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. PE Clothes

VI. From the PTSA

VII. ASB and Student Announcements

VIII. Department News

• Learning Commons
• PE
• Science
• Yearbook
  

IX. Clubs (periodic information on extracurricular school activities)

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. Community Events (opportunities/events involving the district and its schools)

XIV. Tell Us What You Think (new section!)

Tues/Wed, August 20 & 21 - Asst. Principal Expectation Talks thru Elective classes

Thursday, August 22 - Back to School Night - 5:30-7:00 p.m.

Mon-Wed, August 26-28 - Reading STAR Testing in English classes

Thurs/Fri, August 29 & 30 - Math STAR Testing in Math classes

Wolfpack families,

We made it to Friday! It was a full week, but a wonderful week. The message below will provide some insights into our classrooms this week, some tips and reminders as we (re-)learn systems at Pacific Trails, and information for next week.

In classrooms, teachers began the week by building community with their classes. As we get to know names and interests, connections form that will serve the classroom culture throughout the year. It is integral to student success, and why we take time to focus on this prior to jumping into the curriculum. Teachers also started teaching students about various classroom norms including routines, how to write an effective email, and taking a trip to the Learning Commons to see Ms. Richards and learn about that space. As I walked around, I saw numerous teachers engaging in curricular activities including virtual scavenger hunts in world history, practicing Spanish in the target language, and doing science labs with glow sticks. In math, our teachers were reviewing concepts as students shake off their "summer brain."

Another integral part of the start of the year is teaching and re-teaching students our schoolwide expectations around technology. I am happy to share that the students are quickly adapting to our revised cell phone expectations. Additionally, Dr. Hake virtually presented to all homerooms as we introduced our PTMS Chromebook Contract. I encourage you to review it with your student, and then please sign it so they can return it to their homeroom. A copy is below for you to view.

Next Thursday is Back To School Night from 5:30 - 7:00 pm and serves as a wonderful opportunity to come to campus and meet your student's teachers and see the classrooms they will learn in for the year. I invite all of you to attend, and encourage you to arrive early as parking options fill up quickly. We will begin with the principal's message at 5:45 p.m. and then classroom visits will begin at 6:00 pm.

If you or someone you know is interested in joining our team, PTMS is hiring for food service workers and Canyon Crest Academy is hiring campus supervisors. Click on the links for more information.

We have numerous students riding their bikes, e-bikes, and scooters to school. This is a wonderful option, and we need them to be safe in the process. Please see the message below from Dr. Hake, Assistant Principal, about bicycle and e-bike safety.

A reminder about drop-off and pick-up. As you drop-off and pick-up your students from school, please use the lane closest to the school for pick-up and drop-off. Do not let your student enter or exit your vehicle in the second or third lane. We don't want to create a situation where a child could get injured in any way. If we all work together, we can keep each other safe, and that is our most important job.

Finally, Monday mornings are Late Start, meaning students don't begin instruction until 9:25 am. Our staff uses the time from 8:10 - 9:20 a.m. as professional growth time so that we may engage in partnership, reflection, and continual learning. If you wish, you can drop your student off as early as 7:30 am and they can access the Learning Commons which is supervised by Ms. Richards. As we try to always be respectful of our community partners, I would discourage you from having them access The Village. If you do permit this, please remind them about appropriate behavioral expectations when they are in the various shops.

Have a wonderful weekend, and we look forward to seeing your student on Monday morning.

In gratitude,

Scott Wild, Ed.D.

Dear Wolfpack Families,

Student safety is our number one priority always. As the use of e-bikes grows, we continue to evolve our practices with our primary focus of student safety. During the first week of school, we’ve noticed some student transportation trends with the potential for injury, and we would like to give information about the safest way to arrive at school and depart from school on an e-bike, bike, or motorized scooter. The following map will be reviewed with students next week:

Please review this e-bike/bike safety memo with your student. More information about e-bike/bike safety will be provided in coming weeks as our practices evolve. In the meantime, please reach out to me with any questions or concerns.

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.

Fall STAR Testing Dates

• STAR Reading: Monday, August 26th, Tuesday, August 27th, or Wednesday, August 28th in English classes (check with English teacher for which day)

• STAR Math: Thursday, August 29th or Friday, August 30th in Math classes

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.

If your student will miss class for any reason, email PTAttendance@sduhsd.net to either clear your student's absence, or to get an off-campus pass officially. If you contact us early, we can have your student waiting in the office for you to pick-up when you get here.

Hi Wolfpack!

We were excited to see our new and returning wolves on campus this week! We wanted to remind students that we are here to help and how to access their school counselor. We are available before school, during break, at lunch and during dismissal. Students can stop by the Counseling Office and if we need more time to talk, we can schedule a time to meet. Students can also complete this Counseling Check-in Form and their assigned counselor will follow up via the preference noted in the form (meeting in the counseling office or email). The form is posted on the PTMS Counseling website and there are also signs on campus with a QR code that students can scan with their Chromebooks for easy access to this form as well.

On Tuesdays through September 10, we host New Student Socials during Homeroom for students who recently moved to the area from another district, out of state, out of the country, or from a private school. This is an opportunity for students who do not know others to make connections that can lead to great friendships! If your student is invited to our socials, please encourage them to attend. If you think your child would benefit from this, please reach out to their assigned counselor and we can invite them to join the socials. We will send passes before each gathering.

Our Wellness Center, run by our Student Support Facilitator, Samantha Eels-Taylor, is open every lunch break (except Tuesdays) for quiet board games, mindful coloring or simply relaxing on our rocking chairs. This is a great place for your student to come if they are feeling a little overwhelmed outside, if they want to make new friends or just hang out with old ones.

