October Update

Hello Panther Families-

October is here, and there is a lot happening around campus! As we head into the heart of fall, we’re looking forward to a busy month filled with learning, activities, athletics, and plenty of Panther spirit.

The end of the first quarter is Thursday, October 15th. Report cards will be mailed home the following week, so keep an eye on your student’s progress and celebrate all of the hard work they’ve put in so far this year!

Make-Up Picture Day is Monday, October 12th. If your student is new to Twin Hills, missed Orientation, or would like to retake their photo, this is their last chance. Pricing information will be available after you see the pictures.

As the weather cools down, our Lost and Found continues to fill up with jackets, sweatshirts, water bottles, and other belongings. Please remind your student to check it out before those missing items become permanent residents!

And, of course, our fall sports are in full swing! We love watching our Panthers compete, build teamwork, and represent Twin Hills with pride. Be sure to check the parent calendar regularly for game dates, locations, and times. I’m looking forward to filling next month’s newsletter with lots of great sports photos! If you catch a fun moment or a great action shot at a game, please feel free to send it my way. We love showing off our Panthers!

Just a reminder, please stay connected for up to date information. Find us on social media (Facebook and Instagram) for updates regularly. Also, feel free to browse our website for more detailed information. As always, please call the office anytime with questions or concerns. We're here for you and want to help!

Sincerely,

Shawna Whitestine

Principal

September raffle winners were

8th Graders: Abbie A., Eila P., Josie N., Silas B., Melissa A., Kai R., and Dani S.,

7th Graders: Knox M., Deliyah M., Violette M., Duke P., Owen K., Delcan R., Cora T., and Jasper M.,

6th Graders: Cora F., Ben C., Natali F., Greyson B., Cat G., Addie M., Hunter P., Joshua W., Arthur B., Vivi S., Jackson L., Rowan B., and Mathew D.,

Congrats to our raffle winners! Keep up the hard work, Panthers!

We are SO excited for our annual Color Run TOMORROW! This is always one of our favorite Panther traditions, and we can’t wait to see our students covered in color, having fun, and making memories together. We’ll be sharing lots of photos in next month’s newsletter!

We hope you’ve been following along with our daily emails and social media as we’ve been building the excitement. And parents—we’d love to have you join us! Come cheer on the kids, volunteer, or simply enjoy the fun with our Panther community.

A HUGE shout-out to our incredible Color Run Parent Committee: Stacey Naples, Christina Gibbs, Tara Racine, Kristin Wood, and Angela Reed. This event takes a village, and we are so grateful for all the time, energy, and creativity they’ve poured into making it happen.

And another big THANK YOU to our amazing corporate sponsors: Staggs Construction, Inc, Bronson Medical Billing, Inc, VineCru Farming Company, KM Creatives, Panizzera Meat Co., Merleo Cleaning Services! Their generous support helps make this special day possible for our students. Be sure to check out the back of this year’s Color Run shirt to see the businesses that helped make the magic happen!

Go Panthers! 💜💛

Being at school consistently matters more than we sometimes realize. Research following students from the middle grades into high school found that chronic absenteeism in the middle grades was associated with an 18 percentage-point lower likelihood of graduating from high school in four years.

Every day is an opportunity to learn, connect, and grow.

The habits we build now matter later. Let’s keep our Panthers showing up, learning, and growing!

*More specifics will be coming home soon.

When: Friday, Oct. 23rd

Time: 6-8pm

Cost: $10 per student

This is always a fun event! Parents are welcome to visit during lunch this day. Please check in at the office for a visitor's pass first!

Get ready for a fun Saturday in costume! The Twin Hills Apple Blossom Education Foundation is hosting its annual Halloween Carnival on Saturday, October 24 from 11:00–3:00 at Apple Blossom. Come enjoy games, food, and plenty of Halloween fun!

Twin Hills students can also volunteer to run carnival booths! And here’s the exciting part for our 6th graders: if the 6th grade fills at least 7 volunteer spots per shift, the class will earn 50% of the carnival profits to put toward Outdoor Ed! This is a great opportunity for students to work together, give back to our school community, and directly benefit their class.

Sign up to volunteer: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040E4FAAAB2AA13-66112333-apple

When signing up, please indicate that you are a 6th grader so your volunteer hours count toward the class goal!

It’s hard to believe 8th Grade Parents, but it's already time to start thinking about high school! We are excited to invite you and your 8th grader to Analy High School's Showcase Night for incoming freshmen, happening on Thursday, October 15th, from 6:00-8:00 PM.

