Madison Middle School

In observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, there will be no school tomorrow. School will resume on Tuesday, January 20, with our regular 9:00 a.m. start time.

We hope students enjoyed the extra day off and are ready for a fresh start to Semester II. While most student schedules will remain the same, many students may see a new Period 1 Explore Lab. In addition, a small number of schedules were adjusted due to teacher assignments.

Students and families can review current schedules in the Parent/Student Portal. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions.

Highlights in this week's newsletter:

• The Mustang Spelling Bee
• Mr. Green's Period 1 Engineering Challenge
• Parent Workshop: Dealing with Stress
• Inclusive Youth Basketball Camp
• Multiple Athletic Opportunities
• VUSD & UCSB Better Together Survey
• Inaugural SD North County Special Education Conference
• and more...

Thank you for reading!

Tom Berger

Principal

Jan. 19

• M.L. King Day (No School)
• PTA Fundraiser at Dave & Busters (3:00 - 6:00pm)

Jan. 20

• Regular Schedule (School hours from 9:00 am to 3:35 pm)
• Field Hockey (4:00 - 5:00pm / The Field)
• BGCV Boys Basketball (3:45 - 5:45pm / GYM)

Jan. 21

• Regular Schedule (School hours from 9:00 am to 3:35 pm)
• Field Hockey 4:00 - 5:00pm / The Field)
• Ballet Folklorico (3:35 - 4:45pm / GYM)

Jan. 22

• Regular Schedule (School hours from 9:00 am to 3:35 pm)
• Parents Tech Club (9:30 - 11:00am / Room B)
• Field Hockey (4:00 - 5:00pm / The Field)

Jan. 23

• Regular Schedule (School hours from 9:00 am to 3:35 pm)
• Parent Workshop "Dealing with Stress" (Room "B" from 9:30 am to 11:00am)

• January 28, 8th Grade field trip (Vista High School)
• January 28, Kona Ice in Campus
• January 28, NCTD Bus Card Distribution during Lunch
• January 29 Madison School Tour
• January 29, NCTD Bus Card Distribution during Lunch
• February 5 Madison School Tour
• February 7 Youth Basketball Camp at Madison Middle School!
• February 10 School Site Council Meeting
• February 12 ELAC Meeting ( change date precious Feb 5)
• February 16 -20 President's Week (No School)
• February 25 Minimum Day Schedule
• March 11 & 12 Parent / Teacher Conf. (Minimum Day Schedule)
• March 19 ELAC Meeting
• March 30 to April 3 Spring Break (No School)

Congratulations to the winners of our "first in a long time" Madison Spelling Bee! Roxy -- first place! Delilah -- second place! Issa -- third place! Thank you to our PTA for providing prizes, and a special thank you to our team of coaches and organizers: Ms. Banzuela, Mr. Brace, Dr. B, Ms. Fischetti, Ms. Gomez, Mr. Larson, and Mr. Pernicano!

Students in Mr. Green’s Period 1 Explore Lab designed and built their own cars, then put them to the test in a fun competition to see which traveled the farthest! The challenge encouraged creativity while allowing students to apply key concepts in physics and engineering. Check out the pictures to see the students’ creativity in action!

We invite all parents to join us for an upcoming workshop focused on dealing with stress—a skill that can positively impact both our personal lives and our families. During this session, you’ll learn simple, practical strategies to manage daily stress, improve emotional well-being, and create a healthier balance in life.

✨ Did you know? Research shows that learning effective stress-management skills can improve focus, sleep, and overall health—not just for adults, but for children too.

• FRIDAY, JANUARY 23 | ROOM "B" FROM 9:30AM TO 11:00AM

We hope you can join us for this helpful and empowering conversation!

REGISTER HERE! https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1bnwEcdlzPaLvfC92PhZx4E-_0NBf1zGlAUYzmQP---8/edit?usp=sharing

We warmly invite parents of incoming students to attend one of our school tours. This is a wonderful opportunity to explore our campus, connect with our staff, and learn more about all the great things our school has to offer. If you have neighbors, friends, or family members with future middle schoolers, please feel free to pass along this invitation.

We look forward to meeting you and welcoming you to our school community!

On Saturday, February 7, 2026, in partnership with SYNC – Synergy Youth & Community, Inc., we are excited to welcome former NBA players Olden Polynice, Jud Buechler, and Dominic McGuire for a special event dedicated to elevating inclusion on and off the court. This camp brings students of all abilities together to learn, play, and grow side by side while building confidence, teamwork, leadership, and basketball skills in a supportive, fun environment. Morning and afternoon sessions are available for grades 3–8 and 9–12, and Vista Unified students may attend for free using the code VUSD-SYNC2026. We invite families to join us for this inspiring day of community, belonging, and play. Register by CLICKING HERE.

The cost is FREE! Parents are welcome!

The conference will open with a keynote by Dr. Nikki Elliott (University of San Diego), From Intention to Impact – Equity-Driven Leadership for Meaningful Inclusion, followed by a featured panel focused on postsecondary pathways for students with special needs, facilitated by CSU San Marcos faculty and partners.

happening Wednesday, February 11, 2026, from 9:00 AM–3:30 PM at California State University San Marcos.

CLICK HERE FOR REGISTRATION LINK.

More Info on Conference Website: SDNCSEC 2026

Each year, we open this district-wide survey to staff, students, and parents to gather honest feedback on our progress toward our shared vision, values, and graduate portraits. Your perspective is incredibly important to us as we work to create the best possible environment for your children.

We invite all parents and guardians to complete this annual survey by January 30, 2026.

• Time Commitment: The survey takes approximately 15-20 minutes to complete.

• Parent/Guardian Survey Link: https://ucsd.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6ArWyxpmFHpG61w

Thank you for investing your valuable time to share your input.

More in-person bike safety classes have been added for students who plan on riding a bike to school. Students must take the class before riding their bike to school.

Next class: January 27 @RBV

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

Our STEM2Career Expo is on Wednesday, March 25th from 5:00-7:00 at RBV. If your child is in TK-12th grade and would like to sign up for the STEM Challenge (Zip Line Racers), the deadline is Friday, January 30th at 3pm! Click here to sign up.

All of the following forums will be at the Vista Innovation Center, from 5 - 6:30 pm.

Address: 836 Olive Avenue, Vista, CA 92083.

Interpretation in Spanish will be available.

Details:

Human Trafficking: January 28, 2026, facilitated by Vista Unified Social Workers.

Suicide Prevention: February 3, 2026, facilitated by Lifeline and Vista Unified Social Workers.

Fire Arm Violence: February 11, 2026, facilitated by our School Resource Officer Hernandez and the Vista Sheriff’s Department.

All students who bring phones to school are required to keep them in the pouches while on campus. 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.

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.

Miss a week? Click HERE for previous newsletters.