for Meridian

September 21st, 2009

Dear Families:

Meridian school district is actively working to improve student performance in all content areas. There have been many areas of focus to ensure that the needs of each child are recognized and addressed. It is important to the district that all programs consider the breadth of talent and promise brought by all students we serve. Program improvements include an aligned Mathematics curriculum across all grade levels. A Math Leadership team has been fully developed and continues to implement research based best practices in Math instruction in every classroom. A district wide Literacy Leadership team will be focused on aligning instruction across all grade levels to ensure the best possible experience for each student. Every teacher is actively engaged in implementing instructional practices focused on student achievement and an assurance that each student receives instruction specifically aimed at improved student performance.

It is important to the Meridian School District to keep parents and community members informed of important issues affecting our school district. This letter includes Meridian School District’s status with regard to student achievement as it is measured at a federal level. In August, all districts in Washington State were notified of their status in relation to federal legislation known as “No Child Left Behind Act of 2001” (NCLB). This status, called “Adequate Yearly Progress” (AYP), is a key part of NCLB. AYP is an annual determination of whether schools, districts, and states have made progress toward the goal of having all students meet or exceed state standards in reading and math as well as meet targets for test participation, unexcused absences and graduation rates. Washington’s statewide assessment, the Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL) serves as a major factor in calculating AYP in Washington State.

Meridian School District continues to focus on ongoing growth and improved student performance. Of the total number of applicable indicators for grades three through five, Meridian students met the AYP target in 18 of the 19 subgroups. For grades six through eight, 16 of a possible 21 targets were met and due to an unfortunate flu outbreak which significantly impacted student attendance, 9 of 13 target areas were met for tenth grade. Six of six targets were met for proficiency in the areas of Math and Reading in the tenth grade. Meridian school district staff are actively addressing performance in all areas through a number of interventions. The amount of time spent on instruction in Mathematics is fully aligned and has been increased to 85 minutes daily. School wide approaches to research based interventions have been implemented in all schools. Math curriculum has been aligned from Kindergarten through twelfth grade. The scheduled day for grades six through twelve are aligned and include scheduled time for students to engage in specific academic enrichment in content areas as determined by each student’s needs.

Parents are vital partners in improving schools, and we welcome you to actively participate in the revision and update of the district Strategic Plan. There are many ways you can be involved to support district staff and students in reaching the annual targets.

Parents/guardians of students in grades 3-8 and high school who participated in the WASL this spring will receive individual WASL results in the month of September. Programs and opportunities for additional instruction and guided practice are available during the school day. Please contact your student’s school for specific information about these services.

We are committed to the success of each student in our district and are focused on raising each student’s academic performance. We are optimistic about the future, and we hope that you will join us this important work. We encourage you to contact your student’s school or the district office for any questions that you may have or for additional information.

September 3rd, 2009

Information on the Presidential Address

Many of you have heard about the message that President Obama intends to give to the school children of the country on the morning of September 8. The intent of the message is to encourage students to use their opportunity for education well. As many of you also know schools in many parts of the country have been in session for three weeks or more and are well adjusted to the routines of school.

Because this address happens right at the start of our school year, the Meridian School District will be recording the message. Each school principal will then choose a time over the next two weeks where they will make the viewing of the address optional for students after communication with parents. Again, I am sure this will be a very positive and uplifting message, the timing is a bit challenging as we navigate the very first day of classes at all levels within our system.

I believe that this will provide the least disruption to the beginning of the school year and allow students and parents a choice in this activity. Please work with your principal if you have any questions regarding how this will take place at your school.

Tim Yeomans

Superintendent - Meridian School District

May 18th, 2009

Good Morning Meridian,

Just a brief update on a few items as we move into our last month of the school year.

As always I want to thank you for the work that each of you do in helping our students succeed academically. The focus on the mission of supporting our students with their learning is our main task and I thankful for the willingness of everyone to make sure the bus ride, the facilities, the food they eat, and the support they receive is in place to help learning to happen. To our teachers, thanks for keeping the focus on improving instruction and rigor even as the sun turns our student's attention outside. I appreciate the dedication you show to each child. Thank you.

