The Lion Link

Good afternoon, Lion families,

This past week, our school celebrated our first Spirit Week. Spirit Weeks are more than just opportunities for students and staff to wear silly clothes; they help build a sense of community, camaraderie, and pride around a shared identity. The week culminated with a Pep Rally that recognized our fall sports teams, gave performance groups an opportunity to share some of what they have been working on, and created a strong sense of energy and connection across our campus.

At King, we are proud of what is happening on our campus. We are building traditions, celebrating student talents and accomplishments, and creating opportunities for our entire school community to come together. Spirit Week was a wonderful reminder that a strong school culture is built through shared experiences - and that there is a lot to celebrate at MLK.

We look forward to all that is to come. Please don't hesitate to reach out if we may be of any support.

Warmly,

Natalie Daniels (Principal)

Emily Rae (Assistant Principal)

Josh Thibodeaux (Assistant Principal)

Please review our live 2026 - 2027 Campus Calendar for important dates.

As events continue to be scheduled, the document will be updated.

Last week, "Reach for Support" pink letters were printed and sent home with all 7th grade students (English) (Spanish). Please be sure to review this document.

If you'd like to learn more about "Reach for Support" week, please consider attending the parent virtual meeting on 09/29 at 4:00 pm at the (link here)

ASB Fall Carnival tickets will be on sale soon! The event will take place after school on Friday, October 23rd. To participate, students must meet the following between Monday, September 28 - Friday, October 23rd.

• Earn a 2.0 OR are progressing through our academic support program, PAWS (Practice Accountability, Work to Success)
• No more than 2 Referrals
• No more than 2 days at Restorative Reset or Suspensions

Our goal is to ensure that all students meet this criteria. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out.

The Step It Up fundraiser's Week of Wow was a success. A huge congratulations to all of the winners!

LAST CALL! We’re in the final days of our Step It Up fundraiser, but there’s still time to get involved and help support our school! It’s not too late to register your student, send emails to family and friends, collect donations and earn awesome prizes.

Remember, every student who receives $50 or more in donations is eligible to attend the Day of Awesomeness In November. Not only will they have an amazing field day filled with inflatables, a DJ Dance party, prize drawings and more, but they’ll also have a chance to win super cool prizes like spinning the money wheel to earn cash. The deadline for donations is Wednesday, September 30th. We’re almost there! Thank you for supporting our students and our school. Let’s finish strong!

We are excited to announce that MLK will continue our partnership through the '26 - '27 school year with Brighter Bites, a nonprofit that delivers FREE fresh fruits and vegetables directly into families' hands. Next delivery on Thursday, October 1.

If you would like to access this opportunity, please enter the MPR this Thursday, October 1st between 2:30 pm - 3:00 pm to pick up your bag.

NOTE: Students may not pick up a bag unless an adult has already enrolled in the program. Please enroll using the QR code in the attached image OR by completing the document (linked here).

September 30 is the last day to purchase the Device Protection Plan for your student’s chromebook.

The plan is only $20 and covers 2 incidents. You can find more information on the OUSD Website.

Each week, Mr. Aldridge's Digital Experience course works hard to develop a news production featuring King students and staff.

Check out this week's Roarin' Report! (linked here)

It's this week's Oside USD in One Minute.

Our next PTSO meeting will be on October 14th at 6pm in the Library.

If you are not able to attend in person a zoom link will be provided. Hope to see you there.

Date - Tuesday, June 8th

Time - TBD

Location - Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School

Additional details will be provided during 2nd semester.

You can set up an eWallet for your student and get a sneak peek at the Fair on our home page.

We are committed to caring for your child’s total well-being.

If your student is covered by Medi-Cal or is currently uninsured, they qualify for Peer Link—a free, confidential mental health counseling program right here on campus.

If you feel your child could benefit from extra support this year, please reach out to the King counseling team to learn more.

• King Middle School
  Tutoring by our on-site staff (linked here!)
  
  
• Virtual Tutoring - All OUSD Gr. 6 -12 Students
  OUSD has partnered with Tutor.com for FREE, on demand, online tutoring! Connect with a tutor right away, schedule a future session, drop off a writing assignment for a writing review, find test prep and self-study materials. View instructions linked here.

• Wellness Together (accepting referrals now)
  Our on-site mental health specialist is available to all students by referral through Student Services or your student's counselor. If you feel that your child may benefit from this service, we encourage you to reach out.
  
  
• PASS Americorps (Beginning in October)
  Two on-site PASS team members will provide academic and social emotional support for referred students based on qualifying criteria.
  
  
• TruCare
  Our TruCare team is available on-site for student support. Check in with your student's counselor for a referral.
  
  
• Transformational Consulting
  Our TC team members support King on a daily basis for ongoing student check-ins and to support with student mediation opportunities. Life Skills 101 in room B-1 is offered on a regular basis at lunch. This program encourages leadership, responsibility and accountability for all participants. Students can report to Student Services if they'd like to access these supports.
  
  
• Restorative Practice Small Groups
  Restorative Practices circles and small group supports are provided by our OUSD central office team. Creation and implementation of these small group circles are ongoing. Check in with your student's counselor for access to these groups.
  
  
• School Resource Officer
  Our SRO is an OPD officer who is available and accessible for students / families as needed. Officer Walker is often seen at Nutrition and / or lunch and works to develop strong and trusting connections with our students.
  
  
• Student Training & Assemblies
  During this school year, the central office team will be / has offered trainings / assemblies for all OUSD sites. These topics include E-Bike safety, Drug Prevention, Inclusion & Belonging, Standing Together Against Bullying & Threats.

Please feel free to review the 2026 - 2027 MLK Student Handbook (linked here). All students will also receive a planner from their Advisory teacher.

For weekly ASB updates, ensure that your student has access to their grade level Google Classroom. Details related to upcoming student events and activities are posted in the Google Classroom and on the ASB Website (link here!)

6th Grade - pekaxacy

7th Grade - njpjiudi

8th Grade - cyzq6k32

OUSD aims to be a safe, affirming, and inclusive space for all individuals.

If you are aware of a violation that compromises all schools and spaces being safe for all people, or if you are the victim of any incident/violation, please use our anonymous reporting option found on our district website.

More info here: https://www.oside.us/student-tip-line

Follow MLK on Instagram on the following accounts:

• kingmspride
• kingmiddleschool_asb
• kingmiddleschool_njhs
  
  

Follow OUSD on Instagram on the following account:

• osideusd

Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School (Website)