Eagle Newsletter

December Observances

• December 7: Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day
• December 16: Las Posadas
• December 21: Winter Solstice (First Day of Winter)
• December 25: Christmas
• December 25: Hanukkah
• December 26: Kwanzaa
• December 31: New Year's Eve

January Observances

• January 1: New Year's Day
• January 20: Dr. Martin Luther King Day (No School)

Mesa Verde Events

• December 7: Teddy Bear Toss Night with the San Diego Gulls
• December 6-12: Winter Party Tickets on Sale During Lunch
• December 13: ASB Presents....Winter In New York
• December 19: Rubio's Dine Out Night (All Day)
• December 20: Winterfit Spirit Day
• December 23-January 3: District Recess Winter Break (No School)
• January 10: San Diego Clippers Game
• January 16-17: Minimum Days (End of 2nd Quarter)
• January 22: Last Day to Order Yearbook
• January 27: Professional Growth Day (No School)
• January 30: Annual Spelling Bee
• Every Friday: School Spirit Day! Wear your Eagles Eagles Eagle t-shirt

Season’s greetings and best wishes for a happy, healthy, and joyous holiday season!

See you in 2025!

PUSD is excited to announce the upcoming E-Bike Class for students and their parents/guardians, aimed at promoting safe and responsible e-bike usage. The class will take place in the Performing Arts Center (PAC) at Mt. Carmel High School on Wednesday, January 8th at 6:00pm. Please mark your calendars. Attendees are highly encouraged to arrive at 5:30 so they have enough time to find parking and the PAC. Click here for more information.

We’re excited to invite all Mesa Verde families to a fun, family-friendly evening at the San Diego Clippers game on January 10th at 7:00 PM at Frontwave Arena in Oceanside. This special event is Star Wars Night, featuring exciting Star Wars-themed entertainment and activities! The event is open to everyone—teachers, staff, and families alike. We’ll be sitting together in our own section (Section 112) to enjoy the game as a community.

Ticket Price: $22 per person (+ $3.66 processing fee)

Deadline to Purchase: January 10th, 5:00 PM

Get your tickets here: San Diego Clippers Game Tickets

For questions, please email Ms. Askar at: caskar@powayusd.com

We hope to see you there for a night of basketball, fun, and Star Wars excitement!

Some exciting news for students and science and environment lovers: MVMS will be hosting Nature Immersion days and creating a large, nature themed, community mural! Here is some information about each.

Nature Immersion Days

Around our school and community, there are many interesting plants, animals, and habitats. We wanted to find a way to help students learn and appreciate these in a fun way – hoping to engage students with nature in our community. With the help of our local Rangers and Friends of Los Pen, we have organized three Nature Immersion days (on Jan 7,9,10) to do just this.

Students will visit five stations during their science period on their grade's Nature Immersion day. Students will use their senses to observe nature closely while also learning about the following topics:

• 6th grade: making and throwing local wildflower seedballs, San Diego bee haven, reeds , cattails and tule boats, masting of oaks
• 7th grade: making and throwing grassland seedballs, roadrunners and their habitats, tule boats construction and uses, healthy acorns or not
• 8th grade: making and throwing coastal sage brush seedballs, secondary metabolite functions of San Diego plants, gnatcatchers and their habitats, sustainable harvesting, woodpeckers-sycamores-acorns a relationship between three species

Nature Mural

Thanks to the support of Principal Moore and the MVMS Foundation and PTSA, we are excited to have a large nature mural custom-painted at our school. The nature mural will be on the back side of the handball courts, adjacent to the basketball courts. It will bring life to the bare concrete wall for everyone to enjoy and will be the largest public mural in our zip code and school district! Each of our 1200 students will use their learning from the Nature Immersion days to propose a mural design and professional artists from Art Reach will incorporate these ideas into a couple of final mural design proposals. Our MVMS community will then vote on their favorite mural design.

Next comes painting: Our goal is to have the wall power washed, primed and ready to paint by the end of March. The first week of April, Art Reach (mural nonprofit, that has done some amazing projects in San Diego) lay the mural design out on the walls. On April 5th, we will organize a community paint day where our community can come and help paint the mural. Art Reach will complete the mural over the next few weeks and we will have a mural dedication ceremony on June 6th. We hope this mural will be a daily inspiration for our students to be good stewards of our environment.

Please stay tuned for more information as we would love hearty participation in these events from our students, families and community.

