Twin Peaks Middle School
Weekly RAM Newsletter
From the desk of Principal Mills - Sunday, October 3rd, 2021
Happy Sunday, Ram Families!
Welcome to October! We hope you are enjoying this first full weekend of the month and the amazing San Diego weather we are having!
Thank you to all of our families who participated in parent-teacher conferences this past week. It is incredibly important to make connections with your student's teachers early in the year if you already have concerns about their academic progress. If you did not have a chance to conference with your student's teachers, I encourage you to reach out to them directly via email with questions or concerns you might have. CLICK HERE for a link to the TPMS website and our teacher directory.
Governor Newsom's announcement on Friday that Covid vaccinations will be required for California students and staff once the FDA fully approves vaccinations will not have any immediate impact on our current Covid guidelines and protocols. The timeline for implementation will be based on FDA approval, which could be anywhere from January 1, 2022 to January 1, 2023. As always, PUSD will be working with guidance from the CDPH to implement these requirements. Please see the Covid-19 updates section below for information and links to the most current guidelines and protocols on the PUSD website.
One of the biggest issues we have had with students returning to campus is the amount of trash that is being generated and left by students. Please discuss with your students the importance of cleaning up after themselves and taking care of our physical campus. "Leave no Trace" was a concept I learned as a middle schooler and Boy Scout, and is a great lesson to share with your students as they play the most important role in keeping our school community clean. Thanks in advance for talking to your students about this shared responsibility.
We had several questions form families this past week about student photos and wanted to give everyone a quick update... Lifetouch Photos will be emailing student photo proofs to the school in the next week and we will distribute these out to students through their Ram classes. In the meantime, families who want to check their proofs online or who have ordering questions can visit mylifetouch.com and use the Live Chat feature or contact customer service directly.
- Live Chat - Available Weekdays 4am-6pm PST & Sat/Sun 7am-4pm PST
- Phone - 1-800-736-4753 Weekdays from 5am-5pm PST
Finally this week, please make sure your student is charging their Chrome book overnight each night in preparation for being able to use their device the next day at school. Our library has a limited number of loaner Chrome books for students and has been inundated lately with the high demand. Please see the "Chromebook 101" section below with some suggestions on how to have your students take responsibility for their device.
In Partnership,
Steve Mills
Proud Principal
Twin Peaks Middle School
1(858)748-5131 x2806
Instagram: @principalmills_twinpeaks
UPCOMING EVENTS:
TPMS NEWS AND EVENTS - bit.ly/tpmsevents
October 7th: Late Start Schedule, 9:15am start
October 8th: Cross Country Meet, 4pm, TPMS
October 13th: TBES/TPMS Equity Council Meeting, 3:30-4:30pm @Zoom
October 14th: Late Start Schedule, 9:15am start
October 19th: TPMS Foundation Meeting, 6pm @Zoom
October 21st: Late Start Schedule, 9:15am start
October 21st: PTSA Board Meeting, 6:15pm @Zoom
October 22nd: ASB Movie Night in the Quad (5:00-8:30pm)
October 25th: TPMS Professional Growth Day - No Students
Chromebook 101
Please remember to have your student charge their Chromebook every night and bring it with them to school each day. Please work with them to create a routine by having your student place their backpack next to the charging Chromebook before they go to bed each night so they won't forget it. Another suggestion is for students to set a reminder on their phone for each weekday to bring their Chromebook with them to school.
Please help out our TPMS library staff - they are averaging about 30 Chromebook checkouts a day, in addition to forgotten chargers, and this is taking them away from their other library responsibilities. We appreciate anything you can do to work with your students to charge and bring their Chromebook to school with them each day!
PTSA Appreciates Your Support!
If you have not done so already, please join the PTSA by going online to our website at www.tpmsptsa.org/membership/. Also, if you are able, please take a moment to give a small donation of just $25 to our organization either online or by check (please click here for flyer). The PTSA does not host many fundraisers throughout the year and it is primarily through parent donations that we are able to fund the programs that we provide at TPMS. If you have any questions, or would like more information about the PTSA, please contact me at ptsaprestpms@gmail.com.
