Madrona Family Memo

Greetings, Madrona Families!

This past week, students showed up with school spirit and engaged in many learning activities. They participated in themed festive activities and brought their excitement to a thrilling home volleyball game against Richardson Middle School. Fantastic, Wildcats!

As the winter season wraps us in its chill, we hope this two week break from school brings warmth, joy, and quality time with loved ones.

School will resume on Monday, January 6, ready for an exciting and productive start to 2025.

The Winter Break is great time for your 8th-grader to apply for these opportunities:

• TUSD Early College Program. The application is included on the district page and closes on January 17.
• City of Torrance Annual Students and Government Day Program - Essays are due by 2/3! (One 8th-grader will be selected from our school to participate).
  
  

On behalf of the Madrona staff, thank you to the Madrona PTSA and families for your generous donations of snacks, breakfast goods, and desserts. Your kindness brought holiday cheer!💕

Until January 6, we wish you and your loved ones a safe, happy, and restful winter break!

Sincerely,

Sue Key, Ed.D., Proud Principal

Madrona Middle School

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!

Students in Mrs. Fu's 6th-grade Math class used the order of operations (PEMDAS) to complete a scavenger hunt of math problem around the room. If they ended up where they began, they got answers correct! Awesome work, Mathematicians!

Every quarter, students who have earned a cumulative 3.5 grade point average (GPA) or higher are recognized on the Madrona Wildcat Honor Roll list in the display case by the main office.

Madrona students are encouraged to view the PowerSchool website or download the app (Google Play | iPhone) to monitor their academic progress and advocate for themselves when assignments are missing or they are absent from school and need to make up work. Students use their student ID number and password to log in. The Torrance Unified School District code for the app is TCXN.

Top reader = Emily Nevarez = 885 minutes

Top class = Mrs. Young P5 = 14,184 minutes

Everyone = 241,172 minutes

Calling all students with a growth mindset! Come to Madrona Homework Club for a quiet space to do 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. The club is limited to 35 student per session.

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

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

Students in Mr. Freitas's Science 8 class modeled what happens with impactors of different masses collide with a rock surface from various heights. Students collected data from crater impact simulations/trials and collected/analyzed the data to determine how impactor height and mass affect the energy during the collision.

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!

Madrona students & staff brought their school spirit this week!

are reflected in Madrona students who 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!

On Saturday 1/4/25 - Madrona's Ultimate Frisbee team
will be competing in the Beach of Dreams tournament against groups from all over California and beyond! The tournament will start around 10am on the beach in Santa Monica, near the South Beach Playground on Barnard Way. Come on out and cheer on your fellow Wildcats!

Our Madrona Girls' and Boys' Volleyball teams played exciting matches against Richardson Middle School this past Thursday. While the Girls' team fought hard and showed incredible determination, they narrowly lost their games. The Boys' team, however, came out victorious, winning both of their matches. A big thank you to all the students and families who came out to support our teams—what an amazing display of school spirit!

If you missed this week's game, join us for the FINAL Intramural Volleyball game, which be on January 7, 2025 at 6:30 pm vs. Hull Middle School at Torrance High School Gym (Girls First)

Basketball Tryouts!
Students interested in tryout for Basketball Games must fill out this Google form, check emails, and listen to announcements for updates. Tryouts will be held the week after winter break. Check your email after submitting the form for a receipt of form completion.

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.

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

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, Room 22)

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

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!

Congratulations to 6th-grader Efrain H won this month's Gotcha Drawing for a Squishmallow and a In & Out Gift Card. Also, congratulations to 6th-grader Emily F. who won this week's "5-minute early out lunch pass" Gotcha raffle drawing for her entire Period 4 class.

Students receive Gotcha tickets from Madrona staff for demonstrating our school community value of Be Respectful, Be Responsible. Students can choose to enter the raffle drawing for a prize (or) enter their ticket into a drawing for a Period 4 5-minute early out pass.

8th-grade students Lori C. and Hannah L. served as guest speakers visiting Mrs. Rokugawa's 6th grade Sociai Studies class to share the Hanukkah and Jewish traditions since 6th-graders are currently in their Israel and Judaism Unit. 6th-grade students learned about the lighting of the menorah, read a Hanukkah story, completed a Mad Libs Menorah Story, sang the Dreidel song and played Dreidel. Thank you, Lori and Hannah, for being such great role models to younger students!

As our nation struggles with yet another tragic incident of school violence, we want to remind you again about the important tool we use to help keep our schools secure and our students safe: the Say Something Anonymous Reporting System offered through the Sandy Hook Promise.

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
  
  

No matter how you report, Say Something ensures that every voice is heard and every concern can be addressed promptly.

