Weekly Family Update #28
February 28, 2021
Principal's Message
Hello Falcon Families,
March Madness may mean basketball brackets to some people, but here at Oak Valley March Madness means Course Request Forms and Master Schedule Season!! We have a packed month coming up.
This week our counselors will be visiting all 6th and 7th grade science classes to go over elective options for students and show them how to select and lock in their course choices in our Synergy StudentVue program. Elective choices must be submitted and locked into the computer system by Friday March 12th. We ask that all parents review the selection of their student and approve before they are entered into the computer. For more information on electives, please visit our website and look in the "Academics" tab.
If you and your student need help selecting courses electronically, please view the slide show attached HERE for a step by step guide.
On Wednesday March 19th counselors from Del Norte High School will be visiting all 8th grade Social Studies classes to inform students on selecting class for their freshmen year. Attached to this newsletter is a flyer with important links and dates for the transition from 8th grade to 9th. Please also visit the website of the high school your student will be attending next year for more detailed information.
We will also be welcome our incoming 5th grade families with an informational family meeting on Wednesday March 10th. I am very excited to welcome our 5th grade families and share with them why being a Falcon is so Fantastic.
Whew, that’s a lot of stuff coming up!
As I said in the newsletter last week, we are hoping to open up to students who have opted to return to campus soon. As a follow up to our Superintendent’s communication from 2/22, which can be found HERE, we are excited and preparing for the prospect to welcome back students as early as mid-March. As case rates in San Diego continue to reduce and the likelihood of San Diego being placed in the Red Tier increases, we want to assure parents we are preparing for the reopening of our campus for students to return in the hybrid model.
As you know, safety is our top priority and as we prepare for our reopening, here is the link to the PUSD Reopening Guidebook that describes our district protocols and important information on how we are keeping our students and staff safe.
As we get closer an anticipated reopening date, we will share specifics regarding the days students may report to campus and which days they will be home learning virtual based on the preference survey that was completed earlier in the winter. Please note that we have designed our classroom spaces and group A/B splits based on the family survey that was completed earlier in the winter. At this point we are not able to accommodate families wanting to change their selection and switch from Virtual to On-campus, but can add families to a wait list if needed. My hope is that there will be an opportunity to make that switch later in the school year.
Please see the sign-up sheet below if your student has never been on campus and would like to take a tour of our beautiful facility. The sign-up sheet can also be accessed HERE.
I will keep you posted on the latest updates for our reopening date when that information becomes available.
Calendar Reminder Items:
March 3 and 4: Counselors visit all 6th and 7th grade classrooms
March 10: 5th Grade Family Night for all incoming 6th grade families
March 17: and 18: Del Norte visits all 8th grade classrooms
March 23: 8th Grade Family Night by Del Norte High School
Thanks for all you do for our Oak Valley Community! Go Falcons!
Beaming with Falcon Pride,
Mr. Young
Colin Young
Principal
Oak Valley Middle School
Schedule for the Week of March 1-5
Congratulations to our Classified Falcon of the Year, Mrs. Hotaling! Each and every day Mrs. Hotaling works incredibly hard ensuring the whole school is operating effectively and efficiently. We are all so grateful for her work. Congratulations!!
New Information
ASB February Newsletter
ThoughtExchnage Survey Reminder
Last week Poway Unified sent out the annual district wide survey on our Local Control Accountability Plan, or LCAP. This plan is used to shape school site and district goals as well as guide the budgeting priorities for the district. The survey asks our community to answer the following question: “What programs or services would you like to see continued or improved in order to advance student and staff learning and wellness for the 2021-22 school year?”
We are excited about collecting your input on both a District and individual school level. Your responses will shape future budget decisions and program priorities. It’s easy to participate, right from your smartphone, and you’ll not only be able to share your own thoughts but also see and rate the thoughts of others. This is all done anonymously!
Click here to participate: my.thoughtexchange.com/445950426
The survey period is open from now until Friday, March 5. If you do not have access to the internet, we are happy to provide you with a device to take the survey in our school office.
Campus Tours for New On-Campus Students
These tours are for 6th grade and new 7th/8th students who have opted to return to campus per the family survey that was sent home earlier in the winter.
Please use the sign-up sheet HERE to take a campus tour with a Falcon student leader!
8th Grade Chromebook Pick-Up Information
8th Grade - Return to Campus, Chromebook update:
If you are a family that has opted to remain virtual for the remainder of the year, you can disregard this message.
In preparation for our future return to school campus, your 8th grade student should pick up a Chromebook on Monday, Mar. 1st between 9:00-3:30 at the OVMS library door. Please wear a mask at all times on Campus and maintain social distancing. Thank you.
Please sign and have your student sign the attached Chromebook agreement and bring it with you to turn in to school when you pick up your Chromebook.
Should your student prefer a personal device, please keep in mind PUSD cannot be responsible for theft, damage, or a network issue on a student’s personal device.
If the time above is inconvenient for you, please email Donna Lawrence at dlawrence@powayusd.com to make other arrangements.
Note: Disregard this message if your student already has a school issued Chromebook or is scheduled to remain as a virtual student.
6th and 7th Grade Chromebook Pick-Up Information
6th and 7th Grade - Return to Campus, Chromebook update:
If you are a family that has opted to remain virtual for the remainder of the year, you can disregard this message.