Your help needed

In order to make the Nature Immersion days successful, we would love some help from parents to help direct students, time stations and help the docents as needed. Parent volunteers will be working with 6th, 7th, and 8th graders on Tuesday Jan 7, Thursday Jan 9 and Friday Jan 10 respectively. If you’re able to come help us for just a two-hour shift, please sign up at this link

Please join us on Wednesday, Jan 15, 2025 at 6pm to hear about the plans for the 2025 8th Grade Promotion celebration on 6/11/2025 and learn about ways to help our 8th graders celebrate this milestone! This meeting will give important new details about the 2025 MVMS 8th Grade Promotion events.
The meeting will be ZOOM ONLY. Please email mvms8thgradepromotion@gmail.com for the Zoom link to join and for any other questions.

Just a reminder: When your child is feeling ill, please have them go to the Health Office. The Health Tech will contact you if they need to go home. Your student may use the phone in the Health Office if they need to speak to you directly. Please encourage your student to NOT use their cell phone to contact you. Using their cell phone is in violation of our Electronic Device Agreement.

Click here for the PUSD Illness Guidelines.

The MVMS 2024-2025 Yearbook is on sale now! Books are sold online only - CLICK HERE to place your order. The last day to order your yearbook is Wednesday, January 22, 2025.

Yearbooks are $45 (plus a small service fee) and will be delivered at the beginning of June.

We do not always have extra yearbooks in our final shipment. The only way to guarantee your student receives a yearbook is to order before the January deadline.

Yearbooks sold in June are $55 (cash or check only).

Please contact Shawn Tran with any questions (stran@powayusd.com).

It’s time to sharpen your spelling skills—our annual Spelling Bee is just around the corner! In January, ELA classes will hold classroom spelling bees, and each winner will represent their class in the MVMS Spelling Bee on January 30th.

We encourage all students to start practicing now. Whether you’re a seasoned speller or ready to try something new, this is your opportunity to shine and have fun! Practice resources are available on the library webpage and the library Canvas page.

Let the words inspire you—good luck!

Thank you, Mesa Verde families for reaching out to the City of San Diego regarding the traffic concerns on Sedorus Street. Due to the numerous requests received from families and staff, the City of San Diego has informed us that they will be making the following changes to help ensure our students safety at the back gate:

• Add three (3) No U-turn signs

• Paint a center line where the street curves

• Replace the School sign as it is faded

Work orders have been submitted and they are hoping to have these jobs completed by January 2025.

Please complete this Google Form to share your thought and ideas about the MVMS library. Your responses will be taken into consideration as we go through the process to update the space.

Thank you!

All students who ride E-Bike, bicycles, scooters, and skateboards will need to take the online MVMS safety quiz and turn in the MVMS permit application to the front office. The safety questions are a priority! Please click here for the correct link to the online quiz.

Campus security/supervisors have begun enforcing proper permits for bicycles, e-scooters, scooters and skateboards.

Enforcement for E-Bikes will begin by campus security/supervisors Monday, February 3, 2025.

A Bike Permit will be required for all E-Bike, bicycles, scooters, and skateboards. E-Bikes will have the permit/sticker from the SDPD Safety class and the number must be added to the MVMS application.

Bicycles, scooters, and skateboards will have the MVMS non-motorized permit/sticker.

Click here for the application and information on the bike permits. Click here for the online quiz.

Please pick up MVMS bike permits at the front office before school.

Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri: 7:30am-8:00am

Wednesday: 8:30am-9:00am

Thank you!

PUSD has partnered with local enforcement to provide classes this Fall

In response to community requests and a desire to address a student safety need, PUSD has partnered with local enforcement to provide mandatory safety classes for all ebike riders. If your child rides their ebike to and from school, they must attend the one-hour class with a parent or guardian as this will be a requirement to park their ebike on campus. This new requirement will be enforced starting February 3, 2025.

One additional class will be held January 8, 2025 at Mt. Carmel High School in the Mt. Carmel Performing Arts Center (PAC) at 6:00pm.

Address: 9550 Carmel Mountain Road, San Diego 92129

One parent or guardian must attend with their child. At the class, you will be asked to register the make and model of the ebike, VIN#, and student ID, so please come prepared with that information. Topics covered will include following the rules of the road, proper helmet usage, the safe operation of ebikes, and more.

Once you register your ebike at the meeting, will receive a sticker to place on your ebike and your school will receive a record that you attended the safety class. We appreciate your partnership in taking this important step toward keeping our students safe.

The Poway Unified School District

The MVMS School Counselors provide an open space for students during the school day and at lunch. Students have access to items to help with emotion regulation during the day and games and activities at lunch. The Eagle Center is an alternative space for students who are looking for a quiet and relaxing space at lunch time. We would love your support in offering a variety of fun, relaxing, and sensory activities for students. Click here for the Wishlist.

We have included a new date in the MVMS 6th Grade Camp Letter.

All 6th grade classes will be going to camp from April 28th- May 2nd. Update: Parents are invited to attend the 6th grade camp presentation on February 11th at at 8:59 am in MVMS gym.

