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.)

Wednesday, October 23 - Therapy Dogs - Wellness Center - 11:40-1:00 p.m.

October 28-November 1 - Red Ribbon Week

• Monday Theme - Too Smart for Drugs
• Tuesday Theme - Pair Up Against Drugs
• Wednesday Theme - Show How Bright You Are
• Thursday Theme - Halloween Costume Dress Up Spirit Day (see costume guidelines below in the ASB section)/Lunchtime Costume Contest
• Friday Theme - Reddy to Live Without Drugs
• Fundraiser Celebration w/DJ Eric during both lunches

Friday, November 1 - Trailblazer Awards during lunches

Wolfpack families,

Happy Friday to you. We are about one quarter through the school year, and this provides a nice opportunity to reflect and consider conversation you can have with your student. I'd like to focus this on two areas: healthy sleep habits and trusted adults.

Recently our students completed a survey that gets their feedback about how they experience middle school, and their health habits. I encourage you to look at the image below about sleep habits.

While 71% of respondents are going to sleep between 9:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m., some are staying up far later. The time frame of 9:00-11:00 p.m. is a wide range, and I want you to consider what time your child goes to bed. When they go to bed, are they doing so with or without their various devices like computer, television or cell phones? To get a full night's rest, the CDC recommends 8-10 hours of sleep, so please consider where your student rests (pun intended) within this data. Further, have a conversation with them about healthy sleep habits. Most important is that they are not "going to bed" with devices that will impede their sleep.

The other topic of conversation I encourage you to have this weekend is helping them identify one or more trusted adults at PTMS who they can speak to if or when they need help. This is a major focus for us, and as you can see by the data below, the vast majority of students share that they have positive relationships with caring adults on our campus.

Please ask your child who their trusted adult(s) may be. It could be their homeroom teacher, a classroom teacher, counselor, administrator, campus supervisor or custodian. But as a comprehensive staff, we want to ensure that each child has at least one person they can go to if they need something.

Classrooms were busy this week. Our 7th grade science classes are completing food webs to see the relationships that exist among living things, while our 8th grade students began examining the phases of the moon. In 8th grade social studies, most students are building upon an activity they do at the start of their 7th grade year called "culture bags." During 7th grade, students share about themselves. This time, our teachers have students use the same concept in their study of the United States and the birth of the nation. Student presentations are brief, and they get to practice their public speaking skills. Elsewhere, various PE classes are starting new units in pickleball, flag football, and fitness circuit training.

Finally, I want to celebrate our performing arts students in our guitar, concert band, and orchestra classes. On Thursday and Friday's Coffee Concerts, each respective class played pieces they have learned thus far and performed them for the parents and family members in attendance. Shout out to Mr. Johnson for all he is teaching the students, and I am so grateful to those of you who took time out of your day to support your child. I know how busy life can be, and seeing so many parents was truly special.

Have a wonderful weekend, and we will see your student on Monday.

In gratitude,

Scott Wild, Ed.D.

Principal

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!

1st Quarter Progress Report Grades will be available for parents and students to view online via the Aeries Parent and Student Portals on Monday, October 21st. To view grades access your account on Aeries and select the "Grades" tab, then click "Grades". To view your student's current progress and any assignment/test scores click on "Gradebook". We encourage parents to email teachers directly if you have a concern with your student’s grade. Please contact the Counseling Office at 858 509-1000 Ext. 4606 if you need further assistance with Aeries.

This Wednesday we will once again welcome the Therapy Dogs to our Wellness Center during lunch. With everything currently going on in our world, this is a great opportunity for our students to show and receive a little love from our canine friends.

This week around 34 students enjoyed an optional craft activity in the Wellness Center during Homeroom. Our photos shows some of them busy creating bookmarks! Our craft sessions are a great way to encourage connection and community while doing something relaxing during the busy school day.

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.

Mark your calendars for our exciting events this month!

**Red Ribbon Week** is scheduled from **October 28th to November 1st**. This initiative is crucial for promoting healthy, drug-free lifestyles among our students. Each day during lunchtime, engaging activities will be offered that all students can participate in.

