Sunday, October 1, 2023
Hello Muirlands Community,
What a great job everyone did with Spirit Week. Thank you, parents, students, staff, and our ASB team, for a fun week!
A reminder that Friday, October 6, 2023, is a non-instructional day. Enjoy the three-day weekend!
The La Jolla Art and Wine Festival is next weekend, October 7th and 8th. Proceeds benefit our school and our fellow cluster schools. Volunteers from Muirlands are needed to help at the event. The LJAWF silent auction is now live and open for you to bid and help the success of the festival. And don’t forget to attend the event.
On Monday, October 2nd, our students will have an opportunity to commit to the No Place for Hate Pledge.
As we continue to ensure a safe, respectful, supportive, and inclusive campus, our students and staff will have an opportunity to take the No Place for Hate Pledge. Our ASB Students will pass out dolphin-shaped papers to students and staff who wish to sign their names and commit to the No Place For Hate Pledge.
Message from the SDUSD Family Engagement Department: The Family Engagement Department and Instructional Technology are pleased to provide an overview on navigating the PowerSchool Parent Portal. Families will learn how to access features such as: how to communicate with their student’s teacher, access grades, attendance, and specific standardized test scores records.
Please join us Wednesday, October 4, 2023 from 5:30pm to 6:30pm or Thursday, October 5, 2023 from 10:00am - 11:00am at the Zoom Link: https://sandiegounified.zoom.us/j/89694316809 or Zoom ID: 896 9431 6809.
Interpretation services start 15 minutes before each session.
If you need interpretation in another language, please click on the link and fill out the form at least 3 days ahead of the workshop:
https://forms.gle/q3phGumNNaM3STDs9
For more details, please see the Family Engagement website calendar at SDUSDfamilies.org.
Sincerely,
Jeff Luna, Principal
Sunday, September 24, 2023
Hello Muirlands Community,
Muirlands will have our first Spirit Week of the school year this week. All staff and students are encouraged to participate. Monday is “Decade Day.” Please dress to impress in your favorite Decade attire! Here is the link for the entire week: Spirit Week 9/25-9/29
To preview and purchase your child's school portraits, please visit Jostens eCommerce site at https://shop.jostenspix.com and our school website, School Website Picture Day page, for more information.
If you did not like the original pictures from September 15 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). Our picture retake day is October 10, 2023.
The Muirlands Foundation invites you to join us and Muirlands staff on October 19th at The Lot in La Jolla from 6-8 p.m. for our annual Muirlands Mixer. Please click on this link https://donate.onecause.com/muirlandsmixer2023-24 for more details and to purchase tickets for yourself or to sponsor a staff member.
We had a great turnout at last week's first Foundation Meeting of the school year. I thank all who have shown up in support of our Foundation. The Muirlands Gives campaign is off to a great start. Thank you all who have supported this campaign. https://donate.onecause.com/muirlandsgives
Some important facts regarding your contributions:
- 84% of our budget goes towards Curriculum and Student Support (field trips, clubs, after-school sports, staff for tutoring, teachers working during prep)
- 12% of our budget goes towards School Support (campus upgrades, raptor security system)
- 96% of our budget goes directly to our students and the staff that support them.
We are officially up to 10 Muirlands Clubs on campus. There is a strong correlation between a student's connection to their school and their academic success and well-being. I encourage you to have your child participate in one or more of our school clubs. Thank you to our teaching staff who volunteer their time to make these activities available to our students! Please use this link for more information about our school clubs: Clubs - Muirlands Middle.
Sincerely,
Jeff Luna, Principal
Sunday, September 17, 2023
Hello Muirlands Community,
What an incredible turnout for our Back to School Night. Our community participation was amazing. I am 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.
Please save the date for the Muirlands Mixer scheduled for October 19th. This year's event will be held from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. at The Lot. This event is always a lot of fun for our staff and community!
