Twin Peaks Middle School

Happy Sunday Ram Families!

I hope this week's newsletter finds you all well and enjoying the beginning of March! We had another eventful and warm week at Twin Peaks with 6th grade history classes learning about ancient civilizations in Egypt and India, 7th grade science investigating chemistry and matter, 8th graders learning about the high school course selection process from PHS counselors in ELA classes, and Zoology students went to Sea World to learn about marine life! After school, our volleyball team competed in a closely contested match but fell short in a tough home loss to BHMS, we began soccer skill evaluations, and our Competitive Reading Team started their season and title defense with their first match against OVMS in our home library... it was a great week to be a RAM!

PUSD's Continuing Student Registration window opened on Friday, February 28th - all parents whose current students will continue in Poway Unified for the 2025-26 school year need to complete online continuing registration. The continuing registration page is LINKED HERE and will stay open through March 31st. Please reach out to our Counseling Assistant, Kirti Choudhary at kchoudhary@powayusd.com with any questions.

If you live within the Poway Unified boundaries and want your child to attend a school different than your assigned school, submit your request online through the Transfers page on the PUSD website. (This includes siblings of current students.) Please make sure to still enroll your child at their assigned school of residence when new student enrollment opens on April 1, 2025. Transfer requests can only be processed once your child is enrolled in their school of residence. The transfer request window will close on March 31, 2025 at 5 p.m.

I sent out a separate email communication earlier today with information about our Spring CAASPP Testing. Please take a moment and read through the information I shared - our CAASPP scores last year as a school were not good. In fact, based on last year's testing sample, TPMS had the lowest test scores in math and in ELA of all of the PUSD Middle Schools (LINK to CAASPP Results Page - search for “Twin Peaks Middle”). Contributing to this issue was that 13% of our families chose to opt out of testing, resulting in our test results being considered not viable. This year we want to make sure we do everything we can to ensure that we have a viable, present, and prepared student population ready to show the rest of PUSD what Twin Peaks students are truly capable of! Thank you in advance for your support and partnership during this year's CAASPP Testing season.

Course selections for the '25-'26 school year are quickly approaching - our online course request forms will be available to current 6th and 7th grade students starting next Monday, March 10th. Please save the date and plan to spend some time with us on Wednesday, March 19th form 5-6:30pm for our Electives Expo! This will be an opportunity for new and existing students and families to visit campus and learn about the elective opportunities available to students for next year. If you have questions about courses, please check out our online Course Catalog for more detailed information. All course requests for continuing students need to be completed online by Monday, March 24th.

Finally this week, we have a special Spirit Week hosted by our CJSF and ASB students this week to raise funds to help fire victims from the recent Palisades and Eaton fires just north of us - donations will be accepted at their table in the quad each day during lunch. 5 Star Points will be awarded to those who dress up each day, and any donation of $1 or more will be entered into a drawing for some TPMS swag and prizes! Please show your support by participating in the spirit days and by donating whatever you can to help bring some relief to our neighbors to the north.

In Partnership,

Steve Mills

Proud Principal

Twin Peaks Middle School

stmills@powayusd.com

1(858)748-5131 x2806

Instagram: @principalmills_twinpeaks

A BIG THANK YOU to all of our Twin Peaks families that showed up for the San Diego Gulls hockey game on Saturday night! A great time was had by all - here's a picture of our TPMS crew on the ice after the game!

TPMS NEWS AND EVENTS

March 5th: Late Start, 9:30am

March 5th: 5th Grade Information Night, Zoom 5-6pm

March 7th: End of Trimester 2

March 10th: Beginning of Trimester 3 / New Lunch Splits

March 10th and 11th: Minimum Days for Students

March 12th: Late Start, 9:30am

March 17th-21st: Scholastic Book Fair, Library

March 19th: Late Start, 9:30am

March 19th: Career Fair @ lunch

March 19th: TPMS Electives Expo, 5-6:30pm

March 26th: Late Start, 9:30am

March 26th: SPED Info Night, 5-6pm, Zoom

All of our students utilize the theater, which is in need of some major enhancements. We are inviting Twin Peaks families to contribute $50 to support these improvements through our Teal Envelope Campaign. As a bonus, if you can donate $100, your student will receive a limited edition TPMS beanie!

Donations can be made here https://2025-teal-envelope.cheddarup.com or by bringing a check in your teal envelope to the school office, including your student's name and homeroom teacher. Don't forget to check if your employer offers a matching donation program! Every contribution counts, and we truly appreciate your support!

