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A Season of Change, Growth, Hope, and Gratitude at Madison 🍂🍁
As fall settles in, the leaves on our trees begin to turn beautiful shades of red, gold, and yellow. The air grows cooler, mornings greet us with crisp sunshine, and daylight fades a little earlier each evening. These seasonal changes offer us a wonderful opportunity to pause, reflect, and appreciate just how much we have accomplished together at James Madison Elementary since the beginning of the school year.
In just a few short months, our Madison Mustangs have been busy learning, growing, creating, and building community. From hands-on science investigations in our MakerSpace and exciting STEM experiences to cultural celebrations, student leadership opportunities, and family gatherings, our campus remains a place where curiosity, creativity, and connection thrive.
We have welcomed families to our classrooms, celebrated the rich cultures and traditions that make Madison special, watched students take on new challenges, and strengthened the partnerships that make our school community so remarkable.
This past week also brought our nation's midterm elections, reminding us of the importance of civic participation and the power of communities to help shape their future. Regardless of political perspectives or election outcomes, it's reassuring to know our voices matter and that each generation has a chance to help build a better tomorrow. As educators and families, we share the responsibility of helping our children understand the values of democracy, kindness, respect, and service to others.
The Season of Giving: Supporting Our Madison Families ❤️
As we enter the holiday season, we are also reminded that this time of year can bring both joy and challenges. While many families look forward to gathering around tables filled with food and celebrating traditions, others may face financial hardship or struggle to meet everyday needs.
At Madison, community means showing up for one another, especially when it matters most.
Throughout November, we invite our families to contribute to our Madison Food Drive. If your family is able, please consider donating nonperishable food items to help support families facing food insecurity. Whether it is a few canned goods, a box of pasta, rice, or another pantry staple, every contribution is an act of kindness that can make a meaningful difference.
We also recognize that not every family is in a position to give, and that is perfectly okay. Our strength as a community comes from understanding that sometimes we offer support, and sometimes we need a helping hand. Both are part of what makes a caring community.
As we prepare for parent conferences and the next chapter of our school year, I want to thank our dedicated teachers, staff, families, and students. Every accomplishment, whether big or small, represents the collective care, commitment, and effort of our Madison community.
Just as the seasons change, our students continue to grow, our community continues to strengthen, and our shared commitment to one another continues to inspire hope.
We still have
so much ahead of us this school year, and I am excited about the opportunities we will continue creating together.
May this season remind us that the greatest gifts we can offer one another are kindness, compassion, generosity, and a sense of belonging.
親切問候，
Paulette Smith
Principal, James Madison Elementary School
本週活動
Monday, 11/9
Tuesday, 11/10
Wednesday, 11/11
Thursday, 11/12
Friday, 11/13
補拍學生相日
📸
Fire Drill
Madison Family/Staff Garden Work Day
2:30 PM to 3:30 PM
Veterans’ Day (No School)
🇺🇸
Early Release for Grades 4&5 12:50 PM
Reclassification Celebration 5:30 PM
🎉
Early Release for Grades 4&5 12:50 pm
Ruby Bridges Day Walk for Justice 10:10 AM
Ruby Bridges Day at Madison: Walking Together for Courage, Kindness, and Justice 💜
Friday, November 13, 2026 | Unity Walk at 10:10 AM
On Friday, November 13, our Madison Mustangs will come together for our annual Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day, honoring the courage of a six-year-old girl who helped change American history.
On November 14, 1960, Ruby Bridges became the first Black child to integrate William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans. Sixty-six years later, her story reminds us that courage has no age limit and even the youngest among us can make a difference.
Our students will celebrate through classroom learning, special assemblies featuring Larrie Noble, and a schoolwide Unity Walk beginning at 10:10 AM.
💜 Wear Purple! We encourage all students and staff to wear purple on November 13 to symbolize unity, kindness, and justice.
🎨 Create a Family Poster! Families are invited to create posters at home with messages of courage, kindness, fairness, and belonging for students to carry during our walk. This is a meaningful opportunity for the whole family to participate in honoring Ruby's legacy.
As we walk together, we celebrate our Madison RIDE with Pride values and remind our students that standing up for what is right begins with everyday acts of courage and compassion.
Little Feet. Big Courage. One Madison Community. 💜
Building, Creating, and Exploring STEM in the Madison MakerSpace! 🧱⚡
Exciting things are happening in the Madison MakerSpace! We are thrilled to introduce our new LEGO Education Science Kits, bringing hands-on STEM learning opportunities to all students in TK through fifth grade.
Ms. Haslom’s fourth graders were among the first to explore these exciting new resources! Their engineering challenge was to design a renewable energy source that could power a party. Students put their creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills to work as they explored how renewable energy can solve real-world challenges.
These experiences are valuable because students are doing more than building with LEGO bricks. They are learning to think like scientists and engineers by asking questions, testing ideas, collaborating with classmates, and refining their designs.
As we continue expanding learning opportunities in our MakerSpace, we look forward to welcoming every grade level to explore the LEGO Education Science Kits and discover the excitement of science through hands-on investigation.
