Join us for our fourth POMS PTO General Meeting of the school year!

When? Thursday, December 15, 2022 from 9-10 AM

Where?  Parents have two options to attend:

• Attend in-person at Pin Oak Middle School (DLL room in library)
• Attend via Microsoft Teams (please note that chat will be enabled for the virtual attendees)

If you plan to attend the meeting in person, please make sure to arrive at least 15-20 minutes ahead of time to get checked in at the front office with your driver's license.

Have a question but unable to attend the meeting?

For those parents who cannot attend, please click here to submit your questions to Principal Vela. Please submit all your questions by 5 PM on Wednesday, Dec 14th.

We will consolidate the questions by topics for Principal Vela. Please note that Principal Vela cannot answer any personal situations, grade, discipline-related questions during the meeting. Thank you for understanding.

Help us show our wonderful teachers and staff how much we appreciate them by donating to the Teacher & Staff Holiday Gift Fund. Donations in any amount are greatly appreciated and 100% will go towards our wonderful staff and teachers. We will take donations until Thursday, December 15, 2022. Thank you!

If you have any questions, please email POMS PTO VPs of ActivitiesJenny Dagley & Rainy Gibbs.

Come join us to learn how you can be involved in the 2023 Silent Auction supporting Pin Oak Middle School.  

An interest meeting will be held on Monday, December 19th at 7:30 PM at the Starbucks located at Westheimer and Post Oak Boulevard in the Galleria area.    

Volunteers are needed to make this year's celebration a successful event.  This event provides technology, literature, fine arts, and athletics to the campus. Come help celebrate Pin Oak's 20th Anniversary! 

The POMS PTO Staff Appreciation Committee is looking for help providing homemade cakes, pies, or a special holiday favorite. If you don't have time to bake, grab a sweet treat from Costco or your favorite bakery (cheesecake, tuxedo cake, cake or pie). No cookies, please. 

Please sign up to contribute to this sweet treat collection.

All baked goods need to be delivered to POMS front office by Monday, December 19, at 10:30 AM.

Any questions can be directed to the POMS PTO Staff Appreciation Committee at staffappreciation@pinoakpto.org.

Celebrate the end of the semester with a special performance of Advanced Theatre's award-winning production "Lafayette No. 1" on Wednesday, December 21st during Team Time! 

Tickets are $5 and will be sold before school or with Ms. Goldman starting Wednesday, December 14th. 

We have many fun activities planned for our 8th graders, including a breakfast and dance.  We have several other fun end-of-year events in the making and we need all the helping hands we can get.  Let’s make this a great year for our soon-to-be high schoolers.

Please reach out to POMS PTO 8th Grade Chairs, Dana George and Pauline Mathiesen at 8thgradeactivities@pinoakpto.org if you would like to be involved, or lead an event.

Attention Softball Fans:

Tryouts for the 2023 Charger Softball team are after school from 4-5:30 December 12th,13th, and 14th. 

Tryouts are open to all 6th, 7th, and 8th grade girls. 

Please see Mr. Meyer in room B126 for the necessary paperwork. Go Chargers!!!

All students that are interested in trying out for the baseball team. You must have a completed baseball form on file with Coach Fujiwara. 

You can obtain a baseball packet from the front office or in the boys coaches office. The second page of the packet must be completed on both sides and turned in to Coach Fujiwara by the Friday before their tryout. 

There are two tryouts, but students attend only one of them: 

• If you are a pitcher or catcher you must turn in your form by Dec. 2 and tryouts begin Dec 5-Dec 9. (Pitcher and Catchers will also do all the drills the position players will do, along with the pitching and catching.)
• If you are a position player, you must turn in your form by Dec. 9. Your tryout begins Dec. 12 – Dec. 16.

All tryouts can end earlier or later due to the number of participants or the weather.

Any questions please see Coach Fujiwara

POMS full zip jackets are now available for purchase online.

Please feel free to reach out to schoolstore@pinoakpto.org with any questions. Thank you for supporting the POMS PTO!

Click here to learn more.

Please follow the Request to Evaluate Parent Steps if your student is not currently identified as Gifted and Talented and you are interested in having your student tested for Gifted and Talented identification. All testing will be done on paper. For more information please visit the district G/T site.

Please fill out the request (English form or Spanish form) and the school will fill out the teacher recommendation form. You can also fill out the paper application and return it to Ms. Vining.

Pin Oak will be hosting tours for interested families on upcoming Thursdays. Spots are limited so click here to learn more and sign up.

We look forward to seeing you!!

Please visit ChooseHISD.org for an important update from our Chief of Schools regarding the 2023-2024 school choice application timeline. Applications for the 2023-24 school year will open in December!

A Special Message from Chief of Schools Denise Watts:

HISD Community,

School Choice Timeline is Changing!

In Houston ISD, all families have districtwide access to unparalleled educational opportunities, and now the school choice application process is changing to better meet family needs!

HISD will be opening phase one of the school choice application in December 2022 through February 2023. Phase two of the application process will open in April 2023 and go through June 2023. This will provide families with the time to settle into the current school year before they have to decide on the school that they want to attend for the next school year. The district is also rolling out a new application system to help streamline and improve the school choice application experience.

