Many congratulations to our student athletes on the Baseball and Softball teams on their strong performances in the first season back on the field following Distance Learning! Our Softball team took the Championship for Middle Schools and our Baseball team engaged in a hard-fought battle for second place in the division.
Looking forward to the week coming up: On Thursday evening, 10/14, both our African American Parent Advisory Council and our Parent Teacher Student Association will be meeting on campus at Presidio. Friday morning, 10/15, will be Principal’s Coffee - this month we are joined by Special Education Teacher Rebecca Fall for a presentation on supporting student study skills for all students. Please RSVP, Sign-In, and plan to be masked at all times while on campus to support all COVID safety measures.
Our Panther students, teachers, and staff have been busy getting clubs launched based on student requests. A list of current clubs is here, clubs will close based on capacity. Dependent upon student experience, we may do another round of club sign ups in early 2022.
Friday, 10/15 is Spirit Day. It’s going to be Crazy Hat/Hair Day. We are looking forward to some fun and friendly competition between Homeroom/Advisories to see what classes have the most spirit at each grade level.
Please note that SFUSD is experiencing a shortage of disposable masks, we have some but not a huge supply. Every day, student’s masks break or get dirty. We do have cloth masks to provide to students that can be washed up to 75 times; we also know these get lost. Thank you for your donations of disposable or fabric masks to the 1000+ Presidio students who need to use them daily. Mask donations will be received at the main office with gratitude at any time.
There is ever so much more going on in our community, please take some time to read through the remainder of the newsletter to find out what’s happening.
Enjoy the three-day weekend as SFUSD recognizes Indigenous People’s Day, we will see everyone back at school on Tuesday, October 12.
Yours in Community,
Ms. Dunbar, Principal
Before Coming to School: Daily Health Screening
Staying home when sick is an important way that we protect each other from the spread of COVID-19.
Answer these questions for yourself or your child everyday before coming to school:
Has your child had any symptoms listed below that are new or different from usual?
Fever (100.4°F/38°C or higher) or chills
Cough
Headache
Sore throat
Loss of taste or smell that started in the last 10 days (Children may say that food “tastes bad” or “tastes funny”)
Feeling out of breath or having a hard time breathing
Nasal congestion or runny nose
Diarrhea, nausea or vomiting
Fatigue
Muscle aches or body aches
If your child has any of the symptoms above:
Contact your child’s doctor, and have your child tested for COVID-19.
Keep your child at home until you get their test results.
Contact your child's school.
If you are not fully vaccinated, in the past 10-14 days, have you had “close contact” with anyone who has COVID-19 during their contagious period?
If your child was fully vaccinated for COVID-19, they can keep going to school. Consider having them tested for 3-5 days after their close contact.
If your child was not fully vaccinated for COVID-19, they must stay home. Follow the quarantine instructions.
Have you tested positive for COVID-19 within the past 10 days?
If you or your child(ren) answered yes, please stay at home.
If you or your child(ren) answered no, you can keep going to school.
9/15-10/15 Latinx Heritage Month 10/1-10/31 Phillipinx Heritage Month 10/11 School Closed; Indigenous People's Day
10/14 AAPAC Meeting
10/14 Community Meeting
10/15 Crazy Hair Day
10/15 Principal Chat
10/16-17 PTSA Shards of History Special Fundraising Event 10/21 SSC Meeting
10/23 Virtual Enrollment Fair 10/29-10/31 Outside Lands
10/31 Halloween
11/1-11/30 American Indian Heritage Month 11/2 Election Day 11/7 Daylight Savings Time Ends 11/11 School Closed; Veterans Day
11/18 AAPAC Meeting
11/18 Community Meeting
11/19 Principal Chat
11/15-19 Parent-Teacher conferences
11/22-26 School Closed; Fall Break
Read further for details regarding each event
Panther Pride Fund
Dear Presidio Community,
Welcome back to in-person school!
As a parent of a new 6th grader, I can’t express how relieved and grateful I was to see our kids greeting each other on the yard on the first day a few weeks ago. However strange this year is bound to be, it’s great to see this community back in action.