From 6th grade outdoor ed, FFA, science clubs, our Construction Careers class off to nationals, mock trail, the Ten Mile musical, our spring music outings and concerts, to the number of our students involved in sports, the kids in Meridian are very fortunate to have the breadth of opportunities and the help of such dedicated adults.

The calendar for next year will remain the same as was approved by the school board earlier this year (on the website). As all of you are aware the state has eliminated a LID. Therefore the contracted number of work days for teachers next year will be 181. This will not result in a reduction to the school year classified work schedules. The single LID will occur as scheduled the week prior to the start of school. The scheduled day in October will simply be a non-contract day (No school). We will convene the calendar committee next school year and have the discussion about where that date may be best used going forward. Thanks for your patience and understanding with this small bump for 2009-2010.

I understand how very challenging it is for some of our classified employees waiting to know the specific location and job assignment that will be in place for next year. The union leadership has delivered this message very clearly and we are in agreement to try and work through the resolution of the budget issues as soon as possible. As we progress into the end of the school year and the early summer, we will work diligently to make sure that these issues are resolved as quickly as they can be. I will continue to work with the MCEA to make sure it goes as smoothly as possible.

As you have seen many of our neighboring districts are in he midst of significant reductions to certificated staffing. Although we are tightening our belt through attrition, it is not resulting in any certificated RIF's this year. Thanks to the MEA leadership in helping work through this very challenging situation. There are a few staff members who will be transferring positions and that is not always a first choice. I would encourage everyone to provide them support and positive encouragement as they begin to serve our students in a slightly different role.

As a district we have made outstanding progress in curricular alignment K-12. We have made some difficult but necessary changes to schedules, graduation requirements, and support systems such as online grading, this year. We are making positive progress in technology, our district Ag barn is completed and operating, there are nine new buses on the road operating much more efficiently, and we have also seen great work in the focus of our district on the education of each child we serve. I am excited moving into next year.

Thank you all for your help and understanding moving forward. Meridian is a great place.

Tim Yeomans

Superintendent - Meridian School District

March 31st, 2009

Good Morning Meridian,

I know that many of you have woken up to see the headlines in the Herald giving a very grim overview of the senate budget that was released yesterday afternoon.

Although I will need to continue to gathering information from the house budget and specific information on categorical program funding for the remainder of the week, it is clear that the reductions in state support for education are going to be very significant.

In the senate budget, I-728, Local Effort Assistance (Levy Equalization), and enhanced funding for K-4 staffing were all heavily impacted or eliminated. These are very important streams of revenue for Meridian.

Until specific numbers can be gathered there is no way predict the impact that this information will have on specific positions or programs within the district. The steps that follow will be:

1. I will be gathering all of the budget information over the remainder of the week and I will be communicating that information to the school board as soon as it is clear.
2. As said before, keeping the instructional program as the first district priority, we will then examine what potential impacts the budget numbers may have on our district moving forward.
3. Following spring break I will be out to meet with each school staff following the school day to discuss the impacts and answer any questions you may have. This will most certainly be a topic of discussion for the school board at the April 15, 2009 meeting.

This level of impact is most certainly not what folks in all parts of the education community were hoping for. It is going to bring about noticeable changes to be sure.

That being said, We will have school in Meridian next year. Our staff has been working very hard and we have realized significant improvements in our program over the last two years. We will continue to place the education of our students at the forefront, and we will get through this challenging situation together. We can do this.

Thanks for keeping the focus of our students on learning. Thanks for using all of the instructional time his week to keep them focused and prepared as they move toward their assessments after break. Thanks to all of you for remaining positive with parents and community as the discussion of budget impacts come up. I will look forward to seeing each of you face to face following the break.

Tim Yeomans

Superintendent - Meridian School District

March 20th, 2009

To Meridian Staff, Parents and Community,

I want to begin by saying how much I appreciate your daily efforts to serve our children. As I mentioned two weeks ago in our district update we have a great many positive efforts moving forward. I deeply admire your daily dedication to your jobs and the service you provide each of our children.

Yesterday we were informed that our state was facing "unprecedented" budget shortfalls. We were made aware the that projected budget shortfall of 3.2 billion dollars of planned expenditure in November of 2008 has now grown to a 9.0 billion dollar shortfall in March of 2009 ... and is almost certain to worsen over the next year of the budget cycle. I realize how unsettling news like this is and I know that all of you are wanting answers to what this will mean for Meridian.

