Twin Peaks Middle School

Happy Sunday Ram Families!

I hope this newsletter finds you all well and enjoying your weekend after an eventful full-moon week at TPMS! Students and staff were busy this week - our AVID Ohana held its annual Induction Ceremony on Monday night, our ASES flag football team had its first win of the year, our staff "defeated" the students in our first student vs. staff volleyball game on Thursday at lunch, our Science Department held its CPK fundraiser, and our Cross Country team competed at the Mt. Sac Invitational on Friday! Throw in Foundation and PTSA meetings on Tuesday and Thursday nights and this had the makings of a very busy week!

October 21st-25th TPMS is celebratnig Red Ribbon Week, the nations largest and oldest drug prevention campaign. Students - make sure to participate in each spirit day to celebrate living your lives drug free and to earn 5 star points! Monday will be Red Day, Tuesday will be Sports Day, Wednesday will be Hawaiian Day, Thursday will be Mismatch Day and Friday will be Pajama Day! This year's theme is Life is a Movie: Film Drug Free! Parents - you can help support this year's Red Ribbon Week theme and our PTSA at the same time by purchasing your Regal movie tickets in bundles of 2 at a reduced rate. Click here to purchase or for more information.

One of the student behaviors that we address daily is appropriate language. This includes profanity, inappropriate jokes, racial slurs and even hate speech. As a No Place For Hate school, Twin Peaks staff are commited to working with our students to make sure they understand the power of their words. Our Counseling & Student Support Team will begin the first No Place For Hate activity presentations this week in Homeroom classes. The focus of the first activity is Intent vs. Impact of Spoken Words. You can view a copy of the slides being presented by CLICKING HERE. Please reachout to our counselors with any questions or concerns about our first NPFH lesson.

Our PTSA Reflections Art Contest is now 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 has been extended to 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.

The Poway Unified School District Community Advisory Committee (CAC) is an active group of parents and district staff who care about students with special needs and the families and educators who support them. If you are interested in contributing your time and talent to support students with special needs, please consider applying to become a member of the CAC! We are accepting applications through this Friday, October 25, 2024. Please CLICK HERE to apply. For more information on the CAC, our meeting dates and past minutes, please CLICK HERE.

Thank you to all of you who purchased tickets for the Foundation's Fall Social, which due to unforseen circumstances had to be postponed and was rescheduled to the end of January. If you already purchased a ticket, you are already covered for the new date! Can't make the new date? CLICK HERE to contact the Foundation for a full refund. Please save the date on your calendars now for the Foundation's Winter Social on Friday, January 31st, 2025!

PUSD middle schools are currently going through a pilot process for adopting a new English Language Arts (ELA) curriculum for grades 6-8. Please visit our Curriculum Adoptions page for more information and directions on how to provide feedback. Community members can provide feedback until Friday, November 1st, 2024.

There are several opportutnities coming up in the next few weeks for parents to learn a little more about some issues that may be impacting their students. Please make sure to scroll down the newsletter this week to sign up for a PUSD parent class or for information on a few special presentations coming up. Two I recommend you consider are Cell Phones + Social Media + Your Teen's Brain = ??? on October 23rd and Internet Safety: What Parents Need to Know on November 6th. Both are being held in the Mesa verde Middle School Little Theater from 6:00-7:30pm. Please see the flyers with more information on both events below.

Finally this week, just a heads up that we will not be following our regular schedule next week so that we can hold Parent-Student-Teacher conferences in the afternoons. There is no school for all secondary schools in PUSD on Monday, October 28th - teachers have professional learning and conference preparation time on this day. Tuesday, October 29th through Friday, November 1st will be minimum day schedules, with an 8:30am start and a 12:35pm dismissal all four days. Wednesday, October 30th is NOT a late start day due to the minimum day schedule - school will start at 8:30am on 10/30/24. Our ASES program will remain open in the morning and in the afternoon as normal, and conferences will be taking place on campus from 1-3:30pm each day. Don't forget to come by the ASB Hanunted House on Wednesday night starting at 5:30pm - it's going to ba a scary good time!

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

October 21st-25th: Red Ribbon Week

October 23rd: Late Start 9:30am

October 23rd & 24th: Band fundraiser at El Ranchito!