We encourage you to remind your children about the importance of speaking up if they see or hear something troubling so that we can partner to address issues before they escalate. By working together, we can create a safer and more supportive environment for everyone.

• Thank you so much to Hannah Levi and Lori Cohen for teaching our social studies class about Hanukkah during our Israel/Judaism unit and for the special treats and fun games! We had so much fun! ~ Mrs. Rokugawa
• Thank you to PTSA and Parents for the snacks and treats during the week. Much appreciated. ~ Mrs. Miskimen
• Wishing all my students and parents/guardians a wonder winter break. Happy Holidays and see you next year! ;) ~ Mrs. Miskimen
• Miskimen's Super Science Students who scored an "A" on their Water Cycle Unit Test: David Bang, Abe Deck, Simon Kakitani, Greg Lagrimas, Ray Nago, Liam Nassif, Nick Sonandres, Aviana Evans, Caleb Garcia, Zoey Law, and Adam Sharza. Great Job!
  
• Congratulations to Ginny M. and Mika T. on your successful auditions in to the TUSD Middle School Honor Band! We are super proud of you and excited to see you in concert. <3 Your Madrona Music Fam
• Wishing a Happy Holidays and wonderful winter break to all of my students (past and present)! ~ Ms. Fu
• Thank you to PTSA for spoiling us before winter break! I enjoyed the snacks, breakfast, and desserts! ~ Mrs. Ton
• Happy Holidays to all my students and their families. Thank you for your generous gifts and warm wishes. I wish you have a wonderful break and see you in 2025! ~ Mrs. Ton
• Lori Cohen and Hannah Lavi for their leadership and learning to present about Hanukkah and how to play the dreidel game to Mrs. Rokugawa's 6th grade social studies class who is learning about the Israelites and their customs for those who are Jewish.
• Algebra Students- Great job on your Unit 3 Test. They were Awesome. Also, your Systems posters are very creative. Well done. ~ Mrs. Bloomfield
• Math 8- Great job on your LT 3B.1 Quick Check. ~ Mrs. Bloomfield
• Seonghyun Yim for doing so well in ELA and even getting 100% on his grammar Quiz. ~ Mrs. Young
• Marissa Campbell and Leila Gomez for doing so well on their Ancient Israel ABC book! ~ Mrs. Young
• Congratulations to the Boys Volleyball Team for their 4th consecutive win of the season against Richardson. Great job! ~ Ms. McGurk
• Shout out to the Girls Volleyball Team for a hard fought battle against Richardson. ~ Mrs. McGurk
• Leadership - Thank you for a wintery week of lunch time fun! Ms. S-G
• Shout out to Seonghyun Yim for making notable strides in your English language abilities since the start of school! You're amazing - keep up the great work! ~Dr. Key
• Shout-out to Jaden Vach for being an upstander and a great friend to your peers! ~Dr. Key

The Visions of Unity student contest is celebrating its 25th year! Students are invited to submit essays, Poetry, Short Stories, Paintings, Drawings, Computer Art and sculpture that “express a path to unity.” Submissions are due on Monday, February 3, 2025.

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 February 3, 2025 to be considered. One student will be selected per TUSD middle school.

December

• 12/23-1/3 - Winter Break! ⛄

January

• Monday, 1/6 - School Resumes
• Tuesday, 1/7 - Tentative Madrona Volleyball vs Hull Middle School, Torrance High School Gym (TBD on the order/ 6:30 or 7:00 pm)
• Monday, 1/20 - Martin Lutheran King, Jr. Day - No School
• 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

• THURSAY, 2/6 - Madrona PTSA Hosted Pal'entine Dance (4:00-6:00pm, more info to come)
• 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.

Missed the meeting? Please click here to view the presentation.

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! 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 $8,586 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 access the online version of textbooks and educational resources through the TUSD 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 of their learning tools

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

The iReady 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 student learning and monitor student growth over time. Watch this video to learn more.

How can I access my student’s 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 app to monitor your student's grades and attendance. Enable in-app alerts to receive real-time information on progress. Android | Apple. The district code is TCXN. Students use their student ID # and password to login, while families use district assigned login credentials.

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

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.

Families with 8th-grade students interested in our Early College Program are invited to check out information on the TUSD Early College Information Page or the informational video.

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. The program saves students valuable time and money and helps open accessibility to college paths.

A link to the Google Form application was sent to student eTUSD emails and parent/guardian emails (Note: students must access the form using their eTUSD account). Applications are due by January 17.

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.

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 preparing your student for the transition to high school and beyond. Our focus on rigorous, relevant, and engaging academics and enriching activities ensures that your student is well-equipped for their next journey.

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.