for Meridian

A New Strategic Plan For Meridian

Over the last few years the Meridian School District has made great progress in bringing to fruition the goals of Meridian's first strategic plan developed in 2001.

This past work to determine a specific direction for the academic programs, facilities, and support functions of the district have allowed the school board to monitor and support the work of the superintendent and the staff within the district.

With alignment of curriculum in math completed district-wide, the very significant improvements to the technology that staff and students can now access for the purpose of supporting teaching and learning, the infusion of new buses which bring a much improved level of efficiency to the district and many other positive improvements, it is time to again undertake the task of mapping out a direction for the next five years.

The School Board has been insistent that this plan have an even higher level of accountability and specific timelines for the completion of determined projects and areas of improvement.

To this end, they are inviting the community to come, give input and partake in the creation of the new plan. The process will be facilitated from beginning to end by an outside facilitator, Mr. Buck Evans from the Educational Service District in Anacortes.

There will be two community meetings to gather thoughts and community input. These events will be held on October 7 and October 14 at 6:00 PM at IRPS and MHS respectively. The district hopes to gather thoughts and opinions from community, parents, faculty, staff, students, school board and anyone else who has a vested interest in the long term future of the district.

The information that is gathered through the two community meetings will be aligned by a steering committee consisting of representatives of each of the groups listed above. A draft of the work will be sent out for review and subsequent comments and suggestions will be considered and possibly included.

Please consider attending one or both of the community meetings. It is the intention of the board and the superintendent to create a plan which is public, transparent and accountable.

YOUR VOICE IS NEEDED!

For information call 398-7111 or visit www.meridian.wednet.edu

Positive Support for Students in Meridian

Through the leadership of the Meridian High School Honor Society a project was begun in 2007-2008 to bring a program known as "Rachel's Challenge" to the students of the district.

On September 17, 2009 the hard work of the group and their advisor Mrs. Kathy Greshock, brought an extremely powerful message of kindness and positive expectation to all middle and high school students in Meridian.

Rachel was one of the students who was killed in the Columbine shooting in 1999. Her diaries have become a positive example of how students can be good to one another in the school environment and how bullying and exclusion of others can be eliminated.

The program was presented by Shaun Hammon, a two-time Olympic Weightlifter, and the message of how the students could go about undertaking the challenge to see the good in others, set positive goals and bring those ambitions to reality, respect and care for those around you and work to make the school and your community a better place, was delivered very well. An evening session was attended by over 200 students, parents and community members.

Thanks to our honor society students who worked to bring such a positive message to their peers.

Half Day - Early Release Dates

On eight occasions during the school year the students are released from school early to allow the teachers and principals the time to plan together to more effectively instruct the students. The dates for those early release days are:

• Wed. Sep. 30, 2009
• Wed. Oct. 28, 2009
• Wed. Nov. 25, 2009
• Wed. Jan. 27, 2010
• Wed. Mar 24, 2010
• Wed. Apr. 28, 2010
• Wed. May 26, 2010
• Thu. Jun. 17, 2010

Facility Improvements in Meridian

Over the summer months another series of significant physical improvements were completed to school buildings and facilities in the District. Again, the district was able to manage these projects through foresight by the school board and careful management of existing financial resources.

Completion of the roofing project at Ten Mile Creek Elementary begun in 2008 was completed adding to the energy efficiency of the school as well as eliminating leaks which had been an issue.

Thirty-five year old carpets at Irene Reither were replaced to improve the appearance, warmth and air quality of the primary school.

The carpets that had been in place for over twenty years at Meridian Middle School were replaced along with window blinds throughout the main building to improve air quality and to better manage temperatures within the classrooms.

The district located two portable classrooms on the MHS Campus to house the Independent Learning Center Program. This program is an effort to support more of our Meridian children through high school graduation. The project also included future infrastructure for other portable classrooms should the need arise in future facility improvements at the High School.

