Twin Peaks Middle School

Happy Sunday Ram Families!

We hope this newsletter finds you all well after an incredibly challenging week for our school community following the death of one of our students last weekend. Many of our students are still processing this loss, and will continue to grieve over the coming days, weeks, and months. We are incredibly thankful for our PUSD Crisis Response Team (CRT), comprised of counselors and mental health professionals from across the district, who provided support to our campus all week. If your student needs support during this time, please don't hesitate to reach out to their counselor who can check in with them and provide any needed referrals to support their mental health.

This past week was a good reminder of the importance of a supportive community and the need to take care of our mental health during difficult times. There are resources available to provide help and support if you need it - please CLICK HERE for the list of resources I shared with you earlier this week via email. We held an online parent workshop back in September on suicide awareness with our partners from With Hope: the Amber Craig Foundation. Please CLICK HERE to access the recorded workshop on our TPMS website. There is also a free bereavement parent workshop taking place this Wednesday, November 6th hosted by Elizabeth Hospice. Please see the information below to register for the workshop.

Thank you to all of our students and parents who attended Parent-Student-Teacher Conferences this past week. We appreciate you making the time to meet with our teachers to develop plans to better support your students in class. Please continue to reach out to our teachers if you have questions or concerns about your student's academic progress; the end of Trimester 1 is coming up in two weeks on November 15th, so students - please start checking in with your teachers about making up any missing assignments or assessments before the end of the grading period.

Our PTSA Reflections Art Contest is accepting student submissions for this year's theme - Accepting Imperfection, in the following categories: Film Production, Writing, Music Composition, Photography, Visual Arts, and Dance Choreography. The deadline for submissions is this Saturday, November 9th, so please make sure to get your films, songs, poetry, short stories, photos, and dance routines ready to submit! Please see the PTSA Reflections Art Contest section below for a link to the application form that is required with your submission.

CA Healthy Kids Survey: Every 2 years the State of California asks our students, staff, and parents questions about our school, drug use, violence, and other health-risk behaviors. Parents - your participation is voluntary, but strongly encouraged! We want to make sure all of our stakeholders' voices are heard, so please take a few minutes to provide your responses to the survey LINKED HERE! 7th grade students will be taking the survey in their PE class over the next two weeks. Please complete the survey before Friday, November 8th! Questions or problems with the survey? Please see the letter below with more details and information.

Our student trash problem on campus has improved this past week - students are motivated by the prospect of not having a Winter Dance and have responded by cleaning up after themselves. A BIG THANK YOU to our ASB student leaders who have continued to lead this effort. Students have until this Tursday, November 7th to earn back the winter dance; this means students will need to make a concerted effort to keep our campus clean after break and lunch times if we want to continue to host after school events this school year. If there are any parents who would like to come and volunteer during lunch to help with our campus cleanup efforts, please send me an email and let me know when you are available - we would love to have you!

I spent a good chunk of my Saturday at the SDCOE Middle School Esports Rocket League Tournament watching three of our Rams dominate the tournament and walk away with a first place trophy! CONGRATULATIONS to 6th graders Braeden Waasted and Milo van Heijnsbergen, and 8th grader Dylan Gilbert, who went undefeated and beat 6 other schools to capture the win! Students - if you are interested in being a part of our TPMS esports league, please CLICK HERE to sign up! We are working to establish a PUSD Middle School esports league and are looking for players to compete in other upcoming tournaments!

Finally this week, our Annual CJSF Food Drive is coming up and we need your help feeding over half a million people monthly in San Diego. Canned foods will be collected in homerooms starting from Tuesday, November 5th until Tuesday, November 19th. The San Diego food bank needs canned meats, vegetables, and fruits as well as peanut butter, rice, pasta, oatmeal, and cereal. Homerooms will receive double points for the following food: tuna, canned veggies, canned soup, and canned beans! The homeroom to receive the most points will get a prize! Please note that the food bank cannot accept glass, jars, or home-baked or canned products. Help out by donating some food to the food bank. Every can counts! Let the homeroom competition begin!

