Dear parents/guardians and students,

The staff at Marina Village Middle School is excited about the upcoming school year and warmly welcomes you back to school. We are privileged to be a part of such an outstanding school community and know that this will be a wonderful year for our students.  Please do not hesitate to contact us with questions, concerns, or input at any time. To make the return to school as smooth as possible, we are providing you with some important beginning-of-the-year dates and some general day-to-day information about life on our campus. Please read the information carefully and reach out to us if you have questions. GO MUSTANGS!!!!

Levi Cambridge     Samantha Schlesinger

Principal, Marina Village Middle School                             Assistant Principal, Marina Village Middle School

Important start-of-the-year dates:

August 7 - ALOHA Day (Incoming 6th graders: 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM. New students: 8:00 - 9:00 AM Orientation. (See the flyer below)

August 12 - Class schedules for 7th and 8th grade levels are available after 4:00 PM on the Aeries Parent Portal

August 13 - First day of Class (school begins at 8:00 AM)

August 13 - BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT for Parents from 6:00 to 7:40 PM. (See the flyer below)

August 27-28 - Picture Day during PE classes

Important Behavior Reminders:

• Phones away for the day. Students are to turn off all electronics (phones, ipads, smart watches, etc.) and put them in their backpacks once students step on campus. They may turn them on when they are dismissed at the end of the day. If a student needs to use an electronic device, they should come to the office to ask for permission to use their device.

• Gum is not allowed on campus during any part of the school day.

• Dress Code requirements can be found by CLICKING HERE (handbook page 8). Please adhere to all dress code requirements.

• Starbucks and Safeway - Students who go to Safeway and Starbucks must be paying customers and are not permitted to loiter in the area.

STUDENTS

Back to School Night:  We will have our Back to School Night in person on Thursday, August 13th, from 6:00PM to 7:40 PM. Parents will be able to follow their student's class schedule and visit each of their classes and teachers! CLICK HERE for the BTSN Flyer.

Bikes and Scooter Riders: Racks are available for students on the ramp near the office. Students must provide their own locks. By law, students who ride bikes and scooters are required to wear a helmet. Please walk bikes and scooters while on campus and in the parking lot areas. Park in the rack rather than against fences. Please review the scooter and bike laws provided by the El Dorado Sheriff's Office:

NO Skateboards are allowed on campus

Weekly Newsletters—The Best Way to Stay Informed: Each week a parent/student newsletter will be emailed home. It is also posted on our website: www.marinamustangs.com.  Highlights from the newsletter will be read to students on Mondays during their first period.

Bus Schedule: Bus schedules and routes are available on the district website: www.rescueusd.org.  Click on Departments, then Transportation.

Class Schedules:  Class schedules will be available on Aeries on August 12th after 4:00 PM. Please ensure that you have completed the online registration process on the Aeries parent portal (an email from the district will be sent in July from Rene Buenrostro) in order to enable downloading of your class schedule. Aeries Parent Portal

First Day of Instruction: Our first day of instruction is Thursday, August 13th. Classes begin at 8:00 AM. Students are released at 2:15 PM. As a school, we will be meeting our teachers, learning about classroom expectations, and discussing our core values during the first few days. We will also be sharing our behavioral expectations with students as part of our PBIS (Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports) program. Please see the matrix below to review behavioral expectations in various areas on campus.

PE Clothes: After the first week or two, students will begin dressing for PE. We have PE clothes on sale for $10 per item. PE clothes are pre-purchased ONLINE . Students are sized and will receive their purchased clothes in PE class. PE clothes can be purchased anytime all year long online through the QR code on the flyer below or CLICK HERE for a link. Students who cannot afford PE clothes will have one set of PE clothes provided at no cost. Students must wear Marina PE clothing to participate in PE. PE class is daily Monday - Friday.

 Phone Use: The office phone is available to students in emergency situations during the school day and as needed after school (within reason).  Please make arrangements for transportation, etc., with your student before school to alleviate the need for the office phone to be used. If a student feels ill, they need to call from the nurse’s office only. CELL PHONES are allowed at school but are to be TURNED OFF as soon as students come on campus in the morning. They may be turned back on after school. Violation of the cell phone policy will result in student discipline.

Schedule Changes: Administration may make some required schedule changes as we start the year.  The changes will be made with the least disruption possible to the student schedules. We will not be able to make schedule changes based on requests for particular teachers or a particular order of classes. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

School Picture Day: School pictures will be taken on Thursday, August 27, and Friday, August 28, during students’ PE classes. Information about purchasing school pictures will be emailed and detailed in a future weekly newsletter. The picture makeup day will be announced at a later date.

Start and Dismissal: The first bell rings at 7:55 am, and students are expected to be seated in their first-period class at 8:00 AM.  Students are dismissed at 2:15 pm. Every Wednesday, students are dismissed at 1:15 pm. On minimum days, students will be released at 11:50 AM. Please see the bell schedule below.

Student Planner: Our PTC has generously provided each student with a daily planner to be used for the school year.  The Student Handbook and other valuable information are included in the planner.  Students are expected to keep track of assignments in this planner and share this information with their parents. 

Textbooks: 7th and 8th-grade textbooks will be distributed during the first week of school, during the school day, for students to take home. 6th-grade students will be picking up their textbooks on ALOHA day. Physical textbooks are provided for each student in every classroom. Students will not need to transport their books to and from school. 

ATHLETICS

Athletics: Marina Village has several competitive sports teams in which students may participate. Information on athletics and different sports will be provided as the school year progresses. Students are encouraged to get their sports physicals before school begins. Summer physicals will be valid for the school year. Information can always be found on the school athletics webpage. We look forward to the 2026-2027 athletic contests.

