• Congratulations to Nathaniel Pick, the Pacific Beach Middle School (PBMS) school-wide spelling bee winner! The winning word was “hexagonal.” Second place went to Evette Tagafau. Nathaniel will be going to the district-level competition, where he will compete to win an all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C. to represent Pacific Beach Middle School in the national spelling bee. • PBMS will sponsor a food drive to benefit CareHouse, a center for homeless youth, from Feb. 14 to 21. Please drop off non-perishable food in the school office at 4676 Ingraham St.  • PBMS is having its mid-year International Baccalaureate Excellence Awards Ceremony on Feb. 23, beginning at 7:30 a.m. to recognize students who are excelling in academics and citizenship. • Friends of Pacific Beach Secondary Schools’ (FOPBSS) silent auction “Blues By the Bay” will be held Sunday, May 22 at the Mission Beach Woman’s Club from 5 to 9 p.m.  FOPBSS is a non-profit organization supporting Pacific Beach Middle School and Mission Bay High School. This event is our largest fundraiser of the year and funds many programs that enhance the educational experience of our students — from floating marine science labs to after-school choir programs.    Each year, FOPBSS strives to offer excellent auction packages to our guests and appreciates donations of services, certificates, merchandise or funds to the auction.  No donation is too small. Contact [email protected]. All donations are tax-deductible and 100 percent of the proceeds fund our school programs. — Jennifer Tandy