Originally delivered on 12/17/2023 4:45 pm

SUBJECT: Charger Chatter

December 17, 2023

Principal's Post



Dear Charger Parents and Families,


POMS IS A CREST AWARD WINNER! We are proud to announce that POMS counseling program has received the Counselors Reinforcing Excellence for Students in Texas (CREST) for the 2023-2024 school year. Congratulations to Ms. Lebiga & Ms. Rankins!

Please help me welcome the following staff members to the Charger family: 

  • Dayna Bates - Special Education Department Chair 
  • Sasha Dela - Fine Arts Department (Art)
  • Scott Tinkham - Science Department
  • Jessica Ochoa - Front Office Clerk
  • Kayla Aguilar - Front Office Clerk

We will follow a modified schedule this week and all students will take the required district created social studies middle of the year benchmark during their regular scheduled class period. In addition, all students in a high school credit class will take their semester exams on Monday and Tuesday before the end of the Cycle 3 grading period. 

Upcoming Campus Events

  • Winter Break: Friday, December 22 - January 5

Connecting with you is important to us and we are here for you parents. Visit Our School Website for the full list of Pin Oak Support staff and assistant principals plus much, much more. Join Remind or send a text to 81010 with the message @hghga3b. Additional POMS Useful Links can be found below near calendar events.

See you soon!

Lindsey Vela, Principal


Connect with us on Twitter and Instagram!

Twitter: @pinoakms

Instagram @pinoakchargers

Thank You for Your Generosity!


To all the families who contributed to the POMS Teacher and Staff Holiday Fund, thank you for helping us spread so much holiday cheer. 

Teachers and staff received $110 each and your generosity and support is truly appreciated!

Track & Field Interest Meetings - December 18th & 19th


Interest Meetings:

  • All 7th and 8th Grade Girls interested in trying out for the track team, please attend the interest meeting on Monday, December 18th during team time.
  • All 7th and 8th Grade Boys interested in trying out for the track team, please attend the interest meeting on Tuesday, December 19th during team time.

Tryouts:

  • Athletes interested in trying out for sprinter events (100 meter dash, 200 meter, 400 meter dash and hurdles) will come Monday, January 22nd.
  • Athletes interested in trying out for mid to long distance events (800 meter dash, 1200 meter, 1600m) will come Tuesday, January 23rd.

Read through the interest letter for all details regarding tryouts!

Support All 8th Graders by Purchasing the "Club 8" Ultimate Package Today!


Dear 8th Grade Parents,

Wow! We had an amazing response from our last email! Thank you so much to the generous families listed below. If you'd like to be an underwriter, there is still time to show your support for our 8th graders!

To provide all of the fun-filled events we have planned for the kids, we need to sell 47 more "Club 8" Ultimate Packages. This exclusive bundle includes the "Club 8" Swag Bag with the POMS beach towel & POMS sunglasses, 8th Grade panoramic photo, Class of 2024 yard sign, 8th Grade semi-formal dance ticket, and 8th grade t-shirt! Get yours now at the discounted price of only $108*.The price goes up to $128 after December 31st. The deadline to purchase 8th Grade Activities items is February 1, 2024.

For more info on our fundraising efforts, see the 8th Grade Activities FAQ. FAQ will be at the bottom of the webpage.

8th Grade Activities Underwriters:

8th Grade Breakfast Underwriters:

The Bocanegra Family
The King Family
The Promubol Family
Kimberly Brasington
The Lo Family
The Rico Family
Jamie Broach Byrd
The Mandayam Family
The Stopnicki Family
The Brown Family
The Mark Family
The Sydow-LaRue Family
The Dorsey Family
The Minetos Family
Pamela Wilson
The Huang Family
Tiffany & Brett Podolsky
The Khalifa Family
The Prelle-Hofstetter Family

8th Grade Dance Underwriters:

Edit & Sean Churchill
The Lancelin Family
Elise Nguyen & Family
The Cune Family
The Law Family
The Onufer Family
The Dorsey Family
The Lim Family
The Perry Family
The Garibaldi Family
The Lizarraga Family
The Pickelner Family
Kelly & Blake Hill
Edrick Moore
The Taaffe Family
The Irby Family
The Moore Family
The Wylie Family
The Jukes Family
The Most Family
The Zager Family


Your Name Could Be Here

8th Grade Promotion Parade & Picnic Underwriters:

Anonymous
The Hastings Family
The Moncrief Family
Anonymous
The Hazen Family
The Nguyen Family
The Balke Family
Rob & Kristy Leatherman
The Segraves Family
Frank & Marcille Baumgartner
The Lorch Family
The Trandafir Family
The Bleyer Family
The Lubchenko Family
Your Name Could Be Here
The Callaci Family
The Mendelovitz Family


If you have any questions, please reach out to 8th Grade Activities Chairs Melissa Law and Tricia Onufer.

