News 2021-2022

Check out the amazing display of art created by students in Ms. Garret's 7th grade Medieval History classes this year.

It can be found on the School Projects page, part of the Students section of this website.

Posted 6/9/22

The Eighth Grade Picnic will take place on Monday, June 6, 2022 during Periods 4, 5, and 6. Eligible eighth graders, who must have attended the Culmination rehearsal that morning, are invited to this free event.

Students should bring their own lunch, although some snacks will be available. Music and activities will also be provided.

The Eighth Grade Picnic was originally scheduled for Tuesday, June 7.

Posted 6/3/22

Tickets for Culmination on Friday, June 10, 2022 in the auditorium will be distributed to students on Thursday, June 9, the final rehearsal day. Each candidate will receive a maximum of two tickets.

Parents of culminating students should download the Culmination Parent Update form and return the tear-off portion by Monday, June 6, 2022:

Students who have guests with special needs (elderly or wheelchair-bound) may request special-needs tickets instead of regular tickets, using the tear-off. There is still a limit of 2 tickets total per student.

Posted 6/3/22

Culmination rehearsals for eighth grade students will be as follows:

Eighth grade students must attend all rehearsals in order to attend the Eighth Grade Picnic and participate in the Culmination ceremony, unless an exception is approved by the Eighth Grade Administrator.

Posted 6/3/22

See the Library Events page for information about the Summer With the Library reading contest of the Los Angeles Public Library.

Posted 6/2/22

Students in Ms. Czujko's Robotics and Coding elective need equipment so they can study conditions of programming, best practices for visual and graphic design, and features for game engagement.

You can help by donating to the fundraiser at DonorsChoose.

To date, DonorsChoose fundraisers have raised $59,114 for Palms classrooms.

Posted 6/1/22

There is no school on Monday, May 30, 2022 for Memorial Day, the federal holiday honoring U.S. military personnel who have died while serving in the armed forces.

Posted 5/29/22

Students from the Video Production elective, taught by Mrs. Clark, won 10 awards at this year’s Directing Change Mental Health and Suicide Prevention film competition and the monthly Hope and Justice film competition.

The videos were shown at the Palms Film Festival, which is the culmination of the 8th grade program for students in the Modern Media and Communications Magnet.

A list of the Palms videos is on the Honors, Awards & Recognition page.

You can also see the entries as one 26-minute presentation.

Posted 5/28/22

The final Coffee With the Principal for this school year will take place on Friday, May 27, 2022, at 8:00am. All Palms parents are invited to attend.

Posted 5/26/22

The Palms Ballet Folklórico performance at UCLA's Fiesta Mexicana, on Sunday, May 22, 2022, is now on YouTube.

Posted 5/24/22

If you and your family like pizza, then you won't want to miss Dining for Dollars at MOD Pizza on Wednesday, May 25, 2022.

MOD Pizza is at 8985 Venice Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90034.

Three ways to get your pizza:

1. Go to the the MOD PIzza website and use fundraiser code MODF5371.
2. Use the MOD Pizza app with fundraiser code MODF5371.
3. Bring the English flyer or Spanish flyer to the restaurant.

MOD Pizza will donate 20% to Friends of Palms.

Posted 5/22/22

Here is a sample of the art, by Palms students of Ms. Goldin, exhibited at the United Streets of America art show. The theme is What unity means to me.

Elijah Golden, 8th grade

Ashley Kelly, 7th grade

Keillie Lopez Moreno, 8th grade

McKenzie Martin, 8th grade

Sydney Pulido Banda, 7th grade

Declan Shortt, 8th grade

Aiden Yu, 8th grade

Posted 5/21/22

Only a week after six Palms students received PTSA Music Scholarships, we have two more scholarships to announce:

• Sixth grade violinist Dominic An won a Herbert Zipper Scholarship from the Colburn Community School of Performing Arts.

• Eighth grade violinist Aarna Kumar won a private music lesson scholarship from the Los Angeles Secondary Music Teachers Association.

Congratulations to Dominic and Aama!

Posted 5/20/22

Palms Ballet Folkórico performing at Castle Heights

Students in Son de la Palma, the Ballet Folklórico elective at Palms, warmed up for their upcoming Fiesta Mexicana performance with a visit to Castle Heights Elementary School, where they gave a performance that may inspire students to learn Mexican dancing themselves.

Posted 5/20/22

The United Streets of America Art Festival will feature art by more than two dozen of Ms. Goldin's art students, on the theme of What Unity means to me.

The festival, sponsored by Arts Bridging the Gap, will take place as a block party at Hollywood and Highland (6801 Hollywood Blvd.) in Hollywood on Sunday, May 22, 2022, from noon to 4:00pm. In addition to student art, there will be adult artists and their works and food for sale from local area restaurants.

Participating Palms art students:

• Janaan Ali
• Aaliyah Booker
• Delilah Domenzain
• Michelle Echenique
• Crystal Garcia
• Elijah Golden
• Dylan Guerra
• Christina Guzman
• Dylan Hernandez
• Jocelyn Hernandez
• Ashley Kelly
• Musawwer Khan
• Andrew Madrill
• McKenzie Martin
• Marissa Martinez
• Tyler Maurer
• Keillie Lopez Moreno
• Mylove Oliva
• Austin Orso
• Sydney Pulido Banda
• Victoria Seo
• Saniya Shaji
• Declan Shortt
• Micah Smith
• Bruktayt Worku
• Aiden Yu

Posted 5/19/22

Everyone is invited to come to watch and hear Palms Ballet Folkórico perform at Fiesta Mexicana in UCLA's Royce Call on Sunday, May 22, 2022. The doors open at 4:30pm, the show starts at 5:00pm, and admission is free.

UCLA's own Ballet Folkórico will also perform, with lively Mariachi music.

Posted 5/18/22

Isabelle Liu-Martinez, an 8th grade art student of Ms. Goldin, won second-place prize and $75 in the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power's poster contest, competing against all other 8th grade students in the Los Angeles area.

LADWP, wanting to encourage students to join the fight against climate change, sponsored the art contest, challenging students to submit original artwork illustrating how everyone can do their part.

Congratulations to Isabelle!

Posted 5/17/22

Eliana Becerra, Uzoamaka Ezechukwu, and Saniya Shaji

Each month, Palms faculty and staff select a student from each grade who they feel excels in and out of the classroom, including for extracurricular activities.

The three Students of the Month for April 2022 are

• Eliana Becerra (6th grader)
• Uzoamaka Ezechukwu (7th grader)
• Saniya Shaji (8th grader)

Leadership students provide each Student of the Month with a certificate, a backpack, a Palms bag, and a medal.

Congratulations to our fantastic students of the month!

➡ YouTube video

➡ All Students of the Month

Posted 5/16/22

California State Testing takes place from Monday, May 16 to Friday, May 20, 2022, with make-up testing on Monday, May 23.

Testing schedule (⬇download)

Tip for parents: Make sure your child comes to school on time, well rested, and having eaten a good breakfast.

Posted 5/16/22

The following students each received a $500 scholarship toward their music lessons. The awards were given by the Los Angeles Tenth District PTSA.

• Aditya Ahuja, 8th grade, Violin
• Barathi Balamurugan, 7th grade, Alto Saxophone
• Douglas Eastman, 6th grade, Piano
• Aarna Kumar, 8th grade, Violin
• Antoni Lipetsky, 6th grade, Piano
• Aarohi Meli, 8th grade, Violin

Congratulations to Aditya, Barathi, Douglas, Aarna, Antoni, and Aarohi!

Posted 5/13/22

A dozen students performed monologues – on the theme of "What is something that you really wanted?" – in the East West Players program on Wednesday, May 11, 2022.

This after-school program will return in Spring 2023.

Posted 5/13/22

Students in the after-school East West Players program will perform in "The Monologue Show" on Wednesday, May 11, 2022, from 3:15 to 4:15 in the Auditorium.

The show's theme is "What is something that you really wanted badly in life, and what was your experience acquiring this?"

Posted 5/11/22

The Winds and Strings Concert will take place on Thursday, May 12, 2022, at 6:00pm in the Auditorium.

Parents will be able to hear how much our instrumental music students have learned this year in the Winds & Percussion or Strings elective class.

The doors will open at 5:50pm. Snacks will be available for purchase before the show.

Posted 5/10/22

To date, DonorsChoose has raised $56,938 for Palms teachers.

There's still time to donate to Mr. Andersen's My Classroom Technology is Fading Fast! campaign.

Posted 5/8/22

Indoor on-campus music performances are back!

The Instrumental Spring Concert will take place on Thursday, May 5, 2022 at 6:00pm in the Auditorium.

All Palm families are invited and hear performances by Band, Orchestra, and Jazz Band.

Posted 5/5/22

Eighth grade parents are invited to a Zoom meeting on Tuesday, May 3, 2022 at 5:30pm.

Posted 5/4/22

Winning video by Riley Trosclair and Kennedy Saunders

Students from the Video Production elective, taught by Mrs. Clark, won ten awards at this year’s Directing Change Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Film Competition and the monthly Hope and Justice Film Competition.

In the Mental Health category they were competing against 700 submissions from middle school throughout California. In the Hope and Justice category they were competing against both middle school and high school students.

Each film crew consisted of 2 to 6 students, representing quite a few of our Modern Media and Communications Magnet students!

Hope and Justice category

• Finally There by Riley Trosclair and Kennedy Saunders - 2nd place tie
• Pledge To Mental Health by Angelica Cole, Christian Valdez, Shelliece Coleman, and Jesse Rivas - Honorable Mention
• Finding Hope by J. Vasquez, S. Guzman, A. Mendoza, J. Sutherland, and S. Nolasco - Honorable Mention
• Choose Hope by Kayley Zargar, Katjah Gayley, Baran Ahmadvand, and Ariel Feld - Honorable Mention

TAKE Action for Mental Health category

• Light At the End of a Tunnel by Darnell Russell, Imanuel Garr, and Langston Notto-Bennett - 3rd place tie
• Speaking on Mental Health by S. Johnson, C. Harris, R. Gray, N Fuentes, M. Sokai, and J. Austin - 3rd place tie

Walk in Our Shoes - What is Mental Health & Words Matter category

• “The Hardest Part of Getting Help” by Kiran Eyre and crew - 5th place
• “Reality” by Siyam San Juan Pascual and crew in the Walk in Our Shoes - What is Mental Health & Words Matter category - Honorable Mention

Walk in Our Shoes - The Superhero In Each of Us category

• “A New Light” by Darnell Russell and crew - Honorable Mention
• “Start Being There” by Riley Trosclair and crew - Honorable Mention

Congratulations to all of our video-making students!

Posted 4/26/22

The Palms community is invited to the April Hamilton Community of Schools Town Hall Meeting, from 5:00-6:00pm

Posted 4/24/22

Palms students in the Palms Ballet Folklórico class will perform for you on Thursday, April 28, 2022 starting at 6:00pm, in the Palms Auditorium. The originally scheduled performance was postponed so that it could be held in the Auditorium.

Grupo Folklórico de UCLA will also perform.

Admission is free but seating may be limited.

Posted 4/24/22

All Palms families are invited to the Friends of Palms/PTSA Meeting on Tuesday, April 26, 2022, starting at 6:30pm.

This is your chance to hear the latest news, ask questions, offer opinions, and choose how you'll volunteer for the coming school year.

Posted 4/24/22

Eighth graders at the Jefferson Memorial

Thank you to Mr. Brown, Ms. Garret, Ms. Gillispie, Mr. Mullaney, Mr. Nicholon, Ms. Rivera, Mr. Roche, and Mr. Taylor for serving as chaperones for the 88 students who went on the Eighth Grade Class Trip this year during Spring Break, visiting Boston, Philadelphia, New York, and Washington DC. Our students came home with memories that will be long-lasting and a new understanding of U.S. history.

We've added additional photos to the Trip Journal 2022. Take a look!

Posted 4/20/22

Palms families are welcome to attend a Zoom-based LAUSD Town Hall Meeting with LAUSD Board of Education member Dr. George McKenna (District 1) and LAUSD Superintendent Alberto Carvalho on Monday, April 18, 2022, at 6:00pm.

