Madison Middle School
June 18th, 2021
Isaac Butts Final Video of the Year
21/22 Registration Information
Oceanside Public Library Cards
Four Lessons Learned from a Wonderful Father
Wisdom often burrows itself deepest into our hearts during tough times. It’s through such fire that true character is developed. It’s also during such spots that our kids are probably watching us the closest and wondering, “How’s Dad going to react to this one?”
During my lifetime, I’ve had the opportunity to hear many stories of wonderful fatherhood, few of which had to do with dads stringing together lots of wise words. Rather, the majority involved modeling great character during times of adversity. Here are four important messages kids can learn from watching their fathers.
My love for you is steadfast.
My father was the proud owner of a brand new car. This being the one and only vehicle he owned that had less than 100,000 miles on it and had paint that shined. He always tucked it safely in the garage upon return from work each evening.
One day as I returned home after school, my bike accelerated into the garage as if it had a mind of its own, smashing rather violently into a shelving unit. The shelves teetered, tottered, and eventually spilled their assortment of heavy hand-tools onto the hood of that shiny new Chrysler. I was okay. The car was not.
Even though I spent many hours making restitution for this blunder, I never found myself wondering how I stood in my father’s eyes and heart. This has held constant over my lifetime, even when my mistakes were far more serious than a scratched automobile.
I love you enough to keep my promises.
Are limits promises? When kept, do they show that we love our kids enough to keep them safe and show them how to live peaceful and productive lives? “My dad’s word was always gold,” a young dad shared during one of our trainings. “He didn’t have many rules for us, but the ones he provided were always backed with action.”
Mastering my anger, I’ll show you how to be a strong person.
I struggle with this one the most. Even knowing Love and Logic inside out, I sometimes find myself too quickly riled by small things done by my kids, other family members, fellow drivers, and electronic devices. Perhaps the first step in mastering any problem is to admit that you have a problem. It’s an old idea, but it’s a good one.
A mentor of mine, gray-headed and wise, shared a nugget of wisdom with me, “Be a teapot not a pressure cooker.” Teapots admit their feelings and vent some steam. Pressure cookers look relatively calm on the outside, until they suddenly explode.
There are times when it’s truly healthy to say to a child, “I’m really angry about this. I’m going to have to do something about it. We’ll talk later. I make better decisions when I’m calm.”
Searching for humility.
When we place ourselves too high, we have a long way to fall. Possibly the greatest challenge facing our society are the messages sent to youth about self versus others. In various ways, too many young people are being convinced that showing off is more important than showing consideration and respect.
Humility is tricky. When we think we have it, we are probably falling into the ironic trap of feeling a bit superior about being humble. It can be very elusive and those with the greatest humility never consider themselves to have found humility. They just keep searching, and thus showing their children what it truly looks like.
Every Father’s Day, we honor our dads. We celebrate those brave men who choose each and every day to give these gifts to their children, even though they may not have received them from their own dads. We also remember that none of us are perfect and that focusing too much on our shortcomings usually causes us to repeat them. To all the dads who are oftentimes too hard on themselves, remember to show yourself the same kindness and forgiveness that a loving father shows his children.
Thanks for reading! If this is a benefit, forward it to a friend. Our goal is to help as many families as possible.
Dr. Charles Fay
Exciting New Opportunities for Students, Design Labs come to Madison!
We are excited to announce the expansion of our PLC (Personal Learning Communities) initiative to offer 7th and 8th grade students a content or subject specific Design Lab where they can pursue a skill or passion outside of the main core classes. In a way, this class is their second elective! The class will maintain a few of our PLC elements such as mentoring, character building, advisory, etc. but for much of the week students will explore and learn in their Design Lab content!
Students will begin by showing their interest in classes they would like for their design lab. Based on what students select, Madison will determine which design labs to offer next year. Students will then be scheduled into design labs with consideration of their interests and academic needs.
What do I need to know?
Students will have the opportunity to enroll in a Design Lab each semester.
Most design labs are 1 semester in length, but there may be some that are a full year.
