PTMS Weekly Parent Newsletter

I. Coming Up (calendar items in the coming week or so)

II. Message from the Principal

III. Message from the Assistant Principal

• From the Attendance Office

IV. Counseling Corner

• Information on Wellness and Suicide Prevention
  

V. From the PTSA

VI. ASB and Student Announcements

VII. Shout Out Marquee Tiles Now Available!

VIII. Department News

• Learning Commons
• PE
• Science
• Yearbook
  

IX. Clubs (periodic information on extracurricular school activities)

X. Nutrition Services

XI. Multilingual Corner (includes information on ELAC other community resources)

XII. Ethic Studies Engagement Plan - 2024-25

XIII. Special Education Sessions and Events (parenting classes, family events, informational sessions)

XIV. Community Events (opportunities/events involving the district and its schools)

XV. Other Important Items (links to the PTMS Family Handbook, Boys & Girls Club, Webstore, etc.)

Monday, September 2 - Labor Day Holiday - NO SCHOOL

Tuesday, September 3 - Block Day - 1, 3, 5

Wednesday, September 4

• Block Day - 2, 4, 6
• Math Mornings with Ms. Hunner and Mr. Torkelson - 7:30-8:00 a.m. - Room B220

Thursday, September 5 - Block Day - 1, 3, 5

Friday, September 6

• Block Day - 2, 4, 6
• "Donut" Stop Now! party for top fundraising Homeroom classes
• ISPE Suicide Prevention Presentations - 11:40-1:00 p.m. - MPR

Week of September 9 - Suicide Prevention Week

Monday, September 9 - Suicide Prevention Presentations with the Counselors through PE classes

Wolfpack Families,

Happy Friday! As we ease into the long weekend, I hope your students are coming home tired. That means they worked hard this week! Part of the middle school experience is that students get to try new things. One way to do this is through our elective classes, whether it be Spanish, STEAM, art or the various music options. I visited these classes this week and saw students doing some really cool things. In advanced STEAM, students were building circuits as part of their electronics unit, while in art class they were putting the finishing touches on their perspective drawing. When walking into our advanced orchestra class, Mr. Johnson was enthusiastically conducting as students practiced a new piece called "Spartacus". Across other classrooms, students began their STAR tests in both English and math.

Outside of class, there was BIG energy during lunch as Coach Olson began "Lunch League." Lunch League is a variety of sports/activities throughout the year in which students can compete against one another in a fun and friendly format. We kicked off the year with dodgeball in the gym, and boy was it fun, especially for our 7th graders. We have a number of teams playing, and the bleachers are filled with students cheering on the players, starting the wave, and singing songs at the top of their lungs. It was so much fun for me to watch because our students were having so much fun together!

Speaking of sports, next week are the tryouts for the fall sports through Boys & Girls Club. I encourage anyone interested to try out. For more information, please click here.

As students get in flow with their academics, completing school work, and developing good habits, I want to let you know that we have additional support available to all students. The first is new and it is called "Math Mornings." Mr. Torkelson and Ms. Hunner will be hosting this on Wednesday mornings from 7:30-8:00 am upstairs in the B-building. Further, we will continue "Academic Power Hour" which is an after school program in the Learning Commons on Monday through Wednesday from 2:50 - 3:50 p.m. Supported by a certificated teacher, students can attend to ask for specific help, or use it as a location to quietly complete homework and assignments.

A reminder that this is Labor Day weekend, so there is no school on Monday. We will return on Tuesday at 8:10 a.m. to continue our learning. Until then, have a wonderful three day weekend.

In gratitude,

Scott Wild, Ed.D.

