Twin Peaks Middle School
Weekly RAM Newsletter
From the Desk of Principal Mills
Sunday, February 4th, 2024
Happy Sunday Ram Families!
I hope this newsletter finds you all well and enjoying a break in the weather! It looks like our next winter storm is due to come in tonight and stay with us for a few days; please make sure to factor in enough time for transportation delays due to the weather over the next few days and to make sure that your student is dressed and prepared for the rainy weather. Our already congested streets around TPMS become even more treacherous with poor weather. Thank you in advance for your partnership in slowing down near and around campus - especially when students are present, and for making sure your student is at school on time and prepared for the day.
We had another busy week at TPMS - Monday's Professional Growth Day produced a decision by our teachers to continue with an 8 period schedule for next school year. We are now focusing our attention on the elective offerings we hope to provide for students next year in preparation for our Course Request Forms being distributed around the 1st of March. Look for more information in the coming weeks in the newsletter on selecting courses for next school year.
This past Wednesday morning we had the opportunity to celebrate our multilingual students who recently reclassified as non-English Language Learners. About half of the 35 students who earned their reclassification designation this past year were able to join us for the celebration in the theater, and many parents and family members came along to celebrate too! Students, parents and staff enjoyed coffee and donuts as we celebrated and recognized this milestone achievement for each of these Rams!
Students who are identified as English Language Learners are required to take designated EL instruction until they show competence in English; this is earned through their performance on the ELPAC test each spring, and now from earning qualifying scores on their iReady reading diagnostic. The impact of reclassifying for the student can be transformative, as they now have a period open in their schedule to possibly take another elective of their choice that we hope brings them a sense of joy and belonging.
A huge shout-out to all of our staff who joined us Wednesday morning in the theater to celebrate these amazing students! It was awesome to see the turn-out from our staff and to watch the students' expressions as their teachers clapped and cheered for them. PRICELESS! A special shout-out to Alison Shewmaker, our EL Coordinator, Lisa Grossbeck, our EL Instructional Aide, and Marly Ramos, our Community Liaison, for their dedicated work on behalf of and with these incredible students. Your hard work has allowed over 50 Twin Peaks students to reclassify in the last two years, which is an incredible piece of data to be recognized and celebrated!
Thursday and Friday saw quite a bit of rain on the TPMS campus. Most of our students carried on with their normal class routines without any disruption, but for many of our students - especially our 6th grade boys - the rain seemed to produce a memory-erasing element causing students to lose any sense of good judgement and to forget anything they may have previously learned about staying out of the rain. Parents, please remind your students that umbrellas are only needed outdoors when it is actually raining, that they are not swords or lightsabers, that standing in puddles with tennis shoes /crocs will result in wet socks, and that using the quad as a slip-n-slide is never going to be allowed so long as I am Principal. These are all activities that may work just fine at home, but unfortunately at a middle school, they never seem to end well. Thanks in advance for your support with this.
Cuyamaca Outdoor School, aka 6th Grade Camp, paperwork is now past due for all students wanting to attend. Please make sure to have your student turn in their completed paperwork and payment to their Homeroom teacher THIS MONDAY if they missed the Friday deadline. We will be building our cabin rosters and class rosters starting Monday - stay tuned for more information!
Thank you to all of our parents who have signed-up to participate in our TPMS College & Career Fair! We are still looking for additional parents to share their careers with our students, so if you are interested in showcasing your career and are available during our lunch time (11am-1pm) on March 8th, please consider volunteering! Check out the information below with a Google form link to sign-up and contact information if you have any questions.
Finally this week, February 5th-9th is National School Counselor Week. Our amazing Counseling Team, of Melissa Baskin, Jami Jennings, Nicole Roman, Minh-Chau Nguyen and Deanna Bernsen have worked to build a model program that not only serves students academic and college & career needs, but more importantly provides the mental and emotional support so many of our students, and staff, require these days. Please take a look at the graphic and information below to get a sense of the immense scope and impact of their work. THANK YOU! to the TPMS Counseling Team for their dedicated service to our school community - we are so lucky to have you!
In Partnership,
Steve Mills
Proud Principal
Twin Peaks Middle School
1(858)748-5131 x2806
Instagram: @principalmills_twinpeaks
Our EL Reclassification Ceremony - January 31st, 2024
UPCOMING EVENTS:
TPMS NEWS AND EVENTS - Click here for Calendar
February 7th: Late Start, 9:50am
February 7th: Band Concert @ MES, 9-11am
February 9th: Band Concert @ TBES, 11am-12:15pm
February 14th: Late Start, 9:50am
February 13th: TPMS Foundation Meeting, 6pm Library
February 15th: PTSA Meeting, 6:15pm Library
February 16th: Minimum Day, 12:35pm release
February 19-23: President's Week Break - NO SCHOOL
February 28th: Late Start, 9:50am
March 1st: End of Trimester 2
March 4th: Trimester 3 Begins
March 6th: Late Start, 9:50am
March 8th: College & Career Fair, Lunch in the Quad
March 8th: Spring Dance, 5:30-8pm, Quad
March 11th-15th: 6th Grade Camp
March 13th: Late Start, 9:50am
March 18th - 22nd: TPMS Library Book Fair
March 20th: Late Start, 9:50am
March 20th: 5th Grade Parent Night / Electives Fair, 5-6pm / 6-7pm
Double Rainbow Over Twin Peaks on Friday!
