Twin Peaks Middle School
Weekly RAM Newsletter
From the desk of Principal Mills - Sunday, October 10th, 2021
Happy Sunday, Ram Families!
I hope you are all well and enjoying the weekend, hopefully finding time to get outside and enjoy the amazing fall weather here in San Diego! We had another learning-filled week at TPMS, only partially interrupted by some much-needed rain. Please make sure to read through the sections below in this week's newsletter with information on:
- Joining the PTSA - it's not too late!
- Student art and writing contests
- Our WEB Chipotle fundraiser this Tuesday night
- Updates on the Step-It Up prizes and Day of Awesomeness!
PUSD is hiring! If you, a family member, friend, or neighbor have ever wanted to work as part of #TeamPUSD - now is the time! We are hiring for Instructional Assistants, ASES staff, clerical and custodial staff, bus drivers, noon duties, and we are always in need of great substitute teachers! If you have any interest or have questions, please CLICK HERE to access the PUSD Employment Opportunities webpage.
We are continuing to receive questions regarding school pictures. I know some parents have been able to order pictures and others have been told their images have been lost - we apologize for the conflicting information. We have been in communication with Lifetouch Photos about the inconsistent communication and they are re-running all of the orders and printing proofs. Once we receive the proofs, we will communicate out to families when they can expect their students to bring them home and what next steps for ordering look like. We apologize for all the confusion and are hoping to have the issue resolved as soon as possible.
Please continue to make sure your student is charging their Chrome book overnight each night in preparation for being able to use their device the next day at school. Our library has a limited number of loaner Chrome books for students and has been inundated lately with the high demand. Additionally, having to go to the library for a Chromebook takes students away from valuable instructional time - we want our students to be in class with their teachers as much as possible! Please see the "Chromebook 101" section below with some suggestions on how to have your students take responsibility for their device.
Finally this week, our Joint Equity Council with TBES will be meeting this Wednesday at 4:00pm via Zoom for our monthly meeting. Our guest this Wednesday is Dr. Shawntanet Jara, the new PUSD Director of Equity and Improvement, who will be sharing her vision for PUSD's equity work and the role of school-based organizations like ours to lead and support this work. If you would like to attend, please complete the Google form LINKED HERE to be included on the Zoom invite.
In Partnership,
Steve Mills
Proud Principal
Twin Peaks Middle School
1(858)748-5131 x2806
Instagram: @principalmills_twinpeaks
UPCOMING EVENTS:
TPMS NEWS AND EVENTS - bit.ly/tpmsevents
October 13th: TBES/TPMS Equity Council Meeting, 4:00-5:00pm @Zoom
October 14th: Late Start Schedule, 9:15am start
October 15th: Mt. Sac Invitational Cross Country Meet
October 19th: TPMS Foundation Meeting, 6pm @Zoom
October 21st: Late Start Schedule, 9:15am start
October 21st: PTSA Board Meeting, 6:15pm @Zoom
October 22nd: ASB Movie Night in the Quad, 5:00-8:30pm *ticket required!
October 25th: TPMS Professional Growth Day - No Students
WEB Chipotle Fundraiser
ASES Needs You!
- Plan and lead organized games, crafts, and activities for middle school students
- Be a positive role model
- Share your interests & hobbies with youth
- Morning and Afternoon shifts available
Click here for information on how to apply!
DAR Middle School Essay Contest
Step-It Up Fundraiser Update!
PTSA Appreciates Your Support!
If you have not done so already, please join the PTSA by going online to our website at www.tpmsptsa.org/membership/. Also, if you are able, please take a moment to give a small donation of just $25 to our organization either online or by check (please click here for flyer). The PTSA does not host many fundraisers throughout the year and it is primarily through parent donations that we are able to fund the programs that we provide at TPMS. If you have any questions, or would like more information about the PTSA, please contact me at ptsaprestpms@gmail.com.
