Friday Community Newsletter

Friday Community Newsletter March 27, 2026 Message from the Superintendent Dear Dixon Unified Community, As we wrap up the second trimester, I encourage all of our families and community members to take a few moments to read through our Second Trimester Report below and learn more about the great work happening across our schools. With Spring Break just around the corner, I hope everyone has the chance to relax and enjoy quality time with family and friends. Please stay safe and take good care during the break. We look forward to welcoming our students and staff back on Tuesday, April 7, refreshed and ready for the final stretch of the school year. Warm regards, Brett Barley  Superintendent   Second Trimester Report   Dear Dixon Unified School Community, We are excited to share that we have successfully completed the second trimester of the 2025–2026 school year! This trimester has been another opportunity to celebrate the growth and accomplishments of our students, staff, and community. Students have continued to show dedication and perseverance in their learning, while educators have provided engaging, meaningful instruction. Families and community partners have supported our schools through events, volunteering and making a real difference in our schools. Together, these efforts have strengthened our community and set the stage for a successful final trimester. We look forward to continuing this momentum and celebrating even more achievements in the months ahead.   District Updates Board Meetings During the second trimester, the District continued its practice of hosting Board of Education meetings at school sites, creating meaningful opportunities to connect with students, staff, and families. Thank you to everyone who has attended and shared valuable thoughts and feedback. These conversations are greatly appreciated, and board members consistently express how much they enjoy hearing about the great work happening across our school sites. Two meetings remain before the end of the school year. All meetings begin at 6:00 p.m.: April 16 – Anderson May 21 – Dixon High School We encourage continued participation as we engage with our community and highlight the success of our schools. Dual Immersion Our highly successful Dual Immersion program continues to grow, providing expanded opportunities for students to become bilingual while excelling academically. The program currently serves students in Transitional Kindergarten through 3rd grade at Gretchen Higgins Elementary School, and we are excited to share that 4th grade will be added beginning next school year. Families interested in enrolling can visit the District Enrollment Portal and complete the application process. Once processed, families will receive confirmation of placement. This program offers a unique and enriching educational experience, and due to high interest, enrollment is limited. We encourage families to apply early and reach out to Gretchen Higgins Elementary School for any questions or support with the enrollment process.   Inside Our Schools Dixon High Barn & Greenhouse Dixon High School recently celebrated the opening of its barn, marking an exciting milestone for the agricultural program. With this facility now in use, Dixon students have a dedicated space to house and care for their animals. The school barn strengthens opportunities for students to engage in agriculture education, develop responsibility, and apply classroom knowledge in real-world settings. This space reflects the continued commitment to supporting student programs and enhancing learning environments across the district. Winter Sports Dixon High School and John Knight Middle School celebrated s successful winter sports season, highlighting the hard work and dedication of the student-athletes. A special congratulations goes to Jamison Abrenica of the Dixon High Boys Basketball Team for reaching an incredible milestone of 1,000 career points. This achievement reflects Jamison’s commitment, skill, and perseverance on the court, and is a proud moment for the entire Dixon High School community.  CTE and AP Courses Two new Career and Technical Education (CTE) classes, Food Science and Child Development, are underway this year, led by new teacher Caroline Karuti, and they are already proving to be a great success. In Food Science, students are actively gaining hands-on experience with a variety of culinary skills. From making pasta and naan bread to pizza and more, students are exploring the science behind cooking while building practical kitchen skills. In Child Development, students are learning about early childhood growth and development, gaining valuable insight into how young children learn and grow. This course is especially beneficial for students interested in careers in education, childcare, or related fields. Dixon High School recently hosted a Course Expo and Art Fair, giving students and families an opportunity to explore the wide range of classes available for the upcoming school year. The event featured CTE programs, AP courses, and student artwork, creating an engaging and informative experience for attendees. Teachers and students were present to share insights, answer questions, and help recruit for their programs, highlighting the benefits and opportunities each pathway offers. Students can now select their courses for the upcoming school year. Check out the full list of CTE and AP courses here Dixon High School Course Catalog.  