Good afternoon. I’m Jeff Harris, Superintendent of Schools for Del Norte, and this is the update for the week of May 4, 2026.

Dates to Remember
First, please be sure to mark your calendars. There will be no school Friday, May 22, or Monday, May 25, in observance of the Memorial Day weekend. School will resume on Tuesday, May 26.

School Employee Appreciation Recognitions
This week, we want to continue recognizing the many employees who support students, families, and schools across Del Norte.

Today, May 4 through Friday, May 8 is Teacher Appreciation Week, followed by National Teacher Day on Tuesday, May 5 and California Day of the Teacher on May 13. To all of our teachers, thank you for the care, dedication, and professionalism you bring to your classrooms every day. Your work helps students grow, builds confidence, and makes a lasting difference in the lives of children.

This week also includes School Nurse Day on Wednesday. We want to thank our school nurses for helping keep students healthy, safe, and ready to learn, and for the support they provide to students, families, and staff across our schools.

Finally, Friday is School Communicators Day, and we want to recognize the staff who help keep families, staff, and the community informed throughout the school year and during emergencies.

To all of these employees, thank you for the work you do each day in support of Del Norte students, families, and the community.

Spring Music Performances
This is a busy week! In addition to staff recognition, we have two spring music performances, and we encourage families and community members to come out and support our student musicians.

On Wednesday, May 6, DNHS Music will present its Instrumental Spring Concert from 6:00 to 8:00 PM in the Del Norte High School Main Gym. The concert will include the world premiere of a new piece by Yukiko Nishimura, written for the DNHS Band. Admission is free.

Then, on Friday, May 8, the All Crescent City Jazz Night will take place at 6:00 PM in the Crescent Elk Auditorium. This event will feature performances by DN Steel Band, Tsunami Swing, Smith River Jazz, Crescent Elk Jazz, DNHS Bands A and B, and the DNHS Combined Band. Admission is free, and donations to the music programs are appreciated.

We hope our community will join us for these performances and help celebrate the hard work and talent of our students and music programs.

Bus Driver Hiring Information Session
Also coming up, our Transportation Department is hosting a Bus Driver Hiring Information Session on Monday, May 18, at 3:00 PM, in the IMC at the Del Norte Community School, located at 400 West Harding Avenue, here in Crescent City.

This session is for anyone interested in learning more about becoming a school bus driver. No prior bus-driving experience is required. Attendees can learn about paid training, job requirements, application support, pay and benefits, and eligibility for the district’s new $5,000 driver incentive.

School transportation is essential for many Del Norte students, and we are looking for dependable, service-minded people who want to help students get to school safely and ready to learn.

Facilities Master Plan Community Input Session
I’d like to invite interested community members to participate in a districtwide Facilities Master Plan input session on Wednesday, May 20, at 4:30 PM, at the District Office Board Room, located at 301 West Washington Boulevard.

The Facilities Master Plan will help guide long-term facilities priorities and future project planning across the district. Community input is an important part of this process because it helps us understand what matters most to students, families, staff, and the broader community.

We encourage anyone interested in the future of our school facilities to attend.

E3 Summer Program
Looking ahead to summer, the E3 Program, a job exploration and readiness program offered by the County Office of Education, is now accepting applications from high school students interested in summer job opportunities. E3 stands for Experience, Education, and Employment and is open to high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors who want to earn a paycheck and up to 10 high school elective credits this summer.

Students can pick up an application at the DNHS Counseling Office, the main offices at Castle Rock, Sunset, or Community School, or at the SMART Workforce Center at 875 5th Street.

All applications are due by May 22. For more information, families can check out the E3 Summer Youth Program on Facebook or contact Mr. Fabricius at tfabricius@dnusd.org or 707-464-0380.

ELOP Summer Program Registration
Registration is now open for the ELOP Summer Program for DNUSD-enrolled TK through sixth-grade students. Incoming TK students may also apply, but they must be pre-registered for the 2026–2027 school year and meet the minimum age requirement for enrollment.

The program will run in two sessions: June 15 through June 26, and June 29 through July 10. Sessions run Monday through Friday from 7:30 AM to 5:00 PM, except for June 19 or July 3 when programs will be closed for holiday observances.

Students will receive breakfast, lunch, and snacks and will take part in academic activities, STEM, arts and crafts, outdoor activities, and field trips, depending on transportation availability.

Registration closes Friday, May 15, and acceptance notifications will begin going out by May 22. Families can register now at dnusd.org/summer

Del Norte High School Sports Update
Finally, Del Norte High School spring athletics continue this week with several events at home.

Track and field will compete at Del Norte on Tuesday, May 5, for the White Star trials, and again on Saturday, May 9, for the White Star Championship Meet.

Varsity baseball and varsity softball will both host Eureka at Del Norte on Wednesday, May 6, with games scheduled for 4:00 PM.
We wish all of our student-athletes, coaches, and teams the best of luck this week and thank our families and community for supporting Warrior athletics.

That’s it for this week’s update. We’ll see you next week. Thank you.