Madrona Family Memo

Dear Madrona Families.

As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, I want to take a moment to express our gratitude for the trust you place in us to be part of your student's middle school journey. Together, we are fostering their academic growth and nurturing the social-emotional skills that will prepare them for a bright future in high school and beyond.

This time of year invites us to reflect on the connections that bring meaning and purpose to our lives. May your Thanksgiving be filled with joy and memorable moments with the loved ones who matter most.

Warmest wishes for a safe and happy Thanksgiving Break!

Madrona will be closed next week from Monday, November 25, through Friday, November 29. We will resume school on Monday, December 2 (Regular Bell Schedule).

Sincerely,

Sue Key, Ed.D., Proud Principal

Madrona Middle School

Be sure to scroll through and open the Smore link to view our weekly updates, ensuring you stay informed about the latest happenings at Madrona Middle School.

The Madrona Health Office would like to remind families that we are not allowed (and students are not allowed) to administer medication without a physician's medication order. For example, when a parent drops off Tylenol or Ibuprofen for headaches or cramps. Our Health Office Staff thanks you for your cooperation.

are reflected in Madrona students as they grow in their ability to demonstrate academic literacies and continuous pursuit of interdisciplinary knowledge, welcoming challenges as pathways to growth, and craft solutions by leveraging innovative ideas, critical thinking skills, evidence-based insights, technology, and diverse perspectives.

- an element of the TUSD Portrait of A Graduate!

Dr. Torres' Social Studies 6 students wrapped up their Ancient Egyptian civilization unit by completing a Lapbook. They reflected on the civilization's geographical location, significant achievements, why they are essential to modern civilization, the influence of famous pharaohs, society's social class system, and daily life.

MADRONA QUARTERLY HONOR ROLL
Congratulation to Madrona Students who made Quarter 1 Honor Roll (earning a 3.5 to 4.0 GPA)! Two weeks following Q1, Q2, Q3, a link to Honor Roll lists are included in the Madrona Wildcats Family Memo and posted on the website approximately

To earn the Quarterly Honor Roll recognition, a student must achieve a minimum 3.5 grade point average at the end of each Quarter. Honor calculation

• is only for classes taken at Madrona.
• doe not include Physical Education grades.
• is NOT rounded up (a 3.49 is not rounded up).

TOP READER: NOVEMBER WEEK 3

Top class = Mrs. Young P5 = 14,197 minutes

Top reader = Rocco Freeman = 895 minutes

Everyone = 162,977 minutes

We are halfway through the Clippers Read to Achieve Minutes challenge! Last week we gained 10 more readers and 20,000 minutes! Earn DOUBLE gotchas for reading at least 150 minutes while you are enjoying your time off!

AFTER SCHOOL MATH HOMEWORK CLUB

Calling all students with a growth mindset! Come to Madrona Math Homework Club for a quiet space to do math homework and get help from the supervising math teacher or peer tutors. Students will need to check in and check-out every session. Sign-up HERE. We have a 35 student limit for each session.

The Club is open to ALL Math Content/Grade Levels- 3:30-4:30 pm (three days a week, Monday-Wednesday).

• Mondays (in Room 14 w/Math Teacher Mrs. Bloomfield)
• Tuesdays (in Room 9 w/Math Teacher Ms. Fu)
• Wednesdays (in Room 6 w/Math Teacher Ms. Wulpern)

are reflected in Madrona students as they grow in their ability to actively listen to understand others, seek common ground, and effectively articulate ideas, positions, and stories in ways that build strong interpersonal relationships and collaborations for mutual benefit

- an element of the TUSD Portrait of A Graduate!

Mr. Gachuz's Science 7 Students wrapped up their Earth Science unit on the rock cycle by playing an interactive card game, which reinforced communication and understanding of concepts prior to their summative assessment (end-of-unit test).

