Sunday, March 19, 2023
Hello Muirlands Community,
Parents/Guardians, please complete the following survey to help us learn more about your perceptions of Muirlands Middle School. Participation is anonymous and voluntary.
Link to survey: https://wested.ugam-apps.com/wed/ts/v3kp (when opening the link, choose parent survey/take survey, then select language)
The Spring Middle School Athletics Season is scheduled to begin this week. Unfortunately, the date and location of the tryouts for both flag football teams have yet to be finalized. Families that signed up for tryouts will be notified once a field location has been established.
We are happy to announce the return of Muirlands Rocks on May 7th. The event will take place from 2 pm-5 pm on the Muirlands athletic field. This fun festival will have games, music, a color run, and food! If you're interested in volunteering, please join the committee in the library this Wednesday at 8:30 am or email president@muirlandsfoundation.org.
The Finance Office will be closed until April 11th.
Parents can purchase PE uniforms online on the Foundation Online Store.
Other items (such as replacement ID’s, planners, and locks) can be purchased on the School Cash Online site from San Diego Unified. Instructions to register for School Cash Online
For any online purchase, students should bring their receipt to the office to pick up the ordered items.
Sincerely,
Principal Luna
Sunday, March 12, 2023
Hello Muirlands Community,
STEAM CAREER DAY is back after a multi-year hiatus! On Thursday, March 16, students will listen to presentations by our community members. We will have a modified bell schedule to ensure enough time for our students to listen to the fantastic presentations. A special thank you goes to our STEAM DAY committee for making this happen.
Mr. Allen, the Theater Teacher at LJHS, would like our eighth-grade students to know he is offering a free Summer Theater Opportunity at LJHS. Please use the following link to access an informational flyer. Summer Flyer 2023
I ask for your support in reminding your student that wearing headphones, slippers, or hoodies is prohibited at school. Thank you for your support.
Our Middle School Athletics Winter season has ended. Our Boys and Girls Volleyball teams had a fun inaugural season. Our Boys' and Girls' Soccer teams played great this weekend but were eliminated in the playoff semifinals. I thank all our Winter Season student-athletes and coaches for the incredible job they did representing Muirlands Middle School.
Our lost and found bin is full. Have your child stop by if they have left items at school. We have water bottles, lunch boxes, and clothes in our bin. Unclaimed items will be donated to charity at the end of the month.
Muirlands Middle School is hosting the 3rd Annual 8th Grade Legacy Mural Design Contest! All 8th graders are invited & encouraged to design a mural for our school and potentially leave their expressive mark on a wall for years to come. Contest details and entry form may be found in Ms. Cox's Google Classrooms or your student's 8th grade Science teacher's Google Classrooms. 2 or 3 top designs will be selected and presented to the 8th-grade class for them to vote on their favorite design. The contest winner, the art students, staff, and community volunteers will help to install this community mural. If you have any questions or are interested in helping with the mural installation, please get in touch with our visual art teacher, Ms. Cox, pgreenhalgh@sandi.net.
Link to info./entry form: Legacy Mural Project 2023
In addition, selected 7th & 8th-grade art students' Digital Self Portraits are on display now through the end of the month at Birdrock Coffee Roaster Cafe in La Jolla.
Sincerely,
Principal Luna
Wednesday, March 8, 2023
Dear Parents/Guardians,
Muirlands Middle School is pleased to announce the opportunity for students to participate in Core Academy on select Saturdays throughout the remainder of this school year. This can be a valuable time for students to get caught up on their school work/homework and/or clear 2 full-day absences as well as up to 8 tardies! Please check your PowerSchool Parent Portal account and review the amount of tardies and/or absences your student has.
Please review the End-of-the-year and 8th-grade promotion ceremony requirements.
The following Saturdays will be scheduled from 8:00 am - 12:00 pm. Student drop off and pick up will be near the main gate onto campus just north of the flagpole between the administration building and the auditorium. Please ensure students are on time, as late arrivals will not be accommodated.
- 3/11/23
- 4/15/23
- 5/13/23
- 6/3/23
You must register online by NOON the Thursday before you attend. Please do not be late, gates will close at 8:05 am! A breakfast and lunch meal is available for all students attending Core Academy at no charge.
Core Academy Registration Form
For any questions or information on the day of Core Academy, you may contact the office at 858-302-3150.extension 3020 (option 7 from the phone tree).
Sincerely,
Muirlands Middle School
Sunday, March 5, 2023
Hello Muirlands Community,
Muirlands offers a PrimeTime before and after-school care program free of charge. The 2023-24 PrimeTime Online Application is available for submission beginning on March 6th at 8:00 a.m.
2023-24 PrimeTime Application Parent Flyer [English|Spanish]
Muirlands Program Prime Time
2022-23 CAASPP testing will take place at Muirlands in May. SDUSD sent a Parent Notification Letter via school messenger on March 1, 2023. Please use the following links to view the parent letter: English | Spanish. All students in grades 6-8 will take the Smarter Balanced assessment for English Language arts and mathematics. The California Science Test (CAST) is administered only to eighth-grade students.
Middle School Athletics sign-ups for the Spring Flag Football season will close Monday, March 6th: register. More information can be found on the Middle School Athletics website.
Please join SDUSD as we recognize March as Women's History Month and celebrate women's immense contributions to history, culture, and society.
Attention future Vikings: April 21 is the due date for incoming grade 9 Biomed Applications. Click the link below for more information. Biomedical Pathway Application
Sincerely,
Principal Luna
Sunday, February 26, 2023
Hello Muirlands Community,
Wednesday, March 1, is our next late start day. Our campus will open at 9:35 am, and our classes will begin at 9:55 am.
Congratulations to the Muirlands Concert Band and Orchestra, led by Mr. Legerrette, for an outstanding performance this past week. You all did a fantastic job of representing Muirlands.
Summer PrimeTime is available for Muirlands MS Summer School Program students. After the Muirlands Program, the PrimeTime program will begin at 1:30 pm and end at 5:30 pm. There will be many fun activities for students, such as homemade ice cream, tie-dye, and more! Here is the link to register your student for the Prime Time Program.
Having so many students riding bicycles, scooters, and skateboards to school is excellent. We recently installed a scooter rack and an additional bicycle rack to accommodate the increase in students riding. Remind them they must walk their transportation device through the parking lots and on campus. We ask that all students wear helmets and obey all safety laws.
LJHS Theatre Director, Mr. Allen, will offer a free Summer Theatre Program available to Muirlands students. La Jolla High School Summer Theater 2023
We are excited to host our first evening dance at Muirlands. We had a higher-than-anticipated response to ticket sales, and the event has sold out. At this time, no further ticket sales will take place. We look forward to hosting more evening events.
Please support the Muirlands Foundation’s next Dine for Dollars. This event will occur on Tuesday, February 28, at The Nautilus Tavern. 20% of ALL dine-in and take-out orders (delivery service orders excluded) will go directly to the Muirlands Middle School Foundation. The food and drinks at The Nautilus Tavern are outstanding! So let’s show up in force and support our school and local business community.
The district is seeking feedback from educators, families and the community on a new DRAFT Middle School Placement Policy The district's goal is to create a clear and fair procedure for all sites to ensure all students are placed in mathematics courses that best support their individual needs and goals. Use this response form to share your feedback on or before March 12. Contact Wendy Ranck-Buhr (wranck-buhr@sandi.net).
Sincerely,
Principal Luna
Sunday, February 19, 2023
Hello Muirlands Community,
I hope you are enjoying this long Presidents Day Weekend. Tomorrow is a school holiday, and Muirlands will resume studies on Tuesday, February 21.
We had a wonderful Western Day celebration for our 8th-Grade students. There was an incredible meal cooked by Milan Dimich, a DJ and line dancing, and a tug-a-war contest organized by our PE teachers, Ms. Serafin and Mr. Wood. The kids looked great, all dressed up in western wear. Thank you, 8th-grade History teachers, Ms. Taylor and Ms. Turnbull, for organizing the kids. This event would not have been possible without the assistance of our teaching staff and our parent community. Thank you to our Western Day committee chair, Kendall Goldstein, and our parent volunteers that made this possible.
