Twin Peaks Middle School
Weekly RAM Newsletter
Greetings from the desk of Principal Mills
Sunday, December 1st, 2024
Happy Sunday Ram Families!
I hope this first newsletter of December finds you all well, rested, and ready to get back to learning after our Thanksgiving Recess! We look forward to seeing all of our students back on campus on Monday, December 2nd for the final 3 weeks of instruction before our Winter Break begins on December 23rd. Monday's schedule is periods 8-2-4-6... students - please make sure to charge your Chromebooks tonight for class tomorrow!
The next three weeks before Winter Break are filled with all sorts of fun events and activities - please make sure to read through this week's newsletter for information on the PUSD Giving Tree Campaign, dates for the TPMS Choir and Band Holiday Performances, the student/parent 6th Grade Camp Information Session, and ASES Volleyball signups and tryouts.
Just before our Thanksgiving Recess we started Trimester 2, which means that students in elective wheel classes rotated courses and teachers, and our Homeroom lunchtime splits shifted so that 8th graders have 1st lunch, 6th graders have 2nd lunch, and 7th graders are split between the two lunches. Final grades from Trimester 1 are now available in StudentVue and Parent Vue - please CLICK HERE if you need help accessing any of our PUSD online resources.
A BIG THANK YOU to our PTSA for hosting a festive Trail Mix Bar for our staff the week before Thanksgiving! Thank you to all of our amazing TPMS families who donated goodies for the fantastic spread of popcorn, m&ms, preztels, nuts, and gummy bears! Check out a few pictures of the event below!
I also wanted to send out a HUGE THANK YOU to our TPMS Foundation and the PUSD Maintanence & Operations Department for their work and support of our MPR upgrades over the Thanksgiving Break. We were able to get two major projects completed this past week - the patch of dirt in front of the MPR was finally concreted and the entire side of the MPR out to Twin Peaks Road was covered with new turf! Bike riders - please stay on the sidewalks and in the bike lanes - the turf is for pedsitrian and foot traffic only! Check out some pictures of the work being done this past week below!
The holiday season is now upon us, so it's time to think of how we can support those in our community who may not have the reosurces to provide for their families. We are excited to be sponsoring 4 PUSD families as part of this year's GIVING TREE PROGRAM - please see the information and links below to select how you can help support our local families in need. Thanks in adavnce for your consideration and support of this amazing program!
Looking for a great gift idea for the movie lover in your family? Then consider purchaisng a Regal Movie Ticket Bundle and support your Twin Peaks PTSA! Bundles of 2 tickets can be purchased for just $30 and are redeemable at all Regal Theaters. Check out the link in the story below and get your tickets TODAY!
Finally this week, each trimester our teachers are able to select one student to be their Student of the Trimester . At the end of trimester 1, we asked our teachers to recognize students who exeplified our first and fourth CORE VALUES - RESPECTFUL & SCHOLARLY. Please see the graphic below with the names and pictures of the Trimester 1 awardees - students were reconginzed in their Homerooms before the Thanksgiving Recess and received a personalized certificate and special TPMS sticker for their efforts. Congratulations to all of our Students of the Trimester!
In Partnership,
Steve Mills
Proud Principal
Twin Peaks Middle School
1(858)748-5131 x2806
Instagram: @principalmills_twinpeaks
Students of the Trimester!
UPCOMING EVENTS!
December 5th: Choir Concert, 7pm, Little Theater
December 10th: Choir Concert w/ PHS, 7pm, PCPA
December 12th: Jazz Band Holiday Concert, both lunches, Quad
December 13th: Choir Concert, Christmas in the Park, 7pm, Old Poway Park
December 16th: Jazz Band Concert, 5pm, PCPA
December 17th: Orchestra Concert, 6pm, PHS
December 18th: 6th Grade Winter Concert, 9am, MPR
December 19th: 7th/8th Grade Band Concert, 6pm, PHS
December 20th: Band/Orchestra Concert before school, Quad
December 23rd - January 3rd: Winter Break
PTSA Trail Mix Bar
E-Sports Signups
TPMS will be starting an e-sports (electronic sports, aka video games) team that will complete against other schools in online matches including Rocket League, League of Legends, and Super Smash Brothers. We are looking for interested TPMS students and plan to launch in the New Year with help from Poway High School and their e-sports program. To sign-up, please CLICK HERE!
Support TPMS With Movie Magic
TPMS is participating in a Regal Fundraising Campaign to help support our PTSA. Get your Regal Movie Ticket Bundles to support Twin Peaks Middle School PTSA for $30.00 per order! Bundle Includes: 2 Movie Tickets redeemable at any Regal location nationwide. Click here to purchase or for more information.
