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!!

11/20 THANKSGIVING BREAK

11/27 Here and Now Presentations in 7th grade classrooms

11/28 Hancock 5th graders visit

11/29 Kumeyaay 5th graders visit

12/01 SGT 8:00am

12/01 Vista Grande 5th graders visit

12/04 TES 5th graders visit

12/05 Miller 5th graders visit

12/05 DP Foundation Holiday Celebration (offsite)

12/06 Kona Ice at Lunch

12/07 Minimum Day 2:00pm Dismissal

12/15 Minimum Day 2:00pm Dismissal

The staff at De Portola is honored to serve 200+ military families. We had a brief assembly with our military students back in October and the students were so surprised to see how many other military students were in the room. They shared how many schools and how many countries they have lived in. It was a very validating experience for many. Thank you to all families for your sacrifice and dedication to our country.

We love attending Fleet Week down at the harbor. Our 8th graders got to climb tanks, practice inserting an IV, learn about drones, and much more. This is always an inspiring field trip where students have authentic experiences that get them truly thinking about new career paths.

Check Your Mood Week The teen years are marked by a roller-coaster ride of emotions—difficult for teens, their parents, and educators. It is easy to misread depression as normal adolescent turmoil; however, depression (among the most common of mental illnesses) appears to be occurring at a much earlier age, and the past decade has seen teen suicide rates double.

To proactively address this issue, De Portola is partnering with San Diego Youth Services HERE Now program to provide a “Check Your Mood Week” filled with discussions about emotions and ways to help your friends.

English Presentation

Zoom Meeting ID: 257 311 084 671

Passcode: Tks7Eb

Spanish Presentation

Meeting ID: 293 534 980 891

Passcode: KHPT8B

La adolescencia está marcada por muchos cambios escolares, físicos y emocionales. Esta temporada es difícil para adolescentes, sus padres, y maestros. Es fácil para malinterpretar la depresión como algo normal durante la adolescencia. Es importante saber que la depresión se está desarrollando en jóvenes y en la última década, se ha multiplicado la cantidad de suicidio en adolescentes. De Portola Middle School está colaborando con el programa de HERE Now de San Diego Youth Services para implementar una semana de “Reconoce tus Emociones.” Tendrán discusiones sobre emociones, la salud mental y cómo ayudar a los demás.

Both De Portola and Farb Middle Schools will be offering an in person Parent Meeting to go over specific programs at each school. We strongly encourage families to attend BOTH meetings so that you will be well informed and ready to make a good selection for your child. We look forward to meeting you and answering your questions.

Informational Meeting

Farb Middle School

Principal: Courtney Rizzo

Date: Tuesday, November 14, 2023

Time: 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm

Place: Farb Auditorium

De Portola Middle School

Principal: Jamey Jaramillo

Date: Wednesday November 15, 2023

Time: 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm

Place: Weiner Hall

Federal Impact Aid forms are different than LCFF. Please turn in the blue paper by Wednesday, November 8. Or, complete the form on Parent Portal. Thank you for assisting us with this.

Federal Impact Aid provides funding to assist school districts that enroll federally-connected students. While your family may not be federally-connected, we need information for ALL STUDENTS to ensure accurate percentages.

At your next opportunity, we ask you to please sign-in to the Parent Portal in PowerSchool and complete the short 30 second survey, following the steps below:

• Select Forms from the left-hand navigation menu, then select 2023-24 Impact Aid Program Survey Form.
• Follow the prompts and submit the form. Please be sure a confirmation appears before logging off.
• For parents using the PowerSchool mobile app, you can submit the survey using the app.
  
• If you need assistance, or do not yet have a Parent Portal account, please contact Mr. Steven at SFong@sandi.net.

I will continue to report our collection status until we reach 100%. Thank you for your support.

The JS2S Club is sponsoring a food drive. Students can bring their donations to PE and they will receive a free pass to skip the next mile run. Thanks!

We are experiencing an increase in COVID cases and kindly ask you to keep your students home if they are experiencing symptoms. We know how important it is that your students attend school, but above all else, we prioritize the emotional and physical well-being of our entire student population. If you have any questions or concerns you can email our Nurse Lundy at jlundy1@sandi.net and she will get back to you as soon as possible. We have tests in the nurses office that your students can access at any time during the school day. The current list of COVID symptoms are as follows:

• fever or chills
• cough
• shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• fatigue muscle or body ache
• headache
• new loss of taste or smell
• sore throat

We currently have a vacancy for our Attendance Clerk. Miss Dora, Finance Clerk, and Mr. Steve, Site Tech, are filling in for now. Please email Miss Dora dbriggs@sandi.net or Mr. Steven sfong@sandi.net to report absences. Please be sure to state your students full name, grade level, date of birth, and specific reason for absence. You can also email them if you need to pick up your student early. Please provide at least a two hour notice to ensure that we can write and deliver a pass for your student. You can also call the school at 619-605-4800 and press 3 for attendance.

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.