STEAM CAREER DAY is back and will be held on March 16th! We seek parents to speak to our students about STEAM careers. Parents, if you are interested in participating in this event, please see our upcoming e-splash for participation information.
The 2023 LEVEL UP ACADEMIC PROGRAM (Summer School) sign-ups are live. Muirlands will once again be a host site this Summer. Please open the links for more information about Summer School.
Thank you for your support in educating our middle school citizens! Understanding student perspectives of school climate and safety, student wellness, and youth resiliency makes us effective educators. Our district and state provide students with the California Healthy Kids Survey to gather this vital feedback.
All students in 7th grade are scheduled to participate. If you wish for your child to NOT participate in this survey, please email School Counselor Mr. Velasquez cvelasquez1@sandi.net by noon, Friday, February 24th. More information on the survey can be found here.
In addition, we are asking for parent feedback! The California School Parent Survey (CSPS) assesses parents' perceptions of school climate, parent outreach, and student achievement compared to staff and student perspectives. Please complete the parent survey using this link: https://wested.ugam-apps.com/wed/ts/v3kp
Attention 8th Graders: Please click the link below if interested in the Biomedical Pathway at LJHS for the 2023-2024 school year. Biomedical Pathway Application
This past week, selected students met with Mr. Luna and Mrs. Dominguez to review the criteria for participation in the End of Year Activities. Please take a minute to review the requirements for the End of Year Activities and appeal process at EOY Activities Criteria or on page 14 in the school planner.
Sincerely,
Principal Luna
Sunday, February 12, 2023
Hello Muirlands Community,
A reminder that we will have a four-day weekend as we recognize Lincoln Day on Friday, February 17, and Washington Day on Monday, February 20th. We will return to school on Tuesday, February 21st.
As we continue to recognize February as Black History Month, please see the following resources and opportunities shared by SDUSD. Black History Month 2023.pdf
During the week of February 20th and again in April, the SDUSD central office will send ALL families an attendance letter of their child’s current attendance counts. Letters will be shared with both the primary and secondary contacts listed in PowerSchool via the digital document delivery service. Please take the opportunity to review your child's attendance record.
SDUSD will host several FAMILY ENGAGEMENT WORKSHOPS in support of the Level Up Summer 2023 Academic Program. The workshops will take this week on Monday February 13th and Thursday February 16th via Zoom. Please reference the following flyers for information and registration. Flyers: English or Spanish
Summer Applications are live and available for families for Summer Academic Programs/ESY and Summer PrimeTime. Please attend one of these available workshops if you would like additional information. If you have questions regarding Summer School, please contact Pamela King. In addition, here is a link to the Family Engagement Calendar for your reference.
Recruitment for Middle School Athletics (MSA) has begun. The Spring season includes boys' flag football and girls' flag football. Sign-ups are officially open and will close on March 6th. Schools must have 20 students signed up for each team. Register your child ASAP if you want them to participate in tryouts.
8th-Grade Western Day will be held this week on Thursday, February 16th, from 12:40 pm to 1:40 pm. The 8th-grade Western Day is a special annual lunchtime event for our 8th-graders. We are pleased to bring this longstanding event back to our campus. This event supports and brings to life the 8th-grade American History curriculum. Teachers will discuss this time period's historical significance and encourage students to dress in Western attire for the festivities. With the help of Muirlands staff, games and activities are organized along with a special themed luncheon and a DJ for the 8th-grade students during their extended lunch period.
Sincerely,
Principal Luna
Sunday, February 5, 2023
Hello Muirlands Community,
February 6-10
is
National School Counselor Appreciation week
.
Please join me in recognizing our incredible counselors,
Ms. Dominguez and Mr. Velasquez
.
These two are available to support your students with academics, career decisions, and their social and emotional well-being.
Please visit their webpage and discover the tremendous resources available to our students and their families.
Muirlands Counseling
SDUSD is offering an
IEP PARENT VIRTUAL INSTITUTE
.
The institute is a six-part series that covers everything you need to know about the IEP process.
Middle School Math Adoption
:
SDUSD s
eeks a cross-section of individuals from various communities
to provide feedback on the math curriculum materials being considered for adoption.
The math materials will be available for the public and sites to view, January 30- February 28, from 8:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m. Please contact
Rachel Escobedo
if you are interested in participating.
Independent Study Contract
(ISC):
The issuing of ISCs has returned to a
site-based decision
.
ISC requests are reviewed for approval on a case-by-case basis.
An
ISC may be issued ONCE per year for a minimum of 3 days and up to 5 days
.
Because teachers and clerical staff need time to prepare for an ISC, we appreciate as much advance notice as possible but
require a minimum of 5 days prior notice
.
When considering a request for approval, the following criteria will be reviewed:
-
A contract will not be granted if a student has chronic or excessive absences or if the student’s academic or citizenship grades are below a 2.0 GPA.
-
Students with IEPs will only be considered for a contract if written into the student’s IEP.
-
School attendance is important.
Please do not plan vacations on instructional days—instead, plan trips when school is not in session.
An ISC will not be provided for family vacations.
Thank you for cooperating in scheduling vacations during non-instructional days and ensuring students are in school every possible day.
Sincerely,
Principal Luna
Sunday, January 29, 2023
Hello Muirlands Community,
Wednesday, February 1st
, will be our next
late start day
.
Our campus will open at 9:35 am, and our
classes will begin at 9:55 am
.
Grade-level assemblies were held last week.
It was an opportunity to kick off the second semester and recognize the accomplishments of our students.
I am proud of their achievements in semester one.
We discussed the importance of a positive start to the second semester, the resources on campus available for support, and the importance of acceptance and support of one another.
Please use this link to view our grade-level presentation.
Grade Student Recognition Assembly 1.24.2023
Please review with your student and monitor the criteria for participation at the end of the year school activities.
Criteria for End of Year Activities - Muirlands Middle
The
Black History Month Resource Guide
from the Equity & Belonging Division includes resources for educators, students, and families to honor and observe Black History Month.
All current
6th and 7th grader students
are asked to complete an
online 2023-24 matriculation form
with their parents.
The forms will be available on January 30.
The link to these forms is posted in your student's period one Google classroom, in the Dolphin Details, and on the
Muirlands Counseling
website.
On
Thursday, February 2nd
, LJHS will host a
parent night for parents of 8th-grade students
.
However, due to the renovation of the LJHS Auditorium, this event will be held via
Zoom Webinar at 6:00 pm
.
Please click the link to join the webinar:
https:
//sandiegounified.zoom.us/j/83011649900
On
Friday, February 3rd
, 8th-grade students will attend a
presentation by LJHS counselors
on high school information.
These presentations will take place during your student's history class.
In addition,
students will be given their matriculation/course selection forms for 9th grade
.
This form should be completed and signed by a parent.
On February 14th and 15th – LJHS Guidance counselors will meet 1:1 with all MMS 8th graders during their history class to review and collect matriculation cards/answer questions.
In addition, LJHS will contact students/families that are absent to collect matriculation cards.
The
District IT department will reset passwords for all students on Monday, January 30, 2023
.
Once the District resets the passwords, teachers will provide students with their new passwords.
Please remind your child not to share usernames and passwords with other students.
This reset process will only affect students.
Your Parent Portal usernames and passwords will not be affected.
Feel free to email Sandy Rodriguez at
srodriguez2@sandi.net
Sincerely,
Principal Luna
Sunday, January 22, 2023
Hello Muirlands Community,
We have a new safety measure at Muirlands.
This past week we installed an
electronic entry system
to our main office door.
Upon arrival at the main office, you will notice a new doorbell at the front entrance.
Visitors to our campus will now need to ring the doorbell, be recognized or state their business on campus, then be granted entry and "buzzed In.
"
The Physical Education department is committed to ensuring every student receives
quality swim instruction in 7th grade
.
As part of our swim program, students walk down to the Coggan Aquatic Center one week in the fall and one week in the spring.
The Muirlands swim program is funded entirely by the "
Happy Heart Jog a Thon
.