And speaking of getting back in action, we’ve kicked off our annual fund drive! With all the turmoil of the last year, school fundraising efforts obviously took a backseat. Fortunately, we were able to bolster the funds we raised with federal and state assistance. That COVID-related assistance will be coming to an end, so this year we’re attempting to make up the gap and set ourselves up well to meet the needs of the Presidio community, on our own.
Your tax-deductible gift fills in the critical financial gap the school faces to provide our students with high-quality academic and enriching educational experiences. Contributions directly fund materials and equipment to enhance Presidio’s core curriculum in Science, Math, Language Arts, and Social Studies; expenses for electives; supplies and stipends for additional teachers; and school wide events.
We would not be able to support these crucial needs without your support. Participating in our Panther Pride Fund is one of the most important ways you can support your child’s middle school experience at Presidio.
We are asking each family to consider a gift of $750 to the Presidio Pride Fund this year. We understand that, especially this year, some families cannot give that much, while others are able to give more. If you are able, please consider donating to cover another Presidio family. Every single gift, of any amount, makes a difference for our students.
To make a gift, please visit www.donatetopresidio.com and select the Panther Pride Fund option. Donations are 100% tax deductible and can be broken up in monthly payments. Also, a reminder that more companies than ever are offering matching contributions for your charitable donations. Please check with your employer’s Human Resources department to see if they have a matching gift program.
I appreciate you taking the time to consider the Panther Pride Fund during another extraordinary year. Thankyou for supporting our amazing community!
Jessica Tiwari
Presidio PTSA Panther Pride Fund
The Restorative Justice Room
An intentional space for Healing Centered and Restorative Practices
SEL guiding questions, frameworks, practices, and supports
Race, Equity, and Social Justice conversations and dialogues
All Panther Community Villagers welcome (what makes you feel welcome in a space) and invited (intentional invite, voluntary option, voice/choice/options) to engage in social responsibility.
(if you can hear my voice, chant we are awesome!)
What: DEFINE Restorative Practices, Circles Tiers 1-3, Restorative Conversations, Healing (create working definition, mission statement, purpose (nia) for) Centered Practices (looks like, feels, like, sounds like, tastes like, smells like) opportunity for students to shine on various senses and descriptors
Why: to build inclusion and connection, facilitate transformative conversations, to engage community members in collective and individual accountability, access equitable practices and resources (get restored, fill your cup, get oxygen, feel joy)
When: daily hours assigned and aligned with SFUSD school day (as well as DCYF Beacon deliverables in collaboration with Beacon Leadership, WPM, and BPM)
8:55-9:20 am- Monday Mindfulness Circle
9:00-10:00-Circle Prep Tuesday
12:00-12:45-1:15- Staff drop in-Take 10 with me Thursdays* (1st/3rd/ or 2nd/4th)*
Lunch time-specific days for students, the referral process for specific reasons-still must be an option for students to choose or accept, Circle at lunch, reflection, needs, agreements, intentions,
R.O.A.R/ D.E.A.R-bring in a small group- designate a book, AA Boys book club TBA
Advisory-host, float, push in, pull out, small group work
ASP/ hours-4:00-7:00, Wednesday @2:30-until? (Beacon Enrichment and Wellness Activity Leaders) 4:10-5/6/7 pm can offer: supervision support on walking field trips, restorative hours for RC, Circles, coaching, resources/ materials, Community meetings/AAPAC meetings, AS events/activities
How: Reflections, Restorative conversations, Circles, 1:1, small group(s) work
Happenings~ boundaries, guidelines, space agreements, group agreements, consistency, predictability, social skills, norm it
PITCH framework, findings, strategies, work focus group(s)
Hip Hop Pedagogy-review exemplars
Telephone- a feedback loop
COI continuous 30/60/90/ loop/30/60/90/close
Data input
Data review
Patterns illustrated -early, emerging, continued
Qualitative, storytelling-oral tradition
Lesson/activity plans generated- My 21st Century Learning project-Connections in learning to serve the whole child
SEL-5 competencies, The Other Side of the Report Card
A Blast From the Past
Before school closed in Spring of 2020, one of our amazing parent volunteers, Adriana Bergman, spent the time to scan all of the vintage yearbooks on display in the Presidio Library. Our yearbooks date back as far as Fall 1931. The cover pictured above is that first edition.