Posted 4/18/22

The 4-week Fender Music Appreciation summer session will be from Wednesday, June 22 to Thursday, July 21, 2022.

Registration began on Monday, April 4 and the registration deadline is Friday, April 22, 2022, for both new and returning students.

Instruments will be provided for students who commit to attending all classes. Quantities are limited. For new students, a mailing address for instrument delivery is required during registration.

Fender Music Appreciation Summer Session

➡ Registration link

Download flyer: ⬇ English ⬇ Spanish

For more information, email Karen Robinson.

Posted 4/18/22

Eighth graders at the U.S. Capitol

On the 2022 Eighth Grade East Coast Class Trip, Palms students visited Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Washington DC.

From the Trip Journal:

Day 7: Washington, DC (April 15, 2022)

Our last day in DC. The first stop this morning was the Jefferson Memorial, with beautiful views of the Washington Monument and the Tidal Basin. We explored the Smithsonian America History Museum and Natural History museum. We visited the National Archives and saw the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, and the Constitution. Lunch was at the food trucks on the National Mall. We walked to Capitol Hill and spent some time on the front lawn of the US Capitol.

Posted 4/15/22

Eighth graders at the Iwo Jima Memorial

On the 2022 Eighth Grade East Coast Class Trip, Palms students are visiting Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Washington DC.

From the Trip Journal:

Day 6: Washington, DC (April 14, 2022)

We began our day with a beautiful boat cruise from Washington DC down the Potomac River to Mount Vernon, George Washington's former estate. We spent a couple of hours on the grounds of Mount Vernon, and we also toured the historic mansion where George Washington lived and died. After that, we headed to historic Arlington National Cemetery, where we saw the changing of the guard ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, as well as the gravesite of President Kennedy and several other important grave sites as well. After that, we visited the Iwo Jima Memorial before having a yummy dinner. We stopped by the front of the White House, and then visited several of Washington DC's most famous memorials, including the Lincoln Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans War Memorial, the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, and the World War II Memorial. It was another great day filled with lots of fun activities.

Posted 4/14/22

Eighth graders at Independence Hall

On the 2022 Eighth Grade East Coast Class Trip, Palms students are visiting Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Washington DC.

From the Trip Journal:

Day 5: Philadelphia (April 13, 2022)

We left New York City this morning and drove to Philadelphia. We had lunch at Reading Market, a fabulous food market. After lunch, we visited Independence Hall, Congress Hall, and The Liberty Bell. Then we drove to Washington DC and had dinner at a fun and authentic diner. After a long day of travel, we checked into the hotel, but we're ready for a full day in our nation's capital tomorrow.

Posted 4/14/22

Eighth graders at the Statue of Liberty

On the 2022 Eighth Grade East Coast Class Trip, Palms students are visiting Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Washington DC.

From the Trip Journal:

Day 4: New York (April 12, 2022)

Our day started with a ferry boat ride out to the Statue of Liberty and then we continued on to Ellis Island to visit the National Immigration Museum. After that we took the ferry back to lower Manhattan, where we enjoy a walking tour through downtown, seeing the charging bull of Wall Street, and the New York Stock Exchange, and the Federal Hall national monument, among other sites. After lunch, we paid our respects at the 911 memorial before zooming up 1250 feet into the air to check out the views at One World Observatory. We enjoyed some shopping time in Chinatown, then enjoyed a delicious Chinese meal. Then we walked around, visiting some of the sites in Midtown, including Rockefeller Center, the New York Public Library, and Grand Central Terminal. It was a busy fun New York day.

Posted 4/12/22

Eighth graders in Times Square

On the 2022 Eighth Grade East Coast Class Trip, Palms students are visiting Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Washington DC.

From the Trip Journal:

Day 3: New York (April 11, 2022)

We left Boston early in the morning and drove down to New York City. Our first stop was at the amazing Metropolitan Museum of Art. Some of us spent time in Rockefeller Center while others were having dinner, and then we switched. After that, we all had a good time shopping and people-watching under the bright lights of Times Square. It was a great introduction to the Big Apple!

Posted 4/12/22

Eighth graders at Harvard University

On the 2022 Eighth Grade East Coast Class Trip, Palms students are visiting Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Washington DC.

From the Trip Journal:

Day 2: Boston (April 10, 2022)

Our first stop this morning was a visit to Bunker Hill, the location of one of the most famous battles. We toured to USS Constitution and visited the Museum. Our lunch stop was at Harvard, and we also walked around Harvard Yard. This afternoon we visited Fenway Park, the home of the Boston Red Sox. We then had some free time in beautiful Boston Public Garden before dinner.

Posted 4/10/22

Eighth graders in Boston

The 2022 Eighth Grade East Coast Class Trip is from Saturday, April 9 to Friday April 15, 2022. Students are visiting Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Washington DC.

From the Trip Journal:

Day 1: Boston (April 9, 2022)

We arrived in Boston early afternoon. We first walked the North End and saw Paul Revere's Home, Old North Church, the Paul Revere Statue, and Copp’s Hill Burying Ground. We stopped on the way for cannolis. Our next stop was Boston Common, The Massachusetts State Capitol, Park Street Church, Omni Parker House, Kings Chapel, Old South Church, and the Old State House. We got food at Quincy Market.

Posted 4/9/22

The Palms Robotics Team, will.i.am, and Ms. Czujko

Team Velocity, the Palms Middle School's First Tech Challenge (FTC) robotics team, successfully completed their inaugural robotics season. After scoring first place in their qualifying tournament division, they advanced to the LAUSD Championship Tournament as one of the top 20 LAUSD teams.

Team Velocity won first runner-up for the Inspire Award, the most prestigious honor given at the Tournament. The Palms team also advanced to the semi-final round and was awarded second runner-up for the Motivate Award in celebration of their strong team spirit, identity, and enthusiasm.

Former Palms robotics students, now at Hamilton High School, cheered on their alma mater as the team advanced to the final round at the tournament. Hamilton and Palms students became fast friends and set a shared future goal of building a strong STEM FIRST Robotics pathway from Palms Middle School through Hamilton High School and beyond.

Palms students ended the day with congratulations, words of wisdom, and some team pictures with musician will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas. His charity, the i.am.angel Foundation, partnered with LAUSD to plan, sponsor, and execute the LAUSD FTC season tournaments.

Posted 4/5/22

The UCLA Parent Project Village Meeting will take place on Wednesday, April 6, starting at 5:30pm.

Posted 4/3/22

Rapid antigen COVID-19 tests will be distributed to students during homeroom from Tuesday, April 5 to Friday April 8, 2022.

Ask your child about them when they get home from school.

Posted 4/3/22

Come to campus and learn about the Palms neighborhood school and the Palms School for Advanced Studies (SAS) on Visitors Day, Wednesday, April 6, 2022, from 3:45 to 4:30pm or from 4:30 to 5:15pm.

Enter through the library entrance (see map). The event will take place outdoors on the central quad.

Posted 4/3/22

At the annual Pokémon Visitors Day, more than a dozen Pokémon stopped by for a tour of the Palms Middle School campus. Then they each showed off their talents on the patio near the lunch benches.

Students from Sixth Grade Pokémon Club were on hand to greet the visitors while Palms administrators and counselors stood by to answer the visitors' questions, which were mostly about trading cards.

Can you spot all 13 Pokémon?

Happy April 1 from Palms Middle School!

There is no school on Monday, March 28, 2022. It's an "unassigned ay," scheduled to coincide with the week of California's César Chávez State Holiday on Thursday, March 31.

César Chávez was an American civil rights activist who co-founded the National Farm Workers Association, which became today's United Farm Workers labor union.

Posted 3/25/22

Palms parents were able to meet and chat with the Principal, Assistant Principals, Magnet Coordinator, Counselors, Dean, and other Palms staff members at the Koffee Klatch on March 25, 2022.

Many parents hadn't had a chance to meet the staff in person before, and they were able to chat while snacking on muffins and danishes with their coffee.

Thank you to the Palms staff for taking the time to meet with parents, and thank you to Friends of West Los Angeles for donating the sanitizing products that were given out.

Posted 3/25/22

Palms Middle School invites you to stop by the front entrance for the Koffee Klatch on Friday, March 25, 2022. It's an informal "meet and greet" with the Palms support staff, from 8:30 to 9:00am. This may be your first chance to meet them in person!

There will be coffee and pastries too!

Posted 3/24/22

Sixth grade student Mohammad A. Khan was the winner of the annual Pi Day Challenge on 3/14/22 (Pi Day).

Mohammad, a student in Mrs. Igarashi's math class, was able to memorize 331 digits of the number pi, winning a First Place certificate and a wooden pi plaque.

See photos of the top 5 winners on the Pi Day page.

Did you know that pi (π) is a transcendental number, is not the root of any algebraic equation, and has an infinite number of digits?

Congratulations, Mohammad!

Posted 3/23/22

Have a family lunch or dinner at Panda Express on Wednesday, March 23, 2022, and you'll be helping Friends of Palms!

It's Dining for Dollars at all Panda Express locations.

Posted 3/21/22

Sixth grade parents: The time is quickly approaching where your child will be in 7th grade before you know it.

If you're wondering how that process is going to work, what classes your child will have next year, their elective options, and where their classes will be, attend a workshop by Ms. Shin, 6th grade counselor.

Posted 3/21/22

It's Spirit Week from Monday March 21 to Friday March 25, 2022.

Show your school spirit by participating each day!

Monday March 21: Sports Day

Represent your favorite team or wear your own jersey or uniform!

Tuesday, March 22: Twin Day

Dress like friend!

Wednesday, March 23: Heritage Day

Represent your heritage or culture with traditional attire!

Thursday, March 24: Hat Day

Wear your favorite or craziest hat!

Friday, March 25: Blackout Friday

Wear black from head to toe!

Posted 3/20/22

Palms Families can finally come onto campus, for the Chamber Music Concert on Thursday, March 17, 2022, starting at 6:00pm.

The concert will be held outdoors on the central Quad (see campus map).

Enter campus through the Library entrance. You'll be sitting on the grass of the Quad, so bring blankets or low-profile chairs.

Instrumental music students, taught by Ms. Jones, have prepared the musical entertainment.

Posted 3/16/22

Eighth grade Palms student Kennedy Saunders won two bronze medals at the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) Indoor National Championships in Virginia Beach on March 11-13, 2022.

Kennedy won her medals in the 4x200 Meter Relay and 4x400 Meter Relay events. She also participated in the 60 Meter Dash and 200 Meter Dash, representing the West Coast Elite Track Club.

Congratulations, Kennedy!

Posted 3/16/22

Students can better prepare for State Testing by using a stylus with their iPad.

Ms. Andersen is asking for help in purchasing a set of styluses for her highly accelerated math students, some of whom have told her that it's difficult to answer questions without a stylus.

You can help by contributing!

See the DonorsChoose page for the other Palms fundraisers in progress.

Posted 3/15/22

Interested families are invited to attend the LatinX Parent Symposium on Wednesday, March 16, 2022, starting at 6:00pm.

The focus will be on forming a stronger and focused partnership between LatinX parents and students and Palms Middle School.

Key priorities will include increased parent involvement, student support, creating community-building events, and sharing school information and activities.

The first LatinX Parent Symposium was held in October 2021. An additional symposium is planned for May 2022.

Posted 3/15/22

Parents of students in the Gifted and SAS programs are invited to the Spring Gifted Meeting in Zoom on Monday, March 14, 2022, from 6:00 to 7:00pm.

Posted 3/14/22

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Monday, March 14, 2022 (better known as 3/14) is Pi Day, when 6th grade Palms students celebrate the mathematical number π (pi).

Sixth grade math teachers introduce special activities, which may include measuring the circumferences and diameters of circles to confirm that pi is the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter no matter how big or small the circle is.

Pi Day is a fun teaching experience for sixth grade math teachers and a fun learning experience for 6th grade students.

The celebration culminates in the annual contest where students recite digits of pi.

