Twin Peaks Middle School

Happy Sunday Ram Families!

Welcome Back! We had an awesome first week of school as students and teachers returned back to campus and their classrooms. Students learned about their new subjects, teachers reviewed expectations and protocols, and most importantly - we spent itme this week building community with our students and staff. Whether I visited an ELA, Social Studies, math, science or Homeroom class, I saw our Rams excited to be back with their friends and getting to learn from some amazing adults who truly have a passion for teaching.

As we begin our first full week back at school, I want to ask for your help when dropping off and picking up your students at school. As you can see, our parking lot and Tierra Bonita Road are incredibly impacted at both drop-off and pick-up times; please consider other alternatives near TPMS as drop-off and pick-up points when possible (Twin Peaks Road, Trinity San Diego, St. Gabriels, North County Soccer Park). Also, consider picking your student up at 3:20pm rather than at 3:05pm... traffic is heaviest ten minutes before and ten minutes after school starts and ends.

When dropping off or picking your students up from school, please DO NOT use the lane closest to the school - this lane is reserved for our buses both before and after school. We also ask that you not use the Tierra Bonita Elementary parking lot for parking or picking up and dropping off your student. Please reduce your speed and use caution during drop off and pick up times as we have many students who walk, ride bikes and skateboard to school and will be sharing the community roads and sidewalks with you.

Students - please make sure you are RIDING SAFELY to and from school. Riders must wear a helmet, observe all traffic rules and regulations when riding on roads, be aware of pedestrians and their right to the sidewalk, and only ride as a single rider. Don't forget to walk your bikes once you enter the TPMS parking lot!

iReady diagnostic testing will begin in all Math classes this next week and will be followed by the reading diagnostic in their ELA class next week. Please make sure your student is charging their Chromebook each night and bringing their charger with them to school so that they are prepared for these online assessments. Students will have additional time in their Homeroom class to complete their diagnostic if needed as this is an untimed exam. Results of the fall diagnostic will be compared to students' winter diagnostic scores so that we can get a measure of what growth your student has had in both math and reading.

Back to School Night will be on Wednesday, September 4th from 5:30-7:30pm - I hope you can join us! We will meet in the main quad to hear from our PTSA and Foundation, followed by classroom visits by odd/even periods. Your students will be completing a schedule for you to follow for the evening that will include class and teacher names, in addition to the room numbers of their classes. Back to School Night is parent-only event; please do not have your student attend this event.

Elective change request forms are available at Mrs. Kirti's desk in the counseling office before school, during break or lunch, or after school. Forms must be signed by a parent/guardian and returned to Mrs. Kirti by Wednesday, Aug. 30th at 3:30pm.

If you have a concern or question about your student's schedule, you can reach out and email your student's counselor below; please understand that they are inundated with requests at the beginning of the school year and may need more than 24 hours to get back to you:

• Mrs. Melissa Baskin - students with last names that begin with A-G CLICK HERE for email.
• Mrs. Nicole Roman - students with last names that begin with H-O CLICK HERE for email.
• Mrs. Jami Jennings - students with last names that begin with P-Z CLICK HERE for email.

Finally this week, our TPMS Foundation will be holding their first meeting of the school year this Tuesday, August 27th at 6pm in the TPMS Library. All parents are welcome to attend and be a part of this wonderful organization of parents (and TPMS alumni!) who provide additional resources, programs, and equipment that support our students and campus. You can find out more information about our Foundation by visiting their webpage LINKED HERE!

With gratitude,

Steve Mills

Proud Principal

Twin Peaks Middle School

stmills@powayusd.com

1(858)748-5131 x2806

Instagram: @principalmills_twinpeaks

TPMS NEWS AND EVENTS

August 27th: TPMS Foundation Meeting, 6:00pm (TPMS Library)

September 2nd: Labor Day Holiday, No School

September 3rd: Make-Up Picture Day

September 4th: Back to School Night, 5:30-7:30pm

September 6th: 6th Grade Carnival, 3:30pm, TPMS Quad

September 10th: TPMS Choir, 7:15-8:15am, Little Theater

September 30th: Teacher Professional Learning, Non-Student Day

Cross country season is right around the corner! The parent meeting is this Monday August 26th at 6 PM in the lunch area! All late sports packets for cross country runners are due by next Friday, August 30th! You must have a completed packet turned in before you start running. Packets are available in the front office! Please reach out with any questions!

