DJUSD Staff Insights

In a message shared with the DJUSD community prior to the winter break, I reflected on the school year thus far with gratitude and optimism, recognizing both the meaningful accomplishments across our schools and the challenges we continue to navigate together. From student achievements on local and global stages to the everyday efforts that highlight our values, there is much to be proud of in our District. Our shared commitment to showing up for our students continues to guide our work as we move forward together.

If you’ve had a change in your personal or financial situation, it may be time to update your W-4 (federal) or DE-4 (state) withholding forms. Updating your withholdings helps ensure the right amount of tax is taken out of each paycheck. Forms are available on the District Payroll Webpage or from Fiscal Services.

Eligible classified employees will receive a Classified School Employee Summer Assistance Program (CSESAP) Participation Election form through InformedK12 sent to their District emails. A hard copy of the CSESAP Participation Election form will also be sent to the home addresses of eligible employees. This form is date sensitive and must be submitted in InformedK12, or a copy can be emailed or delivered to Christina Cerritos by March 1, 2026. For more information, check out the CSESAP Webpage.

W-2 forms are scheduled to be mailed out the last week of January.

We have proudly recognized over 100 individuals who exemplify our DJUSD shared values - and now it’s your turn to help us honor more amazing members of our community! The DJUSD Values in Action Awards shine a spotlight on students, families, staff and community members who go above and beyond to:

• Celebrate cultural contributions and identities within our schools

• Support the work of our Four Goals for Student Success

• Demonstrate excellence and a commitment to our District values

DJUSD is launching a mathematics professional development and curriculum pilot/adoption process, launching in early 2026. This PD and pilot adoption process will encompass grades Kindergarten - 8th grade/Common Core Math 3. Our goal is to build a shared foundational knowledge and understanding of the new CA Math Framework, develop a common lens for evaluating instructional materials and create a rubric for materials selection. We are fortunate to be partnering with the UC Davis Math Project and Diana Zaragoza, and have scheduled training dates for the Winter/Spring 2026. Training dates are listed below. We have solid representation from the elementary level and are hoping 3-4 more Junior High math teachers will join the project. If interested, please contact Matt Duffy.

• February 19, 2026

• March 3, 2026

• April 2, 2026

• April 28, 2026

• May 12, 2026

The Language Justice and Family Partnership Coordinators are available to support staff in communicating with families whose primary language is not English. Please follow the DJUSD Interpreter Scheduling Protocol when planning for events or meetings that require language services. You can request an interpreter using this form. Translation services are also available for important documents such as handbooks, IEPs, or fliers. Please submit your request at least five business days prior to the scheduled event, meeting, or date you need documents translated. For any questions, please contact Ximena Diez-Jackson (xjackson@djusd.net |530-205-3163) or Maria Leyva (mleyva@djusd.net | 530-207- 0420).

For many children and teens, the use of screens mimics patterns of drug addiction, making it difficult for them to be without their devices close at hand. When parents attempt to limit screen use, they may encounter addictive behavior that includes lying, stealing, pleading, threatening and erupting in anger. This PEP Talk will discuss the growing prevalence of screen addictions and strategies parents can use to address these issues and live more harmoniously.

Wednesday January 21 via Zoom

6:00 - 7:30 p.m.

Register today!

The following message went out in our Family Connections Newsletter. If you have students who attend school within DJUSD, this will also apply to you. If you do not, this is helpful information to know for your families in case they have questions.

Your participation is KEY as we launch a program to support and expand services for students in our schools!

The Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative (CYBHI) is a collaboration between multiple CA State departments to expand access to school-based mental and behavioral health services for students by providing a way for school districts in our state to be reimbursed for these costs, which helps us maintain our current level of support for students and hopefully expand this support in the future.

In order for our district to participate in this program, we are required to have student health insurance information. Families were asked for their student's health insurance information during our fall annual enrollment process. Unfortunately, much of the information from our fall enrollment was inaccurate or incomplete, so we are asking for this information again but in a way that we hope is more user friendly. Please use this form to provide your student’s updated medical insurance information. More information about CYBHI and additional instructions can be found on this document.

• Employee Assistance Program
• Mental Health and Wellness Resources
• DJUSD Strategic Plan
• Office of the Superintendent
• More Ways to Stay Connected
• Share your thoughts and concerns at communications@djusd.net

DJUSD Staff Insights e-newsletter is designed to keep our employees up to speed on the latest news and need to knows coming from various departments in this very challenging time. We hope you find this resource helpful. You can find archived issues on our Staff Insights webpage.