" The PE dept organizes this event with the foundation's help every year.
If enough additional funds are raised, the 6th-grade students are also included in the swim program.
More information on our Happy Heart Jog a Thon and swim program will come from your child's PE teacher!
Please come to support our stand-out student artworks and other SD County student artworks at the annual Youth Art Month Exhibition.
Please see the
YAM Flyer '23
for details.
SDUSD is seeking nominations for
The VAPA Spotlight Awards
.
Anyone may
nominate
a student, parent, teacher, school leader, or community art organization.
The deadline for nominations is Monday, Jan.
30, at 11:59 pm.
Please contact Russ Sperling
rsperling@sandi.net
if you have questions.
Please read the linked
Parent Newsletter
called, "
Middle School Parents Still Make The Difference!
" Each month, check the Muirlands "Counseling Website" for the
latest edition of this informative parent newsletter
.
8th-grade families
, please save the date of
May 10th
@
3:30 pm
for a LJHS PTSA-sponsored welcome tour for incoming students and families.
Principal Podhorsky, counselors, and students will present information to prepare incoming students for their transition to high school.
More information to come.
Please note, if you attend the May 10th tour, there is no need to attend the scheduled prospective tour on 2/15 and 4/11.
Sincerely,
Principal Luna
Sunday, January 15, 2023
Hello Muirlands Community,
I congratulate
Muirlands 2023 Teacher of the Year
,
Ms. Amy Hunt
!
We are very fortunate to have Ms. Hunt as part of our staff.
She is an incredible educator, advocate, and support to our students.
Tomorrow, January 16, 2023, our country celebrates a holiday in honor of
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr
.
Our school is closed tomorrow in observance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Day.
Please spend a portion of your day with your family to reflect on Dr. King’s life and work.
Let us be inspired by his call to serve and his efforts toward social justice and human rights.
Semester report cards
will be available to families on Friday, January 27th, 2023.
Muirlands uses the district’s
Digital Document Delivery Service
to email report cards.
Please verify your email address on file and that you have not opted out of receiving documents via Digital Document Delivery Service.
(See below instructions)
If you have questions, please contact Sandy Rodriguez @
srodriguez2@sandi.net
.
The Muirlands Foundation looks forward to the
Mingle event on 1/24/2023
from
6:30-8:30 pm
at the
La Jolla Community Center
.
Please join the Muirlands Foundation members, school teachers, and staff for a catered dinner by our business sponsor, Taco Surf.
In addition to the dinner, dessert options from Girard Gourmet, a signature cocktail, wine, beer, and soft drinks will be provided.
So let’s gather, mingle, and continue to build our Muirlands Middle School community.
Tickets are $35 before 1/18 and $50 till 1/22.
Space is limited.
This is an adults-only event.
Click
Muirlands Foundation's store
to purchase your ticket.
Please contact Marcia Branstetter @
mrsbranny@mac.com
if you have questions regarding this Foundation event.
Please remind your students that they must wear
closed-toe shoes
to school.
Please do not let them arrive on campus wearing pajamas, slippers, slides, or flip-flops.
I congratulate all Muirlands students participating in the Winter session Middle School Athletic tryouts.
Thank you for your support and willingness to represent Muirlands Middle school.
Over the past year, the SDUSD math team met with school communities to listen and share information about math.
This information will be used to draft a new accelerated math placement policy.
Please use the survey form below, if you are interested in providing input on the
math placement policy
.
SDUSD Youth Advocacy Department
has published a newsletter titled Intersections.
This
Intersections Newsletter
aims to advance intercultural understanding, education, and solidarity while reflecting the diversity of SDUSD's students, faculty, staff, and the community in which we live.
Effective
January 28th
, COVID testing will shift from weekly site testing to an
ALL HOME test kit model
.
Students who wish to test regularly or as needed after Jan.
28 can pick up a free home test kit from the Muirlands Health office through the end of the school year.
Home test kits will also be available at the Ed Center front desk M-F 8 am - 4 pm.
Sincerely,
Principal Luna
Sunday, January 8, 2023
Hello Muirlands Community,
The Muirlands Foundation looks forward to the
Mingle event
on
1/24/2023
from
6:30-8:30 pm
at the
La Jolla Community Center
.
Please join the Muirlands Foundation members, school teachers, and staff for a catered dinner by our business sponsor, Taco Surf.
In addition to the dinner, dessert options from Girard Gourmet, a signature cocktail, wine, beer, and soft drinks will be provided.
So let’s gather, mingle, and continue to
build our Muirlands Middle School community
.
Tickets are
$35 before 1/18
and
$50 till 1/22
.
Space is limited.
This is an
adults-only even
t.
Click
Muirlands Foundation's store
to purchase your ticket.
Please contact Marcia Branstetter @
mrsbranny@mac.com
if you have questions regarding this Foundation event.
Muirlands Middle School Athletic Teams
are now fully staffed with coaches.
We will begin our regularly scheduled practice/tryouts tomorrow.
Here is a link to our
Winter 2023 Practice Schedule SDUSD Middle School Athletics
.
Please contact our site Middle School Athletics liaison, Mr. Velasquez, @
cvelasquez1@sandi.net
if you have any questions.
Your students do an incredible job on campus by cleaning up after themselves during breakfast and lunchtime.
This may seem trivial, but 700 students could have an enormous negative impact on our campus climate if they do not all take responsibility for cleaning up after themselves.
Our kids are doing a great job this year!
Our
semester grading period closes on January 20th
.
Please remind your students to finish the semester strong.
If your child would like additional academic support, our
tutoring center
is open every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
We staff the tutoring center with credentialed staff and paraprofessionals.
Here is a link to our
Tutoring Schedule
.
Please contact your child's counselor for additional information.
Sincerely,
Principal Luna
Sunday, January 1, 2023
Hello Muirlands Community,
I hope you had a wonderful winter break and that this message finds you and your family well.
We look forward to welcoming back our students on
Tuesday, January 3, at 8:35 am
.
We have our next
late start day
on
Wednesday, January 4
.
Our
school day will begin at 9:55 a.m.
and dismiss as usual at 3:15 pm.
Our campus will open at 9:35 am.
As we return to campus, I want to thank our school community for their support in keeping our campus safe for students and staff.
Before winter break, we distributed two COVID test kits to our students.
We
encourage students and staff to test
tomorrow,
January 2nd
, and again on
January 5th
.
Testing is encouraged but not required to return to campus.
Additional test kits are available at the
Ed Center COVID-19 testing facility
.
We offer
COVID testing on-site every Friday
.
Parents/guardians must register and consent in the
Primary.Health website
For more information and to sign up for weekly testing, please check the district’s
COVID-19 testing website
.
SDUSD recently sent
attendance letters to all families
.
The purpose of this letter was to inform families of their child’s attendance thus far in the school year.
The district has received feedback regarding the language and purpose of the letters, and we can anticipate changes to the language and clarity of the letter.
Daily attendance is vital
to a student's academic and social progress.
However,
our student's health and well-being must continue to be our top priority
.
Muirlands will host our annual schoolwide
lunchtime soccer tournament
on
January 11 through January 20
, 2023.
This tournament is open to all Muirlands Students.
Sign-ups
for the tournament will be available from
January 4th - January 6th
.
All participating teams must be signed up by January 6th.
Students will receive more information through their PE classes this Tuesday.
8th Grade Families
- Please open the following link provided by the LJHS counseling department for information regarding the articulation process and important dates.
-
8th Grade Articulation Information 2022-23
Sincerely,
Principal Luna
Sunday, December 11
Hello Muirlands Community,
I want to acknowledge our talented and courageous artists that performed at our
Muirlands Got Talent
performances.
You all did a fantastic job.
In addition, I want to thank our ASB students, their advisor
Ms. Hunt
, and parent volunteer,
Ms. Yamini
, for organizing and supporting the event.
I also thank the Muirlands Foundation for organizing and funding our
Wellness Wednesday
presentation.
Those in attendance were treated to a very informative presentation regarding the impact of screen time and how to support their children with moderation.