The new school year is an exciting time, but it can also cause some nervous feelings for students. See tips for easing anxiety and links to resources to help students deal with worry here.

The San Diego County Office of Education (SDCOE) offers FREE online training for parents/caregivers. Click on the link to learn more about this upcoming training: QPR: Question, Persuade, and Refer Gatekeeper Training for Suicide Prevention.

Wishing our PTMS families a restful weekend.

Lisa Curry, Counselor (A-Ll) lisa.curry@sduhsd.net

Carsen Anderson, Counselor (Lo-Z and EL Students) carsen.anderson@sduhsd.net

Samantha Eels-Taylor, Student Support Facilitator samantha.eelstaylor@sduhsd.net

Mental Health & Wellness Resources for Students, Staff, and School Community.

Click on the QR code to discover your PTMS Support Staff.

All students are required to wear PTMS PE clothes during PE class. The shirts and shorts cost $10/per item and are only available for purchase on our online webstore.

Orders are currently taking a little over a week to fill, so please be patient. If PE classes start changing out and your student still hasn't received their PE clothes order, please see Optional PE Clothes below for your temporary fix.

PE clothes size exchanges are easily done in the front office.

PE shirts - the PE shirts only come in Adult sizes. The company says that this type of shirt is simply not made in Youth sizes.

Optional PE Clothes: To make it clear, PTMS PE shirts and shorts are REQUIRED - not optional. There only two exceptions:

• Your PE clothes order hasn't been filled yet, or
• Your student absolutely swims in the clothing that is offered which creates a trip hazard or restricts your student from being able to fully participate in PE activities.

The only approved "options" or substitutes to the required PE clothes are a dark gray t-shirt and blue shorts and only due to the above two reasons.

**If your family is having a financial hardship, please talk to your student's Counselor.

Hello PTMS Families,

We hope you are all settling into the new school year and your students are enjoying the countless opportunities for learning and growth at Pacific Trails Middle School. This is our third newsletter of the year, and we have some exciting updates for you!

Join Us on Back to School Night!

We are thrilled to meet you during Back to School Night on Thursday, August 22nd. This event is a wonderful opportunity to meet our dedicated PTMS team, connect with teachers, and learn more about the school and programs available this year.

Kickoff for PTMS Fundraising!

During Back to School Night, we will be launching the annual PTMS fundraising campaign! Your contributions play a crucial role in enhancing the educational experience for our students. Join us to learn more about how your donations will support school programs, events, and student resources.

Volunteer Opportunities Available!

We believe that a strong school community thrives on volunteer involvement, and there are plenty of ways for you to get involved! Whether you have a few hours to spare or can commit to a regular volunteer position, we would love your support. Opportunities include:

• Event planning and support
• Webmaster
• Community outreach

If you’re interested in volunteering or would like more information about how you can help, please stop by our table during Back to School Night or reach out to us at president@pacifictrailsmsptsa.org

Thank you for being an essential part of our community. We look forward to seeing you on Back to School Night and working together to make this year a success for all our students!

Warm regards,

Claire Dufayet
PTSA President

president@pacifictrailsmsptsa.org

~ PTSA Activity will be posted here throughout the year. You can visit their webpage by clicking here.

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.

The PE Department is currently taking donations of your empty Almond Milk/Oat Milk hard plastic containers with handles. We fill these containers with gravel to use as weights.

Order your PE clothes here.

Please follow us on Instagram to see what your student is up to during PE class.

Pre-order your Yearbook here. Don't delay! Order your 2024-25 Yearbook TODAY!

Please join us for the PTMS Science Olympiad Information Session and kickoff for the 2024-2025 season

Topic: Science Olympiad Information Session For 2024-25 Season
Time: Aug 20, 2024 07:30 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://biolinq.zoom.us/j/89715594679?pwd=lFiaatZwaEbBkb4FIJbIGgq71viDaD.1

Meeting ID: 897 1559 4679
Passcode: 458692

~ 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.

PTMS will host its first English Language Advisory Committee meeting, called "ELAC," on Thursday, August 22, from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. in the Learning Commons. This event is open to the public! Parents of students identified as English Language Learners (sometimes referred to as Multilingual Learners) are encouraged to attend as this meeting which includes important topics about the Multilingual Program at our school, the process for recruiting ELAC board members for the 2024-25 school year to represent this student group, and topics on the importance of school attendance. We look forward to seeing you soon! Coffee will be provided courtesy of Starbucks.

SDUHSD has developed an Ethnic Studies Engagement Plan in support of the Ethnic Studies graduation requirement. 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.

~ Activities at our sister schools or district-sponsored events will be posted here.

Parents and community members have a lot to say about the schools our children attend: "My son/daughter is learning so much in that teacher's class." "I really loved that special event." "Who do I talk to about homework or helping out at school?" Well, here's your chance to officially speak to Pacific Trails Middle School. Please take a moment to express your concerns, comments, suggestions, kudos, and questions by clicking the link below or the QR code to the right. We'd love to hear what you have to say and what you think about Pacific Trails Middle School. Every comment will be read and we'll try to respond to all of them. Thank you for taking the time.

Click here to make your comments.

- 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 Student Vehicle Permit - Register your bike/e-bike/scooter/skateboard with PTMS. Complete this form and turn in to the office.

- PTMS Webstore - PE clothes and Limited Series Clothing (While Supplies Last)

- 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