Twin Peaks Middle School
Weekly RAM Newsletter
From the desk of Principal Mills - Sunday, March 6th, 2022
Happy Sunday, Ram Families!
I hope the first week of March has been good to you all! It's hard to believe we are already within a few weeks of the end of Quarter 3 (3/25) and Spring Break is only 25 school days away - 2022 is off to a fast start! I hope you all found some time to slow down and enjoy the weekend doing something you truly enjoy.
We had another busy week at Twin Peaks - course selection season has now begun and over the next month our students will start to make decisions about the classes they would like to take next school year. We had PHS counselors on campus this week to work with our 8th graders on their 4 year plans and to answer questions about the course selection process for freshman year. This past Thursday night, our AVID Ohana held their Open House for parents and students to learn more about their elective and program from current AVID students. For students interested in finding out more information about AVID or applying, please CLICK HERE! Course Request Forms for current 6th and 7th graders will be distributed to students in their Ram classes on 3/14 and will be collected a week later on 3/21.
This will be the last week that the CDPH is requiring all students and staff to wear a face mask on campus; starting at 11:59pm on Friday March 11th, the mask mandate no longer applies to K-12 campuses. Please remember that mask-wearing is still a choice for all students and staff on campus and there is no rule against wearing a face mask on campus or indoors. In fact, the CDPH still recommends to wear face masks indoors when you are with large numbers of people.
Our Science Olympiad students were on campus this past Saturday competing in their first competition in two years! Check out a few pictures from the day below! A huge THANK YOU to our coaches - Science Teacher J Smith and parent volunteer Dale Waldren, for all of their time and energy in leading this year's teams. Also, a huge shout out to all of our parent volunteers who have helped to supervise, coach, mentor and encourage our young scientists throughout the Science Olympiad season and beyond!
Our 6th graders are heading off to camp starting this Monday, March 7th. Please make sure to check out the information on our TPMS website LINKED HERE if you have any questions or concerns about how to best prepare your student for this year's Camp. Thank you to all of our families that came by campus today to get test verified or to turn in their testing results and get a wristband for their students. All families and students who have not turned in their test verification results yet will need to do so tomorrow morning - please have your student go to their Ram class/teacher and bring in a hard copy of their results to turn-in and exchange for a wristband to board the bus.
Finally this week, we are excited to hold our Spring Dance - "A Night at the Carnival" - at the end of this month on Friday, March 25th. With the record turn-out we had for the last dance, we are trying to plan ahead and could use some additional parent volunteers to help us supervise this massive event - please consider helping out! There are also some slots still available for drinks, food items, and supplies - if you are able to help out, HERE IS THE LINK to sign up! Thank you in advance for all of your wonderful support!
In Partnership,
Steve Mills
Proud Principal
Twin Peaks Middle School
1(858)748-5131 x2806
Instagram: @principalmills_twinpeaks
2022 Science Olympiad Competition
UPCOMING EVENTS:
TPMS NEWS AND EVENTS - bit.ly/tpmsevents
March 7-11th: 6th Grade Camp @ Cuyamaca
March 9th: 7th Grade Parent Night, 6-7pm Zoom
March 14th-18th: See Something Say Something Week
March 14th: See Something Day - Ocean/Beach Day (No Swimsuits)
March 15th: Wear Green Day
March 15th: PHS 8th Grade Parent Night, Zoom @5:30pm
March 16th: Wear Clothes Backwards Day
March 16th: Screenagers, the Next Chapter Forum #2, 6-7pm via Zoom
March 17th: Group/Twin Day
March 17th: Step It Up - Day of Awesome! 2nd block and lunch
March 17th: PTSA Meeting, Library @6:15pm
March 22nd: TPMS Foundation Meeting, Library @6:00pm
March 23rd: 5th Grade Parent Night, Zoom @5:30pm
March 28th-April 1st Scholastic Book Fair
Step it Up Kids Day of Awesome – 3/17
Hey Ram Families! Thanks again for all of your support with our annual Step it Up Kids Fundraiser in the fall. It’s finally time for our celebration Day of Awesome! The Day of Awesome will take place on Thursday, March 17th to celebrate our TPMS students for their support. Students who fundraised $60 or more will receive an invitation with more information delivered to their RAM class next week, which will allow them to miss 2nd block (1st period) for the Day of Awesome event. Don’t worry if you didn’t fundraise though – we want to make sure all of our Rams get in on the fun, so the Day of Awesome will be open to all students during lunch!
March 2022 Parent Education Courses
- Discover Your Personal Core Values – All Grades In Person
- Help Your Children Manage Stress and Anxiety – TK -5th Grade In Person
- Effective Strategies to Advocate for Your Child in Special Education - All Grades NEW Course Online via ZOOM
- Parenting Well Through Life Changes - All Grades NEW Course Online via ZOOM
- Nurturing Sexual Intelligence in Our Children – All Grades In Person
- Managing Parental Stress – All Grades In Person
PHS Engineering Academy Makeup Open House
Students interested in the field of Engineering are encouraged to attend the Poway High School Engineering Academy/Pathway Info Night, Wednesday, MARCH 16, 2022 from 7-8:00 pm via PHS Zoom. This is an opportunity to hear from students that are currently in the program speak about how the Poway High School Engineering Academy has and is making a difference for them to attend college as well as being accepted into an engineering major. There will also be a presentation about updates in the Academy and an overview. There will be a question-and-answer period, with a tour of the high school engineering facilities and equipment.