Although the presentation was not recorded, the
material presented is available on Zoom
.
Please support our hard-working student
musicians
as they present an evening of great music on
December 15
, from
6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
, in the Muirlands Auditorium.
The Winter Concert will feature the Muirlands Concert Band and String Orchestra in their first performance of the school year.
Order your Muirlands Yearbook
Yearbooks are available on the
Jostens website
for $35 until December 31 and $40 starting on January 1, 2023.
You can
review this flyer
before ordering to make your online selections easier.
Also,
January 27, 2023
, will be the last day to:
- personalize
yearbooks (with a nameplate and/or icons on the cover)
-
submit a
recognition ad
on
www.jostensadservices.com
.
Recognition ads are only for
8th graders
.
For any questions, please contact Mrs. Rodé in the Muirlands Finance Office at
drode@sandi.net
.
Muirlands now has an online store for
Muirlands spirit ware
and accessories.
There is also an option to purchase alums and family clothing.
As a reminder, Fridays are spirit days on campus, and we encourage our students and staff to wear clothing that supports their favorite college, sports team, or Muirlands Middle School.
Please visit the site if you are interested.
https:
//sideline.bsnsports.com/schools/california/lajolla/muirlands-middle-school
Finally, at Muirlands, we believe in communicating openly about all matters that affect our campus.
As such, I am writing to inform you of an incident that occurred on Friday.
On Friday evening, it was reported that a student may have brought a weapon to campus.
Following this notification, we immediately contacted law enforcement, who visited the student’s home, and met with the student and their parents.
Police determined the report to be non-credible.
There was no threat to our school or the safety of our students and staff.
However, we continue to encourage our students to abide by the mantra, “If you see or hear something, you need to say something,” that Officer Noyes shared during our opening week assemblies.
Please take this opportunity to talk with your student about the consequences of making statements about weapons.
Also, please reinforce the importance of reporting any potential dangers they may hear about or see to a school official.
The safety and security of students and staff continues to be our top priority.
If you have any questions, please contact me directly.
Sincerely,
Principal Luna
Sunday, December 4
Hello Muirlands Community,
Wednesday, December 7th
, will be our next late start day.
Our campus will open at 9:35 am, and our
classes will begin at 9:55 am
.
Please add it to your calendar if you still need to commit to attending this week's
Wellness Wednesday Speaker Series
.
Our first in-person event will occur in the Muirlands auditorium on
Wednesday, December 7, 2022, from 5:30 - 6:45 pm
.
We welcome Ms. Nicole Rawson as she presents "Healthy Screen Time:
Research and Tools for Parents to Guide with Confidence.
" This presentation’s target audience is LJ Cluster parents of students in 5th-12th grade.
The presentation will contain some mature content and is
intended for adults only
.
Please open the following link for more information
Healthy Screen Time Presentation
.
Muirlands Got Talent
is back!
We will hold grade-level assemblies on
Thursday, December 8th
, for students to display their talent for their peers.
In addition, a Muirlands Got Talent evening show has been added!
So please join us for our first-ever Muirlands Got Talent evening performance on Thursday, December 8th, at
5:30 pm in the auditorium
.
The Muirlands Foundation is happy to announce the new
Muirlands Mix and Mingle
date is
January 24th, 6:30-8:30
, at the
La Jolla Community Center
.
Purchase tickets for $35 for an adult and find out
more details here
.
Middle School Athletics
winter season sign-ups will close on Monday, December 5th, 2022.
Our district will offer
soccer and volleyball
during the winter season.
See this Flyer
for more information.
If you would like to receive information regarding
SDUSD summer opportunities for students
, please log into your Parent Portal account and ensure that your “
Primary Phone
” is your cell phone number.
Otherwise, you will not receive information from the District for current offerings and summer opportunities.
To make this update, log in to your Parent Portal account and select the ADDRESS tab along the top menu.
On this page, you will see “Primary Phone” about halfway down.
Once you update the phone number, check the box that says, “ I certify that this information is true and accurate to the best of my knowledge,” and click “Save Changes” on the bottom right of the screen (you might need to scroll to the bottom of the page) and “submit to school for review.
”
If you need assistance with your Parent Portal account, please reach out to Mrs. Rodriguez at
srodriguez2@sandi.net
.
If you have other questions, please contact our main office at 858/302-3150 or email Ms. Duncan at
dduncan1@sandi.net
.
I want to share two health and safety opportunities for our school community.
First, SDUSD will offer a
Fentanyl awareness webinar
on
Tuesday, December 6th, from 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm
.
Please open
this flyer
to register in advance and for additional information.
The second is an invitation from SD County to attend an in-person or online listening forum regarding gun violence prevention and reduction.
Please
open this link
for dates and additional information.
Sincerely,
Principal Luna
Sunday, November 27
Hello Muirlands Community,
I hope you had time to relax and reflect on everything in life to be thankful for.
We look forward to welcoming our students back to school tomorrow.
Our campus will open at 8:15 am, and school will begin at 8:35 am.
Wednesday, December 7th
, will be our
next late start
day.
Our campus will open at 9:35 am, and our classes will begin at 9:55 am.
Tomorrow is one of the recommended days to utilize the
COVID Test kit
provided by the district.
Please do not send your child to school if they are feeling sick or experiencing symptoms of any cold-like virus until they start to improve and there is no fever for 24 hours (without the use of fever-reducing medication).
Keeping your sick child home will significantly benefit the health and wellness of our students and staff.
The Muirlands Foundation will
postpone the Muirlands Mixer
event to January.
The new date will be confirmed and posted soon.
Those tickets already purchased will be rolled to the new date.
If you want a refund or have questions, email Marcia Branstetter at
msbranny@icloud.com
.
With Gratitude,
Principal Luna
Sunday, November 13
Hello Muirlands Community,
We have postponed the "
Muirlands Got Talent
" talent show until
December 8
.
We currently have 24 acts that have auditioned for the show.
We look forward to seeing our students and staff shine!
The Middle School Athletics Fall season has come to an end.
I congratulate all our student-athletes for their outstanding job representing Muirlands Middle School.
Please visit the district's
Middle School Athletics - San Diego
website for our final standings.
Sign-ups for the winter season are now open and close on December 5.
Use this
Sign-Up Form
to sign your student up and receive information on tryouts.
Our winter sports season will feature soccer and volleyball.
All athletic teams are available to Muirlands students FREE of charge.
Please save the date of
November 30
to celebrate the amazing opportunities your contributions to the Muirlands Gives Campaign provides our children.
An invite will be sent next week to purchase tickets for an
evening to mix and mingle at the La Jolla Community Center
.
Did you know that thanks to the Muirlands Gives campaign, the Foundation is able to fund
after-school homework tutoring
, which is available to ALL Muirlands students at no cost?
With our Muirlands Foundation's support, we will again offer our
Wellness Wednesday Parent Seminar Series
.
Our first in-person event will take place in the Muirlands auditorium on
Wednesday, December 7, 2022, from 5:30 - 6:45 pm
.
We welcome Ms. Nicole Rawson as she presents "
Healthy Screen Time:
Research and Tools for Parents to Guide with Confidence
.
" This presentation's target audience is LJ Cluster parents of students in 5th-12th grade.
The presentation will contain some mature content and is intended for adults only.
Healthy Screen Time Flyer
I am happy to share the completion of two restrooms converted into
gender-neutral restrooms
for our students and staff.
The two restrooms are located on the west side of the administration building.
Sincerely,
Principal Luna
Sunday, November 6
Hello Muirlands Community,
As we approach the Veterans Day Holiday, I thank those in our community who have served and are currently serving our country.
We wish you all a Happy Veterans Day.
In recognition of the
Veterans Day Holiday
, SDUSD schools will be
closed this Friday, November 11
.
Please remember the reason we recognize our veterans on this day.
We are back to
daylight standard time
.
So please set your clocks back one hour today.
Our MGT (Muirlands Got Talent) is almost here.
If you could not make it to the first audition, we will have a
2nd audition
this
Wednesday, Nov 9th
.
So if you are interested in being part of the show, please come to the auditorium on Wednesday
during lunch
.