Mr. Gachuz's Journalism Students worked in collaborative groups to capture and edit video as well as how to speed up and slow down clips using Da Vinci Resolve, an industry-standard non-linear digital video editing software. Fantastic!

are reflected in Madrona students as they grow in their ability have a positive influence of others with a style of leadership that models integrity, responsibility, resilience, empathy, and respect for others.

- an element of the TUSD Portrait of A Graduate!

November “Gotcha” Ticket Raffle Drawing Winner
Congrats, Madrona Student Jesse, our November “Gotcha” ticket raffle drawing winner! Thank you for demonstrating what being a Respectful & Responsible Wildcat means!

At Madrona, Students are recognized for Being Respectful and responsible and receive tickets to redeem for a prize or enter a drawing.

Mrs. Spotts' Leadership students demonstrated leadership, taking the initiative to decorate our campus and bring the Madrona Wildcat Spirit of the Thanksgiving holiday for peers and staff to enjoy. Amazing!

are reflected in Madrona students as they grow in their ability to prioritize self-care by developing healthy habits and life skills that ensure long-term physical mental, emotional, social, and financial well-being

- an element of the TUSD Portrait of A Graduate!

Physical Education
Mrs Miskimen's PE 6 Students played a competitive game that improved student physical agility, arm and leg strength, and range of motion. Mr. Amadio's PE 7 & 8 Students learned the rules of Volleyball while reinforcing their skills and abilities of sports teamwork.

Volleyball!
Our first Girls' and Boys' Volleyball match was against Calle Middle School this past Thursday, November 21. The girls lost in 2, while the Boys won in 2. Congratulations, Boys!

If you missed the last game, join us for future games! All games are 4:00-6:00 pm in the GYM unless indicated.

• 12/5 - at Casimir Middle School (boys first)
• 12/12 - at Madrona, vs Bert Lynn Middle School (girls first)
• 12/19 - at Madrona, vs Richardson Middle School (boys first)
• 1/7 - TBD 6:30 or 7:00 pm, vs Hull Middle School, Torrance High School Gym (TBD on the order)

Cross Country!

Run Club continues to meet weekly* on Wednesdays from 3:30 to ~3:50 pm on the blacktop for runs in the neighborhood. (*Check with Mr. Estefan)

Our next competition - Spring Meet: Thursday, March 27, 2025, 4PM, Hull Middle School

Athletic Clearance Packet & Physical Form
Student athletes must complete an athletic packet and have a physical prior to participation on an athletic team representing our school. In order to try out for a team, you must have a 2.0 GPA and no more than 1 U in citizenship the previous Quarter.
TUSD Middle School Athletics Packet | Upload Completed Forms Here

are reflected in Madrona students as they grow in their ability to passionately champion civic engagement and global citizenship, proactively contributing to a more inclusive, equitable, and interconnected world through dedicated actions, advocacy, service, and environmental stewardship

- an element of the TUSD Portrait of A Graduate!

• Thank you Leana Gaytan for being so helpful and walking a student into the Health Office this week. Your compassion does not go unnoticed! Madrona Health Office ~ Mrs. Rivas
• Wishing all of my students a wonderful Thanksgiving break! Also, shoutout to my Math 6 students for working hard on their Coordinate Plane Projects this week. ~ Ms. Fu
• Congratulations to our Rocket League eSport team: Josh Montenegro, Kevin Upton, Daniel Patel, and Jayden Llamas Gonzalez for winning the championship this season. We have won every match in this league for the last 3 years. Way to go! So proud of you! ~ Mrs. Ton
• Thank you to all CJSF members that volunteered for campus clean up this week! The campus looked amazing on Wednesday! I appreciate you! ~ Mrs. Ton
• Happy Thanksgiving to all of my students. I wish you and your family a wonderful holiday together. Gobble til you Wobble :) ~ Mrs. Bloomfield
• To all my students. I hope you have a relaxing and safe holiday. Happy Thanksgiving. ~ Mrs. Miskimen
• To my new Public Speaking students. You are off to a great start. Thank you for sharing your personal stories and information with the class. You are so brave! I can't wait to see how much you progress. Keep it up. ~ Mrs. Miskimen
• Congratulations to the boys volleyball team for crushing it against Calle! ~ Ms. McGurk
• Shout out to the girls volleyball team for a good battle against Calle. ~ Ms. McGurk
• Shout out to Carissa Chang, Molly White, and Ada White for performing an extra pantomime demonstration scene. Bravo! ~ Mr. H
• To Leah Atha for linguistic insights and citizenship. Well done! ~ Mr. H
• To Cori Song and Jenny Lee for outstanding extra help. Thank you! ~ Mr. H
• To Timmy Idowu for citizenship and an outstanding performance in Drama. Bravo! ~ Mr. H
• To Charbel Daniel and Brady Pearce for bravely being the first pantomime group to perform. Bravo! ~ Mr. H
• To Gradon Eastham Marcus Dinco for patience, kindness, and good citizenship with their peers. Bravo! ~ Mr. H
• And, to Fadi Al Achkar for outstanding citizenship and sense of humor! Bravo! ~ Mr. H
  