First off, While we know what the overall state revenue forecast is, we have yet to see any proposed budgets from either the house or the senate. When these begin to appear over the next week I will have more specific targets as to the levels of funding that will be available to local districts. As I have been doing throughout the fall I will be in touch with your association leadership regularly as we move through the process.

The positive news in this situation is that Meridian is in the best position possible to be dealing with these very difficult challenges. In working with the school board over the last 20 months we have been able to manage the finances of the district in a prudent and careful manner. Many school districts in Washington are dealing with declining enrollment, deficit spending in 2008-2009 and now having to deal with the shortfall. In Meridian we have taken steps to reduce our expenditures already. We have reduced the district office from 4.0 certificated staff to 2.5. We have been managing the budget very carefully this school year in anticipation of lean times ahead. We are now experiencing stable enrollment in line with our budget and we are operating the district within our financial means. We most certainly will be dealing with the challenge of budget reductions, yet we are on a solid footing to do so. Thanks to our school board for their leadership and help in putting our district in this current financial position.

Again, at this point I am waiting to hear specifics from Olympia on several key revenue streams and what the reductions to those will be from the state. Some of these are Local Effort Assistance (LEA) often referred to as "Levy Equalization", Meridian has historically received this help from the state. I-728 dollars which have funded teaching positions, professional development and additional work days. The basic education allotment (BEA), the K-4 staffing ratio funding, and many other categories of funding that the district combines with our local levy to fund our programs.

I would urge everyone to please avoid unwarranted speculation and/or rumors. At this point we are still waiting for accurate information from the state so that we can properly assess the potential impacts to Meridian. Please support one another in a very positive manner and I will be out to meet with your staff personally as the picture becomes more clear.

We do wonderful things for our children every day. I realize this is a very daunting picture and it can cause angst among us. Please focus on the positive work and being present for our children. We will work through this situation and we will be in the business of preparing our students for their future with the best model possible in the future.

I will be back to you with further information as soon as it is available.

Thanks for your time and thoughtfulness. Meridian is a great place !

Tim Yeomans

Superintendent - Meridian School District

March 2nd, 2009

To Our Meridian Community

Daylight savings time comes this weekend, and very soon spring will follow. As we move into the longer days I wanted to take a minute and make sure that everyone was aware of the many positive things that are happening in Meridian. I also want to thank our staff for their work with our students. We have many positive things underway in Meridian and we are happy to serve your children.

Positive momentum on serving each child

In the areas of Reading & Math K-5 we are seeing very positive progress with our students. I have appreciated the willingness of the staff to work with the new curriculum and dedicate the instructional time that brings about this improved performance. We have seen math students in grades 4 and 5 making nearly a year of progress in the first half of the school year!

The Response to Intervention (RTI) steps for students in reading at the primary school are exceptional in their concept and implementation. We have had the pleasure of other districts visiting Meridian to see how the folks at IRPS are doing this work. The teachers and the team in charge of this work are making very identifiable steps to making certain that children grades K-3 have the reading foundation necessary for the next steps in their education.

The district adoption of Math Curriculum 6-8 is underway and making significant progress. A recommendation of the new curriculum is expected at the April board meeting. I have appreciated the participation of faculty members from all of the schools taking part. A parallel purpose for this work is the development of District Math Leadership in all of the schools. Thanks to everyone for their efforts in bringing this process to fruition. We anticipate a similar process for the exploration and adoption of Language Arts materials in 2009-2010.

Thanks to our district staff who have organized and partaken in the Powerful Teaching and Learning/ STAR Protocol work over the last two school years, the goal of having all certificated staff trained in this particular protocol to facilitate the professional conversations around teaching and learning in Meridian is a very positive step. I am very hopeful of using this "common language" as we further align the curriculum and instruction for the benefit of our students in Meridian.

As many of you may know the school board is in the process of putting in place increased graduation requirements for all students in Meridian. This is being done with the goal of making certain that each child in Meridian will graduate with the opportunity to access whatever post-secondary options for education that they wish to pursue. This is a very positive step in our efforts to serve each child in our school system Kindergarten through high school and beyond.

