Dear MMS Families,

We’ve finally entered the second month of the school year, and the time when students are feeling settled into their routines and relationships have a firm foundation.  This is also a time when student behavior begins to escalate, as the academic load increases and students get “comfortable” with each other.  Our school has a Tier 1 Behavior Team that meets monthly to discuss how we can structure our school in a way that behavioral impacts on learning are minimized.  Part of the work of that team was to design a presentation for students about behavioral data, set behavioral goals and rewards for students, and to refresh students on our schoolwide expectations to be proactive about what typically happens behaviorally in October.  Ask your student what their class goals are and if they’re on track to meet them!

As always, let us know if you have any questions or concerns!

GO TROJANS!

-Todd Torgeson, Principal
-Robert Kratzig, Assistant Principal

 
UPCOMING EVENTS

 

Monday, October 9

  • Black Day
  • 7th & 8th Grade Softball, 4:00pm at Mount Baker HS
  • Thriving Futures! Connecting our Commitments – Superintendent Engagement Series, 5:45pm in MHS Library

Tuesday, October 10

  • Gold Day
  • Boys Soccer vs. MBJH, 4:00pm at MHS
  • 8th Grade Football vs. Blaine, 4:30pm at Blaine HS

Wednesday, October 11

  • Black Day
  • 7th Grade Softball vs. Horizon MS, 4:00pm at Ferndale HS
  • Cross Country Meet, 4:15pm at Hovander Homestead Park

Thursday, October 12

  • Gold Day
  • Boys Soccer vs. Lynden Christian MS, 4:15pm at Bender Field
  • 7th Grade Football vs. Blaine, 4:00pm at MMS

Friday, October 13

  • Black Day
  • Late Start – School begins at 9:05am, doors open at 8:55am
COUNSELING CORNER
Dear Middle School Families,

As we start the school year, we want to talk about using inclusive and respectful language. Inclusive language is language that is considerate, respectful, and welcoming to all people, regardless of their background, identity, or differences. It avoids using words or phrases that may exclude or offend others. It’s important to understand why this matters and how we can all contribute to a positive environment at Meridian Middle School.

Building Good Relationships: Using kind language helps us build positive and respectful relationships with our friends. It also encourages us to understand and support each other better.
Appreciating Our Differences: Our school has students from many different cultures and backgrounds. That’s something to celebrate! Inclusive language means we respect and value everyone’s unique backgrounds and perspectives.
Preventing Harm: Words can hurt. Racial or mean comments can make someone feel bad and spread unfair ideas. Using respectful language helps prevent this and makes our school a kinder place.
Getting Ready for the Future: In the world we live in, knowing how to communicate with respect is very important. Learning this skill now will help us succeed in the future.

Here are some things you can do at home to support our efforts:

Be a Role Model: Show your child how to use respectful language by using it yourself and treating others kindly.
Talk About It: Encourage your child to ask questions and have conversations about treating everyone with respect and understanding.
Question Stereotypes: Help your child recognize and question unfair stereotypes they might come across.
Report Concerns: If your child hears or experiences hurtful language or actions at school, please let us know so we can address it.

We believe that by working together, we can make our school a place where every student feels valued, respected, and free from racism and discrimination. If you have any questions or want to discuss this further, please feel free to contact us.

Thank you for being a part of our effort to create an inclusive and respectful culture at Meridian Middle School.

Sincerely,

MMS Counselors

 

GENERAL MMS INFORMATION
Fall Dance – November 3

Our first fall dance is right around the corner! MMS will be hosting a 50’s themed dance on November 3rd from 6-8pm. Tickets will be available to pre purchase the week of the dance for $3 otherwise admission is $5 at the door. We look forward to seeing MMS students there!  (50’s attire is optional)

If you are interested in chaperoning, please email Mrs. Yeager and make sure you fill out the WATCH background check form ASAP.
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Comprehensive Sexual Health Education Lessons

Students in seventh grade will be taking part in comprehensive sexual health lessons beginning Nov. 15 in health class.

Parents and guardians may review the Positive Prevention Plus curriculum and may remove their children from these lessons with a written request. (RCW 28A.300.475).  Families who wish to opt their children out of these lessons must turn in an opt-out form to the school office before the first day of lessons. Opt-out forms will be available from the health classroom.  Students who opt-out of the lessons will complete an alternate activity on body systems.

Materials will be available for families to review at Meridian Middle School on October 19, 2023 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the library.
Yearbook Photos Needed!

Does your student participate in sports or other activities here at MMS? Our Yearbook team wants your help! We are once again using the app YearbookSnap to collect pictures from students and parents for the yearbook. Types of pictures we are looking for are sports, clubs, and spirit dress up days.

