POMS School Store is now virtual! If you would like to purchase polos, sweatshirts, or spirit shirts for your Charger, you can do so here.

You will have to log into your Membership Toolkit account (the same way you do to access the school directory) or create a new account if you don't already have one. You can pay for your items through PayPal or with a credit/debit card.

Once you have purchased your items, you will be contacted by the school store volunteers regarding picking up those items. We plan to have designated pick-up days for items ordered through the online store.

Due to COVID restrictions, the physical store at school will remain closed until further notice.

Please email schoolstore@pinoakpto.org with any questions. Thank you for supporting POMS!

Thanks to the generosity of your family and others in support of the Pin Oak Middle School PTO, we have been able to purchase the following for our school in 2020:

• $30,000 worth of new iPads to support core subject teachers in both virtual and in-person learning
• $72,400 worth of new secure door locks that allow doors to be locked from inside the classroom, with antibacterial door handles to limit the spread of germs
• Chromebook carts
• Theatre equipment, books, instruments, cameras, uniforms for choir, dance, sports, etc.

Your financial support is sincerely appreciated. Remember, the money you give is used to make an impact RIGHT NOW. As we head into the second six-weeks of the school year, POMS already has additional needs and more are sure to surface.

Please give what you can - any amount helps. It’s all to benefit your student and their classmates in the 2020-2021 school year.

Click here to donate to the Charger Commitment Campaign now.

Please contact Melissa Bayne at fundraising@pinoakpto.org with questions or to get involved with the campaign.

Local Foods is hosting a Spirit Night for Pin Oak Middle School! Dine in or take out Local Foods on October 22nd, and a portion of your bill will go to support Pin Oak Middle School!

Make sure you mention POMS at the time of checkout!

The 8th Grade Activities Committee is taking pre-orders for 8th grade class shirts. Proceeds to fund activities/celebrations for 8th graders at the end of the school year.

Pre-orders will be taken ONLINE ONLY through October 23rd. For questions or to pay by check, email 8thgradeactivities@pinoakpto.org. Drive-thru pick up days at POMS TBA. Note: These shirts aren't available for sale through the school store.

Phase 1 of the magnet application process is fully underway. Pin Oak Middle School will be taking applications until November 6th at 11:59 p.m. Ranking does matter, so please list the school you'd like to attend the most as #1. Click here to access our virtual tour which is 100% self-paced. Here, you will learn about the many great programs Pin Oak has to offer and you will be given a chance to hear from our teachers and learn what to expect in our classrooms.

Pin Oak Middle School Fact Sheet

Questions? Contact Magnet Coordinator Philip Neal at PNEAL@houstonisd.org.

HISD is pleased to announce that we have received a grant that will help provide water safety instruction and FREE Swim Lessons to students who have no swim experience. The program is open to the following:
• Grades 5-8
• Currently a Non-Swimmer
• Complete this Google Form as a Step One toward qualifying for this HISD Swim Lesson Program
• Program will be FREE to those who qualify for the program.

HISD will provide information about locations and transportation as students are accepted into the program.

For more information, visit https://www.houstonisd.org/Page/178105.

The POMS library has an amazing Fiction and Nonfiction collection that can be accessed virtually, and all HISD students have an account with Houston Public Library Learning Link as well. Check out the slide deck for access info and photos for all our Chargers to keep up their love of reading, and our POMS Library website has even more cool stuff as well!

Please email Ms. Corso with any questions.

Did you know that the State of Texas requires two additional immunizations for students to participate in 7th grade? And they are not making any exceptions this year. All 7th graders must have documentation of Tdap and MCV4 immunizations submitted to the district before October 23rd, or risk being removed from school, even if participating virtually.

Please make sure your child has had Tdap and MCV4 immunizations AND that you have submitted documentation to us before October 23rd. You may submit scanned shot records directly to our nurse at Thea.Troetscher@houstonisd.org, or bring them to school.

Texas Minimum State Vaccine Requirements for Students Grades K-12

The PSAT will be administered to all 8th graders attending school IN PERSON on Tuesday, October 27th.

The PSAT/NMSQT is the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. The PSAT is a great primer for the SAT, and even the ACT, but it is more than just a trial run. PSAT scores are used to identify National Merit Scholars and award merit scholarships. More than 3.4 million high school students (mostly juniors and sophomores) take this nationwide, multiple-choice test every year.