I very much appreciate the work of the middle and high school faculty and staff members in their work with regard to the modification of the instructional schedules at the MS and HS. These aligned schedules will allow for additional instructional time in the overall academic core as well as offering additional options in the high school schedule for students pursuing post-secondary and/or career pathways. This has been a big job and the work will continue through the spring.

The 6th grade outdoor education experience is coming in May, and this is an experience that students very much look forward to in Meridian. I understand that the student counselors have been chosen and that the staff is in the final preparations for the four-day long event. Thanks to everyone who makes this possible.

In academic and curricular competitions the Meridian Mock Trial Team has finished first in the district and again is off to state competition. The Meridian Construction Careers Academy (including students from other county schools) won its state qualifying event and will be competing internationally in Tennessee in May. Congratulations to the students and advisors of these teams.

High participation in the co-curricular program district wide has provided many positive experiences for our students in the middle and high school levels. Nearly all of our teams have partaken in district level competition or beyond. This week spring sports begin at the HS and there are again a great many students partaking in our programs. Thanks to our coaches who put in so much time with our students.

Thanks to everyone for their work to implement the online grading system. The faculty district-wide has done very well in keeping the information up to date and I have heard many compliments from parents regarding the access they have to their child's performance, and their ability to help. As with most new systems we still have a ways to go to get all of our parents using the system and for us to take full advantage of all of the features the system has to offer us.

Physical changes and improvements to the district

District Capital Facilities and Bond Planning meeting is tonight at 6:30 pm in the MMS Library. We will be reviewing information that has been gathered over the last month on bond rates, possible state matching levels for our projects, and the scope of possible work that we may eventually take to the voters of the district. This is the second of three public meetings and as always your input is welcome.

Repairs of winter wind and weather damage are progressing district wide. Our thanks to the maintenance and custodial crews for their work in keeping our facilities working this winter. In addition to making the existing facilities and systems function, the agriculture barn, on which progress had stalled in 2006-2007, will be completed this week. Road surfaces to the facility will allow safe access for students, vehicles, and animals. I am excited for the opportunities that our students will have to work with and show animals in our local community in addition to preparing them for possible careers in agriculture.

Our nine (9) new Meridian school buses will be delivered very shortly. They are receiving their final fittings in Renton presently. As many of you know, these buses are much more fuel efficient, are much lower in emissions, and will hopefully reduce major repair costs to the fleet. This project was accomplished without needing to access any local tax payer or levy dollars. Very soon they will be transporting Meridian students to and from school on a daily basis.

Improvement efforts underway

A technology program review is also underway. It is our goal to have the positives and challenges with technology in Meridian clearly identified, thus providing a basis from which to develop a plan to put any missing pieces in place in as brief a time as possible. I have appreciated the steps that our technology staff has made in the last nineteen months. Replacement of student and teacher machines, installation of new copy machines at the HS and MS, the work with the district wide online grading program, our Google apps e- mail, calendar and document packages have made positive impacts our capacity to serve students

Technology services for the district will be moving this summer to the tech building on the MS campus. This will allow a place for storage and repair of machines and an adequate workspace for the tech staff. More information on this move will be forthcoming.

State Budget Information

As mentioned before the state will be coming out with a definitive revenue forecast in the last week of March. Following this forecast we will then begin to know just what the financial support that we can expect from the state is. We are watching the updates from Olympia daily and are working very hard to make certain that all preparations are in place when the financial information arrives. Information on this area will be forthcoming

Thanks to our soon to be retired teachers!

We are very fortunate in Meridian to work with very fine people. I personally wish to thank Donna Holmes, John Craig, Liz Theirbah, Carol Evans, and Dorothy St. Julien for their years of service to Meridian and wish them the very best as they retire this spring. We will miss you all very much.

Meridian is a great place to be... We are making significant progress in our efforts to serve and support our students district wide. I have appreciated the willingness of our staff to embrace the work before us and to take on the challenge of improving the way in which each child in Meridian is prepared for their future.