Check out the Fall 1931 Yearbook. Notice how much has changed and how much has stayed the same.
Check back each week for another edition of the Presidio Yearbook.
The Presidio PTSA is looking for 2-3 volunteers to manage the incoming art pieces and get the word out to students. Can you help? Please email communications@presidioptsa.com to volunteer.
Charleston Wrap Fundraiser
Deadline Extended to October 19th
Thank you for supporting our Charleston Wrap fundraiser! We are so pleased to inform you that we were able to extend the deadline to October 19th!
For families who needed more time, please enjoy your shopping experience with Charleston Wrap!
For families who want to order more, you can now do so!
Please visit registercw.com to register. Use our ORGANIZATION ID 23129.
Presidio earns 40% profit, and 30% on personalized and boutique items.
Questions about registration? Call CW Customer Support at 1-866-395-2926.
Presidio Panther Business of the Month
Each month, Presidio will promote and support a local small business from a different neighborhood in San Francisco, giving it more exposure and hopefully new Panther customers. The business will have a flyer in its window letting people know that it has been chosen as the Presidio Panther Business of the Month.
In October, come and show your Panther Pride and community spirit as our chosen small business for the month is The Art Bistro, located just one block from school.
The Art Bistro 2960 Clement Street (@ 31st Ave.)
San Francisco, CA 94121
Mention Presidio MS when you place your order so The Art Bistro knows how much we appreciate it! Also, don't forget to tell friends and family so they can join us in our support of SF small businesses. Post a picture of yourself at The Art Bistro and tag Presidio's Instagram (@presidioptsa) and your name will go into a drawing for free Presidio SWAG!
Also, we'd love to celebrate small businesses from the neighborhoods of ALL the families in our Panther community, so please nominate your favorite neighborhood business so we can discover and celebrate them together! If you have a nomination, please email me at partnerships@presidioptsa.com.
Thank you for your continued support of our Presidio MS community
Join PTSA!
In past years, the Presidio PTSA had about 350 members. It has just 57 members currently. Please, join the PTSA today!
Join us on Thursday October 14th in Partnership with Parents For Public Schools. Greg Bailey will present his "Restorative Restart" program. We will discuss how school closures and the pandemic impacted our families lives and what supports and resources are available within the Presidio community, SFUSD and our community as a whole.
Date: October 14th 2021
Time: 6:00 PM
Location: Presidio Middle School Auditorium
Please RSVP by Tuesday, October 12, 2021.
Come and have a light dinner & refreshments outside on the auditorium steps
6:00-6:30 - refreshments on the steps
6:30-7:00 - PTSA Business
7:00-8:00 - "Restorative Restart" presentation.
Joining us will be a SPED teacher invited to go over the supports at Presidio. This will be an opportunity for parents to ask questions about what services are offered to their child(s).
DATE: Friday, October 15th, 2021
TIME: 10am to 11am PST
PLACE: Teacher's lounge. Please sign in at the office beforehand. Coffee and treats will be provided.
Every Friday is Spirit Friday and students should be wearing the Presidio Color Tees every week.
Friday October 15th is Crazy Hair Day! Send your student to school with a wacky hair do. There will be Homeroom/Advisory competitions, so everyone should join the fun!
Clubs Corner
Student, using their SFUSD email accounts, may access a growing list of club options here.
Sports Corner
A huge congratulations to our Girls Softball Team, who won the AAA middle school championships this week (23-2 vs. Denman)!
Baseball Season Comes to a Close
The Panthers baseball team went up against AP Giannini yesterday at West Sunset field, at the AAA middle school baseball championship game and they lost, despite their best effort. It was a very close game at 3-2, and we're very proud of our team.Congratulations to the team on a great and exciting season and we look forward to seeing them play again next year.
Both the girls & boys basketball teams are now practicing, preparing for
games that begin on 10/21.
The girls soccer team begins practices next week, with the first game scheduled for 10/27.
Coming Up Next!
Girls Volleyball Tryouts
All interested girls that want to try out or manage for the volleyball team should attend the informational meeting on Tuesday, November 2, 2021 at 12:40pm (beginning of lunch). Physical form packets and tryout dates will be given at this time.
