The Fall Book Fair is taking place this week in the Twin Peaks Library. The Fair will be open to students before school starts, during lunch, and after school. Students will also visit the Book Fair with their Language Arts class.

Books can be purchased with cash, check (made payable to "TPMS PTSA"), or credit/debit card. Parents can also set up an eWallet — your child's digital payment account - for the Twin Peaks Book Fair. If you currently have a balance on an existing eWallet account, the balance can be used with your new account. Just be sure to set up the account with the same email address.

Along with the Book Fair, PTSA is holding a book drive so clean out those books and graphic novels to make room for new ones. All books will be donated to Words Alive who gives books to students who don’t have any. Collection boxes will be located at the entrance of the library and main office. If you have any questions, feel free to contact Debra Surber at (858)663-3432.

Visit our Book Fair homepage to learn more, create an eWallet account, and preview books for the Fair! In order to make the Fair as successful for our school as possible, volunteers are needed! Shifts are short and easy. Please CLICK HERE to sign up! Questions? Please reach out to Mikki Trusheim, TPMS PTSA President at ptsaprestpms@gmail.com.

The TPMS Canned Food Drive is back and better than ever! The California Junior Scholastic Federation Canned Food Drive benefits local San Diego food banks. It starts this Tuesday, November 1st through Thursday, November 10th. Collected items should be dropped off to your student's RAM classes. As a reminder - we cannot accept any glass jars. We are only collecting boxed and canned goods! Thanks in advance for supporting this cause Rams!

Hey Rams! The weather is finally getting colder and we KNOW you all can’t wait to get your hands on an official TPMS Sweatshirt – now including zip-up options! The TPMS Winter Spirit Store is now open, with new designs added! Visit https://bit.ly/ramspirit today to place your order, but don’t delay! The online store will close on November 9th for production to ensure that we can have your spirit wear delivered to you before Winter Break. Go Rams!

The TPMS PTSA is now accepting entries through November 1st for the Reflections Art Contest. This year's theme is "Show Your Voice" and we would like to encourage you to use this creative outlet as a way to express yourself through the arts! This year's theme is a great one and your clear interpretation of the theme is very important, so keep that in mind when creating your project. Students may enter one original piece of art per category, and the categories are:

• Visual Arts
• Photography
• Dance Choreography
• Film Production
• Music Composition
• Literature

For descriptions and specific rules relating to each category, please CLICK HERE. Entries will be submitted online again this year. To submit your entry, please CLICK HERE and fill out the entry form. Entries will not be accepted after November 1st, so have fun creating and we look forward to seeing how creatively you can "Show Your Voice!" through the arts.

For questions regarding the Reflections Art Contest, please contact the PTSA Program Chair via email or text: Krista Mertz, PTSA Reflections Art Program Chair, kristalynnmertz@gmail.com or at (858) 602-9262.

This was the first statewide test given to California students since 2019. Following the pandemic, the 2022 test was significantly revised by the California Department of Education (CDE), providing a new baseline for school districts and sites to measure progress moving forward. Due to the significant changes in the test, districts and sites are unable to make direct comparisons with previous years’ results. However, consistent strong results are indicative of system-wide collaboration by parents, teachers, and school staff to facilitate student success. We are proud of our students and know their accomplishments are reflected in a variety of ways. CAASPP results are one measure of progress and should be reviewed alongside other learning information as well.

CAASPP test scores are recorded as Standards Exceeded, Standards Met, Standards Nearly Met, and Standards Not Met.

• In English language arts, 68.36% of our Twin Peaks MS students met or exceeded standards on the 2022 CAASPP.
• In mathematics, 48.99% of our Twin Peaks MS students met or exceeded standards on the 2022 CAASPP.

CAASPP was administered to students in grades 3-8 and grade 11 during the Spring of 2022. If your child took the CAASPP, you can access their individual results through ParentVUE. Directions for using ParentVUE are linked HERE. Please keep in mind that these scores are only one measure of an individual student’s learning. Data from these assessments is used as part of a broader picture of student achievement. Teachers use these results in conjunction with site and classroom assessments and observations to help tailor instruction throughout the school year.

Abraxas High School is hosting a parent night on substance use with guest speaker Howard Barker of New Life House Sober Living on Thursday, November 17th starting at 5:30 pm in their library/media room. Any parent or guardian with a student in the Poway Unified School District interested in learning more about this topic is welcome to attend! Click here or see below for the flyer with information about the event.

Coastal Art & Poetry Contest for K-12 students

California students in kindergarten through 12th grade are invited to submit artwork or poetry with a California coastal or marine theme. Application deadline is January 31, 2023. For rules, contest flyer, entry form, and helpful links for teachers and students, visit https://www.coastal.ca.gov/art-poetry/. The instructions, flyer, and entry form are also available in Spanish at https://www.coastal.ca.gov/art-poetry/espanol.html.

Up to ten winners will be selected to win $100 to an art store (art winners) or $100 to a bookstore (poetry winners). Each winner will also receive four tickets to the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach. Each winner's sponsoring teacher will receive a $50 gift certificate for educational supplies, courtesy of Acorn Naturalists.

Climate Video Challenge for middle and high school students

Enter any time this school year, through May 31, 2023. Students are invited to submit a 3-minute video responding to the question, “What is your vision for a thriving future?” Contest instructions and rules, brainstorming prompts, and lots of information on climate change and climate solutions can be found at https://www.coastal.ca.gov/climatechallenge. Students can enter as individuals or in teams of up to five. Prizes are offered for first ($300), second ($200), and third ($100) place videos.

Although school meals are now free to all students under California’s new Universal Meals Program, the application for free and reduced-price meals is still very important. School funding depends in part on the number of students that qualify for free or reduced-price meals. With all students now eating for free, fewer families are completing the application and schools are at risk of losing funds. Household income information is confidential and applying online is quick and easy. Plus, students that qualify for free or reduced-price meals may also qualify for discounts on transportation, SAT and AP tests, home internet, and college application fees. You can apply online at MySchoolApps.com, or pick up a paper application in the school office.

The yearbook staff invites students, staff, and parents to submit photos for the yearbook. If you have great photos of school, sport or class events, we’d like to see them.

Our photographers can’t be everywhere. Help us get as many photos as possible to create a terrific yearbook everyone will want to have.

The last day to submit your photos is: March 1, 2023

SUBMIT YOUR PHOTOS ONLINE

https://bit.ly/TPMSupload

● Click on “Select My Images.”

● Browse to select the photo(s) you wish to upload.

● Enter information about the photo and provide contact information in case the staff needs additional information.

● Click “Upload Chosen Images.”

The TPMS Foundation typically meets on the 3rd Tuesday of each month at 6pm in the TPMS Library. Please visit the TPMS Foundation Web Page by CLICKING HERE! Here are the upcoming monthly meetings for the 2022-23 school year.

• November 15th (Zoom)
• January 10th
• February 13th
• March 21st
• April 18th
• May 23rd

You can always shop Amazon and earn money for Twin Peaks! Just click on the Amazon link below, then start spending!