Weekly Parent Newsletter
September 11, 2020
NEXT WEEK
Wednesday, September 16th - Virtual Back to School Night - 6:00-7:15 p.m.
Principal's Message
Back to School Night will be held virtually on Wednesday, September 16th, at 6:00 p.m. This event will include a brief Principal's message, PTSA message, and an asynchronous presentation from each of your student's teachers. A suggested bell schedule for the evening, along with login information for each class, will be emailed to parents that afternoon. We realize our parent community is very busy, so if you prefer to watch Back to School Night at a different time, all presentations will be available beginning the evening of September 16th through the month of September.
General PTSA Meeting & Principal's Chat
Our first General PTSA Meeting will be held virtually on Friday, October 2nd, at 8:45 a.m. followed by a Principal's Chat. The Principal's Chat will focus on the start of the school year and tips to help students be successful during Distance Learning. One of our school counselors, Mrs. Curry, will also be present to talk more about how our Counseling Department can support your student. If you would like to attend, please sign up here. A Google Meet link will be sent a few days prior to October 2nd only to those who sign up.
Technology Safety
It has come to our attention that some students have shared their passwords with friends which allows other students to access their school account and enter their Google Classroom and Google Meet. Please remind your student about the importance of keeping passwords private. If students feel they need to occasionally change their password for security purposes they are encouraged to do so. If assistance is needed for changing passwords, please visit the SDUHSD Tech Hub.
Counseling Update
Virtual learning has been a huge transition for us all, requiring a lot of adjustment. Coping skills help you tolerate, minimize, and deal with life adjustments and to manage stress. Managing your stress well can help you feel better physically and psychologically, and it can impact your ability to perform your best in school or other life areas. A short-term coping skills group will begin at the end of September and will take place on Wednesdays for 30 minutes during Student Support Time. Each week, we will practice and discuss new skills in a small group setting. For more information, please contact your counselor - Lisa Curry (A-R) at lisa.curry@sduhsd.net or Carsen Murt (S-Z) at carsen.murt@sduhsd.net. Student Support Specialists are excited to have the opportunity to connect with you and offer new skills.
Students - Please reach out to us if you would like to schedule a time to connect about academics, a personal/social concern, or future planning. Students, you can complete this Pacific Trails Middle School Counseling - Student Request Form and your assigned Counselor will follow up via the preference noted in the form (email, phone call, or Google Meet). The request form is posted on the PTMS Counseling Website and in the Student Support Services Google Classroom.
Parents - To schedule a Google Meet with your child's assigned Counselor to address any concerns or questions, please contact Mona Healy, Counseling Secretary, at 858.509.1000, ext. 4606, or at mona.healy@sduhsd.net. For a quick question, you can email or call your child's Counselor directly. If you are interested in signing your child up for the coping skills support group described above, please contact your child's Counselor.
Have a great weekend!
Lisa Curry (A-R) - lisa.curry@sduhsd.net.
Carsen Murt (S-Z) - carsen.murt@sduhsd.net.
PE Department Weekly Updates
Click here for the 8th grade Weekly PE Update - September 11th.
ATTENDANCE
1. Please contact the Attendance Office when your student is not able to attend any portion of their classes each day. A parent/guardian needs to notify the Attendance Office if your student is ill, if they have a medical/dental/personal appointment, or even if they have connection issues. You can send an email to PTAttendance@sduhsd.net or call 858.509.1000, ext. 4609 at any time. Please include the following information:
* student full name
* your name and relationship to the student
* the reason your student is missing class
* date and time of appointment. Also, if applicable, length of time they will be away from classes (i.e. all day, late to 1st period, just 2nd period, etc.)
* if they are returning, what time are they expected to return
2. Attendance is being taken in a variety of ways in each of your student's classes. Many teachers have an "attendance activity" that students must complete so they have a record that your student was present and engaged in a particular class period. This is especially true in PE classes, as it is not possible for the PE Coaches to see all of their students at one time on their screens to be able to take visual attendance.
Teachers are reminding students several times throughout class to make sure that they complete whatever the "attendance activity" is for the class. In most cases, when teachers are reporting an absence of a student, it is because the student has not completed the "attendance activity" for that class. If you receive a phone call/text/email about an absence being reported for your student, you can check with your student to see if they completed and submitted the "attendance activity" for the class before contacting the Attendance Office to clear the absence.
3. To clear a student's absence, please have a parent/guardian email or call the Attendance Office at PTAttendance@sduhsd.net or 858.509.1000, ext. 4609 with the following information:
* student full name
* your name and relationship to the student
* reason that your student was marked absent
4. If your student experiences connectivity issues during a class that causes them to not be able to login, gets dropped from a classroom meeting, or prevents them from submitting the required classroom work, please contact both the Attendance Office and the teacher to make them aware of the connectivity issues your student is experiencing.
Please feel free to contact the Attendance Office with any questions you may have. Thank you!
Data Confirmation
BOYS & GIRLS CLUB - FALL SPORTS SEASON
You must register with the Club in order to participate in their sports activities.
For more information on their Fall Sports Season and how to register with the Boys & Girls Club, please click here.
The PTMS Webstore
To log in for the first time, you'll need:
- Username = your student's ID number which can be located in Aeries
- Password = your student's first initial of first name and full last name
Parents will receive an email when orders are filled and ready for pick up at the front office. Orders will not be shipped home. Office hours are from 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. You will need to check in at the Attendance window when you arrive at school.
Other
- Boys & Girls Club - Fall Season Sports - starts September 21st
- CCA - Girls in STEM - Mondays and Fridays from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. beginning September 21st
- EW - Surf Team - Deadline to register is September 11th
- San Dieguito Alliance Parent Pledge - English - Spanish.
- Webstore - the PTMS store for PE clothes and Spirit Wear.