Parent Meeting- Monday August 26th 6PM

Cross Country practice starts- Tuesday August 27th 3:15

Last day to turn in late Cross Country packet- Friday August 30th

Hey Ram Families! Looking for some TPMS gear to get you ready to celebrate Ram Pride Fridays? The TPMS Spirit Store is open NOW online at https://bit.ly/ramspirit but hurry! The online store will close for production on August 30th so place your order today!! All spirit items will be delivered to students at TPMS by the end of September. Go Rams!

Flag Football season here at Twin Peaks is fast approaching! Students who are interested in flag football need to have their sports packet turned in by Friday, September 6th! Sports packets are available in the front office and can be turned in there as well.

Sports info is available on the TPMS website!

Twin Peaks choir is a before school program. We rehearse every Tuesday and Thursday before school in the Little Theater from 7:15-8:15. Fall choir will start Tues Sept 10th and will conclude December 10th. We will have 3 performances - one community performance at a retirement home, one concert at TPMS and one concert combined with Poway High School. The Poway High school concert will be Tues Dec 10th with rehearsal on Mon Dec 9th. The other dates are not set yet. We will solidify dates after school starts.

Here is the link to register: https://forms.gle/4GDB6WJJ4yHFYM7k8

Any questions please reach out to Denise Gonda: ddgonda@yahoo.com

Calling all 6th graders!! Make sure to block out Friday, September 6th from 3:30-5pm to come and hang with your WEB leaders and fellow classmates at the 6th Grade WEB Welcome Carnival! Tickets will be going on sale from Thursday, 8/29, through Thursday, September 5th for $5 each during 1st lunch - this includes your admission and food for the carnival! Tickets will also be available at Back To School Night. Signed permission slip is necessary to purchase a ticket. It's going to be a great time Rams - make sure you buy your ticket early and don't forget to bring a friend!

Back to School Night will be held on Wednesday, September 4th from 5:30-7:30pm on the TPMS Campus. This will be an opportunity for parents to visit campus, meet their students' teachers, and visit classrooms. Please plan on joining us starting at 5:30pm in the main quad for a Welcome from Principal Mills and information on how to get involved with TPMS through our PTSA and Foundation. This will be a fun and informative evening for the whole Twin Peaks community - we hope you can join us!

Hey TPMS students & parents! Check out the new Student Activities Canvas Page to stay up to date on all that is happening at Twin Peaks MS! All students and parents should already be enrolled - if you are not, please email or ASB Advisor, Mrs. Crow at kokeller@powayusd.com.

Parents, teachers, students, alumni, and anyone interested in outdoor education are invited to spend a special day at our beautiful outdoor school located in Cuyamaca Rancho State Park on Saturday, September 7th, 2024 from 10am to 2pm.

• Learn more about the original 5th/6th Grade Camp
• Meet the outdoor school staff
• Tour the campus
• Participate in hands-on science lessons in our labs
• Meet the outdoor school nurse
• Purchase hot dogs, beverages, and snacks or bring a lunch and eat with your family in our shady picnic area
• Meet one of our live raptors
• Create crafts
• Sing campfire songs
• Take a short hike

Directions to Cuyamaca Outdoor School

Take Interstate 8 East (past Alpine) to the Japatul exit, Highway 79

Turn left at stop sign at the bottom of exit

Drive 3 miles and turn left at the sign marked Julian, Cuyamaca State Park and Highway 79

Drive 6 miles and turn right at School Camp sign

Parking is tight - carpool if possible!

Check us out on the web: www.sdcoe.net/cos and sixthgradecamp.org

All children in PUSD are eligible to receive free breakfast and lunch meals regardless of income for the 2024-2025 school year. Please see the PUSD Food and Nutrition Website for more information. Breakfast is served 30 minutes before school starts daily, if your student can not make it before school, they can receive a free breakfast at morning break! Click here to view the school menus.

