The Magruder Memo

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Dear Magruder Families,

Can you believe we are over halfway through Quarter 1? Time is flying on campus, and our Mustangs are hard at work building strong routines, diving into their studies, and showing up with great energy every day.

As we hit this mid-quarter milestone, here are a few important updates, reminders, and opportunities to get involved:

Skechers Friendship Walk – Just 1 Week Left!

We are in the final stretch! We have just one week left to hit our registration goal for the annual Skechers Friendship Walk. Remember, a portion of every registration comes directly back to Magruder, directly funding programs, resources, and campus activities that benefit all of our students. Help us finish strong by joining Team Magruder or making a donation today!

Safety & Upcoming Calendar Dates

Great California ShakeOut (Thursday, Oct 15): Next Thursday, our campus will participate in the annual statewide earthquake drill to practice our emergency preparedness protocols.
District Emergency Text Alerts: To ensure you receive real-time text message updates during safety drills and emergency situations, please double-check that your phone number is up to date in PowerSchool and that you have opted in to district text messaging. You can review setup instructions below, under "TUSD Announcements and Reminders".

This Issue's Principal's Parent Challenge: Mid-Quarter Check-In
A few weeks ago, we introduced the 5-Minute Sunday Routine. With Quarter 1 officially half over, this week’s challenge is all about opening up a dialogue with your student to help them finish the quarter strong.
Take 10 minutes this weekend to sit down with your middle schooler and walk through these three check-in steps together:

The Backpack Reset: Have you helped your student empty and organize their backpack lately? Clean out old wrappers, file loose papers, and make sure their binder is ready for the second half of the quarter.
Missing Assignment Check: Log into PowerSchool together. Are there any missing assignments or low quiz scores that can still be addressed before quarter grades are finalized?
Connect to Campus Support: Make sure your student knows they don't have to navigate challenging subjects alone! Remind them about our After-School Tutoring (Math & Science) and our general Homework Club. Ask: "Which of these supports could help you reach your goals this month?"

For even more resources, click to read October's edition of "Helping Students Learn: Tips Families Can Use to Help Students Do Better in School". Open communication at home makes all the difference in building confident, independent learners. Thank you for partnering with us to keep our Mustangs on track!

Warmly,

Keely Hardage
Principal
Magruder Middle School

Save the Date

Oct 15 - Great CA Shakeout Earthquake Drill
Oct 16 - No school, Non-instructional day
Oct 18 - Skecher's Walk Event
Oct 20 - 8th Grade Parent Meeting on Zoom @ 6pm
Oct 21 - Volleyball Info Meeting @ lunch in room 35
Oct 22 - Soccer vs. Madrona
Oct 23 - Soccer vs. Casimir @ NHS
Oct 23 - End of Quarter 1
Week of Oct 26 - Red Ribbon Week, stay tuned for more information!
Oct 26 - Girls Volleyball Tryouts 3:30-5
Oct 26 - School Site Council, 3:30pm on zoom
Oct 28 - Boys Volleyball Tryouts 3:30-5
Oct 30 - Halloween activities during lunch

Portrait of a Magruder Mustang

What is a Portrait of a Graduate? It is the TUSD collective vision that articulates the desired outcomes of all K-12 students in Torrance Unified, including competencies and personal qualities that positions them for success in life and career.

At Magruder, Mustangs embody these skills and characteristics in a variety of ways every day—both inside and outside the classroom.

Growth Mindset and Lifelong Learning

Our Mustangs stepped onto a college campus during our field trip to Orange Coast College, giving students a firsthand look at post-secondary education and career technical pathways. Walking the college grounds, exploring degree programs, and learning about campus life helped our students make concrete connections between their daily effort at Magruder and their future career possibilities. This experience inspires a lifelong learning mindset, reminding our students that their growth potential is limitless.

Communication and Collaboration

Our Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) scholars launched their first after-school session of the year, tackling complex, open-ended problem-solving challenges. Working in small collaborative groups, students engaged in high-level discussions, listened to diverse viewpoints, and refined their ideas through constructive dialogue. Learning how to articulate technical thinking and work effectively with peers is an essential skill that will serve these scholars in high school, college, and beyond.

