Nighthawk News

I want to begin this week by extending my deepest gratitude to everyone who generously supported our annual Del Norte Giving Tree event, sponsored by our DNHS PTSA. Your spirit of giving was inspiring. Because of your contributions, we will be able to make this holiday season special and bright for many of our Nighthawk families.

As we approach the holiday season and potential long weekends, I want to share an important reminder about the critical importance of school attendance. It is essential for your student to be present during classroom instruction to remain actively connected to their learning. While we appreciate that students have access to coursework and calendars through platforms like Canvas, there is essential learning, discussions, collaborative work, immediate feedback, and modeling that occurs daily in our classrooms that simply cannot be replicated remotely. We have also noted an increase in student absences on days when major assignments are due, such as scheduled exams, quizzes, or project presentations. We want to be clear that in order to protect testing integrity, ensure originality in the demonstration of learning, and allow our teachers to provide timely feedback to all students, classroom teachers may ask students who are absent on these critical days to complete alternate assessments or assignments when they return. This ensures a fair and equitable process for all students while prioritizing the integrity of our academic program. Please help your student prioritize being present and prepared.

Finally, we are excited to announce our Winter Spirit Week starting on Monday! This is a wonderful opportunity to bring some fun and festive energy to campus as we head toward the Winter Break. Our ASB has planned several great themed days, and we strongly encourage every Nighthawk to participate in showing their school spirit and celebrating the season. We hope to see everyone joining in the fun!

Ty Eveleth, Principal

Del Norte High School

Nighthawks Together, One Flock Forever!

• District Recess - 12/22 - 1/2/26 School is Closed
• 6 week Grading Period Ends - 1/9/26
• Parent/Teacher Conferences - 1/13/26 Adjusted Bell Schedule
• Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day - 1/19/26
• 9th and 10th grade Family Night - 1/20/26
• Professional Growth Day - 1/26/26 - Non student day

To see the week's athletic schedule, please visit the link here. The schedule is updated every Monday.

• DNHS Week at a Glance - Google Docs

This week in Athletics

• Congratulations to our Girls Varsity Basketball team for going 3-1 in the Longhorn Classic Basketball Tournament and winning the Silver Bracket. Well done, Ladies!
• A Big Shout Out goes to our Boys Wrestling Teams. This past weekend, the Varsity Boys competed at the Carlsbad Invitational with Wrestlers taking a Gold, Silver and 2 Bronze place finishes. Jaidon Samuels finished as Champion in the 285-weight class and awarded Most Outstanding heavyweight wrestler. The remainder of the Varsity team that medaled include Brandon Basto, Dominic Ruggiero, and Ryan Ton.
• Congratulations to our Girls Wrestlers who competed at the Goddess of Victoria, hosted by University City High School. All 4 Wrestlers taking home top 4 finishes. Silver: Vaneeza Farooqi, Bronze: Elysse Kalfas, 2 - 4th place: Payton Barrios and Zoe He.

• A GREAT START for our Lady Nighthawk Soccer program as they swept a top seeded program, The Academy of Our Lady of Peace by a total combined score of 15 goals to 2 goals. Congratulations and keep soaring high!

Athletic Clearance

• The due date for SPRING sports is January 16, 2026. To guarantee clearance in time for tryouts, physicals MUST be turned in to Mrs. Sullivan in the Administration building AND Home Campus must completed by January 16, 2026. For more information please click HERE.

• The Del Norte Girls Water Polo program is proud of Landon as she continues to elevate her game as a captain and leading goal scorer for the Nighthawks through five competitions this season. She is one of San Diego County's top players to watch.
• This past week, Riley helped the Boys Basketball team finish the week, winning 2 of our 3 games. During this stretch, Riley averaged 14 points per game while bringing in 7 Rebounds per game to go with 5 Assists per game. His biggest game of the week came Friday night against Maranatha when he finished with 22 points.

Once the new year begins, we’ll be showcasing the powerful ways your contributions have transformed our campus, sparking academic innovation, elevating student wellness, and giving our teachers the tools they need to create extraordinary learning experiences. We’ll also unveil our upcoming fundraising goals and highlight how each milestone will propel us closer to our mission of reaching every Del Norte student with opportunities that truly make a difference.

If you haven’t had a chance to give yet, we hope you’ll consider making a contribution before December 31. If you’ve already donated, thank you deeply. Your support makes a real and lasting difference. We would be grateful if you could help spread the word by sharing our campaign with friends, neighbors, and family who believe in supporting Del Norte students.

You can donate anytime at bit.ly/dnhsf or by scanning the QR code on our flyer. As a registered 501(c)(3) organization, all gifts are fully tax-deductible.

If you have any questions about how your donation helps our school, feel free to reach out to us at fundraising@dnhsfoundation.org or info@dnhsfoundation.org.

Thank you for investing in our students and helping us finish the year with strong momentum.

Warmly,

The Del Norte High School Foundation

Hey Nighthawks! Winter break is almost here, and we’ve definitely earned these two weeks off. Let’s talk about one very key health tip, which is supporting your gut. Your gut is essential to your “second brain,” commonly referred to as the Enteric Nervous System. This system influences everything from your mood to your focus. When your gut health is strong, it helps to regulate neurotransmitters which keep your immune system running more efficiently. Use this upcoming break as an opportunity to incorporate gut-friendly foods, such as yogurt or high fiber choices like fruits and vegetables. Make sure to remember that adequate sleep is just as important as diet for maintaining a well microbiome. Take these steps Nighthawks, and enjoy your weekend!

Attendance Hotline 858-676-6311 - ParentVue Link

🚪 Arriving Late to School

If you’re less than 15 minutes late, head straight to class — no need to stop anywhere.
If you’re more than 15 minutes late, stop by the Attendance Office first and check in using the Tardy Kiosk, even if your parent has already called to excuse you.

🕔 Leaving Early

Need to leave early? Here’s how it works:

• A parent or guardian must call the Attendance Hotline the night before or by 7:30 AM the day you need to leave.

• Late calls = delayed releases.

• Students: Pick up your early-release pass from the Attendance Office before school, during passing period, break, or lunch.

• When it’s time to go, show your pass and head out at your assigned time.

📞 Reporting an All-Day Absence

We’ve made it even easier to report absences — you can now do it digitally!
🎥 Need a quick how-to? Watch this short video for a simple walkthrough.

😊Prefer the classic way? A parent or guardian can still call (858) 676-6311, option 3 each day your student is out.

⏰ Please remember: Absences must be cleared within 72 hours or they’ll be marked truant.

While your student is home, encourage them to check teacher websites and email to stay caught up on classwork.

🤒 Feeling Sick at School?

If you start feeling ill during the day:

• Tell your teacher and get a pass to the Health Office.

• The Health Technician will help you and contact your parent if you need to go home.

• You’ll check out through the Health Office, not the Attendance Office.

🚫 Sick students may not check out directly from the Attendance Office.

🩺 Medical Excuses

If a doctor or healthcare visit causes you to miss school or arrive late, the State of California requires a note from your provider to medically excuse it.

• Turn in medical notes at the Attendance Office window, or

• Parents can email them to DNHSAttendance@powayusd.com.

We’re here to help — thank you for keeping attendance records accurate and up to date!

Del Norte High School Attendance Office

🤩 Did you catch a ⚽ game, 🎶 band or choir event, 🎨 fun class activity, 🍎 lunch with friends, or 💼 at your job?

Send your pics to eDesign and help us capture all the memories of the year! Your photo could be featured in the yearbook! ✨

Don’t wait—share your moments today! 🥳

Click HERE to Submit Your Pics! Our School Code is 16152!

• 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.

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.