This is a fantastic opportunity for your student to explore the many programs and opportunities that Analy High has to offer. You'll meet teachers, learn about academic pathways, and get a feel for the campus that could become your child’s home for the next four years.

Mark your calendars, and get ready for a night full of information!

Please remember that if you do not live in the district, you MUST fill out interdistrict paperwork. Here is a LINK with more information including a district boundary map.

What student council has been up to:

Student council officers have been voted in. President, Emma E., Vice President, Abby B., Secretary, Dylan K., and Treasurer, Nolan D.

Our spirit squad is Abbie A., Eila P., Josie M., and Colby P.

We’ve been getting organized for the color run and upcoming fun Fridays.

What we have coming up:

Our first all grade school dance will be Friday, October 23rd from 6-8 pm. Fun Fridays will be starting for advisory points. Our first fun Friday will be October 9th.

Panther Shoutout:

Coming soon we will highlight our staff here monthly.

We are very excited to make some fun additions and new traditions to Twin Hills. If you have any ideas, the student council is always open for suggestions!

Sincerely,

Dylan K.

Your Student Council Secretary

Hey Panthers!

As we go into October, Interact is going into Socktober. Where you can donate NEW OR SLIGHTLY USED SOCKS.

At the end of October we will donate the socks to people in need so they can stay warmer as we go into winter.

We are turning this event into an advisory competition, whichever advisory has the most pairs of socks by the end of October gets donuts as a prize (for the whole advisory class).

If you have any questions please go to Ms. Ellwoods room (room 9) or contact her at nellwood@twinhillsusd.org

Room 24 has been lively this year with lots of games and friendship. Recently a group of students started a Dungeons and Dragons campaign and have been enjoying the fun and lively banter that comes along with that.

If you would like to donate resources you can find some ideas here:

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1PTBN2RBOX08?ref_=wl_share

Fidgets are always a huge hit and I like to have them on hand for whenever students need a class appropriate tool to help them focus. If you have puzzles to donate we will take those too! As long as they have all the pieces 🙂thank you!

Warmly, Ms. Hales

Dolly Day was a whole lot of fun! On 9-25, we celebrated the one and only Dolly Parton with kids showing off all the Dolly vibes and, of course, spreading a little extra kindness along the way. From big personalities to big hearts, our Panthers definitely brought the Dolly spirit to life!

Our school library is a wonderful space for children to explore a wide variety of books available for check out, quietly socialize, access school resources, or simply unwind. Doors are open every morning at 8am, during break times, and at lunch. We invite you to come and see all that our library has to offer!

Our current 7th graders will have the opportunity to travel to Washington, D.C. during Spring Break 2028 when they are in 8th grade! We’re starting early so families have plenty of time to plan and fundraise for this exciting trip.

Informational Meeting: Wednesday, October 14 @ 5:30 PM
Location Twin Hills MUR (Zoom option also available)

Join us to learn more about the trip, costs, fundraising opportunities, and what students can look forward to!

Zoom Link: https://twinhillsusd-org.zoom.us/j/86542714862?pwd=uw2QMi1JV1izapKqnfO0GbegaVnuBP.1&jst=3
Meeting Code: 865 4271 4862
Password: 2E859K

Looking for a fun holiday gift or a memorable family experience? Twin Hills families and friends can take advantage of discounted group tickets for the Golden State Warriors vs. Minnesota Timberwolves on December 27th!

To get the group discount, simply click this link and use promo code TWINHILLS at checkout.

Come cheer on the Warriors and enjoy a great night with family and friends!

Our after-school clubs are officially up and running, and we’re having a great time! Chess Club meets on Mondays, where students are building their strategy skills, challenging one another, and enjoying some friendly competition. LEGO Robotics meets on Tuesdays, giving students the chance to design, build, problem-solve, and work together.

It’s been awesome seeing our Panthers jump into these opportunities, try something new, and have fun with their classmates. We’re excited to see where their creativity and skills take them!

In Digital Media, our students are getting a behind-the-scenes look at all the different roles that go into filmmaking through short, one-day lessons. They’re exploring everything from scriptwriting and storyboarding to directing, producing, camera positioning, video editing, hosting/interviewing, and marketing.

Today, students put their storytelling skills to work by creating practice storyboards for the prompt “Get Ready with Me: Batman Edition.” They had fun thinking through each shot and planning how their story would come to life on camera.