Social Media Safety On March 3rd, the Organization for Social Media Safety visited Dixon High School, Maine Prairie High School, and John Knight Middle School to present important assemblies for students, followed later in the day by a parent workshop. The presentations focused on helping students and families navigate the risks of social media, including cyberbullying, sexual harassment, hate speech, sexting, human trafficking, and mental health challenges. These age-appropriate sessions provided students with practical strategies to stay safe online and respond effectively to potential dangers. Parents also had the opportunity to learn more about protecting their children and supporting safe social media use at home. Thank you to all the students for listening and engaging during the assemblies, and a special thank you to the parents for coming out to learn more and support safe social media use at home. Math Curriculum John Knight Middle School is successfully implementing Amplify Desmos Math as the new mathematics curriculum for grades 6–8 for the 2025–2026 school year. This student-centered program is now fully underway, and students are excelling as they engage with this fresh, hands-on approach to learning math. Dixon Unified is committed to supporting John Knight teachers and leaders in delivering the curriculum with excellence. Throughout the school year, the district is providing ongoing professional development to ensure educators have the tools and resources needed to provide high-quality instruction and help students reach their full potential. STARS Network Partnership John Knight Middle School is excited to launch a new partnership with the STARS College Network, a national initiative designed to expand college access for students from small-town and rural communities. This partnership will provide John Knight students with personalized college advising, resources, and guidance to explore higher education opportunities they might not otherwise have access to. Through the STARS Network, students will receive support in navigating the college application process, learning about scholarships, and planning for their academic futures. This collaboration is designed to empower students, build confidence, and open doors to postsecondary opportunities that help them reach their full potential. Bike Safety Dixon Unified is in partnership with Safe Routes to School, a program focused on keeping students safe while encouraging active transportation. Safe Routes recently visited John Knight Middle School to provide free helmets and bike repairs, helping students ride safely to and from school. To continue this effort, the Safe Routes will host the Dixon Community Bike Fair on Friday, April 24, 2026, from 12:00 to 3:00 PM in the John Knight Middle School parking lot at the corner of N 4th St. and E C St.  The event will feature free bike tune-ups, helmet fittings, interactive activities, program information from local organizations, and ice cream treats for purchase, offering a fun and educational way for families to celebrate biking and safety. A special thank you to all families for reminding your students to wear helmets and practice bike safety. Your support helps keep our students safe every day. John Knight Middle School Strengthens Student Success Through PBIS At John Knight Middle School, PBIS is an important part of creating a positive and supportive school environment. It helps students understand expectations, develop consistent routines, and build the skills they need to succeed academically and socially. By focusing on positive behavior and clear structures, PBIS supports a safe and welcoming learning environment where all students can thrive. Since the start of the school year, our PBIS program has established clear class and grade-level expectations, reviewed schoolwide norms, and aligned best practices with staff to ensure consistency across classrooms. Students participate in assemblies, recognition ceremonies, and reteaching sessions to reinforce expectations and celebrate achievements. Initiatives like MAV Bucks, the student store, and the Staff/Teacher of the Week program continue to motivate and reward positive behavior. The PBIS team regularly reviews data, updates the handbook, and provides professional development to support staff in maintaining a consistent and effective approach. From now through the end of the school year, John Knight will continue data cycles, reteaching, and recognition events such as Honor Roll. Avid Showcase Tremont Elementary once again hosted an AVID Showcase, further solidifying its recognition as an AVID Showcase School and its commitment to preparing all students for college and career success. At Tremont, AVID has fostered a culture where students are encouraged to reach their full potential, actively engage in their learning, and build skills for success beyond middle school. We extend a heartfelt thank