Madrona Family Memo

Greetings, Madrona Families!

Our Wildcats had a very busy and exciting week full of academic learning and optional activities, including our final soccer games of the middle school intramural season, on-campus activities, after-school clubs, a performing arts field trip, and an evening community event. There is much for our students to engage in and grow through in our Madrona community.

On Thursday, October 17 at 10:17 a.m., our entire school participated in the California Great Shake Out Drill Earthquake Drill. Staff and students followed earthquake protocols and then evacuated to designated locations in a timely manner. Excellent work, Wildcats!

Congratulations to our Madrona PTSA on an outstanding first Annual "Trunk or Treat" and Halloween Festival. Our parent volunteers worked hard to plan and coordinate the event, and the result was a very impressive turnout. Thank you!

A Madrona PTSA-hosted MID DAY MINGLE is scheduled for next Friday, October 25, during lunch (12:49-1:30 pm). At Mid-Day Mingle events, families are invited to bring lunch and have a "picnic" with their students. We encourage families to check in as early as 12:35 pm to avoid the long lines. Please be prepared to present your government-issued Identification. A link to our online check-in system will be shared this week to help expedite the check-in process.

A big Shout-Out to our Performing Arts teachers, Ms. Snider and Mr. H, for accompanying their students to a live stage performance of the MET2 The Beauty and the Beast Production at the City of Torrance Armstrong Theatre yesterday. The study trip connected classroom theory and practice to real-world experiences!

We hope to see you walking with Madrona's family and friends tomorrow, Sunday, October 20, at the Skechers Pier to Pier Friendship Walk, supporting one or more of Madrona Middle School's teams! You don't have to walk in-person; you can also join the teams as Virtual Walkers!!!

1. Madrona Leadership Team | 2. Madrona Music Family! Team | 3. Madrona Wildcats!' Team

Halloween is Thursday, October 31, and students are permitted to wear costumes to school. School expectations for dress will be enforced. Students must be recognizable (no hoods, masks, or full face paint). Replica weapons and school-inappropriate attire are not permitted (please see pages 10-11 of the Madrona School Handbook, which was shared with families and agreed upon during online registration. The handbook is also posted on our school website).

A gentle reminder to complete the Torrance Unified School District 2024-25 Educational Benefit Form. Less than 300 families of our 683 students have completed the online form, which only takes a few minutes. 100% of Madrona's family completion of the form helps ensure our school receives additional funding to support student learning and our intervention programs, as well as additional academic counseling, socio-emotional counseling, and reading recovery. Qualifying families have access to additional benefits.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Warm regards,

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.

Thank you to Central Torrance Families [Fern Elementary, Hickory Elementary, and Madrona Middle School, community members, THS (Tartar Ladies) & NHS (Js & Vs) student volunteers and neighbors] for joining us at Madrona PTSA’s 1st Annual Trunk or Treat Festival & Fun-raiser! Super cool trunks, wonderful costumes, live music and magic acts, a silent action, a super spooky haunted house, and delicious food trucks made for a great family friendly community event full of smiles and laughter.

MAKE UP PHOTO DAY SCHEDULE:

6th Grade Photos - 1st Period

7th Grade Photos - 2nd Period

8th Grade Photos - 3rd Period

Congratulations to our students who completed the i-Ready Beginning of the Year Diagnostic!

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 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 )

iReady benchmark assessments and MyPath learning activities supports our students' Lifelong Learning & Life Skills

Families! Has your student lost an item at school?

We have quite the collection of clothes, jackets, hoodies, water bottles, pencil pouches, hats, shoes, and more waiting to return home.

Please stop by the Lost & Found rack on the inside of the main gate. All items will be donated to a local charity at the end of Quarter 1/November 1.

At Madrona, classroom and extracurricular activities support our students' Growth Mindset & Lifelong Learning; Communication & Collaboration; Leadership & Character; Healthy Habits & Life Skills, and Civic Engagement & Global Citizenship - all elements of the TUSD Portrait of A Graduate!

Madrona's eSports team (with eSports sponsor, Ms. Ton), take the WIN over Bert Lynn Middle School in multiple games of Rocket League. Go Wildcats!

In recognition of Hispanic Heritage Month, Mrs. Spotts' Art Students learned about and created art reflecting Dias De Los Muertos, a Latino cultural holiday and tradition in which families celebrate and honor their dearly departed loved ones.

Mr. H's Art Club student members meet every week on Thursday afternoons from 3:16 to 4:16 pm. Students decide on a theme at each meeting and are given the creative space and supplies to put their imaginations onto paper! Art Club is open to all students with a curiosity or passion for visual art.