You can access the app by downloading YearbookSnap to your phone or through yearbookforever.com using a web browser. You will want to find our school (Meridian Middle School, Lynden WA) and use the code “mms” to upload pictures. Pictures will be reviewed by our yearbook advisor and selected for the yearbook. Please make sure photos only feature students who attend MMS and do not showcase hand gestures.

Email our yearbook advisor Mrs. Yeager for any questions.
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Free & Reduced Meals Verification

Our yearly verification of Free & Reduced Meal applications will begin the first week of October. We anticipate this being completed before the end of November.  For questions involving our food service program, please contact Rob Dunn, Director of Food Services.
Excusing Student Absences

As the weather changes and cold and flu season ramps up, please make sure you are communicating with our office when your student will not be at school.  We work hard to keep track of accurate attendance and work with families to ensure their children are at school as much as possible.  When you call, email, or send a ParentSquare message about attendance, please include the name of the student, the dates you are discussing, and a reason for the absence so we can code it accurately.  Thank you for your assistance!
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2023 Healthy Youth Survey

Our school is participating in the Washington State Healthy Youth Survey during fall 2023. the survey will be given to students in grades 6, 8, 10 and 12 in large districts and students in grades 6 through 12 in small schools districts.  For the purposes of this survey, Meridian is considered a “small school” – so our 6th, 7th, and 8th graders will all participate.

The Healthy Youth Survey includes questions related to physical activity and diet, unintentional and intentional injury, substance use, sexual behaviors, abuse, risk and protective factors, and access to school-based services. Survey results are used by schools, communities, and state agencies to plan programs to support our youth and reduce their risks.

Participation in the survey is voluntary and the students’ answers are anonymous. There are no codes or information used to match a survey to a student.

Please review this parent letter for more information.  To opt your student out of the survey, please contact our MMS office at 360-398-2291.  You can also stop by in person to view the questions ahead of the survey.  Our students will be participating on Thursday, October 26.
Stuff the Bus Food Drive

Meridian School District is hosting a districtwide food drive from Monday, Oct. 2 through Friday, Oct. 13 to support families in our community. Donation boxes will be available on all school buses, in school offices and at the District Office. Food will be donated to the Meridian Family Support Center, Ferndale Food Bank and Project Hope in Lynden.

We are collecting nonperishable and unexpired foods such as canned soup, canned vegetables or fruit, pastas, canned beans, cereals, rice, flour, cooking oils, peanut butter, canned chicken and tuna.

At MMS, we’ll be running this as a class competition for Homeroom classes to see which class at each grade level can bring in the highest number of items per student.  Thank you for helping to support families in our community!
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Volunteers Needed!

We are still in need of another volunteer to assist our nursing staff in conducting vision and hearing screening for all 7th grade students.  In order to make this work, they will need a few volunteers.  If you’re interested, please reach out to Stacy King, district nurse.  You’ll need to have your WATCH form on file with the district, which you can pick up and submit in our main office.

 

Trojan Spirit Fridays

This year we’re encouraging all students and staff to consider every Friday a “Trojan Spirit Friday” – where everyone wears MMS gear, Trojan gear, or Trojan colors.  As the year goes on there may be prizes, but for now we want people to share in the pride we feel for the amazing community we have here at MMS!  Go Trojans!
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GoGuardian Parent App

Meridian School District uses a tool called GoGuardian to keep students safe when they use their district-provided Chromebooks. To help families keep an eye on what their child does online, we offer a free GoGuardian Parent app. This app lets you control what websites your child can visit on their school Chromebook at home. You can decide which websites are allowed or not allowed. You can even pause the internet during out-of-school hours.

Click HERE for more information on how to sign up!

 

MMS Booster Club Update

Want to volunteer with the boosters club? Volunteer opportunities range from helping with projects for the school, staff and students to running concessions during dances and athletic games. You can find out more about the middle school boosters by following our Facebook page and/or emailing us at meridianmiddlebooster@gmail.com.
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COMMUNITY RESOURCES
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Family Services Center
The Meridian School District Family Resource Center is open daily from 8:30 to 3:30 in portable 400A on the Irene Reither campus.

Students who qualify for free or reduced meals can stop by to get school supplies or sign up for Operation School Bell which provides new school clothes for students enrolled in Meridian School District. We also have the clothing closet available for any Meridian family looking for gently used adult and kid clothing.

Students who can’t make it in to the family center to get school supplies can pop into the middle school office to get the supplies they need.

Questions?  Contact Alicia Roberts (English) at 360-988-1949 or Elvira Trautman (Spanish) at 360-306-2886.
Social Media Safety

According to Healthy Youth Survey (HYS) results from 2021, 42% of Washington’s students report having three or more hours of screen time per day.   To assist families in keep kinds safe while online, OSPI has created this Social Media Safety Fact Sheet.  Check it out for some useful tips!
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