Madison Middle School

Lots of fun updates in this one!

Last Friday, Madison Middle School hosted a highly engaging and well-organized Career Fair led by school counselor Ms. Kuley and our student Career Fair Team. More than 25 professionals volunteered their time to spend the entire day on campus, sharing insights about their fields. Ahead of the event, students completed the RIASEC assessment to identify their strengths and interests, and each professional submitted background information that student leaders used to create color-coded display boards aligned to the RIASEC categories.

During the fair, students rotated through the gym with their ELA classes and participated in a scavenger-hunt-style activity that prompted them to read, write, listen, and speak with presenters. Students reported that the experience was both meaningful and fun, offering them a valuable opportunity to explore future career possibilities and feel motivated about their educational pathways. Scroll to the end of the newsletter for more career fair pictures.

Lastly, thank you to those who have taken our school identity project survey. Out of 1,120 families, we have 105 responses. The survey closes this Friday, 12/10 -- please consider participating -- we value your voice and input in helping us make Madison a place that offers the best possible middle school experience to students. See below for survey and our community forum details. We hope to see you this week!

Thank you for reading!

Tom Berger

Principal

Last year, Madison Middle School celebrated its 30th anniversary! As we look ahead, we are revisiting our mission and vision—and we need your help dreaming what our school will look like over the next ten years. With the changes and challenges in our world and community, how can we best prepare our students for high school and beyond?

Be a part of the Madison story and help us imagine its future! Click the link below to take our short survey and share your thoughts—your ideas will help shape our school’s identity and programs for the students of today and tomorrow.

We will also host two community forums: Monday, December 8, from 5:30–7:30 p.m., and Tuesday, December 9, from 10–11 a.m. These forums are an opportunity to connect with other parents and staff to share your ideas, and help shape the exciting future of Madison Middle School together.

Parents will earn their student 10 Mustang Minga points for attending one of our forums.

Dec. 8

• Late Start (School hours from 10:00 am to 3:35 pm)
• Madison's Next 10 Years: Community & Parent Forum (Library 5:30pm - 7:30pm )

Dec. 9

• Regular Schedule (School hours from 9:00 am to 3:35 pm)
• Madison's Next 10 Years: Coffee with the Principal (Library 10am - 11am)
• SSC Meeting 4pm | Library

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

• Regular Schedule (School hours from 9 am to 3:35 pm)
• ELAC Meeting (Library | 6:00 - 7:00pm)

Dec. 12

• Regular Schedule (School hours from 9 am to 3:35 pm)

• December 15 - 19 -- Spirit Dress-up Week

• December 18 - Madison Drama's "A World of Christmas" performance, 6pm in the Gym

• December 22 - January 6 Winter Recess (No School)
• January 7 School Resumes
• January 19 No School (M.L.King Day)

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

Last Friday, a student on a bicycle was involved in a collision with a vehicle while using the crosswalk at the entrance to campus. Emergency medical personnel and Oceanside Police Department responded immediately. We are relieved to report that the student was promptly evaluated at the scene and is doing okay.

We encourage families to talk with students about general pedestrian and bicycle safety, including being aware of their surroundings when traveling to and from school. We also ask all drivers to remain vigilant and drive slowly and safely during drop-off and pick-up times, especially in our parking lot. Here are a few friendly reminders:

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.

More to come...

We’re nearing the end of the year, Mustangs! - with our final Student Store of the year open on December 12. Please consider helping us stock the store and Attendance Cart, or sign up to support MMS staff at the Student Store or in classrooms.

Thank you for helping make our PBIS program a continued success!

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Tip of tip of the week: Set Social Boundaries

The immediacy and speed at which we now communicate has created an unrealistic expectation that all emails and texts should have an immediate response. Remind kids they don’t need to respond immediately to every message. Most messages are not emergencies. It’s okay to reply later and take breaks. Adults can practice this too!

Last week we began distributing Yondr pouches to students, and all students should have one by the end of the week. 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.