Dear Parents,

Today is the final day of the first semester. On Monday, January 26, we begin the second semester. Many students will begin their new semester-long exploratory class on Monday. The students will receive their mid-year report cards on February. More information about the mid-year report cards will be provided as we approach this date.

We are getting ready for one of ASM's key events--the Madrid Model Nations Conference, also known as MADMUN. This year we are expecting a very large delegation of students from many schools in and outside of Spain. Many of the visiting students will be staying with host families during their visit on March 6-8. We wish to remind our ASM participating students about the expectation to house at least one of the visiting students over this weekend. Ms. Dodds is our housing coordinator and is available to answer any and all questions about hosting the visiting delegates.

We are also preparing for the overnight class trips in grades 7 and 8. Mr. Greally and Ms. Hernandez will send out detailed information about these important trips soon. We expect that all of our students will participate on the overnight trips. 

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!

As always, please check out This Week in Advisory and the weekly announcements below.

Kind regards,

Mike Nugent

Middle School Director

American School of Madrid

GRADE 6 ADVISORY 

Over the past two weeks in advisory, students focused on strengthening our community and building important self-awareness skills. We revisited our advisory agreements and reflected on how our choices contribute to a caring, respectful environment. Students also completed a “Word of the Year” reflection, identifying a personal goal to guide their growth and creating a visual reminder to keep that intention front and center.

In addition, we spent time revisiting different types of teasing and discussing intent vs. impact. Through reflection, discussion, and a self-assessment activity, students explored how teasing can affect others and how to respond in ways that align with our Mutual Respect Agreement. We balanced this work with organization and goal-setting time to help students reset, prepare academically, and feel ready for the weeks ahead.

How Families Can Support at Home

• Ask your child about their Word of the Year and what it looks like in action during daily routines or friendships.

• Talk openly about teasing and joking, and help your child reflect on the difference between intent and impact.

• Encourage your child to speak up if something feels uncomfortable and to seek adult support when needed.

GRADE 7 ADVISORY 

This week in advisory, our Grade 7 students dove into the complex world of middle school relationships to better understand the anatomy of a healthy friendship. Through our "Friendship Vibe Check," students are learning to identify and categorize "Green Flags" versus "Red Flags," moving beyond the simple "shared toys" filters of kindergarten to prioritize deeper character traits like trust and loyalty. By analyzing relatable clips from movies like Wonder and Spider-Man, students are developing a concrete strategy to navigate social "Red Flags" using "I-Statements" to set healthy boundaries. 

GRADE 8  ADVISORY

Building on last week’s discussion about the invisible social pressures of the "Boy Box" and "Girl Box," this week we shifted our focus from simply naming these pressures to navigating them. We used the beginning of the week to wrap up loose ends and ensure every group had time to fully process the initial concepts.

The highlight of the week was learning about "Out-of-the-Box Moves." Students learned that challenging social expectations doesn’t always require a grand, dramatic gesture. Instead, we focused on "moves" that are small, realistic, and authentic. To put this into practice, students revisited scenarios from last week and used role-play and skits to demonstrate how they could handle those situations differently by stepping out of "The Box."

Finally, we ended the week with a Grade 8 Town Hall to introduce the upcoming Layos trip. There is much excitement ahead, and more details regarding the trip will follow soon!