National School Counseling Week
National School Counseling Week, sponsored by the American School Counselor Association (ASCA), is February 5th to 9th this year. The purpose is to bring awareness to the contribution of professional school counselors within U.S. school systems and how students are different as a result of what school counselors do. School counselors work with all students to remove barriers to learning by addressing students’ academic concerns, career awareness in post-secondary options, social/emotional skills, and academic achievement. School Counselors also provide a much-needed resource for students, parents/guardians, teachers, staff members, and administrators.
We would like to take this opportunity to share some of the work we do and to THANK YOU for your support for our students, families, and each other. Our work would not be possible without your collaboration. We appreciate your partnership and are here to support your students.
If you would like to help, our Counseling Team is always in need of grocery gift cards or you can explore the link to their TPMS Counseling Wishlist
Time for Soccer at TPMS
Attention all soccer players! Soccer season here at TPMS is fast approaching. Registration for soccer will be available Monday Feb 5th until Friday Feb 17th. Registration packets will be available in the front office or on the TPMS website under the sports tab. Registration packets need to be completed before your student attends skill evals. Info about skill evals and team info will be on the TPMS website along with half sheets available in the front office by the registration packets. If your student participated in a sport already this year your registration packet should be good to go but please email mamiller@powayusd.com to double check. Please reach out with any questions!
SDCOE & Computers2Kids Event
The San Diego County Office of Education and Computers2Kids are hosting an event for families to purchase affordable computers on Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024 from 9 to 12:00 p.m. at Canyon Hills High School, 5156 Santo Rd, San Diego, CA 92124 (Drive Thru Event).
Click here for the flyer and specific details.
Since the beginning of the 2022-23 academic year, the partnership between SDCOE and Computers2Kids has provided refurbished computers to San Diego families. As of July 2023 they have provided approximately 2000 refurbished computers to 900 San Diego families. We hope your families are able to benefit from this event.
PUSD’s Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) Survey Now Open!
PUSD Parents and Students - We want to hear from you! This year, we are asking everyone to answer the following question: “What existing or additional programs or specific supports should we prioritize to ensure our students’ future success?”
Your responses are confidential, and you can respond with as few or as many different ideas as you’d like. After sharing your own thoughts, you’ll be asked to assign stars to the ideas shared by others, and read what’s most important to fellow stakeholders.
Click here to get started: bit.ly/2024pusdlcap
During our open survey period, from February 1 - February 16, 2024, you can come back to the survey as often as you’d like to participate, and in fact, we ask that you do come back to some of the new ideas that have been shared since you first participated. Thank you in advance for your participation and partnership.
KNOW THE DIFFERENCE WHEN YOU THROW THINGS AWAY AT SCHOOL - USE THE RIGHT BIN!
Join the TPMS Choir
TPMS Choir will start singing on January 18th! Practices will be Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 7:15-8:15am. All students are welcome! Students need to be on time and can not miss more than 4 practices total for the choir session. We will perform a May 16th concert at Twin Peaks, and two other performances with the Poway High School Choir on May 23rd and May 24th.
Any questions, please email TPMSchoirdirector@gmail.com
For registration information: TPMS Spring 2024 Choir Registration
PHS Engineering Academy/Pathway Info Night
WED, Feb. 7, 2024, from 7 pm to 8 pm in Room N3107 at Poway High: 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 in 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 click here for the flyer.
TPMS College & Career Fair 2024 - We Need Your Help!
College & Career Fair Details
Date: Friday, March 8th
Time: 11am-12:35pm
Location: TPMS Quad
We are thrilled to share that Twin Peaks Middle School will host its annual College and Career Fair and we need you to make this a meaningful and informative experience for our students. If you would like to participate by sharing fun facts and other information about your work and career with our students, please complete our Google Form LINKED HERE. We look forward to partnering with you for this exciting event. Please contact Melissa Baskin, mbaskin@powayusd.com, if you have any questions.
6th Grade Camp: March 11th - 15th, 2024
All 6th Grade students will be getting information and registration packets for Cuyamaca Outdoor School (aka 6th Grade Camp) in their Homerooms this Tuesday, January, 16. The cost for the full week of camp this year is $455. Please plan on submitting all forms and payment by Friday, February 2, 2024. We are excited to continue the 78 year tradition of 6th Graders visiting Cuyamaca Outdoor School!
Please Get to School On-Time!
Parents - please make every effort to have your student here before classes begin each day at 8:30am, or before 9:50am on Wednesdays. We are actually experiencing a larger percentage of students late to school on Wednesdays when we have late start than on our regular start days. Please try and drop your student off at school by 8:15am or regular days and by 9:30am on late-start Wednesdays so that they have time to get to their first block class on time; we open the school gates 30 minutes before classes actually start, and our Food Services provide a free breakfast for students during this time or during the morning break after first block.
