Panther Parent Update

De Portola welcomes individuality by empowering and developing students’ communication, curiosity, and critical thinking skills through a growth mindset. We are Panthers! Rooooaaaarrrrrrrr!!

TEXTBOOK CHECK OUT

08/28 8th grade - Textbook Check Out via English Classes

09/06 Kona Ice at lunch

09/07 MINIMUM DAY with a 2:00 Dismissal

09/21 Back to School Night 5:00-6:30

It was so wonderful to see our campus buzzing with middle school energy again. We loved seeing students greet friends and find opportunities to make new connections with new faces. Our teachers reviewed classroom expectations and held some great community building activities. An the admin team hosted Panther Pride Assemblies to welcome and review the culture and expectations at De Portola. Please feel free to click on the link above to see what we reviewed with students. Eighth grade parents...please pay extra attention to the last slide as it lists the 8th Grade Promotion Eligibility Requirements.

Please do not drive into the parking lot and drive east after 3:40. We already had a fender bender , someone park on the sidewalk, several cars blocking crosswalks, and a student was almost hit. We release 670 students out the front gates at 3:42 and student safety is our first priority. We probably have about half of our students who walk to the rec center and or walk home. The other half get picked up from our parking lot and Clairemont Mesa Blvd. Our students are doing a great job using the crosswalks. We need our drivers to use extra caution at all times. If you are able to wait until 3:55 to pick up your student, we have many students who just hang out in the grass after school until someone drives through to pick them up. Thank you for your patience and commitment to student safety.

Last week, I dress coded about five girls everyday for wearing short items to school. This includes shirts and shorts. Biker shorts must have a minimum of a four inch inseam and if they constantly gather at a student's underwear line, we will request they change. Very loose shorts and skirts that get hiked up when a student wears a backpack are also very inappropriate when they expose a child's backside. Lastly, I do not want to be greeted by a child's belly button. All shirts must touch the top of the shorts. Placing an arm over the front of your body does not excuse a student from this dress requirement. Please know that this is not about body shaming or calling students out. Adherence to our dress code is valued by our staff as we are committed to holding high standards for all. And, as the weather warms up, please remind your students that they can stay cool by drinking water and staying under the shade all the while being dressed appropriately for school. Continued violations will result in your child calling you to bring them alternative clothing. Thank you for your support.

Basketball and Track & Field Tryouts begin this week. Please have students report to the lunch arbor and the sports staff will meet them there. The link to sign up will re-open on Monday, August 28. There will be two weeks of tryouts before the coaches finalize the roster. Parents are not allowed to spectate tryouts. Track & Field Athletes can be picked up in the back lot at 5:30. The back lot can be accessed by entering the most west driveway and driving north all the way back to the baseball fields. Basketball tryouts will be on the outdoor basketball courts and players can be picked up in the front of the school down by bike racks at 5:30.

We provide all the basic school supplies for students such as paper, composition books, and pencils. This year we had a slight hiccup with ordering the notebooks used in science classes. Please be sure to read the science syllabus that will be distributed this week for specifics on which notebooks we recommend. The science teachers will follow up with me to ensure that every student has what they need.

We do not allow any food or drink deliveries for students. If you would like to bring your child lunch, you must stay and eat with them. This happens frequently for birthdays and other special occasions. We always love when parents can stay and have lunch with their kiddos.

All remaining registration packets will be distributed to students during sixth period on Monday. It is very important that this information gets returned to the office by Wednesday, August 23. Please complete all forms especially the meal application form and the LCFF form. Even if you don't qualify, this information is critical to securing funding for our school.

All parents must drop off students at the front of the school. When you enter the school parking lot, you must turn left and drive all the way down as the staff directs you. The staff will signal when it is time for your student to exit the vehicle. Please follow the directions of the staff to ensure the line moves. We kindly ask that you drive slowly enough so that you can roll down your window and call out an "I love you honey. Have a great day!" All middle schoolers appreciate this type of morning farewell.

The parking lot is closed after school until 3:55. Please make arrangements to meet your student on the street or the rec center.

Also, please DO NOT use the residential parking lot across the street from school. We try to be really good neighbors and not disturb them with our dismissal procedures.

Our enrollment has increased from 630 to 675 this year so adherence to these rules keep our students and staff safe and gets everyone on their way with a smile in their heart.

