Madison Middle School

It was a short week, but we were excited to host three wonderful assemblies—one for each grade level—celebrating students for perfect attendance, high GPAs, and for the growth and leadership they demonstrate in the classroom and across campus. While all students honored for GPA and attendance are recognized at the assembly, only families of students receiving a Teacher Standout Award receive an individual invitation to attend. Congratulations to all of our honorees! This is a new tradition at Madison, and we will hold these award ceremonies three times a year: November, February, and April.

I would like to encourage everyone to take a moment to view Madison’s results on the California School Dashboard. The new data released last Thursday shows that our school is moving in the right direction. Two highlights stand out: our students improved by 12.1% in English Language Arts, moving us from the orange to the yellow category; and our English Learner Progress increased by 7.9%, leaping from orange past yellow and into the green. While there are still areas for us to unpack and reflect on, the big picture is clear—we are making meaningful progress together.

Remember that we are on minimum day schedule this Thursday 11/19 and Thursday 11/20 due to parent-teacher conferences. Dismissal is at 12:00pm, and lunch will be served at that time as well. See below for setting up an appointment with your student's teachers.

Have a great week!

Tom Berger

Principal

Nov. 17

• Late Start (School hours from 10:00 am to 3:35 pm)
• Unified Sports Spirit Day (PJ Day)

Nov. 18

• Regular Schedule (School hours from 9:00 am to 3:35 pm)
• Unified Sports Spirit Day Mustangs Colors

Nov. 19

• Minimum Day Schedule (School hours from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm)
• Parent Teacher Conferences (6th Grade @classrooms 7th & 8th @Gym | 1pm a 5pm)

Nov. 20

• Minimum Day Schedule (School hours from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm)
• Parent Teacher Conferences (6th Grade @classrooms 7th & 8th @Gym | 1pm a 5pm)

Nov. 21

• Regular Schedule (School hours from 9 am to 3:35 pm)
• Unified Sports Basketball Game

• November 24- 28 Thanksgiving Break (No School)
• December 3 Kona Ice
• December 5 Career Fair
• 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 11 ELAC Meeting
• December 22 - January 6 Winter Recess (No School)
• January 7 School Resumes
• January 19 No School (M.L.King Day)

Parent-Teacher Conferences will be held on Wednesday, November 19, and Thursday, November 20. These will be minimum days for students, with dismissal for at 12:00pm on those two days, to allow time for families to meet with teachers.

Conference sign-ups will open next week. You'll receive a ParentSquare message from teachers with sign-up instructions. All 7th and 8th grade conferences will be held in the gym, while 6th grade conferences will take place in each teacher’s designated classroom.

We look forward to partnering with you to discuss your child’s progress and celebrate their successes!

Join other parents on Monday, November 17 at the Vista Civic Center to continue the discussion about keeping students safe online.

Tip of tip of the week: Encourage your student to be clear and kind when texting or posting. Without facial expressions or tone of voice, messages can easily be misunderstood.

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.

Don’t miss out on the chance to grab our latest designs and show your Mustang pride! Place your order today and remember — you can wear your school gear every Friday to show your school spirit! 💙💛

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¡No pierdas la oportunidad de conseguir nuestros nuevos diseños y mostrar tu orgullo Mustang! Haz tu pedido hoy y recuerda — ¡puedes usar tu ropa escolar todos los viernes para demostrar tu espíritu escolar! 💙💛

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?

We invite you to join the conversation! Next Sunday’s newsletter will include a survey to share your thoughts, and we will also host two community forums: Monday, December 8, from 5:30–7:30 p.m., and Monday, 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.

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!

The San Diego Humane Society and a local Veterinarian will also be participating in the Career Fair and may have animals at their booths. Student interaction with the animals is completely optional. If your child has an animal allergy and will need their teacher’s support to avoid contact, please complete the section below and return it to Nissa Kuley, School Counselor, in the front office. If your child has an allergy but is able to independently avoid the animals, the form does NOT need to be returned.

All students will get a paper to take home in their class too.

Here's the paper https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BV9NUbnzWWHXqMj2tvkDqxUadFA3GWUT0TJhhjNE5HQ/edit?usp=sharing

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

There are tree more opportunities to hear Dr. Leyva and our community partners speak on this important topic: 11/19, 20 and 12/4. See the flyer for locations.

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.