Twin Peaks Middle School
Weekly RAM Newsletter
From the desk of Principal Mills Sunday, August 20th, 2023
Happy Sunday Ram Families!
I hope this newsletter finds you all well and safe as Tropical Storm Hilary blows her way through Southern California today. Please stay home and off the roads today if possible, and if you must travel, please use caution as flash flood warnings are in effect throughout San Diego County. We are planning to have school open as planned on Monday, August 21st with a period 3-5-7-1 schedule. Please CLICK HERE to access the TPMS block rotation / daily calendar for the 23-24 school year.
We had an awesome start to the school year with a new First Day Of School (FDOS) Program and schedule developed by our Leadership Team and Campus Culture Club. Students spent the FDOS with their Homeroom class (formerly called "Ram") for three periods and then attended a grade-level assembly hosted by our ASB. It was a great opportunity for students and Homeroom teachers to meet each other, review the student panner, connect and build BELONGING with peers, learn about the new schedule and RAMS behavior expectations being implemented at TPMS this year, and to have some FUN in a spirit-filled assembly in the TPMS Gym. It was a great day, and an AMAZING week to be a RAM!
Our week began with professional learning for our staff on Monday and Tuesday - a big THANK YOU to the PTSA for providing an amazing breakfast spread for our staff development day this past Monday morning, and an equally big THANK YOU to our Foundation for sponsoring our welcome back staff BBQ in Pride Park! Both of these parent-driven organizations are amazing partners for our students, and our staff is beyond thankful for their generosity and support.
My encouragement for our parents and families, especially our new 6th grade families, is to GET INVOLVED! The Middle School years go by pretty fast, and before you know it, you have an 8th grader who is matriculating to high school! There's many ways to get involved at TPMS - join the PTSA or Foundation, help volunteer or coach a team or club, or even consider working at TPMS! Regardless of how you get involved, please look for ways to be a part of the Twin Peaks school community this year!
Our PTSA met this past Thursday night and there are still a few open positions that they are looking for volunteers to fill. Even if you do not have the time to take on an open position, we hope ALL parents will consider joining our PTSA - they sponsor so many wonderful programs for students on campus and need your support and membership! Their meeting dates and a link to their membership website can be found in the PTSA section below.
We have our first TPMS Foundation meeting this Tuesday, 8/22 in the TPMS Library at 6pm. We are always looking for new members and new ideas, so please stop by if you are interested in learning about how the Foundation supports TPMS and what they have planned for the 2023-2024 school year! A major focus of the evening will be to plan the Fall Foundation Social event, so please make sure to attend if you have some ideas. Dates for future Foundation meetings can be found in the Foundation section below.
Our School Site Council is another way for parents to get involved, and we currently have two openings for parent members for a two-year term. According to our bylaws, interested candidates must have a student that attends Twin Peaks Middle School and should be selected by other TPMS parents. If you are interested in serving on our School Site Council, please complete the Candidate Interest Form LINKED HERE before 3pm on Tuesday, September 5th, 2023. All interested candidates will be included on our voting form that will be shared with all TPMS families starting on Back To School Night on Wednesday, September 6th. Voting will remain open until 5pm on Friday, September 8th. If you have questions about this process or the SSC, please send me an email.
We have several non-teaching/classified positions open at TPMS that we are still looking to fill, and maybe you or a friend are the right person for the job! Please consider joining Team PUSD as an Instructional Assistant (3 and 6 hour daily shifts), Noon Duty (2 or 3 hour daily shifts), or as our morning and afternoon crossing guard (7 hours a week!). To apply for any of these positions, or to see what other openings exist in PUSD, please CLICK HERE for the PUSD Job Listings Page!
Elective Change Request Forms are available in the Counseling Office at Mrs. Myer's desk through the end of this week. Students can pick them up/drop them off before school, at break or lunch, and after school. Elective Change Request Forms require a parent/guardian signature and are due by Friday, August 25th by 3:00pm.
This next week we will begin the math portion of the iReady student diagnostic test for the fall. Students will be taking the Math diagnostic test in their math classes this week, and the Reading portion of the diagnostic test in their ELA classes next week. These fall tests set a baseline for each student for their work in iReady for the year, so this diagnostic test is an important marker for every student. Please make sure to encourage your student to always try their best, make sure to get enough sleep, and fully charge their Chromebook each night.
Finally this week, as we start the school year, our teaching staff is always in need of materials and supplies for students to use in their classrooms. Our departments are always looking for funding to cover new curriculum, software, and consumables for labs and PE activities that our regular budget can't always cover. Please consider making a contribution online through the PFT / PUSD Foundation website to a specific teacher, department, or to the school in general. Every dollar donated helps to pay for items that your students will benefit from at school - please follow THIS LINK to donate. We also have a classroom supply closet that needs to be restocked - please see the graphic below and drop off donation items to the TPMS Main Office. Thank you in advance for making Twin Peaks an amazing place for students!
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
August 22nd: TPMS Foundation Mtg, 6:00pm (TPMS Library)
August 30th: Make-Up Picture Day
September 4th: Labor Day Holiday, No School
September 5th - 8th: Fall Book Fair, TPMS Library
September 6th: Back to School Night, 5:30-7:30pm
September 8th: 6th Grade Carnival, 3:30pm, TPMS Quad
September 18th: Teacher Professional Learning, Non-Student Day
Picture Make-Up Day
PTSA BOOK FAIR 9/5-9/8
The TPMS PTSA is so excited to invite you to our upcoming Scholastic "Back to School" Book Fair! This event is an opportunity for students to build their home libraries and further their love of reading. As always, all purchases benefit our school and this book fair will help support the PTSA especially.
