As we welcome the month of May, we recognize and honor Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, Jewish American Heritage Month, and Military Appreciation Month. These observances offer our community meaningful opportunities to reflect on the diverse contributions that enrich our nation’s history, culture, and values. We extend our deep appreciation to the members of our military and their families for their service and sacrifice.

This week also marks the start of AP testing on our campus. We ask for your continued patience and support as we work to ensure a smooth and quiet testing environment. All students taking exams will be entering and exiting campus through the Attendance Office. To help streamline this process, updated attendance procedures are available on the Del Norte website, have been shared via phone message, and posted in a Canvas announcement to all families.

We also want to remind our seniors to closely monitor both Canvas and email for critical updates related to end-of-year activities. One important item is the Senior Survey, due May 12th, which is a required part of the senior check-out process. Please ensure this is completed on time to avoid delays in your check-out process.

Looking ahead, we are excited for our Del Norte Prom on Saturday, May 17th, where we hope students enjoy the "Ride of your life" at Sea World. Prom tickets are on sale now and will be available through lunch on Friday, May 16th only. Due to venue requirements, NO tickets will be sold after 1:13 p.m. on Friday, May 16th. Please plan accordingly.

Ty Eveleth, Principal

Del Norte High School

Nighthawks Together, One Flock Forever!

• Prom Tickets are still for SALE!
• AP Testing - May 5 - 16
• Minimum Day - May 12 (Adjusted Bell Schedule)

Earlier this week, Del Norte staff ran an IT test with nearly 300 students in the GYM and many Chromebooks were not prepared. This is a reminder that only school issued Chromebooks can be used to take AP tests. It is important that all students that have a school issued Chromebook bring them to test day. Please follow the steps below to ensure your student's Chromebook is set to proceed. Please remember if these steps have not been taken prior to testing, there will be a delay for your student to begin.

• Prepare Chromebook for Testing
• How to Powerwash a Chromebook
• Come to school with a FULLY charged Chromebook.

If your student does not have a school issued Chromebook, one will be provided for them at the exam. Please remember this number is limited and the priority for check out will go to students that have not been issued one.

Thanks for taking the time to help prepare your student. Good luck to all!

DNHS Administration

Thank you for all of your understanding and patience this week during AP exam week #1! We are experiencing an extremely high call volume and we are working to clear those lines as quickly as possible. It may take 24-28 hours to clear past attendance concerns. This will continue into next week through May 16. To help minimize delays, please follow the instructions below:

If your student is taking one or more AP tests over the next couple of weeks, their attendance record has been pre-coded for the days and periods they are scheduled to test.

You do not need to call the Attendance Hotline to excuse your student from class to take their AP test. However, since testing happens during the regular school day ALL regular attendance policies are still enforced. If you are planning to have your student come late/leave early, please follow the protocols below to ensure your student is properly excused:

• Leaving Early: If your student will be checked out after their morning AP test, please call the hotline at (858) 676-6311 and press 2 for “early release.” Ideally this is done the night before or early in the morning of the test. Calling in advance ensures a speedy exit when students are released from their test setting. If students request to leave after the test and a call is made to the hotline after the test, the student is expected to continue to their next class and their pass will be delivered once it is ready.
• Arriving Late: If your student is going to miss their morning classes before their afternoon test and you wish to excuse those classes, please call the Attendance Hotline at (858) 676-6311 and press 1 for “late arrivals.”

Del Norte High School

Attendance Office

For more information click HERE

Prom Ticket Sales:

Purchase a ticket online or on campus at the Finance Office or the Student Store.

April 28th-May 4th until 3:00pm: $80

May 5th - May 14th until 3:00pm: $85

Online ticket Sales Close May 14th at 3:00pm

May 15- 16th (Closed at the end of lunch):$90

*$5 Discount with ASB Sticker, discount does not apply to Guest Tickets (non DNHS Student).

In the spirit of creativity and collaboration, TEDxDelNorteHighSchool provides a platform for the expression of ideas worth spreading. With our theme of Reimagined, we encourage people to explore bold possibilities, break the status quo, and rethink the world around us. From science to entrepreneurship to art, this event celebrates the power of imagination and a fresh perspective across multidisciplinary fields. Please fill out the sign up form if you are interested in registering as either a speaker or attendee.

