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. San Dieguito Union High School District Job Opportunities

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

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

November 4-24 - Food Drive - Homeroom Competition

Monday, November 11 - Veteran's Day Holiday - NO SCHOOL

Tuesday, November 12 - regular block day schedule

November 13-15 - Career Speakers in the MPR

Wolfpack families,

We made it to November! The cooler temperatures, the various holidays upon us and upcoming, and certainly Halloween last night are all reminders that Fall is in full swing. We had a number of activities across campus this week, starting with Red Ribbon Week in which we remind students the importance of positive life choices and to avoid drugs and alcohol. Thank you to our PTSA for supporting in these efforts. Yesterday, so many students came to campus in a variety of costumes, and it really made for a fun and festive day. They did a great job following the costume guidelines, and I want to say thank you for supporting our efforts so that all of the students could have a fun day! Hopefully, they weren't out too late last night and got a decent night's sleep. We wrapped up the week by celebrating our 65 Wolfpack Trailblazer Award winners who were recognized by staff for doing a good deed, a kind action, or helping out in some way. Also today, DJ Eric also played music at lunch and led the students in games which made for a fun environment.

Speaking of sleep, a few weeks ago I shared data about our students' sleep habits. In PE, many 8th grade students created commercials about the importance of sleep. Elsewhere, many of our 8th graders began "The Book Thief" in English class, while in science they studied how the phases of the moon influence the tides at our beaches and in the ocean. In 7th grade, our social studies classes are learning about the world of Islam, while various math classes are working on simplifying expressions or slope (remember y=mx+b). Across our classrooms, learning continues to happen in engaging and meaningful ways.

If your students would like additional academic support, I want to remind you that we have Academic Power Hour in the Learning Commons after school and, specifically for math students, can attend "Math Mornings" on Wednesday mornings in room B220 with either Ms. Hunner or Mr. Torkelson.

For those who celebrate, I wish you "Happy Diwali."

Finally, a reminder that we get an extra hour of sleep with daylight savings this weekend, so enjoy sleeping in. I look forward to seeing your student on Monday.

In gratitude,

Scott Wild, Ed.D.

Principal

Be sure you contact Attendance (858.509.1000, x4909 or PTAttendance@sduhsd.net) if your student misses or is going to miss any class time.

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!

Lost and Found items not picked up by Tuesday, November 5, will be donated to charity. The Lost and Found is located at the Attendance desk in the front office and is often times laid out on the brick seating in front of the administration building.

Be reminded that for the safety of all students at Pacific Trails Middle School, this campus is closed to the public.

Parents/visitors/former PTMS students/etc. are required to:

• Have an appointment with whomever they are seeing, and
• Check-in at the front office to have your ID scanned and receive a visitor's badge.

Individuals who do not have an appointment will be asked to come back another time when an appointment has been secured. Individuals must have an appointment and must receive a visitor's badge to come on to campus.

Career Exploration begins for our 7th graders! On Wednesday our 7th grade wolves took a Strengths Assessment through Thrively, an online platform, during Homeroom. Please click here to learn more about Thrively. A counselor-led classroom lesson through science classes will follow on November 12th and 13th. In January, Counselors will also meet with our 8th grade wolves to revisit Thrively for more career exploration activities and to discuss high school and beyond.

Later in November, we will be hosting a number of career speakers who will share their industry experience and the pathway they took to get there. Both 7th and 8th grade students will be invited to sign up the week of November 12 for one or more speaker sessions.

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

Dear Pacific Trails Families,

Each year students in grades 8th and 10th are screened for hearing and vision problems. On Tuesday, November 12th, Wednesday, November 13th and Monday, November 18th, 8th grade students at will participate in this screening conducted by our district nurse. This screening will occur during the school day and has been pre arranged with teachers to limit the time away from the classroom. If you do not want your student to participate in this screening please complete and return this form to the health office or email district nurse Patricia Piacenti Allen, RN at patricia.piacentiallen@sduhsd.net .