Marina Village Athletic Packet 

Paquete atlético de Marina Village

Students need one athletic packet per year for sports. Completed packets must be turned in no later than noon on the first tryout day. Packets will not be accepted after 12:00 PM on tryout days. There are no exceptions.

ENRICHMENT

Enrichment: Marina Village continues to provide a variety of enrichment opportunities that allow our students to get connected and stay connected to our school community. Music performance classes, leadership, garden club, art, advanced math, several different clubs, after-school classes, and sports are just a few of the enrichment opportunities that students can take advantage of while here at Marina Village. We encourage students to get involved and participate as members of our Ohana. See the weekly newsletter for enrichment opportunities available for students throughout the year.

PARENTS

Employment Opportunities in RUSD

Absent Students: Attendance is one of the key factors of being a successful student in school and maximizing our funding from the state.  Please use the school calendar below as a reference that can also be found on our website when planning vacations and making appointments.  

     The attendance line can be reached by calling 916-933-3993 and following the prompts to leave a message. If your student is absent, please call as early as you can to notify the school of the absence and the reason. An email will also suffice to explain the reason for an absence. Automated attendance calls and emails go out to parents daily at 10:05. At the end of the school day, follow-up phone calls and emails will be sent from Marina if we still haven't received a reason or a phone call about an absence that day. Without notification, students will be considered unexcused.

Back to School Night:  We are planning on holding our Back to School night in person on Thursday, August 7th, from 6:00 PM to 7:40 PM. Parents will be able to follow their student's class schedule and visit each of their classes and teachers! CLICK HERE for the BTSN Flyer and GO MUSTANGS!!!!

Checking Students Out of School:  If you need to check your student out of school before the end of the school day, you will need to come into the office to sign your student out. Please note that students in PE will take a longer time to get to the office as they will need to change clothing.

Grade Level Policies and Supply Lists: The grade level policies and supply lists may be found on the Marina Village website.: Supply Lists and Grade Level Policies

Jupiter Ed for Online Grades:  Parents and students may track student grades through our online grading program. This is the most used online tool for communication between teachers and parents. Information about behavior and assignments is also posted on Jupiter Ed. Log-in information from previous years at Marina or from the elementary schools will still be active in the coming year for access to current grades.  Parents who no longer have their login information or who are new to Marina can request the login information in our school office.

Lunches:  A wide variety of healthy and delicious items are offered for breakfast and lunch daily.  Bagels, muffins, and juices are available each morning before school. Breakfast and lunch are provided free to all students by the state of California. Students may come to the kitchen to pick up breakfast items starting at 7:30 am. Menus will be posted in the kitchen and on the district website. However, any a-la-carte items such as frozen yogurt and slushies may be purchased but are not part of the free program. Students may purchase a-la-carte items with cash, or they may add money to their accounts anytime by bringing checks or cash to the kitchen in the morning for future à la carte purchases. Food deliveries, such as DoorDash, will not be accepted at school. ALL families, regardless of family income, are asked to complete a School Education Benefit Form and a Federal Meal Application. We are asking for your assistance to ensure that our schools continue to receive all of the State funding we are eligible for to support student programs. Thank you!

Messages and Forgotten Items to Students During the Day: Please try to set up family plans in advance of the school day.  Forgotten homework, PE clothes, and lunches will not be delivered during the school day in order to minimize classroom disruptions. If your child has forgotten an item, they may come to the office during passing periods, at break time, or at lunch to see if it was delivered. We really appreciate your understanding about advanced communications with your child, including messages about after-school pick-up locations and details.

Drop-Off and Pick-Up Reminder:  There are many parents who drive their children to and from school.  To make the morning drop-off and pick-up as timely and safe as possible, please allow extra time for the inevitable traffic on Francisco Drive. There is a single ENTRANCE ONLY into the parking lot across from the Gym, and ALL TRAFFIC will need to exit at the northernmost end of the parking lot at the top of the school. Once entering the parking lot, select the DROP OFF LANE to the right OR the PARKING AREA and proceed through the traffic lane on the left. Please drive slowly and cautiously through the parking lot, as there are often students crossing.  Please DO NOT drop your student off in the bus circle. This area is for BUSSES ONLY. Do not drop off on Francisco Drive or in the drive-through lane. Only pick up or drop off students at the school curb. If parked, please walk your student from the curb to your car. Do not park or pick up students where curbs are painted red, these are fire lanes that must remain clear. Students should have backpacks ready and exit as quickly as possible. Check out this video for our parking procedures: https://youtu.be/r13tLh_uUyc 

Student Information Update: Please ensure you have updated your student information on the Aeries parent portal. Please update personal contacts, address changes, and emergency contact information. The parent portal will be available on August 3rd to update student information. For instructions on how to access the parent portal and update student information in Aeries: CLICK HERE. For instructions on how to create an Aeries Parent Portal Account: CLICK HERE. Please log in to make changes using: Aeries Parent Portal

While middle school is a time when students are expected to become more aware of their personal responsibilities, it is also very important that parents stay on top of their students’ progress and assist them in becoming more responsible. We strongly encourage students to communicate with their teachers with their parents' help. We also encourage parents to be in regular contact with their child’s teachers. Teacher voicemail and email accounts are listed on our website.  Please feel free to contact the counselor or administration if you need additional help or have concerns.  We are here for you!

The staff at Marina Village is very excited to start the new school year, and we are looking forward to a successful and positive year.  We hope that the 2026-2027 school year starts off on a good note for you and your family.  We look forward to seeing you on August 13th!

Levi Cambridge     Samantha Schlesinger

Principal, Marina Village Middle School                             Assistant Principal, Marina Village Middle School

All of the above information, as well as the items below, are on the MVMS website, www.MarinaMustangs.com

Marina Village’s Office Opens July 29, 8:00 AM-2:30 PM

School Begins Thursday, August 13, 2026