Dear Parents,

The latest heat wave has passed, the after-school program is underway, MAP testing is nearly finished, and the Middle School is flying at cruising altitude! It has been a busy start to the school year, and I want to extend my gratitude to our parents for you support. 

Thank you, parents, for helping to reinforce our expectations regarding the after-school program. I do wish to note that some students are remaining after school in the Flex Space for social reasons. Flex Space is not an open study hall or general hangout space. Students remaining at school solely to do homework or socialize are not eligible to attend. Once again, I am sharing here the MS After-school Program Overview 26-27 so that everyone is familiar with our expectations, especially regarding Flex Space Attendance and the Campus Access Policy.

I want to remind everyone about our “Every Day Matters” campaign. We appreciate that parents are keeping us informed about absences and making every effort to ensure their children arrive at school on time each morning.

With the holiday season just around the corner, it is worth reinforcing that every day of school matters. With 175 instructional days in the school year, missing even a single day can result in a meaningful loss of learning. We kindly ask parents to plan vacations and routine medical appointments outside of the regular school calendar whenever possible. We also ask that parents inform the Middle School Office of any attendance-related matters by 9:30 a.m. each day.

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 1-2, 5: MS MAP testing

• Oct 7: Early release day. Students dismissed at 1:45.

• Oct 12: No school. Dia de la Hispanidad 

• Oct 25: ASM Halloween Carnival

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

LAPTOP CASE REMINDER

We have noticed that many students still do not have the required protective laptop case at school. As a result, we are seeing an increase in damage to school-issued laptops, which can often be prevented with proper protection. We kindly ask that parents ensure their child has a 14" laptop sleeve/case at school by October 8. The case should remain at school with the computer and be used whenever the laptop is being transported. The following are examples of suitable laptop sleeves available on Amazon Spain: Here, here, or here. Please note: The laptop case should be left at school with the student's school-issued laptop computer.

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. 

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. 

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.

PARENTS ON CAMPUS

ASM facilities are used for our instructional programs throughout the day. We kindly ask that parents do not gather in the MS Commons before, during, and after school. Parents who wish to greet their children before school or at the end of the school are asked to do so in the area outside the sliding glass doors. Here are some additional reminders: 

• Parents are welcome on campus from 8:45-5:00 PM with an appointment or for scheduled events only.  

• Parents wishing to meet with an ASM staff member on campus must send an email to the staff member to set up the appointment time and place.

• Parents should not be on the Play Landscape or engage with students during Lower School playtime unless part of a school presentation or learning event.

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.

CLASS SYLLABI

The Class Syllabi (a description of each class) are located on the Middle School Learning Program site. Parents are encouraged to learn more about their child's classes by visiting this site. 

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. 

MS PE HEALTH UNITS OVERVIEW

Our PE/Health teachers have updated the Middle School Health Units Overview 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. This document provides an overview of our MS advisory program, including topics that are pertinent at each grade level.

MEDICAL EXCUSE FOR NOT PARTICIPATING IN P.E. CLASS

Our general policy is that if a student is well enough to attend school, he/she is well enough to participate in physical education class. Students must participate in P.E. class to be eligible to participate in an after-school sports practice or activity. Excuses from P.E. for health reasons are accepted by the Physical Education teacher under the following conditions:

• Students must present a written note from a parent or doctor describing the illness or physical condition before the beginning of the class, or the parents may send an email communication at the beginning of the school day to the PE teacher. 

• Any illness developed during the school day that might restrict participation in P.E. class requires a written note from the school nurse.

• A physician’s note must be presented to the P.E. teacher, with a copy for the nurse, for any extended period longer than 3 days.

• Long-term medical excuses from P.E. class require an official written physician’s statement. When scheduling permits, the student will be provided with an alternative class or supervised activity. Upon return to the normally scheduled P.E. class, the student must present a written statement from his/her doctor giving consent for the student to return to the class.