Principal’s Newsletter
The “Real” Deal
November, 2013
Dear DBHS Parent/Guardian,
Below you will find my Principal’s Newsletter. The goal of the newsletter is to include you as part of the DBHS family as well as make you aware of all the great activities and opportunities available to you and your students. Time sensitive activities/events are highlighted in red.
Be sure to scan the opportunities listed below. Most activities have an embedded link so that you can quickly and conveniently get more information and/or register if interested.
Thank you for your ongoing support and for all that you do to make Diamond Bar High School one of the best schools anywhere, near or far. We couldn’t do it without you!
Sincerely,
Principal Catherine Real
Zumba! Come have fun and get fit at the same time! The Diamond Bar Pep Squad is having a Zumba Party fundraiser. Please join us at the Diamond Bar High School Gym Saturday November 9th from 10am to 12 noon! You can help Pep raise money to send the team to the U.S.A National Cheer Competition. $7.00 gets you 90 min of ZUMBA and a FREE VOUCHER for more ZUMBA. Pep would love to see you there. Please bring a friend. Kids are welcome and would have a great time too.
For more information, please see the attached flyer or you can contact Pep Advisor, Ms. Whitney Prenger at: [email protected] for ticket and registration information. You are also welcome to sign up the day of the event. Registration starts at 10:00am November 9th.
Do you want your child to attend a UC or CSU? If you are not familiar with the A-G Requirements for eligibility, please click on the following link to inform yourself so that you can properly guide your child in making the right choices in high school. If you’re not familiar with these yet, it’s time to start asking some questions! http://www.calstate.edu/sas/publications/documents/csu-uc-a-gcomparisonmatrix.pdf
Boosters November Meeting: The Brahma Boosters Organization would like to invite all DBHS Supporters to attend the next Brahma Boosters meeting which will be held on Tuesday, November 26 at 7 pm in the Golden Horseshoe. Come to this meeting and get insights on how you may become a Booster Member and be a part of the Booster support team. They are a tremendous part of our ability to continue to provide educational opportunities to your children.
Drug Dogs Are Back This Year: In an effort to deter drug possession on campus, Interquest Detection Canines are back. They will visit our campus from time to time to help us in our efforts to make our campus a safer place for your children.
Branding Iron: Diamond Bar Brahmas will play the Walnut Mustangs in the annual Branding Iron game this Friday. Come to WHS’ Ken Gunn stadium at 7pm to cheer on your Brahmas to a three-peat against the Mustangs. It should be a great game and if it rivals last year’s game in terms of energy and suspense, it will be a thrilling evening!
Diamond Bar High School’s API Improves: Diamond Bar High School’s API, or Academic Performance Index improved by two points last year to 877. In addition, this rise in our API occurred in a year where many schools across the state experienced drops in their scores. Although that was the last year of CST Exams, the growth in our overall API (as well as achieving significant growth in most sub-groups) was a validation of our efforts as a learning community and we expect to move forward with our academic goals as we move from CST Exams to the Common Core assessments this spring.
Common Core Standards are here! On October 2 of this year, the California state assembly voted to do away with our old STAR assessment system and make a bold move forward to new Common Core Standards assessment. Although this may seem confusing at first, the district is working hard to make sure that staff members at all levels understand the changes and modify our teaching strategies to ensure success for all of our students. This shift toward critical thinking abilities, problem solving skills and the creative process will allow our students to be more competitive in the global economy and will promote greater opportunity for all kids. Click here for a parent-focused synopsis on the changes Common Core Standards will bring about. If you’d like to view a short video on what inspired the creation of the new standards, click here. As we progress toward the spring, you will be receiving updates on the most recent plans for assessing our students according to the new standards. If you’d like to do more in-depth research on the Common Core Standards and how they will affect your child’s educational experience, you may want to begin by clicking here.
For more info on our recent activities, latest athletic victories, upcoming performing arts events, most recent updates on our performing arts competitions, clubs, leadership, academic news, and other school information, please visit our website at dbhs.org.
Sincerely,
Principal Catherine Real