PTMS Weekly Parent Newsletter
November 3, 2023
Coming Up
November 1-17 - Food Drive to benefit 92130 Cares.
November 5 - Daylight Savings Time ends. Turn back your clock an hour.
November 6 - Block 2-4-6 Day - Not a Late Start Day
November 7 - Block 1-3-5 Day
November 8 - Block 2-4-6 Day
November 9 - Block 1-3-5 Day
November 10 - Veteran's Day Holiday - NO SCHOOL
November 13 - Late Start Day
Message from the Superintendent
Good afternoon SDUHSD Community,
Thank you for your ongoing support and efforts on behalf of the San Dieguito Union High School District. We are pleased to share that our District has been recently recognized by Niche Rankings as the No. 1 best school district in San Diego County, No. 2 in the state, and No. 18 in the country. We continue to prioritize excellent teaching and learning and supporting all students in their academic success. Sustained academic success takes place when the culture across our district on every school campus supports every student feeling that they belong, that they are included, seen, heard, and respected.
Beginning in January, we will join with the National Conflict Resolution Center in a new, multi- year partnership, the One San Dieguito Initiative. The goal of the One San Dieguito initiative is to work collaboratively to create a more supportive and inclusive environment that enables all students to feel a greater sense of belonging and achieve their academic goals. All of our educational partners including staff, students, parents, and community members will be invited to work together on this initiative. We will develop a comprehensive plan that includes a training program focused on developing communication, culture, and conflict resolution skills. We look forward to sharing details and future opportunities to become involved in the coming months.
Finally, for many in our community the horrific terror attack on October 7 and subsequent war between Israel and Hammas has had a direct impact. Many of our students are suffering as they grieve the loss of friends and family. Around the world and here at home, we are anxiously awaiting word about the hostages being held. Our Jewish and Muslim students are both expressing fear and uncertainty during this time, and it is our job to maintain a safe environment in which they can grow and thrive.
I want to emphasize that we do not tolerate anti-semitism or discrimination of any kind. I am meeting with various community members and we are working to address the short and long term needs of our students. Some of this will be seen, and some of this will not, but know that we are making our students our top priority. All are encouraged to demonstrate increased empathy, compassion, and kindness towards others.
As we continue to provide support to our students and families, please remember to make use of the WeTip Anonymous Reporting platform to report instances of bullying, harassment, discrimination or any other incident on campus, in the classroom or in the community.
As a reminder all items from last night’s Board Agenda can be found on the district website or directly here.
Thank you again for your ongoing support of our SDUHSD students and we wish everyone a safe and wonderful weekend.
Sincerely,
Anne Staffieri, Ed.,D.
Message from the Principal
Wolfpack Families,
If you attended our Orientation in August in which the counselors and I spoke to parents, you may recall me sharing that upset happens on a middle school campus. It's a fairly common occurrence when you put this many students together. PTMS uses a formal structure and process called Restorative Practices in moments when this occurs. This process, structured around guiding questions, allows all parties involved to be heard, to hear the impact they have on the other people involved, and then can reflect on what steps they can take to repair and rebuild the relationship.
We began our week on Monday morning with an all-staff meeting in which we engaged in a training around Restorative Practices so that our entire staff can continue to work with students in this manner. I share this because, as a principal and as a father, I find this framework very helpful when working with students. It gets them to reflect on their actions, the impact, and what they may do differently in the future. Here are the questions should you want to familiarize yourself with them:
- What happened?
- What were you thinking of at the time?
- What have you thought of since the event happened?
- Who has been affected by what you have done? In what ways?
- What do you think you need to do to make it right?
Additionally, when all students agree, we can have a counselor or another staff member lead students in a restorative circle. This gives everyone a chance to be heard and a chance to listen, which typically begins the process to restore the relationship.
Switching gears a little bit, the students brought their "A-game" when it came to Halloween costumes. I was so impressed by the creativity, the camaraderie, and the fun. All students did a great job staying within the costume guidelines, and the day was so fun! A big shout out to all the staff who dressed up too. It really makes PTMS a great place to be.
Earlier in the week, the girls volleyball team played a few staff in a 6 v 6 volleyball game. The students came out on top, everyone had fun, and a special thank you to Coach Olson and to Coach Barry of the Boys & Girls Club for making it happen. Also, congratulations to the PTMS golf team and boys flag football team for winning their respective Big 8 championships this week.
