PTMS Weekly Parent Newsletter
November 17, 2023
Coming Up
November 20-24 - Fall Break - No School
November 27 - Late Start Day
November 28-December 1 - STAR Math Testing in math classes
November 29 - ELAC Meeting - CCA Learning Commons - 5:30p
December 4 - STAR Reading in English classes
Message from the Principal
Wolfpack families,
I am a HUGE believer in the power of positive thinking! As you know, when we embrace this mindset, it can lead to great things. Unfortunately, sometimes students and grown-ups alike don't always think this way. I have heard students say before a quiz "oh man, I'm going to fail this." All that said, I was so excited to hear Ms. Hogelucht tell her students "You're gonna crush it!" as they got ready for their quiz in English class. Research and anecdotal evidence both support the power of this approach, and I'm so grateful we are teaching students to go into assessments with a "can-do" mindset.
Your student will come home tired this week. They've earned the right to say that, as a lot of hard work happened across campus. Seventh grade social studies is wrapping up their study of various Chinese dynasties before they begin their study of Japan. In English class, our 7th graders are wrapping up their reading and analysis of "The Outsiders", and working on their essays. In class, a lot of great conversation is happening about labels, stereotypes, and the themes from the text. Our 8th graders are continuing their reading of "The Book Thief", and have been incredibly mature and appropriate in how they approach the sensitive topics within the text.
In STEM, some students are designing and building pinball machines, while our music program is practicing their winter medley for the Holiday Howl coming up in December. Please mark your calendars and plan to attend this evening event because it is a wonderful showcase of student talent that brings our community together.
Our counselors, Mrs. Curry and Mrs. Anderson, worked with our 7th graders on a strengths assessment through a program called Thrively. It allows students to understand themselves better and begin thinking how their strengths can be used in school, and how they may lead to a variety of career options.
Thank you to all the students and families who donated to our PTMS food drive. Collectively, we raised over 900 pounds of goods that will go to support families in need.
I want to thank Ms. Nancy Zoepfl who has served as our Interim Assistant Principal since September. Today is her last day. She has worked so hard to support our campus and we are very grateful for her kindness, her compassion and how much she invested into Pacific Trails. When we return from Fall Break, we will officially welcome our new Assistant Principal, Dr. Stephanie Hake. We will work to create times in which parents and families can meet her, so stay tuned for more information.
Finally, I want to say thank you to you. Thank you for trusting me and our staff with your child each and every day. Our privilege is that we get to care for the children of this community. That is a huge responsibility, one we take very seriously. We are able to foster conditions on our campus that allow students to step into their greatness, but that doesn't happen without your love, your support, and your partnership. On behalf of our Wolfpack staff, I say "thank you".
I wish you a safe and relaxing Thanksgiving, and we look forward to seeing all the students when we return on Monday, November 27th.
In gratitude,
Scott Wild, Principal
Message from the Assistant Principal's Office
STAR Testing
This year all students will participate in the Renaissance Star Reading and Star Math academic universal screening tests to measure student’s learning and growth over the school year. The Star tests help our schools and teachers evaluate student performance and progress over time in order to provide the necessary student support.
Star Reading and Star Math are both short (30 minute), low stakes, computer adaptive, academic assessments. Star assessments help teachers better understand what students know and can do in the areas of reading and math. As a student takes the test, the software selects items based on the student’s responses. If the student answers correctly, the next item will be more difficult. If the student answers incorrectly, the next item will be less difficult. By adjusting the difficulty of the items based on a student's responses, the assessment is an accurate way to help teachers identify what skills students are ready to learn. Teachers use this information to guide their instruction.
Scores will be posted by the district in Aeries once they are available.
Winter STAR Testing Dates
STAR Math: Tuesday, 11/28 through Friday, 12/1 in Math classes (check with math teacher for which day)
STAR Reading: Monday, 12/4 in English classes
Please contact Lisa Graciano, at lisa.graciano@sduhsd.net, if you have any questions.
Academic Power Hour
Academic Power Hour is now available after school from 2:45 to 3:45 p.m. in the Learning Commons on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays.
Message from the Counselors
Our counseling team conducted a Strengths and Interests follow up lesson to our 7th grade wolves on Tuesday and Wednesday through science classes. Students used their Strengths Assessment results which helped them discover their unique strengths and connect them to possible careers. Students were engaged, thoughtful, and articulate in their responses shared in the Gallery Walk, tying strengths to school success and future goals. Additionally, students connected with their peers through the gallery walk, respectfully recognizing similarities and differences in responses.
Students can revisit their Thrively account at any time for further exploration through their student start page (my.sduhsd.net) and logging into Clever with their school Google Account. They can revisit recommended careers based on their strengths by clicking on “Pathways”. We will continue our career exploration journey with our 8th grade wolves in January!