Tim Yeomans

Superintendent - Meridian School District

September 8th, 2008

Visible Improvements

In the Meridian School District we are off to a great start to the 2008-2009 school year. Instruction and student learning are in full swing and remain our primary focus at all times in Meridian. This being noted, over the last fourteen months the school board and the staff have been working very hard to make very intentional changes in all aspects of the educational and support programs for the purpose of directly impacting student achievement. We are very committed to making continuous improvements to our program while being very careful stewards of local, state and federal dollars. The paragraphs that follow contain several examples of the progress we are making in Meridian and will continue to make in the future.

Teaching and Learning

Over the course of the last school year, improvements in instructional technology and curriculum have demonstrated the district’s efforts to improve upon our existing educational program. There is new math curriculum in our elementary classrooms and there is new technology throughout the district. All of the parents in our district will soon have a new tool at their disposal to support the learning of their children. The ability to monitor the progress of their student online through the Skyward Grading Module will be available at the end of September. These efforts to improve our program will continue along side our effort to address a new model for secondary school scheduling. The new secondary schedule will be intended and designed to better facilitate our students in meeting the new state graduation requirements while preserving the elective programs that make Meridian unique and vibrant.

Facilities

Our efforts to take extra care of the existing facilities in Meridian have been very successful during the same time period. Improvements to underground piping and roofing at the Middle School and Ten Mile Creek and a project to seal and paint all of the district out-buildings will help us preserve the investment that local taxpayers have made in our infrastructure. Building upon those efforts we will begin asking for input from the community about the direction of our next bond measure to address some very long overdue improvements to several structures and systems within the district. As always, we will be examining systems and structures that will allow the district to operate more efficiently as we provide an excellent environment in which learning can occur. Please feel free to partake and attend these sessions as you see them advertised this fall and winter.

Transportation

One of our biggest projects to this point has been the modernization of the transportation fleet. The replacement of nine aging and fuel inefficient busses that were purchased in the 1980’s, with nine new busses that are safer, produce significantly less emissions, and are nearly twice as fuel efficient is a significant step forward for the district. The best part of this project is that eight of the nine busses being purchased will be funded by sources other than local tax dollars. We expect to take delivery of all nine buses in February of 2009 and look forward to the improved efficiency. Besides making Meridian’s fleet the newest, safest, and most efficient in the county, this project is another example of the effort we are making to be as efficient as possible in our operations while improving our performance whenever possible.

Food Service

Even with the rising cost of food and transportation Meridian’s food service program continues to be one of the very best in the state. Our staff provides healthy meals for our students at very reasonable prices for families. Our staff does all of this while operating in a fiscally self sufficient manner. This is not the norm in the State of Washington and it is another example of how we are carefully managing the resources of our district and providing great service. At this time our food service staff is working on a new program that will allow parents to place money on deposit for their children online. Our effort here is to make the process more safe and accountable to our children and parents.

In summation, all of these efforts serve a single purpose…the improvement of student learning in Meridian. In order to place student achievement at the center of our work, we must continually earn the trust of our community. We must demonstrate a clear and careful commitment to being good stewards of local, state and federal funds that support the education of our kids. To the parents and taxpayers of the district, I just want you all to know that we are proud of our work in the last fourteen months and we will continue to improve our program and stewardship wherever possible.

As always we are deeply thankful for your support and participation in our schools.

Meridian is a great place to be!

Tim Yeomans - Superintendent

June 30th, 2008

A Community of Giving

On a night in late May over three hundred community members gathered to honor the academic accomplishments of the students of the Meridian School District at the “Evening of Excellence”.

After well deserved recognition for academic accomplishment and distinguished service were noted and honored, the program culminated with the distribution of over thirty-thousand dollars in scholarships from the Meridian Public Schools Foundation to Meridian students who were furthering their education at a number of post-secondary institutions.

Students attending the United States Naval Academy, Gonzaga University, BYU, WSU and the University of Washington stood next to students pursuing professional certifications from BTC and Whatcom Community College in a celebration of accomplishment and commitment.

It was wonderful to see so many of our students entering the adult world with a clear plan for their future. It was equally as impressive to see the collective efforts of a community come to fruition through the Meridian Schools Foundation in support of each of these students.