Leadership and Character

Student leadership took center stage with the launch of our new, student-driven Recipe Club! The club brought together 15 students across 6th, 7th, and 8th grades to share family recipes, start to compile a digital cookbook folder, and even printed recipe copies for one another—ranging from churro cheesecake to family-favorite quesadillas. Our student's drive to turn an idea into a vibrant campus group models student agency, initiative, and positive character for all our Mustangs. For a full list of campus clubs, click here.

Civic Engagement and Global Citizenship

Opening our campus gates to welcome families for our first Family Lunch Day last week was a memorable moment for our whole community! Seeing parents, guardians, and students eating lunch together across campus reinforced the strong civic partnership between home and school. When families actively participate in school life, it fosters a shared sense of community pride and demonstrates to our Mustangs that civic responsibility and engagement begin right here on our campus.

Healthy Habits and Life Skills

Our first school dance was a resounding success, giving our Mustangs a positive, safe, and festive space to connect with classmates outside the classroom! Developing healthy social habits, learning how to engage respectfully with peers at school events, and balancing academic responsibilities with fun are vital life skills for middle schoolers. Thank you to our PTSA who helped make this high-energy event a fantastic success for our students!

Magruder Announcements & School Reminders

Student Newspaper Now Available!

Please enjoy the Magruder Journalism Students’ Magruder News! Issue 1, Volume 4! Student spotlights include school events, local news, staff interviews, music reviews, a recipe, and more!

Volleyball Tryouts

Interested in joining our volleyball team? Don't miss out on tryouts at the end of the month! Info meeting will be on 10/21 in room 35 during lunch.

Order your 26-27 Yearbook now!

It’s time to start thinking about the 2026–2027 Yearbook! Every year we sell out and you do not want your student to miss this opportunity.

Click here to purchase your yearbook

8TH GRADE PARENTS ONLY!
We are now accepting baby photos for our 8th grade section! Please email a baby photo of your student to Ms. Perez at perez.melanie@tusd.org by December 18th.

8TH GRADE DEDICATIONS
Want to celebrate your 8th grader with a special dedication in the yearbook? Space is limited, so don’t wait! Purchase a dedication space here.

Thank you for helping us make this year’s yearbook extra special!

Title I Parent Letter

Please click below to read the Title I Parent Letter, available to all parents annually.

Title I Parent Letter Spanish

Join the PTSA Today! Help Support Magruder!

TUSD Announcements and Reminders

Upcoming Emergency Alert Text Drill: Preparing for the Great ShakeOut

In preparation for the upcoming Great California ShakeOut on Thursday, October 15, our District’s Communications Department will conduct a districtwide test of our Emergency Alert System.

What to Expect:

On October 15, all families opted into district communications will receive a test DRILL text message sent to the primary numbers listed for Guardian 1 and Guardian 2 in PowerSchool.
The test text will direct you to visit tusd.org/alerts, our central hub for ongoing updates during both drills and real school emergencies when cell signals may be impacted.

Action Required: To ensure you receive these critical notices, please complete the registration process if you have not done so already by logging into PowerSchool and verifying your contact details on the Student Contacts.. If either primary guardian has opted out of communications, those numbers will not receive emergency alerts. We strongly encourage keeping at least one primary contact opted in to stay informed. If this is your first time receiving texts from our District, you will receive a text message from 67587 that will begin with TUSD Msgs. Please save this number and opt in to receive these messages. If you previously unsubscribed by replying “STOP,” but would like to re-subscribe so you don’t miss critical emergency messages, you need to send a Y or YES to 67587.

The text will ask that you check tusd.org/alerts for more information. Please bookmark this website, as it will provide you with the fastest, most up-to-date information in the event of a drill or a real emergency at one or more school sites.

Please note that after registration is complete, emergency contact information cannot be changed. If you need further support, please complete this Google Form.

Thank you for your partnership and patience as we work together to keep our schools safe and prepared.

North High Updates

Reminder! Magruder students are welcome to come to North High School football games but students must be accompanied by THEIR parent or guardian (no older siblings) for the entirety of the game.

NO drop offs, backpacks, bikes, e-bikes, scooters, skateboards.

All TUSD discipline rules apply!

TUSD Early College Program Info Night

Attention all 8th Grade students and parents! Do not miss out on the chance to learn more about the Early College Program that TUSD offers. See below for details, including the zoom link!