Attention all Volleyball Players
Volleyball season here at TPMS is fast approaching. Registration for Volleyball will be available Monday November 18th until Friday December 6th. Registration packets and liability forms will be available in the front office or on the TPMS website under the sports tab. Registration packets and liability forms need to be completed before your student attends skill evals. Info about skill evals will be listed below and team info will be on the TPMS website along with half sheets available in the front office by the registration packets. If your student participated in a sport already this year and also marked volleyball, your registration packet should be good to go but please email mamiller@powayusd.com to double check. Please reach out with any questions! Responses may take a couple days with a high volume of interest! We encourage all players to attend as many days of skill evals as they can .Thank you!
Skill Evals will be held on Mondays and Wednesdays due to gym availability but practices will be switched to Tuesdays and Thursdays for the season.
Skill Eval Dates: 3:15-4:30 in TPMS Gym
Monday Dec 9th
Wednesday Dec 11th
Monday Dec 16th
Wednesday Dec 18th
Teams Posted Friday Dec 20th
6th Grade Camp Information
6th Grade Camp is just around the corner! Our dates for camp are Monday, February 10 to Friday, February 14, 2025. Here are some other important dates to have on your radar:
- Wednesday, December 11th: we will have a presentation by Camp Cuyamaca staff to students to kick off camp signups in our MPR. Parents are also welcome to attend this meeting as well - it starts at 11:45am sharp and goes until about 12:15pm.
- Thursday, December 12th: permission slip packets and detailed information will be handed out.
- Forms and money will be due by Friday, January 10, 2025.
***The cost of camp is $455. If you have questions about the cost of camp as set by the Poway Unified School Board, please reach out to Ms. Ana Moreno at (858)748-5131 ext 2808***
PUSD Giving Tree
It's that time of year again when we ask our Ram Family to give back to the community through the PUSD Giving Tree Program. We are again sponsoring four families for the holidays and need your help!
There are three easy ways to participate:
- Browse the Sign-Up Genius and shop for clothes and grocery/gas gift cards.Deliver items to school or organizer. CLICK HERE!
- Order online through the Amazon Wishlist. No pick-up or drop-off needed! CLICK HERE!
- Want to contribute but don't have time to shop? Donate via Venmo @TPMSPTSA and the PTSA elves will shop the wishlists.
Deadline to drop off items is Friday, December 6th.
Thank you for your support!
New MPR Projects Completed!
Safety Reminders from PUSD
With fire season upon us we want to assure parents and guardians that we have appropriate response systems in place when emergencies arise. Our first priority will always be the safety of our students and staff on campus.
When Twin Peaks becomes aware of any incidents in the geographic area of the school site, we will focus first on the safety of our campus while working with law enforcement, emergency responders, and the District for guidance and support for communication. Communication with parents is part of the response plan, but will be secondary to immediate safety. As soon as we can, we will message families with details of school-wide incidents such as lockdowns or evacuations. Please ensure your contact information is up to date in ParentVue in the “My Account” section.
Finally, we have been asked by first responders to remind our families NOT to come to campus in times of emergency – there have been several instances when officers, firefighters, and their ability to respond to the emergency have been hindered by parents rushing to the scene. Should an emergency occur, we will send out messages about dismissal or reunification procedures for families when first responders indicate it is safe to do so.
Don't Forget to Preorder a Yearbook
TPMS Yearbook Info
Yearbooks are available for $55. Reserve yours now!
Pay by card: Go to www.jostens.com or use the QR code
Pay by cash/check: Download the order form from our webpage
http://tpmsyearbook.weebly.com/ or pick up a form in the office. Return the form and cash or check to the school office.
Want more information about Yearbooks? Go to http://tpmsyearbook.weebly.com/
8th Grade Recognition Ads
Calling all proud families of 8th graders here at Twin Peaks! 8th Grade Recognition Ads are open and ready for purchase. Go to www.jostens.com and click on Recognition Ads to start the process of celebrating your 8th grader in this year’s yearbook! Deadline is February 1st so don’t delay!
Want more information about Yearbooks? Go to http://tpmsyearbook.weebly.com/
Free/Reduced-Price Meal Applications Reminder
Please complete the free/reduced-price meal application! Although school meals are free for all students, the application for free and reduced-price meal eligibility is still very important. School funding depends in part on the number of students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals. If income-eligible families do not apply, we risk losing important educational funds for our school.
Students who are eligible for free or reduced-price meals may also qualify for discounts on testing fees, before and after school care, and home internet! Income qualifications change annually, so a new application is needed every school year. For school year 2024-2025, children from a family of four are eligible if the total gross (pre-tax) household income is less than $4,810 per month, or less than $57,720 per year. Household income information is confidential and applying online is quick and easy. Apply online at MySchoolApps.com, or pick up a paper application in the school office.