Posted 3/13/22

All Palms families are invited to the last Friends of Palms/PTSA Meeting before Spring Break, on Tuesday, March 15, 2022, at 6:30pm.

Find out what's happening at Palms, have your questions answered, and learn how you can get involved with your school.

See the Meetings page for the minutes from previous meetings.

Posted 3/13/22

The Road to Find provides a creative space for U.S. students to explore art while reflecting on social justice issues.

The Fall/Winter theme was Women's Rights. Eleven middle school students were featured, ten of them from Palms! They are in Ms. Goldin's art class.

Visit the Student Art section to see the students and their art.

You can also see them the latest journal edition:

Congratulations to these featured Palms art students, who each received $25 for their excellent work and for being selected!

• Destiny Castellanos, 8th grade
• Sarah Linderman, 8th grade
• Brenda Martinez, 7th grade
• Marissa Martinez, 7th grade
• Darya Mokhtari, 7th grade
• Stacy Rincon, 7th grade
• Victoria Seo, 8th grade
• Declan Shortt, 8th grade
• Nathan Valencia, 8th grade
• Bruktayt Worku, 8th grade

Sonia Banker, The Road to Find Founder and Editor in Chief, said that the art by these Palms students spoke on deep and emotional levels and would continue to inspire those who read the journal.

You can help students of Ms. Clendening who are learning English after coming to the United States from 9 other countries.

Please support the purchase of books in English, about the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and about comic book legend Stan Lee, by donating to this fundraising campaign:

The donation deadline is July 2, 2022.

Two other DonorsChoose campaigns are also in progress:

See the DonorsChoose page for a history of Palms campaigns. As of March 2022, Palms Middle School teachers have raised $55,258 through DonorsChoose.

Posted 3/12/22

Set your clocks ahead one hour on Sunday, March 13, 2022, which marks the beginning of Daylight Saving Time. Otherwise, you'll be an hour late to school on Monday!

This is also a good time to check your emergency supplies and to change the batteries in your smoke detectors and flashlights.

See the Emergency Preparedness page for more tips.

Posted 3/10/22

Sixth grade parents:

• Do you ever wonder what kind of stuff your child thinks about?
• Have you noticed a change in their behavior or personality recently?
• What do middle school students talk about when they're at school?
• What is the support system Palms offers for students who may be struggling or feeling not so great at school?
• And why is social-emotional learning so critical for their development and well-being?

Get answers to these questions and more by attending a workshop by Ms. Shin, 6th grade counselor

Posted 3/6/22

Up until now, 7th and 8th grade students have had the first lunch period, followed by the lunch period for 6th grade students. For the remainder of the semester, the order will be switched.

March 7 to 11, 2022 is the last week for the current split lunch schedule:

Starting on Monday, March 14, 2022, it will be the new split lunch schedule:

Posted 3/6/22

Each month, Palms faculty and staff select a student from each grade who they feel excels in and out of the classroom, including for extracurricular activities.

The three Students of the Month for February 2022 are

• Michael Sohn (6th grader)
• Emilee Morales (7th grader)
• Darnell Russell (8th grader)

Leadership students provide each Student of the Month with a certificate, a backpack, a Palms bag, and a medal.

See the video with Michael, Emilee, and Darnell

Congratulations to our fantastic students of the month!

Posted 3/3/22

The Winter 2022 GATE/SAS Parent Newsletter is now available. It describes the upcoming 13th annual GATE/SAS Parent Conference (March 12, 2022).

You can download back issues from the GATE/SAS Parent Newsletter page.

Posted 3/2/22

The 2022 Palms Middle School Yearbook, a 92-page printed book, is now available for pre-order for $40. Pre-ordering is the only way to guarantee that you'll get a copy. There will be a limited supply of yearbooks for purchase later in the school year.

To order online, visit Jostens.com.

Posted 3/1/22

Eighth grade students should wear their school colors for Panorama Picture Day, Wednesday, March 2, 2022.

Be sure to look your best and prepare your biggest smile!

Posted 3/1/22

About 50 students from the Palms Modern Media and Communications Magnet went on a field trip to the Ballona Wetlands to gain a better understanding of environmental sustainability and restoration.

The trip was organized by Ms. Girvan and Ms. Okihara.

The students took a guided tour of three wetlands stations, helped remove non-native plants to restore habitat, gained familiarity with local plant and animal life, and viewed the watershed and the environmental impact of litter.

Due to the pandemic, this is the first field trip that Palms students have been able to take this year.

See the Field Trips page for more Ballona Wetlands Field Trip photos.

Posted 2/27/22

Congratulations to Palms teachers Ms. Garret, Ms. Gillispie, and Mrs. Wohl, who received a team grant from the Bringing STEM to Life program of Azusa Pacific University's School of Education.

"STEM" refers to the combination of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.

The grants, sponsored by The Helen and Will Webster Foundation and Azusa Pacific University, provide financial support for software, cloud-based curriculum, supplementary materials, virtual field trips, student learning kits, and virtual professional development.

Posted 2/24/22

Leadership class is having a fundraiser, and you get pizza!

Visit Little Caesar's Pizza's Palms Middle School fundraising page, order a pizza kit, and Palms will receive $6 for each order!

The fundraiser has begun and will continue through the month of March.

Posted 2/24/22

Counselor Mrs. Bradshaw is the Palms BSAP Coordinator.

Learn about the BSAP mantra, the goals of the BSAP program, and links to useful resources on the Black Student Achievement Program (BSAP) page.

Posted 2/22/22

This month's Hamilton Community of Schools Town Hall Meeting will be on Wednesday, February 23, 2022, starting at 5:00pm.

Posted 2/21/22

Sixth grade parents:

• Are you new to middle school and confused how to read your child's progress report card?
• Are you interested in learning how grades and credits work in middle school?
• Is your child struggling to keep up with their work?

Get answers to these questions and more by attending a workshop by Ms. Shin, 6th grade counselor:

Posted 2/19/22

There is no school on Monday, February 21, 2022, for Presidents' Day.

Abraham Lincoln, our 16th President, was born on February 12, 1809 (the same day as naturalist Charles Darwin).

George Washington, our 1st President, was born on February 22, 1732.

You can see Presidential Portraits of all 45 U.S. Presidents. See if you can tell which President served two terms that weren't consecutive!

Posted 2/19/22

There are four fundraising campaigns for Palms teachers currently in progress at DonorsChoose. Please consider making a donation.

For Mr. Tran:

Speakers for the Classroom - BlueTooth speakers to allow the teacher and students to share audio

For Ms. Jones:

The World on a String - replacement strings for violins, violas, cellos, and basses

For Ms. Czujko:

Ohana Tie Dye - supplies for school T-shirts

See the DonorsChoose page for details.

To date, donations at DonorsChoose have raised $53,629 for Palms teachers!

Posted 2/17/22

East West Players, the renowned theater company, is running an after-school drama club at Palms.

Students learn to do improv, monologues, skits, and much more. The club is open to all Palms students.

Club meetings are after school on Wednesdays in the Auditorium, from 3:10pm to 4:20pm. The first meeting is Wednesday, February 16, 2022. Magnet students can take the late bus if they have an approved application.

For more information, contact Mr. Kim.

Posted 2/16/22

Palms parents are invited to attend the Stakeholder Group Budget Development Input Meeting on Thursday, February 17, 2022 at 4:00pm.

Posted 2/15/22

C'Nya Campbell, Madelynn Vasquez, and Ahmad Alrifai

Each month, Palms faculty and staff select a student from each grade who they feel excels in and out of the classroom, including for extracurricular activities.

The three Students of the Month for January 2022 are

• C'Nya Campbell (6th grader)
• Madelynn Vasquez (7th grader)
• Ahmad Alrifai (8th grader)

Leadership students provide each Student of the Month with a certificate, a backpack, a Palms bag, and a medal.

See the video with C'Nya, Madelynn, and Ahmad

Congratulations to our fantastic students of the month!

Posted 2/15/22

GATE Coordinator Ms. Okihara is collecting referrals for identification of GATE-eligible students.

Referrals began this week. The deadline to submit a referral is Friday, March 4, 2022.

For more information on the GATE identification process, download the parent brochure.

Posted 2/15/22

Come, listen, and participate in the February Friends of Palms/PTSA Meeting on Tuesday, February 15, 2022, at 6:30pm.

If your child will be back at Palms in the Fall, this is a good time to choose a volunteer position to help your school!

Posted 2/13/22

The Valentine's Day Dance, for 7th and 8th graders, will be held on Monday, February 14, 2022, from 3:00 to 4:15pm on the Library Patio.

Admission and food are free!

⬇ Download flyer

A late bus will be available after the dance.

Eligibility Requirement: You may not have any D's, F's, or U's on your five-week report card. Be sure to check this ahead of time.

This is not the same as 8th Grade Activity Eligibility.

Dance tickets will not be distributed and are not necessary. Students will line up to have their eligibility checked.

Posted 2/13/22

Friday, February 11, 2022 is a Minimum Day. A shortened day traditionally follows Thursday's Open House evening.

Dismissal on Friday is at 12:30pm.

Posted 2/11/22

Kevon Fortune, photo from the Los Angeles Times

Kevon Fortune, a former Palms instrumental music student and current Venice High School student, will be playing violin in a performance for the NFL Honors TV show on Thursday evening, February 10, 2022, as part of ABC's lead-up to the Super Bowl on Sunday.

Kevon is a member of the Inner City Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles, the largest majority Black orchestra in the country, which was selected for this honor. The orchestra will play a number of pieces, including the Star Spangled Banner and the theme from Star Wars.

Kevon is profiled in a Los Angeles Times article, which reports that he is deciding on his college choices and plans a career as an aerospace engineer.

Posted 2/9/22

A visit from the Connecting Cultures Mobile Museum, which celebrates the world's many cultures, is an annual tradition at Palms. An incredible collection of unique and interesting cultural artifacts will be on display in the Library. Palms classes will take turns visiting.

The exhibit will be at Palms from Wednesday, February 9 to Thursday, February 17, 2022.

The Connecting Cultures exhibit theme rotates every 3 years. This year's theme is Everyday Connections. Students will examine and learn about traditional or special occasion clothing, shoes and hats, talismans and other charms to attract good fortune or scare away bad spirits, traditional toys, games, and sports jerseys and equipment from around the world.

Due to the pandemic, parents won't be invited to tour the museum this year, so be sure to ask your children about what they saw, what they experienced, and what they learned.

Posted 2/8/22

Interested families are invited to attend our third African-American Family Symposium on Wednesday, February 9, 2022, starting at 6:00pm.

The focus will be on forming a stronger and focused partnership between African-American parents and students and Palms Middle School.

Key priorities will include increased parent involvement, student support, creating community-building events, and sharing school information and activities.

Previous African-American Family Symposiums were held in September and November. Additional African-American Family Symposiums will be held in April and June.

Posted 2/7/22

Parent workshops named Setting Goals: Understanding and Meeting College Entrance Criteria will be held on Thursday, February 24, 2022 from 6:00pm to 7:00pm.

The workshops, in English in Spanish, will be held in Zoom and hosted by Study Smart Tutors.

There is room for 25 parents in the English session and 25 parents in the Spanish session, first-come, first-served.
To register and receive the Zoom link, fill out the registration form.

If you have questions, email Ms. Flynn, Categorical Program Advisor.

Posted 2/1/22

The school entrance on the south side of Palms Blvd. is closed until further notice.

Students can still enter the campus using the Main Entrance or the Library Entrance on Woodbine Street or the Student Store Entrance on the north side of Palms Blvd.

Posted 1/30/22

Here is the Spring 2022 tutoring schedule. There is no tutoring on Tuesdays or on shortened or minimum days.

Library Homework Help

➡ Details

Grades: 6, 7, and 8

Days: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday

Time: 3:15 to 4:15pm

Location: Library

Zoom-based Math Homework Help

➡ Details

Grades: 6, 7, and 8

Days: Monday, Wednesdays

Time: 5:00 to 6:00pm.