The purpose of Design Labs is to support the expansion of our PLC initiative by allowing students to pursue a skill, passion and/or real world problems outside of a main core class!
Descriptions will be sent out to students next week.
Madison will work very hard to match students with their interests; however, we cannot make any guarantees due to student demand and staffing. Design Lab switches may not be accommodated once the semester begins. Students will switch Design Labs at semester.
All interests are due by Wednesday 5/26/21. Students who don’t select by the due date will be placed in a design lab that has available space.
Sneak Peak: Design Labs
Advanced Coding and 3D Printing
Video game design/coding and 3D printing- what could be better? Computers II builds upon the concepts learned in Computers I. Explore various types of coding software, including Scratch, Gamestar Mechanic, Code Warriors, Code Avengers, and others. Learn to code games through object oriented programming as well as JavaScript. 3D design through Tinkercad and SketchUp with real-world applications. Keyboarding is practiced daily
Entrepreneur Study
In this course, students will learn the ins and outs of running a business, from ordering products, managing a schedule, working as a cashier, managing employees, and dealing with money such as taxes and deposits. Students will also learn how to prepare for interviews and how to make yourself stand out for an employer.
This course would require time outside of class so that we can sell products such as school supplies and food to everyone on campus.
Mixed Media Arts
This class gives students a chance to explore a wide range of media including fiber and textile arts, collage, painting, drawing, sculpture, and more. Projects are developed for students to express themselves through their work and vary from session to session. This course will also offer in-depth exploration of techniques and new ways to see, use, and interpret found objects. Students will create multi-directional compositions with a variety of materials, paint, images, found objects, and other materials. Students will develop technical skills and personal style.
Topics include:
- Dyeing, batik, shibori (indigo), tie-dye, natural dyes, resist dyeing, cyanotype.
- Stitch Arts: Hand and machine sewing, quilting, embroidery, samplers.
- Paint & Pencil: Acrylics, watercolors, graphite.
- Yarn and Fiber: Knitting, crochet, weaving, macrame, friendship bracelets.
- 3D Arts: Wire-working, jewelry and beading, stuffed plushes, clay, candle-making.
Video Game Design
Study the aspects of video game design and examine the successful and unsuccessful traits of a large variety of video games. Then as a class embark on the process of designing the ideal game. Including art, character design, Storyboarding, dialogue scripting, game mechanics and level progression, marketing, music, sound effects etc. If time and resources permit use Unity software or other programing tools to make a basic version of the game.
Creative Writing
In this course, students will learn to share their thoughts in a fun and creative way. Students will learn how to write characters, plot twists, and genre specific pieces.
Aspiring Authors
Do you dream of becoming a published author someday? Well, Christopher Paolini wrote his first novel, Eragon, when he was fifteen years old. So “someday” can start NOW! In this course, you will learn the fundamental strategies and techniques used by published authors for planning and writing your own novels!
Book Club
What’s better than reading? Reading with friends! In this class, you will group up with friends to read and discuss the books that interest you most.
World Explorers
This is a class for kids who dream of traveling the world. We’ll explore the cultures, sights, and histories of the world’s coolest travel destinations as well as the practical requirements that it takes to get there. We’ll finish up the semester by applying what you’ve learned to plan your very own Bucket List trip to a destination of your choice.
Mysteries in History
Was King Tut murdered? Did the Trojan Horse actually exist? Was King Arthur a real person? Who really discovered the Americas? In this class, we will investigate some of history’s greatest and most pervasive mysteries.
Race Cars and Roller Coasters
On 3 different engineering projects, students will use design thinking in order to create a product. Students will create carbon dioxide dragsters, prop racers, and very large marble roller coasters from cardstock and other materials. In addition to using design thinking, students will also enrich their understanding of the physics principles involved in motion.
Madison Middle School
Email: vivianaboring@vistausd.org
Website: https://mms.vistausd.org/
Location: 4930 Lake Boulevard, Oceanside, CA, USA
Phone: 7609400176