Twin Peaks Middle School
Weekly RAM Newsletter
From the desk of Principal Mills - Sunday, 2/14/21
Happy Sunday Ram Families!
I hope this newsletter finds you all well and enjoying the long President's weekend - please remember that there is NO SCHOOL on Monday, 2/15 and Friday, 2/19. We will resume with virtual classes on Tuesday, 2/16 at 8:30am with periods 2, 4, and 6. If you have questions about the school calendar, please click HERE to access the most updated version. If you have questions about the bell schedule, please click HERE to see our Monday-Thursday schedule, Virtual Friday schedule and the times for teacher's office hours.
RE-OPENING UPDATE: The PUSD School Board met this past Thursday night and directed district staff to submit an application to the state to have their reopening plan considered for secondary reopening while still in the purple tier. This is a new process the state just recently implemented, so details are still unclear about when this process will begin and how long it will take. What we can tell from this decision, and based on the current data from the county and state, is that we are definitely moving in the direction of reopening Twin Peaks at some point this spring for our A/B cohorts. In order to prepare for this, we recently divided our students returning to campus into an A cohort (attend classes on campus Monday and Tuesday), and a B cohort (attend classes on campus Wednesday and Thursday).
You should have received an email on Friday titled "Cohort Assignment Notification" letting you know if your student is signed up to remain virtual, in cohort A or in cohort B. We know that for some of you, circumstances have changed and the cohort assignment you originally requested does not work. For others, you have decided to remain virtual, and for some we didn't get the cohort assignment correct from surveys #1-99... we apologize for any confusion, and want to make sure we have students assigned correctly no matter what the circumstances. If you need a cohort adjustment from what was emailed to you, please complete the Google Form linked HERE at your earliest convenience.
As we celebrate Black History Month and President Lincoln's birthday this Monday, I wanted to remind you that there are still several opportunities for students and parents to get involved in the ongoing equity work that PUSD is leading. Students - you still have about two weeks left to be a part of the Racial Equity Challenge; checkout the website linked HERE and let us hear your voice! You have choice over your topic, focus and medium you utilize to express yourself - participants will be recognized for their contributions!
Parents - consider being a part of the TBES/TPMS Equity Council as we partner to help guide this work as a united school community. Our first meeting is this Tuesday, February 16th from 6-7pm, please click HERE if you would like to join our Zoom meeting.
Finally this week, I wanted to take a moment to recognize our students, and the amazing work that they are doing during virtual learning. I had the opportunity to shadow one of our 6th graders this past week during his virtual classes; I attended his zooms, I sat in his breakout rooms, and I did the work he was assigned for 3 block periods. It wasn't easy. Trying to stay focused for 80 minutes of class time or being asked to interact with other students in a break out room is difficult virtually, especially if you need help or have a question and can't get the immediate support that would be there in a brick and mortar classroom.
Please remember that our students are being asked to do something that no other students in the long history of education have ever been asked to do before - they are trailblazers and pioneers, and they are doing it despite it being incredibly hard. Please take a moment over this long weekend to let them know how proud we are of them, the work they are doing, and the sacrifices they are making socially and emotionally during this pandemic. We're excited for the prospect of reopening in the near future and can't wait to have students back on campus!
With gratitude,
Steve Mills
Proud Principal
Twin Peaks Middle School
1(858)748-5131 x2806
UPCOMING EVENTS:
2/15: President's Day - NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS
2/16: TIP Celebration Drive-thru, 2:30-4:30pm
2/16: TBES/TPMS Equity Council Meeting, Zoom @6:30pm
2/19: Lincoln's Birthday - NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS
2/25: Character Counts Celebration #2, Zoom 4-5pm
3/10: 5th Grade Parent Night @TPMS, Zoom - 6-7pm
3/16: 8th Grade Parent Night @PHS, Zoom - 5-7pm
3/24: iReady Parent Information Night, Zoom 6-7pm
ASB Announcements
Quarter 2 TIP Celebration Drive-Thru Event!
Congratulations to all of the Totally Incredible People who earned TIP for their Quarter 2 Report Cards. TIP students are students who received all O’s in Conduct on their Report Cards. We will be holding a Drive-Thru Celebration for our TIP Students this Tuesday, February 16th from 2:30-4:30. There will be goodie bags, a prize wheel, and even a special guest appearance by our friend Rambo the Ram! We look forward to seeing our TIP students and celebrating them for this incredible achievement!
The Global Uplift Project - update!
Thank you to all of the generous families who have helped Ms. Keller’s Advanced Leadership students work towards their goal of raising $1000 to build a school for children in need in Malacatoya, Nicaragua. Thanks to your donations, we are more than halfway to our goal! If you have some spare change, and would like to make a cash donation, we’ll be collecting donations in front of TPMS on Tuesday, February 16th from 2:30-4:30 PM. We hope to see you there! If you can’t make it to our Drive-Thru Donation Event, but would like to make a donation, you can still donate online at [bit.ly/tpmsTGUP]bit.ly/tpmsTGUP. Thank you for your support in teaching our students the joy of giving back!!
Hey Parents! Want to know what’s going on at Twin Peaks? Bookmark bit.ly/tpmsevents on your home computer and have daily access to the resources and links to fun activities that are being shared with your student every week on their teacher’s Canvas pages and on the Grade Level Google Classroom pages!
