Principal's Post
Dear Charger Parents and Families,
Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers who love, nurture, and uplift our students and the Charger community. Today we celebrate you!
2023-2024 Elective Course Requests Information: The wait is over! It is finally time to choose electives for the 2023-2024 school year. Please use the corresponding links below. If you are a current 5th-grader, use the 6th-grade link. If you are a current 6th grader, use the 7th-grade link. If you are a current 7th grader, use the 8th-grade link.
Course requests will be open from May 15 - May 29 (midnight). You may return to your submission and edit your submission as many times as you'd like. If you fill out more than one submission, we will use the most recent submission (they are time/date stamped).
You will receive a copy of your requests once submitted.
Incoming 6th graders, an email will be required to complete the submission (HISD email not required.) There are many different factors that go into placing students in houses. All factors will be considered. Students will find out their houses in August 2023.
Next year's 7th and 8th graders you are required to use your HISD email to log in and fill out the request form.
If any student did not achieve meets or masters on the 2023 STAAR test they will automatically be scheduled in an intervention class - this will take up one of their electives. This will result in the student being double-blocked in either Math or English Language Arts.
Incoming 6th-grade families - fill out the form to the best of your ability. If you do not know what academic level, you'd like your student to be scheduled for, choose the "choose for me" link and we will review your student's data and place them accordingly.
Any 504/IEP/Dyslexia/SPED requirements will take priority over any elective or academic requests.
Please email Ms. Evans-Vining our Master Scheduler with any questions. |
6th Grade Course Request Link (Google Form) |
7th Grade Course Request Link (Google Form) |
8th Grade Course Request Link (Google Form) |
2023-2024 Course Descriptions |
CHROMEBOOK COLLECTIONS We will begin Chromebook collection May 18th for 6th-grade students, May 22nd for 7th graders, and May 24th for 8th-graders during their Social Studies classes. Please be sure your student removes any writing or stickers from their Chromebook or case. Students will need to bring their Chromebook, the Chromebook case, and their charger on collection day. If your student lost any of these items, parents can pay for replacements on schoolpay.com. Please contact Mrs. Bell-Brown if you have any questions. She will be at the Student Success Desk at the front of the school every morning from 7:45-8:30 AM. |
NOW IS THE TIME TO UPDATE YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION IN HISDCONNECT! Parents, now is the time to update your contact information in HISDConnect and be sure that we have your address, working phone number(s), and an email address linked to your student’s account. This is very important as we will need accurate contact information to contact you over the summer with information about Charger Camp 2023 and PowerUp parent information sessions. |
Sports Physicals 2023-2024 Any student interested in participating in Athletics for the 2023-2024 school year must complete the requirements listed below by Friday, August 11th! Athletic Physicals are a MANDATORY REQUIREMENT. They are not optional! No student will be allowed to participate on an athletic team or practices without a current Athletic Physical. Athletic Physicals are good for the duration of one (1) year and physicals should be taken prior to the start of the school year. Please make sure that you give a copy of the Athletic Physical to the Athletic Coordinator. Also, make certain to keep a copy for your personal records! Please see the links and content below regarding athletic requirements and the sports physicals clinic being hosted at Pin Oak Middle School in May. The cost is $20 CASH ONLY. Please contact Coach Carter, POMS Athletic Coordinator if you have any questions. POMS Sports Physical Clinic—Thursday, May 25th (4:15-6:30) - *subject to change* HISD PHYSICAL FORM UIL Acknowledgement of Rules Register My Athlete HISD Athletics Department |
PLATINUM FAMILY FRIENDLY SCHOOL We are officially a Platinum Family friendly School! Thank you, Mrs. Escamilla, for leading the charge and working with our PTO and district FACE department to provide an exceptional environment for our campus community. |
NO PLACE FOR HATE We are officially a No Place for Hate campus for the 2022-2023 school year. Thank you, Ms. Catoni, Ms. Coffman, Ms. Todd, and Ms. Warren, for leading the work. |
HISD Summer Art Intensives will be held this summer. See the attached flyer for more details. |
IPC Placement Attention 7th grade Chargers and Parents: An option for 8th grade Science is Integrated Physics and Chemistry. IPC Placement is based off of a matrix that includes: - Student must be in Algebra or Geometry in 8th grade.
- STAAR scores.
- 7th grade Science grade.
- A placement test that 7th teachers will administer in May.
- 7th grade Science teacher recommendation. Teachers will give each student a recommendation on a scale of 1-5, so no need to ask for one. Contact Ms. Kumari for additional information.
Qualifying students will be assigned IPC, but they can request to be moved to Advanced 8th Science if IPC is not their desired class. IPC is a high school Science ELECTIVE, so this is not a class to replace any requirements in high school. |
2022-2023 Celebrations Our students and faculty are excited to have a bevy of celebrations to close the academic year. POMS is planning the following activities. Additional information will be shared in upcoming newsletters. - Charger Tailgate - Friday, May 5th (all lunches)
- 8th Grade Semi-Formal at POMS, Friday, May 19th
- 8th Grade Field Trip - Tuesday, May 23rd
- 8th Grade Breakfast & Yearbook Signing Party - Tuesday, May 30th
- Charger Kickball Tournament - Tuesday, May 30th
- 8th Grade Promotion Parade & Fun Day - Wednesday, May 31st
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Connecting with you is important to us. As a result, we have many ways to share the latest and greatest of Pin Oak Middle School, including: - Our School Website: Here you can find information such as the Grade Level Teams, Magnet Program, Digital Resources, Virtual Library, and more.