Mikki Trusheim, PTSA President
Chromebook 101
Please remember to have your student charge their Chromebook every night and bring it with them to school each day. Please work with them to create a routine by having your student place their backpack next to the charging Chromebook before they go to bed each night so they won't forget it. Another suggestion is for students to set a reminder on their phone for each weekday to bring their Chromebook with them to school.
Please help out our TPMS library staff - they are averaging about 30 Chromebook checkouts a day, in addition to forgotten chargers, and this is taking them away from their other library responsibilities. We appreciate anything you can do to work with your students to charge and bring their Chromebook to school with them each day!
National PTSA Reflections Contest
COVID-19 Updates for Ram Families
If you haven't already, please take a few minutes to review the Covid-19 Health and Safety Protocols video, with explanations of the quarantine options available to families if your student should test positive or is identified as a close contact. Please CLICK HERE to access this information on our website. The most recent information about the current guidelines and COVID-19 requirements can be accessed HERE on the PUSD main webpage.
Please make sure to continue screening your student daily for any symptoms related to the virus before they arrive to school. Please keep your student at home if they exhibit any symptoms of Covid-19 and get them tested at your earliest convenience. (CLICK HERE for FREE testing options in SD County) People with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported – ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. Please remember that symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus, so please keep your student home if they exhibit any symptoms. If your child does test positive, please notify us immediately.
School Safety Parent Handout: Please click on the link below to view a handout that explains the measures being taken at TPMS, as well as local and state guidance and resources regarding Covid-19.
Getting Back to School Safely Parent Handout
Getting Back to School Safely Parent Handout | SpanishMASKING GUIDELINES:
- Indoors with Students: Face masks are MANDATORY for all adults and students, except those with a documented medical excuse on file with our Heath Technician.
- Indoors with Adults ONLY: Masks are OPTIONAL for fully vaccinated adults and MANDATORY for unvaccinated adults.
- Outdoors: Masks are optional for everyone, regardless of vaccination status.
- The CDPH will reevaluate its masking guidelines by November 1, 2021.
Governor Newsom's announcement on Friday, 10/1/21 that Covid vaccinations will be required for California students and staff once the FDA fully approves vaccinations will not have any immediate impact on our current Covid guidelines and protocols. The timeline for implementation will be based on FDA approval, which could be anywhere from January 1, 2022 to January 1, 2023. As always, PUSD will be working with guidance from the CDPH to implement these requirements.
Please CLICK HERE to access the updated PUSD Covid Decision Tree with updated quarantine requirements.
K-12 Annual Calendar Contest
The San Diego County Air Pollution Control District’s (APCD) Annual Kids Calendar Contest has begun! We invite students in grades K-12 to enter the contest. We are accepting submissions from now until Friday, November 19, 2021.
Entries may be submitted by mail and this year we have added the option of submitting entries via email. Emailed entries must not exceed 10 mb in size. To enter the contest, submit original artwork along with the entry form available on our website: bit.ly/sdapcdoutreach Additional contest information is also available on our website including the contest rules and how to submit your entry.
At the APCD, our mission is to improve air quality to protect public health and the environment. While we are working hard every day to reduce air pollution in San Diego County, we realize we cannot do this alone and need the help of students. We want to encourage you to think about the importance of clean, breathable air and help spread the word about what the average person can do to help us all breathe a little easier. As such, with your help, we will be creating a 2022 calendar where each month will showcase your air quality artwork. The calendar art will be chosen in a contest where the 13 most creative designs (1 for the cover and 1 for each month) are selected from student entries for grades K through 12.
The artwork must demonstrate ways to reduce air pollution and may include a clean air message. Also, the APCD website will have a gallery of all the submissions. The contest begins immediately, and all submissions must be postmarked by Friday, November 19, 2021.
The entry form can be found on our website here: bit.ly/sdapcdoutreach
Parent Education Course on Stress All Grades
Parent Education Course on Stress Grades K-5
Positive Parenting Program (PPP) Webinar
Shop Amazon through TPMS Foundation
Twin Peaks Middle School
Email: chamilton@powayusd.com
Website: http://tpms.powayusd.com/index.html
Phone: 858.748.5131
Twitter: @TwinPeaksRams