I want to thank our parents for their support and our students' daily dedication to attending school.
Our district recently shared attendance data for the first portion of the school year.
Muirlands attendance percentage
was number one within our La Jolla Cluster schools and
number two in our district
compared to all middle schools in SDUSD.
Please open the following link that shares why kids participate in viral social media challenges and how you can help them make responsible decisions.
Help Kids Navigate Viral Social Media Stunts
Sincerely,
Principal Luna
Sunday, October 30
Hello Muirlands Community,
We will have our next
late start
day on
Wednesday, November 2
.
Our school day will
begin at 9:55 a.m.
and dismiss at 3:15 pm.
Our campus will open at 9:35 am.
Thank you for encouraging your students to support our Red Ribbon Spirit Week.
We had a record number of students and staff participate.
I also want to
recognize our ASB students
and the leadership they are providing our campus.
The haunted house was fantastic!
It is your time to shine!
MGT (
Muirlands Got Talent
) is here!
!
!
Open to all musicians, singers, dancers, actors, comedians, magicians, and more.
Auditions
are on
Wednesday, November 2nd, at 3:30 pm
in the Muirlands auditorium.
The
Talent Show
will take place on
Wednesday, November 16th
, 2022.
Please use
this link
to sign up for the auditions and additional information regarding our talent show!
Muirlands is not permitted to administer Over Counter Medications to students without a doctor's order.
However, parents are welcome to bring their student medication.
We apologize for the inconvenience.
Halloween is this Monday, October 31st.
Please open the following link for our school guidelines regarding Halloween costumes.
Halloween Guidelines 22-23
As an effort to support the safety of our students and community, I invite you to open the following link for information on “Rainbow Fentanyl”
DEA Warns of Brightly-Colored Fentanyl Used to Target Young Americans
Sincerely,
Principal Luna
Sunday, October 23
Hello Muirlands Community,
Join Muirlands as we recognize
Red Ribbon Week
.
Each day this week, our
students will watch a short, inspirational, and thought-provoking video
in their first-period class.
We will also have a Red Ribbon Spirt Week to show our support for positive choices.
Please see the schedule below.
-
Monday:
Wear RED in Support of Red Ribbon Week!
-
Tuesday:
Stuffed animal day - Hugs not Drugs!
(bring a small stuffed animal to share your desk)
-
Wednesday:
Jersey Day - Wear your favorite jersey as we team up against drugs!
-
Thursday:
Hawaiian Day - Wear your favorite Aloha gear and lei off drugs!
-
Friday:
Crazy Hair & Sock Day - From head to toe, I am DRUG FREE!
The Muirlands teaching staff sponsor
many clubs
on campus.
So, if your student is looking for something fun to do, please have them consider joining a school club.
We currently offer the following clubs on campus:
Art Club, Chess Club, Coding Club, Debate Club, Filmmaking Club, Gender and Sexuality Alliance Club, Jeopardy Club, La Catrina Club, Math Club, Pet Club, and United Students Climate Awareness Club.
Please
use this link
for a description of the clubs and meeting times.
I would like to thank the Muirlands teaching staff for volunteering to sponsor these clubs on our campus.
For parents/guardians seeking enrollment for their child in a school other than the school of residence, the
Enrollment Options
Online Application is now open and
closes on November 15, 2022
.
Parents can submit an online Enrollment Options application via the School Choice, Magnet, and Voluntary Enrollment Exchange Program (VEEP) by accessing the district website at
https:
//www.sandiegounified.org/choiceapplication
.
This Friday,
October 28th
, ends the
nine-week grading period
.
Please use the Parent Portal to monitor your child's grades and encourage them to do their best as we conclude the first nine weeks of our school year.
Sincerely,
Principal Luna
Sunday, October 16
Hello Muirlands Community,
Our attendance clerk, Ms. Gabby, was promoted to a different position within the district.
She will be dearly missed, and we wish her the very best.
We currently have a vacancy for our attendance clerk position and are short-staffed in the front office.
This is a reminder to
please not drop off lunches in the office
as our office staff continues to be understaffed, and we do not have the resources to provide this service.
All students are currently eligible for a free and balanced lunch from our cafeteria if they ever forget to bring their lunch.
To report an absence, you can email
MMSSEC@sandi.net
or call the office at 858-302-3150, option 2, if your call is not answered by our office staff.
There will be a
computer event
for students to get a computer at an affordable price.
The event in
North County
will be held on
November 5
, 2022, and in
South County
on
December 3
, 2022.
Preregistration is required.
Registration details can be found at
https:
//qrco.de/sdcoenc
The
Dolphin Details
is up and running.
The Dolphin Details is a student-run school publication that is shared with our student body
every Monday
during their period one class.
Parents, please view the Dolphin Details with your students.
Only San Diego Unified emails can view the presentation.
Click here to check out the latest news by the students
If your student has misplaced an item on campus, please have them stop by outside of the main office to look through our collection of
lost and found items
.
Items that are not claimed this week will be donated to charity.
The district offers The Parent University for families to learn how to better support their students education.
Parent University – Family Engagement Department
Lastly,
picture make-up day or retake day
will be on
Thursday October 20
.
If your student was absent on our original picture day, their teacher will send them to the auditorium to have their picture taken.
However, if you did not like the original pictures from September 14 and WANT A RETAKE, you
MUST REQUEST a RETAKE
on the JostensPix's website
https:
//shop.jostenspix.com
Sincerely,
Principal Luna
Friday, October 7
Hello Muirlands Community,
Today I am sending out an early version of our Sunday Notes.
I want to share a couple of options for you to support Muirlands Middle School this weekend.
Please consider participating in the
Muirlands Gives campaign
Another option is to support this weekend's
La Jolla Art and Wine Festival
.
The LJAWF is a fun event that supports La Jolla’s public schools.
Each year school sites, in collaboration with parents, prepare and distribute a Parent & Family Engagement Policy, and a School-Parent Compact.
These documents can be reviewed by clicking on the links below.
The
Parent & Family Engagement Policy
describes how the school will involve the parents in an organized, ongoing, and timely way.
In addition, the
School-Parent Compact
describes the responsibilities of the school, the parent, and the student for improved student achievement.
Please ensure your students take
proper care of their district-issued netbooks
and store them in a safe location.
Families will be responsible for damage/loss of devices or chargers.
Halloween
is just a few weeks away.
Muirlands Middle School students are encouraged to dress up for Halloween on Monday, October 31st.
Please open the following link for our
school guidelines
regarding Halloween costumes.
Halloween Guidelines 22-23
If you know of a family that will be new to Muirlands or considering Muirlands for the 2023-2024 school year, please have them go to our counseling website or click the following link to sign up for a
Meeting/Tour for Parents of Incoming 2023-2024 Students
.
We offer six different meeting dates.
Our
first tour date is Friday, October 14th, 2022
.
Sincerely,
Principal Luna
Sunday, October 2
Hello Muirlands Community,
A reminder that we have our first
late start day
on
Wednesday, October 5
.
Our school day will begin at
9:55 a.m.
and dismiss as usual at 3:15 pm.
Our campus will open at 9:35 am.
We will host our first
SGT/SSC meeting
of the school year this
Thursday, October 6th
.
The meetings will be held in the school library at
7:15 am
.
The CORE SEL Survey administration scheduled for Monday, October 3, 2022, has been postponed by the district until further notice.
Again, we thank you for your cooperation.
Our Media class is launching
Dolphin Details
!
Dolphin Details is a student-run school publication that will be shared with our student body every Monday during their period one class.
We anticipate the Dolphin Details to include special announcements, events, student work samples, staff interviews, and student recognition.
We look forward to viewing the creativity of our students.
LJHS
will host a
blood drive
on
October 4th
.
There is an urgent request for types O negative and O positive blood.
The blood drive will take place on Tuesday, October 4, 2022, from
8 am-1:30 pm
at
La Jolla High School
- in the
Little Gym
.
The drive is open to all Parents, Caregivers, Teachers/Staff, and Community Members.
