Panther Parent Update

De Portola is a welcoming diverse learning community. We foster individuality by empowering and developing students’ communication, curiosity, and critical thinking skills through a growth mindset. We are Panthers! Rooooaaaarrrrrrrr!!

08/05 Office CLOSED for staff meeting

08/07 Panther Orientation 9:30am - 11:00am

08/10 First day of school (FULL DAY)

08/11-8/14 Text/Chromebook Distribution

08/12 Kona Ice (Lunchtime)

08/13 MINIMUM DAY with a 1:00pm Dismissal (EVERY THURSDAY)

09/02 Picture Day

09/03 Back to School Night 5:00-7:00

09/07 NO SCHOOL (Labor Day)

09/16 De Portola Foundation Meeting 4:00pm (Staff Lounge, east facing door of front office building)

09/17 SGT & SSC Meeting

09/18 Last Day of Grading Period 1

09/21 Make Up Picture Day

We are looking forward to welcoming students on Friday, August 7 for Panther Orientation from 9:30AM to 11:00AM. 6th graders are scheduled for 9:30AM. 7th & 8th graders are scheduled for 10:00am. Please follow the signs to park in the east parking lot overflow in the back on the dirt lot. Gate 2 (accessible from east lot) will be open and there will be a gate open in the back.

PowerSchool and Parent Portal will open on Thursday, August 6 at 5:00pm with tentative student schedules.

Orientation will take place in Weiner Hall/Auditorium. All 6th grade and new students will receive a printed/hardcopy tentative schedule with map on the back. Students are welcome to pass by classrooms and say hello to teachers. There will be information tables for Foundation, OWLS, Theatre, Lacrosse, Junior Cadet, Field Hockey. Enrollment will also be located in Weiner Hall. PE sales will be located by the Nurses Office behind the front office.

Textbook/Chromebook check out for all 6th graders will be from 9:30AM-10:30AM in the media center. Please remember to bring in your students Chromebook from last year in order to check out new Chromebook for this school year.

Primetime Families who are currently enrolled are invited to Primetime Orientation this Friday, August 7th from 10:30-11:30AM in the Media Center.

Parents are welcome to join. Kona Ice will be available for purchase. Students can purchase a reusable cup and use it for a reduced price every first Wednesday of the month when Kona Ice visits at lunch.

All sixth graders will report to their first period classes on Monday, August 10.

6th Grade Bridging

Period 1

• Attendance
• 8:15 Tour
• 8:40 Weiner Hall
• Admin Intro & Panther Pride Assembly

Period 2

• 9:00 Students go to per. 2
• Attendance and explanation of scavenger hunt with school tour
• 9:15 Scavenger Hunt
• 9:45 Return to class for a snack

Period 4

• Teachers will walk sixth grade classes to lunch at 11:45. This will allow a few extra minutes on this first day.

We will have additional staff present 7:45am to help new 7th & 8th graders find their classes.

Kona Ice will be on campus this Friday during Orientation as well as Wednesday 8/12 during school lunch.

Small - $5

Medium - $6

Large - $7

Refillable - $8

Students can pay with cash. Kona Ice also accepts Apple Pay, so students will be permitted to use their phone at point of purchase. The sales from Kona Ice go directly to the PE Department for equipment.

We are excited to for our new 2026-27 DP Foundation Board.

Jessica Prince, President

Shelley Bruckman, Vice President

VACANT, Secretary

Briann has called Tierrasanta home since 2011, having fallen in love with the community shortly after moving to San Diego in 2009. A dedicated volunteer, Briann has served the local scouting community as a den leader, Cubmaster, and currently as the treasurer for Troop 2. When she isn’t volunteering or managing the books, she is a proud parent to Henry (9th) and William (7th) and can often be found at the Tierrasanta Rec Center coaching basketball.