In-person Math Tutoring

➡ Details

Grades: 6, 7, and 8

Days: Monday, Wednesday

Time: 3:15 to 4:15pm

Writing (ELA) Homework Help

➡ Details

Grade: 6

Day: Thursday

Time: 3:15 to 4:15pm

Posted 1/27/22

Video Production teacher Mrs. Clark received a $500 grant from Directing Change to support her classroom. She has previously received grants from the same organization. Some of her students have created award-winning videos for Directing Change's contests.

History teachers Ms. Garret, Ms. Gillispie, Ms. Rivera, and Mrs. Wohl received a $3400 team grant from the Keeping History Alive program of Azusa Pacific University’s School of Education. Each teacher received $850. The history grants provide financial support for purchases of software, cloud-based curriculum, supplementary materials, virtual field trips, student learning kits, and virtual professional development.

Posted 1/26/22

There are three fundraising campaigns for Palms teachers currently in progress. Please consider making a donation.

For Ms. Czujko:

Caring Robots - storage bins, supply cases, a hot glue gun, and glue sticks to let students share their knowledge and love of robotics with the community.

For Ms. Andersen:

My Classroom Technology is Fading Fast! - an LCD projector and a document camera for algebra and geometry lessons

For Ms. Okihara:

KN95 Masks Needed for Covid-19 Safe Classrooms - 100 masks to increase safety and reduce absences

See the DonorsChoose page for details.

To date, donations at DonorsChoose have raised $52,749 for Palms teachers!

Posted 1/24/22

LAUSD Superintendent Megan K. Reilly has shared the following message:

Dear Los Angeles Unified Family,

Thank you for your partnership with the return to campus for Spring semester. I know there is concern and anxiety about local conditions with the Omicron surge in Los Angeles County. We have some important updates to share.

In-school case rates dropped 7% since our baseline testing and current rates of students and staff are half of those in the general community due to the safety measures in place. We continue to be diligent and agile in creating the safest learning environments and therefore will implement the following protocols beginning Monday, January 24:

• Ongoing Weekly Testing Through February: Testing will continue for students and employees, regardless of vaccination status.
  • Anyone who has had a positive COVID-19 test in the previous 90 days is exempt from the weekly, in-school PCR testing.

• Upgraded Masks: Students will be required to wear a non-cloth mask with a nose wire at all times, including while participating in athletic activities.
  • Schools will provide surgical-style masks for students and employees if they need them.

• TK-12 Close Contacts Will Remain On Campus: In accordance with Los Angeles County Public Health (LACDPH) Guidelines, all students and employees on campus will be treated as if they are a close contact, and willremain on campus as long as they remain asymptomatic and participate in the weekly testing.
  • Families will not receive individual close contact notifications, but can review daily case count updates for their school online at achieve.lausd.net/covidreportcard.
  • These students can participate in sports and before- and after-school programs, as long as they do not have any symptoms, continue testing negative and wear a well-fitted mask during these activities.
  • If a student develops symptoms or tests positive, they must isolate immediately and follow home isolation protocols.
  • This change does not apply to Early Education students, including preschool, ETK, and PALS students. These students will quarantine at-home unless they have recovered from COVID-19 in the last 90 days.

• At-Home Close Contacts: As a reminder, students exposed to COVID-19 outside of school must still participate in at-home quarantine unless they are fully vaccinated or recovered from COVID-19 in the last 90 days. Please visit achieve.lausd.net/spring2022 for the latest guidance.

Los Angeles Unified families, you are crucial in our effort to keep our school communities safe. Monitoring your child for symptoms of COVID-19 and taking them to get vaccinated are two essential ways you can help keep our schools healthy and as stable as possible. For our latest mobile vaccination clinic schedules, which offer booster shots and doses for individuals 5 and older, please visit achieve.lausd.net/covidvaccineappt.

Los Angeles Unified continues to follow the latest guidance from LACDPH. This guidance ensures that our schools are as safe as possible for students and employees. We monitor school conditions daily. For more information, visit achieve.lausd.net/spring2022.

We thank you for your continued partnership and support.

Posted 1/22/22

Watch and listen to the Palms Bands and Palms Orchestra performing at the Winter Concert 2021

Our student musicians haven't previously been able to perform a concert in the auditorium, so this performance is especially nice to enjoy. And a little holiday music never hurts!

Posted 1/20/22

This year's Parent Involvement Policy and School Family Compact can be downloaded from their respective web pages:

➡ Parent Involvement Policy

➡ School Family Compact

The Parent Involvement Policy describes the means by which Palms Middle School involves parents in the learning process.

The School-Family Compact is an agreement among a Palms student, the student's parent(s) or guardian(s), and Palms Middle School, as they share responsibility for the success of the student's education.

Parents: Read both documents.

Students: Read the School Family Compact.

Posted 1/19/22

Parents and students who are looking for a summer camp, a summer school, or a summary program should attend L.A. Camp Fair 2022 on Sunday, March 6, 2022 at Dodger Stadium or on Sunday, March 13, 2022 at UCLA.

You can discover and learn about over 100 summer programs, including over 50 summer camps, and meet camp directors, counselors, and representatives. Admission is free.

Capacity is limited due to strict COVID-19 protocols, so get your free tickets now.

Posted 1/18/22

The first Friends of Palms/PTSA meeting for 2022 and the Spring semester will take place on Wednesday, January 19, 2022, starting at 6:00pm.

All Palms families are invited to attend, get the latests news from Principal Mr. Choi, hear from Friends of Palms and PTSA leaders, and have your questions answered.

Posted 1/18/22

LAUSD is holding a Reading Contest, from now until Friday, April 22, 2022. The purpose is to recognize, reward, and encourage students to discover and reinforce the power and joy of reading.

Palms students, their English classrooms, and Palms Middle School have chances to win certificates, virtual Zoom backgrounds, an interview on the LAUSD podcast, gift cards, school banners, and even classroom pizza parties in the Grade 6-8 category! Rewards are based on the number of pages read.

Contest details: English • Spanish

Students: You can read digital or print books in any language. Schoology will track your progress if you use these resources to find your books:

• Renaissance myON (accessed through the Renaissance Learning app located on the Waffle Icon)

• Sora (accessed through the Renaissance Learning app located on the Waffle Icon)

• Learning Ally (for Special Education students)

If you read books from other sources, use these Google forms to record your progress:

Data form: English • Spanish

Posted 1/17/22

January 17, 2022 is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. School is closed for the holiday.

Principal Mr. Choi shares this quote from Dr. King's 1963 sermon, Strength to Love.

Posted 1/17/22

Parents: Please make sure that students attend school every day when they are healthy and that they do not come to school when they are sick.

If your child is absent due to an illness or an appointment, you should inform Ms. Valerie Saulsberry, Student Services Office Technician, on that day or the next day. Our school funding depends on having absences excused!

Do one of the following:

1. Phone Ms. Saulsberry at 310-253-7627.
2. Send Ms. Saulsberry a fax at 310-559-0397.
3. Email Ms. Saulsberry with a CC copy to Mrs. Avila, our Pupil Services and Attendance Counselor.

Send the email:

To: "Ms. Saulsberry"

Cc: "Mrs. Avila"

Your message must include the student's name, dates and reasons for the absence, and (for a fax) your signature. If necessary, include supporting documents such as a doctor's or dentist's note.

Posted 1/14/22

Instrumental music teacher Ms. Jones reports that Palms clarinet player Daniel Karpoukhin has been accepted into the California All State Honor Band.

Congratulations to Daniel!

Posted 1/10/22

Download these diagrams to understand the LAUSD protocols for students who

• have symptoms of COVID-19
• are COVID-19 positive with symptoms
• are COVID-19 positive with no symptoms

The protocols define the COVID-19 symptoms to watch for, indicate how long you should stay home, and tell you what to do while isolated at home.

Posted 1/10/22

Testing

A negative test result is required for returning to school on January 11, 2022.

All students, whether vaccinated or not, will receive a baseline test on Friday, January 14, 2022 in their P.E. period, and weekly testing for the rest of January. Any student who misses their weekly test at Palms will need to get tested at the LAUSD stationary site.

Vaccinations

Free vaccinations will be available to LAUSD students age 12 and over at Palms on Wednesday, January 12, 2022 from noon to 7:00pm on the P.E. side. They can receive their first dose, second dose, or booster.

Appointments are highly recommend.

Posted 1/9/22

Due to the high infection rate of the COVID-19 Omicron variant, LAUSD has revised their guidelines for the start of school.

• Monday, January 10, 2022 is now a pupil-free day.
• The first day for students will be Tuesday, January 11.
• All students, whether vaccinated or not, must submit negative COVID-19 test results before January 11 in order to come to campus.
• Testing is available starting Monday, January 3.
• Upload your test results to Daily Pass by Sunday, January 9. Families may upload external PCR or antigen tests, or at-home tests.
• To make an appointment, go to achieve.lausd.net/covidtestingappt or call the Family Help Desk at 213-443-1300. Appointments are recommended but not required for LAUSD testing sites.
• Students can pick up two COVID-19 at-home rapid self-tests on Friday, January 7 or Saturday, January 8, from 8:00am to noon at any Grab & Go site.
• Masks at school will be required at all times, indoors and outdoors. It is strongly recommended that all students wear well-fitting, non-cloth masks with a nose wire. LAUSD will provide masks if needed, and they can be picked up at test sites and Grab & Go sites.
• As previously announced, vaccinations will be required for students 12 and older at the start of the Fall 2022 semester.

Posted 1/4/22

Free COVID-19 tests are available at 12 LAUSD sites, including Beethoven Elementary School and Audubon Middle School. Download these flyers for dates and times.

January 3 to January 15, 2022

English • Spanish

January 18 and later

English • Spanish

Schedule testing appointments for students at Daily Pass.

The Audubon Middle School test location is available even for students with symptoms.

Testing is also available from Tuesday, January 4 to Saturday, January 8, 2022, at the Hamilton High School auditorium (2955 South Robertson Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90034), from 8:00am to 4:00pm. Appointments are encouraged.

Posted 1/3/22

Simply by registering your amazon.com with the Amazon Smile program, and shopping starting from smile.amazon.com, you can get Amazon to donate to Palms every time you make a purchase.

It cost you nothing!

Palms has already earned over $1,100 this way, and you can help it continue to grow. It's easy to sign up, and you need to register only once.

Posted 12/30/21

LAUSD has announced new COVID-19 policies for the Spring 2022 semester that begins Monday,January 10, 2022.

• Baseline testing will be required for all students, regardless of vaccination status, during the first week back from winter break. Students will continue to test weekly until Friday, January 28, 2022.
• A negative test result is not required for students to return to school on January 10. Students will be able to generate a Daily Pass for the first week of school.
• Beginning Monday, January 31, 2022, weekly COVID-19 testing will be required only for students who do not have their vaccine record on the Daily Pass. This includes students age 12 and older who are conditionally admitted or medically exempt from vaccination.
• Indoor masking will continue to be required, regardless of vaccination status.
• Outdoor masking will be required only at schools where fewer than 85% of students on campus are fully vaccinated.
• Unvaccinated students without symptoms who are close contacts will participate in modified (in-school) quarantine if all L.A. County Department of Public Health requirements are met.

Posted 12/24/21

Winning poster by Destiny Catellanos and Jazmin Paiz

Two students in Ms. Goldin's art class were winners of the Día De Los Muertos Art Contest sponsored by the Pasadena Tournament of Roses.

The poster by the team of Destiny Catellanos and Jazmin Paiz won first place in the middle school age category. They received a $500 scholarship.

Three Palms students received Honorable Mention awards and $50 gift cards: Petra Daly, Areli Sanchez, and Bruktayt Worku.

Congratulations to our amazing art students!

Visit the Students section to see more Día De Los Muertos posters by Palms art students.

Posted 12/20/21

On Thursday, December 16, 2021, students in Mr. Kim's Sixth Grade Leadership class visited the Charnock Residential Home, a local retirement center for seniors.

The Palms students make holiday cards and art, and they sang songs, to bring holiday cheer to our community members.

The Palms Retirement Home Visit is an annual tradition.