Ms. Snider's Performing Arts Students and Mr. H's Drama Students attended the MET2 The Beauty and the Beast Production at the City of Torrance Armstrong Theatre yesterday. Eleven cast members of the production are current and former Madrona students! Bravo!

Our Madrona Wildcats are enjoying 19 new lunch benches outside our Cafeteria. Thank you for providing new benches, Torrance Unified!

Participation in Madrona Sports and activities supports our students' Growth Mindset; Communication & Collaboration; Leadership & Character; Healthy Habits & Life Skills, and Civic Engagement - elements of the TUSD Portrait of A Graduate!

Thank you, Madrona Wildcat Girls and Boys Soccer Teams for a great TUSD Middle School soccer season. You played well, worked hard, and showed sportsmanship! Thank you, Sports Management students, friends and family for cheering on players at every game. Go Wildcats!

Run Club continues to meet weekly** on Wednesdays from 3:30 to ~3:50 on the blacktop for runs in the neighborhood. (** Check with Mr Estefan to make sure the run is still happening for the day.)

We have our competitions for the year scheduled.

• Fall Meet: Thursday, November 14, 2024, 4PM, Hull Middle School
• Spring Meet: Thursday, March 27, 2025, 4PM, Hull Middle School

Volleyball tryouts sign up is closed. If you signed up, you will be emailed a tryout date and time. Tryouts will occur during the week of October 21st after school in the gym.

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. Your progress report grades will be used to determine if you qualify for tryouts.

TUSD Middle School Athletics Packet

UPLOAD COMPLETED ATHLETIC PACKETS & ALL FORMS HERE

If your student does NOT intend to participate in Athletics next school year, then there is NO need requirement for the physical exam or any associated athletic paperwork to complete.

Top class = Dr. Torres P4 = 7,362 minutes

Reader of the week = Queen Dioquino = 490 minutes

Everyone = 74,420 minutes

• Congratulations to our Rocket League eSport team: Josh Montenegro, Kevin Upton, and Daniel Patel for defeating Bert Lynn 2-0. Good luck next week as we play Jefferson! ~ Mrs. Ton
  

• Kudos to the following students who have done an exceptional job reading their lines in our text, "12 Angry Men": Dustin Santiago, Vivian Park, Emma Delgado, Lucille Rondeau, Josie Burke, Yalda Hakim, Molly White, James Stafsudd, and Christopher Na ~ Mr. Snow
  

• Thank you to Brayden Gunn and family for donating 3 Heat thermometers for the Solar Oven project. ~ Mrs. Miskimen

• Ginny Mijares - Amazing work scoring the music parts for your bandmates to participate in Trunk or Treat! Wow! ~ Mrs. S.
• Your Music Fam loves you! Break legs on your MET2 performance of "Beauty & the Beast":
• Bettino, Hazel
• Chapman, Benjamin
• Coyne, Emily
• Gara, Emily
• Hess, Holland
• Kakitani, Simon
• Kirsch, Aliora
• Rondeau, Lucille
• Steinberg, Liam
• Tejeda, Maria Gemma
• Villardi, Alexa
• Great job with your first experience putting together a band and performing together: Ginny Mijares, Isabelle Equihua, Jenny Lee, Ayuto Tsukahara, Max Yeh, Vivian Park, Ben Abbott, Noah De Guzman, Noah Wilson and Aomi Nishikawa! You make us proud! ~ Your Music Fam
• Shout out to the following students for outstanding citizenship and participation in ELA: Charbel Daniel, Emily Coyne, Josh Park, Gianni Golio, Cori Song, Melanie Soto, Emma Esqueda, Calvin Shieh, Emily Gotauco, Ashley Paz Rodriguez, and Elan Garcia. Your contributions make our class better! Bravo! ~ Mr. H
• JR CEO students - Thank you for a great meeting during lunch on Thursday. Your ideas for your product are wonderful. I am super impressed and look forward to what you come up with for the November 7 event! Awesome job "Being Responsible" in getting the Session 1 packet completed! ~Dr. Key
• Girls Soccer - You played wonderfully as a team and shined on the field! Thank you for a solid finish to a great season. ~Dr. Key
• Boys Soccer - Thank you for showing up and giving every game your ALL - Very exciting games this season! ~Dr. Key
• Abe - I am impressed with how politely you asked our office staff when and where Art Club meets. I noticed you joined Art Club this past Thursday! Awesome demonstration of "Being Respectful and Being Responsible!" ~Dr. Key
• Sports Management students who attended the Madrona vs Hull Middle School game on Thursday night. Absolutely LOVED the positive spectator energy you brought to the game! Fantastic! ~Dr. Key
• Thank you to Wylliam Brazil and family for donating 6 digital thermometers. I appreciated your support! ~ Mrs. Miskimen
• SungYum Yim for his constant effort to practice his English and hard effort in my classes. Massimo Pucherelli for helping out with opening the windows. Per. 1 & 2 Social Studies for almost 100% of turn in for their unit packets. Way to go!! ~ Mrs. Young