I would like to thank all the parents and community members who have offered their services to serve on our SSC/SGT committees. Please take a moment and vote for your representative.
SGT/SSC Parent Election Form
The first nine-week progress report grading period will close on October 27, 2023. Please periodically monitor your child's academic progress through the Parent Portal. Please use the Parent Portal sign-in link: https://powerschool.sandi.net/public.
If your child missed picture day this past Friday, we will have a make-up opportunity on October 10, 2023.
Sincerely,
Jeff Luna, Principal
Sunday, September 10, 2023
Hello Muirlands Community,
This Thursday, September 14, 2023, is our Back to School night. Join us in the Auditorium for a quick meeting (5:15 p.m.-5:30 p.m.). Please use this link for back-to-school night details and a class schedule template your child can help you complete.
Principal Luna and Foundation President Ms.Yamini will share information. Parents/guardians will visit their children’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.
Our Sexual Health Education Program “SHEP” curriculum presentations for parents of our 6th and 8th grade students will start at 7:00 p.m.
- Parents of sixth-grade students will meet in room 302.
- Parents of eighth-grade students will meet in room 404.
(Attendance is optional. Contact your child's Science teacher with questions.). The presentation starts directly following the Back to School class presentations.
We have several Muirlands Clubs up and running. Please utilize this link: Clubs - Muirlands Middle for the latest information on clubs offered at Muirlands. I thank our staff for providing these opportunities for our students.
Picture day is Friday, September 15, 2023. The students will take their school pictures during their Physical Education class. Please click this link for photo and ordering information. Here are a few things to remember:
- There will be a “Green Screen” background for the pictures. The green screen allows you to choose your background when ordering pictures. Please do not have your child wear green, as green will not appear in the picture.
- Please ensure their photo outfit is in line with the Muirlands dress code.
- Students will be asked to remove their hats for the school photo.
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.
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.
- For families with a student who rides a bike, skateboard, or scooter to school, please ensure your child knows the rules of the road and practices safe riding. Muirlands requires all students who ride to school and bring their bike/scooter/skateboard on campus to wear a helmet.
Sincerely,
Jeff Luna, Principal
Sunday, August 27, 2023
Hello Muirlands Community,
Monday Sept. 4 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 hope all can enjoy this holiday with family and friends.
Muirlands currently has three parent/community member positions available for each of the following two essential decision-making groups. These groups are the School Site Council and the Site Governance Team. If you want to nominate yourself or someone else for these positions, please complete and submit the following forms. These groups meet from 2:30-3:30 p.m. eight times a year. Please open the document below for details on how each group supports Muirlands.
SSC/SGT parent and community nomination form
Back to School Night: Our BTSN will take place on September 14, 2023, and begin at 5:15 p.m. with a short presentation in our school auditorium. You will then have the opportunity to visit your child's classrooms and hear from each teacher. This event is typically very well attended. Due to space limitations, we ask Muirlands students not to attend this event. The information and staff presentations are intended for the parents/guardians.
Sexual Health Education Program-6th and 8th Grade Parents:
The Sexual Health Education Program Parent Preview will directly follow Back To School Night. Please join 6th and 8th-grade science teachers and SHEP educators for an informative preview of topics covered in the two-week sexual health unit. SHEP lessons will be presented at the end of the first semester for 8th graders and at the end of the second semester for 6th graders.
Thursday, September 14 from 7:00-7:30 p.m.
- Parents of 6th grade parents will meet in room 302
- Parents of 8th grade students will meet in room 404
The La Jolla Art and Wine Festival is in its 15th year and will occur on October 7th and 8th. The Festival is an important fundraiser for the five local public schools. As one of those five schools, we invite you to participate in its success. Please consider volunteering for a shift, bringing friends and family to attend the festival and checking out the silent auction, https://LJAWF23.givesmart.com which goes live 9/29/23. However, you can preview items now.
