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!!

01/03 School resumes

01/04 Minimum Day 2:00pm Dismissal

01/04 Incoming 9th graders meeting at Canyon Hills Library 6:00pm

01/09 Bell Schedule Meeting 8:00am on Zoom

01/09 DP Foundation Meeting

01/10 Bell Schedule Meeting 6:00pm on Zoom

01/11 SSC 8:00am

01/15 MLK Holiday - No School

01/18 SGT 8:00am (date change from 1/19)

01/19 SSC 8:00am

01/19 End of Semester 1

01/24 8th Grade Panoramic Picture

We had a busy three days to launch 2024. Many students participated in great conversations about developing new habits, discussing how they will level up this year, and setting their sites on big things that will happen in 2024.

We had a few instances last week where students did not report information to the office that was directly related to a safety concern. Middle school students are often unsure how to handle unexpected items, information, or situations. Many will notice things and just keep it to themselves. Others will remain quiet out of fear of retaliation. The common turn among middle schoolers is "snitching." They don't want to to be the ones who get someone else in trouble. However, safety is not a secret and we always protect the student identity when learning important information. We will be re-iterating ways for students to confidently share information in our weekly Principal's Message to students. Please let your student know that they can always email the counselors, write a note and hand it to a teacher, or ask to go to the office. If your student sees something that they know is not okay, please encourage them to report it. Thank you for your support on this.

We will be having a new bell schedule for the 2024-25 school year. We are currently gathering input from the staff and our public committees. There will be two 30 minute parent information meetings on zoom to gather input when we return in January. The first one will be Jan 9 at 8:00am and the second one will be Jan 10 at 6:00pm. Zoom info will be listed in next week's Panther Parent Update.

Zoom Info:

Topic: DPMS Bell Schedule 24-25

Time: Jan 9, 2024 08:00 AM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting

https://sandiegounified.zoom.us/j/89539049058

Meeting ID: 895 3904 9058

Password: dpms

Last Friday, all 8th graders received a yellow card for students to select classes for the 2024-25 school year. If your child is planning to attend a different high school than Canyon Hills, you must still complete the form. Families who are have filled out the choice applications to other SDUSD schools have not yet been notified of acceptance. Please complete this form regardless of where your child is going to high school next year. There is a very short turn around with this card. You diligence is appreciated.

Click here to access the presentation shown by CHHS staff at parent meeting and student assembly.

1/09/24 All Articulation Cards are due by 12pm

8th Grade Families: Your student received a flyer for Yearbook 8th Grade Ads on Friday (it is neon pink). 8th Grade Ads are now on sale at www.yearbookforever.com. The prices for the 4 different sizes are outlined on the flyer. The last day that yearbook ads can be purchased/created is March 1st. It is HIGHLY recommended that you do not wait until the last minute to create the ad, as sometimes there are computer glitches that are out of our control. Here is a link to the flyer if your student lost it:

Yearbooks are also on sale at www.yearbookforever.com for $55. The price will increase to $60 on March 1st, so get yours today! Please contact Ms. McIntosh with any questions at smcintosh@sandi.net

This year, the 2024-25 budget season will be from Jan 10 - Jan 19. Due to your support, we have increased our Title 1 percentage from 39% to 43%. This results in more money for our school. As soon as I receive final numbers from SDUSD on January 10, I will send out a budget needs survey. There is a very short turn around for this. We will have SSC meetings on Friday, January 12 and Friday January 19 to review the dollars, discuss community and staff input, and vote on the 2045-25 budget. These are public meetings held in person. All are welcome to join. However, only elected members have voting rights.

We welcome Charisma Johnson to our front office as our new attendance clerk. Her email is cjohnson7@sandi.net. 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.