The Mustang Round Up
September 18th, 2022
Mustangs Return to Campus
Thank you for visiting!
On behalf of the Mustang staff, we want to thank everyone who was able to attend Back to School Night. A very special thank you to our MMO for arranging the food trucks and frozen yogurt. The schedule for Back to School Night can feel rushed going from class to class and makes it difficult to slow down for a conversation. The open campus and food trucks definitely helped our staff and parents connect before that rush began. It was our first time hosting the food trucks and we will certainly plan for them again in the future. Other than the location of classrooms, the two most common questions our team heard was regarding grading and parent involvement. Standards-based grading is certainly different than what many of us experienced in middle and high school and can be tough to fully understand. As a school, we'll continue to share different resources to help educate families on the practices and, most importantly, rationale for standards-based learning. I highly recommend anyone with specific questions or concerns to ask their student's teacher. For those who want to go deeper into SBL be sure to check out this parent-facing website the district has created. The other common question from last week was about parent involvement and where could parents find more information about helping out the school. Right now, the quickest way to help is by supporting our parent organization, the MMO. They are currently in the midst of their annual pledge drive which helps many of the programs on campus. They also have monthly meetings on the second Tuesday of the month at 9am that any parent is invited to attend. To learn more about how you can help the MMO, please visit their webpage here.
Thank you again for all of your support last week,
Josh Way, Ed.D
Principal
Free Online Tutoring Now Available for Students: HelpNow
The California State Library provides free online tutoring for California K-12 students, available through public libraries. Through HelpNow, live real-time homework assistance is available 24 hours a day by laptop, tablet, or phone from qualified tutors using state curriculum and standards.
24/7 assistance is available in English and Spanish for Language Arts and Mathematics.
Every day between 10:00 am and 10:00 pm, assistance is available in core K-12 subjects in the following languages:
- English
- Spanish
- Mandarin
- Cantonese
- Vietnamese
- Tagalog
Who's Who at Marshall...
MMS is excited to introduce you to Marshall ELA teacher, Jean Chalupsky. Ms. Chalupsky brings a wealth of experience and passion to our campus. Not only does she teach a full schedule of classes but is also the English Department Chair. Here's more about Ms. Chalupsky:
How many years in education? I started as a classroom TA at Jerabek Elementary in 1989. I was in graduate school, and assumed I would teach English at the college level (particularly the junior college level where I had such magnificent professors). I soon ended up teaching writing through the GATE department. I decided to get a multiple subject credential as well as a single subject credential in English. I left Jerabek in 2008 and moved to Marshall Middle School.
What is your favorite thing to do on the weekend? On weekends, I like to take yoga classes, read, hike beaches and trails, ski, work in the garden, swim, and volunteer.
What impact do you hope to make at Marshall? I hope kids remember that they matter, their ideas matter, and that they are empowered to make a difference. If I can help them feel seen and heard, and encourage them to see and hear others, I will be happy with my career at Marshall. Of course, I hope I can inspire them to read deeply and write well. But, I am most interested in them being decent human beings who can problem-solve and co-exist.
6th Grade Overnight Camp
MMS is so excited to host our 6th Grade Overnight Camp at YMCA Camp Marston in Julian. For those attending, we have an optional planning meeting on Thursday, Sept. 22 at 6pm in the MPR. The goal of this meeting is to cover specific details about equipment and gear. Don't forget to watch the Camp Marston Orientation Video.
Important Reminders:
- Camp 1 is scheduled for 10/10-10/14. The ELA classes that will be attending this camp are Custer, Lacson (Ethridge-Fan), Kole, and Wright (per. 2).
- Camp 2 is scheduled for 10/17-10/21. The ELA classes that will be attending this camp are Ingles, Karch, McDaniel, and Wright (per. 4)
- Both groups of students will leave MMS on Monday at 9:00am and return on Friday at 12:00pm.
- The required forms:
- Camp 1- SDUSD Permission Slip; Health History Form
- Camp 2- SDUSD Permission Slip; Health History Form
- Once filled out, bring signed copies to their ELA teacher. Forms must be turned in before departure
- *Important- Please note on the Health History Form that any student who is currently under regular doctor’s care for asthma, a heart condition, seizures, diabetes, or recent hospitalization must have a doctor’s authorization prior to departure. The doctor’s authorization form is on the back of the Health History Form posted above.
To learn more about camp be sure to read the Camp Marston Parent Guide for a detailed description of camp activities, packing list, and policies of Camp Marston.
ASB Corner
Hello Marshall Middle parents! We hope you had a great time at Back to School Night meeting your students' teachers last week! We were all happy to have you back on campus!
Here’s what’s happening at Marshall:
Lunchtime clubs have started for students to join. Clubs that have started so far include:
- FCA, Drama club, Dungeons and Dragons Club, and GSA Club.
Be sure to check out our ASB Webpage and new posts on social media. Follow us on TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram.
Stay tuned for our first Spirit Week, coming in October!
Some Things to Consider...
“They're just these vessels of emotion in every way that is beautiful and complicated.” What a great description of the middle school years. During this time of year when students and parents are talking about camp and deciding if they want to go, conversations seem to ebb and flow between what students want and what they need. This quick article offers some insights into how learning experiences for middle school students need to be different from those in elementary school. This article suggests that in middle school they need new opportunities for exploration to help shape identity and ignite passions.