In the classroom, many of our math classes went to the Learning Commons to participate in a math Escape Room. They had to use their classmates and their math skills to solve the problems and "escape the room". Kudos to the math team for creating such an engaging way to learn math and problem solving.
Finally, remember that we turn our clocks back an hour this weekend, so everyone gets an extra hour of rest. However, Monday is not a late start Monday. We will begin at 8:10 a.m. since there is no school on Friday in honor of Veterans' Day.
Have a great weekend,
Scott Wild
Principal
The Wolfpack
The Administrative Team came together on Halloween to form the new PTMS country/western band - The Wild Howlers.
Staff vs. Students
It was the Staff Wolves vs. Student Wolves after school on Monday, October 30th, in a volleyball game.
Next Week's Schedule
Next week's schedule will look like this:
Monday - Block 2-4-6
Tuesday - Block 1-3-5
Wednesday - Block 2-4-6
Thursday - Block 1-3-5
Friday - Veteran's Day Holiday - No School
Message from the Counselors
Career Exploration begins for our 7th graders! On Monday, November 6, 7th grade wolves will take a Strengths Assessment through Thrively, an online platform, during Homeroom. Please click here to learn more about Thrively. A counselor-led classroom lesson through science classes will follow on November 14th and 15th. In January counselors will also meet with our 8th grade wolves to revisit Thrively for more career exploration activities and to discuss high school and beyond.
After Fall Break, we will be hosting a number of career speakers who will talk about the jobs they do and how they got there. Both 7th and 8th grade students will be invited to sign-up the week of November 13 for one or more speaker sessions.
There is a free parent training course through SAY San Diego coming up for our middle school age group from December 6, 2023 - January 24. 2024. This course is to help parents effectively communicate with their child while also developing effective discipline techniques.
Lisa Curry, Counselor (A-Ma) lisa.curry@sduhsd.net
Carsen Anderson (Murt), Counselor (Mc-Z and MLL Students) carsen.murt@sduhsd.net
Samantha Eels-Taylor, Student Support Facilitator samantha.eelstaylor@sduhsd.net
Is Your Student Going to a Private School Next School Year?
If you and your student are thinking of applying to a Private School for next year. Please fill out the link below for each school.
1st Semester grade Transcripts will not be ready until January 2024.
Mental Health & Wellness
Mental Health & Wellness Resources for Students, Staff, and School Community.
Click on the QR code to discover your PTMS Support Staff.
From the Attendance Office
~ Thank you for making on-time and daily attendance your priority!
8th Grade Vision and Hearing Testing
All 8th grade students will undergo a quick vision and hearing screening by our district nurse in the month of December. This is a mandated screening by the state of California and is pre-arranged with teachers to limit time away from the classroom. If you wish to not have your student participate, please complete this opt-out waiver or contact district nurse, at Patricia.piacentiallen@sduhsd.net.
ASB and Student Announcements
You can check them out on the Students tab of our website under "Student Announcements" for a running post of each week's student announcements.
Food Drive - November 1-17
PTMS is holding a food drive November 1st through November 17th.
This year, we are supporting 92130 Cares. They are a nonprofit organization whose mission is to share resources, make meaningful connections, and spread neighborly love!
Homeroom classes each have an assigned food item. Please bring in air tight, non-glass containers with your homeroom's assigned item. Food donations are to be taken directly to Homeroom classes and NOT left in the office.
From the Learning Commons
The Learning Commons is now pleased to offer a small selection of high school level library books for students to borrow with a parent’s permission. Students wishing to borrow a book from the Mature Readers collection should see Mrs. Richards in the Learning Commons, who will then contact the student’s parent or guardian via email. No student may borrow a high school level book until their parent or guardian gives permission. Please see our list of titles here.
Department News
From the PE Department
Please follow us on Instagram to see what your student is up to during PE class.
From Yearbook
Leaves are falling, and the yearbook is calling!
Clubs
~ Club activity will be posted here throughout the year. To get a list of all Clubs currently active, please check the Activities page on our website.