The Mesa Verde library is looking for parent volunteers to help out during our busy lunch hours.

Monday/Tuesday/Thursday/Friday: 10:50 am to 12:35 pm.

Wednesdays 11:40 am to 1:05 pm.

We mostly need help directing students to sign in/out and where to go for assistance.

You can volunteer every week, every other week or once a month. No experience necessary, flexible schedules - you can choose to volunteer once a week or once a month!

All Volunteers will need to update their information and fill out new volunteer forms.

Megan's Law Background Check

PUSD Volunteer Application - Megan's Law background check - Level I Clearance

• 2024-2025 Volunteer Application
• PUSD Code-of-Conduct
• PUSD Code-of-Confidentiality_FERPA
• Copy of Driver's License
• Copy of TB Test

Please click HERE for more information.

If you are interested, please contact Heather Ryan : hryan@powayusd.com for more information.

Thank you for your time and energy you contribute to the students and staff at MVMS.

The difference between a guest, a visitor and a volunteer as per the PUSD board policies.

Visitors are individuals visiting a classroom as a guest lecture, college representative, and those helping with an event. Staff preapproval is required and please be sure to bring a photo id with you when you check-in at the front office on your day of arrival.

Volunteers are individuals that help on campus on a regular basis and have completed the required volunteer paperwork to become a volunteer.

All visitors and volunteers visiting campus must be prearranged by a staff member contacting the administration office prior to the visit. All visitors and volunteers are required to sign in at the front office and wear the printed name tag each day you are on campus. This will help us to identify people on our campus in maintaining a safe campus.

Once you have connected with a staff member in need of a volunteer, the next step to become a volunteer is to complete the required forms.

1) Megan's Law background check Volunteer Application form (annually)

• 2024-2025 Volunteer Application

2) Provide a current TB test (valid for 4 years from the Read Date), including chest x-rays. X-rays over 4 years old MUST be accompanied by a California School Employee Tuberculosis Risk Assessment Questionnaire, that is valid for 4 years, as well.

3) Code of Conduct form (annually)

• PUSD Code-of-Conduct

4) Code of Confidentiality form (annually).

• PUSD Code-of-Confidentiality_FERPA

5) Copy of current Driver's License

Bring all requested documents to the front office along with your current driver license or passport. Your Megan's Law background check Volunteer Application form will be submitted to the PUSD district office for processing. Once all documents have been processed, you will be ready to begin volunteering. If you are a current volunteer at another PUSD school or are a current PUSD staff member wanting to become a volunteer, please complete all of the required volunteer forms as each school site is required to have their own current volunteer documents.

Attention Mesa Verde families!

MVMS ASES sports is back for the 2024-2025 school year. If you are interested in participating in any of our sports (Cross Country, Flag Football, Basketball, Volleyball, Soccer), please fill out the ASES Sports Registration Packet prior to the start of the sport season. Due dates for the packets can be found on the flier, as well as on the second page of the Registration Packet.

Sports Registration Packets can be found HERE. Information about skills assessment dates, and the practice/game schedules will be sent out to families who have submitted completed packets.

Filled out packets can be turned into Room 301 (before school and during lunch) or turned in through the google form link HERE (Note: A google account is required to submit through the form). They can also be sent via email to psobhani@powayusd.com and abaker@powayusd.com .

Please note that the front office and coaches will not be accepting completed packets.

MVMS Ultimate Frisbee Club is here! Ultimate Frisbee is a fast paced, non-contact team sport, with a strong focus on fun, teamwork, and sportsmanship. All levels and genders are welcome in this club which will be coached by MVMS math teacher Mr. Buckman. There are no fees to participate. Please have your student meet down on the field by the PE lockers. Practices will be every Tuesday and Thursday from 2:45-4:15. Students can participate as often as they want. We will set up games against other teams in the future and share potential tournament opportunities as well.
Hope your student can join in the fun this year!
Please click here if your child is interested in participating.

San Diego Badminton Academy is offering an after school Badminton Club for all ages and skill levels.

Our district’s Caring Connections Parent Education website has new and exciting courses being offered this Fall. Each term we have different parent education courses, therefore, feel free to periodically check the website at the beginning of each term for the new courses offered to parents, families, and our school community. Beginning next week, click HERE to view the PUSD CCC Parent Education Fall Courses.

A three-part live webinar series covering topics that include raising responsible teenagers, raising competent teenagers and getting teenagers connected, adding to your parenting tool kit to help in the most important areas for a teenager’s development: home life, school life and life in the wider community. The strategies shared can set you up to handle (or prevent) the stress, drama and unpredictability of this different and difficult stage.