Principal

Starting next week, the Attendance Office will begin interventions for students who arrive tardy to class. Per Administrative Regulation 5113, if students are not in their assigned classroom when the period begins, they can be marked tardy. If you would like to know if your student has any tardies, please note that tardies are recorded in Aeries. If you need help accessing Aeries, please contact our front office staff for assistance. Finally, teachers may not verbally notify students when they have been marked tardy. The Attendance Office will notify you via Parent Square when your student has been marked tardy. Once five tardies have been accrued, your student may be assigned to after school detention, which will occur weekly on Wednesdays from 2:45-3:15 p.m. If the student doesn’t show up to detention, students and their parent/guardian may be called to a parent conference. If your student needs to reschedule their detention, it’s no problem to reschedule by contacting the Attendance Office. After the first detention, students will be assigned detention after every third (3rd) tardy. The purpose of this protocol is to guide students towards punctuality, good attendance, and time management skills that will serve them in college, career, and beyond.

For more attendance information, please see the PTMS Family Handbook posted on the homepage of our website, or you can refer directly to the Attendance Page. If you have questions or concerns, please contact our Attendance Secretary, Elizabeth Williams, at (858) 500-1000 ext. 4609. Thank you!

Unclaimed Lost & Found items will be donated to charity next Friday, September 6th. Please have your student check the bin at the Attendance desk to see if their missing item is there.

September is Suicide Prevention Month when individuals, organizations, and communities join their voices to share the message that suicide can be prevented. At PTMS, we will recognize the week of September 9 as Suicide Prevention Week. On September 9, we will meet with all of our Wolves through PE classes to discuss protective factors, warning signs, and how to get help. California State Assembly Bill 2246 requires this very important information be made available, but if you prefer to Opt Out your student, please click here.

Join our PTMS School Social Worker Anna Riley in a VIRTUAL PARENT WORKSHOP: Mental Health Awareness & Suicide Prevention. She will cover the signs and symptoms to look out for and how to help your child thrive during the middle school years. Date/Time: September 9, 6:00-7:00 p.m. Google Meet Link: meet.google.com/uch-yawz-mnd

The San Diego County Office of Education (SDCOE) offers FREE online suicide prevention training for parents/caregivers. Click on the link to learn more about this upcoming training: QPR: Question, Persuade, and Refer Gatekeeper Training for Suicide Prevention.

For more information and resources on Suicide Prevention, please see the Suicide Prevention Page on the SDUHSD website.

Lisa Curry, Counselor (A-Ll) lisa.curry@sduhsd.net

Carsen Anderson, Counselor (Lo-Z and MLL Students) carsen.anderson@sduhsd.net

Samantha Eels-Taylor, Student Support Facilitator samantha.eelstaylor@sduhsd.net

Mental Health & Wellness Resources for Students, Staff, and School Community.

Click on the QR code to discover your PTMS Support Staff.

Hello PTMS Families!

A huge thank you to everyone who has already contributed to our fundraising efforts this year! We’ve currently raised $32K. Your support makes a real difference in enhancing our children’s school experience.

Congratulations to the top 7th and top 8th homerooms Osbourne-Hall and Hynes homerooms for leading this week's donations, tomorrow we will bring treats to those classes!

This year, the school goal is to raise $100K. We’re asking each family to consider making a donation of $250 to support our school’s enrichment programs.

Why $250?

Because every dollar of your donation will go directly toward enhancing our students' educational experience this year : After school Academic Power Hour, Teachers' mini grants, Health and wellness initiatives (red ribbon week, wellness center,...), PE equipment, school events, lunch activities and clubs, campus beautification and so much more!

We understand that every family's situation is different, so please know that every amount, big or small, is greatly appreciated and makes a real impact. Please check with your employer for donation matching ( U.S. Tax ID/EIN: 901080675 )

Donating is easy! Simply visit https://app.99pledges.com/fund/ptms, or drop off your contribution check at the school office. And remember, all donations are tax-deductible!

Together, we can make this year truly special for our children. Let’s show them how much we believe in their potential and support their journey to becoming well-rounded, confident learners!

Thank you for your continued support and generosity!

~ PTSA Activity will be posted here throughout the year. You can visit their webpage by clicking here.

See this presentation for more information.

You can check them out on the Students tab of our website under "Student Announcements" for a running post of each week's student announcements.