Chairman Paul Kratzig and a team of community volunteers meet regularly to pursue the goal of supporting Meridian students through scholarships. The foundation holds regular fundraising events and is dedicated to the ongoing pursuit of building the endowment that funds the majority of the scholarships that are given.

To date the foundation has given over three hundred and seventy thousand dollars to Meridian students in support of their educational goals.

A community is made by the collective efforts of many people coming together around a common goal. Keeping in mind the many positive programs already in place, we are working very hard to align and improve in every aspect of our school district program in Meridian.

With help from the foundation and support from our community there is no limit to the potential of our students and the positive impact they will one day have in our community, state and country.

April 29th, 2008

Members of the Meridian Community,

I realize that there are a large number of questions that many staff and community members may have about the steps being taken to reduce staffing district-wide. There exists, in Meridian, an immediate need to align the overall financial obligations of the district and the district staffing levels that have been impacted by a combination of declining student enrollment and state budget requirements.

This week, after long and careful consultation with the school board and union leadership, I recommended a plan to the school board to reduce the district office and certificated staffing levels in the district and to align them with the funding that will be available from state, federal and local sources. As many of you are aware, there were some reductions in classified staffing levels in the 2005-2006 school year, and we will be examining the program needs within the district with regard to classified staffing as we as we move forward into the spring.

Situations such as these are never easy. We value deeply the contributions that every member of our district team makes to the education of our children. During Thursday and Friday of last week, efforts were made to speak directly with those staff members who may be impacted by these reductions. At this point the school board, in compliance with state law and the local bargained agreement, has adopted a very specific protocol by which the reductions will impact the overall staff in Meridian. This means that employees whose contracts are "retire-rehire" and "leave replacement" will be impacted first. Based upon specific provisions in the bargained agreement, employees whose status within the district is "provisional continuing" would in most cases be impacted before "tenured continuing" employees. These last two areas are a bit more specific and do involve a very specific and technical interpretation based upon the current assignment of each employee and their qualifications.

These staffing reductions, the first of which was to reduce staffing in the district office, will take place at every location in the district. Every effort possible is being made to maintain the level of programing for our students in Meridian. The school board has been very insistent that I consider very carefully the impact that these measures will have on both children and staff. While we have experienced a very modest increase in the number of children attending our home school outreach program, our numbers in Meridian for our "core program" (IRPS, TMCE, MMS and MHS) have declined by 44+ students this school year over last. We are projected to decline a further 32 students or more in the coming year. These enrollment declines on top of declines in the "core program" in previous years have created a situation where the staffing of the district must be carefully examined and adjusted.

Sometimes positive steps have unintended impacts as well. The very positive Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) that was provided, but only partially funded, by the state to all employees as well as a required three percent increase to all retirement contributions by the district has created a very large financial impact on Meridian and every other district in the state. The result of enrollment decline, Non-Employee Related Costs (NERCS) and the current staffing levels has created a shortfall of two hundred thousand dollars in the 2007-2008 budget that we have been working diligently to close with very careful and frugal attention to expenditures. The additional impacts of COLA and retirement, in addition to loss of PAS dollars will result in an addition two hundred-sixty thousand dollar obligation that the district must now cover. On top of those factors, diesel fuel for our buses has increased by over thirty-five percent and we will likely be dealing with further increases in utilities and other NERCS. In total, the approximate impact of the current budget situation in Meridian approaches half-a-million dollars.

We are making steps to modify every aspect of the overall district program to realize cost savings before we impact staffing levels. These steps include adjusting schedules and looking at how we can be more efficient in our day to day operations in schools and work sites.

Even with all of the challenges that we face, I am hopeful that we can emerge from this very difficult situation with a renewed focus on student learning. I am hopeful that as we get further into spring there may be some movement within our overall staffing picture that might allow us to minimize the impact of the current reductions on staff positions. As we move forward through May and June It is my earnest hope that we can keep our overall district focus on the learning of our children as we work through this process. Again, I know how difficult this situation is for our staff, community and students. I appreciate your time to read this information and to consider its content. If any of our district team have questions I would encourage you to follow up at the district level. I want you all to have factual information as answers to any concerns or questions you might have.

