Twin Peaks Middle School
Weekly RAM Newsletter
From the desk of Principal Mills - Sunday, November 7th, 2021
Happy Sunday, Ram Families!
I hope everyone is enjoying this first November weekend - it's hard to believe we are getting ready for the Thanksgiving and winter holidays already?! In case you missed it earlier today, Daylight Savings Time ended last night - please make sure you set your clocks back an hour! This Thursday, November 11th, school will be closed in honor of the Veteran's Day holiday - a HUGE THANK YOU to all of our military service members and veterans, past and present, for your sacrifice and service to our country. Please note that Friday, November 12th is a regular school day.
There's a lot of activity happening everyday at TPMS - this past week we had the drama class using the stage to rehearse for their upcoming play early in the week, our WEB leaders were mentoring 6th graders with reading help during lunchtime on Wednesday, and some amazing science labs were being conducted in the quad on Friday. On top of that, we recognized our Character Counts Award winners on Wednesday afternoon, and our student athletes excelled in their flag football win over Black Mountain MS and the final day of golf playoffs. Check out all of the results in the "TPMS Sports Update" section below.
Please make sure to check out the "ASB Updates" section below for information on events happening this week on campus, including our quarter 1 TIP celebration on Tuesday, our Veteran's Day luncheon on Wednesday, and our Pajama Dress-Up day to show support and raise awareness for the American Childhood Cancer Association.
Finally this week, a big THANK YOU to the handful of parents that attended our first Principal Walk & Talk this past Thursday. We had a chance to tour the campus and talk about the physical needs of our buildings and the initiatives we are currently working on to beautify and upgrade our campus. Please keep your eye out for our next Principal Walk & Talk in the new year.
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
November 10th: TBES/TPMS Equity Council, 3:30pm Zoom
November 11th: Veteran's Day Holiday (No School for Students)
November 16th: ELAC Meeting, 5:30pm Pride Park/Library Lab
November 16th: TPMS Foundation Meeting, 6pm Library
November 18th: TPMS PTSA Meeting, 6:15pm Main Library
November 18th: PUSD School Board Meeting, 6pm @Zoom
November 22nd-26th: Thanksgiving Break
December 14th: TPMS Foundation Meeting, 6pm Zoom
December 16th: TPMS PTSA Meeting, 6:15pm Main Library
December 19th-31st: Winter Break
ASB UPDATES!
Q1 TIP Celebration!
Calling all Totally Incredible People! If your student received all O’s in Conduct on their Quarter 1 Report Card, we want to celebrate their excellent behavior and conduct! During lunch on Tuesday, November 9th, students who received all O’s in Conduct can come up to the TIP Table in the Quad and receive a goodie bag from PTSA and ASB, get a picture with Rambo, and more! Thank you to all of the Totally Incredible People who help make TPMS a great place to learn!
Veteran’s Day Luncheon – Wednesday, November 10th
TPMS will be hosting our Annual Veteran’s Day Luncheon on November 10th during both lunches for families of students with parents who are active duty or veterans of the US Military. TPMS Military Families will have received an invitation via email. If you did not receive one, please reach out! There will be no school on November 11th in observation of the holiday.
PJammin for Childhood Cancer – Friday, November 12th
We invite students and staff to wear Pajamas to school on Friday, November 12th to show support for Pjammin for Kids With Cancer and the American Childhood Cancer Association. Stop by the ASB table in the quad on Friday for a Pjammin bracelet to show your support! We will be collecting cash donations in the quad for the ACCO, or CLICK HERE to donate online!
NEXT ELAC MEETING - 11/16/21
No Place For Hate
We had an exciting start to our No Place For Hate work last week. On Tuesday students received an introduction to Amanda Gorman, a young poet, and activist. On Wednesday students viewed the ADL No Place for Hate Back-to-School Kickoff with Amanda Gorman participating in a question and answer with students across the country. On Thursday students completed a Nearpod lesson as a class, signed the Resolution of Respect, and received a yellow bracelet to show solidarity with other students and staff in making Twin Peaks Middle School a No Place for Hate. We encourage TPMS Parents/Guardians to sign the Resolution of Respect HERE.
Checking Student Grades
TPMS Sports Update
Football took on Black Mountain last Thursday and came away with a 38-14 win! Listed below are some highlights from Coach Holm on the football game. This was a big team win and it pushes TPMS to 2-0 in the district. Also a huge thank you to Mr. Jiu for officiating the game!
Brandon Sawyer - TD Pass
Henry Kraft - Multiple TD Passes
Jose Garcia - Interception and a lot of offensive yards
Kamden Altman - Scored a TD
Kemfon Ekiko - Scored a TD
Ryker Boyer - Scored a TD
Rockey Reimer - Played really well on defense and made some great plays
Kyle Sosnowski - Had a great game on defense
Michael Andrade - Played really well on defense
Golf had their final day of course play against Bernardo heights and the kids played extremely well! Listed below are the golf scores!