Is your student having a birthday? Or just accomplished a great sporting feat? Maybe your student aced a recent test. Well, here's your chance to send a "Shout Out!"! Your $25 purchase of a Shout Out Marquee Tile will have your Shout Out projected on the marquee that is mounted on the gym wall facing the parking lot for five business days beginning the day after you place your order. Proceeds will help ASB with scholarships for students for getting dance tickets, PE clothes, Disney tickets, and more. You can order your Shout Out marquee tile on our webstore. Type in what you want to say when you order. Careful, your note is limited to 100 characters.

Please click here to see everything that the Learning Commons has been up to so far this year.

Order your PE clothes here.

Please follow us on Instagram to see what your student is up to during PE class.

Pre-order your Yearbook here. Don't delay! Order your 2024-25 Yearbook TODAY!

~ Club activity will be posted here throughout the year. To get a list of all Clubs currently active, please check the Activities page on our website.

School Meals Reminders:

• School meals are free for all students.

• Know your student ID# for meals.

• Breakfast Daily: 7:40 - 8:10am.

• Breakfast Late Monday: 8:50 - 9:20am.

• Nutritional Break: 9:45 - 10:00am.

• Lunch Daily: according to the bell schedule.

Dear parents, if you or someone you know is interested in joining our team, PTMS is hiring for food service workers . Click on the links for more information.

SDUHSD annual Fall Multilingual Learner Night is taking place on Wednesday, September 11, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. at Earl Warren Middle School. This event will feature our Family/Community Listening Circles, which was so successful last year in encouraging active parent involvement and gathering valuable feedback on our MLL programs.

On the link below, you’ll find the flyer with registration details, including a link and QR code for parents to sign up. The flyer is available in English, Spanish and Chinese and can be translated into additional languages by right-clicking on the document and selecting a different language option.

Fall Multilingual Learner Night and Family Listening Circle - September 11 - 6:00-7:30 p.m. - EWMS

SDUHSD invites you to get involved in the Ethnic Studies Engagement Plan 24-25. The district has developed an Ethnic Studies Engagement plan which will become a graduation requirement for high schoolers in a few years. For more information, including opportunities for involvement in the engagement process, please visit the Ethnic Studies Graduation Requirements webpage.

Below are the meeting dates:

Community Engagement Meeting Dates:

8/14 - 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm @ Earl Warren Middle School

9/17 - 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm @ Earl Warren Middle School

10/8 - 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm @ Earl Warren Middle School

11/7 - 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm @ Earl Warren Middle School

For a list of Special Education Informational Sessions and Family Events, please click here.

High school students from Canyon Crest Academy and others across the US are hosting free online coding camps for middle school students. They offer Introductory Python, Intermediate Python, Introductory Machine Learning, and Project-Based Machine Learning with more programs planned, and their past programs have achieved 800+ enrollments throughout the country with dozens of positive reviews. These programs usually meet bi/tri-weekly for two to three weeks for one-hour classes. More information on dates can be found on their flyer and their website, and the enrollment form is linked here.

~ Activities at our sister schools or district-sponsored events will be posted here.

- Boys & Girls Club - Seasonal sports information/registration.

- PTMS Family Handbook. - PTMS Cell Phone Policy

- PTMS Live Calendar of Campus Events and 2024-25 Instructional Calendar.

- PTMS Student Vehicle Permit - Register your bike/e-bike/scooter/skateboard with PTMS. Complete this form and turn in to the office.

- PTMS Webstore - PE clothes and Limited Series Clothing (While Supplies Last)

- PTMS Yearbook. - Order today!

- San Dieguito Alliance for a Drug-Free Youth - complete the Parent Pledge here.

- San Dieguito Boys & Girls Club - click the link to the left for 2023-24 athletic schedules.

This newsletter has also been posted to our website under "Parent Communications."

Deadlines to submit articles for publication are Thursdays.

Email: vetha.pierce@sduhsd.net
Website: pt.sduhsd.net
Location: 5975 Village Center Loop Road, San Diego, CA, USA
Phone: 858.509.1000
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pacifictrailsmiddleschool