A photo ID is required, please arrive hydrated, and walk-ins are welcomed.
SIGN UP!
mysdbb.org/donor/schedules/drive_schedule/73819
Reminder, we now have
skateboard racks
available for our students.
Students must bring their locks each day
.
All locks need to be removed at the end of the day.
The skateboard racks are located outside of the 100 bldg.
All bikes, scooters, and skateboards must be walked on and off campus.
As we are constantly evaluating how we can make our campus safe for our students and staff, we have a couple of updates.
The first is
for our students not to run through the hallways and around campus
.
The second is we are starting to see students bringing Yo-Yos on campus.
Unfortunately, these are being used in densely populated areas, and I am concerned that a student might accidentally get hit.
Therefore, at this time, we will allow the
use of yo-yos on a limited basis
.
They are allowed out
only at lunchtime and in the PE area
, where there is enough safe space to play.
Yo-yos are not allowed out at any other time or place on campus.
Find your voice with the
Muirlands Debate Team
, where you will learn about communication, argumentation, and current events through parliamentary debate.
Bring a partner to debate and your friends!
The Debate Club will meet
Tuesdays from 3:30 - 4:30 p.m.
in room 303.
Sincerely,
Principal Luna
Sunday, September 25
Hello Muirlands Community,
I
thank all parents and guardians
for attending last week's Back to School Night.
Our community participation was incredible.
I was able to visit all classrooms and was so proud of the evening our staff prepared for you.
In addition, I
thank our Muirlands Foundation
for supporting our teachers on one of our longer days.
Our campus has ten clubs up and running, and the list is growing.
I want to recognize our teachers for volunteering as club advisors.
Please share our
current school club list
.
Clubs - Muirlands Middle
.
I encourage you to establish a schedule to
monitor your student's academic progress
.
Please utilize your PowerSchool parent portal.
Powerschool Portal Sign-In
.
If your child would like
additional assistance
from our staff, please use the following link to view our teacher's office hours.
2022 - 2023 Teacher Support for Students
As a reminder, we have some great
activities
and opportunities planned for our students this year
that require minimal attendance, academic, and citizenship performance
.
These include our end-of-the-year grade-level activities, middle school athletics, dances, and more.
If you would like to review our
end-of-the-year activity guidelines
, please visit this link
Criteria for End of Year Activities - Muirlands Middle
.
Each year the district is responsible for collecting information from our students’ families to
support the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) process
.
The LCFF is legislation that changed how all local educational agencies (LEAs) in the state are funded, how they are measured for results, and the services and supports they receive to allow all students to succeed to their potential.
Please
visit the PowerSchool Parent Portal and complete the LCFF form
.
This link
LCFF Parent Portal Help
will give detailed instructions on completing it.
If you need further help, please contact Deb Duncan at
dduncan1@sandi.net
or 858/302-3150.
We thank you for your continued support in educating our middle school citizens!
Part of what makes us effective as educators is
understanding the needs of our students
.
The
SEL Core Survey
is provided by our district to students twice a year for just that purpose:
to ensure we know our student's social and emotional needs.
The survey will measure students’ competencies in a growth mindset, self-efficacy, self-management, and social awareness, including student perceptions of school climate and culture.
This survey will take approximately
25 minutes
to complete.
Students will take the survey via our District’s
Illuminate online platform
.
Our school and educators will use data from the survey to continue to support students’ needs.
All children in grades 4 –12 are scheduled to participate.
If you
wish for your child to NOT participate in this survey
, please email School Counselor, Mr. Velasquez (
cvelasquez1@sandi.net
),
by Tuesday, September 27th at noon
.
Picture Make-Up Day or Retake Day
will be on
Thursday, October 20
.
If your student was absent on Picture Day, teachers will send them to the auditorium to take their picture.
However, if you did not like the original pictures from September 14 and WANT A RETAKE, you
MUST REQUEST a RETAKE
on the
JostensPix's website
(You will see a button at the top of the page).
Picture Day - Muirlands Middle
Sincerely,
Principal Luna
Sunday, September 18
Hello Muirlands Community,
This
Wednesday, September 21, 2021
, is our
Back to School night
.
Join us in the Auditorium for a quick meeting (5:15 p.m.-5:30 p.m.) Principal Jeff Luna and Foundation President Hedieh Yamini will share information.
Parents/guardians will visit their child's classrooms as they follow our modified bell schedule.
During the classroom presentations, teachers describe the curriculum and learning goals, share upcoming projects, identify available support, and more.
Please use the following link for back-to-school night details and a class schedule template your child can fill out.
Muirlands Back to School Night letter
|
Muirlands Back to School Night SPANISH
The first
progress report grading period
will
close on October 28, 2022
.
I encourage you to monitor your child's academic progress periodically through the Parent Portal.
Please use the Parent Portal sign-in link:
https:
//powerschool.sandi.net/public
.
If you need assistance accessing the Parent Portal, please use
this following link
or contact Mrs. Rodriguez @
srodriguez2@sandi.net
.
After School Tutoring
in the library began last week, and we had a great turnout.
Please have your child stop by our drop-in tutoring program if they need a place to complete an assignment or assistance.
The tutoring center is open from
3:20 - 4:40 p.m.
on
Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays
.
In addition, there will be a late activity bus departing Muirlands at 4:45 p.m.
Seeing our students dressed for success for picture day this past week was great.
As a reminder, you can
order your student's pictures online
.
Please
use this link
for picture ordering information.
Each year our district receives over $8 million in
Impact Aid funding
.
This is not automatic – we must apply for it each year.
The U. S. Department of Education requires that a Federal Impact Aid Survey be conducted on a common day every year and a claim be filed based upon the cards received.
We are not allowed to use enrollment cards for this purpose.
To apply, we need information from you.
Your response helps increase the dollar value of the district's claim.
Federal Impact Aid Surveys will be mailed directly to families on or before October 5, 2022
.
Please take a moment to complete and submit this form.
The
safety of your children
and our community is of utmost importance.
Therefore, I ask that all families follow the safety procedures for pick-up and drop-off we have in place to maximize the safety of our students and staff.
Unfortunately, several families haven't followed the guidelines, creating an unsafe environment for our children and staff and slowing traffic flow.
This can be frustrating for the drivers who follow the rules and encourage others to break the safety rules or traffic laws.
In addition, this makes for unnecessary and awkward situations for our supervision staff that need to ask you to please move your vehicle to ensure the safety of our students.
Please
do not
:
- Double park
your vehicle.
You are establishing an unsafe condition for your child to cross in front of and behind parked cars, blocking the bike lanes, and breaking the law.
- Stop in the red curb area
.
The red curbs establish a line of sight to oncoming traffic for pedestrians and vehicles to exit or enter the parking lots.
- Stop in the marked bus loading zone
.
These areas are reserved for our school buses.
- Ask your students to cross the street at unmarked intersections or through traffic
.
Your efforts are appreciated.
Save the date!
The
La Jolla Art and Wine Festival
will return to downtown La Jolla on
Saturday, October 8, and Sunday, October 9
, 2022.
All profits raised benefit La Jolla's public schools
.
Art, music, science, physical education, and technology programs all benefit.
Since its inception, the La Jolla Art & Wine Festival has donated more than $1,000,000 to these schools for the educational benefit of more than 4,000 children.
Please
visit their website for more information
.
Please consider joining one of our site leadership committees.
We currently have vacancies for our
School Site Council
(SSC) and our
Site Governance Team
(SGT).
Please
submit this nomination survey
if you are interested.
SSD/SGT Nomination Form
The
School Site Council
is a governing body responsible for deciding how to spend Title l and LCFF funding to improve the instructional program here at Muirlands Middle School.
The School Site Council members work together to set goals for improving student achievement at the school and allocate the funds to accomplish those goals.
The
Site Governance Team
works together to make long-range decisions and changes to promote student academic, social and physical growth.
We have
3 Parent/Community Member opening
s for the coming school year.
The teams meet every first Thursday of most months at 7:15 a.m. in the school library.
This is a
two-year position
.
A year membership term is October 7, 2022, through September 2023
.
