Twin Peaks Middle School
Weekly RAM Newsletter
From the desk of Principal Mills - Sunday, February 7th, 2021
Happy Sunday Ram Families!
I hope this newsletter finds you all well and enjoying a beautiful Super Bowl weekend! We had a successful first week with small groups of students back on campus; between Monday and Thursday, we had over 110 students and more than 30 teachers back on campus, again demonstrating that Twin Peaks is ready to open once we get clearance form the state and county to open for our A/B cohorts.
The first week of the semester certainly got off to a rocky start on Monday as several students across multiple grades were not able to access their Zoom and Canvas classes. Unfortunately, this was a problem that impacted multiple campuses across PUSD. Most of our issues were resolved in a few hours, so my apologies to our students and families who were impacted and THANK YOU for your patience and understanding. If you continue to have a connection or Canvas or Zoom concern, please make sure to reach out to your student's counselor or a member of our admin team.
There are several opportunities for students and parents to get involved in the ongoing equity work that PUSD is leading. Students - please check out the Racial Equity Challenge website linked HERE and let us hear your voice! You have choice over your topic, focus and medium you utilize to express yourself - participants will be recognized for their contributions! Parents - consider being a part of the TBES/TPMS Equity Council as we partner to help guide this work as a united school community. To join the council and our first meeting on February 16th, please click HERE.
Finally this week, please remember that because of the the President's holiday next week, this Friday, February 12th is a late-start, non-virtual teaching day (period 1,3,5 day!); the bell schedule for the day can be found HERE. More details on the February break can be found in the section below Upcoming Events.
In Partnership,
Steve Mills
Proud Principal
Twin Peaks Middle School
1(858)748-5131 x2806
UPCOMING EVENTS:
2/10: PHS Engineering Pathway Info Night, Zoom @7pm
2/11: PUSD Board Meeting, Zoom @6pm
2/11: PTSA Association Meeting, Zoom @6pm
2/12: Late Start @9:30am (Period 1,3,5 Day)
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
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.
Global Uplift Project
Hello TPMS Families! This year, our school is partnering with The Global Uplift Project to help raise money to build a school for children in need in Malacatoya, Nicaragua. CLICK HERE for a video that will tell you more about the project. If every TPMS family could donate just $1 – that’s less than the cost of a soda these days – we could raise over $1000 to help reach our goal. Please consider joining us in making the world a better place. Visit bit.ly/tpmsTGUP to make a donation today!
PHS Engineering Academy/Pathway Info Night
WED, Feb. 10, 2021, from 7 pm to 8 pm via Zoom: This is an opportunity to hear how the program is helping current students and how the Poway High School Engineering Academy/Pathway is making a difference toward their college and career goals. You will learn about what courses to enroll to start the Academy or Pathway. There will also be a presentation about updates in the Academy and an overview of the program and pathway. There will be a question-and-answer period.
Please see the PHS website or click here for more details.
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!
The Gen Z Project - Starting Thursday, February 18th
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!
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.
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
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!
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