As you know our 3rd quarter ended on March 29, and teachers have now submitted grades for 3rd quarter. While these grades are not “official” (only at the semester) they are still a good waypoint for families to use to assess their student’s performance headed into the last weeks of the school year. You can find those under the “Portfolio” tab of your Skyward Family Access. Please call our office if you’re having trouble locating the report card online.
Our Spring Smarter Balanced Assessment testing begins April 30. This annual state test is a great opportunity for us to collect data on our performance as a school and to ensure that we are providing a continually improving course of study for our students.
However – we need your help! We appreciate any conversations you can have at home to encourage your student to try their best, even if they face difficult questions, so that we can get accurate data that we’ll use to make instructional decisions moving forward. We also appreciate you helping to ensure they come to school each day during testing with a charged Chromebook, having gotten a good night’s sleep, and eaten a filling breakfast. Additionally, our testing begins first thing in the morning, so having your student here on time on those days helps ensure they don’t miss class later for make up testing. We are excited to see the growth that everyone has made thus far!
As always, let us know if you have any questions or concerns!
GO TROJANS!
-Todd Torgeson, Principal
-Robert Kratzig, Assistant Principal
UPCOMING EVENTS
Monday, April 22
Black Day
7th Grade Baseball at Blaine MS, 4:00pm at Blaine MS
8th Grade Baseball vs. Blaine MS, 4:00pm at MMS
Girls Soccer vs. Lynden MS, 4:00pm at MMS
Outdoor Ed Parent Meeting for 6th grade families, 6:30pm in MMS Big Gym
Tuesday, April 23
Gold Day
Art Club, 2:45pm in Room 51
Track Meet, 4:00pm at MHS
Wednesday, April 24
Black Day
Video Game Club, 2:45pm in Room 12
Girls Soccer vs. Lynden Christian MS, 4:00pm at MMS
School Board Meeting, 6:00pm at District Board Room MHS
Thursday, April 25
Gold Day
Fellowship of Christian Athletes, 7:30am in Small Gym
Social Justice League, 2:45pm in Room 2
Track Meet, 4:00pm at Mt. Baker Junior High
Friday, April 26
Gold Day
Late Arrival, School Begins at 9:05am
Deadline to let us know you’re interested in helping with 8th grade promotion celebrations (see below)
COUNSELING CORNER
Dear MMS Families,
Reminder! Our 8th-grade class is heading to Bellingham Technical College for a field trip!
Details:
Destination: Bellingham Technical College
Departure: Meridian Middle School at 8:30 AM on Thursday, April 25
Return: Expected around 11:30 AM
Please return permission slips by Monday, April 22nd. We’re also seeking parent chaperones! Interested? Contact Ashley Hoelzle at ahoelzle@meridian.wednet.edu.
Sincerely,
MMS Counselors
GENERAL MMS INFORMATION
Outdoor Ed Parent Meeting
We will be hosting our parent meeting for all 6th graders headed to Outdoor Education camp next month on Monday April 22nd at 6:30 p.m. in the big gym at MMS. Students and parents are invited to attend the meeting to learn more about camp, meet camp counselors, and get information to take home for what to pack.
District Art Show
The district student art show will be from 6-8 p.m. on Monday, May 6 at Meridian High School. Student art from every school will be on display in the commons. There will also be performances by our school choirs and bands, and color guard. The event is free and open to all ages.
We hope to see you there!
Chromebook Call
Starting Monday you will receive an alert from ParentSquare if your child forgot to bring their Chromebook to school. It is important that students come to school each day with their Chromebook charged and ready, as we have a limited number of loaner devices to provide. Without a device, students may not be able to access their learning materials. Thank you for partnering with us to provide the best educational experience for your child.
8th Grade Promotion
This year’s 8th grade promotion ceremony and celebration will be held here at Meridian Middle School on Monday, June 17 at 9:30am. Families are invited to come and celebrate the achievement of their students as they promote on to high school. After the celebration we’ll have a social time for families, including refreshments.
Each year a parent committee forms to plan a celebratory dance for our 8th graders that evening, as well as to help with decorating for the promotion ceremony. If you are interested in being part of that parent planning committee, please send an email to Mr. Kratzig by Friday, April 26.
Attendance Tips
Did you know that attendance is one of the leading predictors of whether or not a student will graduate high school? The routines and habits you make in middle school will help you reach your goals! Practicing strong attendance now will help today AND tomorrow.
TDaP Vaccine for Incoming 7th Graders
The TDaP (tetanus, diphtheria, and polio) vaccine or a medical exemption signed by a Washington state healthcare provider are required by state law for all 7th graders. Proof will need to be provided to the health office before the beginning of 7th grade. If the school does not have proof of the vaccination or exemption your student will be excluded from school until one or the other is provided.
Spring state assessments will begin soon for students in grades 3 – 8 and 10. English language arts (ELA) and math are measured with Smarter Balanced Assessments (SBA). Science is measured with the Washington Comprehensive Assessment of Science (WCAS) in grades 5, 8 and 11. At MMS, we’ll be testing for SBA on April 30, May 1, 2, 7, 8, 9 and WCAS for 8th graders on May 14 and 15.
The results from the state assessments will help us improve instructional practices and give families information about how their student is doing and where additional help might be needed. The assessments also give us a more accurate picture of whether students are on track to be ready for college or career by graduation. For students in grade 10, the Smarter Balanced tests can also be used as a graduation pathway. Results are reported by September of each year. Final reports will be provided to families if their student participated in state testing.
You can help support your child in doing their best during state assessments by having them come to school on time each day, encouraging a good night of sleep and eating breakfast. Most students will take the assessments online using their Chromebook. Please remind your child to have their Chromebook device fully charged for school.
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
Summer Grocery Benefits to Eligible Families
Beginning this summer, Washington will provide grocery benefits through a program called Sun Bucks to help families with eligible school-age children buy groceries during the summer. Families will receive $120 per eligible child. Families that qualify for free or reduced-price meal benefits for the 2023-24 school year will be eligible to receive Sun Bucks. For more information visit: https://www.fns.usda.gov/sebt
Cooke Young Scholars Program
The Cooke Young Scholars Program is a selective five-year, pre-college scholarship for exceptionally promising 7th grade students with financial need. It provides comprehensive academic and college advising, as well as financial support for school, Cooke-sponsored summer programs, internships, and other learning enrichment opportunities.
The application closes May 9, 2024. For more information visit their website.
