PTMS Weekly Parent Newsletter
March 15, 2024
Table of Contents
I. Coming Up (calendar items in the coming week or so)
II. Message from the Principal
III. Message from the Assistant Principal
- From the Attendance Office
IV. Counseling Corner
- Information on Wellness and Suicide Prevention
V. ASB and Student Announcements
- Heritage Night
VI. Department News
- Learning Commons
- PE
- Yearbook
VII. Clubs (periodic information on extracurricular activities)
- Book Club
- eSports Club
- Math League
VIII. Multilingual Corner (includes information on ELAC other community resources)
IX. Special Education Sessions and Events (parenting classes, family events, informational sessions)
X. Community Events
XI. Other Important Items (links to the PTMS Family Handbook, Boys & Girls Club, Webstore, etc.)
I. Coming Up
January 16-March 15 - Residency Verification for ALL CURRENT STUDENTS
February 12-March 15 - ISPE Application Window
February 27-March 19 - High School Pre-Enrollment for current 8th graders
March 22 - Trailblazer Awards - 12:20-1:00 p.m. - B Bldg Corridor to Garden
II. Message from the Principal
Happy Friday to you! The sun is shining, students are smiling, and life is good. I have to share in full disclosure that the snooze button went off more this week for me than any other week due to the time change. I think we had many students in the same boat. While I joke a bit, I need to reiterate the importance of being on time. I share with our students most mornings that "Being on time is a habit", and as we focus on developing students with successful habits, this is one that is foundational. So if your student struggled to wake up this week, make sure they get good rest this weekend, and perhaps set the alarm for 10 minutes earlier.
This week was packed with fun activities! We started Monday with Pi Day led by our math department. It's a day in which students engage in math activities that are both academic and fun. Thank you to the many parents who volunteered their time, we couldn't have done it without you!
Throughout the week, we celebrated Wellness Week - a time in which we amplify our focus on total health and wellness. Many students got to see the therapy dogs when they visited on Wednesday, we played in the quad today at lunch with DJ Eric who facilitated a lot of fun games while playing great music. The habit of wellness is very much that - a habit. We really want our students to develop the concept of balance, of having healthy sleep habits, eating habits, social habits, and study habits. This week helps reinforce that, and truly wellness is a theme we very much impart throughout the year. Looking at the various data points, as well as talking to students daily, its clear to see that they are healthy, happy and thriving. So let's collectively keep up the good work!
The Boys & Girls Club held tryouts for spring sports this week. I saw over 200 students on our sports fields and track participating in the various sports offered, and my heart felt full. I love that so many students came out to play, and I look forward to cheering them on over the next few months.
As mentioned above, we look at data a lot. This week, students completed the California Healthy Kids Survey in homeroom. This annual survey helps us understand how our students are experiencing middle school, insight into their lives on and off campus, how our school systems are supporting students, and helps us frame our work moving forward. I am so grateful for the high level of participation we had this week, and how seriously our students take this. It truly does make a difference.
Technology is an ever evolving topic. We know the benefits and challenges that exist with the technology students have available to them, including Chromebooks and cell phones. Our staff continue to dialogue and reflect about how we have students leverage technology to assist their learning. There are a lot of good things that happen on our campus each day in which technology serves as an asset. But one area that has been increasingly problematic is texting during the school day. To that end, I invite you to read this article that talks about students and parents texting each other throughout the day. The article is not completely parallel to what we see at Pacific Trails, but some of the themes resonate. If you find yourself texting your child throughout the day, I'd invite you to pause on that practice. While you may want to know what they scored on their English essay or science quiz, the text messages can distract and disrupt classroom instruction. If you need to communicate with your student because there is an emergency, please call our front office.
Have a wonderful weekend and we look forward to seeing the students on Monday.
In gratitude,
Scott Wild, Ed.D.
PrincipalIII. From the Assistant Principal
CAASPP Testing
This year students will be participating in the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP). After Spring Break, students will take the Smarter Balanced Summative Assessments in Mathematics. Additional information can be found by clicking on the link HERE.
PTMS Testing Schedule:
Smarter Balanced Summative Assessments for Math in Math classes (April 9-12)
Students will NOT be able to use wireless headphones. Students should bring their own WIRED headphones or earbuds if they have them.