We have had several COVID-19 cases on campus. If your child is symptomatic or sick, please keep them home. Test kits are available for pickup at Muirlands. Any non-symptomatic adult can stop by Muirlands main office to pick up a kit to test your child. If your child is COVID-19 positive, please contact Muirlands and then use this link or email [email protected], to report the positive case to the SDUSD tracing team. The SDUSD Contact Tracinging Team will then notify contacts of possible exposure. Please remind students to wash their hands and practice other safety measures. We continue to have each room equipped with a MERV-13 air purifier and hand sanitizer.
Muirlands after-school tutoring center is now open. The tutoring center is open every Tuesday and Thursday from 3:20- 4:50 p.m. This is a drop-in program, and sign-ups are not required. The Tutoring Center is staffed with Muirlands teachers and classroom support staff. I would like to thank the Muirlands Foundation for the financial support of this incredible program.
Sincerely,
Jeff Luna, Principal
Sunday, August 27, 2023
Hello Muirlands Community,
Thank you and your student for a wonderful first week. It has been a pleasure to welcome our students back to school.
I would like to share with you the following information.
Grade Level Assemblies
We held our first Grade-Level student assemblies on Wednesday. Please take a moment to review the slide deck Grade Level Assemblies Opening of School August 23 and guidelines. I encourage you to pay special attention to the End of Year criteria.
No Place for Hate
As we continue our work to ensure all students feel safe, are seen, and feel included on our campus, we look forward to earning a No Place for Hate school designation. Please open NPFH Parent Letter 8-27-23 for more information regarding this designation and how you can get involved as a parent.
PE Uniforms
Students will need to have their PE uniforms this week on Tuesday to put in PE lockers. Wednesday will be the first day that students suit up. If you ordered PE clothes online, have your student pick up their uniform in the office before school or during lunch. If you still need to order, you may do so on the Foundation Online Store or at the school’s Financial Window. Click here for more information about PE, including directions on how to write your student’s name on the uniforms.
Chromebook Parent Management System
At Muirlands, we use a computer management tool that allows staff to monitor and control the Chromebooks used in the classroom. This tool also has a parent component that will enable parents to control and monitor their child's district Chromebook during non-instructional hours. Please use Blocksi Parent Job Aid to learn more about this tool.
PowerSchool and Parent Portal
We ask parents to log into PowerSchool and verify or edit their current information each year. If you have no changes, you still must log into PowerSchool to verify and confirm that no changes were made. The information you provide is used to deliver essential documents, including progress reports, report cards, and other important/emergency messages from SDUSD.
Parents, please log in to the PowerSchool Parent Portal and update ALL information for this item. If you need assistance, there is a link titled: Enrollment Form - Power School - Muirlands Middle. After you have submitted the information for review, you should receive a message stating that the information has been submitted to the school and that you will receive an email notification once the information has been approved. If you need login information, please contact our Site Tech, Mrs. Rodriguez, @ [email protected].
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 serves entrees. All students can pick up breakfast and lunch at no cost if they choose to do so.
Drop Off, Pick Up, Crosswalks, Skateboards, and Electric Bicycles
Parents, please be cautious as you pick up and drop off your student. Nautilus Street and the bike lanes are very busy during these times. Remember to follow safe practices and the law when picking up and dropping off your student. Do not double park for pick up and drop off. If your child must cross Nautilus for pick-up and drop-off, please direct them to the crosswalk.
PLEASE!!! - If your child rides an electric bike, skateboard, or scooter to school, discuss safe practices and riding laws with them. Students must wear a helmet if bringing their bike, scooter, or skateboard on campus. A reminder that students must walk bikes, scooters, and skateboards through the parking lot and on campus.