Multilingual Program Updates!
First, we are excited to share a new tool you can access to support your student(s) that are English Learners. The EL Console is our new application where parents can see student’s progress towards reclassification. You can view their ELPAC scores along with their progress on iReady and SBAC assessments. To access the EL Console, follow these quick steps!
Second, our English Learner department has a new Instagram and Facebook account you can follow! You can see amazing learning in action, get updates from the EL Department, and learn how to continue to support your child. You can follow along at @pusdmll !
Attendance Corner
Is your Student leaving early? Call the Attendance Hotline (858) 668-2730 that morning. Leave a message and a note gets sent to the student that block. Bring in your ID, sign the student out, and away you go!
Is your Student running late? Absent? Call the Attendance Hotline (858) 668-2730
Leave a message with the requested information and the Tardy or Absence will be excused.
Did your student go to the Doctor/Dentist/Orthodontist/Dermatologist/Optometrist?
It is beneficial to his/her attendance record to bring an official medical note to the Attendance Desk. Any absence excused by a medical note does not count toward your student’s absence total.
Main Office Drop-Offs
As a general rule, we do not accept drop-off items for students once they arrive at school. While we do make exceptions for medical and emergency situations, our TPMS Student Planner states: "In an effort to limit classroom interruptions as well as encourage students to become more independent and self-sufficient, Twin Peaks does not allow delivery of forgotten lunches, PE clothes, homework, non-emergency messages, or other items during the school day."
Delivery food and Door Dash-like companies may not deliver to students at school; additionally, cell phones will not be held for students at the front desk for them to pick up. Breakfast and lunch items are provided to all students, free of charge, so there should not be any reason to drop off a lunch for your student - they will be able to get food at school. If your student has food allergies that require special lunches, the Student Planner states you "must provide a Medical Statement (SNP-925) that explains the need. The medical statement must be signed by a physician and include recommended alternate foods."
TPMS Yearbook Info
Yearbooks are available for $55. Reserve yours now!
Pay by card: Go to www.jostens.com or use the QR code above.
Pay by cash/check: Download the typable order form from our webpage
http://tpmsyearbook.weebly.com/ or pick up a form in the office. Return the form and cash or check to the school office.
PTSA Meeting Dates 23-24
The Twin Peaks Middle School Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA) is a membership-based, volunteer organization dedicated to making each school year a rewarding and enriching experience for all students. As a volunteer organization, PTSA is integral to the success of many campus events. We fund, organize and provide volunteers for a variety of PTSA programs and important school activities which serve to enhance your student’s middle school experience
All Executive Board meetings will be held on the 3rd Thursday of each month at 6:15pm in the TPMS Library unless listed otherwise. Association Meetings will be held in September, February, and April. Board meetings are open to PTSA Board Members and Committee Chairs while Association Meetings are open for all members of the Twin Peaks Middle School PTSA:
February 15th (Association Meeting @6:15pm; Board Meeting to follow)
March 14th
April 18th (Association Meeting @6:15pm; Board Meeting to follow)
May 23rd
To join the PTSA for the 2023-24 school year, please CLICK HERE!
TPMS Foundation 23-24
Twin Peaks Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing educational excellence for ALL students at Twin Peaks Middle School. Their purpose is to bridge the widening gap between the amount of money actually provided by the State of California and the Poway Unified School District and the amount necessary to fund technology upgrades, educational programs and resources necessary to support the school. The Foundation typically meets on the 3rd Tuesday of each month at 6pm in the TPMS Library. Here are their monthly meetings dates for the 2023-24 school year:
February 13th
March 12th
April 16th
May 21st
Please visit the TPMS Foundation Web Page by CLICKING HERE!
Shop Amazon through TPMS Foundation
Twin Peaks Middle School
Nondiscrimination Philosophy and Policy Statement
The Poway Unified School District (PUSD) is an equal opportunity employer/program and is committed to an active Nondiscrimination Program. PUSD prohibits discrimination, harassment, intimidation, and bullying based on actual or perceived race, color, ancestry, national origin, nationality, immigration status, ethnicity, ethnic group identification, age, religion, marital or parental status, physical or mental disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or gender expression or association with a person or a group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics. For more information, please contact: Title IX/Equity Compliance Officer, James Jimenez, Associate Superintendent of Personnel support Services, Poway Unified School District, 15250 Avenue of Science, San Diego, CA 92128, 1-858-521-2800, extension 2121, jjimenez@powayusd.com. For students, you may contact Title IX Coordinator/504 Coordinator Jamie Dayhoff, Director of Attendance and Discipline, Poway Unified School District, 1-858-521-2840, jdayhoff@powayusd.com.
Email: chamilton@powayusd.com
Website: http://tpms.powayusd.com/index.html
Phone: 858.748.5131
Twitter: @TwinPeaksRams