Twin Peaks Middle School
Weekly RAM Newsletter
From the desk of Principal Mills - Sunday, 3/14/21
TEMPORARY SCHEDULE: MARCH 15-19, 2021
Happy Sunday Ram Families!
I hope this newsletter finds you all well and excited to welcome back students to on-campus learning at Twin Peaks this week. Please see the above temporary schedule for this week that was approved at the PUSD School Board meeting this past Thursday, March 11th. Hopefully this schedule will only be in effect this week, and we can begin our A/B Cohort Schedule after we return to the Red Tier. Please CLICK HERE to see the complete minutes and video from this past week's PUSD Board meeting.
For those families with 6th graders returning back to the campus for the first time this week, we've included a link to the TPMS campus map for you to review and familiarize yourself with - CLICK HERE to access map of the TPMS campus. Our ASB also put together some reopening FAQs for students and families that can be accessed if you CLICK HERE, and some lunch guidelines that can be found if you CLICK HERE.
For students who have not yet picked up a school-issued Chromebook, our IT and Library staff have been working diligently over the last few weeks to pre-package and pre-checkout Chromebooks for students who have not yet been issued one. Students returning to on-campus learning will be able to pick up their Chromebooks at the library window when they return to campus. Click here to access the Chromebook Agreement form. Click here for Spanish. Additionally, students are encouraged to bring their own earbuds or headphones with them to class; we will have extra Chromebooks, earbuds and masks available for students who may need to borrow one for a day.
Students returning to campus this week will need to use either their student ID cards, Student Vue SmartPhone app, or a printout of their student ID/QR code to check-in electronically. Because we will need to know which students are physically on campus versus virtual each period, students entering campus will use their student ID to check-in at a kiosk as they enter campus. We will also be using this system as a contact-free way for parents to check-out your student early if the need arises. Please be patient with us as we implement these new systems into our routine over the next few weeks. Please see the flyer below and click on the link to access the how-to video made by ASB that shows students what to bring to school and how the new kiosk check-in system will work.
Please don't forget - if your student(s) is planning on returning to campus as part of our Cohort A or Cohort B we need your signed waivers turned in PRIOR to their return to campus. Please click here to access a copy. You can send it by email to tpmswaivers@gmail.com or you can drop it off in front of the school office.
As excited as we are to welcome back our TPMS Rams who are ready to return to campus, those students who wish to remain virtual will continue to be supported by their teachers in the same virtual schedule we are currently operating under. Your schedule will remain the same, and the majority of your classes, with the exception of your PE teacher, will not change. In order to make sure that virtual PE classes can still provide the structure and opportunity for participation that they do now, we will be transitioning into separate all-virtual PE and all in-person PE classes once our cohorts return to campus. Please CLICK HERE to get access the latest PE updates!
Finally, please don't forget that as much as we are focused on getting school open for this year, we still need to start planning for next school year. Students - please make sure to pick up a paper copy of your Course Request Form in front of the main office or print one off from the TPMS website! The link to the TPMS webpage with all of the the CRF documents can be found if you CLICK HERE! Please make sure to get our Course request Form completed, signed and submitted before Monday, March 29th.
With Gratitude,
Steve Mills
Proud Principal
Twin Peaks Middle School
1(858)748-5131 x2806
UPCOMING EVENTS:
3/16: 8th Grade Parent Night @PHS, Zoom - 5-7pm
3/18: PTSA Meeting, Zoom 6pm
3/19: Late Start - Asynchronous Friday Schedule, 9:30am
3/24: iReady Parent Information Night, Zoom 6-7pm
3/25: Lip Synch Battle Broadcast during RAM
3/26: Late Start - Asynchronous Friday Schedule, 9:30am
PHS 8th Grade Family Night
Hello Class of 2025!
Poway High School will be hosting an 8th Grade Family Night virtual event on Tuesday, March 16, with live sessions beginning at 5:00 p.m. We have created an 8th Grade Family Night website with welcome videos, program overviews, elective video course descriptions, and links to the live Q & A sessions. The website will go live on Friday, March 12 to give families the opportunity to view the videos prior to the live Q & A sessions on March 16. Click here to access the PHS 8th Grade Family Night Website on Friday and join us for the live Q & A Sessions on March 16. We look forward to meeting our future Titans!
Respectfully,
Richard Nash
Principal, Poway High School
LA SELECCIÓN DE CURSOS (CRF)
Le invitamos a reunirse con las consejeras de Poway High School para una sesión informativa sobre la selección de clases para el otoño. Vea más información aquí.
8th Grade Course Request Information
TPMS Golf is Back!
We are excited to bring students back onto TPMS campus to get some swings in and to work on their Golf skills. This session will be about skill development and preparing students for the golf season next year. Practice days will correspond with the cohort you selected for on campus learning. If you have chosen virtual then we will assign you a practice day. Please fill out the interest form and you will receive an email in regards to registration!We do have a limited amount of spots available so we are looking for students who can be committed to the assigned practice days and times. Please fill out the survey form LINKED HERE as soon as you can because spots are limited! More info will be emailed out as we get closer to practices starting!
A Cohort practice- Monday 2:30-4:00
B Cohort practice-Thursday 2:30-4:00
Registration- 3/15-3/26
Practices will begin on Monday 3/29
CJSF CANNED FOOD DRIVE
Students will collect food at home and parents can drop the food off outside TPMS on Friday March 19th, Friday March 26th and Friday April 2nd between 8am and 3pm. CJSF members will be outside the office to collect the food and record the RAM class the student is in. The RAM class that has the most food items per student will win goodie bags. Click here for more information.
Important Counselor Information
Dear Parents and Guardians,
Jennifer Bishop now has a PUSD email and can be reached at jbishop@powayusd.com. She is the counselor for students with last names A-Le, and will be with us until April 30th. She can be reached by phone at (858) 748-5131 ext. 2813.