Global Uplift Project
Hello TPMS Families! This year, our school is partnering with The Global Uplift Project to help raise money to build a school for children in need in Malacatoya, Nicaragua. CLICK HERE for a video that will tell you more about the project. If every TPMS family could donate just $1 – that’s less than the cost of a soda these days – we could raise over $1000 to help reach our goal. Please consider joining us in making the world a better place. Visit bit.ly/tpmsTGUP to make a donation today!
HOW CAN PARENTS AND STUDENTS GET INVOLVED?!
THE RACIAL JUSTICE CHALLENGE: The Poway Unified School District and Twin Peaks Middle School Racial Justice Challenge strives to create a world that celebrates diversity and provides students with the opportunity to share their voice and their gifts with their community, and the world.
The Challenge: Here at Twin Peaks, we know that we have many students with immense artistic and creative talents that deserves to be shared and celebrated. Students are challenged to create a performance piece or work of art to convey a message that honors Black History Month or any topic that celebrates Racial Diversity. We’ve created an immersive website for students to explore these topics and gain inspiration if they choose to participate in this challenge. CLICK HERE to visit.
- TPMS/TBES Joint Racial Equity Council: Twin Peaks MS will be partnering with our neighbor elementary, Tierra Bonita ES, to continue the racial equity work that was started by PUSD earlier this school year. The goal of this group is to provide feedback and guidance as we implement the guidelines and suggestions of the PUSD Racial Equity Plan. Parents who are interested in being a part of this council are encouraged to join - our first meeting is scheduled for February 16th! Please CLICK HERE to access the Equity Council Sign-up form.
- Student Engagement Feedback Form: In previous newsletters we have spoke of the need to encourage students to turn their web cameras on during class time. We received several emails with some great suggestions, so we wanted to open it up and encourage students to provide us with your feedback! Students - please take a moment and complete the feedback form LINKED HERE. Thanks in advance for your time and feedback!
The Gen Z Project - Starting Thursday, February 18th
Tutoring Available
The National Honor Society (NHS) at Poway High School provides tutoring for any student in need of it. Please complete this Google Form if you are interested: https://forms.gle/bSXPRCkeEUM4FmVC7
Caring Connections Counseling (CCC)
The CCC Parent Counseling Resource page is now updated. Please click HERE to view all the resources available on Crisis Counseling, Food and Diaper Assistance, Parenting Support, Mental Health Support, and Self-Care.
Programa de crianza positiva para adolescentes
Shortened February Break
A reminder to families that the 2021 February break has been shortened from five days off to just two days off due to COVID-19 related adjustments to the 2020-21 school year calendar. There is no school on Monday, February 15 and Friday, February 19 due to the observance of Washington’s and Lincoln’s birthdays. However, school will be in session Tuesday through Thursday, February 16 through February 18, so students are expected to attend class on those three days. Spring Break remains the same, Monday, April 12 through Friday, April 16. The last day of school was changed to Friday, June 18, 2021. You can view the official District calendar by clicking here.
TPMS FOUNDATION RED ENVELOPE FUNDRAISER
The TPMS Foundation would like to encourage you to participate in giving a gift to the school during the 2021 Red Envelope Fundraiser! This year the project we are raising funds for is to upgrade the remaining water fountains with hydration stations. We have four water fountains that still need to be upgraded with hydration stations so students can easily refill thier water bottles. Our goal is to raise $10,950 to pay for this project.
Since the new year is 2021, we are asking for a $41 donation (20 + 21). For ease of use you can donate via Pay Pal here. Or if you were mailed a Red Envelope and you don’t want to donate online, please return the Red Envelope to the office or to your RAM teacher. Thank you for your support and help to start a great New Year!
Climate Change Video Challenge
Climate change is happening now, all around us, and we have an opportunity to reimagine and rebuild our present and future in a fair and just way for all Californians. With this goal in mind, the California Coastal Commission invites California middle and high school students to present a video response to the question: What does climate justice look like to me?
Entry deadline is March 31, 2021.
Visit the website to find all the details on how to enter; helpful background on climate change, climate justice, and climate solutions; and additional resources for educators. https://coastal.ca.gov/climatechallenge/
Career and Volunteer Opportunities at Twin Peaks MS #TeamPUSD
Do you or someone you know enjoy working in an educational environment and possess a passion for helping our students learn and grow? Twin Peaks Middle School is looking for great candidates who can join our Special Education Team as an Instructional Assistant! We have several openings that we need to fill immediately, so if you or someone you know might be interested, please apply using the link below! Starting Pay is $15.51 an hour and positions that are 20 hours or more per week have FULL BENEFITS. We have opportunities for sub positions as well. Click here to apply!
Morning Volunteers Needed!
Do you or someone you know have an hour to volunteer in the mornings to help us with safety screening students as they arrive at school? As we prepare to have more students back on campus each week, our need for morning screeners will certainly increase, and if you have the time - we need you! If you're interested in volunteering from 8-9am to help support our morning check-ins, please complete the form linked HERE! Thanks in advance for your consideration!
TPMS Library is Now Open for Curbside Pickup & Dropoff
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