Agendas for meetings are posted on the Muirlands Middle School website at least 72 hours before the meeting, and we post the minutes on our website once approved.
Please submit this nomination survey if you are interested.
SSD/SGT Nomination Form
Please join SDUSD as we recognize
Hispanic Heritage Month
and honor the Latinx population's contributions.
https:
//www.sandiegounified.org/hispanic_heritage_month
Sincerely,
Principal Luna
Sunday, September 11
Hello Muirlands Community,
Muirlands
Picture Day
will take place on
Wednesday, September 14
.
Jostens photography uses a "Green Screen" technology to customize your student's picture background.
Therefore, please do not wear green clothing for your picture, as green clothing will disappear with the green screen.
Also, we will ask that students not wear hats or headgear for their official school photo.
Please save the date of September 21, 2022, for our Muirlands Back to School Night.
Please open the link following to view our informational flyer.
Muirlands Back to School Night letter September 21, 2022
Parents of 6th and 8th Grade Students:
Sexual Health Education Program Parent Preview
will be available following our Back To School Night on Wednesday,
September 21
, from
7:00-7:45 pm
Please join sixth and eighth-grade science and SHEP educators for an informative preview of topics covered in the two-week sexual health unit.
SHEP lessons are presented at the end of the first semester for eighth graders and at the end of the second semester for sixth graders.
Parents of sixth-grade students
will meet in
room 302
.
Parents of eighth-grade students
will meet in
room 403
.
(Attendance is optional.
Contact your child's Science teacher with questions.
)
Please open this link to view the
State Wide Assessment Annual Parent Notification
.
After School Tutoring
will begin in the Muirlands library on Tuesday, September 13.
Tutoring will be available from
3:20 pm - 4:40 pm
on
Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays
.
There will be a late activity bus departing Muirlands at 4:45 pm these days.
Game cart-
Please let your children know that card and board games will be available during lunch every Friday.
Look for the Link Crew with the game cart between the lunch area and the office.
Student Chromebooks and chargers
-
Students must bring their Chromebook and charger to school each day.
-
There are a limited number of Daily Loaner Chromebooks that students may borrow.
-
After borrowing five times, each subsequent borrow in the semester will result in the student being assigned lunch detention.
-
Chromebooks are issued for academic work.
Games, videos, and music are not allowed except as assigned by a teacher.
Chromebook Care
-
Students should keep their Chromebooks in working order, free of stickers, markers, and other substances.
-
Students should set their backpacks down gently and refrain from closing their lockers forcibly when the Chromebook is inside their backpack.
Loss, Damage, and Replacement
-
Chromebooks and chargers that are lost or damaged due to willful intention or negligence will be charged $100 for Chromebooks and $15 for chargers.
A replacement will be issued immediately.
Our
Muirlands Foundation
will meet on
Thursday, September 15
, 2022, at
8:45 am
in the Muirlands library.
Please join me for our next
Principal Chat
on
Friday, September 16
, 2022, at
11:00 am
in our school library.
Sincerely,
Principal Luna
Sunday, September 4
Hello Muirlands Community,
I thank you and your student for a wonderful first week.
It has been a pleasure to welcome our students back to school.
Tomorrow is a school holiday as we recognize Labor Day.
The holiday is rooted in the late nineteenth century when labor activists pushed for a federal holiday to recognize workers' contributions to America's strength, prosperity, and well-being.
I want to share a few informational items and asks.
Lunch Service Update
The lunch lines were busy at the beginning of the week but are running much more smoothly now.
However, we also have an indoor service area available to our students.
The
inside service has a salad bar and entrees
.
I assure you all students have an opportunity to pick up lunch if they choose to do so.
Please remind your child that
card and board games
will be available during lunch
every Friday
.
Look for our Link Crew Students with the game cart between the lunch area and the office.
In addition, we have a dedicated seating area with a variety of board and card games for our students to use.
We ask for your assistance in
limiting the number of non-essential visits and contacts on the campus
.
Please do not bring lunches to the office for delivery to your child's classroom.
As an option - all students are welcome to a free cafeteria lunch again this school year.
Families do not have to sign up to receive a free lunch.
The district recently updated its
menu website
.
Please "
Click Here to View Your School Menus
"
Also, please
plan birthday and other celebrations outside of the school day
.
Unfortunately, we do not have the staffing to deliver and supervise cakes and gift deliveries during the school day.
Drop Off, Pick Up, Crosswalks, Skateboards, and Electric Bicycles
Remember to
follow safe practices and the law
when picking up and dropping off your student.
If your child needs to cross Nautilus for pick-up and drop-off, please direct them to use the crosswalk.
PLEASE!
!
!
- If your child rides an electric bike to campus, discuss safe practices with them.
I have observed and received several calls from the community regarding
dangerous riding behaviors
.
These include exceeding the speed limit, weaving in and out of traffic, multiple people on one bike, riding on the sidewalk, not wearing a helmet, and doing stunts on bikes while traveling along with traffic.
We have a newly installed
skateboard rack
on campus.
Students will need to bring a padlock to secure their board.
If you need assistance with the skateboard rack, please see Principal Luna.
A reminder that students must walk bikes and skateboards through the parking lot and on campus.
First Day Packets
Thank you to all the parents/students who submitted their First Day Packets.
If your student did not return their completed packet this week, please take the time to read over the documents and return the completed packet to their first-period teacher as soon as possible.
The first item listed on the packet is our '
K-12 Enrollment Form 2022-2023
'.
Parents, please remember to log in to the PowerSchool Parent Portal and update ALL information for this item.
If you need assistance, there is a link titled:
'
K-12 Enrollment Form Instructions for Parent Portal
.
' After you have submitted the information for review, you should receive a message stating that information is being submitted to the school and that you will receive an email notification once the information has been approved.
Please print this message/email notification
and include it in the first-day packet.
If you need login information, please contact our Site Tech, Mrs. Rodriguez @
srodriguez2@sandi.net
.
Please continue to contact me if you have any questions or constructive feedback.
Enjoy your extended Labor Day weekend!
Sincerely,
Principal Luna
Thursday, September 1
Hello Muirlands Community,
Student COVID Testing:
Keeping our students safe, healthy, and IN SCHOOL is our #1 priority.
Monitoring the health of our students and staff is crucial in ensuring we are taking the steps necessary to maintain a safe and healthy environment for all.
SDUSD will once again offer
weekly COVID-19 testing
on-site to those families that choose to take advantage of this service.
Please click here
if you have not signed your child up for testing and would like them to test.
Thank you to all who have already filled out this form.
Testing will take place on the Muirlands campus
every Friday from 12:00 - 3:00 pm
.
Students will have their first opportunity to test
Tomorrow, September 2, 2022
.
Our teachers will announce to their classes when testing is available for their students.
Students will then leave class and receive the test and promptly return to class.
Testing will also be available for students during lunchtime if they choose to test
.
Testing Schedule:
- 6th Grade - Period 4
- 7th Grade - Period 5
- 8th Grade - Period 6
Important- Our students who have signed up for testing will have the option to test each week.
As this testing is voluntary, parents, if you do not want your child to test on any particular Friday, please share that information with your child and instruct them to remain in the classroom when the teacher delivers the prompt to leave for testing.
Please get in touch with our health office if you have questions.
Sincerely,
Principal Luna
Tuesday, August 30
Hello Muirlands Community,
I hope all are well and your children can share some positive experiences from their first two school days.
Today your child attended a
grade level assembly
.
Please ask them to share their experience.
Some of the topics discussed and shared were:
- Our Dolphin Ticket Reward System
- Middle School Athletics
- Our School Citizenship Rubric
- Lunchtime Procedures and Available Activities
- School Picture Day- Wednesday, September 14, 2022
- Our School Dress Code
- Technology/Cell Phone Policy
- Bullying/Harassment Reporting
- Criteria for our End of the Year Grade Level Activities
First Day School Packets:
First Day Packets were sent home yesterday through the student’s first-period class.
Please take the time to read the documents and
return the completed packet to their 1st-period teacher no later than Friday, September 2, 2022
.