Hey 8th Grade Rams! Vote for your favorite t-shirt design for our 8th grade t-shirt contest! The winning design will be printed on our 8th grade t-shirts, which will be available for purchase. Make sure you choose the design you like the best and the one you will LOVE to wear with pride! Voting closes on Friday, March 7th. Click here to vote!

The Spring Book Fair is coming soon! The Book Fair will start on Monday, March 17th and end Friday, March 21st. As a reminder, the Fair will be open to students before school starts, during lunch, and after school (with exception of Wednesday morning and Friday afternoon). It will also be open during the Electives Night on Wednesday, March 19th. In addition, students should visit the Book Fair with their Language Arts class as well.

Books can be purchased with cash, check (made payable to "TPMS PTSA"), or credit/debit card/apple pay/google pay. Parents can also set up an eWallet — your child's digital payment account. (If you currently have a balance on an existing eWallet account, the balance can be used with your new account. Just be sure to set up the account with the same email address.) Visit our Book Fair homepage to learn more, create an eWallet account, and preview books for the Fair: https://bookfairs.scholastic.com/bf/twinpeaksmiddleschool

Volunteers needed! To make the Fair successful, volunteers are needed to help at the Fair – cashiers and monitors! Shifts are short and easy. Please click on the following link to sign up: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E0B4CAAAA2AAAF58-55364904-tpms

8th Grade Family Night for Poway High School is on Tuesday, March 18th, 2025 from 5-7pm in the Poway High School Gym. Please click here for the 8th Grade Family Night Website. We wish the best to our future Titans!

For our current 8th graders heading to high school next year please click on the link below to access your Course Request Forms (CRFs). PHS Counselors visited 8th Grade ELA classes this past week to help students select their classes and to review their 4-year plan. For additional questions, please contact your TPMS counselor:

Mrs. Baskin Last names A-F

Mr. Ortiz Last names H-O

Mrs. Jennings Last namesP-Z

Please click here for more information: https://sites.google.com/powayusd.com/pusd8thgradecrf/home

Support the Twin Peaks PTSA and treat yourself to a dozen Original Glazed Krispy Kreme donuts for just $15!

Here's How It Works:

1. Order: Fill out the form to place your order.
2. Support: 50% of each purchase goes directly to TPMS PTSA.
3. Enjoy: Pick up your donuts at your local Krispy Kreme. It's a win-win! Get fresh donuts while supporting a great cause! CLICK HERE or on the graphic below to place your order today!

It’s hard to believe it, but it’s already time to begin to think about the 2025-2026 school year! If you didn't catch them last week, here are some important dates to mark on your calendars for next school year:

• Transfer Requests - beginning on February 1st at 8:00 am, we will accept transfer requests for students who live in the Poway Unified boundaries and would like to attend a different Poway school. This includes incoming siblings of current students, as well as students who have not yet enrolled. Transfer requests can be made on the Poway Unified website by clicking THIS link. The transfer window closes on March 31st at 5:00 pm.

• Continuing Student Registration - from February 28 - March 31st, all parents whose current students will continue in Poway Unified for the 2025-26 school year need to complete online continuing registration. Look for more information coming soon.

• New Student Enrollment - beginning on April 1st at 8:00 am, new student enrollment opens on the Poway Unified website. We are excited to welcome our new students!

**More details can be found on the Poway Unified website at www.powayusd.com.

March Parent Education 2025

Taming Your Child's Tantrums and Meltdown TK - 5th Grade

Navigating Autism and Supporting Your Child Grades 6th - 8th

Gender Identity and Expression Part II All Grades

6th-8th Grade Parent Education

Date: Wednesday, 3/12/25

Time: 6:00pm - 8:00pm

Location: Abraxas High School, Room 4

Class Code: 14172

Instructor: Jason Omoto
Tuition: $29.00/individual or $35.00/couple

Managing screen time is an essential part of supporting children’s well-being and academic success in today’s digital world. Technology offers incredible opportunities for learning and creativity, but maintaining a healthy balance is key. Setting clear boundaries and encouraging mindful tech habits at home helps children develop the skills they need to navigate their digital lives responsibly. By working together to create a balanced approach to technology use, we can empower students to thrive both in and out of the classroom.

• Elementary Resource: How Much Screentime is OK for My Kids?

• Secondary Resource: 4 Conversations to Have with Older Kids and Teens About Their Screen Time Habits

College & Career Fair Details

Date: Wednesday, March 19th

Time: 11:45am-12:52pm

Location: TPMS Quad

If you would like to participate by sharing fun facts and other information about your work and career with our students, please complete our Google Form: bit.ly/tpccf2425. We look forward to partnering with you for this exciting event. Please contact Melissa Baskin, mbaskin@powayusd.com, if you have any questions.

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/

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:

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:

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