Twin Peaks Middle School
Weekly RAM Newsletter
From the desk of Principal Mills - Sunday, March 28th, 2021
Happy Sunday Ram Families!
I hope this newsletter finds you all well after our first week back on campus with our A/B cohorts. We all enjoyed seeing so many more students back on campus this week as we had almost 400 students attending in person learning each day this week, Monday-Thursday. Even though there were a lot of masks on campus this week, you could tell that there were a lot of smiles under those masks!
As we have more students back on campus, it's important that we continue to follow the recommended protocols when deciding if your student should come to campus. Please remember to keep students home if they are showing ANY symptoms of Covid-19. According to the CDC's website, People with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported – ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. People with these symptoms may have COVID-19:
- Fever or chills
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Fatigue
- Muscle or body aches
- Headache
- New loss of taste or smell
- Sore throat
- Congestion or runny nose
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
I know these symptoms are pretty general and it might seem overly cautious to keep your student home for a runny nose, but we've seen this week that the smallest of symptoms have resulted in positive covid cases that have forced other students to quarantine. Please remember that students can still attend class virtually from home with symptoms; let's still err on the side of caution as we reopen schools in these coming weeks to make sure we keep students and staff safe. Please remember we are all in this TOGETHER!
If you have any questions about the District's Reopening Plan you can access the PUSD Reopening Guide by clicking HERE!
After the past two weeks, we have observed some student behaviors that we hope parents will discuss with their students; we realize that students are eager for school to be like it was pre-pandemic, but there are some things we need students to do in order to keep everyone safe. Here are a few things to discuss with your students who are returning to campus:
- Physical Space: many students are having challenges keeping at least 3 feet away from their peers (I get it, their kids!). But in many cases what we are seeing is unnecessary touching and horse-playing in ways that compromise student and staff safety. Please encourage your students to remain an arm's length from those next to them on campus, and to save the horseplay for outside of school when supervised by a parent or adult.
- Masks: overall, students are doing a really good job keeping masks on during class and after eating at break times. THANK YOU! Please keep this up and make sure your mask covers your mouth and nose! Please make sure to pack an extra mask in your backpack just in case, or check with our staff who can provide you with a replacement.
- Hand Washing: We have some students who are doing a good job with this, but the majority of students don't seem to be taking the time to do this, especially before eating. Please encourage your students to wash their hands in the bathroom or use the hand sanitizer available in classrooms or at dispensing stations located across the campus.
- Water Bottles: Because we are not allowed to open the water fountains, and bottles of water are no longer available for purchase on campus, it's very important for your student to bring a refillable water bottle with them to campus. We have water bottle filling stations open in the main quad and on the back of the locker rooms for students to use hands-free!
Temperature Checks: As infection and case rates continue to decline, we will see a gradual reduction in some of our check-in procedures and protocols over the next few weeks. Starting on Monday, April 5th, we will no longer conduct temperature screenings as students and staff enter the Twin Peaks campus. At the end of this next week, we will transition to a self-check system for temperatures where all students and staff who enter campus will be expected to check their own temperature before departing their residence to come to school; if your student's temperature is above 100 degrees, please have them remain at home.
Finally this week, current 6th and 7th graders - please make sure to have your Course Request Form ready to turn in TOMORROW - MONDAY, MARCH 29th! Current 8th graders - yours are due by Wednesday, March 31st (more info HERE). 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 your Course Request Form completed, signed and submitted to your RAM teacher tomorrow or emailed to the email address on the TPMS website. If you have questions or concerns, please email your counselor.
In Partnership,
Steve Mills
Proud Principal
Twin Peaks Middle School
1(858)748-5131 x2806
UPCOMING EVENTS:
3/29: Course Request Forms Due for all students!
4/2: Late Start Friday - Asynchronous Friday Schedule, 9:30am
4/6: TPMS Foundation Meeting, Zoom 7:30pm
4/8: PUSD School Board Meeting, Zoom 6:00pm
4/9: Late Start Friday - Asynchronous Friday Schedule, 9:30am
4/12-16: Spring Break - NO SCHOOL
4/19: First day back with classes form Spring Break!
4/20: Community Conversation on Racial Equity, Zoom 6-7:30pm
4/22: TPMS PTSA Meeting, Zoom 6:00pm
4/23: Late Start Friday - Asynchronous Friday Schedule, 9:30am
COACH SPY NAMED PUSD TEACHER OF THE YEAR!
Coach Spy with the PUSD School Board
Coach Spy and Principal Mills approve!
Coach Spy and Superintendent Phelps at TPMS
Trashin’ Fashion is coming to Twin Peaks!
Calling all aspiring fashion designers, models, and environmentalists, Trashin’ Fashion is a friendly competition to see who can create an outfit using trash or recycled items! Please share THIS flyer with your students! Click HERE to view the rules and guidelines. Have your student submit their video HERE! Submissions are due Monday, April 19th. We can’t wait to see all their amazing designs!
PUSD Community Conversation on Racial Equity
Tuesday, April 20th from 6:00-7:30pm.
CLICK ON THE GRAPHIC ABOVE TO SIGN UP!
TPMS Racial Justice Challenge
During the month of February, TPMS participated in the Racial Justice Challenge. Our students submitted some incredible pieces of art that deserve celebration and to be shared with the community. Please take some time to view the highlight video by clicking HERE. If you’d like to see more, check out the Student Submissions page on the Racial Justice Challenge website, located at bit.ly/tpmsrjc
SCHOOL REOPENING UPDATES: Cohort / Change of Program Requests, ASES - Before & After School Care and Homework Center Hours
WAIVER FORMS: 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.
COHORT 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.
CHROMEBOOKS:
Students who still need to pick-up a school-issued Chromebook will be able to pick one up at the library window when they return to campus or at the library . Click here to access the Chromebook Agreement form. Click here for the Spanish version of the form. 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.
BEFORE & AFTER SCHOOL CARE / ASES: Our ASES Program (After School Education & Safety Program) has openings for before and after school care for working families. Unlike ESS which charges for this service, ASES is grant-funded and is available free of charge to PUSD families. For more information, please contact the ASES Program Supervisor, Margo Selensky, at mselensky@powayusd.com or complete the ASES program request form linked HERE!
HOMEWORK CENTER: As we re-open school this week, we are also making plans to open up our Homework Center after school from 2:15-3:15pm in room #406. The Homework Center will be supervised and available to students Monday-Thursday on a first-come, first-served basis. Students should come prepared to work on independent work during this time as tutoring is not currently available.
SCHEDULE QUESTIONS: 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.
RESOURCES: our ASB has put together some Reopening FAQs for students and families that can be accessed by CLICKING HERE, and Lunch Guidelines for Students that can be found by CLICKING HERE.
CJSF CANNED FOOD DRIVE
The annual TPMS Food Drive started last Friday and ends April 2nd. We are asking families to collect food for the San Diego Food Bank if you are able to do so. This year there are so many families in need and TPMS is trying to help. We understand that not everyone is in a position to donate this year.
If you are able to donate, you can drop off food in the TPMS parking lot between 8am and 3pm on three Friday’s: March 19th, March 26th, or April 2nd.
If you are not available on these dates, please email Mrs. Larson at eparker@powayusd.com to set up a time.
Thank you so much in advance for your donation!
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.
8th Grade Course Request Information
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.
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!
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!
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