Madrona Family Memo
Our Wildcat Motto: Be Responsible, Be Respectful!
Saturday, September 5, 2026
Greetings, Madrona Families!
Our students are officially settling into the rhythm of learning here at Madrona! It was fantastic to see them opening their lockers with ease, arriving to class on time, and fully engaged in essential grade-level learning. During snack and lunch, students have been enjoying well-deserved breaks, connecting with friends and playing games on our blacktop and field.
In this edition of our family newsletter, you’ll find:
An invitation to Back to School Night (September 15th, 5:15 pm -7:00 pm)
PTSA Updates
Campus-wide Portrait of the Graduate spotlights
School and district resources
Important Reminders:
Monday, September 7: No School (Labor Day Holiday)
Tuesday, September 8: Late Start (First bell rings at 9:20 AM)
Wishing you all a wonderful Labor Day weekend! Go Wildcats!
Kind regards,
Sue S. Key, Ed.D., Proud Principal
Madrona Middle School
Torrance HS Classes & THS Late Start Calendar
Important THS update for this week!
9/10/26 Thursday Late Start (morning after Torrance High 9/9/2026 Back to School Night). On this morning, middle school students will report directly to THS at the Late Start time. See recent email from THS and our Attendance office for details. Please email madronaattend@tusd.org if you have questions.
Students taking classes at Torrance High School must follow the high school bell schedule at all times, including on irregular schedule days. On these days, students returning to Madrona will either report directly to their next class depending on when they return to Madrona or join our designated supervised study hall.
Tuesday is Late Start schedule at Torrance High. The following Tuesdays are not scheduled as late start, and one Thursday that will be late start:
- 9/29/26 (week of 10/2 Student Free Day)
- 10/27/26 (College & Career Day)
- 1/19/27 (week of S1 Finals)
- 4/27/27 (week of ELA testing)
- 5/18/27 (week of MATH testing)
- 6/01/27 (week of Senior Finals)
- 6/08/27 (week of S2 Finals)
- 9/10/26 Thursday Late Start (morning after Torrance High 9/9/2026 Back to School Night).
Direction donation/membership
Calling all Madrona families! The PTSA is holding our annual direct donation and membership drive and we need your support! Join the PTSA to benefit from our membership perks and have a voice in our initiatives!
Donate to the PTSA to support our events and programs for students and teachers! Certain donation levels will receive awards, including raffles for first in line entry and 5 minute student early lunch dismissal to Midday Mingle, Dr. Key and Mrs. Schiappa-Gobee's parking spots for Midday Mingle or other Madrona events, and a special fall gift basket!
Families! Join the 8th-grade Committee!
Support the Class of 2027. 8th-grade Family Volunteers are needed. Sign-up today!
Complete the Universal Benefit Application Now!
We request that all Madrona families fill out the Torrance Unified School District Educational Benefit Form. Please type "Torrance" in the search bar to select "Torrance USD (Torrance, California)" from the drop down menu. Completing this form take only a few minutes helps us secure vital funding for our students and can qualify your family for free resources!
In Mr. Gachuz's Journalism class, students completed a project exploring contrast and the concepts of foreground, middle ground, and background. This hands-on activity lays a strong visual foundation to prime students for their upcoming photography unit. Excellent!
Wildcats! Join Madrona's Homework Club!
Calling all students with a growth mindset! Homework Club is a quiet space open to ALL students to complete homework (or) get help from the supervising teacher or peer tutors. Get your homework done before going home!
3:30-4:30 pm - Sign-up for one, two or all three days!
