Hello everybody!
For the sake of clarity and getting our awesome kids off to a great start to the school year, this RAMpage is dedicated to clarifying policies and procedures as we get over 1,000 teens settled into classrooms. As always, let us know if you have any other questions.
First Day of School, Student Schedules and Campus Map
The first day of school is a short Wednesday and we are so excited to see our kids. They did great at orientation and are ready to go. Here are some things to keep in mind:
- All students will have the opportunity to eat breakfast and lunch on campus at no cost. Students are also welcome to bring their own lunch. Students may not receive food from any delivery service. Like other schools, we have water bottle refill stations and encourage students to bring their own water bottles.
- All students will enter campus on the West side, near the student parking lot, between the S and C buildings. No other gates will be open. They will also exit here at the end of the day.
- Campus Map: DHS Campus MAP 2023.24 website map.pdf
Have your student take a picture of their schedule and the map for the first day so they have it on their phone for easy reference.
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- Students should bring their School ID card to school every day. They use their card to check out their textbooks from the library and to get food in the cafeteria.
- While we make every effort to have accurate schedules for all students, there are occasionally things that need to be fixed. It is very important that students go to every class on their current schedule! With over 1,000 students, we need to fix schedules in a prioritized manner. Please remind your student that it may take several days to get their schedule fixed and all teachers are aware of this. We know it takes a bit to get things settled.
- If your student schedule has a serious error, please email your counselor. Mrs. Becerra sees all students with last names beginning with A-La and Mr. Rodriguez sees students with last names beginning with Le-Z.
- Maria Becerra (mbecerra@dixonusd.org)
- Ricardo Rodriguez (rrodriguez@dixonusd.org)
Thank You to the DHS PTO!!
Our PTO is THE BEST!! They have helped welcome kids and are showering our staff with love…and lots of goodies. Thank you!
Please join the PTO if you get a chance. Their next meeting is Tuesday, August 15.
Communication
I am committed to open, frequent communication with students and families, and I need you to do the same. High School life goes very, very fast, and our kids need all of us supporting them and cheering them on. With this in mind, here are some things to keep in mind:
- Students’ lives are really complicated, especially our seniors. There will be student information in every RAMpage but it won’t include everything for the entire year. Rather, it will include what they need to know and or do most immediately. You can imagine that trying to deal with senior year, college applications, career decisions, FAFSA, saying goodbye, playing your last high school athletic season, preparing to live away from home, etc can be overwhelming. Please work with me in helping our students be present in the moment.
- In addition to messaging, we use Facebook to communicate through three approved pages: the page titled “Dixon High School,”the page titled “Dixon High School PTO,” and a page titled “Dixon High School Athletics.”
- We always, always, welcome your questions! Please call or email any time so we can answer your questions or help, especially if you are new to our school. I am available via email at smarquez@dixonusd.org or by phone 707-693-6330, ext 7113, and I am happy to help or get you to the right person to help you.
School Supplies
All DHS students will be provided Chromebooks, binders and planners to be used in all classes, at school. You do not need to purchase these things. Students will only need loose-leaf binder paper, graph paper, pens and pencils, maybe a highlighter or two, and possibly some colored pencils. Of course, we can provide these things as well as needed. In addition, math students may need calculators but we have calculators students can check out. Just so you are aware, I highly recommend you do not purchase any supplies (other than paper and some pens/pencils) until you have heard from your student’s teachers.
Attendance
Attendance in high school is critical to student success. When students miss class, it not only affects their academic progress but it also affects students socio-emotional and mental health. High school moves fast and it is really hard for students when they miss. Please make sure your student attends every class, every day, on time and when your student has to miss class, please communicate with our Attendance Office. I will send more information about how to do this in the next few weeks.
IMPORTANT: This year, most of our students will be starting school at the same time (8:30 am). This means traffic will be challenging! We have supervision on campus and places for kids to go as early as 7:30 am so please get here early, rather than late. If you have students at other sites, would it be possible to drop off your high school student first? Also, teenagers are kind of funny about time. Please take a moment to remind them that the tardy bell rings at 8:30 am. This means they need to get to school BEFORE THEN!! 🙂
Resources
2023-2024 Attendance Calendar
2023-2024 Student and Parent Handbook
2023-2024 Manuel Para Estudiantes y Padres
2023-2024 DHS Bell Schedule
2023-24 Final Board Approved Calendar.pdf
2023-2024 DHS Campus Map
Questions or concerns:
Please do not hesitate to reach out to me directly if you have any questions or concerns. I proudly serve this community and can be reached by email or phone any time.
Warmly,
Stephanie Marquez
Proud Principal of Dixon High School
smarquez@dixonusd.org
(707) 693-6330 ext.7113