Twin Peaks Middle School
Weekly RAM Newsletter
From the desk of Principal Mills - Sunday, May 8th, 2022
Happy Sunday, Ram Families!
I hope this newsletter finds you all well and enjoying your weekend! Happy Mother's Day to all of our Ram Moms out there - I hope you are getting pampered and taken care of by your students today in recognition of all the love, nurturing, and support you provide them with each and every day!
A big THANK YOU to our PTSA and Foundations for their support of Staff Appreciation Week! On Tuesday, our PTSA treated our staff to a wonderful lunch together before our professional learning session, and on Thursday, the TPMS Foundation sponsored breakfast carts with coffee and treats for our staff during our late start time. Thank you to both organizations and to all of our wonderful families for recognizing the tireless efforts of our staff this past week!
I am happy to report that the bulk of our CAASPP testing is now completed for this school year! Our students did an awesome job focusing their attention and giving their best effort on these exams over the last few weeks and should be commended for their resilience! Thank you to all of our students and parents for your hard work and support over the last two weeks - it really made the difference and set the tone for a supportive testing environment. Please see the "CAASPP Testing Updates" section below for more details.
Please make sure to read the sections that follow below for important information about upcoming events and activities such as:
- Parent ELAC Meeting this Wednesday, 5/11 - see flyers below!
- ASB and WEB Applications - great leadership opportunities for students; application links are below and are due this week!
- The TPMS Olympics are back!! - all grades will have events; information below on dates and how to volunteer or watch this TPMS tradition!
- 8th grade Harbor Cruise - it's back and tickets go on sale 5/23-5/27!
And finally, don't forget that the ABC's of Spirit continue this week! Please take a look at the Spirit Day themes POSTED HERE and encourage your Ram to participate each day. Students who do dress up should check in at the ASB table on the stage each day during lunch to track their participation and a chance to win prizes!
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
May 11th: ELAC Meeting, Pride Park/Library @5:30-7pm
May 12th: Late Start 9:15am
May 17th: 6th Grade Band/Orchestra Concert, @6pm, Quad
May 19th: Late Start 9:15am
May 19th: 4th Quarter Character Counts Awards, 5pm @Zoom
May 19th: PTSA Meeting, 6:15pm @TPMS Library
May 20th: Character Counts Awards Breakfast, 7:45am @Pride Park
May 24th: 7/8th Grade Band/Orchestra Concert, 6pm, Quad
May 24th: Foundation Meeting, 6pm @HopStop
May 26th and 27th: 6th Grade Olympics, all day @top field
May 30th: NO SCHOOL - Memorial Day Observed
May 31st: Jazz Band/PHS Jazz Bands, 5:30pm, Quad
May 31st: Yearbook Distribution begins!
June 6th: 8th Grade Harbor Cruise, 5-10pm
June7th: 8th Grade Breakfast, 8:30am @TPMS Quad
June 7th: 7th Grade Olympics, 8:30am-12:45pm
June 8th: 8th Grade Olympics, 8:30am-12:45pm
June 9th: 8th Grade Promotion, 8:30am @TPMS Quad
TPMS Meeting for Parents of English Learners
ASB Applications
Are you interested in joining ASB for the 2022-2023 school year? We are now accepting applications for next year’s ASB Representatives. Stop by Ms. Keller’s room, Room 911, or click the links below for a copy of the application, and don’t delay! Applications are due THURSDAY, MAY 12th !
WEB Leaders are Needed
Attention all 7th graders!
Are you interested in helping future 6th graders enjoy their first experiences at TPMS?
WEB, (Where Everybody Belongs), is a leadership program that helps new 6th graders get accustomed to our campus. Throughout the year we host various activities such as: 6th grade carnival, Readers for Leaders, kindness celebrations, parent night events, volunteering on campus and an assortment of spirit days, to name just a few.
If you are a current 7th grader and are interested in being a WEB leader next year, please fill out THIS GOOGLE FORM to apply. Applications are due on or before Friday, May 13th. Late applications will not be accepted:)
Everyone interested is invited! Spread the word and get excited for your 8th grade year!!
Qualifications:
You must maintain a C or higher in all classes.
You must maintain an S or higher in all classes.
You must have a positive attitude and good work ethic:)
Please email mfenwick@powayusd.com if you have any questions.
-WEB
Olympics are Coming to Twin Peaks
Mark your calendars and keep the dates open for our 46th annual 6th, 7th and 8th Grade Olympics hosted by our PE department and sponsored by TPMS PTSA. Students will be out on the Twin Peaks upper field competing in: mini marathons, long jump, hurdles, high jump, shot put and discus events. Don't miss the chance to cheer on your child and their Olympic team!
6th Grade: May 26th & 27th
7th Grade: June 7th
8th Grade: June 8th
**Help is always needed to make this event a huge success. If you're interested in volunteering over the course of any of the four dates, please visit the volunteer sign-up sheet. Please contact Melissa Atkinson at melissaatkinson07@gmail.com or (858) 829-8834. Volunteers will still be able to watch and cheer for their children and will have access to the infield.
