Weekly Newsletter
December 21, 2023
Dear families,
We made it to winter break! We all deserve a nice break to recharge our batteries as we start the new year.
One of our strategic directions is “Supporting Every Student” so I want to thank everyone for everything they have done and continue to do to support our students. This includes staff, families and community members. Anyone who has a positive impact on students plays a larger role in the success of our students then they know.
On Tuesday we held our last school board meeting of 2023. With that meeting we say goodbye to three dedicated school board members. I want to thank Alanna Oswald, David Kirby and Paul Sandholm for their dedication to our students, staff and district. Between the three, they have 20 years of service on the Duluth School Board and will be greatly missed.
As we move into a new year, I would like to welcome three new school board members, Stephanie Williams, Sarah Mikesell and Henry Banks. They will be officially sworn in as school board members on Jan. 2 during the board’s annual organizational meeting. I look forward to working with each of them over the next four years.
Enjoy any time off you have with your families and have a happy holiday, no matter which one you celebrate!
With deep appreciation,
John Magas
Superintendent
Young people should not have to fear for their lives or have access to guns unsupervised. If there is a weapon in the house, we urge parents to speak to their children about proper gun safety.
There are an estimated 265 million civilian-owned firearms in the United States, and more than one-third of homes contain at least one gun. Gun owners can make our homes and communities safer by storing their firearms unloaded and locked, with ammunition kept in a separate place, to prevent access by children and other people who are at risk of harming themselves or others.
The Duluth Police Department has partnered with Be SMART for Kids (besmartforkids.org) to provide free gun locks to those in our community. Gun owners can pick up their free gun lock at the Public Safety Building, located at 2030 N. Arlington Dr. in Duluth. The Public Safety Building is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. There are a very limited number of free gun locks available.
Too many young people have died in our community and around the country due to gun violence. Safety of our students and staff is one of our top priorities and there are many things we do to ensure safety in our buildings, but we can’t do it alone. Please support us in being part of the solution by talking with your kids and ensuring that your firearms are safely stored.
RESOURCES:
- Talking to Your Children About Guns: https://bit.ly/3yjg6el
- Keeping Your Home Safe with Secure Storage: https://bit.ly/3OKi5zg
As we head into winter break, we would just like to remind families of our attendance policy and what is and isn't an excused absence.
To be considered an excused absence, the student’s parent or legal guardian may be asked to verify, in writing, the reason for the student’s absence from school. A note from a physician or a licensed mental health professional stating that the student cannot attend school is a valid excuse.
The following reasons shall be sufficient to constitute excused absences:
- An illness. For health tracking purposes, if your student has a fever greater than 100 with a cough or sore throat or is vomiting or has diarrhea, please include this information. This district is required by law to report GI illnesses and influenza like symptoms to the Minnesota Department of Health. It is surveillance reporting for the MDH to track outbreaks. Individual student information is not provided in the report.
- Serious illness in the student’s immediate family.
- A death or funeral in the student’s immediate family or of a close friend or relative.
- Medical, dental, orthodontic or mental health treatment/appointments.
- Court appearances occasioned by family or personal action.
- Religious instruction not to exceed three hours in any week.
- Physical emergency conditions such as fire, flood, storm, etc.
- Official school field trip or other school-sponsored outing.
- Removal of a student pursuant to a suspension. Suspensions are to be handled as excused absences and students will be permitted to complete make-up work.
- Family emergencies.
- Active duty in any military branch of the United States.
- A student’s condition that requires ongoing treatment for a mental health diagnosis.
All other reasons will be considered unexcused, even if a parent/guardian calls in the absence.
Duluth East Drama department is excited to revisit some old and new musicals with some current and alumni from years past!
Please join us for The Holiday Cabaret at Fitger's Spirit of the North Theater on the 3rd floor at the Historic Fitger's complex on Dec. 27th at 7 p.m. There is no entrance fee, just a donation at the door!
