Twin Peaks Middle School
Weekly RAM Newsletter
From the desk of Principal Mills - Sunday, January 31st, 2021
Happy Sunday Ram Families!
Congratulations students and parents on a successful end to the 1st semester this past week! It has certainly been a semester like no other - filled with lots of twists and turns, ups and downs, and heartaches and headaches, but through it all our Twin Peaks Community has persevered and emerged ready to launch into the second half of the school year!
This past week we had an opportunity to hear again from Dr. Stolberg and Dr. Sweetland on how to build resilience in our students and support them emotionally during virtual learning. Thank you to all of the families that were able to join us on Wednesday night - in case you missed it, we did record the forum and you can access it by CLICKING HERE!
Monday is the beginning of our 2nd semester, and we also welcome our small groups of students back onto campus for the first time since December. Students will unfortunately not be able to join teachers in their classrooms under the current reopening guidelines and will have to remain as a cohort before school, during breaks and at lunch. Essentially this means that all students, with the exception of our ASD and 1:1 Special Education students, will remain as virtual-only students while on campus. We realize that this situation is not ideal for our students, and as these guidelines change and we are able to have students work in classrooms with their teachers, we were certainly waste no time in making that happen.
We have had a higher than usual number of student schedule change requests as a result of families switching between virtual and in-person platforms, trying to balance out the A/B cohorts, and the opening and closing of sections in both 6th and 7th grade. Counselors have been working tirelessly to place students in the appropriate sections before semester two begins, but there still will be some movement this week as schedules and sections are being massaged and straightened out. Our apologies for this inconvenience - please reach out to your students' counselor or a member of our administration team if you have a question or concern about a schedule change for your student.
As we begin February and our celebration of Black History Month, I'm very excited to announce that Twin Peaks students will have an opportunity to participate in the TPMS Racial Justice Challenge. This is an outstanding opportunity for students to showcase their creative talents, express their beliefs about issues related to racial and social justice, and celebrate Black History Month - please see the section below for the link and more information!
One final reminder - please remember that we do not have our normal President's week break in February - please see the section below about the shortened February break this year!
In Partnership,
Steve Mills
Proud Principal
Twin Peaks Middle School
1(858)748-5131 x2806
UPCOMING EVENTS:
2/1: Second Semester begins; small groups/ASES return to campus
2/2: TPMS Foundation Meeting, Zoom @7:30pm
2/11: PUSD Board Meeting, Zoom @6pm
2/15: President's Day - NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS
2/16: TBES/TPMS Equity Council Meeting, Zoom @6:30pm
2/19: Lincoln's Birthday - NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS
3/10: 5th Grade Parent Night @TPMS, Zoom - TBA
3/16: 8th Grade Parent Night @PHS, Zoom - TBA
TPMS Spelling Bee - We Have a Winner!
What did the spelling bee look like?! CLICK HERE if you would like to watch the video recording of the event!
THANK YOU TO OUR SPELLING BEE SPONSORS!
Shortened February Break
A reminder to families that the 2021 February break has been shortened from five days off to just two days off due to COVID-19 related adjustments to the 2020-21 school year calendar. There is no school on Monday, February 15 and Friday, February 19 due to the observance of Washington’s and Lincoln’s birthdays. However, school will be in session Tuesday through Thursday, February 16 through February 18, so students are expected to attend class on those three days. Spring Break remains the same, Monday, April 12 through Friday, April 16. The last day of school was changed to Friday, June 18, 2021. You can view the official District calendar by clicking here.
HOW CAN PARENTS AND STUDENTS GET INVOLVED?!
THE RACIAL JUSTICE CHALLENGE: The Poway Unified School District and Twin Peaks Middle School Racial Justice Challenge strives to create a world that celebrates diversity and provides students with the opportunity to share their voice and their gifts with their community, and the world.
The Challenge: Here at Twin Peaks, we know that we have many students with immense artistic and creative talents that deserves to be shared and celebrated. Students are challenged to create a performance piece or work of art to convey a message that honors Black History Month or any topic that celebrates Racial Diversity. We’ve created an immersive website for students to explore these topics and gain inspiration if they choose to participate in this challenge. CLICK HERE to visit.
- TPMS/TBES Joint Racial Equity Council: Twin Peaks MS will be partnering with our neighbor elementary, Tierra Bonita ES, to continue the racial equity work that was started by PUSD earlier this school year. The goal of this group is to provide feedback and guidance as we implement the guidelines and suggestions of the PUSD Racial Equity Plan. Parents who are interested in being a part of this council are encouraged to join - our first meeting is scheduled for February 16th! Please CLICK HERE to access the Equity Council Sign-up form.
- 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!
ASB Announcements
Hey Parents! Want to know what’s going on at Twin Peaks? Bookmark bit.ly/tpmsevents on your home computer and have daily access to the resources and links to fun activities that are being shared with your student every week on their teacher’s Canvas pages and on the Grade Level Google Classroom pages!
Programa de crianza positiva para adolescentes
FREE Parent & Supporting LGBTQ + Children & Teens
Parenting children can be very challenging, adding the LGBTQ+ life to parenting can be overwhelming. This workshop will provide parents/caregivers insight into the LGBTQ+ children and teens. We will be working to understand the unique needs of each child, finding common ground between children and parents/caregivers while exploring communication skills to best carry our message as parents/caregivers of love and hope for their future. Wednesday, February 3rd from 6:30pm-8:00pm. Click here for specific information & details.
TPMS FOUNDATION RED ENVELOPE FUNDRAISER
The TPMS Foundation would like to encourage you to participate in giving a gift to the school during the 2021 Red Envelope Fundraiser! This year the project we are raising funds for is to upgrade the remaining water fountains with hydration stations. We have four water fountains that still need to be upgraded with hydration stations so students can easily refill thier water bottles. Our goal is to raise $10,950 to pay for this project.
Since the new year is 2021, we are asking for a $41 donation (20 + 21). For ease of use you can donate via Pay Pal here. Or if you were mailed a Red Envelope and you don’t want to donate online, please return the Red Envelope to the office or to your RAM teacher. Thank you for your support and help to start a great New Year!
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
GOOD MENS PROJECT RETURNING IN SEMESTER 2
Adult volunteers interested in helping to start our inaugural Good Women's Project, please email Principal Mills at stmills@powayusd.com.
Career and Volunteer Opportunities at Twin Peaks MS #TeamPUSD
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!
Morning Volunteers 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 each week, our need for morning screeners will certainly increase, 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!
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