Twin Peaks Middle School
Weekly RAM Newsletter
From the desk of Principal Mills - Sunday, September 12th, 2021
Happy Sunday, Ram Families!
I hope you are enjoying this amazing San Diego weather after what seemed like the longest short-week of the year - we celebrated the Labor Day holiday on Monday, had back-to-back minimum days on Tuesday and Wednesday, held our Back to School Night on Wednesday night, and survived 90+ temperatures on Thursday and Friday. What a week!
Thank you to all of those who were able to attend our virtual Back to School Night this past Wednesday! If you weren't able to join your student's Ram class for our Welcome Back video, you can CLICK HERE to access the video. Please reach out to your student's teachers if you need to ask any follow-up questions or want to schedule a conference for one of our upcoming parent/teacher conference afternoons, being held from September 27-October 1st.
There are a number of important events and meetings happening on campus and via Zoom this week for parents who might still be looking for a way to get involved and help support our students. Please follow the links for more information and to sign-up!
- TBES/TPMS Equity Council: For parents who would like to work collaboratively with our feeder elementary school around issues related to student equity (Wednesday, 9/15 via Zoom - CLICK HERE if you would like to be on the mailing list!)
- ELAC Parent Meeting: For parents of our students who are English Learners. Please see below for more information or CLICK HERE for the flyer.
- TPMS PTSA Meeting: Our monthly membership meeting - please see the information in the PTSA section below or CLICK HERE for their website - 6:15pm in the TPMS Library.
- 6th Grade Carnival: A special event for our 6th grade students in the quad after school on Friday, 9/17 - 3:30-5:00pm. See the video information and permission slip link below.
A reminder to parents who need to pick up their student early from school - 2:45pm is our cutoff for early releases each day. If you know your student has an appointment they need to be released early for or will be arriving late to school, please call the attendance hotline 24 hours a day at: (858) 668-2730.
If you haven't already, please take a few minutes to review the Covid-19 Health and Safety Protocols video, with explanations of the quarantine options available to families if your student should test positive or is identified as a close contact. Please CLICK HERE to access this information on our website. The most recent information about the current guidelines and COVID-19 requirements can be accessed HERE on the PUSD main webpage.
Please make sure to continue screening your student daily for any symptoms related to the virus before they arrive to school. Please keep your student at home if they exhibit any symptoms of Covid-19 and get them tested at your earliest convenience. (CLICK HERE for FREE testing options in SD County) People with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported – ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. Please remember that symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus, so please keep your student home if they exhibit any symptoms. If your child does test positive, please notify us immediately.
Finally this week, congratulations to our newest School Site Council parent members - Nichole Jones and Gert Brits! We look forward to holding our first SSC meeting of the year this Thursday afternoon to meet our new members and give an overview of our work for the year. If you are still looking for ways to get involved at TPMS, please consider joining the PTSA and/or the Foundation! Both organizations sponsor and support programs and activities on campus and are in need of parents to help organize and lead events this school year. Please see the PTSA and Foundation sections below to get involved!
With gratitude,
Steve Mills
Proud Principal
Twin Peaks Middle School
1(858)748-5131 x2806
Instagram: @principalmills_twinpeaks
UPCOMING EVENTS:
TPMS NEWS AND EVENTS - bit.ly/tpmsevents
September 15th: TPMS/TBES Equity Council Meeting, 4-5pm Zoom
September 15th: ELAC Parent Meeting, 5:30-6:30pm (TPMS Pride Park / Theater)
September 16th: Late Start Schedule, 9:15am start
September 16th: School Site Council Meeting, 3:30-4:30pm (TPMS Library)
September 16th: PTSA Meeting, 6:15pm (TPMS Library)
September 17th: 6th Grade Carnival, 3:30-5:00pm (main quad)
September 21st: PE Fundraiser at Chipotle, 4-8pm, 13495 Poway Rd
September 22nd: Picture Make-up Day, during PE or RAM
September 23rd: Late Start Schedule, 9:15am start
September 24th: TPMS Foundation Fall Event (Second Chance Brewery, 6-9pm)
September 27th: Non-Student Day (PUSD Professional Learning Day)
September 28th-October 1st: Parent/Teacher Conferences (Minimum Days)
Meeting for Parents of English Learners
PTSA Appreciates Your Support!
If you have not done so already, please join the PTSA by going online to our website at www.tpmsptsa.org/membership/. Also, if you are able, please take a moment to give a small donation of just $25 to our organization either online or by check (please click here for flyer). The PTSA does not host many fundraisers throughout the year and it is primarily through parent donations that we are able to fund the programs that we provide at TPMS. If you have any questions, or would like more information about the PTSA, please contact me at ptsaprestpms@gmail.com.
Mikki Trusheim, PTSA President
6th Grade Cranival
Twin Peaks is a No Place For Hate School! Please use the QR code and link below to anonymously report any incidents of bullying or harassment.
TPMS Flag Football
Football registration info will be available in the front office from 9/13-9/24. Registration forms need to be returned to front office or Room 201 before students can begin practice. Football practices will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays starting September 28th. All info about football season will be on the registration packet.
TPMS Spirit Wear!
Want to show off your Ram Pride? Our TPMS Online Spirit Wear Store is officially LIVE and we have tons of new designs for you! You can place your order online and your spirit wear will be delivered to your RAM class. The best part is – Twin Peaks will receive a portion of your sale as a fundraiser to help us raise money for exciting events and activities! The online store will close on September 24th, so make sure to place your order ASAP! CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE ONLINE STORE or visit bit.ly/ramspirit
Make-Up Picture Day!
