Dear Parents,

What a great first week at school! We are very proud of your children and their adaption to the new school year. There is a lot to review and remember during these first days of school, and we are especially impressed with how quickly students have made this transition. We will continue to keep a special eye out for our newest Middle Schoolers in grade 6 and also our new ASM students.

Our students are doing a great job in adhering to our new MS Phone Away Policy. Along the same lines, I am sharing an article with you from the Atlantic magazine that I shared with parents last school year at this time. The article argues for making children's bedrooms device-free. The article’s core recommendation is “No screens in the bedroom. Ever.” Meaning: no phones, tablets, TVs, or other similar devices inside bedrooms, especially at night. I encourage parents to read this article and consider implementing the author's recommendations.

Establishing strong routines and expectations is an important part of a successful school year. This year, the Middle School is launching “Everyday Matters”—because every day really does matter! With just 175 days of school, missing even one day can affect a student’s learning and overall school experience.

In recent years, we have seen an increase in student absences for reasons other than illness, as well as morning tardiness. In response, we have updated our Extended Absence Policy. We ask parents to review the policy carefully. It is also available in the MS Student and Parent Handbook.

Finally, we kindly ask that parents supervise the snacks that our students are bringing to school in the morning. Candy, bags of chips, and soda drinks are not acceptable snacks. In addition, we will remind students that they should not share their individual snacks with others. In addition, birthday treats are allowed but should take place during the advisory time. 

As always, please check out the weekly announcements below. There is indeed a lot of information in these initial school communications. We promise that future communications will be more concise!

Kind regards,

Mike Nugent

Middle School Director

American  School of Madrid

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

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

• Sept 9: Early release day. Dismissal at 1:45 PM. Student may not remain on campus after 2:00 PM.

• Sept 17: MS Open House, 6:00-8:00 PM (Parents only. Students remain at home)

• Sept 21: MS Grade 8 Parent Information Coffee, 9:00-10:00 A.M., MS Steps

• Sept 22: MS Grade 6 Parent Information Coffee, 9:00-10:00 A.M., MS Steps

• Sept 23: MS Grade 7 Parent Information Coffee, 9:00-10:00 A.M., MS Steps

• Sept 25: MS grade level field trips (various locations)

• Sept 29-30: ASM K-12 school photos

• Sept 14–18: Student ASA Sign-Ups

• Sept 25: ASA rosters and schedules published in PowerSchool

• Sept 28: Fall ASA season begins

• Oct 1-2, 5: MS MAP testing 

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. Parents are reminded to carefully consider the school calendar as they plan vacations. Parents are kindly asked to schedule family vacations and long weekends around the published school holidays. Students who are absent from school due to extended family holidays often miss out on important classroom instruction and learning that cannot be duplicated on Google Classroom. 

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. 

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.

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.

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 are welcome to drop off important items for their kids at the appropriate divisional office when needed, sending an email to the office with the estimated time of arrival so that the Security Gate is informed.

• 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.

TUTORING

Throughout the school year, we learn that some students receive tutoring outside of school. Parents are reminded to contact the Middle School support teachers before seeking tutoring or professional support for their children. Julie Harris, our Middle School learning support teacher, will advise parents about the need for outside support. The Middle School has an extensive academic and social/emotional support system in place at school. Most students' academic and social/emotional needs can be met by the resources that we have at school. Our learning support team will recommend tutoring only in exceptional cases. 

PARENT/GUARDIAN ACCESS

If the parents/guardians of students at the American School of Madrid must leave their children in the care of another individual due to their absence from the home, we request that they send an email to the school director informing them of the following: 

• Dates of their absence from the home 

• The name and contact information of the individual who is caring for the student during the absence 

• The contact information for the parents during the absence 

The email should be sent at least three days before the departure of the parents. In the event of an emergency that requires immediate departure, please call the respective Director to inform him/her of the absence and the information listed above. In addition, parents should follow up this phone contact with an email giving this information in writing, too.

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.