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

November 19-22 - Career Speakers in the MPR

November 22 - PJ Dress-Up Day

Week of November 25-29 - Fall Break

Wolfpack families,

Happy Friday! While we had a shortened week on campus, it was still busy. Our 7th grade students had an opportunity to think about what their future may hold in a few different ways. First, our counselors, Ms. Anderson and Ms. Curry, visited classrooms to follow up on the Thrively Inventory that our students took. This helps them think about their strengths and interests, and what types of careers may match with them. Our 8th grade students will have a similar opportunity in January.

Additionally, we began our "Career Speaker Series" that will carry into next week as well. Students can sign up to listen to the speaker each day at lunch, and this year we have speakers from the following professions: Emergency room doctor, toxicologist, physical therapist, neuro-radiologist, a scientist in the business world, and a financial advisor. Students can sign up through the link in the Weekly Wolfpack Howl.

The Boys & Girls Club winter sports tryouts begin next week, specifically for boys basketball and girls field hockey. They are also offering running club and pickleball club, both of which are "no cut" sports. This is another great way to have your students get further connected to their middle school experience. Please visit the Boys & Girls Club website for more information.

PTSA provided coffee to our staff on Wednesday which was a wonderful treat and a nice "pick me up". Thank you to our parents who helped serve the drinks to our staff including Claire, Petia, Ely Jose, Wendy, and Jenny. Your kindness and care of our staff is so greatly appreciated!

Finally, I must remind parents who are driving their children to school that the parking lot is not an area for student drop-off. Additionally, please do not drop your child off in the 2nd or 3rd lanes, even if traffic is not moving. This is occurring more frequently and I would kindly ask that drop off only occur in the lane closest to the school. We had a few close calls and putting students in unsafe positions is something we should never do.

Have a relaxing weekend and we look forward to seeing all of the students on Monday.

In gratitude,

Scott Wild Ed.D.

Principal

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.

Students who get a thirst during the school day often have their own water bottle and are able to quench their thirst right away. They can even refill those water bottles at our water bottle refilling station in the quad by the C building. Students who do not have a water bottle have access to water at our site drinking fountains.

Unfortunately, students have begun to swarm into the Health Office just to get a drink of water. This results in the depletion of that source of water and cups in the Health Office that are reserved for students who are ill or are suffering from a health malady requiring water. There are plenty of ways around campus to quench a student's thirst.

Beginning next week, students wanting a drink of water who are not having a health issue that requires the services of the Health Tech will be turned away from the Health Office and reminded of the filling station and water fountains found around campus.

Thank you for your support.

Our counseling team conducted a Strengths and Interests follow up lesson to our 7th grade wolves on Tuesday and Wednesday through science classes. Students used their Strengths Assessment results which helped them discover their unique strengths and connect them to possible careers. Each student received their personalized strengths summary and were encouraged to share it with their parents/guardians. Students were engaged, thoughtful, and articulate in their responses shared in the Gallery Walk, tying strengths to school success and future goals (see picture below).

Students can revisit their Thrively account at any time for further exploration through their student start page (my.sduhsd.net) and logging into Clever with their school Google Account. They can revisit recommended careers based on their strengths by clicking on “Pathways”. We will continue our career exploration journey with our 8th grade wolves in January!

This week, we kicked off our Career Speaker Series with visits from an ER Doctor and a Toxicologist. Next week, we will hear from Scientists, a Physical Therapist, a Neuro-Radiologist and speakers from the world of business. We are grateful for our parent community who have volunteered to give up their time to present to students about their jobs and how they got there. All students have been given the opportunity to sign up for any talk that interests them.

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

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 Staff, thank you a LATTE for all you do! We all truly appreciate YOU!

PTSA treated our amazing staff to fresh morning beverages on Wednesday, November 13th. Our dedicated parent volunteers delivered over 100 beverages all over the school campus.

What a fun Staff Appreciation event!

Petia Balden
PTSA Staff Appreciation Chair

~ PTSA Website

Dear PTMS Community,

On Wednesday, we had a special treat for our dedicated staff—a coffee truck delivered delicious drinks to all our teachers and staff members. This event was a way to show our appreciation for their hard work and commitment to our students. A big thank you to all the volunteers who helped deliver coffee to the classrooms and around the campus! Your support made this a memorable experience for everyone involved.

As we approach the holiday season, just one more week remains before our Fall Break. Looking ahead, please mark your calendars for our much-anticipated Holiday Howl on December 10th, starting at 5:00 p.m. This is a free event open to the entire community and promises to be a spectacular evening filled with fun and festivities. Join us for a delightful evening featuring:

- Delicious food trucks
- Live performances from our talented band and orchestra
- A showcase of student artwork
- Free popcorn and hot chocolate
- Fun arts and crafts activities
- A raffle with exciting prizes

It’s a wonderful opportunity to come together, enjoy each other's company, and kick off the holiday season in style! Let’s make this event a night to remember and celebrate the joy of community.

Thank you all for your continued support of PTMS, and we look forward to seeing everyone at the Holiday Howl!

The PTSA Team

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.

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.

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.

Campus tours meet at 3:45 p.m. near the flagpole outside the CCA Administration Building. School staff and students will lead the tours and give you an insider's view about being a Raven. Parents and prospective students are welcome.

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.”

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