- Mondays (Room 14 w/Mrs. Bloomfield)
- Tuesdays (Room 27 w/Mrs. Rokugawa)
- Wednesdays (Room 6 w/Ms. Wulpern)
- Mystery donor shout-out! We received a donation this week, but unfortunately no name was included with the package. Thank you to the wonderful family who sent it we appreciate you! ~Madrona Team
- A big thank you to the Preston family for donating supplies to Madrona! Your generosity is greatly appreciated. ~Madrona Team
- Shout to Grace Wilker for her donation! We appreciate your support of our students and school community. ~ Madrona Team
- Thank you Sunny for your donation! ~Madrona Team
- Shout out to the following students for outstanding citizenship: Anthony Orinion, Shelby Jackson, Anel Garcia, Kaia Kinzinger, Bennett Davidson, and Darren Talolo. ~Mr. Heussenstamm
- Thank you to our Leadership students who came over the summer and planned our Wildcat Welcome and also who came early on the first day of school to cheer everyone on as they came for the first day back. You are all fabulous! ~Mrs.Spotts
- Andre Lumanian - talking to so many adults lately and still being willing to talk to adults more right now. ~Mrs. Brown
- Thank you to all of my students for your patience with the textbooks and the technology not working. You have been so helpful. We are off to a great start. Let's keep it going :) ~Mrs.Bloomfield
- Saeed Amini - being helpful and kind with other students!! This is such a great quality to have with your classmates!! Keep up the good work!! ~Mrs. Brown
- Thank you to Mei Pearne and Aubrey Richardson for organizing my new chromebook cart. ~Mrs. Bloomfield
- Miskimen's Super Science Students who scored 100% on their Scientific Method Test: Carl Baldauf, Henry Carlson, Leo Leo, an Sami Seeraty. The following students only missed one: Yovanni Anaya, Rio Castaneda, Layla Joo, Jacob Kuwada, Kallen Poots, Logan Tran, Enzo White, Mirai Choi, Adelle Hernandez, Timothy Lee, and Glenn Yi. Great job! Way to start off middle with a bang. ~Mrs. Miskimen
Madrona Soccer Update!
Join us in cheering on our athletes this season. We hope to see you there! This year, Madrona PTSA will be hosting a snackbar fundraiser at all home games.
Madrona Girls & Boys Soccer Schedule:
Thursday, September 17, 2026
Event: Madrona vs. Casimir Middle School (Home)
Details: Boys play first (4:15 PM / 5:15 PM)
Thursday, September 24, 2026
Event: Soccer @ Jefferson Middle School (Away)
Details: Girls play first (4:15 PM / 5:15 PM)
Thursday, October 1, 2026
Event: Soccer vs. Richardson Middle School (Home)
Details: Boys play first at 4:15 PM
Thursday, October 8, 2026
Event: Soccer @ Magruder Middle School (Away)
Details: Girls play first at 4:15 PM
Wednesday, October 14, 2026
Event: Final Soccer Game vs. Central Area Rival Hull Middle School
Location: THS Zamperini Field @ 6:00 PM
PE Uniforms & Online Ordering
We anticipate the delivery of the second batch of PE uniform orders will arrive this week. Thank you for your ongoing patience!
This uniform order is optional. For families who would like to purchase a uniform, the online store is open! Orders will be fulfilled in 2-week batches during August and September. Items will be delivered to PE classes in labeled bags.
Note: Students enrolled in a Physical Education class are required to wear a red top (t-shirt or sweatshirt) and black bottoms (shorts or sweat pant), socks, and sneakers for PE. This can be any red t shirt and black shorts/sweat pants that appropriate for physical fitness/exercise that your student already has at home.
"What Was Homework?" Button on the Madrona Website!
A new addition to the home page of our school website is a "What Was Homework" Button, which links to easy to reference spread sheets.
Madrona Family Guidelines for i-Ready & My Path Usage (w/ translations)
Please review the i-Ready Parent Letter (with available translations) for helpful details on i-Ready and My Path, as well as information regarding our Beginning of the Year Diagnostic scheduled for Wednesday, September 9 (ELA) and Thursday, September 10 (Math).
Once the system rolls over for the 2026–27 school year, TUSD will provide a new access code for Family Reports. We will share this code with families as soon as testing is complete so you can view your student's results.
Health Office Reminder For Rising/Incoming 7th Graders!
Madrona Health Office emailed a reminder to Current 6th-graders / Rising 7th grade parents/guardians regarding their student's required Tdap and 2nd Varicella Immunizations for the 2026-2027 school year. If you received an email, it is important to send the Health Office your student's updated vaccination record now so there are no issues with school entry or schedule delays in the fall.
