Madison Middle School

We hope you enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving with your families! As we head into the three busy weeks before Winter Break, please take a few moments to explore this newsletter and stay up to date on all the exciting events coming up at Madison—including our Career Fair, the seventh-grade Literary Food Truck showcase, Yondr pouch distribution, School Site Council, Parent & Community Forum, and our drama class and club's first play! We hope you’ll join in when you can—your support helps our students stay engaged, feel connected, and enjoy being part of our Mustang community.

Have a great week!

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. 1

• Late Start (School hours from 10:00 am to 3:35 pm)
• Boys Basketball Tryouts (4:00 pm - 6:00pm | Gym)

Dec. 2

• Regular Schedule (School hours from 9:00 am to 3:35 pm)
• Boys Basketball Tryouts (4:00 pm - 6:00pm | Gym)

• Regular Schedule (School hours from 9:00 am to 3:35 pm)
• Literary Food Truck event in 7th Grade ELA classes
• Kona Ice (during lunch time)

• Regular Schedule (School hours from 9 am to 3:35 pm)
• Literary Food Truck event in 7th Grade ELA classes
• Boys Basketball Tryouts (4:00 pm - 6:00pm | Gym)
• Parents Academy (Brain Development in Children and Teens | 9:30am | Room "B")

Dec. 5

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

PTA will be collecting Sees Candy Orders this Monday, 12/1 & Friday, 12/5 outside, in front of the office before first period. Orders will be distributed the week of December 15th.

See PTA section below for more details.

• December 8 Madison's Next 10 Years: Community & Parent Forum, 5:30pm - 7:30pm
• December 9 Madison's Next 10 Years: Coffee with the Principal, 10am - 11am
• December 9 SSC Meeting 4pm | Library

• December 11 ELAC Meeting

• 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)

After Thanksgiving break, starting Tuesday, December 2, Yondr pouches will be issued to students who bring cell phones to school. 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.

Parents, please take a moment to register your student before tryouts. That way this step is complete and they can participate on time. It's FREE to register.

Acompáñenos el jueves 4 de diciembre a las 9:30 a.m. para una charla especial sobre cómo se desarrolla el cerebro de nuestros adolescentes.

¿Sabían que el cerebro de un adolescente crece y cambia tan rápido que a veces ellos mismos no entienden por qué sienten o reaccionan de cierta manera? 🤯 Es un proceso increíble… ¡y desafiante para todos!

Esta sesión será una oportunidad para:
✨ Aprender estrategias para apoyarlos en esta etapa tan importante
✨ Hacer preguntas y compartir experiencias con otras familias

Los animamos a venir, aprender y sentirse acompañados en este camino. ¡Estamos creciendo juntos, y cada paso cuenta! 💛💙

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Join us on Thursday, December 4th at 9:30 a.m. for a special presentation on how the brains of our teenagers develop.

Did you know that a teenager’s brain grows and changes so quickly that sometimes they themselves don’t understand why they feel or react the way they do? 🤯 It’s an incredible — and challenging — process for everyone!

This session will be an opportunity to:
✨ Better understand what’s going on in your child’s mind
✨ Learn strategies to support them during this important stage
✨ Ask questions and share experiences with other families

We encourage you to come, learn, and feel supported on this journey. We’re growing together, and every step counts! 💛💙

See’s chocolates make the perfect gift for the holidays — and it’s also a sweet way to support our school!

We’re also looking for a few amazing parent volunteers to help with:

• Order form distribution
• Collection days
• Preparing orders for distribution day

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

Thank you for supporting our students and school community — and get ready to spread some chocolate cheer!

Los chocolates de See’s son el regalo perfecto para las fiestas — ¡y también una dulce manera de apoyar a nuestra escuela!

También estamos buscando algunos padres voluntarios increíbles para ayudar con:

• La distribución de formularios de pedido
• Los días de recolección
• La preparación de pedidos para el día de entrega

Si estás interesado(a) y puedes ayudar, por favor Click HERE para inscribirte.

¡Gracias por apoyar a nuestros estudiantes y a nuestra comunidad escolar — y prepárate para compartir un poco de alegría chocolatosa!

We have 2 more PBIS Student Stores and 1 more Attendance Cart opportunity left in 2025! Please help us stock the store & the Attendance Cart before we leave on the Winter Break. Or sign up to help MMS Staff at the Student Store or in the Classrooms with the Attendance Cart. Thanks for helping make our PBIS initiative a success!¡

Nos quedan 2 Tiendas de Estudiantes PBIS y 1 oportunidad más del Carrito de Asistencia en este 2025! Por favor ayúdennos a abastecer la tienda y el Carrito de Asistencia antes de salir a las Vacaciones de Invierno. También pueden inscribirse para apoyar al personal de MMS en la Tienda de Estudiantes o en los salones con el Carrito de Asistencia. ¡Gracias por ayudar a que nuestra iniciativa PBIS sea un éxito!

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

Tip of tip of the week: Enjoy a tech-free morning: Start the day with conversation, music, or breakfast instead of screens. It helps everyone wake up calmly and prepares the brain for learning. Or try a podcast that encourages conversation like Kidnuz, a short program you can listen to at breakfast or on the ride to school.

The holiday season is here, and it’s the perfect time to come together and make a difference. Our Christmas Angel Tree is now up in the front office, and we’d love your help in bringing a little extra joy to our students who could use it this season.

If you’re able, please stop by and grab an Angel Tag until Dec 5th, to sponsor a student’s Christmas gift. Every tag represents a child who will feel seen, supported, and cared for because of your kindness.

If you have family, friends, or any community spaces where you can help share our Angel Tags, we would truly appreciate it.

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¡La temporada navideña ya está aquí, y es el momento perfecto para unirnos y hacer una diferencia! Nuestro Árbol de Ángeles de Navidad ya está en la oficina principal, y nos encantaría contar con su ayuda para traer un poco más de alegría a nuestros estudiantes que lo necesitan en esta época.

Si pueden, por favor pasen por la oficina y tomen una Etiqueta de Ángel hasta el 5 de Diciembre, para patrocinar el regalo de Navidad de un estudiante. Cada etiqueta representa a un niño que se sentirá visto, apoyado y querido gracias a su bondad.

Si tienen familiares, amigos o algún espacio en la comunidad donde puedan ayudar a compartir nuestras Etiquetas de Ángel, ¡se los agradeceríamos muchísimo!
¡Mientras más corazones alcancemos, más alegría podremos brindar! 🎄💛

The deadline for sign ups is January 30th, 2026. Click HERE to sign up to sign up for the STEM Challenge.

The meeting will be held on December 4th from 5:00–7:00 PM at the Vista Innovation Center (VIC), and a free dinner will be provided.

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El condado de San Diego invita a las familias a la próxima reunión del Plan de Acción para la Intervención contra la Violencia Comunitaria, centrada en la reducción de la violencia con armas de fuego en nuestra zona. Durante esta sesión, los ponentes compartirán el informe final y las conclusiones de las sesiones de escucha de SBCS, en las que se recabó información valiosa de familias, jóvenes y socios comunitarios sobre las causas fundamentales de la violencia con armas de fuego y las estrategias que pueden generar un cambio real y duradero.

La reunión se celebrará el 4 de diciembre, de 17:00 a 19:00, en el Vista Innovation Center (VIC), y se ofrecerá una cena gratuita.

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.