Information around Bus Route M went out to families in a separate email if your child is currently on the San Diego Unified School District manifest. However, if you live in the VEEP PATTERN for De Portola Middle School, you may qualify for transportation. The following stops are for Bus Route M. If you believe your child will qualify for transportation according to the VEEP pattern, you will be able to ride the bus if there is room on the bus. However, you may want to arrange your own transportation the first couple of days of school if you are uncertain. Here are the stops and the pick up/drop off times. Please arrive 10 minutes BEFORE the listed time for the AM stop as the bus will not wait if it arrives early.

Arrival to De Portola will be at 8:30 AM and departure will be at 3:52 PM. Breakfast is available for ALL students from 8:30-8:55 AM.

AM Bus Route M Pick-up times/locations:

7:44 am STOP CLAY EL, INTG, SPED, LZ, ON SOLITA

7:59 am STOP FAIRMOUNT AV @ MYRTLE AV [SE]

8:03 am STOP FAIRMOUNT AV @ ORANGE AV [NE]

8:09 am STOP EL CAJON BL @ 35TH ST [NW]

PM Bus Route M Drop-off times/locations:

4:08 pm STOP 35TH ST @ EL CAJON BL [NW]

4:13 pm STOP FAIRMOUNT AV @ ORANGE AV [SW]

4:17 pm STOP FAIRMOUNT AV @ MYRTLE AV [NW]

4:32 pm END CLAY EL, INTG, SPED, LZ, ON SOLITA

For the 2023-24 school year, De Portola Middle School will provide both BREAKFAST and LUNCH for all students. Breakfast will be served from 8:30-8:45 AM. Students just need their four digit PIN number, which can be found on their schedules.

All families must complete a meal application on paper or online even if your student does not eat cafeteria food. Meal Application and LCFF forms are used to determine funding for our schools. Please complete the forms in the packet.

If you want your student to be able to purchase additional items such as cookies and water bottles, please register at PayPams and you can add money to an account that will align with your child's lunch pin number.

The De Portola Foundation is a wonderful group of parents who raise money to support all types of events at school. The DP Foundation has two major fundraisers a year. The first is simply a Back to School donation and the second is our Panther Pride Run. We have raised $20k at our Panther Pride Run for the last two years. Our goal for our Back to School donation is $15K. Please consider donating any amount that is reasonable for your family. Look for the QR code in the back to school packet or click this link here.

Big cost items are assemblies ($1500 each assembly), field trips ($5K per grade level), teacher grants, the school garden, and staff wellness. Your time, talents, and money are needed to keep our programs running. Jordan Waggoner is entering her fifth fabulous year as DP Foundation President. She is AMAZING and has five children who attend elementary, middle, and high school in Tierrasanta. She leads a fun, light hearted group of parents who rally together to support our school. We would love for you to join us on the first Tuesday of the month from 6:00pm - 7:00pm.

We had a few families age out and need to fill some vacancies:

Vice President: Be a thought partner and support to the president

Treasurer: Monitor budget, run monthly reports, and write checks

Hospitality: Organize food for staff for Welcome Back Luncheon, Back to School Night, Holiday Breakfast, and Staff Appreciation Week

Please reach out to Jordan Waggoner at deportolafoundation1@gmail.com or me at jjaramillo@sandi.net with any questions.

We will be reviewing all of our student policies with students during the first week of school. Here are some of the basics to get you started:

Dress Code:

Our expectation is that students understand the fine line between self-expression and being presentable. Please review some very basic rules about dress code.

• The bottom of the shirt must touch the top of the shorts/pants (most frequent violation)

• No hoods indoors

• Hats are at the discretion of each teacher

• No undergarments showing

• No slippers or blankets

• No clothing with foul language or adult behavior (drinking, smoking, etc).

Our school is a beautiful place for learning and we uphold the dress code for everyone who is on campus. We celebrate all styles as long as they adhere to the the above listed expectations.

Cell Phones:

Students cannot be on their phones between 9:00am-3:42pm. Phones will be confiscated and returned to students at the end of the day. Repeat offenders will result in phone calls home. You child may ask any staff permission to text or call home. We value our instructional time and understand that middle schoolers are easily distracted by constant phone notifications.