Please Note: If you did not receive an email from the Health Office, your child is up to date on their immunizations and all set for 7th grade. Any questions, please email madronahealthoffice@tusd.org.
SaySomething Anonymous Reporting System
TUSD students are encouraged to use the Say Something Anonymous Reporting System offered through the Sandy Hook Promise to keep our schools secure and our students safe.
This life-saving service empowers you, our students, and our community members to anonymously report any concerns, including potential threats, bullying, or individuals who may be at risk of harming themselves or others. There are three ways to make a report:
Call the 24/7 crisis hotline counselors at 1-844-5-SayNow (1-844-572-9669)
Download the mobile app at Google Play or Apple Store
Submit a tip through their secure website
TUSD Online Learning Resources (Clever and Schoology)
All TUSD students access the online version of textbooks and educational resources (including textbooks) through the TUSD CLEVER portal
Have your student log in to CLEVER (https://clever.com/in/torrance) using their TUSD email and password to show you all of their online learning tools.
- Schoology - an online learning management system where teachers post agendas and assignments. Family accounts are sync'd from PowerSchool, and families only if they have made an access account there - Here is our help page for families.
- iReady - a resource teachers use to support learning in essential Reading and Math domains.
- and more!
Local Technology Resources for Students & Families
Options for students without access to computers at home:
- The Madrona Library - computers are available for student use before school (8:15 am-8:35 am) and during lunch (Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Fridays)
- The Madrona After School Homework Club (3:30-4:30 pm) - Monday (Rm 14), Tuesday (Rm 9) -Wednesday (Rm 6)
- Madrona ELOP Program (3:30-6:00 pm)
- City of Torrance - Katy Geissert Library (located on the corner of Torrance Blvd/Madrona Avenue) - Monday, Wednesday: 12:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.. Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.. Saturday: 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Launch Your Teaching Career with the South Bay Teacher Residency!
The application window for the South Bay Consortium Teacher Residency Program is officially closing on September 18!
Through this unique partnership between Torrance, Lawndale, and Wiseburn Unified School Districts, you can earn your Master’s degree and teaching credential in just one year while gaining hands-on classroom experience with a mentor teacher.
Program Highlights:
Financial Support: Receive a $40,000 residency stipend, a 20% National University tuition discount, and access to additional grants/scholarships.
Credentials Offered: Programs available in Dual Immersion Bilingual Spanish (K-8), Special Education, and Single Subject Math or Science.
Career Path: Benefit from priority hiring for a full-time position upon completion.
Submit your application early, as spots are filled on a rolling basis!
Learn more and apply today at tusd.org/sbcteach.
TUSD DevELOPment Academy
The application for Expanded Learning Opportunities Program (ELOP) is open. The program provides after-school care, academic support, enrichment activities, and a safe environment for TK- 6th grade students outside of the regular school day.
Space is limited. Priority enrollment is given to students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals, foster youth, and students experiencing homelessness.
Families interested in enrolling for the 2026–2027 school year will need to complete an application.
Application Link: https://tusd.arux.app/
For more information, please visit the TUSD ELOP website.
Ralphs Community Contribution Program
Sign up for Ralphs/Kroger Community Rewards Community Contribution Program at NO added cost to you. Use Madrona's Organization ID UF902. Click here
Madrona's Amazon Charitable Donation "Wish" List
Looking for a way to help out our school? We are ALWAYS in need of tissue boxes, reams of paper, and school supplies! Donations are greatly appreciated. Madrona Middle School Wishlist Link
If you purchase items online, please have it delivered to:
Madrona Middle School 21364 Madrona Avenue Torrance, CA 90503 310-533-4562. Thank you! If you have items delivered to your home, please drop off at the front office (or) have your student bring items in.
Thank you, Madrona Families!
Madrona was named South Bay’s BEST Public Middle School for 2026!
Following our FAVORITE spot in 2025 and BEST recognition in 2024, this single-award honor belongs to our entire school family. Thank you for your continued support and for making the Wildcat community extraordinary.