After School Activities
After-school Clubs will be organized by students in the next few weeks. When information becomes available, we will post it here: muirlands.sandiegounified.org/students/clubs
Outside vendors also offer two after-school classes for a fee: Teen Trendsetters/Sewing with Shapes and Media Computing class with Python. See our website for all the details: muirlands.sandiegounified.org/students/extra_curricular/after_school_enrichment_classes
Middle School Athletics
Middle School Sports will start for Muirlands on August 29. The Fall season will offer Basketball, and Track and Field. Tryouts/practices are held Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:40 - 5:10 p.m. There will be two weeks of tryouts/practice where students can still sign up and participate before coaches submit a final roster to the Athletics Office. See the SDUSD Athletics website for details and to register: sdusdathletics.com/middle-schools/
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 past week, please take the time to read over the documents and return the completed forms with your required signatures and information to their first-period teacher as soon as possible.
Please continue to contact Muirlands if you have questions.
Sincerely,
Jeff Luna, Principal
Tuesday, August 22, 2023 - Recap of Day One
Hello Muirlands Community,
Thank you for your support and for entrusting the Muirlands staff with your children. We had a great first day. I visited every classroom today and was very impressed with the enthusiasm and participation of our students. The Muirlands teachers prepared their classrooms and curriculum to ensure a positive learning environment as we welcome your students back on campus. I hope you have time tonight to talk with your student about their first day at school.
Our gates will open at 8:15 am tomorrow morning.
A few items as we prepare for day two.
- A manilla packet went home with your child today. Please review the enclosed documents following the provided instructions. Several documents require your signature and must be returned to the school. Your child should submit the signed documents to their period one teacher.
- Please remember to have your child charge their Chromebook every night and bring a fully charged SDUSD Chromebook to school daily.
- Lunch lines are always long the first week of school as our students figure out “The System.” Please be patient. Bringing a sack lunch is another option. This year we have brought back our salad bar. Please remind your child of this option.
- Our students will review the Muirlands handbook this week. The handbook is available on the Muirlands website 23-24 Muirlands Handbook. Please take some time to review the handbook with your student. Pay special attention to reviewing the cell phone and dress code policy with your student. Your support in ensuring your child's attire aligns with our dress code is appreciated. When a student's attire does not meet the dress code, he/she/they will be asked to remedy the issue in one of the following ways:
The student will be asked to:
- Change into appropriate alternative clothing from their PE locker
- Change into clothes provided by the office
- Call home from the office to request a change of clothes
Muirlands staff will address non-compliance with the dress code respectfully and professionally. Students who repeatedly make clothing choices that do not adhere to the dress code will face consequences for defiance.
Lastly, I want to thank you all for your cooperation this morning with drop-off and dismissal. Your diligence in creating a safe environment for our students and staff is appreciated.
Please feel free to share your constructive feedback regarding our opening.
Sincerely,
Jeff Luna, Principal
Sunday, August 20, 2023
Hello Muirlands Community,
I hope you and your families are safe and doing well. At this time, our schools will open TUESDAY AUGUST 22. Please continue to monitor your phone calls and emails for updates from Superintendent Jackson regarding the potential effect of Hurricane Hilary on the first day of school. I will immediately notify our community if there are significant changes to our opening plan.
The Muirlands staff is excited to welcome your student to campus and begin our year together. We spent this past week preparing for your student’s arrival. This past week emphasized establishing a warm and welcoming environment to ensure their school year and arrival back to campus is a positive experience.
The first order of business for our students on Tuesday is to pick up their “Official Schedule.” If the weather dictates, we plan to move our schedule distribution from our quad area to our auditorium. If the distribution is moved to the auditorium, students will enter campus through the auditorium, not our front gates.
Our campus will open at 8:05 am. Please use caution when dropping your student off for school on Tuesday. In addition to the current weather situation, there will be a lot of car and foot traffic on Nautilus. In addition, many students may be biking and walking to school, so please be aware of your surroundings during drop-off and pick-up. Please use this link to view our school schedules, Bell Schedule.
Only students will be allowed on campus Tuesday morning. We will tremendously supervise, assist, and support your student on Tuesday and this year.