The PSAT won’t count towards your college admissions applications, but it is the qualifying test for the National Merit Scholarship. Some of the highest scoring students may win scholarship money, so while you should not stress out about the PSAT, you certainly should not ignore it either. Some private high schools as well as public high school programs may use the PSAT as part of their application process.

We will have a sign up for another 30 virtual students to come in during 2 & 4th period on the 27th. We will give priority to the students that are applying to Bellaire’s IB program.

If your student does not sign up for the October 27th administration, we will have a sign up for 8 additional days. These will all be for up to 30 students and based completely on a first come (sign up), first serve basis.
The PSAT will be administered at NO COST to you but is only offered IN PERSON.

Questions? Contact Kat Warren at awarren4@houstonisd.org.

Interested in volunteering at POMS? While this year may look a little different, there is always something to do (even if virtually). Please click here to sign up to be notified for volunteer opportunities as they become available.

Questions? Please contact Zoila Rappazzo at volunteer@pinoakpto.org.

All new and returning volunteers are now able to access the VIPS Online
Orientation and Application to volunteer for the 2020-2021 school year.

Due to implications from COVID-19, volunteer opportunities will be limited. There will not be field trips or lunch visits per the HISD reopening plan. However, there may be virtual volunteer opportunities and all volunteers MUST be VIPS certified! The steps are easy:

1) Visit www.HoustonISD.org/VIPS.
2) Complete the training review and sign all the forms.
3) Then, complete the VIPS Online volunteer application.
4) Once your application is APPROVED, you will receive an email from the Raptor Volunteer Management System notifying you of your status.

You will be ready to go -- sign up today!

Questions? Please contact Pin Oak's VIPS coordinators:
Alicia Escamilla Alicia.Escamilla@houstonisd.org
Deanne Tennant Deanne.Tennant@houstonisd.org

Log in to update your directory info or sign up for a new account if you're a new user. If you have used Membership Toolkit at another school, you may log in using your same account information.

Also, be sure to download the free Membership Toolkit app on the App Store or Google Play, so you'll have the school directory and school calendar with you at all times on your mobile device! You can even sync the PTO calendar to your phone's calendar and opt to receive push notifications for important announcements!

Online applications are being accepted now for HISD School Choice. Phase I ends November 6th. See HISD's School Choice website for more information on virtual school choice fairs, instructions on how to apply, application deadlines, and more!

Eighth graders: 

Click here to find out more information about Bellaire High School's World Languages Magnet Program and courses offered for zoned students.

Questions? Contact Interim Magnet Coordinator Quan Ngo at lngo@houstonisd.org.

Eighth graders:

Are you zoned to Lamar?  Are you interested in applying for a transfer to Lamar? Do you want more information about all that Lamar has to offer?  Visit our website (Lamar Prospective Students) to learn more about our programs, pathways, instructional model, application timelines, what to do if you’re zoned or not zoned, and what our motto “Small School Feel…Big School Opportunities” really means!

Opportunities to Connect with Lamar:

Lamar Zoned Contact Form

Thursday Virtual Tours

Individual Information Sessions

Virtual Parent Coffees

Virtual Texan Roundup

Questions? Contact Magnet Coordinator Casey Titus at ctitus@houstonisd.org.

POMS Girls Lacrosse

Parent Info Night and Sign-Ups will be Tuesday, October 20th at 7PM at Feld Park. Questions? Contact Jill Lack at jill_lack@sbcglobal.net.

POMS Boys Lacrosse

Contact Seth Tyler at seth.tyler@evolve.cc to be put on the email list for more information regarding parent meetings and fall clinics.

HISD Wraparound Services is here to help. Please see the following documents and complete a Student Assistance Form (SAF) found here.

Wraparound Services Contact Sheet

Wraparound Services Info Sheet English/Spanish

For more information, visit HISD Wraparound Services.

During these past several weeks, we have spent a vast majority of our time trying to navigate through the Hub, Teams and PowerSchool all while trying to learn.

If you have not utilized your Home Page on the HUB, there are several how-to guides on moving through these platforms with ease.

HISD has released important information regarding this school year:

• Back-to-School Guide for parents in English and Spanish
• Face-to-Face Instruction Parent Guide in English and Spanish
• Reopening Parent Guide in English and Spanish
• YouTube Videos on In-Person Learning in English and Spanish

For more information, visit houstonisd.org/reopening.