The "Back to School" Book Fair will be held in the TPMS Library and will take place from September 5th - 8th, and will be open before school, during lunch, and after school. The book fair will also be open during the Back to School night on September 6th, from 5-8pm.
Books can be purchased with cash, check (made payable to "TPMS PTSA"), or credit/debit card. Parents can also set up an eWallet — your child's digital payment account - for the Twin Peaks Book Fair. If you currently have a balance on an existing eWallet account, the balance can be used with your new account. Just be sure to set up the account with the same email address.
Visit our Book Fair homepage to learn more, create an eWallet account, and preview books for the Fair: https://www.scholastic.com/bf/twinpeaksmiddleschool
In order to make the Fair as successful for our school as possible, volunteers are needed! Shifts are short and easy. Please click on the following link to sign up:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E0B4CAAAA2AAAF58-tpmsBack to School Night
PTSA Classroom Supplies Closet Wishlist
WEB 6th Grade Carnival
Elective Change Request Forms
Elective change request forms are available at Mrs. Myers’ desk in the counseling office before school, during break or lunch, or after school. Forms must be signed by a parent/guardian, and they must be returned by 3:30pm on Friday, August 25th.
Fall Sports Are Back!
Currently we are offering Cross Country, Golf and Flag Football! We would love for your TPMS student to be involved in after school sports. Please check out the TPMS website for dates and times of the specific sports your student is interested in!
Please make sure your student turns in a completed Sports registration packet and their sport specific packet ! There will be one registration packet for the entire year but each sport will have their own individual packet as well! Packets are available in the front office and online!
Below is the link to the TPMS Sports Page. Any additional sports questions can be sent to mamiller@powayusd.com
ASES Sports – ASES – TWIN PEAKS MIDDLE SCHOOL (powayusd.com)
Food & Nutrition Update
How to Find Student Class Schedules
For families new to PUSD, an informational letter with a new user account name and password was sent to all parents of secondary students (grades 6-12). If you did not receive this letter, have misplaced it, or if you are a parent of a new student enrolled after the start of school, please visit the password.powayusd.com website to retrieve their username or select a new password.
Join the TPMS Choir!
TPMS Choir will start singing on September 5th! Practices will be Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 7:20-8:20am. All students are welcome! Students need to be on time and can not miss more than 4 practices total for the choir session. We will perform a December 7th concert at Twin Peaks, and another with the Poway High School Choir at their concert on December 12th.
Any questions, please email TPMSchoirdirector@gmail.com
For registration information: TPMS Choir Fall 2023
Get Your TPMS Spirit Wear @ Online Store!
In need of new TPMS Spirit for the new school year? Visit our online store at https://bit.ly/ramspirit today and place an order for the new school year. We’ve got everything from hats to hoodies and even some new TPMS pajama pants, but hurry! The online store will close for production on August 30th, so don’t wait – place your order today!
ASB Student Activities Canvas Page
Student Bike Registration
TPMS Foundation 23-24
Twin Peaks Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing educational excellence for ALL students at Twin Peaks Middle School. Their purpose is to bridge the widening gap between the amount of money actually provided by the State of California and the Poway Unified School District and the amount necessary to fund technology upgrades, educational programs and resources necessary to support the school.
The Foundation typically meets on the 3rd Tuesday of each month at 6pm in the TPMS Library. Here are their monthly meetings dates for the 2023-24 school year:
August 22nd
September 12th
October 17th
November 14th
January 16th
February 13th
March 12th
April 16th
May 21st
Please visit the TPMS Foundation Web Page by CLICKING HERE!
PTSA Meeting Dates 23-24
The Twin Peaks Middle School Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA) is a membership-based, volunteer organization dedicated to making each school year a rewarding and enriching experience for all students. As a volunteer organization, PTSA is integral to the success of many campus events. We fund, organize and provide volunteers for a variety of PTSA programs and important school activities which serve to enhance your student’s middle school experience
All Executive Board meetings will be held on the 3rd Thursday of each month at 6:15pm in the TPMS Library unless listed otherwise. Association Meetings will be held in September, February, and April. Board meetings are open to PTSA Board Members and Committee Chairs while Association Meetings are open for all members of the Twin Peaks Middle School PTSA:
September 14th (Association Meeting @6:15pm; Board Meeting to follow)
October 19th
November 16th
December 14th
January 18th
February 15th (Association Meeting @6:15pm; Board Meeting to follow)
March 14th
April 18th (Association Meeting @6:15pm; Board Meeting to follow)
May 23rd
To join the PTSA for the 2023-24 school year, please CLICK HERE!
Shop Amazon through TPMS Foundation
Twin Peaks Middle School
Nondiscrimination Philosophy and Policy Statement
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 disability, 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 2121, jjimenez@powayusd.com. For students, you may contact Title IX Coordinator/504 Coordinator Jamie Dayhoff, Director of Attendance and Discipline, Poway Unified School District, 1-858-521-2840, jdayhoff@powayusd.com.
Email: chamilton@powayusd.com
Website: http://tpms.powayusd.com/index.html
Phone: 858.748.5131
Twitter: @TwinPeaksRams