The Sunday Notes

Hello Muirlands Families,

This will be my last Sunday Notes message for the 2025–26 school year. Please be on the lookout for a Smore message over the summer with more information on orientation and the first week of school if your student will be an upcoming 6th, 7th, or 8th grader.

As we enter Memorial Day, I also want to take a moment to remember and honor the brave men and women who gave their lives in service to our country. We are grateful for their sacrifice and for the freedoms we are able to enjoy because of them.

This week, many in our community will also observe Eid al-Adha on Wednesday, May 27th. To our families who celebrate, we wish you a meaningful and joyful Eid filled with peace, reflection, and time with loved ones.

Thank you so much for your support throughout this school year and through all of the ups and downs. This community is truly the most caring and supportive I have ever worked with in my career. As a parent of three daughters who will one day come through this cluster, I feel confident they will be in very good hands.

This past week was action packed. We held our final music concert at La Jolla High School, and it was incredible to see how much our students have grown in their musical abilities this year. A big shout out to our fantastic Music Director, Richard Legerrette, and all of the music coaches who helped make this possible.

On Wednesday, La Jolla High School students presented to all of our 7th grade students about CCTE, College and Career Technical Education, pathways available at LJHS. They shared how these courses count toward credits needed for graduation, as well as the potential to earn free college credits while taking them. They also covered weighted GPAs, A-G course requirements, and clubs our students can join at the next level.

On Friday, we celebrated our 8th graders at the 8th Grade Awards Ceremony. It was a wonderful opportunity to recognize students who have worked so hard throughout their Muirlands careers to achieve excellence academically and through specific department awards.

On Saturday, we had a very successful heart screening event through the Eric Paredes Save a Life Foundation, where more than 600 students over the age of 12 were screened for free. We had over 70 volunteers supporting the event, including 10 cardiologists who helped read the heart screenings for everyone who participated. This was an incredible example of how our community comes together to take care of each other.

A special thank you to Keren Hilger, Tania Rivera, Andrea Russell, Rhina Paredes, Dr. Rogers, Amanda Bauman, the entire Muirlands Foundation, the LJHS Foundation, and the Kiwanis Organization for helping organize and support this event and making it free for our community.

We have three more days of school remaining.

Final Week

On Tuesday, during 5th and 6th periods, our 8th graders will come to the turf field to test the rockets they have been working so hard on over the past few weeks in Science class. We will also hold our annual staff versus student kickball game shortly after, where the staff is guaranteed to win.

On Wednesday, eligible 6th graders will walk to The Lot movie theater with their classes, and 7th graders will celebrate their end-of-year festivities on the turf field with a special field day event. Eligible 8th graders will practice for their promotion ceremony in the morning from 8:30 to 10:00 a.m. Around 12:00 p.m., they will board buses to head to Parkway Bowl and are expected to return to Muirlands around 4:15 p.m.

On Thursday, which is a minimum day schedule, our 8th graders will participate in their promotion ceremony at LJHS Stadium from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Parents and guardians who completed the permission slip to take their student home early may do so right after the ceremony concludes.

We are looking forward to finishing the year strong. Thank you again for all of your support, and I wish all of our Muirlands families a wonderful summer break.

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Limited amount left!

Yearbooks are still available for purchase at $45 and only in person at this point. Please purchase in person (cash or check) with our school clerk, Hedieh Yamini. If you have any questions, please reach out to her at hyamini@sandi.net.

Mrs. Yamini will also be sent out information last week about an auction for VIP seating and parking for the 8th grade promotion ceremony on May 28. The auction will run from May 8 through May 22.

Thank you, as always, for your continued support of our students and school community.

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For parents who need special seating due to disability for 8th grade Promotion

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdPTMXOxPA-z6-SwQzLMfMB2KUrUXnutVMKM70uy89sYAYhqA/viewform?usp=dialog

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Interest Form: JV Coaching Opportunities (2026–2027 School Year)

We are looking to gauge interest from staff and our parent community in coaching JV Boys Basketball (Fall) or JV Girls Volleyball (Winter) for the 2026–2027 school year.

This JV league will align with the timelines of the San Diego Unified School District Middle School Sports Program, with a slightly shorter season length.

League Details:

* Teams can hold up to 15 players and would be chosen based on which 6th or 7th grade students were closest to making the team for boys basketball and girls volleyball for 26-27.

• Participating schools: I Middle, Pershing, De Portola, PB Middle, Marston Middle, and Muirlands
• All games will be played at Marston Middle School
• Game days: Thursdays
• Game times: 4:15 PM or 5:15 PM

Season Windows (Approximate):

• Fall (Aug 25 – Oct 25): JV Boys Basketball
• Winter (Nov 3 – Feb 7): JV Girls Volleyball

Coaching Commitment:

• 1–2 practices per week
• Weekly games on Thursdays
• Support and coordination with site and district athletics

Compensation:

• Stipend will be comparable to coaching positions within the SDUSD Middle School Sports Program.

If you are interested in coaching or would like more information, please let me know. We are excited to continue expanding athletic opportunities for our students and appreciate your consideration in supporting this program.