In Partnership,

Steve Mills

Proud Principal

Twin Peaks Middle School

stmills@powayusd.com

1(858)748-5131 x2806

Instagram: @principalmills_twinpeaks

TPMS NEWS AND EVENTS

November 6th: WEB Fundraiser at Dirty Dough

November 6th: Late Start 9:30am

November 11th: Veteran's Day - NO SCHOOL

November 12th - 15th - Fall Book Fair

November 12th: Military Appreciation Lunch (both lunches)

November 13th: Late Start 9:30am

November 14th: AVID Fundraiser at Panda Express

November 20th: Late Start 9:30am

November 21st: PTSA Meeting, Library @6:15pm

November 25th - 29th: Thanksgiving Break

The City of Poway has informed us that the Poway Grade, which is the section of Poway Road extending from Espola Road to Highway 67, will be closed for routine maintenance on:

• Wednesday, November 6, starting at 9:30 a.m.
• Thursday, November 7, starting at 8:30 a.m.

The residents and businesses located on this section of Poway Road will be allowed access to their property; other traffic traveling to and from Highway 67 will be diverted to Scripps Poway Parkway.

This closure may impact morning traffic to Twin Peaks Middle School, so please plan your route accordingly. Thank you!

PUSD is collaborating with Elizabeth Hospice who will be providing a FREE Bereavement Parent Workshop on Wednesday, November 6th from 6pm- 7pm via Zoom. If you may benefit from this workshop and are interested in attending please RSVP as soon as possible. This is an informational workshop to support parents and families who may be experiencing grief and loss of a loved one. Click here for more information.

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.

Students! Please stop by our Lost & Found (outside the library) and reclaim your lost water bottles, jackets, sweatshirts, hats, shoes and lunchbags! Any items not collected by Friday, November 15th will be donated! Parents - make sure to stop by the Lost & Found when you visit the PTSA Book Fair, November 12th-15th!

Basketball registration is officially closed! Registration packets were due to the front office by Friday Nov 1st! Listed below are the dates for the skill evals! We encourage players to come to as many of them as they can! Please reach out with any questions! Thanks!

Skill Evals: 3:30-4:30 (players will check in at the gym)

Monday Nov 4th

Wednesday Nov 6th

Monday Nov 11th- HOLIDAY NO SKILL EVALS

Wednesday Nov 13th

Teams Posted Friday Nov 15th outside of room 201 and PE Locker Room by student ID #

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.

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.

PTSA's Reflections Art Program:

“Accepting Imperfection” is the theme for the 2024-25 Reflections Art Program, which has been bringing the arts to life for more than 10 million students since 1969. This amazing program increases community awareness of the importance of arts in education. Encourage the arts and recognize student artwork through the PTA Reflections Program.

Art Categories:

· Film Production

· Writing

· Music Composition

· Photography

· Visual Arts

· Dance Choreography

Using this year's theme, "Accepting Imperfection" as the inspiration for their art, participants must create an original entry (may not be aided by an adult or any other person, unless they are entering in the Special Artists Division of the contest) and submit it via the Online Entry Form linked below. The entries will be judged locally by the TPMS PTSA's Reflections Art Committee. Those who score high enough to earn an Award of Excellence will advance to Palomar Council PTA and followed by Ninth District. The final artworks submitted to California State PTA by districts are then considered for Outstanding Interpretation, Awards of Excellence or Awards of Merit. Outstanding Interpretation and Award of Excellence entries then go on to represent California in the final National PTA judging round.

Deadline to enter: November 7th.

Student Reflections Entry Form

Questions? Email Melissa Atkinson at MelAtkinsonPTA@gmail.com

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/

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/

If you are a member of the Armed Forces, a Reservist, or Veteran, please take a few moments to complete our TPMS Military Families Survey LINKED HERE. Thank you in advance for your time in completing this survey and thank you for your service to our country!

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.

We are pleased to share that Valley will be hosting the Spanish Teen Positive Parenting Workshop Series for FREE In Person at Valley Elementary School! This webinar series is designed for parents and will address raising responsible teenagers while improving family communication. The webinar is offered for Spanish speaking parents and open to any parent and family across our school sites. The English series is scheduled for the new year in January 2025.

FREE SPANISH Teen Positive Parenting Workshop Series In Person

Valley Elementary School

Thursday, November 7th, Wednesday, November 13th and Thursday, November 21st from 6:00pm – 8:00pm

Click here for the flyer!

*Childcare provided for school-aged children

Fee-Based Parent Education Courses:

Taming Your Child's Tantrums and Meltdowns TK - 5th Grade - Click here for more information

Gender Identity and Expression Part II - All Grades - Click here for more information

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.

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:

November 21st

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

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!

You can always shop Amazon and earn money for Twin Peaks! Just click on the Amazon link below, then start spending!

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