Twin Peaks Middle School
Weekly RAM Newsletter
From the desk of Principal Mills - Sunday, August 22nd, 2021
Happy Sunday Ram Families!
I hope that your first week of school was AMAZING and that you are taking the weekend to recharge and rejuvenate in preparation for our first full week of instruction. We started the week off with our School Year's Eve on Tuesday night, welcoming our 6th graders and new families to campus to check their schedule, find their rooms, and get the lay of the land of their new home. It was fantastic to see the turnout and meet so many of our families - thanks so much for attending!
Students were welcomed to campus on Wednesday morning by our WEB and ASB leaders - the welcome gauntlet was an energizing way for our Rams to start the school year! Our Opening Day Assembly hosted by ASB featured our ASB President, Sophia Simon addressing the student body and skillfully setting expectations for the school year. Students were introduced to the elements of RAM P.R.I.D.E., and Ms. Keller and Mrs. Matautia tested our Ram spirit with a cheer-off to get our students excited about the upcoming school year. All in all, it was a fantastic way to start the school year with our students back on campus!
With the opening of school comes increased traffic at drop-off and pick-up times; traffic has certainly impacted the ability of our students to get on and off campus, and our staff and school buses to access the parking lot. Please consider setting up a drop-off or pick-up location with your student that doesn't involve using Tierra Bonita Road; dropping students off on Twin Peaks Road past the bus stop and having your student walk around to the front of school would reduce traffic in our parking lot and save your family time in the car. We also have many students meet their rides on Budwin Lane near St. Gabriel's Church or in the Trinity Church parking lot on Twin Peaks Road. Please remember to drive slowly when you get close to campus and keep your eyes open for students and families trying to cross the street. Thanks in advance for your help in keeping our campus safe at drop-off and pick-up times!
The first few days of each quarter, our counselors are inundated with a variety of requests; please be patient as they are working tirelessly to accommodate as many requests as possible. For students who would like to request an elective class change, Elective Change Request Forms are available at Mrs. Myers’ desk in the counseling office before school, during break or lunch, or after school. Forms must be signed by a parent/guardian, and they must be returned by 3:30 on Tuesday, Aug. 24th. Please remember that these requests can only be accommodated if there is space available in the class being requested. If you have a concern or question about your student's schedule, please email your student's counselor; their emails and contact information can be found HERE.
As you are aware form the emails we have sent out over the past week, our school community continues to be impacted by COVID-19. Please make sure to continue screening your student daily for any symptoms related to the virus before they arrive to school. 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. Updated information about the current guidelines and COVID-19 requirements can be accessed HERE on the PUSD main webpage.
As school is reopening in person, so are our before and after school programs and sports! If you are in need of before or after-school care for your student, please contact our ASES Director, Margo Selensky at mselensky@powayusd.com to enroll or receive more information. Please see the sections below for our Cross Country and Golf programs that will both be starting up in the next few weeks. We're looking forward to having a full slate of sports available for our students this year, so please consider signing up and participating!
Finally this week, the beginning of our school year is also the time for us to update our parent membership on the School Site Council. Please see the section below if you are interested in submitting your name to be considered for the one open position we will have on the Council this year. A description of what the SSC does, its membership, and the time commitment involved can be found below. Thanks in advance for your consideration!
With gratitude,
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
August 23rd: Cross Country Parent Information Meeting, 6pm, TPMS Quad
August 24th: TPMS Foundation Meeting 6:30pm (Zoom)
August 26th: Late Start Schedule
September 2nd: Late Start Schedule
September 6th: Labor Day - NO SCHOOL
September 7th & 8th: Minimum Day Schedule
September 8th: Back to School Night, Virtual
September 9th: Late Start Schedule
September 16th: PTSA Meeting, 6:15pm. (TPMS Library)
September 21st: TPMS Foundation Meeting, 6:00pm (TPMS Library)
School Site Council: 2021-2022
The Twin Peaks’ School Site Council (SSC) elections for the 2021-2022 school year are just around the corner! This year, we need to elect one new parent member to the SSC for the upcoming school year. Do you have an interest in leading and serving? This just may be the opportunity for you!
What is the Twin Peaks School Site Council (SSC)?
SSC is a committee of elected parents and staff members whose purpose is to make programmatic and budgetary decisions in support of educational goals set forth through the school's Strategic Plan.
Who serves on the SSC?
The SSC is made up of a composition of voting members that includes the principal, parents and staff members. The parent community elects the parent members, and the staff elects staff members.
What does the SSC do?
The SSC helps to develop and monitor the school's strategic plan. It evaluates program recommendations to ensure that they support the strategic plan and school goals. In addition, our Council votes on funding requests for programs supported by the school budget.
How many meetings do the SSC hold?
Our Council meets approximately 4 times during the school year. Members of the SSC serve a term of two years and may be re-elected to serve again.
If you are interested in serving, please email a brief biographical sketch to Shaylene Newman-Moritz (jnewman@powayusd.com) by Monday, September 6, 2021. Election ballots will be emailed to all Twin Peaks’ families during Back-to School Night, September 8, 2021. Voting will close on Friday, September 10, 2021. Results will be announced in our weekly newsletter. Thank you for your leadership!
Cross Country Information
Parent information meeting will be held on Monday, August 23rd, in the lunch area at 6PM. If parents cannot make the meeting, registration info will be available in the front office. Registration forms must be received in the front office or Room 201 before student(s) can begin practice on Wednesday, August 25th.
TPMS Golf Information
Golf registration info will be available in the front office from 8/23-8/27. Registration forms must be received in our front office or Room 201 before student(s) can begin practice on Wednesday, September 1st. All info about the golf season is located in the registration packet.
Food Services @TPMS
School meals will be handed out at NO COST this school year for ALL STUDENTS who would like one. Students are still welcome to bring their own lunch to school each day; lunches will be served at our lunch windows each day during your student's assigned lunch period. A la carte drinks will also be available for purchase - please know that our food services NO LONGER ACCEPT CASH at their windows. Students will need to add credit to their My School Bucks account in order to pay for a la carte items. Please CLICK HERE for a flyer with detailed information on the benefits of our free school lunch program and links to My School Bucks to set up or add credit to your student's meal account. For more information, including lunch menus for all PUSD schools, please CLICK HERE to access the PUSD Food Services webpage.
UPDATE! Our food service windows will be open during lunch and break time - they will have limited snacks and drinks available for students to purchase. Please make sure your student brings a refillable water bottle with them to school so that they can use one of our water bottle filling stations.
TPMS ALUMNI - PLEASE SIGN-UP!!
Parent/Guardian Health and Safety Agreement
All Twin Peaks students returning to campus will need to have a signed and completed Parent/Guardian Health and Safety Agreement turned-in before they begin attending classes. Please click on this link: The Parent/Guardian Health and Safety Agreement (Spanish Version HERE) and print/sign a copy for each student to turn-in during registration week. If you have any questions, please email Mrs. Hamilton at chamilton@powayusd.com
Masking Update 8/22/21
Please read below for our current mask guidelines for students and staff:
- Indoors with Students: 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.
Please make sure that your student brings a mask with them to school each day for when they are indoors; maybe even put an extra one in their backpack just in case! You can read a helpful FAQ on masking requirements from the San Diego County Office of Education here.
Become a Friend of the Library
Lunchtime Play Equipment Needed!
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