Additional Olympics Training Opportunities
If you are interested in competing in the 7th or 8th Grade Olympics, Coach Spy will be holding additional training days on the upper field track from 3:30-4:30pm on the following days:
Thursday, May12 (3:30-4:30)
Thursday, May 19 (3:30-4:30)
8th Grade Harbor Cruise
The annual 8th grade Harbor Cruise will be on Monday June 6th, from 5-10pm. Tickets will be sold Monday, May 23rd through Friday, May 27th.
Tickets are $40.00 and will be sold during 2nd lunch at the WEB room (302).
This cost includes pizza, bus transportation and the cruise on San Diego Bay.
Please go to the TPMS home page for information and a printable permission slip.
Bring your cash or check made out to TPMS and completed permission slip to the WEB room to purchase your ticket.
Anyone who has bought a ticket will be able to suggest a song for the cruise playlist.
Do not wait until the last minute, buy early, there are limited tickets available.
Summer 2022 Enrichment Opportunities
Join the PHS Color Guard
No Place For Hate RAM Lesson
The counseling team will present our third No Place for Hate school-wide lesson to all Ram classes this month. This lesson focuses on Anne Frank and her family's experience during the Holocaust, upstanders who risked their lives to help them, two upstanding teens who are helping families in Ukraine today, and how all of us have opportunities to be upstanders in our school and community. We invite you to view the presentation HERE and discuss it with your student.
Titan Takeoff Program for 8th Graders
Free Transit For Youth
Starting May 1, anyone 18-years-old and younger can ride transit for free in San Diego County through the SANDAG Youth Opportunity Pass pilot program. With a Youth PRONTO account, youth can get unlimited rides on the bus, Trolley, COASTER, and SPRINTER through June 2023. For more info: https://youthopportunitypass.sandag.org/ and in Spanish here: https://youthopportunitypass.sandag.org/spanish
CAASPP Testing Updates
Our last round of CAASPP testing is our CAST (CAlifornia Science Test) testing. This science test is for our eighth graders only, and they will be testing in their science classrooms from May 17th-20th. Our teachers will be preparing students over the next week for the exam and will have students ready to perform! Please make sure to minimize any absences during this testing period so we can reduce the number of makeups that need to be completed. Thank you for supporting our students and our Science department!
Yearbooks are Still Available
Yearbooks are still on sale until May 13th. The books are $50 and can be purchased online by CLICKING HERE or with an order form on campus if paying with cash or check.
COVID-19 Updates
Starting on Monday, March 14, students and staff in TK-12 schools will no longer be required to wear masks while indoors on school campuses, although they are still strongly recommended. At Twin Peaks MS, we value and respect individual choices on our campus. Some of our staff and students will continue to wear their masks, and some will choose not to. As a community, we need to respect the choices that each individual makes. Please speak with your child(ren) on your family’s expectations regarding masking, as well as, how to respect the decisions made by others. Our teachers will have similar conversations in their classrooms. Our counseling team is also available to support any students experiencing anxiety or difficulty with this transition in masking requirements.
Please Note: Staff and Students who have tested positive for COVID 19 will continue to isolate per the CDPH and SDCOE Decision Tree. If an individual tests negative on Day 5, they may return to school on Day 6 as long asymptomatic or symptoms are resolving and a mask must be worn that fits snugly over the mouth and nose while indoors and when around others outside. If one chooses not to wear a mask, they are required to return on Day 11.
Please continue to self-screen and take your temperature each morning before you come to work. If you feel sick or show any symptoms of being sick, please stay home. If you need to schedule a test, you can do so for you and your family members at Pharmatech LINKED HERE. Please continue to wear your masks indoors with students and require them to keep their masks up over their mouth and nose. If you are an unvaccinated adult on campus, you are asked to wear your mask at all times when indoors. If you have concerns about a student not wearing their mask properly or consistently indoors, please reach out to a member of our admin team so we can review the mask expectations with that student and their family.
For staff who have tested positive for Covid-19, per the California Department of Public Health updated guidance on isolation and quarantine as of December 30, 2021, PUSD staff may return to work when:
- 5 days from symptom onset (or if no symptoms then 5 days from positive PCR COVID-19 test date) AND
- Symptoms are not present or are resolving AND a negative COVID test (antigen test is preferred) taken on day 5 or later. (If unable to test or choosing not to test, and symptoms are not present or are resolving, isolation can end after day 10)
- Fever free for 24 hours (without fever reducing medication) AND
- Wear a well-fitting mask around others for a total of 10 days, especially in indoor settings
STUDENT CLOSE CONTACT
The updated CDPH K-12 guidance gives school districts the option of using the three quarantine model or the Group-Tracing Approach to Students Exposed to COVID-19 in a K-12 Setting. PUSD will be using the Group Tracing approach. Per the K-12 Guidance 2021-2022 Questions and Answers, tracking results from all exposed students is not required.
Parents should notify schools of positive results.
- Schools will notify group of students who spent more than a cumulative total of 15 minutes (within a 24-hour time period) in a shared indoor airspace (e.g., classroom) with someone with COVID-19 during their period of infectiousness.
- Notification will occur to "groups" of exposed students (e.g., classmates, teammates, cohorts, etc.) rather than contact tracing to identify individual "close contacts" (e.g., those within 6 feet).
- Notifications should be provided to all individuals, including those who are vaccinated and/or recently infected.
Please click HERE to access the updated Covid Guidelines and Protocols on the PUSD website.
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