Parents/Guardians are still encouraged to complete a meal application online to receive other benefits such free or reduced-price after-school care, discounts on SAT and AP testing fees, reduced internet and utility bills, and food-buying assistance during summer breaks. Meal applications also help ensure that our school receives its fair share of state funding. The website to apply is www.myschoolapps.com. Paper meal applications (for parents that can’t complete one online) are available in the TPMS front office.

*PUSD Food and Nutrition Department is cashless. Parents/Guardians can add money to their students account at MySchoolBucks.com or bring a check to any window to enter in their account for any a la carte items their students would like to purchase.

The Twin Peaks Middle School Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA) is a membership-based, volunteer organization dedicated to making each school year a rewarding and enriching experience for all students. As a volunteer organization, PTSA is integral to the success of many campus events. We fund, organize and provide volunteers for a variety of PTSA programs and important school activities which serve to enhance your student’s middle school experience. We realize that volunteering may not be in the cards for everyone, but your membership and donation will ensure our programs continue to stay funded.

If you would like to contact PTSA please email: ptsaprestpms@gmail.com. Thanks so much!

All Executive Board meetings will be held on the 3rd Thursday of each month at 6:15pm in the TPMS Library unless listed otherwise. Association Meetings will be held in September, February, and April. Board meetings are open to PTSA Board Members and Committee Chairs while Association Meetings are open for all members of the Twin Peaks Middle School PTSA:

September 19th (Association Meeting @6:15pm; Board Meeting to follow)

October 17th

November 21st

December 19th

January 16th

February 13th (Association Meeting @6:15pm; Board Meeting to follow)

March 20th

April 24th (Association Meeting @6:15pm; Board Meeting to follow)

May 15th

June TBD

To join the PTSA for the 2024-25 school year, please CLICK HERE!

Our 2024-2025 Executive Board:

President - Melissa Atkinson

Executive VP - Sonnie Humphreys

1st VP of Ways and Means - Rachel Czarzasty

2nd VP of Membership - Shelly Mead

3rd VP of Volunteers - Alicia Tamayo

Secretary - Mikki Trusheim

Treasurer - Steph Cole

Historian - Alicia Gormican

Financial Reviewer - Phil Trom

Twin Peaks Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing educational excellence for ALL students at Twin Peaks Middle School. Their purpose is to bridge the widening gap between the amount of money actually provided by the State of California and the Poway Unified School District and the amount necessary to fund technology upgrades, educational programs and resources necessary to support the school.

The Foundation typically meets on the 3rd Tuesday of each month at 6pm in the TPMS Library. Here are their monthly meetings dates for the 2024-25 school year:

August 27th
September 10th
October 8th
December 10th

February 11th
March 11th
May 13th

Please visit the TPMS Foundation Web Page by CLICKING HERE!

You can always shop Amazon and earn money for Twin Peaks! Just click on the Amazon link below, then start spending!

Nondiscrimination Philosophy and Policy Statement

The Poway Unified School District (PUSD) is an equal opportunity employer/program and is committed to an active Nondiscrimination Program. PUSD prohibits discrimination, harassment, intimidation, and bullying based on actual or perceived race, color, ancestry, national origin, nationality, immigration status, ethnicity, ethnic group identification, age, religion, marital or parental status, physical or mental disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or gender expression or association with a person or a group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics. For more information, please contact: Title IX/Equity Compliance Officer, James Jimenez, Associate Superintendent of Personnel support Services, Poway Unified School District, 15250 Avenue of Science, San Diego, CA 92128, 1-858-521-2800, extension 2121, jjimenez@powayusd.com. For students, you may contact Title IX Coordinator/504 Coordinator Jamie Dayhoff, Director of Attendance and Discipline, Poway Unified School District, 1-858-521-2840, jdayhoff@powayusd.com.

Website: http://tpms.powayusd.com/index.html
Phone: 858.748.5131
Twitter: @TwinPeaksRams