More info coming soon. If you would like to get a jump on the forms, they can be found here.
ENROLLMENT INFO FOR SCHOOL YEAR 2022-2023
Virtual Enrollment Fair (October 22 to 29)
We are only weeks away from this year's Virtual Enrollment Fair and we want to provide you with some quick updates:
For these workshops, you can listen, watch, and interact with our presenters on Zoom.
You can also listen and watch these workshops onSFUSD's YouTube channel, but you will not be able to interact with our presenters on YouTube.
Correction: Language interpretation will NOT be offered in M
andarin. Language interpretation will be offered in Cantonese, Spanish, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Arabic, and Samoan for the Friday and Saturday workshops.
You can request American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation by filling outthis form.
Zoom videoconferencing links for the workshops and the school information sessions are coming soon.
To find out when a school is presenting, learn about our partner organizations for the fair, and get more information about the fair, visit our Enrollment Fair page at sfusd.edu/fair!
Q: My child is an 8th grader. When should I apply for high school?
A: Applications are due on Feb. 4, 2022. SFUSD is hosting a virtual enrollment fair this month, Oct. 22-29. Please refer to the flyer above in this newsletter.
Q: My child wants to play a sport this year. Who do I contact about this and where can I find the medical and other forms that everyone is talking about?
A. Email questions to Ms. Alvarez, Presidio's Athletic Director: alvarezs1@sfusd.edu.
Information Meetings. Coaches generally conduct information sessions during the lunch hour leading up to tryouts and/or the season. Upcoming information sessions will be advertised in the Presidio Daily News (shown to students in their classrooms) or in this Newsletter.
All required forms can be foundhere. **Your child will need a physician to fill out and sign a History and Physical Form.** It's good for one year. Bring it to your child's annual well-child visit, or contact the pediatrician's office to see if you can submit the form via fax or email, to be filled and out returned to you the same way.
Tryouts. Not all sports require them. They will be advertised in this Newsletter. When in doubt, contact Ms. Alvarez to find out the latest
Q: Who is my child's counselor? A: The counselors at Presdio can answer your questions about curriculum or school services.You can reach them at 415-750-8438 or by email.
Download the Tree Ring app for iOS or Android, then start uploading photos from the 1st Day of School. You can even create 2 free custom pages from the app!
SFUSD Updates
Click on pic to download or view larger
In Other News....
Golden Gate Park Bandshell Concerts for October 8, 9, 10 and 13
Golden Gate Bandshell’s iconic stage is packed with a series of free outdoor concerts in Golden Gate Park this fall, courtesy of Illuminate, San Francisco Parks Alliance, and the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department. Soul/Jazz Friday on October 8 will feature the Dave Dieni Quartet from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. On Saturday, October 9, Duniya Dance and Drum Company will perform with Feline Finesse from 12:30 to 3 p.m. On Sunday, October 10 Jah Yzer and special guest Junior Toots, the son of legendary Reggae artist Toots Hibbert (Toots and the Maytals) will perform for Reggae Sunday from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Next week, Megan Slankard will perform on October 13 for Singer/Songwriter Wednesday from 4 to 7 p.m. For more information, click the link below.
Bringing Light and Hope This Filipino American History Month
Against the continued tragedies and travails of the COVID-19 pandemic, we mark this October’s Filipino American History Month with a simple wish—darating ang liwanag, or “Hope will come.” In this case, liwanag, or “light,” becomes a metaphor for pag-asa, or “hope.”
Sa kabila ng mga pagsubok at trahedya ng pandemya ng Covid 19, itong Oktubre—buan ng kasaysayan ng Pilipino Americano-ay ipinagugunita natin ang isang simpleng kahilingan—sana’y darating ang liwanag. Sa kasong ito, and liwanag ay masasabing talinghaga sa pag-asa. Inasamsam natin na di magtatagal, ay maihahatid tayo sa liwanag mula sa kapit ng kadiliman.
We are proud to introduce this generous fundraiser offered by a Presidio family!
The opportunity will go through the month of October, with a special event taking place on October 16 & 17. We hope to see you there!
