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 14-15 - Career Speakers in the MPR

Happy Friday Wolfpack families,

With the time change, I have noticed a fatigue in students this week. I imagine that the three day weekend will allow them (and us) to get a bit more rest so we are refreshed for next week. On campus, this week, our ASB has led the campus in our annual food drive. Each homeroom has selected a food item, and our hope is to gather as much as we can to donate it to the local food pantry. We are having a friendly homeroom competition, so check with your student to see what food item their homeroom is collecting.

Around campus, our eighth grade English students continue their reading of either "The Book Thief" or "Diary of Anne Frank", while in seventh grade science, students continue to learn about earthquakes, volcanoes, and the motion of the earth.

Finally, as we enter the three day weekend, I want to take a moment to acknowledge and honor Veterans Day. For those of you that have served in the military, or have family in the military, I want to take a moment to honor you and thank you. A great deal of sacrifice comes with this service both from those who serve and their families, and it's important that we recognize that . My stepfather (Army corps of engineers) and grandfather (Navy pilot) both served in the armed forces, and so I will take some time to reflect and honor them in my own way.

I hope that both you and your student have a relaxing weekend, and we look forward to welcoming them on Tuesday, which will be block periods 1, 3, and 5 classes.

In gratitude,

Scott Wild, Ed.D.

STAR Testing

This year all students will participate in the Renaissance Star Reading and Star Math academic universal screening tests to measure student’s learning and growth over the school year. The Star tests help our schools and teachers evaluate student performance and progress over time in order to provide the necessary student support.

Star Reading and Star Math are both short (30 minute), low stakes, computer adaptive, academic assessments. Star assessments help teachers better understand what students know and can do in the areas of reading and math. As a student takes the test, the software selects items based on the student’s responses. If the student answers correctly, the next item will be more difficult. If the student answers incorrectly, the next item will be less difficult. By adjusting the difficulty of the items based on a student's responses, the assessment is an accurate way to help teachers identify what skills students are ready to learn. Teachers use this information to guide their instruction.

Scores will be posted by the district in Aeries once they are available.

Winter STAR Testing Dates

• STAR Math: Thursday, November 21st or Friday, November 22nd in Math classes

• STAR Reading: Monday, December 2nd, Tuesday, December 3rd, or Wednesday, December 4th in English classes (check with English teacher for which day)

If you have any questions please email Administrative Assistant, Lisa Graciano, at lisa.graciano@sduhsd.net, or Assistant Principal Dr. Stephanie Hake, at stephanie.hake@sduhsd.net.

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!

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 continues for our 7th graders! Our counseling team will be conducting a Thrively follow-up lesson through 7th grade science classes on November 12 and 13. This lesson will focus on self-identity and how students' unique strengths from the Strengths Assessment can benefit and connect with their future goals.

We will be hosting a number of career speakers starting on November 14. 7th grade students will sign up at the conclusion of the counseling lesson in science and 8th grade students can sign up from the survey in the Weekly Wolfpack Howl.

This is often the time of year when some students are applying to private schools for the next school year. If your child is applying to a private school, please know that San Dieguito Union High School District school staff do not write letters of recommendation or fill out any type of rating scales for local private schools. All of our local schools are aware of this policy and it will not inhibit admission in any way. All requests for academic records should be sent to Darrian Geiger, our counseling secretary, using this form.

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.

Dear PTMS Community,

We are excited to share some highlights from the past week and upcoming events related to our wonderful community at Pacific Trails Middle School.

Last week marked our annual Red Ribbon Week, and it was a fantastic success! Our students participated in daily activities designed to promote healthy choices and a drug-free lifestyle. The week culminated in a lively DJ party during lunch on Friday with DJ Eric, as the excitement was palpable, and it was a fantastic way to celebrate our collective efforts during our annual fundraiser. Thank you to everyone who contributed!

In addition, we would like to give a huge shout out to the 67 Trailblazers we recognized this month! These students were nominated for their exemplary behavior—being helpful, thoughtful, and hardworking—and we celebrated them with some special treats. It's heartwarming to see such positive contributions from our students!

Looking ahead, we have another wonderful event planned for our dedicated staff and teachers. On Tuesday, November 13th, we will have a coffee truck at PTMS, offering delicious drinks as a small token of our appreciation for their fantastic work. Our educators deserve all the recognition we can give for their unwavering commitment to our students’ success, and we are so grateful for their efforts.

The CCA Foundation asked us to share this great project with you:
50 Trees for 50 Special Children with Cancer ! in collaboration with Friends of Scott Foundation that focuses on making Children with Cancer feel special. They work very closely with Rady's Children's Hospital. You can order a Friends of Scott Foundation Tree $70 - $ 85 each (there is no limit to the amount you can order)

Thank you for being an integral part of our school community. Together, we can continue to create a nurturing and inspiring environment for our students, teachers, and families.

The PTSA Team

~ 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.

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 go to ASB scholarships to help students in need purchase 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.

Our Physical Education team would like to keep you updated on our Monday lessons. Below is an overview of the topics we're covering with students. We hope this information is helpful.

8th Grade

We began the year with a lesson titled "Be A Coffee Bean," which encourages students to stay optimistic and positively impact those around them, especially in challenging situations.

Recently, we completed our Sleep Unit, where students explored the benefits of healthy sleep habits and the consequences of poor sleep. If the topic of sleep comes up, sharing your own sleep routines or tips can give students a real-life perspective—they’re always interested in learning what works for others!

Today, we’re focusing on active listening. Students will be introduced to seven key listening tips, which they’ll practice throughout the year.

7th Grade

Here’s a summary of our SEL (Social and Emotional Learning) topics for 7th grade so far:

• Learning Styles – Students explored the three main learning styles and completed a quiz to identify their own.
• Zones of Regulation – We introduced students to the Zones of Regulation framework to help them understand and categorize emotions. This was paired with a viewing of Inside Out 2 to deepen their understanding.
• Halloween Hygiene – In our health unit, we discussed the importance of good oral hygiene, identified what plaque is, how cavities form, and the benefits of regular brushing and flossing.

We hope this gives you a good sense of what we’re working on with students, and we’ll continue to keep you in the loop. Thank you for your support!

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 .

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.

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.

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!

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