NO PLACE FOR HATE
Twin Peaks Middle School is proud to continue our work to create an inclusive school community by promoting unity and respect, and to reduce bullying, name-calling and other expressions of bias. With the help of the students in our Leadership elective, we created four lessons to share with our students, staff and families. The lesson for this month focuses on KINDNESS VS EMPATHY. Ram teachers will share the interactive Nearpod with our students to complete at their own pace. We encourage you to view the lesson and have a conversation with your student about kindness & empathy and their role in making Twin Peaks Middle School a No Place for Hate school.
School Reopening Update - Cohort / Change of Program Requests
We have reached a point in the balancing of our on-campus cohorts that we are unable to accommodate any additional requests at this time based on the lack of available space in classrooms. Families who are still in need of a cohort or platform change will be placed on a waitlist and requests will be considered based on available space. The only exception to this would be families who signed up for on-campus learning, but now wish to remain in virtual learning for the remainder of the school year because this change would create space in our on-campus cohorts.
If you would like to request a a cohort adjustment and be added to our waitlist, please complete the Google Form linked HERE. If your student is interested in switching form on-campus to virtual learning for the rest of the 2020-2021school year, please contact our Counseling Assistant Ms. Myers at dmyers@powayusd.com.
If you have questions about the school calendar, please click HERE to access the most updated version. If you have questions about the bell schedule, please click HERE to see our Monday-Thursday schedule, Virtual Friday schedule and the times for teacher's office hours.
TPMS Lip Sync Battle
It’s time for… the one, the only 3rd Annual TPMS Lip Sync Battle! It’s singing, and dancing, and lip syncing all rolled into one giant ball of awesome! 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! The full Lip Sync Battle will be broadcast during RAM on Thursday, March 25th for all to see and YOU will get the chance to vote on your favorite performance. Submit your Lip Sync Video for your chance to win the title of Lip Sync Battle Ultimate Champion AND a very special grand prize! Look on your grade level google classroom, or on your teacher's RAM Canvas pages for more information! CLICK HERE for more information!
PHS Engineering Academy Information Night
For information on the Computer Animation class please click here!
For a course description of engineering classes please click here!
Volunteer and Career Opportunities at Twin Peaks MS #TeamPUSD
Morning Volunteers Still Needed!
Do you or someone you know have an hour to volunteer in the mornings to help us with safety screening students as they arrive at school? As we prepare to have more students back on campus very soon, our need for morning screeners has increased, and if you have the time - we need you! If you're interested in volunteering from 8-9am to help support our morning check-ins, please complete the form linked HERE! Thanks in advance for your consideration!
Instructional Assistants needed!
Do you or someone you know enjoy working in an educational environment and possess a passion for helping our students learn and grow? Twin Peaks Middle School is looking for great candidates who can join our Special Education Team as an Instructional Assistant! We have several openings that we need to fill immediately, so if you or someone you know might be interested, please apply using the link below! Starting Pay is $15.51 an hour and positions that are 20 hours or more per week have FULL BENEFITS. We have opportunities for sub positions as well. Click here to apply!
GATE for 2021
District Leadership from PUSD held an informational meeting on February 16, 2021 discussing updates to the GATE program within PUSD. At this meeting it was announced that PUSD was ending the GATE program at all PUSD schools and discontinuing GATE testing.
A recording of the meeting has been uploaded to the PUSD YouTube Channel. You can find out more information at the PUSD GATE website HERE.
What does this mean for Twin Peaks? The only change this makes to Twin Peaks is that we will no longer offer our one class of homogenous GATE humanities. Everything else remains the same at our school. We will continue to serve all our student needs in all classes and we will continue to offer the accelerated math track.
Poway Unified and all schools in PUSD, including Twin Peaks, have moved to a more integrated and inclusive approach toward meeting the needs of students. For years, we have been working with our teaching staffs across the district to develop differentiation strategies to meet the needs of each and every student in our classrooms, including those who are identified as GATE. Poway Unified School District’s mission is to empower world class learners. In order to do this, all learning environments must be safe, inclusive, innovative, and equitable. For these reasons, Poway Unified has decided to end the GATE program. Poway is not testing new students for GATE. All middle schools will no longer offer homogeneous GATE classes. Twin Peaks Middle School will continue to focus on ensuring all classrooms challenge students appropriately.
STUDENT VOICE - We Need to Hear From You!
Student Engagement Feedback Form: In previous newsletters we have spoke of the need to encourage students to turn their web cameras on during class time. We received several emails with some great suggestions, so we wanted to open it up and encourage students to provide us with your feedback! Students - please take a moment and complete the feedback form LINKED HERE. Thanks in advance for your time and feedback!
Tutoring Available
The National Honor Society (NHS) at Poway High School provides tutoring for any student in need of it. Please complete this Google Form if you are interested: https://forms.gle/bSXPRCkeEUM4FmVC7
Caring Connections Counseling (CCC)
The CCC Parent Counseling Resource page is now updated. Please click HERE to view all the resources available on Crisis Counseling, Food and Diaper Assistance, Parenting Support, Mental Health Support, and Self-Care.
Climate Change Video Challenge
Climate change is happening now, all around us, and we have an opportunity to reimagine and rebuild our present and future in a fair and just way for all Californians. With this goal in mind, the California Coastal Commission invites California middle and high school students to present a video response to the question: What does climate justice look like to me?
Entry deadline is March 31, 2021.
Visit the website to find all the details on how to enter; helpful background on climate change, climate justice, and climate solutions; and additional resources for educators. https://coastal.ca.gov/climatechallenge/
TPMS Library is Now Open for Curbside Pickup & Dropoff
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