Twin Peaks Middle School
Weekly RAM Newsletter
From the desk of Principal Mills - Sunday, April 4th, 2021
Happy Sunday Ram Families!
I hope this newsletter finds you all well and enjoying your Easter Sunday!
As I shared with you earlier this week via email, recent changes by the CDC reducing physical distance requirements to 3 feet will allow us to combine our A and B Cohorts, for all grades 6-8. Starting Monday, April 19th, students who have been designated as an on campus learner, may attend Monday through Thursday. A student may also choose to continue to come onto campus two days a week. If choosing this option, students should continue to come on their assigned cohort days (A on M/Tues; B on W/Thur). Fridays will remain an Asynchronous learning day.
If your student has opted to remain virtual and would like to return to campus, the request will be considered on a case by case basis as we continue to monitor class size maximum capacity within the physical distance requirements. Please see the "School Reopening Info" section below for information on how to be added to our on-campus waitlist, completing the on-campus waiver form, before and after school care through ASES, and picking up Chrome books. If you have any questions about the District's Reopening Plan you can access the PUSD Reopening Guide by clicking HERE.
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
Starting this Monday, April 5th, we will no longer conduct temperature screenings for students and staff coming on to campus. Please remember that all students are expected to check their own temperature before coming to school; if your temperature is above 100 degrees, please remain at home and attend class virtually. Thermometers will still be available in the Health and Main Office if anyone needs to take a temperature on campus.
One of the questions I often get asked is what will classrooms look like with both cohorts back on campus? In terms of physical distancing, students will be spaced according to the CDC's recommendation of 3 feet between each student. This is similar to spacing that we would have had in many classrooms before the pandemic. Screens for students are not required by the CDC, but will be available for any student who requests one. In some classrooms with larger numbers of students, teachers may choose to continue to use screens to separate student workspaces.
The most important differences students are experiencing in classrooms is the requirement to wear their face mask during class and simultaneous teaching, which will continue in all classrooms with about a third of our students remaining virtual. This requires the teacher to adjust their instruction to teach to both student populations simultaneously, which is incredibly difficult. To address this challenge, the district has decided to provide families with choices of multiple learning platforms that include both on-campus and virtual options for next school year (please see below!).
Finally this week, just a reminder that if you haven't turned in your Course Request Form yet, please do so ASAP! Students without a completed CRF will be assigned to an elective class based on available space rather than their choice. The link to the TPMS webpage with all of the the CRF documents can be found if you CLICK HERE!
Also, please make sure to review the "Learning Options for 2021-2022" section below to learn about the various learning options, both live and virtual, that PUSD plans to offer for next school year. Students and families interested in participating in Poway Virtual Courses will need to complete the PVC Course Request Form by April 23, 2021.
In Partnership,
Steve Mills
Proud Principal
Twin Peaks Middle School
1(858)748-5131 x2806
UPCOMING EVENTS:
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 both A & B cohorts!
4/20: Community Conversation on Racial Equity, Zoom 6-7:30pm
4/21: T.I.P. Drive Through Celebration, 3:30-5:00pm
4/22: TPMS PTSA Meeting, Zoom 6:00pm
4/23: Late Start Friday - Asynchronous Friday Schedule, 9:30am
Learning Options for 2021-2022
On March 25 and 30, 2021, representatives from the Poway Unified School District held an informational webinar describing in detail the learning options that will be available for our students starting Fall 2021. Please click the following link to find specific information, videos, and a recording of the events held in the previous weeks regarding these options.
Poway Unified - Enrollment and Continuing Student Registration Information (powayusd.com)
In summary, PUSD will be offering three different learning options for the 2021-22 school year:
Full-Day In-Person Instruction (Five days per week)
Connect Academy Virtual School (6-8) Middle School Only
Poway Virtual Courses PVC (9-12) High School Only
New Directions Independent Study (6-12)
As part of the Enrollment and/or Continuing Student Registration Process, parents/guardians will be asked to select which option they are interested in for their student. If your student is interested in participating in Poway Virtual Courses, you will need to complete the PVC Course Request Form by April 23, 2021. The link for current PUSD students to register can be found HERE. If you have questions, please review the information provided on our website or you can email your student’s counselor for more information.
RAM Read-A-Thon is Coming!
Be on the lookout in the coming weeks for info on the 4th Annual Read-A-Thon, a Twin Peaks Foundation fundraiser. On Tuesday, May 4th, all students will spend their RAM Time reading independently. Students will have the opportunity to record their reading and gather donations two weeks prior to May 4th and have a chance to win some awesome prizes. Mark your calendars now! May the 4th be with you!
TPMS Day of Silence Rally
TPMS Day of Silence Rally
Day of Silence is a national student-led protest across the United States, where students choose to stay silent in order to stand in support and solidarity with the LGBTQIA+ community. At the end of Day of Silence, students across the country break their silence with a rally for LGBTQIA+ equality and awareness. TPMS students in partnership with our school GSA Club have created an outlet for students to participate virtually if they so choose, by providing students with an opportunity to create an original performance piece or work of art to convey a message that rallies for the fight for LGBTQIA+ rights and for safer and more comfortable schools for all students.
The TPMS LGBTQIA+ Day of Silence Rally is an optional assignment and no grades will be associated with it. The rally will be shared with all students through their RAM classes throughout the month of April. Submissions are due April 22nd and will be shared with the TPMS community on Friday, April 23rd as part of our Virtual Day of Silence Rally. Please visit https://bit.ly/tpmsdayofsilence for more information.
CLICK ON THE GRAPHIC ABOVE TO SIGN UP!
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!
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: Are you interested in the ASES program for the Fall of 2021? The before and after school program is a free grant funded program that offers students academic support along with enrichment activities! Listed below is our interest form link for the school year 2021-2022. Please fill out the form and we will contact you with the next steps in registration. This link is for both incoming and current ASES Families to fill out! If you have any questions please reach out to the ASES Supervisor Margo Selensky at mselensky@powayusd.com
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.
iReady Presentation for Parents
Para español, haga clic aquí
Volunteer and Career Opportunities at Twin Peaks MS #TeamPUSD
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!
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