Dear Peters Township Middle School Parents/Guardians,
The 2012-13 school year marks the start of an important and exciting opportunity for our students to have an outstanding educational, social and emotional experience. At Peters Township Middle School (PTMS), the administration, faculty and staff recognize that we have a responsibility to provide our students with positive, challenging and engaging school experiences and are committed to nurturing a school climate that promotes Achievement, Character, and Community.
We look forward to our third year of serving together as leaders at PTMS and are optimistic that this school year will be a great success. There are a few changes in place that we believe will enhance the middle school experience for our students.
The new PTMS Motto is Achievement, Character and Community, representing the areas that we intend to nurture and impact throughout the life of the school. Our school community developed and adopted a “touchstone” that represents our vision and the ideals that we seek to promote and model. The PTMS Touchstone is based on an American Indian symbol for the sun and is intended to embody our efforts to learn, grow and serve in a positive and honorable manner.
In addition, three new faculty members will start the year at PTMS. Katie Stouden, our new librarian, comes to us from the Chartiers-Houston School District, Jessica McHugh is our new computer applications teacher and student council sponsor and Kristen McCune, a new eighth grade math teacher, joins us after serving for several years in the Freedom Area School District. Melissa Giaquinto, formerly of PTHS, will teach seventh grade social studies and serve as our cheerleading sponsor.
Beginning Monday, August 27th, our students will enter the first day with their newly purchased back-to-school supplies. Information regarding school supplies to purchase is listed on our website. This information will give you a general idea of some of the supplies the middle school students will need. Once school begins, individual subject area teachers may give students a more comprehensive list. Any of these items can be found at local office supply stores. You may want to start purchasing those ever-evasive book covers that all our teachers require. They cut down on the wear and tear of our books; the ones we find that work best and stay on the longest are those that are made of soft, stretchable material.
The middle school offers many opportunities for parents to become a part of their child’s experience. Open House is scheduled for Thursday, October 4th, from 6:30 P.M. – 8:30 P.M., and will give you a chance to meet with your child’s teachers and hear about the academic expectations for each class.
Parent/Teacher Conference Day has been set for Thursday, November 8th. Parents can sign up to meet with their child’s teachers during Open House; a confirmation slip/phone call will verify the time for your conference. If you do not receive a time slot during this conference day, you will still be able to meet with your child’s teachers. Team planning time is set aside daily for parents to meet with their child’s team of teachers. Please contact your child’s core subject team of teachers in the event that you want to initiate a meeting.
Take Your Parent to School Day is scheduled for Thursday, October 18th. Parents are invited to attend and participate in your student’s classes. A modified schedule will be in place on this day. Additional information will be communicated through email, our website and through PTA.
An assignment planner is available to all students for a cost of $4.00 and can be purchased through the main office. With this organizer, students are to write daily assignments, log grades, and note long-term projects. In addition, our website features a section for homework online to further assist students and parents. GOAL 7 is a required course that is designed to guide students in setting goals, teach them to organize time and materials, learn the skills of coping with academic and social issues, and practice the art of note taking and paraphrasing. GOAL 8 guides students in setting a course for high school academics, exploring career options, how to be successful on achievement tests, and correlates learning styles with learning skills. The GOAL Courses are intended to equip our students with effective skills and develop effective habits.
It is important for parents and students to keep up with grades throughout the school year. Grades are accessible via the school district’s website via Power School. Students and parents who are new to the district will receive their passwords following orientation on August 15, 2012. Current students and parents will use their passwords from last school year.
Gym lockers will be available to students during physical education class. Students are to bring a combination/key lock for the locker and supply the physical education teacher with the combination/extra key.
We will strive to create and maintain an atmosphere and climate characterized by respect. It is our intent to foster an attitude of mutual respect among our students and throughout our school. Appearance is one of the first and most significant ways that we communicate respect; thus, we have created a dress code that makes a clear statement for respecting self, others and the school community.
We intend to enforce the code in the interest of promoting a respectful and positive school climate. We appreciate and admire our student body for being neatly and appropriately attired. As a practical matter, we remind you that when buying back-to-school wardrobes, note that students are not permitted to wear sleeveless shirts, short-shorts/skirts, bare midriff/low cut tops, excessively tight or form-fitting clothing or low-riding pants. Shorts are an option for our students, but they must comply with our dress code standards. All shirts, skirts, and dresses must be no more than inches about the top of the knee in length. A complete description of the dress code can be found in the school handbook that is accessible via our website.
In closing, we wish to thank you for your support, cooperation and confidence. We truly appreciate our working partnership in the interest of providing an outstanding educational experience for our students.
Sincerely,
Robert G. Freado Michael Henaghan
Principal Assistant Principal