7th Grade Parent Night
The 7th Grade Parent/Guardian Night in English is scheduled for Wednesday, March 9th from 6 – 7:00p.m. via Zoom. The Spanish speaking presentation is also scheduled for Wednesday, March 9th from 5-5:45pm in room 103.
The counselors will visit 7th grade RAM classes the week of February 28th to discuss with students the role middle school plays in their path to high school and post-secondary education which includes the course credit system used for high school graduation and the a-g requirements for required for admission to a CSU/UC campus. Students receive an Academic Review form with their GPA and most recent iReady test scores.
The 7th Grade Parent/Guardian Night is an opportunity for you to hear the same information your student received, to gain information about how to support your student, and to ask questions. Please click HERE or use http://bit.ly/jenningszoom to access the presentation in English. We hope you can make.
PHS 8th Grade Family Night
Tuesday, March 15th: PHS 8th Grade Family Night via Zoom
· Overview of the Night:
· Principal Welcome Video
· 5:30 pm – Elective Course Info
· 6:00 pm – English Session
· 6:20 pm – Math Session
· 6:40 pm – Science Session
· 7:00 pm – Athletics Session
- Please click HERE for additional information for transition information to PHS and the other HIgh Schools in PUSD *Infromation may change, so please check back for updates
- Please click HERE to access Academic Planning Information for 8th grade students on the PHS website
- Please click HERE to view PHS Virtual Elective Fair Video
Madame Dugo will host additional informational sessions about the French program at PHS on 3/16 from 6-6:30pm & 3/17 from 6:30-7pm. Her Zoom Meeting ID is 934 957 6564 & her passcode is 345075
Wrestling Season at TPMS
IT'S TIME FOR WRESTLING SEASON AT TPMS! Wrestling registration forms will be available in the front office and PE locker room from 2/28-3/11. Registration forms need to be returned to the front office or Room 201 by Friday, March 11th, before students can attend practice the following week. All info about wrestling season will be on the registration packet! We hope to see your student come out for the team!
The TPMS Choir is Back!
Any questions, please email TPMSchoirdirector@gmail.com
Sign up using this google form! https://forms.gle/NgqTSA8DeMXEmQxW7
2022 Lip Sync Battle
It’s time for one of our best events of the year. ASB is hosting the 4th annual Lip Sync Battle!!! Don’t know what it is? No Worries! Lip Sync Battle is a fun event where you can dance and lip sing to your favorite song or a mashup of your favorite songs! Find a team of friends and record a music video of your own. Teams can have 2-12 members, and your Music Video must be submitted by March 14th. Visit bit.ly/tpmslipsyncbattle for more info!
Screenagers: Growing Up in the Digital Age
Our Twin Peaks PTSA and Foundation have partnered together to provide our school community with an opportunity to watch two documentaries together to learn more about screen time and how it is impacting our lives. Coming in February and March, TPMS students and families will have a chance to watch one or both of the award-winning films and then attend a community forums to discuss the topics raised by the films with our panel of local experts.
- Screenagers: Growing Up in the Digital Age probes into the vulnerable corners of family life and depicts messy struggles over social media, video games and academics. The film offers solutions on how we can help our kids navigate the digital world.
- Screenagers: The Next Chapter follows physician and filmmaker, Delaney Ruston, as she discovers solutions for improved adolescent well-being in the digital age.
Please click on the Screenagers flyer above to signup! Students will have an opportunity to watch a shortened version of the movies in their Ram classes during February and March.
TPMS Lacrosse Fundraiser
If you're looking for an action-packed event on a Saturday night, look no further....
TPMS has partnered with the San Diego Seals Box Lacrosse Team to offer not only a night out, but a 50/50 split of ticket sales!
We've secured group tickets in the lower end (closer to the glass) for $20 (plus fees = $24.50) each. For every ticket sold, $10 goes to the Seals, and $10 goes to Twin Peaks! We are going to have a random student winner of a Seals prize pack drawn at the game, and a shout out/video congrats on the big screen, as well as a whole TPMS group shoutout!
If you're not familiar with box lacrosse, think hockey, except instead of ice, there's grass, and instead of a puck there's a hard rubber ball. It's non-stop action with a lot of scoring. Super fun!
You can buy tickets though the QR code on the flyer below. If you have any questions, contact Coach Spy at jspychalski@powayusd.com.
COVID-19 Updates
Please click HERE to access the updated Covid Guidelines and Protocols on the PUSD website.
TESTING
For students 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
If you need to schedule a Covid test, you can do so for you and your family members at Pharmatech LINKED HERE.
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.
MASKING GUIDELINES: The wearing of face masks remains a primary method for us to mitigate the spread of Covid-19 on campus for our students and staff; please make sure your student continues to come to school with an approved comfortable mask that they can wear whenever they are indoors on campus. Masking guidelines are LINKED HERE.
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.
- 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 currently MANDATORY for fully vaccinated adults and unvaccinated adults through January 15th.
- Outdoors: Masks are optional for everyone, regardless of vaccination status.
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. 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.
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