I very hopeful that we will emerge from this tough time in the most positive way possible. Thanks again for your understanding.

January 7th, 2008

On March 11, 2008 Meridian, along with five other county school districts will be running M&O replacement levies that will be coming to the end of their four year cycle. In 2004 the voters of the Meridian School District approved a four year levy that would collect a tax at a rate of $3.26 per thousand dollars of assessed valuation. In all four years that tax rate was lower than projected, and this year the rate is actually $2.52 per thousand. For many years Meridian has collected the lowest percentage of levy authority (the amount that the district is allowed by law to collect) of any district in Whatcom County. In addition, the Meridian School District has made facilities last, and has continued to use them even after they have been identified for upgrades and/or replacement. On the front page of the district website there is a link to the state required "Study and Survey" that gives insights into lifespan and condition of the educational and support facilities. I would encourage each parent and community member to read the report, finished in June of 2006 for yourself.

Due to changes in the state funding formula and the recent changes in the overall valuation of the district, Meridian will be losing approximately $300,000 of state funding. This loss of "Levy Equalization Funds" in addition to some very specific education needs around the areas of technology, professional development and curriculum materials will provide some unique challenges for the district as we continue to move forward in the overall improvement of the educational program at Meridian. Other fiscal pressures such as the ongoing physical maintenance of facilities and the need to maintain and update our fleet of busses that transport our children will be prominent considerations in the work of the school board as they determine a levy rate to send to the voters.

As a district we are committed to continuing to examine our ongoing operations for efficiencies while providing our students the best educational opportunities possible. We encourage each voter to examine the information available regarding the levy, talk with your school board members and to exercise your right to vote when the issue of local school funding comes before you on March 11, 2008.

We thank our community for their continued support of our schools.

December 26th, 2007

Whether it is a youth game on weekend, a middle school contest in the afternoon or much anticipated county match-up on a Friday night, there is always a great deal of excitement and support for our teams in Meridian!

Knowing that our children always receive great interest and support from our community, it is also appropriate to mention that the manner in which we support our students is also very important. Our new Director of Athletics for the Meridian School District, Mr. Eric Tripp, with the support of the district administration is placing a special emphasis on sportsmanship as we support out students at every level. We encourage and expect our community to support our students by cheering positively for our team. Positive support from the crowd is often mentioned by players at every level as a factor that improves their performance. On the other side, negative comments directed toward opposing teams or referees have no potential to positively impact the outcome of a game. Our students are too important to support them in any way other than a positive one! We have the opportunity to set a great example for our children and students every time we attend a contest. Together we can create the very best environment possible for our students to compete, grow and achieve. Please cheer positively and represent our community and schools with excellence and class! GO TROJANS!

November 19th, 2007

Parent/Teacher Conferences... Keeping Student Achievement at the Center ...

As we are in the midst of parent – teacher conferences I am reminded that there is very little that is more important in the academic success of a child than the communication between the parent and the teacher. I very much appreciate the time that the parents and guardians of our community take to be partners in the education of our children. I would encourage all parents to remain actively involved in the education of children by checking in with the kids and the teachers on a regular basis. As the district is involved in the continuous work of curricular alignment and improvement of instruction, we are pleased to have the partnership of our parents and guardians to support and advocate for their children.

... Student Achievement in our Co-Curricular Program ...

Congratulations to our 1A State Champion Girls Soccer Team!

This fall we had the opportunity to watch our students perform in a wide variety of co-curricular activities that serve as an extension of the classroom in Meridian. High school teams in Soccer, Cross Country and Football all completed at the state level and demonstrated great determination and commitment in pursuit of their goals. We also saw the combined efforts of our middle school and high school music programs on display at concerts and on Friday nights.

Our mission of keeping student achievement at the center of everything we do is visibly demonstrated at competitions, concerts and plays. In Meridian we enjoy great support for these activities from our community. It is important that we recognize the link between these activities and the daily work that our teachers and students pursue in the classroom. Using all of our Co-curricular programs to directly support the achievement of students is the combined responsibility of our schools and our community. With the great support that our community provides we have a wonderful opportunity to focus the collective efforts of our district on the continuous improvement of all aspects of our educational program.

... Student Achievement Demonstrated through Leadership ...