Operation Homefront
If your student who is a legal dependent between the ages of 13-18 with a parent/guardian in the armed forces, they are eligible to apply for the Military Child of the Year Award. Recipients will represent a branch of the armed forces — the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, National Guard, and Space Force — for their scholarship, volunteerism, leadership, extracurricular involvement, and other criteria while facing the challenges of military family life. All Operation Homefront Military Child of the Year Award recipients will be flown with a parent or guardian to Washington, D.C., and recognized at the April 2025 gala, during which senior leaders of each branch of service will present the awards. They also will receive $10,000 each, a laptop computer, and other donated gifts. Submissions close on December 2, 2024.
PUSD e-bike Registration and Safety Classes
In response to community requests and a desire to address a student safety need, PUSD has partnered with local enforcement to provide mandatory safety classes for all ebike riders. If your child rides their ebike to and from school, attending one of these one-hour classes with a parent or guardian will be a requirement to park their ebike on campus. To provide students ample time to comply, this new requirement will be enforced starting January 6, 2025.
Once you register your ebike at the meeting, you will receive a sticker to place on your ebike and TPMS will receive a notification that you attended the safety class. We appreciate your partnership in taking this important step toward keeping our students safe.
Please note - this class is only required if your student is riding an ebike! If your student is riding a regular bike to school, then our previous registration policy applies. If you registered last year and you have the same bicycle with the TPMS permit still visible, then you are good to go! If you are a new bicyclist to TPMS or have a new bike, please follow the permitting process LINKED HERE on our school webpage.
Support the TPMS Library
PTSA Meeting Dates for 2024-25
The Twin Peaks Middle School Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA) is a membership-based, volunteer organization dedicated to making each school year a rewarding and enriching experience for all students. As a volunteer organization, PTSA is integral to the success of many campus events. We fund, organize and provide volunteers for a variety of PTSA programs and important school activities which serve to enhance your student’s middle school experience. We realize that volunteering may not be in the cards for everyone, but your membership and donation will ensure our programs continue to stay funded.
If you would like to contact PTSA please email: ptsaprestpms@gmail.com. Thanks so much!
All Executive Board meetings will be held on the 3rd Thursday of each month at 6:15pm in the TPMS Library unless listed otherwise. Association Meetings will be held in September, February, and April. Board meetings are open to PTSA Board Members and Committee Chairs while Association Meetings are open for all members of the Twin Peaks Middle School PTSA:
December 19th
January 16th
February 13th (Association Meeting @6:15pm; Board Meeting to follow)
March 20th
April 24th (Association Meeting @6:15pm; Board Meeting to follow)
May 15th
June TBD
To join the PTSA for the 2024-25 school year, please CLICK HERE!
Our 2024-2025 Executive Board:
President - Melissa Atkinson
Executive VP - Sonnie Humphreys
1st VP of Ways and Means - Rachel Czarzasty
2nd VP of Membership - Shelly Mead
3rd VP of Volunteers - Alicia Tamayo
Secretary - Mikki Trusheim
Treasurer - Steph Cole
Historian - Alicia Gormican
Financial Reviewer - Phil Trom
TPMS Foundation Meeting Dates for 2024-25
Twin Peaks Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing educational excellence for ALL students at Twin Peaks Middle School. Their purpose is to bridge the widening gap between the amount of money actually provided by the State of California and the Poway Unified School District and the amount necessary to fund technology upgrades, educational programs and resources necessary to support the school.
The Foundation typically meets on the 3rd Tuesday of each month at 6pm in the TPMS Library. Here are their monthly meetings dates for the 2024-25 school year:
December 10th
February 11th
March 18th
May 13th
Please visit the TPMS Foundation Web Page by CLICKING HERE!
Shop Amazon through TPMS Foundation
Twin Peaks Middle School
Nondiscrimination Philosophy and Policy Statement
The Poway Unified School District (PUSD) is an equal opportunity employer/program and is committed to an active Nondiscrimination Program. PUSD prohibits discrimination, harassment, intimidation, and bullying based on actual or perceived race, color, ancestry, national origin, nationality, immigration status, ethnicity, ethnic group identification, age, religion, marital or parental status, physical or mental disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or gender expression or association with a person or a group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics. For more information, please contact: Title IX/Equity Compliance Officer, James Jimenez, Associate Superintendent of Personnel support Services, Poway Unified School District, 15250 Avenue of Science, San Diego, CA 92128, 1-858-521-2800, extension 2121, jjimenez@powayusd.com. For students, you may contact Title IX Coordinator/504 Coordinator Jamie Dayhoff, Director of Attendance and Discipline, Poway Unified School District, 1-858-521-2840, jdayhoff@powayusd.com.
Website: http://tpms.powayusd.com/index.html
Phone: 858.748.5131
Twitter: @TwinPeaksRams