To see the weeks athletic schedule, please visit the link here DNHS Week at a Glance - Google Docs

Shout Outs - Congratulations to our amazing Badminton Team and Boys Lacrosse Team for securing League Titles! Good Luck in playoffs!

NEW Speed and Strength Schedule -

• Speed Workouts (meet at the lower fields):
• Wednesdays @ 4:00 PM

• Strength Workouts (meet in the weight room):
• Mondays & Wednesdays @ 4:00 & 5:00 PM
• Tuesdays & Thursdays @ 4:00 PM

Our district is in the process of selecting a California State-approved Reading Difficulties Risk Screener (RDRS)—a tool used to help identify students (in grades K-2) who may need additional support in learning to read.

We value your input! To learn more and share your feedback, please visit Poway Unified School District’s Curriculum Adoptions webpage.

• Books will be for sale in the Finance office June 9 - 12.
• Books will be $80. Cash, check or credit card will be accepted.
• More news about distribution will come out as we grow closer to the end of the year.

As we wrap up another busy week, don’t forget that Sunday is Mother’s Day! Whether it’s your mom or your grandma, take some time to show appreciation. They’re the ones that motivate us and keep us moving forward! They’re behind the scenes always making things easier for us, so make sure to say THANKS!! A small note, a hug and spending time can go a long way. Make sure to show some love while we’re busy with exams Nighthawks! Enjoy your weekend and Happy Mother’s Day!

Setting strong privacy controls on apps, devices, and accounts helps safeguard your child’s data and limits unwanted access. It is also important to talk with your child about why privacy matters—helping them understand how to manage their own settings and make thoughtful choices online. By staying informed and setting up privacy protections together, we can teach students to take ownership of their digital safety and build a foundation for lifelong responsible technology use.

What are the best privacy settings for my computer and smartphone?

• Students under 18 years old are REQUIRED by law to wear a helmet when riding a bike, whether you are the driver or passenger.
• The bike must be ridden in the SAME direction as the flow of traffic.
• You may not ride an e bike with fixed pedals or pegs.
• E bikes are NEVER to be ridden on sidewalks.

• Students MUST walk their bikes on campus.
• Please pay close attention to pedestrians and cars.
• Remember to ALWAYS lock your bike in the bike rack. Gates are NOT for locking bikes.
• E bikes are not permitted at any sporting event.
• DO NOT take a bike that is not yours for any reason.

The Monterey Ridge Elementary School (MRES) Garden is in need of volunteers who need community service hours. The MRES Garden is part of the 4S Ranch Community Garden and is directly across the street from the school campus.

Who: Volunteer opportunities can be arranged for individual and small groups of students, teams (we once had a good part of the DNHS basketball team help out), Community Service Clubs and organizations, National Honor Society, Student Clubs and other such combinations. We have a long history of working with Del Norte’s NHS and on-campus clubs, students from APES and AP Gov., as well as many students from Poway, Rancho Bernardo, and Mt. Carmel high schools over the years.

In addition, we have worked with many students outside of PUSD who need community service hours for high school and college applications. We have strong connections to local Girl Scout and Boy Scout troops and have provided many service opportunities for troops, as well as sponsoring Silver and Gold Award (Girl Scouts) and Eagle Scout (Scouts) projects over the years.

What: Students and volunteers will work outdoors in the Monarch School/Community Garden. There are a wide range of opportunities in the garden, including, but certainly not limited to: seed planting/transplanting, garden bed care/maintenance, composting, planting pollinator and butterfly plants, sign painting, working with our vermi-composting bin, garden planning and implementation, learning about pesticide free gardening, organization, soil amending and seed saving…. No experience needed!

Where: The MRES 4S Ranch School/Community Garden is located directly across the street from Monterey Ridge Elementary School in 4S Ranch.