In preparation for a future return to school campus, your 6th or 7th grade student should pick up a Chromebook on Friday, Mar. 5th between 9:00-3:30 at the OVMS library door. Please wear a mask at all times on Campus and maintain social distancing. Thank you.
Please sign and have your student sign the attached Chromebook agreement and bring it with you to turn in to school when you pick up your Chromebook.
Should your student prefer a personal device, please keep in mind PUSD cannot be responsible for theft, damage, or a network issue on a student’s personal device.
If the time above is inconvenient for you, please email Donna Lawrence at dlawrence@powayusd.com to make other arrangements.
Note: Disregard this message if your student already has a school issued Chromebook or is scheduled to remain as a virtual student.
PTSA Election Update
TODAY, FEBRUARY 28, IS THE LAST DAY TO ORDER YOUR YEARBOOK!
Click on the image below to order your yearbook.
Upload Photos for Yearbook
Click the image above to upload your photos
Continuing Information
Attention 8th Graders: Preparation for High School
Soon our 8th Grade Families will begin to think about the transition to High School. If you will be attending a high school in PUSD, please see the flyer HERE for detailed information from all of the high schools on their up coming presentations for families.
Student presentations from all high schools will be held the week of March 15th. Students will hear about their future high school and receive information on how to start selecting their courses.
For families that are placing a transfer request, your student would need to attend the high school presentation of the high school that they are slated to attend, not the one they are choosing to transfer to. When they select their courses within synergy, they will need the high school codes for the school they are slated to attend (home location). Don’t worry, all virtual presentations will be recorded and accessible on the high school websites.
Student Presentations
Week of March 15th
Family Presentations:
Mt Carmel High School: March 2nd
Westview High School: March 9th
Poway High School: March 16th
Rancho Bernardo High School: March 16th
Del Norte High School: March 23rd
Intradistrict Transfers
For students who live in another school district and would like to attend a PUSD school, PUSD will accept Interdistrict Attendance Permit requests for the 2021-2022 school year starting February 1, 2021. Please note that the document must first be signed by your district of residence before it is submitted to PUSD.
Decisions on transfers are made by the Student Attendance and Discipline Office, not Oak Valley Middle School staff.
PTSA Art Corps - Volunteers Needed!
We hope to offer three lessons per class over that time period, so we hope to have several volunteers in each class. You do not need to have an art background. Art Corps lessons are being modified to be delivered via distance learning, and we plan on a brief orientation (virtual) as soon as we collect the names of all interested parent volunteers and finalize the modified program details. Please sign up if you are interested in learning more: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090C45AEAB2FA7FB6-ovms7
GATE Update
District Leadership from PUSD held an informational meeting on February 16, 2021 discussing updates to the GATE program within PUSD. At this meeting it was announced that PUSD was ending the GATE program at all PUSD schools and discontinuing GATE testing.
A recording of the meeting has been uploaded to the PUSD YouTube Channel. You can find out more information at the PUSD GATE website HERE.
What does this mean of Oak Valley? The only change this makes to Oak Valley is that we will no longer offer the one class of homogenous GATE humanities. Everything else remains the same at our school. We will continue to serve all our student needs in all classes and we will continue to offer the accelerated math track.
Poway Unified and all schools in PUSD, including Oak Valley, have moved to a more integrated and inclusive approach toward meeting the needs of students. For years, we have been working with our teaching staffs across the district to develop differentiation strategies to meet the needs of each and every student in our classrooms, including those who are identified as GATE. Poway Unified School District’s mission is to empower world class learners. In order to do this, all learning environments must be safe, inclusive, innovative, and equitable. For these reasons, Poway Unified has decided to end the GATE program. Poway is not testing new students for GATE. All middle schools will no longer offer homogeneous GATE classes. Oak Valley Middle School will continue to focus on ensuring all classrooms challenge students appropriately.
Caring Connections Counseling (CCC)
Continuing Schedule and Reopening Information
Weekly Bell Schedule and Monthly Calendar
Our weekly schedule started after Winter Break. This schedule should be much simpler and easier to follow for students.
Please see the attached weekly bell schedule HERE and below.
There is also a new monthly calendar attached HERE and below. We will follow this same weekly schedule pattern for the reminder of the year, unless the School Board changes our current school model, with the exception of a few weeks where we have to adjust for holidays. Please look at both of these documents closely.
Asynchronous Fridays
Asynchronous Fridays are a day for students to work independently and for teachers to have time to prep, grade and collaborate as seen in the details presented at the last Board Meeting (bulleted below) as well as work with students needing support. This is still a work in progress and staff will continue the conversation to adjust as we move forward.
For Students:
· Review and preview work from the week to deepen learning
· Review feedback and complete corrections
· Independent learning time
· Reduce screen time
· Additional support time with peers and staff
For Teachers:
· Provide timely feedback to students; including grades
· Review assessments and plan based on student needs
· Complete required COVID attendance tracking
· Collaboration
· Professional learning
· Office hours to provide support to individual student
Parent Academy
Oak Valley Middle School
Email: coyoung@powayusd.com
Location: 16055 Winecreek Road, San Diego, CA, USA
Phone: (858) 487-2939