Mikki Trusheim, PTSA President
Virtual Walk Against Hate
On Sunday, October 10th we're on the move to fight hate in our community! Just like last year, this year's event is virtual - which means you can participate however and wherever you choose! It's not just a walk - it's an opportunity to move as an individual or with friends and family toward a future without antisemitism, racism, and all forms of bigotry. As an added bonus, students will receive extra credit in PE for participating in the Walk Against Hate. However you move, let’s show our RAM PRIDE and register for ADL's Walk Against Hate today by clicking HERE! For detailed directions for how to register click HERE. This is an opportunity to have fun and make a difference. Please upload a photo to show how you (and your family!) participated in our Virtual Walk Against Hate HERE. Students who share pictures will automatically be entered in a raffle to win prizes.
National PTSA Reflections Contest
COVID-19 Updates for Ram Families
If you haven't already, please take a few minutes to review the Covid-19 Health and Safety Protocols video, with explanations of the quarantine options available to families if your student should test positive or is identified as a close contact. Please CLICK HERE to access this information on our website. The most recent information about the current guidelines and COVID-19 requirements can be accessed HERE on the PUSD main webpage.
Please make sure to continue screening your student daily for any symptoms related to the virus before they arrive to school. Please keep your student at home if they exhibit any symptoms of Covid-19 and get them tested at your earliest convenience. (CLICK HERE for FREE testing options in SD County) People with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported – ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. Please remember that symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus, so please keep your student home if they exhibit any symptoms. If your child does test positive, please notify us immediately.
School Safety Parent Handout: Please click on the link below to view a handout that explains the measures being taken at TPMS, as well as local and state guidance and resources regarding Covid-19.
Getting Back to School Safely Parent Handout
Getting Back to School Safely Parent Handout | SpanishMASKING GUIDELINES:
- Indoors with Students: Face masks are MANDATORY for all adults and students, except those with a documented medical excuse on file with our Heath Technician.
- Indoors with Adults ONLY: Masks are OPTIONAL for fully vaccinated adults and MANDATORY for unvaccinated adults.
- Outdoors: Masks are optional for everyone, regardless of vaccination status.
- The CDPH will reevaluate its masking guidelines by November 1, 2021.
Please CLICK HERE to access the updated PUSD Covid Decision Tree with updated quarantine requirements.
K-12 Annual Calendar Contest
The San Diego County Air Pollution Control District’s (APCD) Annual Kids Calendar Contest has begun! We invite students in grades K-12 to enter the contest. We are accepting submissions from now until Friday, November 19, 2021.
Entries may be submitted by mail and this year we have added the option of submitting entries via email. Emailed entries must not exceed 10 mb in size. To enter the contest, submit original artwork along with the entry form available on our website: bit.ly/sdapcdoutreach Additional contest information is also available on our website including the contest rules and how to submit your entry.
At the APCD, our mission is to improve air quality to protect public health and the environment. While we are working hard every day to reduce air pollution in San Diego County, we realize we cannot do this alone and need the help of students. We want to encourage you to think about the importance of clean, breathable air and help spread the word about what the average person can do to help us all breathe a little easier. As such, with your help, we will be creating a 2022 calendar where each month will showcase your air quality artwork. The calendar art will be chosen in a contest where the 13 most creative designs (1 for the cover and 1 for each month) are selected from student entries for grades K through 12.
The artwork must demonstrate ways to reduce air pollution and may include a clean air message. Also, the APCD website will have a gallery of all the submissions. The contest begins immediately, and all submissions must be postmarked by Friday, November 19, 2021.
The entry form can be found on our website here: bit.ly/sdapcdoutreach
Parent Education Course on Stress All Grades
Parent Education Course on Stress Grades K-5
Positive Parenting Program (PPP) Webinar
Girls on the Run is coming to Twin Peaks!
Girls on the Run is a program which inspires 6th-8th graders to be healthy and confident using a fun, experience-based curriculum which creatively integrates running. The program will meet twice per week on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:15-4:45 beginning mid September. Girls will have fun, make friends, run, and learn important life skills through lessons led by trained coaches. The season ends with a celebratory 5k event on December 5 at Crown Point on Mission Bay.
To register: www.gotrsd.org/Register-Now.
For more details contact Melissa Baskin (mbaskin@powayusd.com)
Parent info night on 9/7 at 5:30 PM. Register at https://tinyurl.com/4d7phw55
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