Madison Middle School

One more week of school until Winter Break! As anticipation builds, we appreciate your support in helping students remain focused and engaged at school while enjoying the fun of the season! This week's update includes information about ASB Dress-Up Days, PTA See’s Candy deliveries for those who ordered, high school tour details, and some highlights from last week.

Last week we enjoyed two great evenings of Mustang music with our choir and band programs performing with our local elementary schools, and yesterday our Mustang Jazz Band played in the community, entertaining customers at the local Boba Hut. Check out the performance below.

Also this weekend, assistant principal, Ms. Kamari, along with members of our seventh grade team, Mr. Reyes, Mr. Dannecker, Ms. Hasley, and Ms. Smith attended the AVID National Convention in San Diego. AVID stands for Advancement Via Individual Determination; it's program aims to support K-12 students succeed in rigorous courses by teaching organizational, study, writing, and critical thinking skills. Its mission is to close the opportunity gap by preparing all students for college, career, and leadership. Our Madison AVID program, led by Ms. Paradee, grew from one elective to three within the last two years, and our staff has been exploring how we can include AVID teaching strategies in all subject areas to increase academic rigor and student engagement.

Lastly, thank you to everyone who attended our parent and community forums last week as well as those who have filled out our survey. We appreciate the honest feedback, both the positive stories and the areas for growth, as we reflect on our school identity and our future focus. If you would still like to contribute your thoughts and experience about Madison, our survey will remain open till 11am tomorrow.

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year to everyone! Our next family update will be posted on Sunday, January 4, 2026, and our first day back to school is Wednesday, January 7 at our regular day start time, 9:00am.

Thank you for reading, and have a great week!

Tom Berger

Principal

Dec. 15

• Late Start (School hours from 10:00 am to 3:35 pm)
• Spirit Week (Wear Green or Red)
• PTA See's Candy Distribution
• Band Boosters Meet n Greet (5:30pm Tonny Pepperoni Pizza)

Dec. 16

• Regular Schedule (School hours from 9:00 am to 3:35 pm)
• Spirit Week ( Wear your best holiday hat or headband)

Dec. 17

• Regular Schedule (School hours from 9:00 am to 3:35 pm)
• Spirit Week (Wear white)

Dec. 18

• Regular Schedule (School hours from 9:00 am to 3:35 pm)
• Spirit Week (Dress like Adam Sandler)
• Madison Drama's "A World of Christmas" performance, 6pm in the Gym

Dec. 19

• Regular Schedule (School hours from 9:00 am to 3:35 pm)
• Spirit Week (Wear your favorite holiday PJ's)

• December 22 - January 6 Winter Recess (No School)
• January 7 School Resumes
• January 12 -16 Field Hockey Tryouts
• January 13 School Site Council
• January 19 No School (M.L.King Day)
• January 29 Madison School Tour
• February 5 ELAC Meeting
• February 5 Madison School Tour
• February 16 -20 President's Week (No School)
• February 25 Minimum Day Schedule

To see previous broadcasts, visit Madison's Vimeo channel.

As we evaluate the drop-off and pick-up procedures in our lot, we've seen an increase of students walking through the lot during the busiest times. We are asking that drop-off and pick-up only take place at the designated areas in front of the school. Please do not do so in the center of the parking lot.

Thank you for driving slowly and safely in the lot at all times. In case you missed it, here are a few friendly reminders that we published last week.

Please do NOT...

• make U-turns on the hill going up to the campus.
• drop-off or pick-up your student in the middle of the parking lot.
• cross the double-yellow line and drive up the hill the wrong way.
• block parked-cars from exiting the lot if you arrive early and are waiting to pick up your student.

Please DO...

• Drive slowly in our parking lot.
• Plan ahead. If you arrive between 7:37am - 7:42am, expect a 4-5 minutes of slow traffic as Lake Elementary uses our lot for drop-off.
• Consider picking up your student after 3:50pm when traffic is lighter. We do have campus assistants supervising at the front of the school till 4:15pm.

No schedule or convenience is ever worth the cost of driving aggressively and risking our children’s lives and wellbeing. Thank you for modeling the values we teach our students—respect and responsibility—which help build strong, positive relationships across our school community. We know traffic delays can be frustrating, and we truly appreciate your patience and kindness as we work together to keep everyone safe.

🍬 “Sweet holiday treats are on the way!
See’s Candy distribution will be this Monday, December 15th.
Thank you for helping us sprinkle a little Christmas magic!” 🍬

*** If you’re interested and able to help, please Click HERE to sign up.

Most all students now have a Yondr pouch for their phones. Next week we will begin Yondr checks in classes. Please review the parent letter for detailed information and expectations regarding their use. This is our second year using Yondr pouches, and they have proven to be an effective tool in helping students stay present and maintaining a positive campus environment. All students who bring phones to school are required to keep them in the pouches while on campus.

To support our communities, we have compiled a comprehensive list of free food pantries and distribution sites across San Diego County. These resources are available to anyone in need. -

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Para apoyar a nuestra comunidad, aquí hay una lista completa de despensas de alimentos y de sitios de distribución gratuita en el condado de San Diego. Estos recursos están disponibles para cualquier persona que los necesite.

Miss a week? Click HERE for previous newsletters.