you to the educators and visitors from across the region who joined us to see our students in action. We also recognize Tremont’s dedicated teachers and staff for leading the event, our student ambassadors for representing their school with pride, and Principal Foster for her continued leadership in making the AVID Showcase a meaningful and memorable experience. Walk to Read Dixon Unified has been seeing amazing progress with our students through the Walk to Read program. After spending last year reviewing early literacy programs across all three elementary schools, the “Walk to Read” program was developed to ensure every student receives the precise reading instruction they need. This dedicated time occurs four days a week and is personalized for each child, with instruction updated multiple times a year. Teachers and paraprofessionals meet regularly with all 1,100 Kindergarten through 5th Grade students to place them in reading groups tailored specifically to their needs. Now in its sixth round, Walk to Read is already showing measurable growth in student reading results. We extend our sincere appreciation to all of our team of teachers and paraprofessionals for their dedication in making this program a success. Their efforts in assessments, data meetings, planning, and training continue to ensure that Walk to Read supports every student’s literacy growth. PBIS Supports Positive Behavior in Our Elementary School In our elementary schools, PBIS helps create a safe and positive learning environment by teaching and rewarding students for being safe, responsible, and respectful. Students earn Spirit Bucks from teachers and staff for making good choices, which they can spend at Spirit Stores on campus for fun prizes. Thank you to families for supporting PBIS at home, and if you’d like to help, contact your school’s PTO to donate prizes or assist with the program. PBIS celebrates students’ successes and helps all of our schools stay safe, supportive, and fun places to learn. Support Closets Provide Essential Resources for Students and Families At Anderson, Dixon High, and Maine Prairie, their support closets remain open to assist students and families across the district. These closets provide free essentials, including food, clothing, and other necessary supplies, and are available whenever they are needed. They also welcome donations, and we greatly appreciate the community’s continued support in keeping these resources stocked.   Thank You for Being Part of Our Community! Contact Information If you have any feedback or additional events/activities to share please feel free to reach out to:  Public Information Officer: Isabella Quiniola at isabella.quiniola@dixonusd.org Call us: (707) 693-6300 

Saturday, Mar 28 2026

Friday Community Newsletter

Friday Community Newsletter November 21, 2025 Superintendent's Message Dear Dixon Unified Families, We want to share some highlights from last night's Board Meeting and wish everyone a wonderful upcoming break. During the "Recognition" portion of our meeting last night, we had the privilege of celebrating several outstanding contributions and achievements within our district. First, we want to extend a huge thank you to everyone who worked to make the Fall Festival last weekend such a resounding success. It was wonderful to see our community come together for this event. Second, we also recognized the students and staff of Tremont Elementary for their successful AVID Showcase. Tremont students and staff did a great job "showcasing" our AVID program for educators from across Northern California who traveled long distances to see our work in action. Finally, we celebrated a group of 39 students who were recognized for being reclassified as English proficient. This is a significant academic milestone that represents years of hard work and dedication. We also want to offer a special thank you to Principal Bugalski and the entire John Knight Middle School team for hosting our Board Meeting last night. It was invaluable to be on-site and hear directly from staff and students about the great work happening at JKMS. As part of their comprehensive report to the Board, the JKMS team discussed the following items: Accelerated Math  Anti-Bullying and WEB Leaders AVID UC Davis Field Trip Extracurricular Activities - Sports, Dances, Drama, Science Field Trip Friday Spirit Days and Rally's Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports Safe Routes to School Staff Spotlight STARS College Partnership Last night, the Board also took important action to reestablish our Citizens Bond Oversight Committee (CBOC). We are pleased to announce the appointment of six new members to this important committee. We look forward to their partnership and oversight as we continue our work to maintain and improve our facilities. Finally, we are excited to share that the first trimester report is now available below. I also want to wish everyone a happy and restful Thanksgiving Break next week. I hope you have the opportunity to relax, recharge, and enjoy quality time with your loved ones. Warm regards, Brett Barley  Superintendent   First Trimester Report Dear Dixon Unified School Community, It’s hard to believe but we recently completed the first trimester of the 2025–2026 school year! We are proud to celebrate the growth and achievements of our students, staff, and community. Students have demonstrated dedication and resilience in their learning, while educators have continued to provide engaging and meaningful instruction. Families and community partners have supported our schools through events, volunteering, and active involvement. Together, these efforts have contributed to a strong start to the year, and we look forward to building on this momentum in the months ahead.   