Professionally, Briann is an IT Auditor specializing in SOX compliance, with an MS in Accounting from SDSU. She is excited to bring her financial expertise to the De Portola Foundation as treasurer—a role she is particularly enthusiastic about, given her love of math, process, and systems. In her downtime, she enjoys escape rooms with her family, pilates and training her dog, Maple. Briann hopes you will join us for a fun year of supporting our middle schoolers, their teachers and support team!

The De Portola Foundation is dependent on donations and support academic programs for all students including:

• Teacher grants
• Technology grants
• Field trips for each grade level
• Garden maintenance
• School improvements

Please consider making a donation to De Portola Middle School Foundation, A 501(C)3 Organization. Our Federal Tax ID # is 33 - 0636383. We welcome all donations, but if you need a guideline, suggested donation are $150 per student. Click here to access the PayPal Donations page. Thank you.

All registration forms are now located in Parent Portal. Parent Portal is closed until August 6, 2026. When Parent Portal opens on August 6, we will send you an "Action Items" list to complete.

For Now...

PE Sales will be available daily from 7:00am - 3:30pm except Wednesday 8/5 (Office Is Closed). We are excited to have a card reader and can now accept credit card payments. YAHOO!

Click here for a list of PE items and prices. We DO NOT sell locks for PE Lockers. We highly recommend purchasing an old school Master Lock. They are the most durable. Please have your student practice their combination prior to the first week of school. Students will be expected to start dressing on Friday, August 14, 2026.

All school supplies are provided to students using site funds. However, if you would like to purchase specialty items for your students, here is the list of items the students use on a regular basis:

• Pencils. A ridiculous amount of pencils. They go through them so fast. It is probably because they can't be bothered to go searching to the bottom of their backpack, so they just get a new one.
• Folders to organize their classwork.
• The science teachers prefer the students to use a Five Star Spiral Notebook 1 Subject, College Ruled Paper, 8-1/2" x 11", 100 Sheets, Plastic Cover.
• We also recommend a protective case for laptops. Middle schoolers tend to have a habit of throwing their backpacks down on the ground unintentionally causing damage to laptops. Here is a link to a light weight case that should help.
• Daily Planners are a student's preference. They all have a digital calendar on Canvas that they can see daily. For the ultra-organized individuals, planners are a must. For all the others, it just weighs down their already heavy bag.

If you would like to donate items to classrooms, teachers always appreciate Ticonderoga pencils as they are most user friendly with pencil sharpeners. They also can use tissue and disinfectant wipes.

We will be reviewing all of our student policies with students during the first week of school. Here are some of the basics to get you started:

Dress Code:

Our expectation is that students understand the fine line between self-expression and being presentable. Please review some very basic rules about dress code.

• The bottom of the shirt must touch the top of the shorts/pants

• No hoods indoors

• Hats are at the discretion of each teacher

• No undergarments showing

• No slippers or blankets

• No clothing with foul language or adult behavior (drinking, smoking, etc).

Our school is a beautiful place for learning and we uphold the dress code for everyone who is on campus. We celebrate all styles as long as they adhere to the the above listed expectations.

Cell Phones:

Per Board Policy approved this summer, students cannot be on their phones between 8:00am-2:30pm. Phones will be confiscated and returned to students at the end of the day. Repeat offenders will result in phone calls home. Your child may ask any staff permission to text or call home. We value our instructional time and understand that middle schoolers are easily distracted by constant phone notifications.

Walk Your Wheels:

We have a bike gate where students can lock up their bikes and scooters during the school day. ALL STUDENTS MUST WALK THEIR WHEELS WHILE ON CAMPUS. As soon as they enter the parking lot, they have to put their feet on the ground and walk. Any rider not wearing a helmet will not be permitted to ride to school. Additionally, repeat offenders of our "Walk Your Wheels" policy will result in losing rider privileges on campus. For those of you still reading this lengthy newsletter, I will die on this hill.

For the 2026-27 school year, De Portola Middle School will provide both BREAKFAST and LUNCH for all students. Breakfast will be served from 7:30 - 7:50 AM. Students just need to input their six digit student ID number and they are on their way to a delicious start to their day (cinnamon rolls are my personal favorite).