It was great to see our students getting right back into the swing of things after a few days off from school. We have been able to see some great learning taking place this week – from wrapping up the unit with a badminton tournament in PE to measuring the deformation of objects under force in science, our students are demonstrating their skills and growth in a variety of contexts.
We started the week talking about our behavioral goals and expectations for December. Our 6th graders have lead the school with the most weeks of meeting their goals since we started discussing this at the end of September. Our 7th and 8th graders are doing excellent as well, and so far we have reduced our behavioral incidents by almost 50% from last year’s data. Ask your student to explain our behavioral goals, the system behind it, and the rewards they can earn!
As always, let us know if you have any questions or concerns!
GO TROJANS!
-Todd Torgeson, Principal
-Robert Kratzig, Assistant Principal
UPCOMING EVENTS
Monday, December 4
Black Day
Girls Basketball at Lynden MS, 4:00pm
Tuesday, December 5
Gold Day
Fellowship of Christian Athletes, 7:30-7:45 in Small Gym
8th Grade Girls Basketball at Horizon MS, 5:00pm
Wednesday, December 6
Black Day
Video Game Club, 2:45pm in Room 12
Girls Basketball vs. Blaine MS, 4:00pm at MMS
Thursday, December 7
Gold Day
Social Justice League Club, 2:45pm in Room 2
Choir Concert, 7pm in MMS Big Gym
Friday, December 8
Gold Day
Late Arrival – Doors Open at 8:55am, School Begins at 9:05am
8th Grade Girls Basketball vs. LC, 4:00pm at MMS
COUNSELING CORNER
MMS Families,
With two weeks left in the calendar year, we wanted to take an opportunity to talk about staffings. Staffings, or meetings with parents and teachers, are a great way to receive feedback about how your student is doing in their classes. Additionally, staffings are an opportunity to for us to connect with you all and brainstorm how we can better support your child’s social-emotional, behavioral, and academic needs. If you would like to schedule a staffing for your child, please feel free to reach out to us and we can get one scheduled.
Thank you!
MMS Counselors
GENERAL MMS INFORMATION
Lost & Found
We have amassed quite a collection of jackets, sweatshirts, shorts, pants, shoes, water bottles, and lunchboxes in our Lost & Found. If your child is missing something, please have them take a look at the display or stop by during school hours to check yourself. All items from the lost and found will be donated prior to Winter Break – so don’t miss your chance to reclaim lost items!
Girls Basketball Photos
This season’s girls basketball team photos are now available for purchase. Order forms will also be coming home, but for convenience, you can also order online.
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.
Whatcom County Health Department Pediatric Resource
Do you need some assistances deciding if your child is well enough to come to school? With this time of year comes frequent illness for many students and families. The Whatcom County Health Department put together this resource to help families better make decisions about their student’s health and ability to attend school. Check it out!
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.
Bellingham Community Toy Store
If you need help providing gifts for your kids (birth to 18) this holiday season, The Bellingham Community Toy Store has a limited number of appointments available for Meridian families who have filled out a free and reduced meal application this school year and qualified. At the Community Toy Store parents/guardians pay cash for gifts, but at a 75-80% discounted rate. If you are interested in signing up (and you have NOT signed up for help with any other organization this season) please call or text the Meridian Family Support Center at 360-988-1949.
Summer Enrichment Scholarships
The Assistance League of Bellingham (ALB) is thrilled to announce the Enrichment Scholarship Program (ESP) for the 2023-2024 school year. From December 1, 2023, to February 16, 2024, your child can download scholarship application packets from the ALB website. Ensure the letter of recommendation form is submitted with the application. Each student is eligible for one scholarship, even if the full amount isn’t utilized. While the summer program choice isn’t required at the application stage, it should be finalized by March 29, 2024. ALB provides a helpful sample scoring rubric and a checklist to guide students. This year, there’s an impressive $55,000 available for scholarships. Encourage your child to seize this opportunity to broaden their horizons. Visit the ALB website for more details. Don’t let your child miss out on this chance to shine!