Your child’s class schedule is now accessible via the Student/Parent Portal in PowerSchool. If you need assistance with Parent Portal, please contact our Site Tech, Mrs. Rodriguez, @ [email protected]. All students must pick up their “Official” schedule as they enter campus Tuesday morning.
Please remember to have your child bring a fully charged district Chromebook and charger on Tuesday. Sixth-grade students who did not exchange their netbooks during orientation and those who do not currently have a district netbook will receive their netbooks this week. We will have a team of adults ready to support our students experiencing Chromebook issues.
Of course, we hoped for a beautiful San Diego day for our opening. However, we will adjust and excel as we have repeatedly done these last few years. I am extremely confident in our team at Muirlands to make Tuesday's opening a success!
Please email me @ [email protected] if you have questions regarding Tuesday's opening.
Sincerely,
Jeff Luna, Principal
Friday, August 11, 2023
Hello Muirlands Community,
I hope this message finds you well and enjoying these last days of summer vacation. On behalf of the Muirlands staff, allow me to warmly welcome all new and returning Muirlands students and families. I hope you are as enthusiastic as we are, anticipating an incredible year working together in partnership.
The first day of school is August 21st August 22nd. School and classes will begin at 8:35 a.m. We will open our gates at 8:05 am on our first day, giving our students ample time to pick up their official class schedule. Student schedules will be available for preview in PowerSchool on Sunday, August 20th. However, all students will need to pick up their official class schedule on the first day of school in the school quad.
On Tuesday, August 15th, we will host a New Student Orientation for all incoming 6th-grade students and those 7th and 8th-grade students that are new to Muirlands. We will offer two orientation sessions for our new Dolphins. Both sessions will begin in the school auditorium.
- Session One: 9:30-11:30 am - for families of students whose last name begins with A-L*.
- Session Two: 12:30-2:30 pm - for families of students whose last name begins with M-Z*.
* If you cannot make the suggested session based on your last name, please join us at the alternate session.
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 members and our Link Crew Team will be present to assist and support your students with their class schedules and questions.
Please use this link Bell Schedule -- Muirlands 2023-2024 to view our bell and modified days schedule for the 2023-24 school year. Please note that we have a modified release time of 2:20 pm every Wednesday.
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. 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 school.
- Before the first day of school, please take a moment to review our school dress code with your student. Your support in ensuring your child leaves for school in attire that aligns with the Muirlands Dress Code is appreciated. Link: School Dress Code
- 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. As a result, students will not use personal computers in the classroom.
- We have filtered water dispensers throughout our campus. You are encouraged to send your child to school with a refillable water bottle.
- All incoming 6th-grade students will receive a new Chromebook from Muirlands. 6th-grade students should bring their current district-issued Chromebook and charger to Tuesday’s new student orientation and exchange it for a new Chromebook. If you cannot make the orientation, you will have the opportunity to exchange your Chromebook during the first week of school.
- To ensure the safety of our students, Muirlands does not allow student pick-up or drop-off in our school parking lots. Therefore, please plan where to meet your child for pick-up as needed. If your child rides a bicycle, skateboard, or scooter to school and wants to secure it on campus, they must arrive wearing a helmet. Muirlands provides bicycle and skateboard/scooter racks on campus. Students must bring their own lock.
- The Muirlands Foundation is a significant and long-standing contributor to our school’s success. Please ensure you are signed up to receive weekly e-Blasts by visiting the Foundation website at www.muirlandsfoundation.org. A HUGE thank you and much appreciation to our returning president Hedieh Yamini, who will continue to coordinate the important work of partnering with and supporting the Muirlands Middle School students, staff, and community.
- Muirlands has a school website: www.muirlands.sandiegounified.org. Here you will find the school calendar, access to teacher webpages, excellent links and shortcuts, staff directory/email contacts, and much more. Please bookmark it!