The district has made very positive progress over the last two years on improving and caring for our existing facilities.

Great Things Happening in Meridian

ADVANCED PLACEMENT SUCCESS
This past year Meridian students took over 90 advance placement exams for college credit at MHS. In the AP Government class 26 of 29 students passed the test and were eligible for college credit. The high school has added an AP Art class this year and serious discussions about the addition of AP Science are in the works. This would allow Meridian students six opportunities to earn college credit while remaining at MHS.

TECHNOLOGY IMPROVEMENTS
Over the course of the school year the district will undertake the project of bringing a state of the art presentation station to each instructional space within the district. This technology will include a computer, document camera, LCD projector and adjustable table for each room. Teachers will be able to use computer files, show student work, use appropriate internet sources and blend them all with quality teaching to provide the best for our students. This project is also being accomplished through the care management of existing resources.

PUBLIC SCHOOL FOUNDATION
The Meridian Public School Foundation has been working for a number of years to provide graduates and past Meridian students with monetary support for their ongoing education. The foundation is the steward of an endowment which is supplemented through donations and a yearly fundraising golf tournament. Please join the district in thanking the members of the foundation for their constant support of our students.

PTA PLAYGROUND PROJECT
The IRPS/TMCE PTA has done an outstanding job of raising money for the third phase of the playground project at the primary school. In addition to the funds raised by the PTA the district has applied for a grant from the Lowes foundation to help bring the improvements to the playground.

FFA SHOWS WELL AT THE FAIR
Over 20 Meridian FFA and 4H students took part at the Northwest Washington Fair this past August. The completion of the barn project has allowed for animals to be housed on the school site and for links to the curriculum to be established. Congratulations to Mrs. Tronsdal and the Meridian FFA and 4H students for their fine showing!

PARTNERSHIPS
A partnership through Whatcom County will allow the district to continue its support for the drug and alcohol prevention and intervention efforts in the schools. The district will also receive support for ongoing mental health support for students and families as well.

STUDENT PARTICIPATION IN ATHLETICS
Over 150 high school students and 73 middle school students are partaking in the district sponsored athletic programs this fall. Overall in the district the participation numbers are up. Thanks to our coaches, boosters and parent volunteers for making athletics in Meridian such a positive experience for so many students.

There are great things going on in Meridian!

The Meridian School Board

Meridian is very fortunate to have a committed and long serving school board which supports and guides the overall direction of the school district. School board members are elected officials who serve the district in a volunteer capacity.

Each of the board members brings a particular strength and expertise to the board and also our board members offer their support to particular projects in the district and support activities throughout the community as well.

In addition to applying her financial expertise as board member, Judy Boxx has been one of the organizers of the annual Alumni Banquet which often draws over 200 Meridian Alumni back to the community. This connection to our alumni is exceptionally important for the community and our schools.

Mary Mattison has worked very diligently over many years to support and partake in the alignment and adoption of curriculum within the district. Her commitment to the educational program in the district is outstanding. Our recent Math alignment is evidence of her very strong commitment

Craig Wasilewski, has shown a great deal of leadership in identifying and linking community support for particular projects within the district. His help was instrumental in helping to bring the FFA barn project as well as other projects to timely completion.

Brain Evans, serving his second term as the board chair, is a strong voice for the community and the overall direction of the district as it prepares students for their future. His positive example of volunteerism and forward thinking are key as the board looks forward.

Charlie Crabtree, who is retiring after eleven years on the board, has been very active in establishing and maintaining connections from the school board to our local politicians. His help in this area has been invaluable in the ongoing viability of the district and its mission to serve children. His wife Karolyn has filed for this open seat and will become a member of the school board in November.

As the school board undertakes the new strategic planning process for the district, it is their hope and wish that all members of the community feel welcome to partake and give their input. It is the goal of the board to provide the educational opportunities that will prepare each child for their future and do so in a manner that reflects the values and goals of the entire Meridian community.

