Panther Parent Update

De Portola is a welcoming diverse learning community. We foster individuality by empowering and developing students’ communication, curiosity, and critical thinking skills through a growth mindset. We are Panthers! Rooooaaaarrrrrrrr!!

1/27 - ASB CADA Field Trip

1/29 - Spelling Bee @ 9AM (Media Center)

1/30 - Dress like Adam Sandler Day (ASB Spirit)

1/30 - Minimum Day @ 1PM

1/31 - Mardis Gras Chill @ Lunchtime

2/13 Panther Pride Run

2/14 NO SCHOOL

2/17 NO SCHOOL

2/19 7th Grade to attend SDSU Women's Basketball Game

2/28 Wonka Jr. 6:00pm

3/1 Wonka Jr. 1:00pm & 5:00pm

3/2 Wonka Jr. 12:00pm

We had another incredible turnout for the Panther Parent Lunch with over 370 Panther Parents that came to enjoy lunch with their student. We saw grandparents and high school siblings. There was even a volleyball game that got going. Thank you for bringing all that amazing energy to our campus.

Spelling Bee is this Wednesday, January 29th. Event will be held in media center at 9AM, please check into the front office visitor binder. Adults are welcome to watch student participate. Please refrain from brining younger siblings/children. E-mail Ms. Cindee with questions at ctherriault@sandi.net

We will begin fundraising for our biggest fundraiser of the year next week. There will be individual student prizes and whole school prizes. Our goal is $23,000. This provides $20,000 profit after Pledgestar fees and student prizes. Be on the look out for more information next week.

The PE Department is in need of an extra large dryer. If you are upgrading your appliances and would like to donate your "in good condition" dryer, the PE Department would be very grateful. They probably run 2-3 loads of "LOANER" laundry every day.

We will also take this opportunity to ask you to check in with your student about the last time they brought their PE clothes home to get washed. Some of the dirty clothes we see can practically stand on their own because they are so stiff with dirt. Yuck!

And lastly, students can purchase PE sweats from the front office. It is going to be cold this week and some students choose not to dress out because it is "too cold." Students can wear a plain grey crewneck sweatshirt and plain navy blue sweatpants if they choose not to buy ours. Sweats can not have zippers, pockets, or hoods.

Repeated information from previous weeks.

Starting January 5th, 8th Grade Ads for the yearbook are available to be purchased at www.yearbookforever.com. 8th graders will be receiving a flyer this week with the sizes and prices of the ads. THE ADS WILL BE DUE ON FEBRUARY 27. Please, please, please do not wait until the last minute to purchase your ad, this has caused people to not be able to have an ad in the yearbook in the past. Please email Ms. McIntosh at smcintosh@sandi.net with any questions.

The yearbook price will go up to $60 on March 3rd, order one before the price increases!

The yearbook is currently $55 and will go up to $60 in March, so get it for the cheaper price! When ordering, please choose your students' 1st period teacher from the drop-down menu labeled "Homeroom".

We will be hosting our annual De Portola Bowling Night on Friday, May 2nd, 2025. This event is adults only and will be held at Aztec Lanes Bowling Alley. This event is sponsored by De Portola Foundation and benefits De Portola. Please mark your calendars! More information to follow.

School dismisses at 2:30. We only allow early release at 2:00pm or earlier. If you child has an appointment and needs to leave, please email Ms. Charisma at cjohnson7@sandi.net or leave her a message her at 619-605-4800 and press 3. She will send a pass and have your student waiting in the office at the expected departure time. This is not a perfect system, but we do our best to accommodate everyone. If your child has PE at your time of departure and you have not given us prior notice, it can take up to 20 minutes to locate your child, send them to locker room, and head up to office. Planning ahead makes this a very easy process.

Full day absences need to be reported to Charisma Johnson at cjohnson7@sandi.net. Please include your student's full name, DOB, reason for illness and the day or dates they are absent.

We do not accept food deliveries for students. Additionally, parents cannot drop off fast food for their student (Subway Included). If a student forgets their lunch, we offer free lunch every day. If a parent drops off a student's lunch bag, we will have the student come up to office at 12:00pm. If a parent brings lunch from Cotijas (or anywhere else), we ask that you stay and enjoy it with your student.

All sports practice throughout the year will be held on Mondays and Wednesdays from 2:45 - 4:30 with games on Saturdays. Students can only participate in one sport per season. Please review the Middle School Athletics page for more information. Also, email Mr. Steven at sfong@sandi.net for any questions.

Fall Sports: Basketball and Track & Field

Winter: Soccer and Volleyball

Spring: Flag Football, Cheer, and Wrestling

For the 2024-25 school year, De Portola Middle School will provide both BREAKFAST and LUNCH for all students. Breakfast will be served in the lunch arbor from 7:30 - 7:50 AM. Students just need to input their six digit student ID number and make their food selection.