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
  
• Annual Residency Verification
• High School Selection

V. From the PTSA

VI. ASB and Student Announcements

VII. Department News

• Learning Commons
• PE
• Science
• Yearbook
  

VIII. Clubs (periodic information on extracurricular school activities)

IX. Nutrition Services

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

XI. Ethic Studies Engagement Plan - 2024-25

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

XIII. San Dieguito Union High School District Job Opportunities

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.)

January 13 - March 17 - Annual Residency Verification Window for CURRENT 7th-11th grade SDUHSD Students.

March 17 - Wear Green Day

March 21 - Trailblazer Awards during lunch

March 28 - PTSA General Meeting/Coffee with the Principal - 8:45 a.m.

Wolfpack families,

Happy official Pi Day! First, a HUGE shout out to our math team who facilitated an awesome Pi Day experience for our students. We had a great turnout of parent support, and Mr. Torkelson took quite a few pies to the face, all in the name of learning. One of our students was able to recite 250 digits of Pi, which is an unbelievable feat! Additionally, our ASB facilitated a really fun spirit week with various dress up days that put smiles on our faces despite the rain. Speaking of rain, we had to open the gym for lunch throughout the week. I was really pleased with the collective behavior of both our 7th graders and 8th graders. They did a good job being respectful, picking up their trash, and acting in a positive manner.

The rain did impact our Boys & Girls Club tryouts, and so for many sports that will extend into next week. I want to encourage as many students as possible to participate as it's another great way to get connected to middle school.

This week, I spent a lot of time checking in with our 8th graders and asking them if they feel ready to make the leap to high school. Many have said that they do, which is a testament to the work they are putting in at middle school, developing habits, paying attention in class to learn the material, and taking more responsibility. With only nine more Mondays, we will keep cheering our students on to refine these skills before the end of the year.

For those who celebrate, I wish you a happy and colorful Holi! Have a wonderful weekend and we look forward to seeing your student on Monday.

In gratitude,

Scott Wild, Ed.D.

This year, students will be participating in the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP). All students will take the Smarter Balanced Summative Assessments for English Language Arts/literacy and Mathematics. In addition, eighth grade students will take the California Science Test (CAST). Additional information can be found by clicking on the link HERE.

PTMS Testing Schedule:

• California Science Test (CAST) in 8th Grade Science classes (March 17-21)

• Smarter Balanced Summative Assessments for ELA in English classes (April 7-11)

• Smarter Balanced Summative Assessments for Math in Math classes (April 14-18)

Students will NOT be able to use wireless headphones. Students should bring their own WIRED headphones or earbuds if they have them. As always, students should bring their charged Chromebook and charger.

If you have questions please email Lisa Graciano (lisa.graciano@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!

PTMS Wellness Week On Wednesday, over 200 of our wolves chose to visit the Therapy Dogs in our Wellness Center. We are always grateful for the regular “Love on a Leash” visits and we know that many students really look forward to this. ASB spent the week selling “kindness grams” and it was lovely to see the smiles on students' faces when they received one from a friend.

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

Annual Residency Verification is for CURRENT 7th thru 11th grade SDUHSD students ONLY - not for new incoming students. Click here for information and instructions on how to submit. It is encouraged that parents upload this information via the Aeries Parent Portal. If you are UNABLE to upload through Aeries, we will accept hard copies in the office.

If you have more than one 7th thru 11th grader in the district, you only need to submit ONE form with each of their names on that form to ONE school.

• Annual Residency Verification

• Aeries Parent Portal Uploading Tutorial - This tutorial is designed to walk parents through the process of uploading residency documentation using their parent portal.

If you have a current student AND an incoming student who will be in 7th grade next year - you must submit a separate Residency Verification for the incoming student with the other online enrollment forms you complete for the incoming student.

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.

On March 10th, PTMS held an early celebration of the international math Pi Day. A huge Thank You to our fearless math teacher Mr. Torkelson who got “pied” over 110 times! Another interesting fact is that our students collectively consumed about 138 lbs of delicious apple pie.

~ PTSA Website

Shout Outs (marquee tiles) can now be purchased for 1-, 2-, 3-, 4-, or 5-day runs. At $5 per day, you choose the start and stop dates along with your personalized message.

Click here to order your Shout Out and remember that proceeds for the purchase of Shout Outs help ASB pay scholarships for various student needs.

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.

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!

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.

To view our menu, please click here.

PIQE (Parent Institute for Quality Education) is hosting a series of workshops to empower families with supporting their student's educational journey. Workshops cover topics such as college preparation, tools and resources, working with school staff and more. The workshops are Tuesdays from 6:00-7:30 pm at Carmel Valley Middle School (3800 Mykonos Lane).

For more information, contact Jesus Ortiz, Associate Director, at facilitatosd2@piqe.org or 760-994-6017

UC San Diego's FREE annual Comienza con un Sueño 2025 conference brings together 6th-11th grade students, families & educators for a day of culture, community and knowledge. Offering bilingual workshops on college systems, admissions & financial aid, bringing together college & community resources & providing a one of a kind STEM fair!

To register, 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.

Dear Middle School Math Students and Parents/Guardians,

The Torrey Pines High School Math Club is excited to announce the 8th annual Falcon Math Contest. This free event will be held in-person at Torrey Pines High School in the early evening on Thursday, March 27.

All 7th and 8th grade students who are interested in mathematics, math competitions, and/or problem solving are invited to attend. Students will participate in the FMC competition in teams of two. It is a fun event!

For additional details and to sign up please see www.tpmath.net/fmc.

FMC: Falcon Math Contest
Thursday, March 27, 4:30 - 6:30 P.M.
Torrey Pines High School, Room 43

Free Event!

Room 43 is in the main academic building at the top of the stairs facing Del Mar Heights Road.

Please RSVP with the registration form by Tuesday, March 18.
www.tpmath.net/fmc

Thank you!

Python Programming

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.

~ 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.

- "Shout Out" Marquee Tile - 5-day stretch for $25 - Say something special about your child!

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