• Who Should Apply in December?
  • Current HISD families that prefer for their child to transfer to another HISD school for the 23-24 school year â—‹ Families that will be new to HISD in the 23-24 school year
  • Families that are seeking to apply to a specific program that is not available at their child’s current and / or zoned school
  • Families with a child in a transitional grade
  • Families who want to enroll in their zoned neighborhood school
  • Families that have moved away from their formerly zoned HISD school
  • Out-of-district families seeking to attend a HISD school in the 23-24 school year
• Who Does Not Need To Apply In December?
  • If your child is currently enrolled in an HISD school in a non-transitional grade, and you would like them to continue at that school for the 23-24 school year, you do not need to submit an application.

In the meantime, families should check-out HISD’s new School Finder platform to explore the vast opportunities available in HISD and help families find the school that’s right for them.

Please contact the Office of School Choice with any questions.

2022-2023 yearbooks are now on sale!

This will be a very special book commemorating Pin Oak's 20th anniversary. We sell out every year and you won't want to miss getting your copy. 

Books are $55 until December 31 then rise to $60 on January 1. 

Get yours at www.balfour.com and type Pin Oak Middle School in the search bar.

To join via mobile phone:

1. Send a text to 81010
2. Text this message: @pomsparen

To join via web:

https://www.remind.com/join/pomsparen 

Download the Remind app:

• App Store
• Google Play

Please make sure you have subscribed to school notifications on HISD Connect Parent Portal. Its one of many notification tools for POMS. Please see the screenshot below on how to subscribe for school notifications.

ATTENTION PARENTS: The Student Annual Verification is now available on the HISD Connect Parent Portal. Please complete your child’s annual updates and forms by October 28 to ensure their information is accurate and up to date. 

Learn more: https://blogs.houstonisd.org/news/2022/09/06/hisd-parents-asked-to-complete-student-annual-verification/#more-43346

Please consider helping us purchase items on the Pin Oak Amazon Wish List. 

Thank you so much for your generosity!

Do you know a business who is looking for corporate sponsorship opportunities? 

Pin Oak offers a variety of sponsorship levels and benefits, including school-wide newsletter and website recognition, banner display in a prominent location on campus, marquee signage and much more! By partnering with businesses in our community, we raise funds for teacher, student, classroom and technology support, curriculum enrichment, staff appreciation, and facility enhancements. 

Contact POMS PTO Co-VP of Fundraising & Corporate Sponsors Chair Dawn Johnson for more details.

Join the Pin Oak Middle School PTO and help the students, teachers, fine arts, athletics, and academic programs at our school.

Membership is just $10.

Membership must be renewed each year, as annual membership expires at the end of each school year on June 30.

If you have any questions, please email POMS PTO Membership ChairChrissy Abaza.

All volunteers in HISD must register to be VIPS approved. Please register at least two weeks before your scheduled volunteer shift, as it can take three to five business days to complete the background check. Even if you were previously VIPS approved, you will need to register again as your approval expires at the end of each school year.

VIPS Registration

VIPS Registration (Español)

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.

The POMS PTO uses the Membership Toolkit platform across the board, so you'll need an account to receive the Charger Chatter, shop at the online School Store, join the PTO, and more! It can all be found at pinoakpto.org.

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!

If you have any issues signing up or logging in, please contact the POMSPTO VP of Communications Rebecca Grazier.

Hatch Youth is Houston’s oldest, currently active social group dedicated to empowering LGBTQIA+ youth between the ages of 7 and 20. Hatch Youth groups provide a safe and affirming environment where youth can socialize, make new friends, and engage in educational and creative activities to help youth in and around Houston not just survive, but thrive.

Educational programs include:
LGBTQIA+ health issues and accessing care
Mental health and wellness
LGBTQIA+ rights
Queer history
Creative writing and art
Social justice
Community resources
Empowering community speakers

The groups are comprised of introductions, social time, programming, and small group, and are curated by Hatch staff and trained volunteer facilitators. Youth have access to role models and peer support and can participate in special projects and events, including Hatch Prom and walking in the annual Pride Houston Parade. There are no costs for any activities.

Pin Oak Middle School implemented the Say Something Anonymous Reporting System last October. Sponsored by Sandy Hook Promise, the program educates secondary students, educators and administrators on how to recognize the signs and signals of individuals who may be at-risk of hurting themselves or others and encourages them to report that behavior through an anonymous reporting system. The reporting system allows administrators and law enforcement to create effective interventions and help prevent violence, suicide, bullying, self-harm and other forms of threatening behavior.

Anyone can submit an anonymous tip by going to the program’s website (www.saysomething.net), calling the hotline (1-844-5-SAYNOW) or using the Say Something mobile app, available on the App Store or Google Play.

The Say Something program is provided through Sandy Hook Promise, a nation-wide non-profit organization focused on preventing gun violence before it happens. For more information, contact Anastasia Warren at 712.296.5600.

Submit an anonymous tip:

• Use the Website: www.saysomething.net
• Call the hotline: 1-844-5-SAYNOW
• Use the Mobile App: Available for Apple and Android devices

Say Something Parent Guide

Say Something Parent Brochure

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.