  

The City of Torrance will be hosting the 19th Annual Students and Government Day on Tuesday, May 6, 2025. 8th-grade students interested in participating must complete the form by 12/19 to be considered. One student will be selected per TUSD middle school.

November

• Monday, 11/25- Friday 11/29 - Thanksgiving 🦃 Break - NO SCHOOL
  
  

December

• Friday, 12/6 ⋅ Central Area Music Family Annual Caroling Stroll, 5:00 – 8:00pm

• 12/12 - Madrona Volleyball vs Bert Lynn (girls first/4:00 pm)

• 12/19 -Madrona Volleyball vs Richardson (boys first/4:00 pm)

• 12/23-1/3 - Winter Break! ⛄

January

• Monday, 1/6 - School Resumes
• 1/7 - Madrona Volleyball vs Hull Middle School, Torrance High School Gym (TBD on the order/ 6:30 or 7:00 pm)
• Thursday, 1/23 - TUSD Vision and Hearing Screening
• Friday, 1/24 - End of Quarter 2 Student Assembly
• Monday, 1/27 - 8th Grade Panoramic Picture during Tutorial
• Friday, 1/31 - Winter Concert @ Madrona, 6:00 - 8:00pm

February

• Friday, 2/7 - No School/Staff Development Day
• Monday, 2/10 - Lincoln's Birthday - No School
• Monday, 2/17 - President's Day - No School

* more events & dates to be added each week.

Click Here to Place Your See's Candy Order, and Help Madrona PTSA Reach Their Goal!

Thank you for supporting Madrona Middle School!

8th-Grade Families - Order Your Student's Celebration Bundle Today! See Linked Flier.

• 8TH GRADE T-SHIRT ($25)
• PROMOTION LEI ($20)
• CLASS OF 2025 18"X24" YARD SIGN ($15)
  
  

BUNDLE ALL 3 & SAVE $10! ($50)

8th-grade families! The Madrona PTSA needs your help and contributions ensure your student's 8th-grade class activities are fun and memorable. Click here to learn how to help.

So far, the Madrona PTSA has raised $5,552 of their $25,000 goal for 8th-grade student activities.

Donate directly to the Madrona Middle School PTSA via the DONATE link below (or) Download the Donation Form and drop off donations to the PTSA Box located in the main office. 100% of membership goes back to our school.

Donate directly to the Madrona Middle School PTSA via link above (or)
Download the Donation Form and drop off donations to the PTSA Box located in the main office

TUSD is happy to provide different acceleration opportunities in math for students.

1. 6th graders - independently practice 7th grade content on Khan Academy and then take a test in April (date TBA) in order to enroll in Accelerated Math 7 or Algebra 1 in 7th grade.
2. Students currently in Math 6 can study 1st Semester 7th Grade content and test into Accelerated Math 7 as 7th graders.
3. Students currently in Accelerated Math 6 can study 2nd Semester 7th Grade Content and Math 8 content and test into Algebra 1 as 7th graders.