**Fundraiser Celebration**: On **Friday, November 1st**, we will culminate our Red Ribbon Week with a special dance featuring DJ Eric! Our students can look forward to a lunchtime full of music, games, and plenty of fun. It’s going to be an electrifying atmosphere, and we encourage all students to join in!

**Get Involved!**

There are many ways for you to be a part of our PTSA this year. Whether you have a little time or a lot, any contribution is valued and appreciated. Our association is committed to enriching the educational experience for our children, and we encourage you to reach out if you’re interested in volunteering. Let’s make great things happen together!

**Become a PTSA Member**
Joining the PTSA is a fantastic way to stay connected and influential in our school. Membership not only gives you a voice and enables you to vote during our upcoming general meetings (dates can be found below), but it also comes with some great perks! [Click here for membership details].

Thank you for your continued support and dedication to our school community. Together, we can achieve wonderful things for PTMS. If you have any questions or would like to get involved, please feel free to reach out - president@pacifictrailsmsptsa.org

**Important Dates:**

- General PTSA Meeting: January 31th and march 28th

- Red Ribbon Week: October 28 - November 1

- Fundraiser Celebration (Student Dance during lunch): November 1

- Winter Howl and Arts Night: December 10th

- General PTSA Meeting: January 31th and March 28th

Looking forward to an incredible season ahead! Let’s make a positive impact together!

~ PTSA Website

The annual PTMS Halloween Costume Contest will be held during both lunches on Thu, October, 31! Please review the following "Dos" (things you can/should do) and "Boos" (things that are not allowed) with your student.

Dos: follow PTMS dress code, can include props (holding things), be creative!

Boos: anything simulating a weapon, full face masks, full face paint, anything covering the face, anything violent or suggestive in nature, anything that suggests racial attitudes that reinforce stereotypes about, mock or mischaracterize a culture, group of persons, an individual person or a religion, fictionalized stereotypes that marginalize any one culture, or anything else that would not normally be allowed at school

If you are unsure, please speak to the administration. When in doubt, err on the side of caution.

ASB presents the Weekly Wolfpack Howl Student Announcements.

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 will help ASB with scholarships for students for getting 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!

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.

FRIENDLY REMINDER

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 . Click on the link for more information.

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.

Community Engagement Meeting Dates:

11/7 - 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm @ Earl Warren Middle School

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.

SDUHSD is seeking individuals who want to make a difference in children’s lives as a classified staff member. Current job opportunities include Nutrition Services Assistant, Instructional Assistant, Campus Supervisor, Custodian, and Student Health Care Specialists. We have both full and part time positions at campuses throughout the school district. The District offers great benefits, including paid time off and health and retirement benefits for eligible positions.

Our job opportunities can be viewed here. If you have questions, please contact us at classifiedpersonnel@sduhsd.net.

To apply to be a Bus Driver Trainee, click the link below.

Taste of the Village

Holiday Fundraiser

EVA Conservatory

CCA's EVA Conservatory would like to invite the students of PTMS/CVMS to participate in an afterschool Art Camp. We are offering FREE camps of Gelli Printmaking (November 12,13,14) and Soft Sculpture Creatures (November 19,20,21) from 3:50-5:30. Each camp is 3 consecutive days long to complete the designated project and will be held in M206/M207 at CCA. EVA Conservatory students will be paired up as Art Mentors with the middle school students and this collaboration is overseen by art teachers Jessi Mortensen, Holly Vermilea, Cecily Wheeler, and Mary Hynes. Students can sign up for one or both camps and participation is limited to 40 students each week. We are looking forward to sharing some of the art and atmosphere the CCA Art Dept has to offer! Please reach out if you have any questions.

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.

High school students from Canyon Crest Academy and others across the US are hosting free online coding camps for middle school students. They offer Introductory Python, Intermediate Python, Introductory Machine Learning, and Project-Based Machine Learning with more programs planned, and their past programs have achieved 800+ enrollments throughout the country with dozens of positive reviews. These programs usually meet bi/tri-weekly 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.

See below for information about TEAMS.

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