Dear Parents,

We have had a great week in the Middle School. We are now at "cruising altitude" after a busy start to the school year. The students have settled in their regular day routines as well as the after-school program. It is great seeing so many students involved in our after-school program at ASM.

We have two excellent cultural events next week in the Middle School. On Monday, October 19, all Middle School students will attend a special morning orchestra performance in our school auditorium. A high school orchestra from the United States is traveling throughout Spain and will visit ASM as part of their tour. Also on Tuesday, October 20, a group of Spanish 4 and Studio Art students will take part in a cultural visit at the Case de Mexico in Madrid to witness their spectacular Halloween display. 

ASM is delighted to welcome Rita Bateson, co-founder of Eblana Learning, to campus on October 20-21 to work with our community on AI and learning. We invite you to a parent session exploring how AI is shaping our children’s lives, from academics to wellbeing. We will look at how AI shows up differently in education, including some excellent and some worrisome examples, and discuss practical ways to encourage a thoughtful, ethical approach to AI at home. Together, we can help our children build the curiosity, critical thinking, and sound judgment to engage with AI confidently as global citizens.

Parent session details

• Date: Tuesday, October 20

• Time: 2:40-3:50 P.M.

• Location: Room E117, Middle School building

• Registration: Please register here (required for security and planning)

Can’t attend? Materials will be shared after the session.

We are preparing for the Learning Conferences that will take place on October 29-30. As in past years the conferences are virtual, and students in grades K-12 do not come to school on these days. For an overview of the conferences, please see this information: ASM MS Learning Conferences Overview Fall 2026. 

As always, please check out the weekly announcements below. Thank you for your continued partnership and support.

Kind regards,

Mike Nugent

Middle School Director

American School of Madrid

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

Parents, please mark your calendars for these key MS events.

• Oct 25: ASM Halloween Carnival

• Oct 29-30: K-12 Learning Conferences (No school; conferences are virtual as in past years)

• Nov 2: No school. All Saints Day

• Nov 4: Early release day. Students dismissed at 1:45 PM.

• Nov 9: No school. Festivo de Almudena

ATTENDANCE MATTERS

To report all attendance matters (absences/early dismissals/late arrivals; extended vacations) in the Middle School, please use the following email address: msattendance@asmadrid.es. We ask that daily absences be reported to us by 9:30 AM. 

CAFETERIA REMINDER

Our students are reminded that they are not allowed to use their student numbers to buy cafeteria snacks for their friends. We kindly ask parents to remind their children about this rule.

EARLY RELEASE DAYS

Note that early release days take place on Wednesday once a month and are published on the school calendar. Students are dismissed from school at 1:45. All students should depart campus by 2:00 P.M..

MS PARENT and STUDENT HANDBOOK

The Middle School Student and Parent Handbook is a very important resource. We ask that parents and students read the handbook to become aware of our school practices, policies, and rules. Please pay special attention to the section on Student Behavior Expectations.