Let’s take a Cruise…A Career Cruise that is! After the break, we will be hosting a number of career speakers who will talk about the pathway that led them to their current career. We will be visited by a Business Person, Business Entrepreneur, Chip Designer, Professional Sculptor, Engineer, and Veterinarian. Students can sign-up through the Wolfpack Connections Google Classroom. Click here for more information on our speakers!
As we look forward to Fall Break, we hope you can give yourself time to rest and recharge, connect with friends and loved ones, and be thankful next week. Changing our daily routine provides an excellent opportunity to establish habits supporting our physical and mental health. November is National Month of Gratitude and evidence supports the psychological, physical, and social benefits of gratitude (Giving thanks can make you happier - Harvard Health)
Even though our schools will be closed, we want to provide some resources so you may easily reference them should you or a family member need help during the break or beyond:
If you or a family member need counseling help, Care Solace can help quickly find options to match your needs, regardless of the circumstance. Multilingual support is available 24/7/365 - Call 888-515-0595, visit caresolace.com/sduhsdfamilies to search OR click “Book Appointment” for assistance by video chat, email, or phone.
Have a wonderful and safe holiday! We look forward to when we return on November 27, 2023.
Lisa Curry, Counselor (A-Ma) lisa.curry@sduhsd.net
Carsen Anderson, Counselor (Mc-Z and ML Students) carsen.anderson@sduhsd.net
Samantha Eels-Taylor, Student Support Facilitator samantha.eelstaylor@sduhsd.net
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.
1st Semester grade Transcripts will not be ready until January 2024.
Mental Health & Wellness
Mental Health & Wellness Resources for Students, Staff, and School Community.
Click on the QR code to discover your PTMS Support Staff.
Holiday Food Distribution for Families in Need
With the holidays coming up, we'd like to share these food distribution resources with you for any families you may know that need support during this time of year.
Of note: North County Food Bank will be giving out a turkey and St. John's will be giving out ham for the Thanksgiving Holidays.
From the Attendance Office
~ We appreciate you being here at school every day, on time.
8th Grade Vision and Hearing Testing
All 8th grade students will undergo a quick vision and hearing screening by our district nurse in the month of December. This is a mandated screening by the state of California and is pre-arranged with teachers to limit time away from the classroom. If you wish to not have your student participate, please complete this opt-out waiver or contact district nurse, at Patricia.piacentiallen@sduhsd.net.
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.
Scholastic Book Fair - December 4 through 8
Department News
From the English Dept - Spelling Bee - deadline to sign-up is November 30th
If your student is interested in participating in the 2023-24 Pacific Trails Spelling Bee, please have them complete this Google Form no later than Thursday, November 30th.
The Google Form is also posted on Mr. Copeland's website.
Any questions? Please email Mr. Copeland at: jeffrey.copeland@sduhsd.net
From the PE Department
Please follow us on Instagram to see what your student is up to during PE class.
From Yearbook
Leaves are falling, and the yearbook is calling!
Clubs
~ 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.
Chromebook Stylus/Charger Replacements
Replacement Chromebook styluses and chargers can now be purchased with Vetha in the front office. The prices to replace these items are:
- Stylus = $25.00
- Charger = $28.00
Multilingual Learner Corner
PTMS and CCA ELACs will host a joint meeting for families of multilingual students on Wednesday, November 29, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the CCA Learning Commons. Join us to learn more about ways the ELAC and school sites can support your students and to get information on ELPAC (English language proficiency) testing.
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.
Special Education Informational Series
The SDUHSD special education department, in collaboration with SDUHSD counselors, are hosting an upcoming informational session on Tuesday, November 7th at 5:00 pm covering A-G eligibility for students with an IEP interested in attending 4 year universities.
This session will also cover financial aid and world language requirements.
Please see the attachment to RSVP and learn more. We look forward to seeing you there!
Nutrition Services
Job Opportunities - Nutrition Services
SDUHSD is seeking individuals who want to make a difference in children’s lives in the role of an Instructional Assistant. We have positions available for Instructional Assistant – Special Education, Instructional Assistant – Behavior Intervention, and Instructional/Personal Care Assistant. These positions are typically between 4 – 6 hours per day, depending on the assignment.
Instructional Assistants assist a certificated teacher in providing instruction to an individual or small group of students in a special education learning environment. We have openings throughout the district at middle and high schools in Special Education classrooms.
If you are interested, or know someone else who would love this job, go to www.edjoin.org/sandieguito.
CCA Teams
CCA miRcore
SDUHSD Job Opportunities Available!
San Dieguito UHSD has part-time opportunities available for Instructional Assistants-Special Education, Bilingual Instructional Assistants and Nutrition Services Assistants. Please visit the link below for a list of all available positions:
Other Important Items
- Boys & Girls Club - Seasonal sports information/registration.
- PTMS Live Calendar of Campus Events and 2023-24 Instructional Calendar.
- PTMS Spirit Wear/Gear - PTMS Spirit Wear and accessories for the whole family!
- 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 Webstore - Spirit Wear
- 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.