Here are links shared during a TUSD Math Acceleration Zoom Meeting, also posted on the TUSD Parent/Student Mathematics Website

• Acceleration by Defense (Pathways and FAQ)
• Math 6 to Accelerated 7th (Presentation Slides - 2023-24 version is still current, Sign Up Form, sample assessment, learning targets, and links to Khan Academy)

There are other acceleration opportunities available to 6th, 7th and 9th grade students. If your student is not ready for independent practice/testing as a means of acceleration, they will have additional acceleration opportunities in the future.

All students can access the online version of textbooks as well as educational resources through the Torrance Unified School District CLEVER portal

Take a moment to have your student log in to CLEVER (https://clever.com/in/torrance) using their TUSD email and password to show you all the wonderful learning tools they have access to including:

• Schoology - an online learning management system teachers use to post agendas and assignments.
• iReady - a resource our English and Math teachers use to support student learning in essential Reading and Math domains.

What is the i-Ready Diagnostic?

The Beginning of the School Year Diagnostic is an adaptive assessment that identifies students’ strengths and opportunities for growth during this school year. This information helps teachers determine how best to support their learning. Mid-year and end-of-the-year diagnostics allow our teachers and staff to monitor student growth over time. Watch this video to learn more.

How can I access my student’s beginning of the year results?

1. Log in to your student’s i-Ready Dashboard through Clever.
2. Click the "For Families" dropdown and select the "For Families report".
3. Enter the Torrance Unified School District’s Report Code: 40497Y.
   
   

For more information:

• Madrona_iReady-Communication-to-families ( Spanish | Japanese | Chinese )

PowerSchool & PowerSchool app - Download and use the PowerSchool smartphone app to monitor your student's grades and attendance. Enable in-app alerts to receive real-time information on your student's progress. Android | Apple. The district code is TCXN. Students will need to use their student ID # and password to login. Families will need to use their PowerSchool login credentials.

Anyone (student, staff, parent/guardian) can fill this out our Google Form to refer a student for counseling. Referrals will be prioritized by the level of urgency and responded to as soon as possible.

𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀/𝗚𝘂𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘀

NOTE: All referrals are first sent to Ms. Lujan, School Counselor. The school counselor may refer the student to our school therapist, Darren Thomas. In either case, counseling is an optional service and completely confidential, unless there is a safety risk at-hand.

If this is an 𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙮 and you do not have immediate access to the counselor, please call 911 and/or contact the Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988.

See flier for QR code and more information and instructions.

Families with 8th-grade students interested in our Early College Program are invited to join us for a virtual information night on Tuesday evening, December 3rd, at 6:00 p.m. via Zoom: bit.ly/TUSDEarlyCollege.

This comprehensive 4-year program begins freshman year and allows students to simultaneously complete their high school graduation requirements, along with transferable college-level general education courses. This saves students valuable time and money and helps open accessibility to college paths. Space is limited to just 70 students yearly, and some schools will receive priority enrollment.

The HSF (Hispanic Scholarship Fund) is hosting the Youth Leadership Consortium’s (YLC) College Prep Saturday at Cal State LA on Saturday, December 7, 2024. The HSF folks are thrilled to be bringing this program back to Cal State LA and look forward to welcoming middle school students, high school students, and their parents/guardians at this event.

Be advised that College Prep Saturday is a free, bilingual, half-day, college preparation program hosted on a college campus, designed to help students (6th –12th grade) of all backgrounds, and their parents prepare, plan, and pay for a college education. The participant registration link can be found below along with our digital flyers, which are available in both English and Spanish.

College Prep Saturday Registration Link

College Prep Saturday English Flyer

College Prep Saturday Spanish Flyer

ACTIVE PARENTING FOR TEENS
Virtual Parenting Classes For Parents of Teens and 'Tweens - see flyer. Parenting class series starting! Free Parenting Class 6 week series for parents of youth or teens. Virtual sessions weekly on Wednesdays 5-7pm, through December 18. Parents can sign up at this link or through the QR code on the flyers below.