Interested in coaching? Please complete the interest form below.

https://forms.gle/p9WTkX12GgtazneN7

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Chromebooks

As everything winds down and the 2025-2026 year comes to an end, we would like to send out a few reminders regarding your middle school student Chromebooks.

All 6th - 8th grade students will take their Chromebooks home for the 2026 summer break. Please ensure only ONE device is properly checked out to them. If a student is leaving the school district, they need to return their Chromebook.

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Summer Camp Opportunity

NPR's top 100 musicians, Emel Cubukcu (8th grader at MMS) and her chamber group Songs4Smiles will have two "free" chamber music summer camps in June and July. The goal is to provide chamber music education to middle school students, helping them build confidence, teamwork, and musical independence.

https://www.songs4smiles.org/camp/

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VERY IMPORTANT + TIME SENSITIVE

(New District Procedure)

Register for next year (this applies to everyone every year moving forward).

Beginning Monday, March 23, 2026, parents of currently enrolled students should log in to their PowerSchool Parent Portal and complete the new form named Student Registration for Next Year to let us know if your student will be returning next year for 2026-27. All returning families must complete the Student Registration for Next Year form by the end of day (11:59 p.m.) on Friday, May 8, 2026.

Who needs to complete the form?

All parents of currently enrolled students in grades TK-11 should complete the Student Registration for Next Year form in the Parent Portal.

How do I complete the form?

Login to the PowerSchool Parent Portal at https://powerschool.sandi.net and select Student Registration for Next Year, from the navigation menu.

Examples of what it looks like from the parent end.

Menu on Parent Portal and where to click

Example from when I had to register my own daughter Serena for 1st grade.

All the steps to complete to register

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Summer School Information for Parents

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vQblWK3LBwa8c4YXHoQKokco43mH4zhb/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=115037634259351530477&rtpof=true&sd=true.

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Muirlands Grading Periods and Timelines - Click here to view.

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Dolphin Scholars

Please read the amazing article about our tutoring program (Dolphin Scholars Program attached below). I want to express my deep gratitude to our Muirlands Foundation. Our in-school and after-school tutoring programs would not be possible without their generous support. Thanks to the Foundation, our students now receive over 62 hours of in school ELA and Math tutoring support each week.

Please take a moment to read the link below to learn more about how you can contribute to the Muirlands Gives Campaign and help us continue expanding opportunities for our students. We are more than half of the way towards our fundraising goal. All your contributions support our students and continue programs such as Dolphin Scholars.

Muirlands Gives Campaign/Foundation Website

With gratitude,
Principal Simon

Powerpoint I shared with our teachers in order to support high level prompting questions in the classroom that will promote students to think critically.

Attention 6th Grade Families: Students are required to receive the Tdap vaccination before entering 7th grade. Please email proof of your child’s Tdap vaccination to lrosenthal@sandi.net as soon as possible to ensure their school records are up to date.

Pictured above from left to right, Raina Patel, Sophia Jones, Maya Ashrafi, Taylor Alvarado, Luca Giaconi and Alexis Pfandt (not in the picture).

Muirlands Middle School was recognized as an Honor Roll Distinguished School for its outstanding academic achievement across all student subgroups.

ERP Releases List of 2025 California Honor Roll Schools

Link to Doc Talk Event

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uAYqlPib_Qq70IfDnzXyRjNRZQGMqXQo/view?usp=sharing

Message from Attendance: Please allow 24-48 hours for attendance to be updated.

🏆 Muirlands Named a 2026 California Distinguished School!

I am incredibly proud to share that I received a letter from State Superintendent Tony Thurmond informing us that Muirlands has been selected as a 2026 California Distinguished School!

Out of nearly 10,000 schools across the state, only 408 schools in all of California were selected for this honor.

This recognition belongs to our teachers, counselors, classified staff, students, families, and community partners. It is a reflection of the culture of high expectations, care, innovation, and support that exists on our campus every single day. I am deeply grateful for the collective effort that makes Muirlands such a special place.

I’m proud to share that Muirlands students demonstrated 1.2x the growth in Math compared to the rest of the country. In ELA Muirlands demonstrated 1.7x the growth compared to the country. This is huge to see these changes after investing in the perosnalized lessons and tutors to help our students grow in these subjects at rates faster than the national average.

Parents will soon receive their child’s score report by email. If you’d like help understanding the report, this resource provides a clear overview:
👉 https://i-readycentral.com/download/?res=39944&view_pdf=1

Student and staff safety remains our top priority, including while construction is taking place on campus. Security protocols during construction are consistent with normal school operations, and all construction areas are fully isolated from student spaces by secured fencing. Gates are monitored and locked, and construction zones are not accessible to students or the general public.

All construction personnel on campus have passed required background checks (Live Scan) and must complete a Balfour Beatty job orientation prior to working on site. Workers are required to sign in daily through Balfour Beatty and with their respective foremen, and no one is permitted on campus without authorization. Construction staff are also clearly identifiable by Balfour Beatty orientation hardhat stickers.

There is active oversight and accountability at all times. The construction team maintains a daily roster of all personnel on site, which is shared with school administration and district staff and can be produced as needed. School leadership remains in close communication with the construction management team throughout the project.