*No promo code needed. Discount automatically applied at checkout. Discount already applied to Club 8 Ultimate Package when combined with an event underwriting opportunity. Offer expires at 11:59 PM on December 31, 2023.

2023-2024 Yearbooks on Sale!


2023-2024 yearbooks are now on sale!

Order yours today with Balfour starting at $60. Personalization options are available.

We sell out every year and you won't want to miss getting your copy. 

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.

POMS School Store Hours & Volunteers


The POMS School Store is open during student lunches. Please refer below for full schedule:

  • Monday, Wednesday and Friday - open for all lunches
  • Tuesday - open until 1 PM (some Tuesdays we may be open for all lunches. Please contact the school store with any questions.)
  • Thursday - open until 1 PM

The POMS Online School Store is open for business. ***Please note that online orders may take a few days to fulfill and you will be notified to have your student come pick up orders when they are ready.***

Volunteers: This is your chance to volunteer and be in the middle of the action! It's a great way to meet other parents and interact with the students in the school store. 

Signups are for the 2023-2024 school year and we require at least 2 people in the store at all times. The school store is open during the students' lunch periods. Please sign up for the group (A or B)/day(s) that works best for you (shifts are every other week).

Please feel free to reach out to Jean Lee or Thuy Promubol at: schoolstore@pinoakpto.org with any questions or concerns. 

All school volunteers are required to be VIPS approved.

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)

POMS Amazon Wishlist


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

Thank you so much for your generosity!

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 Anu Hiremaglur for more details.

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 Storejoin 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.

Need Food, Clothing, Child Care, Rental Assistance, or Health & Human Services?


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.

Useful POMS Links and Info
Looking Ahead
Monday, December 18
1:55p POMS Track & Field Interest Meeting (7th/8th Grade Girls)
Tuesday, December 19
1:55p POMS Track & Field Interest Meeting (7th/8th Grade Boys)
Friday, December 22
POMS No School - Winter Break
Saturday, December 23
POMS No School - Winter Break
Sunday, December 24
POMS No School - Winter Break
Monday, December 25
POMS No School - Winter Break
Tuesday, December 26
POMS No School - Winter Break
Wednesday, December 27
POMS No School - Winter Break
Thursday, December 28
POMS No School - Winter Break
Friday, December 29
POMS No School - Winter Break
Saturday, December 30
POMS No School - Winter Break
Sunday, December 31
POMS No School - Winter Break
POMS 8th Grade Activities - Last day to take advantage of discounted rate for "Club 8" Ultimate Package
Monday, January 1
POMS No School - Winter Break
Tuesday, January 2
POMS No School - Winter Break
Wednesday, January 3
POMS No School - Winter Break
Thursday, January 4
POMS No School - Winter Break
Friday, January 5
POMS No School - Winter Break
Thursday, January 11
9:00a POMS PTO Executive Board Meeting
Friday, January 12
POMS PTO Spring Grant Applications Open
POMS Report Cards
4:00p POMS Kona Ice Friday
Monday, January 15
POMS No School - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Tuesday, January 16
6:00p POMS PTO General Meeting
Thursday, January 18
POMS Staff Appreciation Breakfast
Monday, January 22
4:20p POMS Track & Field Tryouts (Sprinter Events)
Tuesday, January 23
4:20p POMS Track & Field Tryouts (Mid-to-Long Distance Events)
Friday, February 2
POMS PTO Spring Grant Applications Due
9:00a POMS PTO Executive Board Meeting
4:00p POMS Kona Ice Friday
Thursday, February 8
9:00a POMS PTO General Meeting
Wednesday, February 14
POMS Staff Appreciation Dessert Bar
Monday, February 19
POMS No School - Teacher Development Day
Friday, March 1
4:00p POMS Kona Ice Friday
Monday, March 4
9:00a POMS PTO Executive Board Meeting
Wednesday, March 6
9:00a POMS 8th Grade Panoramic Photo
Thursday, March 7
9:00a POMS PTO General Meeting
Friday, March 8
POMS Report Cards
Monday, March 11
POMS No School - Spring Break
Tuesday, March 12
POMS No School - Spring Break
Wednesday, March 13
POMS No School - Spring Break
Thursday, March 14
POMS No School - Spring Break
Friday, March 15
POMS No School - Spring Break
Monday, March 25
POMS No School - Chavez Huerta Day
Friday, March 29
POMS No School - Spring Holiday
Friday, April 5
4:00p POMS Kona Ice Friday
Saturday, April 6
POMS Charger Fest
Monday, April 8
9:00a POMS PTO Executive Board Meeting
Wednesday, April 10
POMS No School - Spring Holiday
Thursday, April 18
9:00a POMS PTO General Meeting
Stay Connected
Ways to Give

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.

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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