Chromebook Stylus/Charger Replacements
Replacement Chromebook styluses and chargers can now be purchased with Vetha in the front office. The prices to replace these items are:
- Stylus = $25.00
- Charger = $28.00
Book Drive - November 6-10
SDUHSD is looking for CTE Industry Partners!
The core of the Career Technical Education (CTE) coursework is the relationship with our local industry professionals. Industry partners play a pivotal role in CTE programs, building connections between industry and education. This support provides our students access to industry experts to inform, engage and prepare our future talented workforce. The SDUHSD CTE program is seeking local industry professionals to collaborate with our teachers. This partnership could include the following opportunities: Serve as an Industry Advisor and attend an Advisory Meeting (one per year), Be a Guest Speaker in a CTE course, Provide Teacher or Student Job Shadow opportunities, provide Company Tours for CTE students, provide Student Internships and Teacher Externships.
If you are interested in engaging with students in activities related to career exploration and skill preparation in middle and high school CTE programs, there are many opportunities for you or your organization to make a difference in SDUHSD.
Complete the SDUHSD CTE Partnership Interest Form to be connected with our Career and Technical Education office. Or scan the QR code using the camera in your device.
If you know someone who will be interested in partnering with SDUHSD, please share the link above or the QR code.
Nutrition Services
Job Opportunities - Nutrition Services
SDUHSD is seeking individuals who want to make a difference in children’s lives in the role of an Instructional Assistant. We have positions available for Instructional Assistant – Special Education, Instructional Assistant – Behavior Intervention, and Instructional/Personal Care Assistant. These positions are typically between 4 – 6 hours per day, depending on the assignment.
Instructional Assistants assist a certificated teacher in providing instruction to an individual or small group of students in a special education learning environment. We have openings throughout the district at middle and high schools in Special Education classrooms.
If you are interested, or know someone else who would love this job, go to www.edjoin.org/sandieguito.
Multilingual Learner Corner
PTMS and CCA ELACs will host a joint meeting for families of multilingual students on Wednesday, November 29, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the CCA Learning Commons. Join us to learn more about ways the ELAC and school sites can support your students and to get information on ELPAC (English language proficiency) testing.
Special Education Sessions and Events
For a list of Special Education Informational Sessions and Family Events, please click here.
For meetings, trainings, workshops, and more from the North Coastal Consortium for Special Education, please click here.
Special Education Informational Series
The SDUHSD special education department, in collaboration with SDUHSD counselors, are hosting an upcoming informational session on Tuesday, November 7th at 5:00 pm covering A-G eligibility for students with an IEP interested in attending 4 year universities.
This session will also cover financial aid and world language requirements.
Please see the attachment to RSVP and learn more. We look forward to seeing you there!
CCA Teams
CCA Envision Arts Theatre Presents
Bright Young Things - a new musical. Purchase your tickets here. Check out the Carmel Valley News article on this production.
CCA Envision Arts Theatre Presents
Sense & Sensibility. Purchase your tickets here. Check out the Carmel Valley News article on this production.
SDUHSD Job Opportunities Available!
San Dieguito UHSD has part-time opportunities available for Instructional Assistants-Special Education, Bilingual Instructional Assistants and Nutrition Services Assistants. Please visit the link below for a list of all available positions:
Other Important Items
- Boys & Girls Club - Seasonal sports information/registration.
- PTMS Live Calendar of Campus Events and 2023-24 Instructional Calendar.
- PTMS Spirit Wear/Gear - PTMS Spirit Wear and accessories for the whole family!
- PTMS Student Vehicle Permit - Register your bike/e-bike/scooter/skateboard with PTMS. Complete this form and turn in to the office.
- PTMS Webstore - PE clothes/Limited Series Clothing
- PTMS Webstore - Spirit Wear
- PTMS Yearbook. - Order today!
- San Dieguito Alliance for a Drug-Free Youth - complete the Parent Pledge here.
- San Dieguito Boys & Girls Club - click the link to the left for 2023-24 athletic schedules.
- SDUHSD - Employment Opportunities. To view a list of openings and to apply, please click https://www.edjoin.org/sandieguito or you can call Susan Gray at 760 753-6491 x5543.
This newsletter has also been posted to our website under "Parent Communications."
Deadline to submit articles for publication is Thursdays.