Weekly Family Update # 9
October 11, 2020
Principal's Messge
Hello Falcons Families,
I hope you are having a wonderful beginning of Fall. This week on Tuesday, October 13th, is the first of three Community Conversations on Racial Equity hosted this year by District Leadership and Community Leaders. Student equity and inclusiveness is an important element of our Falcon Culture. I want all students to feel safe to learn, grow, and flourish. These forums are designed to engage the community in conversations with fellow parents and students to foster trust and build relationships focused on improving racial equity and inclusion in Poway Unified Schools. Please use the link below to RSVP for this event. There are flyers below that contain more information.
Is your student needing some academic help? Do they have questions about their grades? Please remember that our teachers are available twice a week during Office Hours. During this time students have the opportunity to ask questions about content or grades and get specific academic support. Students can also use this time to get caught up on assignments and studying, this is not just a free extended lunch period. Many teachers have been reaching out to students to come and attend office hours to get help and students are forgetting to come. We encourage students to take advantage of this opportunity.
Thanks to everyone who has been participating in our Red Ribbon spirit activities. Last week was "Head to Toe I’m Drug Free", crazy hair and sock day. Don’t’ forget, this Friday is "Have the Power to Say NO", dress like a superhero! I look forward to seeing some capes Falcons!!
Thanks for all you do for our Oak Valley Community! Go Falcons!
Beaming with Falcon Pride,
Mr. Young
Principal
Oak Valley Middle School
Please use the form below to RSVP to the Community Conversation on Racial Equity
PTSA - Help Wanted!
ASB
ASB Newsletter....Coming Soon!
Hello Falcons....ASB is in the process of organizing a newspaper, and we would love to get submissions from our fellow Falcons. If you have something you would like highlighted in the newsletter, fill out this Google form.
Pumpkin Decorating Contest
Spooky season is coming up and boy do we have a fun challenge for you. ASB is hosting a pumpkin decorating contest. Be on the lookout for a link to a form where you can submit your photos! The categories are: Most School Spirit, Most Creative, and Most Halloween-ish. All submissions are due by October 21st and we will announce the winners for each category on October 30th. If you post your pictures on Instagram and tag @oakvalleyasb you could get a shout out. Good luck and may the best pumpkin win.
ASB Clubs
We have a few clubs that are up and running. You can find more information on the Oak Valley website.
· Robotics
· OVMS Studios Club
· Science Olympiad
· Oak Valley Peer Leaders/No Place For Hate
· Oak Valley Coding Club
· OVMS Pride Club
· Speech and Debate club
· Math Counts
Yearbook
If you are interested in purchasing last year's OVMS yearbook, please email OVMS Yearbook Advisor, Rhea Dawn Smith, at rdsmith@powayusd.com.
Oak Valley Celebrates Diversity
Reminders from the Attendance Desk
Reminders From Attendance Desk
Attendance is required in each class/period (including Connections period “0”). If your student misses any class(es), a parent/guardian should call the 24/7 Attendance Hotline just as you normally would if classes were held on campus. The hotline # is 858-676-6963. Notifying your student’s teacher is also great, but only the Attendance Secretary can update your student’s attendance record. This includes if your student attended the wrong class by mistake.
If you have a medical note to provide, please email it to: kandrews@powayusd.com
If your student misses Zoom (technical issue, etc), please make sure they are still participating in class through Canvas. Zoom is not the only aspect of each class. Students should still check Canvas to access any non-zoom activities or assignments.
Is your student having Zoom issues? Please make sure your student follows this procedure daily:
1. Log on to MyPlan: myplan.powayusd.com
2. Click the blue “Zoom” icon. Make sure your student is logged in to Zoom (PUSD account).
3. Click the red “Canvas” icon to display all OVMS classes.
4. Find the Zoom link within your teacher’s Canvas page (different link per class).
If your student still can’t log on to Zoom, please make sure they have set up their PUSD Student Zoom Account.
Instructions can be found HERE:
Is Today an Odd Day or an Even Day??
We have an Odd/Even calendar posted on our website for your student so that they are sure to attend the correct classes each day. The Odd/Even calendar can be found HERE:
ODD day = periods 1, 3, (Lunch is period 5), and 7
EVEN day = periods 2, 4, (Lunch is period 6), and 8
Period “0” Connections = Monday and Thursday only. Does not follow Odd/Even.
Our OVMS Virtual Learning Bell Schedule can be found on our website. We recommend printing this out or writing it down and keeping this posted somewhere in the house to make sure your student follows the correct schedule depending on the day of the week (not every day is the same). The Bell Schedule can be found HERE.
Parenting Workshops
PUSD has two parenting classes starting in October through the Poway Adult School. To view the available classes and to register, please visit the Parent Education tab on the PUSD website.
Red Ribbon Month
The Red Ribbon campaign is the oldest and largest drug prevention program in the nation. This year we are celebrating the entire month of October by taking a stand against drugs and show intolerance for drug use and the consequences to all Americans. By participating in our Friday spirit weeks, we can pledge to live a drug free life and pay tribute to DEA agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena who was killed in 1985. Thanks for participating.