Posted 12/20/21

Students have a 3-week Winter Break, from Monday, December 20, 2021 to Friday, January 7, 2022.

The Spring 2022 semester begins Monday, January 10, 2022.

Posted 12/18/21

Cedars-Sinai is offering two free Parent Workshops in January, in the first week of the Spring semester, as part of their Share & Care program.

Each workshop for parents will discuss ways to set personal goals in a positive way and cover topics such as ways to improve your well-being, resolutions versus goals, and tips to help you achieve your goals and stick to them.

Cedars-Sinai's parent education Share & Care workshops cover topics ranging from communication, grief and loss, behavior management, and parenting as a team to handling transitions.

Posted 12/14/21

Students from Leadership class completed another successful Canned Food Drive this year, under the direction of Leadership teacher Mr. Nicholson.

With homeroom teachers offering their classrooms as drop-off and pick-up locations, Leadership students assenbled backpacks for needy families, with canned food, packaged food, and homemade "Happy Holidays" cards.

Backpacks ready for distribution

Posted 12/14/21

A COVID-19 vaccination clinic will be on the Palms campus, on the P.E. side, on these two dates:

• Saturday, December 11, 2021, 9:00am to 1:00pm
• Thursday, December 16, 2021, 8:00am to 3:00pm

LAUSD students age 12 and over are eligible to receive their 1st dose, 2nd dose, or booster at this clinic.

Appointments are recommended and can be made at dailypass.lausd.net.

Posted 12/6/21

Tuesday, November 30, 2021 is Giving Tuesday, a day when everyone is encouraged to make donations to the organizations and causes they care about.

There's nothing more important than your children and their education, so this is an excellent day to donate to Friends of Palms.

Friends of Palms supports Palms students and teachers by funding programs, activities, and supplies, including software for the Math Department, supplies for the Science Department, books, an umbrella for the garden area, costumes for Ballet Folklórico, funds for field trips, scholarships, stipends for teachers to supply their classrooms, and much more.

Posted 11/30/21

Three DonorsChoose donation drives are in progress. You can help our teachers and their students with needed supplies and furniture by donating to any or all of these drives. November 30, 2021 is Giving Tuesday, making it an ideal day to make donations.

• Mathematicians Write Too! - whiteboards, dry erase markers, and mechanical pencils for Ms. Okihara
• Standing Student Desks - desks and portable chargers for Mrs. Firstbrook
• Snazzy Science Storage - storage cart, crates, baskets, and bins for Ms. Okihara

To date, over $50,000 has been raised for Palms classrooms through DonorsChoose!

Posted 11/28/21

The annual Canned Food Drive, arranged by Leadership class, has begun. It runs through Friday, December 10, 2021.

Collection boxes are in the Main Entrance and in each homeroom.

Here are the requested items:

• Rice, pasta, sauces
• Canned fruits and vegetables
• Canned proteins (tuna, salmon, chicken)
• Peanut butter and jelly
• Baking products
• No glass please

Posted 11/25/21

Many Palms students have relatives in the U.S. military. Palms Leadership students created a Veterans Day Showcase in the Main Entrance honoring those veterans and all other veterans. This is an annual tradition at Palms.

Posted 11/25/21

Valentin Bautista, Camila Garcia, and Annie Lu Rios

The Eighth Grade Class Trip will take place Saturday, April 9 to Friday, April 15, 2022 during Spring Break. Students taking the trip will visit Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Washington DC.

Friends of Palms has awarded Class Trip scholarships to four students, based on essays that they wrote.

1st place winners, earning a fully-paid-for trip:

• Valentin Bautista
• Eryn Friend

2nd place winners, earning $350 each toward the trip cost:

• Camila Garcia
• Annie Lu Rios

Congratulations to our scholarship winners!

Posted 11/25/21

Most Creative Pumpkin Award - "Frida Kahlo" by 7th grader Stacy Rincon

See the entries and winners from this year's Historic Figure Pumpkin Contest in the Students section of our website.

Posted 11/22/21

Above are more photos from the Fall semester Spirit Week in November 2021.

Can you tell which photos are from Formal Wear Day, which are from Tacky Day, and which are from College Day?

This year's College Day rivalry between UCLA and USC was settled when UCLA won the crosstown football game 62 to 33, perhaps spurred on by the Palms Band's campus performance of the UCLA fight song on Friday, November 19, during Coffee With the Principal.

Posted 11/21/21

If a student missed his or her COVID-19 test test during P.E. period on Friday, November 19, 2021, he or she should get a COVID-19 test at any available location on Monday, November 22 or Tuesday, November 23 to ensure that they are eligible for school the week after the Thanksgiving break.

Posted 11/19/21

Palms students who are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccination must follow a two-step process:

1. Get vaccinated. Visit achieve.lausd.net/vaccinations for locations and appointments.
2. Upload your vaccination record to dailypass.lausd.net.

As of Friday, November 19, 2021, over half of the 914 eligible Palms students have completed the process and over two thirds have completed the process or are going through the process. Keep up the good work!

Don't wait to upload your vaccination record since the data must be reviewed by LAUSD before your school record is updated.

Students age 12 and older must receive their first dose by Sunday, November 21, 2021 and their second dose by Sunday, December 19, 2021.

At the mobile vaccination clinic on campus on November 18, 2021, 45 students age 12 and over received vaccinations, 40 students age 5 through 11 received vaccinations, and 8 adults received their boosters.

Posted 11/19/21

Over 70 Palms 8th grade students have signed up for the College Dual Enrollment Program for the Spring 2022 semester.

They will take an online course named College Survival Skills Development from Los Angeles Southwest College, earning college credit as they learn valuable skills for their college years.

Questions about the program should be directed to Mrs. Bradshaw, Eighth Grade Counselor.

Posted 11/19/21

There will be no school from Monday, November 22 to Friday, November 26, 2021, for the Thanksgiving holiday.

School will resume on Monday, November 29.

We hope that all Palms families have a relaxing and enjoyable Thanksgiving week.

Remember that Tuesday, November 30 is Giving Tuesday. Remember your school by donating to Friends of Palms that day!

Posted 11/19/21

Tuesday, November 16, 2021 was Anything But a Backpack Day, part of the Fall semester's Spirit Week.

Palms students found wonderful new ways to tote their books and supplies, as shown above.

Posted 11/16/21

Palms families are invited to the last Friends of Palms/PTSA meeting for the Fall semester. The Zoom meeting will be on Tuesday, November 16, 2021, at 6:30pm.

Posted 11/15/21

Student Leadership has announced the themes for each day of Sprit Week, November 15 to November 19, 2021.

Students who want to join in should wear clothes to match each day's theme:

Posted 11/15/21

You can listen to nine songs performed by the Palms Bands and Orchestra, directed by Ms. Jones.

Posted 11/7/21

Students age 12 and over:

• If you've received both COVID-19 vaccination doses:

Upload your documentation to dailypass.lausd.net.

You need to do this even if you were vaccinated at an LAUSD site.

• If you are not yet vaccinated:

Make your appointment at achieve.lausd.net/covidvaccineappt.

First dose deadline: Friday, November 19, 2021

Second dose deadline: Sunday, December 19, 2021

Posted 11/5/21

Set your clocks back one hour on Sunday, November 7, 2021, which marks the end of Daylight Saving Time. Otherwise, you'll be an hour early to school on Monday!

This is also a good time to check your emergency supplies and to change the batteries in your smoke detectors and flashlights.

See our Emergency Preparedness page for more tips.

Posted 11/5/21

Palms Middle School now has a College Dual Enrollment Program, available to all 8th graders.

In the Spring 2022 semester, students can take an online course named College Survival Skills Development from Los Angeles Southwest College, earning college credit as they learn valuable skills for their college years.

Signups are first-come-first-served, with a few spots open as of November 4, 2021. The signup deadline is Wednesday, November 17, 2021.

Interested families should read our College Dual Enrollment Program page, then contact Mrs. Bradshaw, Eighth Grade Counselor for more information or to sign up.

Posted 11/4/21

Palms families with a sweet tooth are invited to visit the Kona Ice Truck that will park in front of Palms Middle School on Friday, November 5, 2021, from 3:00pm to 4:00pm.

You can try shaved ice with flavors ranging from Lemon-Lime-A-Licious to Wild Watermelon and from Very Cherry to Groovy Grape.

This is a "First Friday Fundraiser" by Leadership class.

Posted 11/3/21

Lukah Hakman, Iliana Morales, and Kennedy Saunders

Each month, Palms faculty and staff select a student from each grade who they feel excels in and out of the classroom, including for extracurricular activities.

These are our three Students of the Month for October 2021.

Leadership students provide each student with a certificate, a backpack, a Palms bag, and a medal.

See the video with Lukah, Iliana, and Kennedy

Congratulations to our fantastic students of the month!

Posted 11/3/21

The November Hamilton Community of Schools Town Hall will be held on Thursday, November 4, 2021, from, 5:00pm to 6:00pm.

Posted 11/1/21

On October 28, 2021, at the Young Storytellers "Biggest Show" at the Theatre At the Ace Hotel, a monologue named "The Artist" by 7th grader Jade Yates was read by actor Kelly Marie Tran. The show is available on YouTube.

By coincidence, Jade had drawn a picture of Kelly Marie Tran, which won last year's Asian American Pacific Islander Art Contest in Mr. Kim's Sixth Grade Leadership class, so Ms. Tran autographed Jade's portrait of her!

Read all of the details and see the video and more photos on our Young Storytellers page.

Posted 10/31/21

Join us for the Virtual Pops Concert on Wednesday, November 3, 2021, at 6:00pm to hear how much the music students of Ms. Jones have accomplished!

This is our first instrumental music concert for this school year.

Posted 10/31/21

We hope that everyone will have a fun and safe Halloween!

Student costumes in Mrs. Clark's homeroom

Posted 10/29/21

Current and prospective GATE and SAS parents are invited to an LAUSD GATE Parent Workshop on Wednesday, October 27, 2021, from 5:00pm to 6:00pm.

The live webinar will provide an overview of the Choices application and verification process. it will also show how Schools for Advanced Studies and Gifted Magnets can meet your child's learning needs.

Posted 10/26/21

Parents are urged to use extra caution and consideration when dropping off students in the morning or picking them up after school.

There are two concerns:

1. Safety, the number one priority of everyone at school. Please leave enough time so that you can approach the school patiently, and never double park, let students jaywalk, or have students leave vehicles other than safety at the curb.
2. Consideration of our neighbors. Palms is in a residential neighborhood, and we need to respect our neighbors by minimizing noise and disruption. Never honk or yell to get the attention of students or other drivers.

Consider using a nearby side street for drop-offs and pick-ups, letting students walk around the corner or down the block to school.

Thank you!

Posted 10/24/21

Students can wear Halloween costumes to school on Friday, October 29, 2021, subject to the following rules:

• Costumes shall not be demeaning to any person or group based on age, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, nationality, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or to any individual staff or student at school.
• Costumes must comply with the dress code restriction against images that are "vulgar, sexually suggestive, discriminatory, obscene, libelous, contain threats, or that promote illegal or violent content such as the unlawful use of weapons, drugs, alcohol, tobacco, or drug paraphernalia" or cause significant disruption or distraction to the instructional program.
• No weapons or replica weapons are to be brought to school.
• COVID-19 masks must still be worn, so you may not want to wear a Halloween mask that also covers the nose or mouth. Halloween masks may not completely obscure the identity of the student. However, Halloween masks may be worn during other specific activities, provided that safety is not hindered. Indoors, only COVID-19 masks may be worn.
• No costume can be worn that is unsafe or that may create a safety hazard. Costumes may not impact a student's vision or movement, e.g., the ability to climb stairs.
• Students and staff who wish to be excused from participating in a holiday program due to religious beliefs will be accommodated without penalty or bias.

See the Code of Conduct page for the standard Dress Code and the Halloween Dress Code.

Posted 10/24/21

Interested families are invited to attend our first LatinX Parent Symposium on Wednesday, October 27, 2021, starting at 6:00pm.

The focus will be on forming a stronger and focused partnership between LatinX parents and students and Palms Middle School.