At Madison, STEM is more than a subject. It is an opportunity for every child to imagine, create, experiment, and see themselves as a future scientist, engineer, or innovator!
Way to go, fourth-grade engineers! 🌟
Science at Madison: Where Curiosity Sparks Discovery, Creativity Fuels Innovation, and Every Student Thinks Like a Scientist!
Parent Conferences and Report Cards: Celebrating Growth and Strengthening Partnerships
November 12 through November 20, 2026
Parent conferences are just around the corner! This is an important opportunity for families and teachers to come together, celebrate student accomplishments, review academic progress, and identify areas where continued growth and support will help students thrive.
At Madison, we believe that families are our most important partners in student success. These individual conversations are designed to be a two-way exchange. Teachers look forward to sharing what they are seeing in the classroom, and we also want to hear from you. Your insights about your child's interests, learning habits, strengths, and challenges help us better understand how to support their success at school.
Important Conference Dates and Early Dismissal Times
November 12 through November 20: Grades 4 and 5
- Students in Grades 4 and 5 will be dismissed at 12:50 PM each day during the conference period.
November 16 through November 20: TK through Grade 3
- TK and Kindergarten: Dismissal at 11:40 AM
- Grades 1 through 3: Dismissal at 12:50 PM
- Grades 4 and 5: Continue dismissal at 12:50 PM
Please arrange early pickup and communicate any necessary changes with your child's after-school program.
Understanding Your Child's Report Card
As we prepare for conferences, we also want families to become familiar with our elementary report cards and how we communicate student progress.
Our report cards are designed to help families understand what students are learning, which skills they have mastered, and where additional practice or support may be helpful.
For academic subjects, students receive ratings on a 4-point scale:
- 4: Exceeds Standard. Your child independently demonstrates understanding beyond grade-level expectations.
- 3: Meets Standard. Your child consistently demonstrates grade-level understanding.
- 2: Approaching Standard. Your child is developing the skill but is not yet consistently meeting the expectation.
- 1: Not Progressing Toward Standard. Your child needs additional instruction, practice, and support.
- X: Not Assessed. The skill was not assessed during this trimester.
One important reminder: A rating of 2 or 1 does not mean your child is failing. It shows where your child is in their learning journey right now and helps teachers and families identify next steps for growth. Ratings may change throughout the year as students develop new skills.
Report cards also include information about work habits, social skills, and, for English Learners, English language development. These areas help us understand the whole child, beyond academic performance alone.
Making the Most of Your Conference
We encourage families to come ready to celebrate their child's progress and ask questions. Consider discussing:
- What are my child's greatest strengths as a learner?
- What skills should we focus on improving this trimester?
- How is my child growing socially and academically?
- What can we practice or reinforce at home?
- What additional support or opportunities might help my child continue to grow?
Most importantly, we invite you to share what you know about your child. When families and teachers listen to one another and work together, we create stronger learning experiences for every student.
Thank you for your continued partnership and for the important role you play in your child's education. Our teachers look forward to connecting with each of you and celebrating the growth of our Madison Mustangs!
Together, we RIDE with Pride!
Happy Diwali to all who celebrate. ✨🪔
Diwali, the festival of lights, is observed by many Hindu, Jain, Sikh, and Buddhist families worldwide.
At James Madison Elementary School, we honor Diwali as an opportunity to learn about the traditions, stories, and values that are meaningful to many of our students and families. Across different traditions, Diwali carries different sacred meanings. For many Hindu families, it remembers the return of Lord Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana to Ayodhya, when people lit lamps to welcome them home. For many Jain families, it marks Lord Mahavira’s attainment of nirvana. For many Sikh families, it is connected to Bandi Chhor Divas, a celebration of liberation and the release of Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji.
While the religious meanings of Diwali are specific to the families who celebrate it, the values often associated with the holiday- light, hope, kindness, reflection, gratitude, and the triumph of good- are values we can all appreciate in a diverse school community.
As principal of James Madison Elementary School, I’m grateful for the many cultures, faiths, languages, and traditions represented in our school. Our diversity helps our children learn from one another, build respect, and grow into people who can honor differences with kindness and curiosity.
To our families celebrating Diwali, we wish you peace, joy, safety, and a beautiful festival of lights.
Happy Diwali. 🪔✨
We Need ALL Madison Families to Complete the 2026 Annual California Healthy Kids Survey
請在此填寫家長問卷：
California School Parent Survey
沒錯，還有額外的驚喜獎勵喔！🎉
為了鼓勵更多 Madison 家庭參與，我們將舉辦抽獎活動，送出三張價值 $50 的 Amazon 禮品卡。
這代表只要參與填寫問卷，就有三組 Madison 家庭有機會各自贏得一張 $50 的 Amazon 禮品卡。
請在十一月抽空幾分鐘填寫這份問卷。在我們為 Madison 的未來進行規劃時，每份回覆都能幫助我們更清楚了解家庭的經歷和社區的需求。
填好問卷後請通知我們：表單！
我哋嘅目標唔單止係收集問卷回覆。我哋希望聽到更多來自成個 Madison 社區嘅聲音。