- Follow our #WeArePinOakhashtag and me on Twitter@POMS_Principal: We will post pictures and information on our daily activities at POMS to our #WeArePinOak hashtag. We encourage you to share your Charger pride here as well!
Be well and stay healthy, Lindsey Vela, Principal
Connect with us on Twitter and Instagram! Twitter: @pinoakms Instagram @pinoakchargers |
Useful POMS Links and Info |
| Join us for the POMS PTO Meet & Greet on Monday, May 15th
Calling all Incoming and Current Charger Families!
Join us for a Meet & Greet on Monday, May 15th from 5 - 7:30 PM at Betsy's at Evelyn's Park.
Meet the PTO hosts: - Karen Chang - Incoming 6th grader and current 8th grader at POMS
- Nina Godiwalla - Incoming 6th grader and current 6th grader at POMS
- Thuy Promubol - Incoming 6th grader and current 7th grader at POMS
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| Help us show our teachers and staff how much we value their service to our POMS community!
Donate to the POMS Teachers and Staff End-of-Year Gift Fund!
Help us show our teachers and staff how much we appreciate everything they do for our POMS students! Please consider contributing to the end-of-year gift fund. Funds raised will be used to purchase gift cards to be distributed at the end-of-year Staff Appreciation luncheon. We will take contributions until Friday, May 19.
For more information or questions, please reach out to activities@pinoakpto.org.
Thank you for your generosity and support! |
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| POMS Used Uniforms Donation Drive!
Is your child moving on to high school? Has your child outgrown their school uniform clothing? Please consider donating their gently used uniforms to the POMS PTO Used Uniform Sale.
School dress code polos, khakis, jeans, skirts, sweatshirts, and jackets in all sizes can be dropped off in the collection boxes by the library until the last day of school: May 31st.
For more information, please contact the Used Uniform Chairs at useduniforms@pinoakpto.org |
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| POMS Stage Band Auditions on May 17th &18th
Stage Band Auditions will be held Wednesday, May 17th and Thursday, May 18th after school from 4 to 5 PM in the guitar room D102.
Current 6th and 7th graders may audition. Incoming 6th graders are not eligible for stage band.
Come see Mr Huezo in the guitar to sign up for an audition slot and ask any questions. |
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| Beginning Band & Orchestra "Try the Instrument" Night
Join Mr. Brown, Band Director, and Mrs. Macleay, Orchestra Director, for the POMS Band & Orchestra Night on Tuesday, May 30 from 5:30-7:30 PM in the Pin Oak MS Band/Orchestra Hall.
Please enter the front doors of the school and follow the signs to the Band/Orchestra Hall. NO appointment is necessary! Students will get to try the instruments and loan/rent/purchase information will be available.
Contact larry.brown@houstonisd.org or doris.macleay@houston.org for more information. |
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| Buy Your 2023-2024 School Supplies Now
School Supplies for the 2023- 2024 school year are now on sale! Purchase your student's supplies now and make it easy for yourself when school starts. Packs will be shipped directly to school and distributed to your student at Charger Camp in August!
Be sure to order the pack for the grade your child will be in for the 2023-34 school year!
To purchase from 1st Day School Supplies, click here.
Questions? Please contact the POMS PTO School Supplies Chairs at schoolsupplies@pinoakpto.org. |
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| POMS 2nd Annual Kickball Tournament on Tuesday, May 30th
Thank you to those interested in participating in the 2nd annual kickball tournament. We have reached our maximum number of teams and are no longer accepting applications for teams to enter the tournament.
Payment for participating teams is due by May 25th to Coach Carter.
Tickets for spectators will be on sale starting May 22nd during all 3 lunches and will conclude May 26th, with no exceptions.
We are looking forward to a fun competition! |
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| HISD Family and Community Engagement (FACE) Resources
Please see below for resources shared by HISD Family and Community Engagement: |
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| Join the POMS PTO for 2023-2024
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 Chair. |
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| Join Mrs. Vela's POMS Parent Group 2022-2023 on Remind
To join via mobile phone: - Send a text to 81010
- Text this message: @pomsparen
To join via web: https://www.remind.com/join/pomsparen
Download the Remind app: |
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| HISD Connect Parent Portal Notifications
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. |
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| POMS Amazon Wishlist
Please consider helping us purchase items on the Pin Oak Amazon Wish List.
Thank you so much for your generosity! |
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| Corporate Sponsorship Opportunities
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. |
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| Register for VIPS (Volunteers in Public School)
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) |
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| Update Information for POMS Directory
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. |
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| Empowering Houston's LGBTQIA+ Youth
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. |
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| Say Something Anonymous Reporting
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:
Say Something Parent Guide Say Something Parent Brochure |
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| | Monday, May 15 | | | | | Wednesday, May 17 | | | Thursday, May 18 | | | | Friday, May 19 | | | Monday, May 22 | | | Tuesday, May 23 | | | Wednesday, May 24 | | | | Thursday, May 25 | | | | Monday, May 29 | | | Tuesday, May 30 | | | | | Wednesday, May 31 | | | | |
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 When you shop at smile.amazon.com, Amazon will donate a percentage to Pin Oak Middle School PTO. |
|  Use the new Box Tops App on the App Store or Google Play to scan your receipt. The app will find participating products purchased at any store and instantly add cash to Pin Oak Middle School PTO's earnings online. |
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Donate to Pin Oak Middle School PTO when you do your everyday shopping! All donations support excellence in education through activities and programs at Pin Oak Middle School. |
We Appreciate Our Corporate Sponsors & Community Partners |
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