Welcome to Pershing Middle School and our first Panther Pulse Community Newsletter of the 2024-25 school year! We have many great things planned for the upcoming year and we want to make sure families are able to stay informed about what is happening on our campus. This newsletter is a great way to stay informed.

If you haven't done so already, I strongly encourage you to take a few moments to read the Welcome Letter I emailed out to families on July 12. It contains important information about procedures for the first day of school procedures, when and how students will receive their official class schedules, recommended school supplies, our before and after school child care program, and much more. If you have any trouble accessing the letter via the link, there is also a pdf version of the letter at the end of this message for your convenience.

I hope you enjoy your final two weeks of the summer break. I am looking forward to meeting you and welcoming students back to campus on August 12!

Sincerely,

Melanie Kray

MAIN OFFICE RE-OPENING JULY 29

Our office staff returns from summer break this week. Beginning Monday, July 29th, the office will be open 7:30 AM - 3:30 PM.

6TH GRADE AND NEW STUDENT ORIENTATION ON AUGUST 8

On Thursday, August 8 from 9:00-10:30 AM, Pershing will be hosting an orientation for our rising 6th graders and any new 7th & 8th gradestudents. Due to the large size of our sixth grade class students may only bring ONE family member with them to orientation. During the orientation, students will have an opportunity to receive information on Pershing’s programs and policies, visit classrooms, purchase PE gear, and receive a chromebook from the library. Please note, if you are a sixth grader who attended fifth grade at a school in San Diego Unified please bring your old chromebook with you to the orientation so it can be swapped out for a new one. There is more detailed information in the Welcome Letter that was sent to families on July 12.

FIRST 3 DAYS OF SCHOOL ARE MINIMUM DAY SCHEDULE

A friendly reminder that Monday, August 12 - Wednesday, August 14 we will be on a minimum day schedule. Student will be released at 12:44 PM. A copy of the daily bell schedule is available on our school website.

FREE SCHOOL MEAL PROGRAM CONTINUES FOR 2024-25

All students, regardless of their family's income or school of attendance, have the option to eat school meals free of charge in the 2024-25 school year. Breakfast is also available daily in the cafeteria free of charge.

There is no denying the many benefits and conveniences that cell phones have brought to our society and we hear frequently from parents that they enjoy the convenience of communicating with their child by cell phone, especially if there is an emergency.

The research, however, is increasingly clear that for adolescents in particular, there are many negative side effects that come with cell phone and social media use . These negative side effects include: distractibility in the classroom, anxiety, negative self-image, feelings of isolation, loss of sleep and cyberbullying just to name a few. In fact, concerns about the impact of smartphones and social media on adolescents has become so great the U.S. Surgeon General has even issued an advisory about the effects of social media on youth mental health.

That is why we want Pershing to be a place where students "unplug" from their cell phones and social media and focus on reconnecting with their peers and avoid the distractions that make learning more challenging. Cell phones must be silenced and in students' backpacks during school hours. Phone may only be used before and after school.

We hope families will speak with their middle schoolers not just about the cell phone policy but also the reasoning behind it. Below are some articles about the impact of cell phones and social media on adolescents and their learning:

How Using Social Media Affects Teenagers

Negative Health Review of Cell Phones and Social Media

Are Smart Phones and Social Media Hurting our Kids?

5 Reasons to Ban Smart Phones in School

We are fortunate to have a very active parent community and an engaged foundation that works tirelessly to ensure our school has the funds it needs to allow our students to have enriching academic experiences beyond the typical program.

Next week we will be launching our 'Panther Pledge' fundraiser which is our biggest fundraiser of the year, so please look out for information on that in next week's Panther Pulse. The foundation HUGELY appreciates your support so they can support 6th grade camp scholarships, teacher stipends, field trips, campus improvements and so much more!

As a number of our board members student's promote up from Pershing this school year, we will be looking for new executive board members that we can hand the baton too! Now is a great time to learn more about these roles and give back to our amazing Panther Community!

Please consider joining and supporting the Pershing Foundation. Their first monthly meeting will take place on August 20th at 6pm in the school library / remotely, with additional meetings taking place at 6pm on the second Wednesday of each month (Microsoft Teams link will be shared in later Panther Pulse editions). All Pershing parents, guardians, teachers and staff are welcome and encouraged to join us.

Get Involved and learn more about our Foundation on our website, visit and like our Facebook Page or please email us with any questions / if you're interested in our board positions or helping out!

Email: pershingfoundation@outlook.com

Website: https://pershingmiddleschoolfoundation.org/

Facebook: https://facebook.com/pershingpanthers

Wednesday, August 20: Pershing Parent Foundation Meeting @6:00 PM
Tuesday, August 27: Fall School Pictures
Thursday, August 29: Back to School Night @6:00 PM

Follow Pershing Middle on Instagram & Threads

@Pershing_sdusd

Interested in volunteering on campus?

Contact our Community Assistant Ms. Johana Moreno at jmorenoperez@sandi.net

Email: mkray@sandi.net
Website: https://pershing.sandiegounified.org/
Location: 8204 San Carlos Drive, San Diego, CA, USA
Phone: (619) 352-3550
Twitter: @melanie_kray