Why : The MRES School/Community Garden is a great place for students to volunteer! Students are outside, surrounded by nature, working to keep the gardens growing. Their work is also benefiting families within PUSD who are connected to 4 Community Care for donated food support. Students LOVE being in the garden -- they benefit from hands in the soil, a strong sense of accomplishment, seeing birds, butterflies, caterpillars, and a plethora of living creatures. The garden benefits their mental health tremendously by providing a calm, safe space to take a deep breath and spend time outdoors in nature. (They also learn a lot while they are working!)

Please contact Nicole Moore (Ms. Nicole) at nmoore@powayusd.com or (760) 809-0314 for more information, or to schedule an individual or small group community service/volunteer opportunity.

Poway Unified’s Youth in Transition (YIT) program assists children and youth experiencing homelessness with food, transportation, school supplies, and additional support during the school year. Those students who qualify lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence and includes children and youth who are:

1. Sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason. This can be doubled (living with one other family) and even tripled (living with two other families) up.
2. Living in motels, hotels, due to the lack of alternative adequate accommodations.
3. Living in domestic violence shelters, homeless shelters, transitional living programs, housing paid for by programs/vouchers, etc.
4. Living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings, or in a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings.
5. Unaccompanied homeless youth who are living away from the physical custody of a parent or guardian.
6. Migratory children who qualify as homeless because they are children who are living in similar circumstances listed above.

If any of the above housing descriptions reflect your current housing situation, please fill out the attached short form and email it to Laura Upson at lupson@powayusd.com. You can learn more information about Youth in Transition here. Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions.

Remember, Del Norte’s campus is closed during the school day. All students must remain on campus. This also includes the parking lot and vehicles. You must have an approved off-campus pass from the attendance office to leave campus or off role to leave campus prior to 3:35.

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.

Office hours for on-campus instruction at Del Norte occur on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, immediately following the second period. We ask that every student finds an academic location and engage in academic work during this time. Teachers may require students to attend based on their academic performance in class. Office hours provide an opportunity for students to receive extra help from teachers, complete missing assignments, and study for upcoming tests. This time is supplemental to regular instructional hours, and students are strongly encouraged to take advantage of it, especially if they need additional support in any subject.

Please review the attendance policy on the DNHS website. It is crucial for you to arrive to class on time every day to not miss important information from your teachers. Traffic is going to continue to be busy for the next few days, allow an extra 10-15 minutes to make it through traffic lights, park, AND walk to class. Detentions for tardies will start on September 19th if you have 6 or more tardies or truancies in the first 3 weeks of starting school. If there are barriers to your student arriving to school on time, please refer them to their counselor or administrator for support.

Concerns involving Grading, Curriculum, or Instruction

• Classroom procedures

• Classroom behavior

• Individual student grades

• Curriculum

• Textbooks/materials

Step 1: Classroom Teacher; if not resolved…

Step 2: Site Assistant Principal supervising specific content area, if not resolved…

Step 3: Site Principal

*Please know that you will be referred back to a previous step if that step has yet to be completed. At Del Norte High School, we believe in resolving concerns at the lowest level.

Student Behavior

If behavior is occurring in the classroom

Step 1: Classroom Teacher; if not resolved…

Step 2: Site Assistant Principal supervising specific content area, if not resolved…

Step 3: Site Principal

If behavior is occurring outside of the classroom

Step 1: Site Assistant Principal of your student’s last name alpha, if not resolved…

Step 2: Site Principal

Athletics

Step 1: Coach; if not resolved...

Step 2: Site Athletic Director; if not resolved…

Step 3: Site Assistant Principal over Athletics; if not resolved…

Step 4: Site Principal; if not resolved…

Please reference the DNHS Athletics Guide/Handbook regarding student, parent, and coach expectations.

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.

Attention Nighthawk Families!

It has been brought to the attention of the Administration Team that some of our ADA compliant parking spaces are being used by individuals that are not legally permitted to use them. In an effort to provide access for all, we ask that you not park in our ADA spots unless you are legally permitted to do so. As a reminder, California Penal Code 22507.8 states that illegally using an ADA parking spot can result in a $421 fine. Thanks for you attention to this matter.