Key priorities will include increased parent involvement, student support, creating community-building events, and sharing school information and activities.

Additional LatinX Parent Symposiums will be held in December, January, March, and May..

Posted 10/24/21

The Historic Figure Pumpkin Contest is held every October. Students decorate pumpkins as famous or less-known figures from the period of history that they are studying in their grade level.

The submission deadline is Wednesday, October 27, 2021. Judging by 8th grade Student Body will take place on Thursday, October 28, and the pumpkins will be displayed in the Library.

Posted 10/24/21

Now is the time to buy books for your students, for other family members, and as gifts, before the Palms Middle School Book Fair ends on Sunday, October 31, 2021.

You'll be supporting our School Library, because our Book Fair partner Scholastic will give back 25% in rewards to our school.

Here's how it works:

1. Go to the Palms Middle School Book Fair website.
2. Click or tap the links to see recommendations, shop by grade or age, or search by title, author, or keyword.
3. Add books to your cart.
4. Check out when you are ready.
5. Return to the Book Fair website as many times as you like through October 31.

If you'd like to let students shop for themselves, you can set up a pre-funded digital wallet for your child.

Posted 10/24/21

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has published a COVID-19 Data Dashboard with statistics about COVID-19 vaccinations, COVID-19 testing, and COVID-19 cases in schools throughout the county.

Data is gathered each week from Monday to Sunday, and the Dashboard is updated on the subsequent Wednesday.

Among the current results:

• For age 12 to 18, unvaccinated students are 7 times as likely as vaccinated students to be diagnosed with COVID-19.
• Each week, almost 600,000 tests are being given to county school students and staff, with 77% of the tests in LAUSD, 11% across all charter schools, and 12% across all other schools.
• The positivity rate has been gradually dropping, and is now about 0.2% across the county.
• Weekly student and staff cases of COVID-19 average about 9 per 100,000 in LAUSD and between 4 and 8 per 100,000 in West L.A.
• Over the past 2 months, Palms Middle School has had 11 COVID-19 cases among students and none among staff. There were 372 schools in the county with more COVID-19 cases than Palms.
• Palms was not one of the 29 county schools that have had "outbreaks" (3 or more cases, spread at school, within a 14-day period).

You can get the latest statistics by viewing the COVID-19 Data Dashboard each week.

Posted 10/22/21

Congratulations to our new Student Body Officers from the Leadership elective.

They were winners in the Student Body Election on Wednesday, October 13, 2021.

• President: Mia Rubalcava
• Vice President: Camila Garcia
• Treasurer: Ian Thompson
• Secretary: Iliana Morales
• Commissioner of Activities: Christopher Thompson

Posted 10/22/21

Free Pfizer vaccinations, Moderna vaccinations, and Pfizer boosters will be available on Friday, October 22, 2021, from 10:00am to 1:00pm, at the Special Needs Network.

Children must have a parent present. The Pfizer booster is available only to seniors age 65 and older, people with underlying conditions, and people working in high exposure professions.

Staff from the L.A. County Department of Mental Health will be available with wellness resources.

Posted 10/21/21

All Palms families are invited to the monthly Friends of Palms/PTSA meeting on Tuesday, October 19, 2021, at 6:30pm.

The meeting will begin with a guest speaker: Primary care physician Dr. John Tran from UCLA Health will speak about mental and physical wellness.

We will also share school news and answer questions.

Posted 10/18/21

The Palms Middle School Book Fair is virtual this year.

The Virtual Book Fair runs from Monday, October 18 to Sunday, October 31, 2021.

You can purchase books for your Palms student, books for other family members, or books as gifts. At the same time, you'll be supporting our School Library, because our Book Fair partner Scholastic will give back 25% in rewards to our school.

Here's how it works:

1. Go to the Palms Middle School Book Fair website.
2. Click or tap the links to see recommendations, shop by grade or age, or search by title, author, or keyword.
3. Add books to your cart.
4. Check out when you are ready.
5. Return to the Book Fair website as many times as you like through October 31.

If you'd like to let students shop for themselves, you can set up a pre-funded digital wallet for your child.

Posted 10/18/21

Instrumental music teacher Ms. Jones needs to replace about 100 missing and incomplete method books for her students in Winds and Percussion and Band classes. You can help by donating to her DonorsChoose campaign.

The books, called Essential Elements for Band, come in individual editions for clarinet, trumpet, flute, saxophone, percussion, baritone, tuba, French horn, oboe, and bassoon.

You can also support the other DonorsChoose campaigns in progress for Palms teachers:

• Surface Pro
• 3D Printer- Printing Students Ideas in 3D.
• Building a More Inclusive ELA Curriculum
• Our Classroom Library Needs Shelves!

Posted 10/18/21

The LAUSD Access, Equity and Acceleration Unit is providing gifted and highly gifted African American students with enrichment opportunities in the following subjects:

• Creative Writing
• Computer Science and Technology
• Math

The sessions will take place from 9:00am to 12:15pm on these dates (skipping the Saturday after Thanksgiving):

• Saturday, November 6, 2021
• Saturday, November 13, 2021
• Saturday, November 20, 2021
• Saturday, December 4, 2021
• Saturday, December 11, 2021

The application deadline is Friday, October 22, 2021.

Posted 10/17/21

Parents of 7th and 8th grade students can learn about the many choices for high schools with information nights and Q&A sessions throughout October and the first weeks of November.

See the many events on the Calendar and the High School Information Night page for the following high schools:

• Crenshaw High School STEMM Magnet
• Fairfax High School
• Hamilton High School
• Hollywood High School
• King/Drew Magnet High School of Medicine and Science
• San Fernando High School Math, Science, Technology Magnet
• University High School Charter
• Venice High School
• Westchester Enriched Sciences Magnets

The e-choices Magnet school application deadline is Friday, November 12, 2021.

Posted 10/10/21

You can help Mrs. Firstbrook give interactive daily lessons to her students by contributing to her first DonorsChoose campaign.

Mrs. Firstbrook wants to acquire a Microsoft Surface Pro tablet so she can present her daily lessons using a variety of interactive educational platforms, allowing students to interact throughout lessons and see the note-taking skills modeled.

➡ Donate to the campaign

See also these other DonorsChoose campaigns in progress:

• Our Classroom Library Needs Shelves! for Ms. Girvan
• 3D Printer- Printing Students Ideas in 3D for Mr. Martinez

Posted 10/10/21

Election campaigning is in progress this week (October 4 to 8, 2021) for Student Body officers. Campaign posters are plentiful.

The candidates are 7th or 8th grade students in the Leadership elective, who can run for these offices:

• President (8th graders only)
• Vice President
• Secretary
• Secretary
• Treasurer
• Commissioner of Activities

The Student Body Election will take place on Wednesday, October 13, 2021.

Posted 10/6/21

This year's High School Information Night, also called Meet the High Schools Night, will take place on Tuesday, October 5, 2021, from 5:00pm-6:45pm.

This program will be of special interest to 7th and 8th grade students and their parents, who can learn about the programs at the Crenshaw, Fairfax, Hamilton, Hollywood, King/Drew, University, Venice, and Westchester high schools.

Magnet Coordinator Ms. Cohen will wrap up with a question and answer session about applications.

Posted 10/5/21

Ben Sun, Avitansh (Avi) Arora, and Aarna Kumar

Each month, Palms faculty and staff select a student from each grade who they feel excels in and out of the classroom, including for extracurricular activities.

Leadership students provide each student with a certificate, a backpack, a Palms bag, and a medal.

See the video with Ben, Avi, and Aarna

Congratulations to our fantastic students of the month!

Posted 10/5/21

Mr. Martinez, 8th grade Science and Computer Science teacher, would like to provide Palms students with a Makerblot 3D printer to allow students to unleash their potential using cutting edge technology.

A strong foundation in technology and engineering is key to developing 21st-century skills. Having access to a 3D printer will be a first for many Palms students.

Posted 10/4/21

Did you know that October is National Principals Month? You'd know about it if you followed Palms Middle School on Twitter. Now's a good time to follow us!

Posted 10/3/21

The Black LGBTQI+ Youth Virtual Camp will be held on Saturday, October 9, 2021, from 11:00am to 1:00pm. Registration must be completed by Monday, October 4, 2021.

The camp will be a safe space for middle school to high school African American youth, with a focus on art, wellness, social justice, campus and community organizing, relationship building, and Black queer icons. Youth from across the nation are welcome to attend.

Organizers partners, and counselor-facilitators include:

• Black LGBTQI+ parent Facebook group
• Brave Trails LGBT Camp
• GSA Network
• Women's Leadership Project
• L.A. County Youth@Work program

Posted 9/29/21

Starting on Monday, October 4, 2021, a new Bell Schedule goes into effect, with one Lunch period for 6th graders and a different Lunch period for 7th and 8th graders. This will reduce crowding and increase social distancing.

6th graders will have Lunch after Period 4, while 7th and 8th graders will have Lunch before Period 4.

The instructional minutes are the same as before. Only the order of periods has changed.

Posted 9/28/21

Ms. Faith Boyd-Swain, who asks students to call her Ms. Faith, is the School Climate Advocate at Palms Middle School. The position of School Climate Advocate is new.

Ms. Faith helps ensure that the climate and culture at Palms are positive and remain positive. She assists with conflict resolution, de-escalation, and mediation in order to build and maintain a positive school climate on campus.

Ms. Faith can be contacted by email or phone, and students with the permission of their teacher can visit Ms. Faith in the Dean's Office.

Posted 9/28/21

The Hamilton Community of Schools Town Hall on Thursday, September 30, 2021 at 5:00pm will cover enrollment, and an operations update as well as ESSER funds and community input.

ESSER, short for Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund, based on the Student Equity Needs Index (SENI), is a federal grant from the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations (CRRSA) Act.

Posted 9/28/21

At the Fall Parent Meeting for parents of GATE and SAS students, guest speaker Dr. Matsui answered many questions from parents.

There wasn't time to answer five of the questions, but Dr. Matsui has generously provided a document with answers to those additional questions. You can download it from the GATE page, in the Fall Gifted Meeting section.

➡ GATE page

Posted 9/28/21

Question: What do the following books have in common?

• The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
• The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
• The Adventures of Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey
• Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
• The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
• A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

Answer: They're all on the list of Banned or Challenged Young Adult Books.

This week is Banned Books Week, and Librarian Mr. Frankel is working with Palms English teachers to draw attention to the harms of censorship and the benefits of unrestricted reading.

Mr. Frankel's lesson on the freedom to read

Visit our Banned Books Week page and you'll be surprised to see the long list representing just some of the many books that have been banned in U.S. schools and libraries.

Posted 9/27/21

Please support the new DonorsChoose campaign by Mr. Diaz to replace a broken classroom iPad. It's an iPad Pro used to connect by Bluetooth to an LCD screen for classroom displays and student participation.

Campaign: iNeed an iPad!

You can also support three previous DonorsChoose campaigns that are still in progress:

• Pads, Tampons and Band Aids Needed! for Ms. Okihara's class
• Money Matters for Ms. Czujko's class
• Let's Get Reading! for Ms. Goldberg's class

Posted 9/26/21

The board of Los Angeles Metro has approved a plan to provide free public transpiration to all LAUSD students.

Once the plan is implemented, every LAUSD student will be given a free TAP card at school, along with instructions to create a corresponding account online.

Once that's done, students will be able to ride any Metro bus, Metro train, Santa Monica Big Blue Bus, or Culver CityBus for free. Students might take free public transportation to get to school, libraries, parks, museums, or anywhere else they'd like to go in the Los Angeles area.

Posted 9/26/21

Palms parents and others interested in volunteering to help the school: Please join the Friends of Palms and PTSA boards for an informal and informational volunteer meeting on Tuesday, September 28, 2021, at 6:30pm.

We'll answer any volunteer questions that you have, and you can meet current board members and the other volunteers who you may be working with.

Posted 9/24/21

Tech Team Appointment QR Code

The Genius Bar is the name for the Student Tech Team's tech support service, available to Palms students and even to school staff.