Let's give a huge shout out to Coach Spy on a great golf season and offering our students an excellent golf program after school!
Basketball Sign-ups Extended
Basketball registration will be extended until Tuesday November 9th! If you're interested in playing basketball please pick up a packet and return it to the front office. Skill evaluations will be held on Monday 11/8 and Wednesday 11/10! Packets must be filled out before you can participate in skill evaluations!
National PTSA Reflections Art Contest - Latest Information!
The PTSA is now accepting online entries for the National PTA's annual Reflections Art Contest! This year's contest will be held virtually and the theme this year is: "I Will Change the World By..." and students are encouraged to get creative and paint, draw, write, video, dance, and compose their interpretation of this year's theme through their art by entering in one or more of the following categories:
- Dance Choreography
- Film Production
- Literature (writing)
- Photography
- Music Composition
- Visual Arts (drawing, painting, mixed media)
To enter the National PTA Reflections Art Contest, go to the link below and submit your entry by Oct. 27 or, this year our PTSA is holding a Twin Peaks only Reflections competition, with a little more time to enter. TPMS only contest entries are due by Dec. 1. Please note: only the National entries will be competing against other schools in our district and the state of California. All entries received after October 27th will still compete schoolwide against their TPMS peers - and the bragging rights will just as awesome!
To enter, go to: https://forms.gle/vqFFNGuVUEmQXptp6
For more on category-specific rules, visit: https://capta.org/resource/participant-forms/
For more info, contact the PTSA Reflections Chair, Krista Mertz at: kristalynnmertz@gmail.com
FREE Webinars for Parents & Caregivers
San Diego County Office of Education is offering two free webinars for free that focus on providing parents and caregivers tool and strategies on supporting their children and managing stress and anxiety.
Click here to view information on a free webinar titled Supporting Your Children During an Uncertain School Year: Tips for Managing Anxiety
Click here to view information on a free webinar titled Cultivating Emotional Resilience & Mental Fitness While Parenting.
TPMS Yearbook Info
Yearbooks are available for $45 until January and then they go up to $50. So get yours now!
Pay by card: Go to www.jostens.com or use the QR code
Pay by cash/check: Download the order form from our webpage
http://tpmsyearbook.weebly.com/ or pick up a form in the office. Return the form and cash or check to the school office.
Calling all proud families of 8th graders here at Twin Peaks! 8th Grade Recognition Ads are open and ready for purchase. Go to www.jostens.com and click on Recognition Ads to start the process of celebrating your 8th grader in this year’s yearbook! Deadline is January 31st so don’t delay!
Want more information about Yearbooks? Go to http://tpmsyearbook.weebly.com/
Parenting & Supporting LGBTQ+ Children & Teens - All Grades
Join Angelle Maua to gain greater understanding of the complexity of Gender Identity, Gender Expression, and the Gender Spectrum.
1. Discuss the use of pronouns
2. How to advocate for gender equity for your child
3. Know your student’s rights and how to be a good ally
4. Learn and understand the nuances of navigating support and difficult conversation, not only with your child but with family and friends.
Session either Via Zoom or In-Person:
Live via Zoom Saturday, 11/6 from 9:00am – 11:00am Class fee: $24/individual or $29/couple OR In-Person Wednesday, 11/17 from 6:00pm – 8:00pm at Poway Adult School Class fee: $24/individual or $29/couple
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
PUSD IS HIRING!
After School Education and Safety (ASES) Program is currently recruiting and accepting applications for program aides.
- 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!
COVID-19 Updates
On October 1, 2021 Governor Newsom announced the COVID-19 vaccination would be added to the list of required vaccines for school. There is no immediate impact to staff or students: the mandate does not take effect until either January 1 or July 1, 2022 depending on full FDA approval for children ages 12 and over. All staff and 7th through 12th grade will be phased in first, then K-6 later, pending full FDA approval. PUSD will need time to assess and determine how to proceed with the requirement and how take into account any exemptions.
The PUSD School Board met on 10/18 and provided new protocols to allow a limited number of visitors and volunteers back on campus. PUSD is slowly expanding volunteers on campus – effective October 18, 2021, we may now have a limited number of volunteers present in learning spaces with students during the school day. All volunteers must be vaccinated or provide a negative PCR COVID test; this process is currently being reviewed and will be updated shortly. Outdoor celebrations will have designated visitor areas (i.e. Friday Flag, Jog-a-thons). Thank you for your continued patience and understanding as we calibrate with the district and CDPH to make the necessary adjustments.
Please make sure your students are coming to school with a comfortable facemask that they can wear when they are indoors on campus, preferably a cloth mask that can be washed and reused. We are having to handout an increased number of facemasks each day to students who forget theirs and our supply is dwindling quickly. Please review with your students the expectation that masks are to be worn whenever they are indoors on campus (classroom, offices, library, gym, locker room, etc.) and must cover their mouth and nose.
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