Check out this awesome storyboard created by 8th graders Isla and Dylan!

Our 6th graders have been putting their Earth science skills to work as they design and build their very own solar ovens! Their next challenge? Seeing whose oven can harness the most solar energy and get those S’mores melting the most! We can’t wait to see which designs heat up best!

Our 7th graders have been getting up close and personal with cells! Students have been learning how to use microscopes to observe cells and explore structures that are far too small to see with the naked eye. They even collected samples from their own cheeks to create slides and observe their very own cheek cells under the microscope!

It’s been a great opportunity for students to practice real science skills while seeing firsthand that cells really are the building blocks of life!

In 8th Grade history, students have been exploring the causes of the American Revolutionary War. Students are putting their creativity to work by creating a visual representation of the events, ideas, and tensions that led the American colonies toward independence. This hands-on activity is helping students connect the different causes and better understand how each one contributed to the growing conflict between the colonies and Great Britain. We are excited to see their historical knowledge and creativity come together in these projects!

Students in 8th grade English recently wrapped up our Focus Writing Unit by sharing and presenting some of their most “enjoyable” moments. Students had the opportunity to reflect on meaningful experiences and practice communicating their writing with an audience. Now, we are transitioning into a new and exciting unit as we begin reading the graphic novel adaptation of Frankenstein by Gris Grimly. With its spooky atmosphere and classic story, it is the perfect read as we head into the holiday season! Students will explore the characters, themes, and ideas of this famous tale while enjoying a unique and visually engaging version of the story.

Our math students have been working hard, building their skills, and putting in the practice it takes to truly master new concepts. We love seeing their persistence and confidence grow as they tackle challenging problems and celebrate their progress!

Wondering when your child's practices are, what spirit days are coming up, or anything else school related? Guess what... we have a parent calendar that has everything Twin Hills posted daily! There is a link on our School Webpage- to find it directly, just click right here!

Our amazing THABEF can use your ideas, support, and contributions!

Come be a part of the team!

Join us for our monthly meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 20th @ 4pm at Twin Hills Middle.

Check out their newsletter below!

To donate while you shop:

ESCRIP

Please visit Escrip.com and add our group ID 500548660 to your account. Don't forget to visit Fircrest or Oliver's to help support THABEF.

AMAZONSMILE

Use the link below to go add THABEF to your Amazon smile account

https://smile.amazon.com/ch/68-0101000

SPORTS BASEMENT - BASEMENTEERS

Sign up at sportsbasement.com , community and join basementeers. Choose Twin Hills Apple Blossom Educational Foundation as your beneficiary

Oct. 9- Second Cup of Coffee @ 9:30am

Oct. 8- Board Meeting @ 4:30

Oct. 12- Picture Retake Day

Oct. 15- National Shake Out Day "Earthquake Awareness"

Oct. 15- End of First Quarter

Oct. 16- No School- Teacher work day

Oct. 20- THABEF Meeting @ 4pm

Oct. 23- Fall Dance 6-8pm

Oct. 30- Halloween on campus!

THCMS is committed to excellence. Our mission is to provide all students with an education that is academically challenging in an atmosphere of mutual caring and respect. We will provide the foundation for a life of continuous learning and prepare students to be positive contributing citizens.

Email: swhitestine@twinhillsusd.org

Website: https://www.twinhillsmiddleschool.org/

Location: 1685 Watertrough Road, Sebastopol, CA, USA
Phone: (707) 823-7446
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/twinhillsmiddleschool

Sonoma County JACL and Sebastopol World Friends are once again offering a FREE Children’s Japanese Culture Workshop. The workshop uses Japanese folk stories, crafts, music, games, language, and food to help understand the four virtues of Japanese Culture : Harmony, Respect,

Purity, and Tranquility. The workshop is scheduled for October 17, 2026, 10 AM - 1 PM at the Enmanji Memorial Hall in Sebastopol. The target age group for this workshop is 7-11 but is open to anyone interested. The workshop will be limited to 24 children and each child must be accompanied by an adult (an adult may accompany more than one child). Registration is required and can be done using the QR code on the attached flyer or using this link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdP-

qzHQz6lVHoyWdO2Pu6CcDR91ve9XjJETCumWV4hbcADhQ/viewform

If you have any questions or would like to help at this workshop, please call Ron Tajii @ 707 327 8251 or email us at programs@sonomacountyjacl.org