Want to Start a Club?
The TPMS Club Fair will be held on September 23rd for students to learn about all of the awesome clubs we have on campus. CLICK HERE for a list of clubs that are currently up for renewal and will likely be offered to students at our Club Fair. If your student is interested in starting a new club that is not on this list, tell them to swing by Room 911 to pick up a New Club Application, but hurry! New Club Applications must be submitted by September 17th in order to be considered for the 2021-2022 school year.
Parent Education Course on Stress All Grades
Parent Education Course on Stress Grades K-5
Girls on the Run is coming to Twin Peaks!
Girls on the Run is a program which inspires 6th-8th graders to be healthy and confident using a fun, experience-based curriculum which creatively integrates running. The program will meet twice per week on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:15-4:45 beginning mid September. Girls will have fun, make friends, run, and learn important life skills through lessons led by trained coaches. The season ends with a celebratory 5k event on December 5 at Crown Point on Mission Bay.
To register: www.gotrsd.org/Register-Now.
For more details contact Melissa Baskin (mbaskin@powayusd.com)
Parent info night on 9/7 at 5:30 PM. Register at https://tinyurl.com/4d7phw55
Positive Parenting Program (PPP) Webinar
School Site Council: 21-22
Congratulations to the newest members of the Twin Peaks’ School Site Council (SSC):
- Gert Brits
- Nichole Johnson
What is the Twin Peaks School Site Council (SSC)?
SSC is a committee of elected parents and staff members whose purpose is to make programmatic and budgetary decisions in support of educational goals set forth through the school's Strategic Plan.
Who serves on the SSC?
The SSC is made up of a composition of voting members that includes the principal, parents and staff members. The parent community elects the parent members, and the staff elects staff members.
What does the SSC do?
The SSC helps to develop and monitor the school's strategic plan. It evaluates program recommendations to ensure that they support the strategic plan and school goals. In addition, our Council votes on funding requests for programs supported by the school budget.
How many meetings do the SSC hold?
Our Council meets approximately 4 times during the school year. Members of the SSC serve a term of two years and may be re-elected to serve again. Here are the dates of this year's SSC meetings, to be held in the TPMS Library:
September 16, 2021 3:30-4:30pm
November 18, 2021 3:30-4:30pm
January 13, 2022 3:30-4:30pm
March 24, 2022 3:30-4:30pm
Parenting & Supporting LGBTQ+
- Discuss the use of pronouns.
- How to advocate for gender equity for your child.
- Know your student's rights and how to be a good ally.
- Learn and understand the nuances of navigating support and difficult conversations, not only with your child but with family and friends.
CJSF
Attention 8th Graders! We are kicking off another great year with CJSF. The California Junior Scholarship Federation. CJSF is a leadership club for students who excel in school, like to give back to the community, and get a head start on the road to college. We'll be having an informational meeting about the club this Wednesday, September 1st, at 3:20pm in Room 306. Stop by and learn about all the benefits that membership can offer you!
You can also stop by Mr. Kaufman (306) or Mrs. Baskin's (Front Office) rooms to pick up an application. We hope to see you there!
Discover Your Personal Core Values
Food Services @TPMS
School meals will be handed out at NO COST this school year for ALL STUDENTS who would like one. Students are still welcome to bring their own lunch to school each day; lunches will be served at our lunch windows each day during your student's assigned lunch period. A la carte drinks will also be available for purchase - please know that our food services NO LONGER ACCEPT CASH at their windows. Students will need to add credit to their My School Bucks account in order to pay for a la carte items. Please CLICK HERE for a flyer with detailed information on the benefits of our free school lunch program and links to My School Bucks to set up or add credit to your student's meal account. For more information, including lunch menus for all PUSD schools, please CLICK HERE to access the PUSD Food Services webpage.
UPDATE! Our food service windows will be open during lunch and break time - they will have limited snacks and drinks available for students to purchase. Please make sure your student brings a refillable water bottle with them to school so that they can use one of our water bottle filling stations.
Parent/Guardian Health and Safety Agreement
All Twin Peaks students returning to campus will need to have a signed and completed Parent/Guardian Health and Safety Agreement turned-in before they begin attending classes. Please click on this link: The Parent/Guardian Health and Safety Agreement (Spanish Version HERE) and print/sign a copy for each student to turn-in during registration week. If you have any questions, please email Mrs. Hamilton at chamilton@powayusd.com
Masking Update 8/22/21
Please read below for our current mask guidelines for students and staff:
- Indoors with Students: Masks are MANDATORY for all adults and students, except those with a documented medical excuse on file with our Heath Technician
- Indoors with Adults ONLY: Masks are OPTIONAL for fully vaccinated adults and MANDATORY for unvaccinated adults.
- Outdoors: Masks are optional for everyone, regardless of vaccination status.
- The CDPH will reevaluate its masking guidelines by November 1, 2021.
Please make sure that your student brings a mask with them to school each day for when they are indoors; maybe even put an extra one in their backpack just in case! You can read a helpful FAQ on masking requirements from the San Diego County Office of Education here.
Become a Friend of the Library
Shop Amazon through TPMS Foundation
Twin Peaks Middle School
Email: chamilton@powayusd.com
Website: http://tpms.powayusd.com/index.html
Phone: 858.748.5131
Twitter: @TwinPeaksRams