October 28th: Professional Development Day - No School for Students

October 29th-November 1st: Minimum Days for Conferences

October 30th: 8:30am start! ASB Haunted House @TPMS, 5:30pm

November 6th: WEB Fundraiser at Dirty Dough

November 6th: Late Start 9:30am

November 11th: Veteran's Day - NO SCHOOL

November 12th: Military Appreciation Lunch (both lunches)

November 13th: Late Start 9:30am

November 25th - 29th: Thanksgiving Break

Next week, starting on October 21, we are celebrating living drug free! You guessed it, Red Ribbon week! Red Ribbon week is the Nations largest and oldest drug prevention campaign. Make sure to participate in each spirit day to celebrate living our lives drug free, and to earn 5 star points! Monday will be Red Day, Tuesday will be Sports Day, Wednesday will be Hawaiian Day, Thursday will be Mismatch Day and Friday will be Pajama Day!

This year's theme is Life is a Movie: Film Drug Free! You can help support Red Ribbon Week and our PTSA by purchasing your Regal movie tickets in bundles of 2 at a reduced rate. Check out the link below!

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.

Calling all Spooky Rams! This year, Twin Peaks ASB will be hosting our second annual TPMS Haunted House on October 30th from 5:30-7:30 PM. Entry will be $2 for all TPMS Students and $3 for any other guests and tickets will be sold at the door on the day of the event. All guests under the age of 18 will need a permission slip, which can be found on the TPMS ASB Activities Canvas page, or on the window outside Room 911. In the meantime, we need your help! We are looking for some donations to help with the cost of creating the Haunted House of our dreams (or nightmares...). Please review our DONATION REQUEST LIST and sign up if you'd like to help out and donate an item!

Back by popular demand, the TPMS Online Spirit Store is open for business, but hurry! In order to ensure that spirit wear will be delivered before Winter Break, the online store will only be open for a short time - closing on October 31st. Get your TPMS T-Shirts, hoodies, pajama pants and more today by visiting https://bit.ly/ramspirit !

Attention TPMS 6th Graders! Are you interested in joining our ASB team starting in Trimester 2? ASB Applications for 6th Grade Representatives will be available starting October 14th in Room 911. Applications are due no later than October 29th, with elections happening the following week. Visit Mrs. Crow in Room 911 during lunch or break to pick up an application!

Attention all Basketball players! Basketball season here at TPMS is fast approaching. Registration for basketball will be available Monday October 21st until Friday November 1st. 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 basketball 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! Thank you!

Skill Eval Dates: 3:15-4:15 in TPMS Gym

Monday Nov 4th

Wednesday Nov 6th

Wednesday Nov 13th

Teams Posted Friday Nov 15th

Hello!

If you are interested in contributing your time and talent to support students with special needs, please consider applying to become a member of the Poway Unified School District Community Advisory Committee (CAC). We are accepting applications through October 25, 2024, so please act quickly. Please apply here: https://forms.gle/ueBMMyGMCEgA4xB77

The CAC is an active group of parents and district staff who care about students with special needs and the families and educators who support them. For more information on the CAC, our meeting dates and past minutes, please go to: https://www.powayusd.com/apps/pages/community-advisory-committee

We hope to hear from you soon.

Thank you,

2024-2025 PUSD Community Advisory Committee

¡Hola!

Si está interesado en contribuir su tiempo y talento para apoyar a los estudiantes con necesidades especiales, considere postularse para convertirse en miembro del Poway Unified School District Comité Asesor de la Comunidad (CAC). Aceptamos solicitudes hasta el 25 de octubre de 2024, así que actúe rápidamente. Por favor aplique aquí: https://forms.gle/ueBMMyGMCEgA4xB77

El CAC es un grupo activo de padres y personal del distrito que se preocupa por los estudiantes con necesidades especiales y las familias y educadores que los apoyan. Para obtener más información sobre el CAC, las fechas de nuestras reuniones y las actas anteriores, visite: https://www.powayusd.com/apps/pages/community-advisory-committee

Esperamos saber de usted pronto.

Gracias,

2024-2025 Comité Asesor Comunitario del PUSD

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: October 25th.

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/

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.

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

Mesa Verde Middle School is hosting Cell Phones + Social Media + Your Teen's Brain = ? a FREE parent education event on Wednesday, October 23rd from 6-7:30pm in the their Little Theater. This event is open to all PUSD parents of middle and high school students.

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