If you have questions please email Assistant Principal Dr. Stephanie Hake (stephanie.hake@sduhsd.net) or Lisa Graciano (lisa.graciano@sduhsd.net).
Multilingual Learner Program
Administration wants to highlight the work of Mrs. Grillot and Mrs. Peterse for their co-leadership of the multilingual learner programming this year as teacher leaders, as well as the work of Mrs. Anderson overseeing and supporting on the counseling side of the house!
This year, PTMS participated in the Culturally Sustaining ELD Collaborative offered by SDCOE. Yesterday was the cumulative event where PTMS got to showcase all of our collective progress and learning throughout the year.
Mrs. Petersen, Mrs. Grillot, and Dr. Hake
From the Attendance Office
~ Good attendance habits are like having a pot of gold in your future.
Safety Committee - Volunteers Needed
We are looking for 2-3 parent volunteers to attend the upcoming Safety Committee Meeting on Wednesday, March 13, from 2:50-3:50 PM at Pacific Trails. The purpose of this committee is to gain community input on school safety topics, including everything from emergency preparedness to bullying/cyberbullying prevention, digital citizenship, mental health, and more. Every year, stakeholder input is used to inform reviews of the Comprehensive School Safety Plan, an annual CA state requirement.
If you are interested in attending as a parent volunteer or would like more information, please contact Dr. Stephanie Hake by email: stephanie.hake@sduhsd.net. Thank you for your consideration!
Counseling Corner
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.
Mental Health & Wellness
Mental Health & Wellness Resources for Students, Staff, and School Community.
Click on the QR code to discover your PTMS Support Staff.
Free Mental Health Webinar Series
See below
Suicide Prevention QPR Training
See below
V. 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.
Heritage Night - April 18 - 5:30-7:00 p.m.
The second annual PTMS Heritage Night will be held Thursday, April 18, from 5:30-7:00 pm in the MPR. If you and your family are interested in contributing by helping with setup & clean up, hosting a cultural heritage booth, or performing at the event, please sign up at this link.
VI. Department News
Learning Commons News
Please click here to see everything that the Learning Commons has been up to so far this year.
From the PE Department
Please follow us on Instagram to see what your student is up to during PE class.
VII. Clubs
Book Club
PTMS ESports Team Wins SDCOE Championship
The PTMS ESports Team competed in the San Diego County of Education's Rocket League Invitational this past weekend. Consisting of middle and high schools all around the county, the Pacific Trails team was the winner of the entire tournament! They won each of their match ups without losing a single game. All members of the team were able to compete against different schools, cultivating in a full-team effort. This is the first competition the ESports team has competed in, and came out victorious against many other schools that have established teams for a few years now. Congratulations to all of the players on their hard-work throughout the practices in the season and finishing the season with a victory! Team members in order shown in the picture: Oliver Le, Ohad Borovietzky, Max Moscato, Ali Bisevac, Coach Torkelson, Cooper Abrams, Liam Benhaim.
Math League
Congratulations to the PTMS Math League team (of 4 students) who emerged at the very top among 23 San Diego schools at the Mathcounts Chapter Round held at UCSD on February 24th. Way to go, Wolves!
~ 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.
VIII. Multilingual Learner Corner
We want to extend a huge congratulations to qualifying multilingual learner students on their achievement of reclassifying and reaching a level of English proficiency! Qualifying families will be sent an invite to attend the event. All multilingual learner students and their families are invited to attend, even if they aren't reclassifying just yet, for the purpose of building community and meeting others who may have similar school experiences. If you have questions, please contact Dr. Stephanie Hake at stephanie.hake@sduhsd.net for more information. Thank you!
All MLL families are invited to our spring Multilingual learner night! We will celebrate reclassification and welcome our elementary families into our district. New families will also have the opportunity to attend their first ELAC Meeting with their child's future school site. Event details are below with the flyer links.
Event Name: SDUHSD Spring Multilingual Learner Night
Event Date: Wednesday, April 24, 2024
Time: 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
Location: Earl Warren Middle School (155 Stevens Ave)
Flyer: In English, Spanish, and Chinese - it can also be translated into any other language by right clicking the document, selecting the three vertical dots at the top, and choosing a new language.
IX. 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.
X. Community Events
XI. Other Important Items
- Boys & Girls Club - Seasonal sports information/registration.
- PTMS Live Calendar of Campus Events and 2023-24 Instructional Calendar.
- 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 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.