Family Newsletter 1/17/25

Dear Families,

This week, students completed their Winter round of iReady testing. There is a lot to celebrate in the data! Take some time with your student to talk about how that testing went. We will have iReady assessment results to share with you during conferences in February. We dedicate a lot of instructional time to complete these assessments because we know there is power in analyzing student achievement and growth data. We gain information to better support students and improve our practices as a school.

We wish you a wonderful long weekend!

-Todd Torgeson, Principal

-Jill Hammack, Assistant Principal

No school 1/20 for MLK Day

Semester 2 schedules are now visible in Skyward. Due to scheduling limitations, most student schedules cannot be adjusted. However, if you identify a clerical error or have an extenuating circumstance that requires a schedule change, please contact us. Thank you for your understanding!

Throughout this year, we’ve focused as a district on enhancing student talk and engagement. It’s been inspiring to hear students actively participating in classroom discussions across the school.

BeaJay Fellers, who teaches 6th-grade math and 8th-grade science at MMS, uses a strategy called Numbered Heads to both hold students accountable for their contributions and support those who may find it challenging to speak up in class.

Here’s how it works: Mrs. Fellers informs her class that she will randomly select a “stick” before giving them a discussion prompt to work on in their groups. After students have had time to talk, she calls on a random “head” within the group. That student is responsible for sharing the group’s ideas. If they struggle to respond, the group comes together again to help, and Mrs. Fellers circles back to that student later to give them another chance to share.

This approach ensures that all students are expected to engage and are supported in a way that allows them to contribute successfully. It’s also an excellent strategy for empowering multilingual students!

 Check out this quick video to see the strategy in action!

Thank you, Mrs. Fellers, for sharing this practice with us!

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We are excited to share a great opportunity for our students. The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) is offering free tutoring resources through Math Nation Washington for grades 6-12. These resources are available in multiple languages, available 24/7 and includes virtual tutoring and personalized instruction. This program provides valuable support to help our students excel in math. This free tool is a great way to support your child with math at home.

To access Math Nation, have your child sign on with their district Chromebook:

Getting Started:

If you have additional questions about Math Nation please contact your teacher or Instructional Coach Cynthia Richardson, crichardson@meridian.wednet.edu.

Applications are available now to apply for the 2025-2026 American Indian Endowed Scholarship (AIES) awards.

The Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC) will accept signed and completed applications that are postmarked by March 3, 2025. Applications must be accompanied with all required attachments.

To download the application and instruction materials, go to  https://wsac.wa.gov/american-indian-endowed-scholarship, and click “How do I apply?” (download requires Adobe Acrobat Reader, Version 11.0 or newer)

To be eligible, an applicant must:

·         Have close social and cultural ties to an American Indian tribe or community in Washington state

·         Intend to use his or her education to benefit the American Indian community in this state

·         Be enrolled full-time for 2025-26, beginning fall term, at a participating college or university in-state

·         Have demonstrated financial need (as determined by the college financial aid office, per FAFSA)

·         Be a Washington state resident

·         Have not received a total of five years of this scholarship

There is a priority for upper-division and graduate-level students, however, all qualified applicants are considered. IMPORTANT: Late or incomplete applications will not be reviewed by the selection committee.

A selection committee composed of representatives from the American Indian community in-state will review and score the applications. The number of scholarships and amounts awarded are based on an evaluation of the interest earnings available in the endowment. Scholarships generally range between $500 to $2,000 each for the academic year. Finalists are announced in the spring.

Mail the signed application, with required attachments, postmarked by March 3, 2025, to:

American Indian Endowed Scholarship Program

Washington Student Achievement Council

PO Box 43430, Olympia, WA 98504-3430

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