Estimadas Famílias de Pacific Trails,

Anualmente, los estudiantes en el grado 8º y 10º son evaluados para detectar problemas auditivos y de visión. Martes, 12 de Noviembre, Miércoles, 13 de Noviembre y Lunes, 18 de Noviembre los estudiantes del grado 8º participarán en estas evaluaciones conducidas por las enfermeras escolares. La evaluación se llevará a cabo durante el día escolar, se ha informado a los maestros previamente, así limitando el tiempo que los estudiantes pasen fuera del salón de clases. Si usted desea que su estudiante no participe en esta evaluación por favor complete y regrese el formulario adjunto a la oficina de enfermería de la escuela antes de enviar un correo electrónico a la enferma de la escuela Patricia Piacenti Allen, RN patricia.piacentiallen@sduhsd.net .

Please click here for complete SDUHSD Grading Information which includes a Parent Tutorial on accessing grades in Aeries.

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

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

Mark your calendars for our exciting events this month!

**Get Involved!**

There are many ways for you to be a part of our PTSA this year. Whether you have a little time or a lot, any contribution is valued and appreciated. Our association is committed to enriching the educational experience for our children, and we encourage you to reach out if you’re interested in volunteering. Let’s make great things happen together!

**Become a PTSA Member**
Joining the PTSA is a fantastic way to stay connected and influential in our school. Membership not only gives you a voice and enables you to vote during our upcoming general meetings (dates can be found below), but it also comes with some great perks! [Click here for membership details].

Thank you for your continued support and dedication to our school community. Together, we can achieve wonderful things for PTMS. If you have any questions or would like to get involved, please feel free to reach out - president@pacifictrailsmsptsa.org

**Important Dates:**

- General PTSA Meeting: January 31th and March 28th

- Winter Howl and Arts Night: December 10th

- General PTSA Meeting: January 31th and March 28th

Looking forward to an incredible season ahead! Let’s make a positive impact together!

~ PTSA Website

It's that time again! ASB is hosting the annual Fall Food Drive for 92130 Cares. They are an awesome group that runs free farmers markets for the income-restricted housing communities in our zip code. There are students on our campus that benefit from their work.

The drive will be November 4-22 and ASB will be collecting donations during 4th period on Wednesdays and Fridays during that window.

If you are interested in donating, please be sure there are no glass containers and items are all air-tight, non-perishable items please.

Thank you for all you can do.

ASB presents the Weekly Wolfpack Howl Student Announcements.

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.

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

Order your PE clothes here.

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

The yearbook staff wants to provide an opportunity for parents to submit photos that you've taken of your student or the PTMS team throughout the season. If you are interested in submitting photos, please attach them through this google form. Any photos you are willing to share are much appreciated, and the yearbook students will do their best to potentially include them in the 2024-2025 yearbook!

Science Bowl (https://science.osti.gov/wdts/nsb) is a buzzer-based national competition where teams of students from different schools compete in head-to-head science competitions with questions in math, biology, the physical sciences, Earth/Space, Energy, and general science. Students will compete in a regional competition in late February, and will compete in the national round if they win.

PTMS Science Bowl Club that is sponsored by Mrs. Griffen and will be coached by CCA students. Weekly meeting will be held on Tuesdays 3:45-4:45pm in the PTMS Multi-Purpose Room (MPR) Starting September 24th, 2024. Please register using this link: https://forms.gle/GSpar7iUqkxcEmXU9

Posted on the Activities Page of our website, you can see all the various Clubs now being offered to all students who would like to join (and it continues to grow!) If your student would like to join one of the listed clubs, all they need to do is talk to the Advisor named with the club.

~ 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.

Each student is entitled to ONE BREAKFAST and ONE LUNCH per day. You can either receive Breakfast before School OR during Nutritional Break.

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.

If you need to check our menu in advance, please click here.

SDUHSD invites you to get involved in the Ethnic Studies Engagement Plan 2024-25. 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.

Community Engagement Meeting Dates:

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.

SDUHSD middle school students enrolled in an Essentials Level math class may participate in an SDUHSD Math Bridge opportunity to determine course enrollment in math for the following school year. There are two ways for students to participate in a math bridge opportunity to move from Essentials to grade-level math: 1) enrollment in an in-person summer school course or 2) participation in the Concurrent School Year Bridge Opportunity. For more information on the Summer School Math Bridge Opportunity, please click here. Students interested in participating in the Concurrent School Year Bridge Opportunity can learn more, and register, by accessing the attached information. If you have questions about this opportunity, please contact your child's school site team.