Student Attendance Last year we made increasing student attendance a priority. As a result, we saw increases across the district in student attendance. This year, DUSD schools continue to demonstrate strong attendance across the district. While there are slight variations compared to last year, overall attendance remains high. All of our school sites are striving to achieve a 96% attendance rate. Strong attendance has the twin benefits of: 1) more learning for students and 2) more funding for DUSD. Keep up the great work, Dixon families!   District Updates Math Curriculum Dixon Unified School District (DUSD) officially implemented Amplify Desmos Math as the new mathematics curriculum for Kindergarten through 8th grade at the start of the 2025–2026 school year. This student-centered program is now in use at all elementary schools and John Knight Middle School, bringing a fresh approach to math instruction. Dixon Unified is deeply committed to ensuring that our teachers and leaders are fully supported in implementing our new math curriculum with excellence. Over the course of this school year DUSD is making a substantial and sustained investment in professional development for teachers and school leaders so that they have the tools they need to deliver the highest quality math instruction.   Early Literacy DUSD spent last year investigating its early literacy programs across all three of our elementary schools. Based on last year’s observations, the district developed a new early literacy program called “Walk to Read” that ensures that all students get exactly the right reading instruction they need. This dedicated time, four days a week, is personalized for every child and is updated multiple times a year. Each time we update our instruction to students, teachers and paraprofessionals meet with all 1,100 of our Kindergarten through 5th Grade students to ensure that they are assigned to a reading group that is tailored especially for them. We are now in our second round of this program and we are already starting to see growth in our elementary school reading results.    We extend our sincere appreciation to Stephanie Roupp, Mayte Guidino, Angela Cortez, and all of our paraprofessionals and teachers for their dedication and commitment in making this program a success for our students. Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) PBIS is an evidence-based framework schools use to create a safe, predictable, and positive learning environment for all students. It focuses on proactively teaching and reinforcing desired behaviors, rather than solely using punishment, to improve academic and social outcomes. The system is proactive and reactive, establishing school-wide expectations, teaching social-emotional skills, and providing tiered supports based on student needs. Through DUSD’s school based PBIS systems, DUSD students earn “school bucks” from school staff for demonstrating behaviors that align with our schools’ behavior expectations, such as being safe, responsible, and respectful. Students can then use their school bucks at PBIS stores located in their own schools to select from a variety of fun prizes. These stores provide a tangible way to recognize and reward students for their positive choices, helping to foster a safe, respectful, and supportive learning environment. PBIS not only celebrates individual student successes but also promotes a positive school culture where all students can thrive. Each school site has a PBIS team consisting of school staff that receive coaching from the Solano County Office of Education. Last year, Tremont Elementary was recognized for receiving “Silver” status for their PBIS program. New Principal at Anderson Elementary We are thrilled to welcome Mele Blackstone as the new Principal at Anderson Elementary! Since joining the school, she has already made a wonderful impression and is so loved by students, staff, and families. We are excited to see her leadership continue to inspire and support our school community. New Vice Principal at John Knight Middle School We are excited to welcome Carliza Bataller as the new Vice Principal at John Knight Middle School! She has already made a remarkable impact, engaging with students throughout the school and fitting in seamlessly with the John Knight community. Her positivity and constant smile make her a wonderful presence for both students and staff. Grants Dixon Unified School District is proud to share the grants we have received so far this year, which provide critical support for a variety of programs and initiatives across the district. The district recently won an After School Education & Safety (ASES) grant of $661,319 which funds after-school programs that offer academic support, enrichment activities, and a safe, supervised environment for students. The district also recently won a Perkins Grant, totaling $23,649, to support career and technical education programs, helping students develop the skills needed for college and future careers. This is also the district’s first year implementing the Community School Grant at Anderson Elementary and Maine Prairie High School which will bring $2,137,500 to the district over the next three years and enable Anderson and Maine Prairie to serve “community schools” by providing additional academic, social, and emotional resources for students and families.  