Parent Workshops

Free district parent workshops offered beginning in November! Please distribute flyer below and parents can sign up by emailing buildingbridges@tusd.org or through link on the flyer.

As a California public school student, your child may be eligible to receive a CalKIDS scholarship of $500 to $1,500 for college or career training. Funded by the State of California, a CalKIDS scholarship can be used for qualified college and career training expenses such as tuition and fees, books and supplies, computer equipment, and some room and board expenses. Checking a student’s eligibility and claiming a CalKIDS scholarship is easy. It only takes a minute. All you need is your child’s 10-digit Statewide Student Identifier (SSID), which can be found at the top of the page when you select your student in PowerSchool. For more information and to check your child’s eligibility, visit CalKIDS.org.

TUSD DELMAC Annual Parent Conference
Save-the-Date flyer in all languages.

Event: TUSD DELMAC Annual Parent Conference

Audience: Parents & Guardians of Multilingual Learners

Date: Friday, December 13, 2024

Event Time: 9:00am - 12:00pm

Location: Levy Adult Center

This year's conference theme: Bridging Cultures: Empowering Multilingual Learners for Success. This theme emphasizes the importance of cultural exchange and inclusivity while focusing on practical strategies to support language development, academic achievement, and social integration.

Event flyer with more details and parent interest form coming in early November!

Our Board of Education voted to extend the free Metro GoPass program for a second year, and we are proud to offer this benefit to all our students. The program includes a Metro TAP (Transit Access Pass) card that offers FREE unlimited rides on Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority (Metro) bus rail and subway lines, including Torrance Transit, Long Beach Transit, Culver CityBus, Gardena Transit (GTrans) and LADOT Dash.

If your student has a TAP card from last year, you will just need a new code, which you can pick up from our school office. We also have a stock of TAP cards for new riders or those who lost their old cards. New cards will need to be activated before being used. For more information, visit https://www.tusd.org/administrative-services/metro-gopass.

Looking for a way to help out our school? We are ALWAYS in need of school supplies! Any help we can get is ALWAYS greatly appreciated. If you do purchase an item(s) please have it delivered to:
Madrona Middle School 21364 Madrona Avenue Torrance, CA 90503 310-533-4562. Thank you!
If you have it delivered to your home, please drop off at the front office (or) have your student bring it in. Madrona Middle School Wishlist Link

Sign up for Ralphs Community Contribution Program ad NO added cost to you. Use Madrona's Organization ID UF902. Click here The program requires registration each September to stay active!

As you may have seen in the Back to School Highlights from TUSD Superintendent Dr. Stowe, this year, we have unveiled an updated vision for our District. After more than 18 months of input, best practice research, and development, we have published our "Portrait of a Graduate." Our Portrait describes the key skills that we want every student to have developed by the time they graduate from Torrance Unified.

At Madrona Middle School, we take pride in being the stepping stone that prepares your child for the transition to high school and beyond. Our focus on rigorous, relevant, and engaging academics and enriching activities ensures that your child is well-equipped for their high school journey. We look forward to sharing stories about how our teachers and staff are helping our students practice these elements at our school.

Madrona Middle School was voted the Best Public Middle School in the 2024 Daily Breeze/Beach Reporter South Bay Best Readers' Choice survey! This recognition is a testament to the supportive and safe learning environment created through the collaborative effort of our student body, staff, and families.

The Daily Breeze / Beach Reporter published its annual Readers Choice Awards - link to the webpage and insert: https://dailybreeze.readerschoice.la/2024-south-bays-rc-on-issuu-com/

School Website: https://www.tusd.org/schools/madrona

Address: 21364 Madrona Avenue, Torrance, CA, USA

General Email: madronainfo@tusd.org

Attendance Office: madronattend@tusd.org

Main Phone #: (310)533-4562

Visit our school website and follow us on Instagram for updates on school events and activities.