Dear Parents,
We have had a return to school after the Semana Santa holiday. The students have adjusted well and returning to healthy and studious routines.
As mentioned in last week's Parent Weekly, the April 17 spring learning conferences are just around the corner. The conferences are virtual, and all MS and LS students remain at home on this day. All students in grades 6 and 7 have an obligatory "Advisory Conference" with their parents on this day. We have a different format for our grade 8 students. We are offering "Subject-area" conferences for teachers who request to meet with parents. Parents also have the opportunity to request a subject-area conference with their child's grade 8 teacher. General conference sign-ups opened on April 9 and will run through April 15. Please check out this document for more detailed information: MS Spring Learning Conferences Overview
Middle School overnight class trips have long been part of the student experience, offering opportunities for learning, independence, and community building outside the classroom. As we look ahead, we want to take time to reflect thoughtfully on the role these trips play in the Middle School program. This survey invites parents to share their perspectives and experiences related to overnight class trips. Your feedback will help us better understand how these trips support students and how they fit within the broader goals of the Middle School. Here is the survey: MS Overnight Class Trips Parent Survey. We will use the results of this survey to reflect more deeply on the role of overnight class trips in the future and to help inform our thinking moving forward. We kindly ask that you complete the survey by Wednesday, April 15.
Finally, I would like to emphasize the importance of regular school attendance and punctuality. Recently, we have seen an increase in requests for absences outside the established school calendar. While we understand that circumstances sometimes arise, frequent absences can disrupt students’ learning and their connection to the school community. As a reminder, we contact families when a student’s absences reach what we consider a critical level—18 days.
We have also noticed a growing number of students arriving late in the morning. When tardies accumulate to a critical level, students receive a school consequence and may lose recess time. Additionally, we often find that the office is not notified when students are absent or when families plan extended absences. Clear communication helps us support students and maintain accurate records.
I kindly ask families to make every effort to follow our school policies regarding attendance and punctuality and to communicate promptly with the office when absences occur. Regular attendance and arriving on time each day play a vital role in students’ success and in maintaining a strong learning environment for everyone.
As always, please check out This Week in Advisory and the weekly announcements below.
Kind regards,
Mike Nugent
THIS WEEK IN ADVISORY
GRADE 6 ADVISORY
This week in advisory, students reconnected after spring break while also continuing our work on building a caring and connected community. On Monday, students reflected on their kindness and caring challenge, thinking not only about whether they completed it, but also about what impact their actions had on others and what may have gotten in the way. We used this time to rebuild community, check in with one another, and reinforce the idea that small actions can shape the culture of a group in meaningful ways.
Later in the week, students began preparing for their student-led conferences. On Tuesday, they were introduced to the purpose and structure of the conference and started organizing their presentation slides. On Thursday, they continued by identifying meaningful evidence of their learning, growth, and effort. The focus was on helping students move beyond simply sharing grades and instead begin telling the story of themselves as learners by reflecting honestly on their progress, challenges, and next steps.
GRADE 7 ADVISORY
This week in Grade 7 Advisory, students returned from Spring Break and immediately began preparing for their upcoming Student-Teacher-Parent conferences scheduled for April 17. The week started with students organizing their academic agendas and sharing creative highlights from their time off using unique formats like "Six-Word Memoirs" and "Movie Trailers". A significant portion of the week was dedicated to self-reflection, as students conducted a trend analysis of their Approaches to Learning (ATL) skills across all subjects to identify personal strengths and areas for growth. By setting specific action plans and reflecting on their "wins," students are taking ownership of their learning journeys to finish the school year strong. The week concluded with the monthly Middle School Community Meeting held on the steps.
GRADE 8 ADVISORY
This week in Advisory, we started looking ahead to the Upper School transition by giving students some practical tools for academic success. We explored five study strategies rooted in neuroscience — things like active recall and spaced repetition — to help students move past passive reviewing and actually retain what they're learning. Understanding a bit about how the brain encodes information goes a long way in preparing them for the greater independence and rigor ahead.
We also got into the practical side of staying focused — identifying what typically derails their attention and coming up with real strategies to combat it. Students thought through what works best for them personally, whether that's rearranging their workspace or carving out dedicated blocks of distraction-free study time. Ask your student which of these strategies they're planning to try first as they gear up for the next chapter!
