Dear Parents,

Our advisory program is a key part of your child's Middle School learning experience. Please check out below the brief summaries called "This Week in Advisory." Here you will find updates about your child's advisory learning topics.

I would like to emphasize the importance of regular school attendance. Our academic calendar includes 175 instructional days, each thoughtfully planned to support your child’s learning and growth, with lessons carefully designed and built upon each day. When students are absent, it is difficult to fully replicate the in-class experiences that are essential to their progress. We kindly ask for your support in ensuring consistent attendance and in scheduling family travel during the designated holiday periods already included in the school calendar. At the same time, we understand that exceptional circumstances may occasionally require an absence and appreciate your communication in those situations. 

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 will have an obligatory "Advisory Conference" with their parents on this day. We have a different format for our grade 8 students. We will be offering "Subject-area" conferences for teachers who request to meet with parents. Parents will also have the opportunity to request a subject-area conference with their child's grade 8 teacher. Soon, we will provide more detailed information regarding conference sign ups.

As mentioned in last week's Parent Weekly Updates, Mr. Peterson, the grade 8 Science teacher, is excited to invite our grade 8 parents to our annual Science Fair on Thursday, March 26 at 4:45-6:00 PM in the ASM Middle School Commons area. This event is a wonderful opportunity for students to showcase their learning and communicate their scientific findings to an authentic audience. Your presence not only supports your young scientist, but also helps them develop essential scientific communication skills.

Finally, our grade 8 teachers will record their signatures on the yellow "Grade 9 Class Registration Form" on March 16-19. The signature indicates the class placement level in their grade 9 subjects like math, Spanish and music. Parents will also need to sign the form. The form is due back to the student advisors on March 20. 

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 

This week in Advisory we focused on social dynamics and how small moments can turn into bigger conflicts. Students explored how teasing, side comments, peer pressure, or even silence can escalate situations, and we introduced a strategy called SEAL to help them respond calmly and set boundaries. SEAL stands for Stop, Explain, Affirm, and Lock in a choice. We also discussed different roles students may play in social situations (starter, amplifier, silent watcher, target) and reflected on how awareness and early action can prevent drama. In addition, students had a dedicated organization day to check PowerSchool, update agendas, and set an academic focus for the week.

You can support this work at home by asking about “small moments” rather than just big problems and encouraging your child to think through how they might use SEAL in real-life situations. Reinforcing daily agenda use, planning ahead, and follow-through will also strengthen their executive functioning skills. As always, our goal is to build self-awareness, accountability, and healthy communication skills that support both learning and relationships. Please feel free to reach out with any questions.

GRADE 7 ADVISORY

This week in advisory, students revisited the topic of digital literacy by exploring the "engine" behind viral content and social media algorithms. Through activities like "The Viral Loop," students are learning to distinguish between misinformation and intentional disinformation while analyzing how big emotions—such as anger or shock—can cause content to spread rapidly without being fact-checked. We are also diving into the mechanics of the Instagram algorithm to understand how "ranking signals" like watch time and direct messages determine what appears on their feeds. The week included a special guest session on fact-checking and AI with Verónica García López, Editor-in-Chief at Newtral, to help students develop the critical thinking skills needed to navigate a digital world that often prioritizes attention over truth. Students will continue this work next week as well. 

GRADE 8  ADVISORY

This week, Grade 8 is focusing on Responsible Citizenship and the importance of fostering a sense of belonging. In partnership with Intersect Madrid, students are learning "Speak-Up" strategies to address exclusion and microaggressions. To practice these skills, students are creating instructional videos for Grade 6 peers. They are focusing on four key responses: Question, Educate, Echo, and Interrupt. Through this project, our 8th graders are taking a leadership role in building a more inclusive and supportive school culture.