5th grade Edition
Pacific Grove Middle School Newsletter April 2020
Principal's Message
Dear Future PGMS 6th Grade Families,
Greetings and welcome to Pacific Grove Middle School! Since your student will soon be joining us in sixth grade I thought to take a moment and share some information and hopefully answer some questions you or your students may have.
Transitioning to middle school, a lot of kids are a combination of excited and nervous to join middle school, but turns out middle school isn’t much different from elementary school. We are a school that practices kindness and compassion. We use the Character Strong program during our weekly advisory period for students to engage in and learn ways to be kind to one another, celebrate our differences, and do the right thing, even when no one is watching. Students participate in kindness challenges, with the themes ranging from eating lunch with someone new, to writing an anonymous note of kindness to someone you don’t know.
Students will have six classes, Core (ELA and History with the same teacher), Math, Science, and PE. In addition, our students can choose either the music path (band and orchestra) or what we call the wheel. The wheel is a quarterly rotation of four electives, Stem, Keyboarding, Home Economics, and Art.
Just as in elementary school, your student will be surrounded by adults that care about the academic and social emotional well being of all of our students. In addition to our wonderful counselor Ms. Lawrence, we are lucky enough to host Ms. Sonda Frudden and Ms. Zoe Roach one day a week to assist students with the transition and allow them to continue the relationship they’ve created at the elementary schools.
am working on a way to hold a virtual orientation for students that will cover much of the same information since we will not have the 5th grade Orientation on May 22. We also have our registration roundup scheduled for July 27th and July 28th. July 27th is for 6th grade and students new to PGMS, where myself, our assistant principal Mr. Tovani, and our counselor Ms. Lawrence will present information to aid in the transition. This is a great time for parents and students to practice that pesky locker, walk their classes, and generally get to know the school before the school year opens. It's an opportunity for your student to feel confident on their first day of middle school!
We look forward to meeting, supporting and getting to know your student as they join us at PGMS!
Kindly yours,
Sean Roach
Making Time to Unplug: The Tech Shabbat
Assistant Principal, Jason Tovani
According to my iPhone, my screen time was down 29% last week. Silly phone. I was online more last week than… ever. Instead of using my phone, I just used my laptop. My phone has no idea! But, by the time the week was over, I was ready for a break from both of them.
In this state of screen-exhaustion, I remembered something I had read about taking a deliberate, scheduled, break from technology. Mother, author and filmmaker, Tiffany Shlain, has made it a weekly practice, and calls it a “tech shabbat.” It is one day each week where she and her family commit to logging off, shutting down, and reconnecting to each other. (See her short film on Tech Shabbats here, and check out her book, 24/6, here)
Last Friday night, as the weekend was just arriving, I broke the news to my two boys (10/12) that we were going to shut down our tech for 24 hours, starting at sundown. Having spent a week in front of screens big and small, they were concerned, “What will we do?” I didn’t really know. We made dinner together. We played board games. We read books. We went to bed early. The next morning, as our devices sat neglected in a pile, we played more board games. We sat on the deck, talking. My boys made me lunch. We worked in the garden for hours as rain clouds came and went, intermittently interrupting our projects. We watched the sun set. We connected. And, as the sun set, ending our 24-hour tech-free commitment, we went to our devices to connect with everyone else. We were all surprised, at least a little, at how few of our friends had even noticed we were gone.
Message for Parents from Community Hospital's Ohana Physician and Chief
Thank you for your support as we navigate this health crisis. Be assured that Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula and Montage Health entities remain at the ready to care for our community.
As part of our support, Dr. Susan Swick, Physician in Chief, Ohana, has put together a sample schedule and some tips for parents to help them navigate this transition with their children.
www.montagehealth.org/swick-tips
In addition, Montage Health is offering free eVisits for anyone with minor respiratory symptoms such as flu, allergy, or suspected COVID-19.
Visit evisit.montagehealth.org
Parenting Resources
I just wanted to send along a few links for families, or any of you, who might be looking for information on how to deal with the stress of parenting during these unprecedented times.
Helping Kids Cope -Expert Videos
https://gozen.com/coronavirus-anxiety/
Quick Guide from Safe Kids Inc.
The Child Mind Institute -Tips for Parenting During Coronavirus Crisis
https://childmind.org/coping-during-covid-19-resources-for-parents/Dovetail Learning Seminar -Centering Skills for Parents/Caregivers during COVID-19
https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_CQCMLjg0Scid5JFqxWF09g
Dessie Zanger, dzanger@pgusd.org
Educational Psychologist
Robert Down El. & Pacific Grove Middle School
Outdoor Science School
From the Library...
No BASRP
After school on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, there is Study Hall in the Library, 3:10- 4:00 p.m. There are no in and out privileges. There are some Mondays that the Library is closed due to a staff meeting and that information will be in the Daily Bulletin as the date gets closer.
PGMS Physical Education
All students are expected to dress out and participate in PE every day. Students must be in the locker rooms when the tardy bell rings. Additionally, all students are expected to remain in the presence of the teachers or supervisors after dressing until released by their teachers.
P.E. Requirements
If a student does not have proper footwear, they will not be allowed to participate and will receive a zero for the day. Students can wear a PGMS sweatshirt or other sweatshirt on top of their PE uniform on cold days. Students who do not dress appropriately for PE will receive a lower grade and/or disciplinary consequences. The color of the uniform is royal blue or gray. Students can wear sweatpants, shorts (dress code applies), short-sleeved shirts, sweatshirts, long sleeve shirts as long as the colors are royal blue or gray. Students can wear black leggings under their PE shorts.
P.E. Behavior
Student behavior in PE is expected to be the same as in any other class. Pushing, grabbing, teasing, poking, and use of inappropriate language will not be tolerated. These behaviors will lead to referrals and disciplinary consequences.
Excuses from P.E. Participation
If there is any change in your student's health, which may affect his or her ability to take PE, or if he or she is placed on regular medication (ed. Code 12020), it is the parent's responsibility to notify the school. Parent's notes are good for one to three days, depending on the issue. The note must state the number of days excused, or the instructor will assume it is only for one day. The note should also be specific about what activities the student is prohibited to perform. A note must be presented the day the student is to be excused from PE activities. Students who are excused from PE activities for medical reasons are still expected to be on time to roll call and to be dressed out.
A medical doctor's note is required for excuses lasting longer than three days. The note should include all of the above information. The doctor should also recommend the type of activity if any, that the student can perform while excused from PE and the length of time for that recommendation. Students who are excused from PE activities for medical reasons are still expected to be on time for roll call and to be dressed out unless otherwise determined by the teacher, counselor, or administrator.
Options to purchase PE Apparel
- Order from Field of Dreams Designs
- Recycled PE clothing is available, please email Mr. Dorey, at cdorey@pgusd.org
- Purchase from a store royal blue or gray PE clothes.