Madrona Math Homework Club is for students who want a quiet space afterschool to do math homework and get help from the supervising math teacher or peer tutors (Madrona CJSF and THS National Honor Society Students). Students will need to check in and check-out every session.

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

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

Sign-up your student(s) HERE. A reminder will be sent to students who are signed up. We have a 35 student limit for each session.

Your student does NOT need to be scheduled for any of the teachers running the club. All students regardless of grade and math level are welcome. Also, weekly attendance is flexible - students are not required to attend sessions weekly, but we ask that families sign-their student up at least the day of the club.

Students! Are you interested in joining a Madrona club? Talk to the club sponsor to learn more!

Cross Country Run Club – Mr. Estefan - Wednesday - After School - 3:20 - 3:50 - SIGN UP HERE

October

• Tuesday, 10/22 - School Photo Make-ups
  
• Friday, 10/25 - Madrona Mid-Day Mingle!
  
• Monday, 10/28 thru Friday 11/1 - Student Leadership Spirit Week!
  
  

November

• Friday, 11/1 - End of Quarter 1 & Student Assembly
• Monday, 11/11 - Veteran's Day Holiday, No School
• Thursday, 11/14 - Quarter 1 Report Cards Sent to Families via PowerSchool
• Thursday, 11/21 - Volleyball @ Calle (4:00 pm/Girls first)
• Monday, 11/25- Friday 11/29 - Thanksgiving Break
  
  

* more events & dates to be added each week.

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.

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

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

Please 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 the online learning management system many teachers use to post their agenda and assignments.
• iReady - a resource our English and Math teacher use to support and target student learning in essential English and Math domains.

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.

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.

Link to the TUSD 2024 State of Our Schools
Annual Report to Our Community

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.

Students and families, this year we currently have 3 Madrona Teams (see below) participating in the Pier to Pier Friendship Walk. Let's ignite our school spirit by joining 1 or all three of our Madrona School Skechers Pier to Pier Friendship Walk Teams!!! Remember you don't have to actually do the walking you can also join the teams as Virtual Walkers!!!

Madrona Leadership Team

We will be walking in the Skechers Pier to Pier Friendship Walk to help make a difference! This important event is organized to raise funds for Madrona Middle School's Leadership students. Our fundraising goal is $2,700 and our students will be using this money to organize our Spring Dance, purchasing birthday gifts for EVERY Wildcat and teachers, equipment and supplies for our assemblies, spirit supplies, and helping to keep our campus beautiful. Thank you for considering us as you donate. We are so grateful for your support!

Madrona Music Family! Team

This year we are hoping to raise $40,000 to go towards the purchase of music, instruments, sound equipment and field trips.

Madrona Wildcats!' Team

This fundraiser aims to update our Cafeteria/Multi-purpose Room audio/visual system, which is frequently used for family meetings and student assemblies. We currently use an older model projector stationed on a rolling cart connected by multiple cables and power cords. If you have sat in one of our presentations before, you'll notice that this unit may hinder the view of school presentations.

As the South Bay's Best Public Middle School, we have a reputation to uphold. This event is not just a fundraiser; it's a chance for us to come together, show our pride, and make a difference at Madrona Middle School. Let's show everyone why we are THE BEST by signing up to attend and participate in this exciting event!

We hope to see you walking with family and friends at the Skechers Walk on Sunday, October 20!

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!

Middle School is a three-year span during which students experience the most growth academically and social-emotionally. They build their organizational and interpersonal skills as they manage school and personal responsibilities.

The TUSD Portrait of a Graduate is a collective vision that articulates the desired outcomes of all K-12 students in Torrance Unified, including competencies and personal qualities that position them for success in life and career. These elements include:

• Growth Mindset & Lifelong Learning
• Communication & Collaboration
• Leadership & Character
• Healthy Habits & Life Skills
• Civic Engagement & Global Citizenship

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. Our upcoming newsletters will continue to spotlight programs and learning activities that further this mission.

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.