Wednesdays, January 8th, January 15th, and January 22nd, 2025 from 6:00pm – 8:00pm

Being a teen in today's day and age brings with it a whole new set of challenges. The good news is that there is a solution! This workshop is intended for adults who are parenting and supporting students in 6th - 12th grades.

If a student forgets an item at home, such as homework, P.E. clothes, band instruments, phones, lunch money, or lunches, parents are permitted to bring those items to school; however, we will not deliver the item or a message about the item to students. Students may check in at the office during passing periods or lunch to retrieve a forgotten item. This is to encourage students to be responsible for the items they need on a daily basis and keep our student’s classroom interruptions to a minimum. At no time will individual or group online/call-in food orders be allowed for delivery.

Did you know that PUSD provides free breakfast and lunch daily for all students!

Students can pick up their breakfast in the cafeteria after 7:30am.

Please have your student memorize and/or write down their student ID number in order to get breakfast or lunch. This will help the lunch lines move quickly!

All students are encouraged to eat lunch first and then wait to be released down to the donut area and Eagle Center. Please remind your child to throw their trash away in the trash can and encourage others to do the same. This will help keep our campus looking exquisite and inviting.

Thank you for your support!

In an effort to better secure our campus, we have installed a door bell/buzzer system at the front door of our administration building. We are a closed campus and our front door will remain locked at all times. MVMS staff, students, parents, and visitors will need to ring the door bell to be buzzed in. If no one is at the front desk when you first arrive, the doorbell will let the office staff know you are waiting and we will buzz you in.

Reporting an Absence

In order to better serve our families and record and track absences, we will be asking parents to report absences via a Google Form as opposed to calling them in to our attendance office. Only parents/caregivers may complete the form and the email and phone number listed must match those in Synergy. Please click on the link below, which can also be found on our website and the included Contact List.

Attendance Reporting Form

Off Campus Passes (Early Release)

Student safety is a major concern for us. Students must be signed out at the attendance desk before departing early. Students are not allowed to wait in front of the school to be picked up during school hours.

If your student needs to leave early from school, please send a note with your student (see needed information below). Notes should be given to the Attendance secretary, NOT your student's teacher, BEFORE school. If you forgot to send a note with your student, please call the Attendance Hotline (858-538-5692) at least 2 hours in advance of the pickup time to have an off-campus pass sent to your student in advance so you are not waiting and to minimize interruptions to the classrooms.

When writing a note, please indicate:

1. Your student's first and last name
2. Reason for the early departure
3. The time your student needs to leave school
4. Whether or not your student will return that day

Please meet your child at the attendance desk to be signed out at the time of departure. Be prepared to show your identification when checking out your child.

If your student returns to school after being picked up early, please have him/her check back in at the Attendance desk before heading to class.

Tardies

Students are required to be on time to class, ready to learn. After the bell rings at 8am (or 9:03am on Wednesdays), students must enter through the front office and check in at the attendance office to receive a tardy slip. If students are tardy and arrive to class without a tardy slip, they will be asked to return to the attendance office to check in. The following consequences will be in place for students who are tardy to the first period of the school day:

• Up to 5 in a school year: automatic reminder phone calls and/or emails
• 6 in a school year: phone conference with parent or legal caregiver
• 7+ in a school year: one after school detention per subsequent tardy

Please see the Eagle Agenda or school website for additional information on excused and unexcused tardies, as well as tardies that occur during the school day.

If you have information you would like included in our weekly newsletter, social media, email, or website, etc. please use this form to submit your request. Your request does NOT guarantee that your information will be included. Please note that we may edit your submission (content, length, etc.) but will contact you if our edits would change or remove pertinent information. Please submit by 3:00pm on Thursdays for inclusion in the weekly Eagle Newsletter.

1/8/2025 Team MVMS PTSA/Foundation Meeting

2/12/2025 Team MVMS PTSA/Foundation Meeting

3/12/2025 Team MVMS PTSA/Foundation Meeting

4/9/2025 Team MVMS PTSA/Foundation Meeting

4/26/25 OR 5/3/2025 Team MVMS Spring Fling & Silent Auction (Adult Only) TBD

5/14/2025 Team MVMS PTSA/Foundation Meeting

If you are unsure of who to contact about a matter, please email us at MVMS@powayusd.com and your message will be answered or forwarded to the correct person.

7:30am-3:00pm (M, Tu, Th, F)

8:30am-3:00pm (W)

Email: MVMS@powayusd.com
Website: https://www.powayusd.com/en-US/Schools/MS/MVMS/Home
Location: 8375 Entreken Way, San Diego, CA, USA
Phone: (858) 538-5478
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Mesa-Verde-Middle-1493083354314112
Twitter: @MesaVerdeMS