from class for family photos after the ceremony has ended. Please see the eligibility requirements below for our 8th graders. If you have any concerns about eligibility, please email your child's counselor and or teachers.

Charisma Johnson, Attendance Clerk cjohnson7@sandi.net. Please be sure to state your students full name, grade level, date of birth, and specific reason for absence. You can also email if you need to pick up your student early. Please provide at least a two hour notice to ensure that we can write and deliver a pass for your student. You can also call the school at 619-605-4800 and press 3 for attendance.