Reflections
Does your student enjoy the Arts? Help them share their talents by entering the PTA's annual Reflections Art Contest. The 2020-2021 theme is "I Matter Because..." Students may enter original pieces in any of these six categories Dance Choreography, Film Production, Literature, Music Composition, Photography, and Visual Arts.
Students should submit entries ONLINE. The Due Date for ALL entries is October 15, 2020.
The link for our OVMS ONLINE Reflections Program can be found here HERE. Please note, this link will serve OVMS students only!
For those students with limited internet access, a drop off box will be available at school office between 9:30am- 1:00pm from Oct 12 until Oct. 15, 2020. All required paperwork/information on the student, artwork and parent contact will need to be filled in entirely for the entry to be valid.
For questions, please contact Andrea at: reflectionsovms@gmail.com
Join PTSA
The number one reason to join the Parent Teacher Student Association is to benefit your child and an opportunity to stay better informed and connected to other parents and the school.
https://jointotem.com/ca/san-diego/oak-valley-middle-school-ptsa
Future Doctors of America
Falcons, are you interested in learning about more about the medical field, how the human body works and listening to interesting guest speakers? If so, join the Future Doctors of America Club! You can view an informational video about the club here.
OVMS Studios Club
Do you want to learn how to create amazing films and animations? If you do, you should join OVMS Studios, a club at Oak Valley. We will teach you everything from the basics, no experience is required. For more information, view this video. We will also submit the films we create to many contests, including the prestigious iVie festival, which is essentially an Oscars for aspiring filmmakers. Last year our club had tremendous success by getting 3rd in a film competition. We meet weekly via zoom meetings from 3:00-4:30 on Tuesdays. Our first meeting will be on September 29th. This will be more of an informational meeting, and we will discuss what we want to accomplish in the coming year. Sign-up information is in the above video, but you can also sign-up here.
Oak Valley Falcon Foundation
Welcome “back” to school, Falcon Families! While school looks different and a little strange for now, we still have the same world-class educators and exceptional students filling our Zooms, Kahoots and FlipGrids. Your Oak Valley Foundation is already working behind the scenes to help fund programming, equipment, training and materials to support all Falcon students and faculty. Did you know Foundation donations funded the shade structures that are part of the new building? We were getting our campus ready for outdoor learning before it was cool! Want to learn more about past and future funding plans? Be sure to follow the Oak Valley Falcon Foundation on Facebook
We need your help funding the budget gaps between what Oak Valley is given for expenses versus what we need to maintain our highest standards in education. Can you help with a donation of $150 or more to fund things like Science class lab consumables that students can use at home? What about $300 to support our Gateway to Technology or Art electives for much needed, non-funded supplies? Make your tax-deductible donation now at www.oakvalleyfalconfoundation.com and help us support learning for all of our Falcons!
The Foundation is run by parent volunteers, and with only three short years at the school, our board is ever-changing. Want a voice in fundraising and spending? We’d love to have you join our board of directors. Contact Foundation President, Darrell Keller, at ovfalconfoundation@gmail.com for more information.
Checkout Library Books!
Falcons, the Oak Valley Library is available for you to check out books! You can request books from our in-house library collection to pick up from school on Thursdays and keep at home to read for two weeks before returning them. We will accept requests up until 2:00pm on Wednesdays for the following day.
Click HERE for more information and to submit your request.
Tech Tip
Did you know there is a Canvas Parent App for your phone?
Canvas has a mobile app available for both Android and iOS platforms. The app is called Canvas Parent and it is identified with a blue icon.
Once you install click on "Find School" and type in "Poway". Click on Poway Unified School District. Your username and login will be your parent credentials (same as Synergy).
PUSD Parenting Academy
The Poway Unified Parent Academy is the one-stop shop where parents can come to see and learn about the different types of educational technology tools that teachers are using with students in the district. These resources will make it simpler and easier for parents to understand what teachers use to engage students in meaningful ways in a virtual environment that highlights student collaboration. Click on the link HERE to check it out!
Oak Valley Middle School
Email: coyoung@powayusd.com
Website: https://www.powayusd.com/en-US/Schools/MS/OVMS/Home
Location: 16055 Winecreek Road, San Diego, CA, USA
Phone: (858) 487-2939
The Poway Unified School District (PUSD) is an equal opportunity employer/program and is committed to an active Nondiscrimination Program. PUSD prohibits discrimination, harassment, intimidation, and bullying based on actual or perceived race, color, ancestry, national origin, nationality, immigration status, ethnicity, ethnic group identification, age, religion, marital or parental status, physical or mental ability, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or gender expression or association with a person or a group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics. For more information, please contact: Title IX/Equity Compliance Officer, James Jimenez, Associate Superintendent of Personnel Support Services, Poway Unified School District, 15250 Avenue of Science, San Diego, CA 92128, 1-858-521-2800, extension 2761, jjimenez@powayusd.com