Shop at the Shards of History booth and 20% will go to Presidio Middle School when you mention the
fundraiser!
Public Glass
1750 Armstrong Ave, San Francisco, CA 94124 October 16 & 17 11am - 6pm
These one-of-a-kind sun hangings (similar to stained glass) are made from SF glass from the 1800's
- now. Current inventory can be here: facebook.com/shardsofhistory
* Shards of History is a Presidio family owned business *
Greg Freeman attended Presidio Middle School and now his granddaughter is a 6th grader at Presidio.
Thank you for supporting local artists in San Francisco!
Presidio has ongoing community partnerships that donate back to our school with each purchase or subscription. Please join us in these quick and easy ways to earn money for Presidio while we shop for our everyday items. Check out these links and instructions.
AmazonSmile
* 0.5% of purchases are donated to Presidio Middle School *
Same products, same prices, same service as Amazon.com
How to sign up using the Amazon App:
1) Open Amazon Shopping App
2) Navigate to the main menu (=)
3) Tap on Settings and select "AmazonSmile"
4) Select your charity - Presidio Middle School PTSA (No.328). Follow the on-screen instructions to turn ON AmazonSmile in the mobile app
5) Once AmazonSmile has been activated in your app, future eligible app purchases will generate a donation for our school. How to sign up on a web browser:
1) Visit smile.amazon.com
2) Sign in with the same account you use for Amazon.com
3) Select your charity - Presidio Middle School PTSA (No.328)
4) Start shopping! Remember to checkout at smile.amazon.com to generate donations for Presidio!
5) Tip: Add a bookmark to make it easier to shop at smile.amazon.com
Farm Fresh To You
* 10% of purchases are donated to Presidio Middle School *
Receive fresh, organic produce conveniently delivered to your home.
- Apply our promo code "PRESIDIOPANTHER" to your new or existing Farm Fresh To You account online. You may also call 800.796.6009 to apply the promo code to your account.
Sports Basement
* 10% off every item, every time you shop *
* 10% of profits donated to Presidio Middle School * Become a Sports Basement Member / Basementeer:
- Purchase a $25.00 lifetime membership
- Choose "Presidio Middle" as your beneficiary Already a Sports Basement Member / Basementeer?
- To update your beneficiary, send an email to friends@sportsbasement.com "Please update my beneficiary to "Presidio Middle" - Include your first and last name, email address, and phone number associated with your Sports Basement membership
- Note: If you shopped with Sports Basement prior to 2020, and chose a beneficiary, it is possible that your account may have been grandfathered in - you may not need to pay the $25.00 lifetime membership fee. Please remember to update your beneficiary to 'Presdio Middle"
* When shopping in-store - Mention "Presidio Middle" at checkout *
* When shopping online - enter the Basementeer Discount Code *
Office Depot
* 5% of qualifying purchases will be given to our school in credits for free supplies *
Provide the Presidio Middle School ID: 70014119 Shopping Online: enter School ID on the Thank You Confirmation Page Shopping In-Store: provide School Name and ID to associate when checking out
Box Tops For Education
* Register to support Presidio Middle School on the Box Tops Mobile App or BTFE.com *
We can raise funds when we grocery shop for our favorite items. Paper Receipts:
- Scan store receipt within 14 days of purchase
- Make sure receipt details are clearly visible. Retailer name or logo; Date of purchase; Transaction total; Product Information
- Submit Digital Recripts:
- Forward digital receipt to receipts@boxtops4education.com
- Tip: Send receipt from the same email address that you use for the Box Tops Mobile App or BTFE.com
- If your digital receipt is only available in the store's shopping app, just forward it directly from there
Thank you for your continued support of our school!
This weekly newsletter
We have two new parent volunteers working on our weekly newsletter, Christine Miyauchi and Clarissa Kearns. Going forward, please send your submissions to our new email address: newsletter@presidioptsa.com by 12 p.m. on Thursdays. Thank you!
Click pic to download
Presidio Middle School is Nut Free!
Please do not send any nuts or nut containing items in your child's lunch or snacks. We appreciate your consideration of the many students at Presidio with nut allergies.
