Twin Peaks Middle School
Weekly RAM Newsletter
From the desk of Principal Mills - Sunday, May 15th, 2022
Happy Sunday, Ram Families!
I hope this newsletter finds you all well and enjoying this beautiful and sunny San Diego weekend! We had another big week at Twin Peaks, filled with lots of learning in the classroom and lots of Ram spirit on campus. Don't forget that the ABC's of Spirit will continue every day until the last day of school. The Spirit Day themes are POSTED HERE - we encourage all Rams to participate and show their Ram Pride! 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!
Our CJSF sponsored a coin drive for the last few weeks and Ram classes participated to raise funds and awareness for child cancer research at the St. Baldrick's Foundation. Our CJSF students did an awesome job organizing, advertising, collecting and counting all the coins for the fund raiser and were able to bring in over $2,000 for the cause! A big THANK YOU to all who donated, to our Ram teachers for their encouragement of the drive, and to our CJSF and their advisors Mr. Kaufman and Mrs. Baskin for all of their hard work. Way to go Rams!
We had our last Parent ELAC (English Learner Advisory Committee) event of the year this last Wednesday with 28 families in attendance - thank you so much to all of our current and incoming families for coming! The highlight of the evening was celebrating our four Ram students who were able to pass their testing to become reclassified EL learners! We look forward to supporting our EL learners even more next school through our AVID Excel elective course that focuses on language acquisition and increasing the numbers of students who reclassify each year.
Congratulations to our Quarter 4 Character Counts student award winners! Please see the list of students below who will be recognized at a special Zoom Ceremony this Thursday evening. All student award winners and their nominating teachers will be invited to attend a special breakfast this Friday morning before school in Pride Park to celebrate this honor. We appreciate all that you do to make Twin Peaks a more respectful and caring school.
Finally this week, with a little less than a month of school remaining, I just want to warn you how fast this time of year flies - it's going to go by pretty quick! Here are some things not to miss:
- 6th Grade Band/Orchestra Concert in the Quad - come and see this amazing group of musicians this Tuesday at 6pm in the quad!
- Library News - not sure what books your student has checked out?! See the link below to check your student's account.
- 7th Grade Chromebook Swap - all 7th graders will be swapping out their current Chromebook for a new one; see the dates and info below
- 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 end-of year events - 8th Grade Breakfast and the Harbor Cruise (tickets go on sale 5/23-5/27) info is below!
In Partnership,
Steve Mills
Proud Principal
Twin Peaks Middle School
1(858)748-5131 x2806
Instagram: @principalmills_twinpeaks
CJSF Charity Coin Drive
Over the past weeks, we raised $2,173.42 in spare change and kind donations from our student community. These donations will be given to help the important research being done to cure childhood cancer at the St. Baldrick's foundation.
What an awesome group of kids we have here at Twin Peaks!
UPCOMING EVENTS:
TPMS NEWS AND EVENTS - bit.ly/tpmsevents
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 21st: Wrestling Tournament, All Day, MPR
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
4th QTR CHARACTER COUNTS WINNERS!
Library News
The Olympics Return 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.
7th & 8th Grade Olympics Information
ROUGH DRAFT OF OLYMPIC SCHEDULE`
7th Grade - Tuesday, June 7th
8th Grade - Wednesday, June 8th
**Opening Ceremony**
8:35 am – Twin Peaks Middle School Track:
All Ram classes will "parade" onto the field to be introduced before competition begins. This is a great opportunity to show your support and encourage your student(s), as well as see the entire class in their different t-shirts, all in one place!
Event Preliminaries
8:45am – Girls 50M
9:05am – Boys 50M
9:25am – Girls 100M
9:45 – Boys 100M
10:05 – Girls 4x100 (Final)
10:20 – Boys 4x100 (Final)
10:35 – Tug of War
10:55 – Co-ed 4x400
11:10– 1600M Mixed (Final)
11:20 – Girls Hurdles
11:40 – Boys Hurdles
Event Finals
12:00 – Girls 50M
12:05 – Boys 50M
12:15 – Girls Hurdles
12:20 – Boys Hurdles
12:25 – Co-ed 4x400
12:35 – Tug of War
**The 2-day 6th Grade Olympic Schedule will be coming home this week through your students Ram class! **
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, May 19 (3:30-4:30) - last day!!
7th Grade Chrome Book Swap
8th Grade Breakfast
Hey 8th graders!
We have some news for you! Our 3rd Annual End of the Year 8th Grade Breakfast is just around the corner on Tuesday, June 7th from 8:30-10:00. This breakfast will be a final hurrah with all of your peers before we go off to high school. We will have tasty food, snazzy music, and awesome decorations that will ensure everyone will have a great time! This amazing event will definitely be a highlight of your middle school career! However, we need a little help from our 8th grade families to make this celebration extra special for our amazing students. We are hoping you all can support our breakfast celebration. Any donations, large or small, would be greatly appreciated. If you are interested in helping out, please respond on this Donation Signup Genius before Friday, May 27th.
Thank you so much for your support as we celebrate our 8th graders before we send them off to high school! Please see the link below if you are able to help out!
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 with your classmates!
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! Don't wait until the last minute, buy early - there are limited tickets available!
Summer 2022 Enrichment Opportunities
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.
Join the PHS Color Guard
Titan Takeoff Program for 8th Graders
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!
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
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