ANNOUNCEMENTS
MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
Parents, please mark your calendars for these key MS events.
April 15: Sign-ups for the Spring Learing Conferences close at 12:00 noon.
April 17: Grade 6 and 7 advisory conferences; Grade 8 subject-area conferences. LS and MS students remain at home on this day. Conferences are virtual.
April 21: Rising grade 6 PARENT “Intro to MS” Information meeting, 18:00-19:00, MS Steps
April 30: Cause for Concern Reports issued on PowerSchool, 4:00
Digital Wellness at ASM
Supporting student wellbeing has been one of ASM’s strategic priorities for the past four years, and digital wellness is an important part of that commitment. As educational technology has evolved rapidly, so too have the opportunities, and challenges, it presents for problem solving, collaboration and communication as well as focus, distraction, and healthy development.
Over the past year, our faculty and leadership team studied current research, learned from other schools, and analyzed our own Day in the Life of a Lancer data to better understand how technology is currently used across our campus. This thoughtful process informed the creation of our ASM Digital Wellness Progression, a developmental framework that informs instructional practices and directs student experiences with technology at ASM from early, protected experiences with technology toward increasingly purposeful, balanced, and responsible use as they grow.
This progression will help ensure that technology at ASM enhances learning rather than replaces human connection-supporting problem solving, creativity, critical thinking, and wellbeing at every stage. It also provides clear guidance for age-appropriate expectations, digital citizenship, and healthy habits, so students are prepared to use technology effectively and ethically both in school and beyond.
Lost and Found
We have many lost PE items hanging outside the MS/US PE change rooms. Some items have student names on them. If you have lost an item, please check here asap! Any items not collected by the Winter Week break will be donated to charity. Thank you!
Absence Reminder
As a reminder, parents, please let us know at least two days in advance if you plan on taking your child out of school early for vacation. You can email our attendance clerk at msattendance@asmadrid.es. I also want to repeat the importance of planning vacations around our published school calendar. Every day of school counts, and it is often difficult for students to catch up with their learning when they are absent from school.
MS Health Units Overview
Our PE/Health teachers have updated the Middle School Health Units Overview 25-26 document. The overview provides a look at the key health topics covered in the MS curriculum.
MS Advisory Program Overview
We have updated our Middle School Advisory Program Overview 25-26. This document provides an overview of our MS advisory program, including topics that are pertinent at each grade level.
THE PULSE! READ ALL ABOUT IT!
The Middle School communicates important information to students through the MS Lancer Pulse. Students are asked each week to read the announcements in "The Pulse" during advisory time.
AFTER-SCHOOL SUPPORT: BUILDING STUDENT SELF-ADVOCACY
Helping students learn the art of self-advocacy and taking responsibility for their own learning is essential for their growth and success. We encourage students to take charge by seeking extra help when needed. Our after-school extended learning labs and teacher office hours provide excellent opportunities for students to demonstrate this responsibility and get the support they need. Please read this document for more information about after-school support.
ATTENDANCE AT AFTER-SCHOOL ACTIVITIES
Our students have been reminded that they must attend their after-school activity. We have noticed that some students have chosen to skip their ASA. The ASA sponsors take attendance, and parents will be contacted if their child does not attend the ASA regularly.
AFTER-SCHOOL PROCEDURES
Parents and students should be familiar with our MS After-school Procedures. Please ask the Middle School Director if you have any questions about these procedures. Please also note that students must leave campus after their ASA, sport, or private music lesson is completed. Students are not allowed to remain on campus unsupervised. We ask that parents make arrangements to pick up their children as soon as the activity ends.
FROM THE ADMISSIONS OFFICE
If your family is being transferred during this academic year, please contact Admissions - admissions@asmadrid.es
BIRTHDAY SNACKS IN MS
Students are welcome to bring in a snack to share with their advisory to celebrate their birthdays. We ask that students not bring in snacks to share with their friends, as this can lead to students feeling left out or food frenzies during break and lunch times. Parents are kindly reminded not to bring surprise treats to their children during the school day, including at lunch time.
PUNCTUALITY IN THE MIDDLE SCHOOL
Punctuality is very important in the Middle School. We kindly ask that parents drop their students off at no later than 8:45 A.M. This allows the students plenty of time to walk from their car to the MS building, pick up their materials from their lockers, and move on to their first class.