The Tech Team can help solve your problems with iPads, Schoology, Google apps, Wi-Fi, Safari, etc. and teach you new skills like creating slideshows.
Appointments for help in the Library can be made

• before school (7:30-8:00am)
• during lunch (ten minutes after lunch period starts)

To make an appointment, use the link below or scan the QR Code above with your iPad or smartphone camera.

Posted 9/22/21

After-school tutoring and homework help are available every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday in the Library, from 3:15 to 4:15pm.

There is no tutoring on Tuesday.

See the Library Homework Help page for more details.

There is also after-school Math Homework Help.

Posted 9/22/21

Please support the new DonorsChoose campaign by Ms. Okihara to supply her classroom with Band Aids and girls' hygiene supplies. The current bandage supply is exhausted, and girls can no longer get hygiene items from the girls bathrooms.

Pads, Tampons and Band Aids Needed!

You can also support two previous DonorsChoose campaigns that are still in progress:

Money Matters for Ms. Czujko

Let's Get Reading! for Ms. Goldberg

Posted 9/21/21

Math homework help has begun for the Fall semester, on Mondays and Wednesdays from 3:15 to 4:15 starting Monday, September 20, 2021.

Students can come to the following classrooms after school to receive extra help in math from some of our math teachers. Participation is first-come first-served.

⬇ Download flyer ➡ See web page

Posted 9/20/21

A message from Ms. Okihara, GATE Coordinator:

Hello GATE parents!

Our first GATE parent night will be held virtually on Monday, September 27, 2021, from 6:00-7:00pm.

Our guest speaker, Dr. Matsui, is a former principal and deputy superintendent. He will be sharing the power of resiliency through challenges. We will also have teachers sharing best practices in the classroom that support gifted learners.

Please read these two articles prior to our meeting. Dr. Matsui is excitedly preparing for a robust Q+A session for our Palms community:

1. Resilience
2. What Reading Does for the Mind (Cunningham 2001)

Posted 9/20/21

Everyone is invited to the monthly Friends of Palms/PTSA meeting on Tuesday, September 21, 2021 at 6:30pm. You can learn what's happening at school, hear from staff members and parent leaders, have your questions answered, and learn how to get involved.

Posted 9/20/21

On September 19, 2021, Palms history teacher Ms. Garret was honored at a UCLA football game at the Rose
Bowl as part of Extra Yard for Teachers, an annual salute to teachers supported by the Pac-12 and the College Football Playoff Foundation.

Extra Yard for Teachers is dedicated to elevating the teaching profession by inspiring and empowering teachers in four core areas: resources, recognition, professional development, and recruitment and retention.

Congratulations to Ms. Garret!

Posted 9/19/21

When you register Palms Middle School as your Amazon Smile charity, Amazon will then donate a portion of your purchases to Palms whenever you shop starting from smile.amazon.com.

It costs you nothing and helps your school!

As of September 16, 2021, Amazon has donated $1,006.10 to Palms from Amazon Smile purchases.

Posted 9/16/21

There will be no school on Thursday, September 16, 2021. It is called an "unassigned day" on the LAUSD calendar, and coincides with the Yom Kippur holiday.

Posted 9/15/21

Parents who would like to learn about our school councils and committees, with an opportunity to join, should attend the online SSC/ELAC/LSLC Orientation Meeting on Wednesday, September 15, 2021, at 4:00pm.

The meeting was originally scheduled for August 19.

🙋 The School Site Council (SSC) determines academic instructional programs and related expenditures at Palms.

🙋 The English Learner Advisory Committee (ELAC) participates in the development, implementation, and evaluation of programs for the English Learners among our students.

🙋 The Local School Leadership Council (LSLC) makes decisions on the school calendar, professional development schedule, budget for instructional materials, student discipline, and other areas.

Posted 9/15/21

Interested families are invited to attend our first African-American Family Symposium on Wednesday, September 15, 2021, starting at 6:00pm.

The focus will be on forming a stronger and focused partnership between African-American parents and students and Palms Middle School.

Key priorities will include increased parent involvement, student support, creating community-building events, and sharing school information and activities.

Additional African-American Family Symposiums will be held in November, February, April, and June.

Posted 9/14/21

Baron Ellis was in Mrs. Clark's Video Production class when he made Online Dangers: The Power of Our Words, a video about cyberbullying that won the Directing Change California Words Matter Contest in June, 2021.

Baron, now 14 years old and at Hamilton High School, was interviewed by KCAL News on September 13, 2021.

Back in June, he was interviewed for an article published by Blue Shield of California.

Posted 9/14/21

Palms parents are invited to attend an online Hamilton Community of Schools Parent Workshop on Tuesday, September 14, 2021 at 1:00pm.

Topics to be discussed:

• The importance of regular school attendance
• What students can do...
• What parents can do...

Posted 9/13/21

Have you helped a Palms teacher by donating to one of their DonorsChoose fundraising campaigns? It's easy, and your donations go straight into a Palms classroom!

There are two fundraising campaigns currently open, but more appear each month.

Since Palms teachers started using DonorsChoose in 2006, a total of $40,540 has been raised through the site. Thank you to our generous contributors!

Posted 9/13/21

LAUSD will require all students who are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccination to be fully vaccinated by the start of the Spring Semester on Monday, January 10, 2022, unless they have a qualified exemption. Proof of vaccination must be uploaded through DailyPass by the applicable deadline:

If you have questions, call LAUSD's family hotline (213-443-1300) and review LAUSD's COVID-10 FAQ.

Posted 9/12/21

Wednesday, September 15, 2021 is Picture Day. Student photos will be taken during each student's P.E. period. These photos are used for Student ID Cards and for the Palms Yearbook.

Bring your best smile!

You should dress nicely, but our photo company advises you not to wear green.

On Thursday, October 21, 2021 there will be a Make-Up Picture Day for students who were absent on September 15.

Download:

• Picture Day Flyer
• Picture Day Order Form

Posted 9/12/21

Bulletin board display with art student Bruktayt Worku

Visit the Student Art page to read about the tribute to fallen U.S. service members, created by Palms art students.

The display is on a bulletin board in the main hall.

Palms students are welcome to contribute art, stories, or other work to the Students section.

Posted 9/11/21

On Friday, August 27, 2021, students attended the Behavior Intervention Assemblies, where they learned about the three behavioral expectations at the core of the Palms Positive Behavior Support Program (PBS).

The program increases positive student behavior and decreases problem behavior by teaching new skills.

Parents are encouraged to discuss these expectations with their children.

Posted 9/7/21

Palms students looking for a great read should consider the books nominated for this year's California Young Reader Medal (CYRM) awards:

Intermediate Category

• Wishtree by Katherine Applegate
• The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart
• Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga

Middle School Category

• Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend
• The Jigsaw Jungle by Kristin Levine
• The Length of a String by Elissa Brent Weissman

Want even more? Look at the previous CYRM nominees and winners. We've tracked dozens of them since 2011!

And don't forget to ask your English teacher for additional recommendations.

Posted 9/5/21

GATE Coordinator Ms. Okihara is collecting referrals for identification of GATE-eligible students during the month of September.

The deadline to submit a referral is Friday, October 1, 2021.

For more information on the GATE identification process, download the parent brochure.

Posted 9/4/21

School will be closed on

• Friday, September, 3, 2021, for California Admission Day
• Monday, September 6, 2021, for Labor Day
• Tuesday, September 7, 2021, as an "unassigned day" coinciding with Rosh Hashannah

School resumes on Wednesday, September 8, 2021.

Posted 9/2/21

America SCORES LA is a free after-school program that uses soccer, creative writing, and service learning to help inspire underserved children at Palms and other Westside LAUSD elementary and middles schools.

The 90-minutes program runs 2 days per week:

• Tuesdays from 1:30 to 3:00pm
• Thursdays from 3:00 to 4:30pm

The program is tentatively scheduled to run from Tuesday, September 14 to Thursday, November 19, 2021 but is awaiting final LAUSD schedule approval.

All LA Scores programs are run under strict compliance with LAUSD's COVID guidelines.

Posted 8/31/21

Students who would like to create art or write a letter to the families of the fallen U.S. soldiers who were in Afghanistan can do so.

Send your art or letters to Ms. Goldin by email or see her during homeroom this week.

Posted 8/31/21

The Hamilton Community of Schools is holding a Town Hall Meeting on Tuesday, August 30, 2021 at 5:00pm, in Zoom.

To attend, please register. You'll receive the Zoom link by email.

Posted 8/31/21

If you are unable to attend a monthly Friends of Palms/PTSA meeting, you can read a summary in the meeting minutes.

Thank you to Kimberly Min, Friends of Palms and PTSA Secretary, for writing the meeting minutes.

Posted 8/29/21

There are still openings if you apply soon for the Palms School for Advanced Studies (SAS) or for the 7th grade program of the Modern Media and Communications Magnet.

You must apply by the deadline of Tuesday, September 7, 2021, and before all spaces are filled.

Remember that there is no school on Friday September 4, Monday September 6, or Tuesday September 7.

Posted 8/27/21

All Palms families are asked to submit a meal application for the 2021-2022 school year, whether or not you think you will qualify for free or reduced-price meals at school.

Submitting your application can:

• Help your student at Palms.
• Make your children eligible for future Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) benefits, which provide food-purchase assistance to hard-hit U.S. families.
• Help Palms Middle School qualify for funds provided by the federal Title I program.

Posted 8/26/21

The first Coffee With the Principal Zoom meeting will take place on Friday, August 27, 2021, starting at 8:30am.

Principal Mr. Choi will share news and information about Palms and answer your questions.

Posted 8/25/21

The annual Safe Place For Youth (S.P.Y) charity drive, organized by Ms. Goldin, begins on Thursday, August 26, 2021, and runs through the month of September. This year the organization especially needs new clothes (all sizes) and art supplies.

To participate, log into your Amazon or Amazon Smile account, select items from the S.P.Y Wishlist, and purchase them for direct delivery to Safe Place for Youth in Venice, CA.

See the details on the Safe Place for Youth page.

In honor of this year's charity drive, Ms. Goldin wrote a poem:

Posted 8/24/21

The County of Los Angeles Public Health Department offers information about the use of COVID-19 masks.

Preventing COVID-19 with masks

English • Spanish • other languages

When to wear a mask

English • Spanish

How to wear a face mask

English • Spanish • other languages

Posted 8/23/21

The first Friends of Palms/PTSA meeting for the Fall semester will take place using Zoom on Tuesday, August 24, 2021, starting at 6:30pm. All Palms families are invited to attend. Hear from school staff, meet Friends of Palms leaders, have your questions answered, and learn ways that you can volunteer to help your school.

To volunteer for an open position, fill out the Volunteer Form.

Posted 8/22/21

Winning art by Kaylee Nakagawa

Recently culminated Palms student Kaylee Nakagawa was a Bronze winner in the 2021 Starlings Art & Literary Contest sponsored by the Starlings Girls Volleyball Prrogram.

The Starlings Art & Literary Contest debuted at the 2000 National Championship and is a highlight of each volleyball season. Girls in the Starlings program are invited annually to submit artistic and literary works on specific themes in categories that include essays, poetry, painting, drawing, sculpture, and photography. The winners are honored each year at the Starlings National Championship.

Congratulations to Kaylee!

Posted 8/20/21

Parents of registered Palms students automatically receive the weekly email from Principal Mr. Choi. Emails are usually sent on Sundays, covering the latest news and the events for the coming week.

You can read the latest weekly email, as well as previous weekly emails, on the Weekly Email page.

If you are a Palms parent and not receiving the weekly email, check your child's student records. Your up-to-date email address may not be in the system.

Posted 8/15/21

Well over 100 new students, parents, and family members attended the Palms Meet and Greet gathering at Rancho Park on Saturday, August 14, 2021.

Principal Mr. Choi, Friends of Palms President Stacey Shortt, and Team Prime Time Program Director Kent Campfield each spoke.

Students and parents met some of the 6th grade teachers.