We also re-applied for and won the Career Technical Education Incentive Grant (CTEIG) totaling $199,232 to enhance hands-on learning opportunities in high-demand career fields.  Finally, we are thankful to Genentech for providing the district with a grant of $20,000 to assist our schools with sending our Fifth Grade students to Science Camp.   These grants collectively strengthen our ability to provide high-quality educational experiences, enrichment opportunities, and career preparation for all DUSD students. Exciting New CTE Classes at Dixon High School! Dixon High School is thrilled to introduce two new Career and Technical Education (CTE) classes this year: Food Science and Child Development, both led by our new teacher, Caroline Karuti. In Food Science, students are getting hands-on experience with a variety of culinary skills. They’ve already been making pasta, naan bread, pizza, and more, exploring the science behind cooking while developing practical kitchen skills. In Child Development, students are learning about early childhood growth and development, gaining a deeper understanding of how young children learn and grow. This class provides valuable knowledge for anyone interested in careers in education, childcare, or related fields. These new classes give students the opportunity to explore their passions, develop real-world skills, and prepare for future careers, all while having fun and learning in an engaging, hands-on environment. Back to School Festival Families had a wonderful time together at our Back to School Festival! Thanks to the generous support of our community partners, we were able to provide over 500 backpacks to families in need, helping students start the academic year prepared. A big thank you to everyone who participated and attended! Fall Athletics DUSD athletes enjoyed an exciting fall season, marked by notable achievements across a variety of sports. The DHS varsity football team celebrated a milestone with their first bowl game victory, while the flag football varsity team advanced to the second round of the playoffs. The girls’ water polo team made an impressive run to the semifinals, showcasing skill and determination, and the boys’ cross country team is preparing for sectionals in Folsom. John Knight Middle School student Abby Landeros has earned the number one national ranking in her age and belt division in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. In just under two years of training at Team Alpha Fabio Prado Academy, Abby has competed in 17 tournaments, bringing home gold in every single one. Her hard work, determination, and passion are inspiring our entire community. We are incredibly proud of Abby. Dixon High School student Alyvia Dunn played a pivotal role in leading the U.S. U-15 Water Polo Team to a gold medal at the PanAm Aquatics Tournament in Brazil. We are proud to recognize Alyvia for representing our district and country with exceptional skill, dedication, and sportsmanship. Congratulations to Alyvia and the Team USA PanAm U-15 Champions on this outstanding accomplishment. We are incredibly proud of all our student-athletes for their hard work, dedication, and sportsmanship throughout the season. Thank you for your continued support of our students, staff, and schools. We are proud of all that our district has accomplished this trimester and look forward to the great work ahead.   Contact Information If you have any questions or feedback, feel free to reach out to Public Information Officer: Isabella Quiniola at isabella.quiniola@dixonusd.org Call us: (707) 693-6300 

Saturday, Nov 22 2025

Apple Hill Adventures at DUSD Fall Festival! 🍎

Dear Families,  Join us for a night of autumn fun on Saturday, November 15 from 5:00 to 7:30 p.m . at the Dixon High School Quad ! Free admission and all are welcome to join the fun!   Play games and partake in activities hosted by our school organizations for just $1 to $2 and all cash goes back to support our schools and all students.  You’ll also enjoy: 🎶 Music from a DJ and student performances 🍔 Delicious food and seasonal treats 💦 A dunk tank to splash your favorite teachers and staff 🐐 A petting zoo 🎡 Wagon rides, crafts, and so much more All wrapped up in a festive Apple Hill theme Bring your family and friends, support our students, and make amazing fall memories together! F lyers created by DHS Senior Dominic Uhrmacher and DHS Junior  David Sandala Isabella Quiniola Public Information Office 

Monday, Nov 03 2025