From a health and safety standpoint, air quality is tested daily, and fencing and tarps are in place around the construction perimeter to contain debris. While some noise is unavoidable, the construction crew is mindful of instructional time and schedules the loudest activities outside of class hours whenever possible.

Ultimately, this renovation will yield long-term benefits for our campus, both aesthetically and functionally and we appreciate the community’s patience as we work to improve our facilities.

• Free Excel San Diego Public Library Cards for Muirlands Students - Please have your student see Mr. Fred to get their free card.

• Core Academy (Saturday School). Our next Saturday School opportunities will occur on 4/18 and 5/2 from 8-12pm. One Saturday school erases 1 full day absence and up to 8 period tardies or absences. Here is the link to more information and how to register Core Academy Letter. Please review our student handbook as students with multiple tardies or unexcused absences may not qualify for school events. Core Academy is a great way to address any absences or tardies on your student's record.

Very Important – Personalized Lessons in i-Ready

• All students at Muirlands have access to personalized lessons in i-Ready. These lessons are tailored to each student based on the standards identified in their i-Ready diagnostic where they have not yet shown mastery. Students can access their lessons by logging into Clever, selecting the i-Ready icon, and clicking on “My Path.” The only exception is for students already working at the high school level. These students receive extension activities directly from their teachers during class. To meet their growth goals, i-Ready recommends that students complete at least 45 minutes of personalized lessons per week.

• Here is a resource for parents to understand the I-Ready score report they receive via email from the district. (https://i-readycentral.com/download/?res=39944&view_pdf=1).

• Students just received Honor Roll and Citizenship certificates for our most recent progress report. Their names and certificates will be proudly displayed in our showcase outside the auditorium. If your student did not receive recognition this time, there’s another opportunity coming soon, we will continue this tradition every six-week grading period. Our next grading period ends on 3/27/26. This is an extremely important grading period because it will inform eligibility for end of year events. Several students have already asked how they can improve their Citizenship marks from I’s to M’s or E’s. I encouraged them to advocate for themselves by asking their teachers what steps they can take to demonstrate improvement. Citizenship rubrics are also available in our Student Handbook (posted on our website and linked at the bottom of every Sunday Notes newsletter).

We are proud of our Dolphins for striving to grow academically and personally each grading period!

• Digital Citizenship Week Tips for Parents Digital Citizenship

• Reporting Absence, Early Pick Up, Late Drop Off - Use the following Google Form https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc5F91HWNzl97NuNs3L0k5ZV656jMyDaSH2vxzZ7WCzWkYlBg/viewform?usp=dialog. Parents have already started using this and it is HIGHLY PREFERRED and allows us to be efficient and prepared upon your arrival or input the absence. This link is also on the Muirlands Website Home Page.

  • Please attempt to schedule appointments during non-school hours. If your student is leaving early to attend an appointment (med/dental/ortho, etc.), his/her period absence(s) will be marked UNEXCUSED until a VERIFICATION of appointment is received in the attendance office. Please submit VERIFICATION in person or via email (mmssec@sandi.net) to the attendance office upon return to school within 5 school days to update to the appropriate code.

• Staff Parking Areas - We respectfully ask parents to not park or drive into campus to drop off or pick up their student. This has caused safety issues for staff and students in recent weeks. These areas will also be occupied by the School Modernization construction team starting after Thanksgiving Break. Please park on the curb where it is painted white.

• Results of Team Sports Middle School Sports Schedules.

• After School Tutoring - We are excited to share that our After School Tutoring Program will take place in the Muirlands Library on the following days and times:

  • Tuesdays & Thursdays: 3:10 – 4:40 pm.

  • Wednesdays: 1:20 – 2:50 pm. Also, from 1:15 -1:45pm, all teachers have office hours. Students can visit any of their teachers to get extra support during this time and also head to the library after for more help.

  Tutoring will be staffed by Paraeducators, Teachers, and College Tutors—and occasionally myself—to provide strong academic support for students. Signing your student up doesn't mean they have to attend every day although they are welcome to come any day we offer support.

  After School Tutoring Application Form.

• In School Tutoring during ELA and Math classes started September 3rd. Education majors from PLNU and UCSD will be supporting students in class. They will be supporting students the entire school year. This program is graciously funded by our parent foundation.

• Please no Door Dash or any other Food Delivery Service - We are unable to accept these. If food spoils or student never picked it up, the office staff is then liable. The office staff is working hard to make sure we are running daily operations for the school site. If your student forgets their lunch, we have free lunch options for them at our cafeteria.

Our Foundation has generously provided funding to bring college education majors from Point Loma Nazarene and UC San Diego—trained by Mr. Simon—into our Math and ELA classrooms to support students in their learning. Beginning September 3, 2025, and extend into late April 2026. These future educators will work directly with students in small groups and one-on-one settings, providing valuable academic support right in the classroom.

This initiative is just one example of the profound impact our Foundation has on student success at Muirlands. We are deeply grateful for their commitment, and we encourage families to consider contributing time and/or resources to help sustain and grow their efforts.