Everyone enjoyed safely-wrapped snacks, kids played games organized by Team Prime Time, including an exciting water-balloon toss, and everyone had a chance to talk to their peers, despite the masks everyone wore.

Thank you to event organizer Nirit Brand and everyone who helped, including our student volunteers.

Posted 8/14/21

Even if students have their Daily Pass QR codes ready, there will be lines at the school entrances, especially on the first day of school: Monday, August 16, 2021.

Four school entrances will be open, and students can use any entrance. The line at the Main Entrance may be the longest, so feel free to choose one of the others.

The four entrances shown on the map above:

1. Main Entrance: off Woodbine, near the flagpole
2. Library Entrance: off Woodbine, west of the Auditorium
3. Cafeteria Entrance: on the north side of Palms Blvd.
4. P.E. Entrance: on the south side of Palms Blvd.

Posted 8/14/21

The annual Palms Middle School Meet and Greet takes place on Saturday, August 14, 2021, from 10:00am to noon.

New students and all of their family members are invited to come to the park, meet new classmates and other new families, and talk to Palms teachers, administrators, and leaders from the Friends of Palms booster club.

The Team Prime Time after-school program will be organizing fun games for the kids.

Please RSVP to Nirit Brand by email

Download flyer: ⬇ English ⬇ Spanish

Posted 8/13/21

Free COVID-19 vaccinations are available at a number of LAUSD schools, for anyone age 12 and over. Children must be accompanied by a legal guardian.

The closest westside school to Palms Middle School is Crenshaw High School, where the schedule is as follows:

• Every Tuesday: 8:00am to 4:00pm
• Every Wednesday: 8:00am to 4:00pm
• Every Thursday: 8:00am to 4:00pm
• Every Friday: 8:00am to 4:00pm
• Every third Saturday starting August 14, 2021, 8:00am to 2:00pm

Everyone is eligible for the vaccinations, not just students and LAUSD families. The Pfizer vaccine is used.

You can walk in or make an appointment by phoning 1-323-730-1920 extension 3.

Posted 8/12/21

The LAUSD Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) program creates high end learning opportunities which allow students to flourish in stimulating academic and social environments.

Here is a message from the Palms GATE Coordinator:

Welcome GATE students and families!

My name is Ms. Okihara, 6th grade teacher at Palms Middle School in the Modern Media and Communications Magnet. I will be supporting the school community as the GATE coordinator.

I am excited to assist each of you through the Gifted and Talented identification processes. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at any time.

Thank you. I'm looking forward to a great and memorable year!

Posted 8/10/21

The Summer 2021 edition of the GATE Parent Newsletter, for parents of students in the GATE and SAS programs, has a headline article on propelling academic success, creativity, and leadership.

Other articles cover coding with Scratch, Camp YouTube, a gallery of artwork by students, and registration for the Conservatory of Fine Arts.

Posted 8/9/21

The Camp Palms new-parent orientation sessions have been changed to Zoom meetings. The Camp Palms schedule for new students has not changed.

6th grade students

• Camp Palms Day 1: Tuesday, August 10, 2021, 8:30am-noon
• Camp Palms Day 2: Wednesday, August 11, 2021, 8:30am-noon

6th grade parents

• Parent Orientation: Wednesday, August 11, 2021, 6:00pm

• ➡ Zoom link

• Meeting ID: 853 4933 5416

7th grade students

• Camp Palms: Thursday, August 12, 2021, 8:30am-noon

7th grade parents

• Parent Orientation: Thursday, August 12, 2021, 6:00pm

• ➡ Zoom link

• Meeting ID: 853 4933 5416

Students: Bring water, a snack, and wear sunscreen!

Posted 8/8/21

All Palms parents should fill out the new online form for student devices, and answer the form's questions.

LAUSD has a new system for device checkout this year.

The old Student Device Checkout Form has been updated and is now the simpler Parent Acknowledgement and Device/Connectivity Request Form.
To use the form:

• Go to device.lausd.net.
• Log in securely with your Parent Portal account. A special access code is no longer needed.
• Use one form for all students in your household, to give your permission for students to check out devices.
• Provide information about your off-campus connectivity.

Posted 8/6/21

The Team Prime Time after-school program operates every school day, until 5:30pm on Tuesdays and until 6:00pm other days.

The program combines academic support and an Art and STEM Academy with sports and leadership training. It's a paid program.

Details, prices, flyers, and applications are on the Team Prime Time page.

Posted 8/5/21

We ask all Palms parents to fill out the Fall 2021 Parent Survey:

The survey asks about your distance learning experience this past year, your child's experience, technology needs, social-emotional needs, how you'd like to see new funds spent, and your level of interest in a Palms Success Academy.

The survey also gives you a chance to provide comments and suggestions or to ask questions.

If you ask questions in your survey form, please be sure to fill in the optional email address field at the end of the survey.

Posted 8/3/21

Palms Principal Mr. Choi sends regular messages to Palms parents. You can read or re-read this year's first emailed message on the Weekly Email page.

Mr. Choi also held a Welcome Back to School Town Hall Zoom meeting on July 30, 2021.

⬇ Download the meeting slides

Here are the website links from the email and the meeting slides:

• Daily Pass
• COVID-19 test appointments
• Welcome Back to School Family Guide: English • Spanish
• Parent/Caregiver Roadmap for Social-Emotional Well-Being & Academic Success: English • Spanish
• Fall 2021 Parent Survey
• City of Angels (remote learning school)
• Parent Portal (for City of Angeles information)
• Enrollment information, tutorials, and job aides
• Back to School frequently-asked questions: English • Spanish
• Palms Middle School website
• Local District West Town Hall Meeting Zoom link (August 4, 5:30pm)

Posted 8/2/21

LAUSD has the highest level of health safety of any school district in the nation, and Palms Middle School is part of that program. This includes daily health checks, weekly COVID-19 tests, appropriate air filtering, masking, and social distancing.

However, everyone must do their part while the pandemic remains.

Things to remember:

• Students should use Daily Pass before school each day, and show their QR code at the school entrance. If you do not have a QR code, you'll be interviewed.
• Everyone on campus must wear a mask. Students should bring a spare mask too.
• If your student does not feel well, DO NOT send them to school. Don't take chances with their health or the health of everyone else on campus. Follow the normal absence procedure.
• If a student develops COVID-19 symptoms while at school, they will be directed to the school's isolation and quarantine room and you will be notified.

Posted 7/31/21

LAUSD, Palms Middle School, and Friend of Palms are ready to help you with any problems, concerns, or questions that you may have.

LAUSD Family Vaccination Hotline (appointments too)

213-328-3958

LAUSD COVID-19 Helpdesk

Monday to Friday, 6:00am to 6:00pm

213-443-1300

California Youth Crisis Line
Call or text, English or Spanish

800-843-5200

LAUSD Student Wellness Hotline

For support with mental health, immunizations, health insurance, food & housing, enrollment, and more.

Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 5:00pm

213-241-3840

LAUSD Magnet Transportation

achieve.lausd.net/transportation

[email protected]

1-800-LABUSES

LAUSD help with DailyPass issues

Information Technology Division (ITD)

Monday to Friday, 7:30am to 4:45pm

achieve.lausd.net/helpdesk

213-241-5200

Palms Middle School

Monday to Friday, school hours

310-253-7600

Friends of Palms

www.palmsmiddleschool.org/friends-of-palms

askfriends @ palmsmiddleschool.org

Posted 7/31/21

All students must have evidence of a negative COVID-19 test before attending Camp Palms or starting school on Monday August 16, 2021. Students can get free COVID-19 tests at Palms Middle School, at other LAUSD testing sites, or privately at another site or from their own doctor. Don't wait until the last minute!

Testing at Palms (a mobile team will be on-site)

Monday, August 2, 2021 and Monday, August 9, 2021

8:30am to 2:00pm

No appointment necessary.

Enter through the gate on Palms Blvd. and go to the Student Cafeteria. See campus map.

Download flyer: ⬇ English ⬇ Spanish

Testing at other LAUSD Sites

Mark Twain Middle School or Audubon Middle School

Make your appointment at dailypass.lausd.net.

Regular days and hours:

August 2 to 6 and August 9 to 13, 2021

7:15am to 3:15pm

Extended Wednesday hours:

August 4 and August 11

7:15am to 7:00pm

Extended Saturday hours:

August 7 and August 14

8:00am to 4:00pm

Download flyer: ⬇English ⬇Spanish

Private Testing

Take a COVID-19 test at any other location, including from your own doctor. You must then upload a record of the negative result at dailypass.lausd.net.

Posted 7/30/21

All Palms families are invited to our first Zoom meeting of the year:

Welcome Back to Palms Middle School Town Hall

A message from Principal Mr. Choi:

We’re excited as the start of the 2021-22 school year approaches on Monday, August 16 at 8:00am.

We will be back in school, in person with full-day instruction, five days a week. This includes after-school programs and athletic and extracurricular activities! LAUSD is prepared to welcome everyone back with the highest standard of safety protocols at every campus.

We look forward to having everyone back together, learning safely. You should be receiving our Back To School Family Guide in the mail very soon. Please take a look and learn more about our academic, social, and safety plans. You can also visit achieve.lausd.net/backtoschool for additional information on everything we’re doing to prepare for Monday, August 16.

Posted 7/29/21

The Palms counselors are student advocates. Throughout the school year, they assist with communication between parents, teachers and students. They assess student academic progress and address any issues that interfere with learning.

At the start of the school year, the first priority of your counselor is making sure that you are placed into the correct academic program, best suited to meet your needs.

Your counselor assignment depends on your grade level.

• 6th grade: Ms.Shin (Counseling Office, extension 7625)
• 7th grade: Mr. Rodriguez (Counseling Office, extension 7643)
• 8th grade: Mrs. Bradshaw (Counseling Office, extension 7622)

You will have the same counselor for all of your years at Palms.

Our counselors look forward to meeting you!

Posted 7/29/21

For the upcoming school year, students can return to campus for a full 5-day-a-week instructional program. This is LAUSD's recommendation.

Daily health checks will still be required and masks will be worn while on campus. Rules for social distancing will follow Los Angeles County Department of Public Health guidelines. COVID-19 vaccinations will continue to be available. Students who are unvaccinated will receive regular COVID-19 tests. These tests will not be required for vaccinated students.

If families choose to have a student continue with remote learning, they should enroll in the City of Angels independent study program.

Student in this online program will not have teachers from Palms. Instead, there will be three 70-minute online periods per day, each with at least 40 minutes of direct interaction with City of Angels teachers. This program does not include the clubs or sports available at Palms. Students will retain their SAS or Magnet status (points) and their position at Palms.

Switching between on-campus and remote learning will be possible, but could be disruptive to the student's progress during the school year.

You can register for the City of Angels program through the Parent Portal through Friday, August 6, 2021 (extended from July 30).

Posted 7/27/21

LAUSD's Back to School Family Guide covers many topics of interest to parents and students, including

• The school schedule
• New spending on instruction and wellness support
• Safety protocols: face masks, distancing, health checks, COVID-19 testing, and vaccinations
• Transportation
• Meals
• After-school programs
• Athletics
• The online program for students who continue to rely on remote learning

Download the Back to School Family Guide

⬇ English ⬇ Spanish

Read Frequently Asked Questions

➡ English ➡ Spanish

Posted 7/25/21

Mr. Choi, the Principal of Palms Middle School, welcomes you back to school with an informative letter in English and Spanish.

Read his welcome-back letter:

English • Spanish

Posted 7/24/21

Palms Middle School welcomes all new and returning students for the 2021-2022 school year.

We're glad to offer on-campus instruction once again.

This year's theme, chosen by Principal Mr. Choi, is

with the message that The Comeback is Always Stronger Than the Setback.

Watch our website for regular news updates, including news about our August events:

• Parent Check-In: Monday, August 9 to Thursday, August 12
• New Parent Orientation: Tuesday, August 10
• Camp Palms (6th grade): Tuesday, August 10 and Wednesday, August 11
• Camp Palms (7th grade): Thursday, August 12
• New Families Meet and Greet: Saturday, August 14
• First day of school: Monday, August 16

Posted 7/23/21