Principal’s Newsletter
The “Real” Deal
March, 2014
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,
Catherine Real,
Principal,
Diamond Bar High School
8th Grade Parent Night: Our annual meeting for 8th grade parents is this Thursday, March 20 at 7pm in our gym. This is a great opportunity to meet the school leadership team, hear about what 9th grade will have in store for our students, and get to know the GLCs who will be working with the incoming class.
Big Performing Arts Announcement!: We are proud to announce that Diamond Bar High School’s instrumental and vocal music programs have earned the prestigious National Grammy Signature School award. This award recognizes programs that exemplify the commitment to fostering music education in public high schools. Of over 120 nationwide semi-finalists, Steve Acciani, Patty Breitag, and Marie Sato have guided their students towards this honor. The process involved a lengthy and arduous application including submitting performance recordings. To read more about this amazing recognition, click here.
Boosters March 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, March 25 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.
CAHSEE Testing: We are currently testing our sophomores March 18 and 19 for the annual CAHSEE exam. This is a very important exam that demonstrates the fine job that students and teachers are doing at Diamond Bar High School. If you have a sophomore, please make sure they attend school and are prepared for success on testing days.
Changes in the SAT: On March 5, David Coleman, President of the College Board announced sweeping changes in the SAT exam for 2016. The test will return to the 1600 maximum score with a separate score for the essay portion. Penalties for wrong answers will no longer exist. The College Board will also be partnering with the Khan Academy to provide free test prep materials next spring. For more information, please clickhere.
Common Core Standards Assessment is here! On October 2 of last 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. Since then, many meetings at the site and district office have been focused around informing and preparing our staff, students, and parents.
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. 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.
Please see the attached document for our site testing schedule. As we created our schedule, we focused on reducing student test stress in preparation for AP exams. You will see that testing at DBHS is spread out to give students some recovery time and to reduce their extended time outside of class. The state has required Diamond Bar High School to administer the SBAC field test to 11th graders as well as the traditional CST exams in reading, writing, and math.
DBHS Students Excel in Local and State Math Competitions: Thanks to our recent Brahma Tech participation in US Air force Cyber Patriot cyber defense competition, two of our Brahma Tech juniors are eligible to apply for a high school internship at Northrop Grumman. These are offered throughout the country with 3 spots in Redondo Beach. They are exclusive internships not open to the general public. We look forward to our juniors representing Diamond Bar in this prestigious internship program.
This past Saturday a team of six DBHS math students (Benjamin Chen, Corey Chen, Tertius Lam, Amy Li, Steven Ye, Sophie Yu) competed in the very competitive Math Day at the Beach at Long Beach State University. Our Brahma Team finished FIRST in its division and fourth overall, and freshman Benjamin Chen finished fifth individually overall. In the California Math League, the Brahmas finished in the top 10 in California and senior Corey Chen finished with a perfect score on all six contests – a first for Diamond Bar High.
A few weeks ago, four Brahmas traveled up north and competed in the Stanford University Math Competition – Steven Ye finished fourth overall in the Algebra section. Congratulations, Steven!
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
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, drug-free place for your children.
South Asian Parents Association Evening of Colors: The South Asian Parents Association is hosting their first annual Evening of Colors event at the Diamond Palace restaurant in Diamond Bar on Friday, March 21 at 7pm. Come enjoy a lavish Indian cuisine, cultural entertainment, DJ, and raffles! Tickets are $35 pre-sale and $40 at the door. For more information, see the attached flyer.
Please feel free to visit our website at dbhs.org for more updates, information, athletic calendar, and other important information.
Sincerely,
Principal Catherine Real