SDUHSD will be holding an onsite hiring event on Wednesday, November 6, 2024 from 8:30 am - 12:00 pm. We are seeking Instructional Assistants for Special Education and Nutrition Assistants. Application assistance will be available and qualified candidates will be able to interview with a hiring manager. Successful candidates will receive a job offer on the spot!

The hiring event will be held at SDHUSD's District Office, located at 710 Encinitas Blvd, Encinitas, CA. For more information, click here.

Taste of the Village

High school students from CCA and across the US are hosting free online coding camps for middle school students. They offer Introductory Python, Intermediate Python, a Java Bootcamp, and Introductory Web Development with more programs planned. Their past programs have achieved 1500+ enrollments throughout the country with hundreds of positive reviews. These programs meet twice or thrice a week 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.”

Holiday Fundraiser

CCA is thrilled to share an exciting opportunity for middle schoolers to explore their passion for dance during their very first CCA Dance Conservatory Workshop/Clinic over Thanksgiving break on November 25-26!

This workshop is designed specifically for young dancers and offers a fantastic chance to enhance their skills, meet fellow dancers, and immerse themselves in a creative environment.

Workshop Details:

For Younger Kids (ages 7-12):

• Time: 9 AM - 12 PM
• Dates: November 25-26
• Activities Include:
  • Two dynamic dance classes
  • Snack break
  • Campus tour
  • Mini performance

For Dancers 13 and Older:

• Time: 1 PM - 2:30 PM
• Dates: November 25-26
• Activities Include:
• Exciting masterclasses with professional instructors Odessa Mae Uno and Miguel Galvan
• Q&A session with current conservatory students

This workshop promises to be a fun and enriching experience while supporting the CCA Envision Dance program, helping to nurture the next generation of dancers.

They would love for middle schoolers to participate! Here’s the link to register.

If you have any questions or need more information, please feel free to reach out at ccaenvisiondance111@gmail.com. We can’t wait to welcome your dancers!

EVA Conservatory

CCA's EVA Conservatory would like to invite the students of PTMS/CVMS to participate in an afterschool Art Camp. We are offering FREE camps of Gelli Printmaking (November 12,13,14) and Soft Sculpture Creatures (November 19,20,21) from 3:50-5:30. Each camp is 3 consecutive days long to complete the designated project and will be held in M206/M207 at CCA. EVA Conservatory students will be paired up as Art Mentors with the middle school students and this collaboration is overseen by art teachers Jessi Mortensen, Holly Vermilea, Cecily Wheeler, and Mary Hynes. Students can sign up for one or both camps and participation is limited to 40 students each week. We are looking forward to sharing some of the art and atmosphere the CCA Art Dept has to offer! Please reach out if you have any questions.

INTEGIRLS

We are the San Diego chapter of inteGIRLS, an award-winning global nonprofit founded to empower girls in STEM through inclusive and fun math contests. On December 8th, 2024, we’ll be hosting our annual winter math competition (location TBD). We are providing free lunch for all attendees. It is free to sign up (though a $10 donation is recommended), and the deadline is December 3rd for registrations. The link to sign up is bit.ly/integirlsspring2024.

Registration is free and open to all female and non-binary students who are comfortable being grouped with women. Students may compete in teams of up to 4, in either the Middle School or High School division. Those without a full team can sign up individually and will be given the option to be grouped with other competitors.

The contest will consist of collaborative and individual rounds (Team, Relay, Individual). It is designed to be accessible to beginners and engaging for more practiced competitors, so we encourage individuals of all experience levels to compete. We will also be inviting Po Shen Loh, famous mathematician and the coach of the USA International Math Olympiad team, to speak with us. Competitors will all receive free merchandise, raffle tickets, and the chance to win exclusive gift prizes!

Registration and further details on contest format are available on our website: sandiego.integirls.org/events/contests.

CAMPUS TOURS

~ 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 Webstore

- 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