PTMS Weekly Parent Newsletter
December 1, 2023
Coming Up
December 4 - STAR Reading in English classes
December 4 - Vision & Hearing Testing out of Ms. Osbourne-Hall's history classes
December 4-8 - Academic Power Hour in the Learning Commons from 2:45-3:45 p.m.
December 4-7 - Career Speakers in the MPR from 12:25-1:00 p.m.
December 4-8 - Scholastic Book Fair in the Learning Commons
December 12 - Holiday Howl/Arts Night/Concerts - 5:00-7:30 p.m. - Quad/MPR
Message from the Principal
Wolfpack families,
Happy first day of December! I want to first begin by sharing another step that our staff and campus will take as we seek to care for all students and staff. On Monday, our staff reviewed "The Wolfpack Way to Interrupt Bias" during our professional growth time. Additionally, large posters were put in each of our hallways to reinforce the message. The goal is to systematize how students and staff can respond if and when they hear words rooted in bias. I have shared previously that middle school students can often be reckless with words, and these words can be harmful. Too often I hear witnesses to the event say "I didn't know what to do at that moment." The phrases on the image below can empower students who hear or experience these statements so they can positively disrupt the conversation. I encourage you to take a look, and to discuss this with your student. This work was further supported on Wednesday when students in homeroom read and had an opportunity to sign the "No Place for Hate" pledge.
Because we want students and families to be connected to PTMS beyond just academics, I also want to offer some additional points of connection. Next week, there are tryouts for winter sports through the Boys & Girls Club of San Dieguito. These sports include boys basketball, girls field hockey, and running club. More information can be found here. This week also began our Career Speaker Series in which parents in various industries spoke to our students about topics such as business, medicine, and computer science. Many students attended the workshops, and we are really grateful to the parents who gave their time to share their story with our students. Additionally, next week we will have our Scholastic Book Fair and students will get the chance to visit throughout the week.
I want to invite each and everyone of you to our "Holiday Howl" on the evening of Tuesday, December 12th, on our campus. It's a wonderful event that showcases our students' artistic and musical talents, brings the community together, and limited food and beverage will be available for purchase. Please plan on attending for a night of celebration, family and fun.
Finally, congratulations to the many students who received "Trailblazer Awards" today for their good deeds and acts of kindness. We are proud of you!
Have a great weekend and we look forward to seeing your student on Monday.
In gratitude,
Scott Wild, Principal
Message from the Counselors
Second Quarter D/F Grades Notification: Grades will be available to view on Tuesday, December 5th, via the Aeries Parent and Student Portals. To view grades : access your account, select the "Grades" tab and then click on "Grades". Only students earning a D and/or F will have a Grade posted. If you need assistance in accessing your Parent Portal account, please contact the Counseling Office at 858 509-1000, ext. 4606.
If your student is needing extra support after school, PTMS offers Academic Power Hour. Academic Power Hour is a time for students to work with teachers and get help on their homework. Students do not need to sign up. Academic Power Hour is held in the Learning Commons, Monday through Wednesday, from 2:50 to 3:50 p.m.
SDUHSD Online Learning Program Update: If your student is interested in joining the OLP for the Spring Term, please complete the Interest List Survey and visit the OLP Website for more information. There is limited space available for the spring term.
Career Speakers
Our Career Speaker program got off to a great start this week with visits from a Business Person working in international trade, a Wellness Industry Entrepreneur and a Chip Designer at Apple. Between 70 and 100 students attended each day during Homeroom and lunch break. Thank you to our fabulous speakers who gave up their time this week. We look forward to three more speakers next week including a professional Sculptor, an Engineer and a Canine Oncologist.
Lisa Curry, Counselor (A-Ma) lisa.curry@sduhsd.net
Carsen Anderson, Counselor (Mc-Z and ML Students) carsen.anderson@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.
Holiday Food Distribution for Families in Need
With the holidays coming up, we'd like to share these food distribution resources with you for any families you may know that need support during this time of year.
Of note: North County Food Bank will be giving out a turkey and St. John's will be giving out ham for the Thanksgiving Holidays.
From the Attendance Office
~ The best gift you can give your child is a good education.
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.
The Holiday Howl is Coming!
We are in need of 16 parent volunteers. To view description of the tasks and to sign-up, please click here.
Food Deliveries will be Denied
As a reminder, companies like Uber Eats, Door Dash, etc. who arrive with food for a student will be denied. Parents are welcome to deliver lunches/food for their students to pick-up from the office, but the office is not set-up or equipped to receive and keep track of random orders that students make. Please be sure your student is aware of this. Thank you.
Scholastic Book Fair - December 4 through 8
Department News
From the Music Department
Congratulations to the following students for making the CBDA California All-State Honor Ensembles:
Steven Chen- Jazz Band
Chloe Jeong- Concert Band
Evan Kim- Symphonic Band
They will go to Sacramento from January 31 through February 4 to attend the All State Conference and to perform with the top Band students from all over California.
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!
From the PTSA
The PTMS Holiday Howl event will be held on December 12th. We are in need of 16 parent volunteers. To view description of the tasks and to sign-up, please click here.
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.
Multilingual Learner Corner
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!
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.
CCA Teams
CCA miRcore
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.