The first item listed on the packet is our ‘K-12 Enrollment Form 2022-2023 (Update Your Information)’.
You will need to log in to the PowerSchool Parent Portal and update ALL information online for this item.
If you need assistance, please refer to our Muirlands website.
There is a link titled:
‘
K-12 Enrollment Form Instructions for Parent Portal
.
’ After you have submitted the information for review, you should receive a message stating that information is being submitted to the school and that you will receive an email notification once the information has been approved.
Please print this message/email notification and include it in the first-day packet.
Step-by-step instructions to Update the K-12 Enrollment Form (Update Your Information) through the Parent Portal:
English
or
Español
If you have not created a parent account and need login information, please contact our Site Tech, Mrs. Rodriguez, @
srodriguez2@sandi.net
.
Voluntary COVID Testing
will take place each
Friday from 12:00 - 3:00 pm
on the Muirlands campus.
Please click here to sign your child up for weekly testing for the 22-23 School Year.
Please reach out to the school if you have questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Principal Luna
Sunday, August 28
Hello Muirlands Community,
I hope you and your families are well.
The Muirlands staff is excited to welcome your student to campus tomorrow and begin our year together.
The Muirlands staff spent this past week preparing for your student's arrival.
We have worked this week to establish a warm and welcoming environment to ensure their school year and arrival back to campus is a positive experience.
Your child's
class schedule is now accessible in PowerSchool
via the Student/Parent Portal.
If you need assistance with Parent Portal, please contact our Site Tech, Mrs. Rodriguez
srodriguez2@sandi.net
.
All students must pick up their "Official" schedule as they enter campus tomorrow.
Our campus will
open tomorrow at 8:10 am
.
There will be a lot of car traffic on Nautilus; please plan your student's arrival accordingly.
In addition, many students will be biking and walking to school; please be aware of your surroundings during drop-off and pick-up.
As we will be diligent in maintaining a safe and healthy campus for our students and staff this year,
only students will be allowed on campus tomorrow morning
.
We will do a tremendous job supervising, assisting, and supporting your student tomorrow and this year.
Additional Information
Netbooks
Please remember to
bring a fully charged district netbook
tomorrow.
Those students who do not currently have a district netbook will check one out from our library this week.
Sixth-grade students that did not exchange their netbooks during orientation and students that do not currently have a district netbook will receive their netbooks this week.
School Bell Schedule
Please use this link to view our school schedules
Bell Schedule
Technology, Textbooks, and Materials
Muirlands will issue student Chromebooks, textbooks, locks, and lockers during the first week of school.
Muirlands staff will distribute these items to our sixth-grade students on Wednesday, our seventh-grade students on Thursday, and our eighth-grade students on Friday.
Food Services
SDUSD will continue to provide free meals to all students.
Families will not need to apply to be eligible for the free meal program.
Student lunch PINs are located on their official schedule.
Please continue to check your email and our website for information.
We know this is a lot of information to process.
Please get in touch with the school if you have questions or need assistance.
We look forward to a wonderful and impactful year.
Sincerely,
Principal Luna
Friday, August 25
Hello Muirlands Community,
I hope this message finds you well and enjoying these last few days of summer vacation.
The
first day of school is August 29th
.
The school will begin at 8:35 am.
We will
open our gates by 8:10 am
on our first day, so our students have ample time to pick up their official class schedule.
Staff members and our Link Crew Team will be on standby to assist and support our students with their class schedules.
Here are some reminders as you begin to prepare for the start of the year:
-
Students will not suit up for their physical education classes during our first week of school.
However, your child’s PE teacher will share specific information regarding the first day to suit up and how to purchase a PE uniform during the first week of classes.
-
Before the first day of school, please take a moment to
review our school dress code
with your student.
Link:
https:
//muirlands.sandiegounified.org/handbook_policies/school_policies/dress_code
- Mandatory Use of District Computers in classrooms
:
To enable our staff to better support our students in the classroom, Muirlands will require all students to use district-issued computers in all classrooms beginning this school year.
As a result, students will not use personal computers in the classroom.
-
We have filtered water dispensers thought our campus.
Please send your child to school with a refillable water bottle.
-
If you are a student new to Muirlands and could not exchange your current district-issued Chromebook for a new one at Tuesday’s orientation, please bring your current Chromebook to school starting Monday.
You will have an opportunity to exchange for a new Chromebook during the first week of school.
>
-
To ensure the safety of our students,
Muirlands does not allow student pick-up and drop-off in our school parking lots
.
Therefore, please plan where you will meet your child for pick-up if needed.
-
On our first day of school, parents are welcome to escort their students to our main gate area but will not accompany them onto campus.
Staff and our wonderful Student Link Crew will be available to assist our new students.
Important Dates
- Friday, August 26th
-
Principal Chat
, via Zoom, 11:00 am-12:00 pm
https:
//sandiegounified.zoom.us/j/84300517398
- Sunday, August 28th
-
Unofficial student schedules
will be available in PowerSchool.
- Monday, August 29th
- our first day of school.
The Muirlands campus will open at 8:10 am.
All students will pick up their official color-coded schedule in the school quad
.
The official color-coded schedule is required to enter classes on the first day of school.
- Student picture day
will take place on Wednesday,
September 14th
, 2022.
- Back to School Night
will be held in person on
Wednesday, September 21st, 2022, from 5:15 - 7:00 pm.
Please monitor your email for additional information.
In addition, we encourage all families to sign up for the Muirlands Foundation e-Splash.
The e-Splash is a weekly newsletter filled with important information and resources.
Sign up here
https:
//lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/MRJQ9f0/signupforesplash
.
Our staff is anxious to welcome your students back to campus.
We look forward to a wonderful school year.
Please reach out to the school if we can assist in any way.
Sincerely,
Principal Luna
Friday, August 19
Hello Muirlands Community,
I hope all are well.
I want to share a correction to a previous message and a few updates.
Muirlands Orientation:
Muirlands will host two new student orientation sessions on
Tuesday, August 23rd
.
The sessions are identical, but families should plan on attending only one session.
We ask that all attendees monitor their COVID systems and stay home if they are symptomatic.
The first orientation session is
10:00 am - 12:00 pm
.
The second session is
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
.
Please join us in the auditorium at the beginning of each session for a short presentation and welcome.
In addition,
we will serve a complimentary lunch from 12:00 - 1:00 pm.
Sixth-grade students that bring their current district-issued Chromebook and charger will exchange them for a new Lenovo Chromebook during our orientation event.
Those students new to SDUSD are not required to return a Chromebook and charger.
COVID Information and Testing on Campus:
Muirlands will offer weekly COVID testing on campus.
Our testing will take place on Fridays.
To sign your child up for weekly COVID testing, please
click here
.
Please check the SDUSD COVID website for additional district information.
COVID-19 Information
Mandatory Use of District Computers in Classrooms:
To enable our staff to better support our students in the classroom, Muirlands will
require all students to use district-issued computers
in all classrooms beginning this school year.
As a result,
students will not use personal computers in the classroom
.
Please ensure your students are taking proper care of their netbooks and storing them in a safe location.
Families will be responsible for damage/loss of devices or chargers.
Here are two links to reinforce the proper use of their assigned computer.
Chromebook Care video
|
Chromebook care lesson slides
Please contact Muirlands if you have questions or need assistance.
Have a wonderful and safe weekend.
Sincerely,
Principal Luna
Monday, August 15
Hello Muirlands Community,
I hope you're enjoying your summer in our beautiful city or wherever you're traveling.
We're two weeks away from our first day of school.
Our school year will resume
Monday, August 29th, at 8:35 am
(campus will open at 8:10 am).
On the first day of school, all students will report to the quad area to pick up their "Official Schedule.
"
COVID-19 MITIGATIONS & MASKING
-
Effective Monday, August 15, masks are strongly recommended but no longer required for district employees, students and visitors.
- We will continue air filtration mitigations with MERV-13 filters and/or air purifiers in each room.
Middle School Athletics
Students in grades 6-8 will now have the opportunity to participate in organized team sports this fall.
Registration is now open
for basketball and track & field.