Partnering with Parents on Student Grades

The 2009-2010 school year will be the second year that all of the traditional schools within Meridian School District will have students grades available for viewing on-line by parents. The Skyward grading system is used by the district for the express purpose of linking our parents and teachers together in an effort to support the academic progress of their students.

The system has many additional features beyond the viewing of grades which allow better communication between parents and school as well information on a number of support services.

The district strongly encourages parents to contact the school to obtain access to the Skyward system. Your help in regularly reviewing academic progress with your child makes a very positive difference!

Work to Determine a Possible Bond Measure Continues

During the body of the October and November regular school board meetings, discussions involving the possibility of a capital bond issue to renovate and/or replace aging buildings and systems will likely occur.

Over the past two years the district has made a concerted effort to address as many of the long standing issues as possible without putting a bond measure before the voters. Well documented failings with central heating systems have caused classes to relocate during winter months and structural deficiencies within aging buildings are ongoing areas of concern for the district in providing adequate spaces for instruction.

An energy performance audit conducted by TAC Energy Solutions of Seattle, determined that there are significant areas for ongoing savings of district resources if the physical structures and HVAC systems were to be upgraded.

Your interest and opinions are welcome as the school board takes the information gathered last spring from the district process to gather citizen input, as well as survey information from an outside entity to determine the possibility of a bond measure being brought to the voters of the Meridian School District this coming February.

Home School Partnership - MP3

The Meridian School District is home to one of the most progressive and positive Home School Outreach Programs in the State of Washington. As mentioned on a number of occasions, this program is fully self sustaining and requires no district levy funds to operate. The program supports and assists a large number of families from the county and the region with their educational needs.

The program rents a local church facility where classes are offered through a variety of instructional models to meet the specifically identified needs of students and families. Specific support from Student Learning Plan Coordinators assist families in developing their educational goals and help to locate and provide educational resources.

By reaching out to a segment of the population who wishes to undertake the education of their children in a home-based environment the district benefits in several ways. The first is the very positive energy that comes when we as a district focus on meeting the needs of each child within our community. A second way that the program supports the traditional school is through the identification of resources and partnerships with other programs throughout the state. Meridian is working very hard to reduce students who drop-out of high school and the Digital Learning Commons Program, which assists in this task, was first identified through our home school outreach program.

Lastly, because the program is self supporting financially, the Meridian School District benefits greatly from the skills of the teachers, staff and parents who work so hard to make it a model program as well as through the additional enrollment that comes as well.

The Meridian Parent Partnership Program, MP3, is working toward becoming the first program of its kind in Washington to undergo formal accreditation. Through the very hard work of its staff and volunteers it continues to be a model of support and professionalism in the programs and support it provides each child. Please visit the MP3 website at: www.meridian.wednet.edu/mp3

Athletic Facilities

Our district has made needed upgrades through diligent financial planning and meticulous preparation. We are working hard to offer our student athletes the best facilities possible.

Fastpitch Field:
Next spring our varsity girls will step into the sunshine as they play games on their new field. It offers a deep 30’ backstop, covered dugouts, and access to daylight. This will allow our team to complete games (more light), host double headers (the old field will be JV), and access utilities previously unreachable. The new field is now Title IX compliant.

Track and Fencing:
This spring we were faced with a choice: Re-laminate our track surface for $50K, or wait 1-2 years, tear the whole base up, and replace it for nearly a quarter million dollars. The general wear and tear from football games had damaged our running surface. New long-jump and pole-vault runway surfaces were added. To preserve our track and get the longest life possible out of the investment, the district invested in a fence around the perimeter of the facility. This will dramatically increase the life-span of the new surface. Thank you in advance for assisting us in preserving the track for future Trojans. If you jog or run, please use the outside lanes (5-8). If you are a spectator, please enjoy the covered seating and remain behind the new fence.

Chad Larsen, Athletic Director