- Muirlands has two full-time counselors on site. Mrs. Dominguez (student last names A-L) and Mr. Velasquez (student last names M-Z), will be responsible for ensuring all students are placed in the appropriate classes. If you or your student would like to contact your child's counselor, please email them directly, call them, or visit the counseling website Muirlands Counseling and complete the Request to See My Counselor Form. We worked hard to give 7th and 8th grade students their 1st or 2nd choice of electives, and to enroll all students in the appropriate core subject courses.
- Muirlands will issue textbooks, locks, and assign lockers to students during this first week of school. Muirlands staff will distribute these items to our sixth-grade students on
Tuesday, August 22 Wednesday, August 23, our seventh-grade students on Thursday, August 24, and our eighth-grade students on Monday, August 28.
- Registration for Muirlands Fall Middle School Athletics Basketball Teams, and Track and Fields Teams is now open. Please use the following link to register your student. Middle School Athletics – San Diego Unified School District
- SDUSD will continue to provide free meals to all students. All students can receive one free breakfast and lunch daily. Please remember to complete and submit the Meal Application that will be a part of the first day packet your child brings home on day one.
- And finally, I have included the link to the Muirlands Welcome Back FAQ Handbook. This handbook is designed to assist Muirlands families as we open our school year. We have tried to provide answers to many of your potential questions in our handbook.
Important Dates
- Sunday, August 20th - Unofficial student schedules will be available in PowerSchool.
Monday, August 21st - Our first day of school. The Muirlands campus will open at 8:05 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.-
Back to School Night will be held in person on Thursday, September 14, 2023, from 5:15 - 7:00 pm.
- Student picture day will take place on Friday, September 15, 2023.
- Friday, September 22 - Principal Chat, Muirlands Library, 9:00 am-10:00 am.
I know this is a lot of information to process. Please contact the school if you have questions or need assistance.
Our staff is anxious to welcome our students back to campus. We look forward to a wonderful school year.
Sincerely,
Jeff Luna, Principal
Friday, August 4, 2023
Hello Muirlands Community,
We are excited to welcome all incoming 6th graders and their families to Muirlands’ Orientation Day on August 15th, 2023.
We will offer two orientation sessions for our new Dolphins!
- Session One: 9:30-11:30 am - for families of students whose last name begins with A-L*.
- Session Two: 12:30-2:30 pm - for families of students whose last name begins with M-Z*.
* If you cannot make the suggested session based on your last name, please join us at the alternate session.
We will begin the orientation promptly at the listed start time with a short welcome and presentation in the school auditorium. Please allow yourself time to park and arrive at the auditorium by the start time. During your visit, students and families will be shown around the campus by our student Link Crew. Our Link Crew is composed of 7th and 8th graders who have volunteered to become Muirlands ambassadors to welcome and support our new students.
In addition to the tour, your student can participate in a scavenger hunt to learn more about their new campus. Muirlands staff members, club representatives, sports teams, and outside vendors will be on campus to inform students and families about activities for the 2023/24 school year.
Please bring the SDUSD netbook and charger cord your child was issued in elementary school. Our librarian, Ms. Vintika, will be available to exchange your child’s old netbook for a new Muirlands netbook.
You will have the opportunity to purchase your child's Physical Education uniform as well. Uniforms will be available for try-on and purchase on the day of orientation. However, you can save time by pre-ordering uniforms on the Muirlands Foundation Online Store. All online orders must be picked up in person. Please print and bring your online receipt to pick up your pre-purchased clothes at Orientation. You can also pick up your online purchased clothes after school starts in the Muirlands office.
In addition, if you are interested in purchasing Muirlands spirit wear for you or your family, you can visit the following ASB-sponsored link: Muirlands Dolphins - Sideline Store - BSN Sports.
Finally, please plan on joining us on the Muirlands lunch court after each session for a complimentary pizza lunch.
If you have questions about Orientation Day or want to volunteer, please contact Raquel at [email protected].
We look forward to seeing you all on September 15th!
Sincerely,
Your Muirlands Middle School Orientation Team