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Husky Highlights 1-5-26

Posted Date: 01/05/26 (07:09 PM)


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Husky Highlights

Happy New Year and Welcome Back!

January 5, 2026
Four women stand together in front of a 'Winter Dream' banner, smiling.

Principal Mendez's Message

We are so proud of our Huskies and grateful for our teachers and staff!

Dear Husky Families,

Welcome back and Happy New Year! We’re excited to continue this journey together and keep promoting our PAWS values:
  • Positivity – share kindness and encouragement.
  • Accountability – take responsibility for actions and choices.
  • Willingness – always be ready to do your best.
  • Success – strive for excellence in everything you do.
Let’s make this semester a time of growth and achievement for every student!
 
Safety Reminders for Families
To help keep our students safe, please review these important guidelines:
  • Helmets are strongly encouraged (and required by law for riders under 16).
  • Riders should obey all traffic signals and posted signs.
  • Riders should dismount their E-Scooter or E-Bike before crossing a crosswalk.
  • E-Scooters and E-Bikes must follow the same rules as bicycles on the road.
  • Devices should not be operated on school campuses unless specifically permitted.
  • Students should never ride with multiple passengers unless the device is designed for it.
  • Night riding requires lights and reflective gear for visibility.
Thank you for helping us keep everyone safe!

FAST PM2 Testing
The FAST PM2 testing window is winding down. If your student was unable to take the PM2 assessment prior to the holiday break, they will be scheduled for a retake before January 15.
If you have any questions, please reach out to our testing coordinator at Jennifer.Cooper2@ocps.net.

“Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.” – Robert Collier
Thank you for your continued support and partnership. Special shoutout to our parents who serve in our SAC and PTSO! Your support and dedication have been PAWSome! Thank you for the support with recognition funds and delicious luncheon for our staff.

Let’s continue to share how Amazing Avalon Middle School is!

In leadership,
Marisol Mendez
Principal

A group of people in festive holiday sweaters pose for a photo in a room decorated with Christmas trees.
Two people in festive onesies pose for a photo, one in yellow and the other in black with holiday-themed pants.

Evening of Excellence Information

Evening of Excellence is dedicated to celebrating the outstanding academic accomplishments of our students. This special evening will highlight their hard work, commitment, and dedication to success. We are proud to announce updated information for our Evening of Excellence ceremony held on May 19, 2026. To better honor our students’ achievements, the following criteria has been updated. Students will be awarded this year as follows:
Evening of Excellence – Eligibility
 Academic Excellence
Awarded to students who have earned all A’s during the first three marking periods on their Report Cards for the current school year. 
 Academic Achievement
Awarded to students who have earned a combination of A’s and B’s during the first three marking periods on their Report Cards for the current school year. 
 Pride of the Pack- 8th grade only
A prestigious award reserved for 8th grade students who have demonstrated consistent excellence through academics. 
For 8th grade 4.0 GPA for 3 years, a student must earn:
A for the FINAL GRADE in EACH 6th and 7th grade class (since we often get only final grades for student who transfer in, we do not penalize students who have been at Avalon MS all 3 years for getting, for example, a B for Q3 in 6th grade math as long as the final grade in that class is an A). A B as a final grade in a high school honors class will be calculated as an A.
AND
A’s for EVERY (counting weights for honors classes) quarter during their 8th grade year
Quarter 4 is not used in the current year as the ceremony is BEFORE final grades are in.
 Notes:
 -Any core/required academic class (including reading, if it was required) taken through any virtual school will be taken into account for Evening of Excellence purposes.
 -Classes taken at any high school will not be taken into account unless it is a core academic class. (Example: Algebra II does count; Italian does not)
 -Any additional elective classes (Example: student takes 7 classes at Avalon but chooses to take computers through FLVS) will not be counted.
 Students MUST have grades for all quarters to be considered; i.e. student moves here in December but we never received Q1 grades – student is ineligible since we cannot verify GPA for Q1.

A man in a black polo shirt holds a pastry and wears a festive Santa hat on his hip.
Two women in festive sweaters stand near a buffet table laden with holiday food.

SAC & PTSO

SAC and PTSO dates

-Mark your calendars for our SAC meetings for this school year: 9/22, 10/27, 11/17, 2/23, 3/23, and 4/27.
-No meeting in January
Thank you to everyone who supported with the recognition funds process. You are PAWSome!!
A diverse group of young students in light blue t-shirts sit in chairs, holding musical instruments, ready to play in a band.
PTSo promo
A classroom is decorated for the holidays with colorful string lights and festive displays.

Huskies Learning & Thriving!

We’re thrilled to spotlight the amazing work happening in our classrooms! It’s inspiring to see so much engaged learning, collaboration, multisensory approach to learning and hands-on activities that help our students thrive.
Our teachers are creating dynamic learning environments where students can collaborate, think critically, and enjoy the process of learning. Thank you for your dedication, creativity, and commitment to excellence. You make our school a place where Huskies grow strong—academically and personally.

Great job Ms. Emig, Mr. Macri & Ms. Torres for providing our Huskies with great learning and hands-on experiments in STEAM, and writing tools.
Let’s keep growing in excellence!
Four girls huddle around a table, examining papers and objects under a bright light.
Four children huddle around a whiteboard, working on a math problem together.

Wishlist for ELA/Reading and PE Departments

Please help our ELA/Reading Department:
6th ELA classes: pencils, colored copy paper, and note cards
7th ELA classes: pencils, sticky notes
8th ELA classes: large sticky note posters, sticky notes, and pencils
Reading: large sticky notes and pencils

PE Department:
Paper Towels, Lysol Wipes, Band Aides, Laundry Detergent, Fabric Softener, Hand Sanitizer, Feminine Products (Pads and Liners), Travel Size Deodorants, Tissues, Ziplock bags (multi sizes). If you are able to donate please drop them off at your convenience at the front office. Thank you! -PE Team

Mark your Calendars!

-Basketball Tryouts (First Day) -1/7/2026, 3:15 p.m.
-PAC Meeting Room 628-E-Sports 8:20 a.m.
-Jan. 12th 2026- Rising 7th and Rising 8th grade Presentation for Electives ( 6th during S.S. 7th during Science)
-Rising 8th grade Course Registration PowerPoint Presentation 1/12/2026 all day
-Jan 15th Elective Fair during 6th lunch
-Elective Fair 7th grade Lunch
-Literacy Week 01/26/26 to 1/30/2026
-NJHS Information Session for Parents 1/28/2026 6:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m.
-Basketball Home vs Corner Lake  1/26/2026  5:30 p.m.
-Basketball Home vs Legacy 1/2//2026 5:30 p.m.

Athletics:
Boys and Girls Basketball Tryouts will begin Wednesday, Jan 7th , after school in the gym.*MUST have an APPROVED up-to-date SPORTS Physical uploaded to the AKTIVATE website.
A diverse group of children wearing festive Santa hats and holiday-themed pajamas stand together outdoors.
Five people in festive holiday sweaters and hats pose for a photo in front of a winter wonderland backdrop.
Three women in festive holiday aprons stand in front of a winter-themed backdrop with Christmas trees.
Three people in matching green shirts stand in front of a festive Christmas backdrop with decorated trees and presents.