This fall we have two students who are representing their peers on the Meridian School Board. Claire Chambers and Haley Pratt are giving of their time to provide a student perspective to the governance of our district. The willingness of these students to partake and serve brings to light the opportunity that we have as a community to help foster and support leadership among our children. Encouraging students to volunteer and to give without thought of immediate return are ways that our community can support the positive emotional and social growth of our children. Both Clare and Haley serve as wonderful examples of students who have maximized their educational opportunities that their families, the community and the district have provided!

Have a great Thanksgiving! We have much to be thankful for in Meridian...It’s a great place to be!

October 9th, 2007

Information on Initiative - 4204

I - 4204 known as "simple majority" is a state level initiative that proposes to adjust the level of support for Maintenance and Operations, Technology, and Transportation levies for school districts to the 50% voter approval that all other levies such as fire, parks, or cemetery districts must attain for passage. The Maintenance and Operations levy currently provides about 13.5% of the funding that the Meridian School District uses to support curricular and extra curricular activities for students. The level of support currently required for passage of school levies in Washington is 60% voter approval. Bond measures, used for capital improvements such as new school construction, would still require 60% of voter approval to pass. Given a recent history of very narrow passage or failure of recent school levies, this measure stands to impact the Meridian School District substantially.

October 5th, 2007

Instruction

This past two weeks in the Meridian School District have been very productive times from the standpoint of moving the quality of student learning forward. The work has centered on alignment of instructional efforts using assessment data to inform instruction in the classroom.

During the early release day on September 26 and the Learning Improvement Day on October 5, our staff was focused on specific efforts in their grade level and subject area teams to enhance and improve instruction. It has been very rewarding to watch the diligence and commitment shown to the main mission of improving student achievement.

In recent observation of our staff over the first six weeks of school, one of the very positive traits that I see is the effort that staff put forth in the building of positive relationships with students. Several research studies in recent years have determined that one of the primary underpinnings for student achievement is the meaningful connection with an adult in school. It is an ongoing effort for our staff to build and maintain these connections with our students.

Involvement

One of the best things about Meridian is the strong involvement of our students in school and community activities. On Friday evening October 5, the Middle School and High school bands put on a combined half time show a the Trojan football game. It is great to see over seventy students working together with a shared purpose in such a positive manner. The efforts by our music teachers to make this happen has provided our students with another opportunity to see each other involved in a positive way!

The very same can be said of the amazing involvement of our students in the school and community athletic activities. The focus and the effort of our school and community coaches to positively involve our children, and to foster a sense of teamwork and connection are values that we are able to build upon in the learning environment.

We also have two students who are beginning a new tradition in Meridian by serving as student representatives to the Meridian School Board. They were elected by a vote of their ASB peers in the spring of this past school year and begin their service on October 17. What a great effort by our school board to help develop leaders in our community!

Investment

The support that our schools receive form members of the community is truly outstanding! The leaders of community activities, the volunteers in the combined PTA, the many members of the Meridian Boosters, are just a few of the many volunteers that serve for the sole purpose of supporting our children as they move through the Meridian schools.

We are also extremely lucky to have the members of the Meridian School Foundation who are working tirelessly at raising and investing funds in support of our students as they move onto post-high school education. This group has raised and is investing over $400,000 dollars to support the children of our community reach their life goals.

It is through this intentional investment of time and effort that our children see the example of what it means to give back to your community in a positive way.

We are so fortunate to live in a community that not only cares, but also gives so willingly to our students and our schools!

Meridian is a great place!

September 7th, 2007

School is off to a great start in the Meridian School District! I am so proud of the preparation and effort that occurred over the summer to begin this school year with our focus squarely on quality instruction and student learning. It was a wonderful experience to get out to each school on the first day and see all staff members making the effort to connect their work to the main mission of student learning.

Over the summer WASL scores were released*. There are some specific areas of improvement that are the direct result of school goals being focused on the improvement of instruction. During the Learning Improvement Days (LIDs) at the beginning of the school year each staff was working with data about their students and setting targets for improvement based on that student performance data. I am very excited to see the continued improvement in student performance as we continue to sharpen our focus on instruction that is informed by assessment data.

In addition to having a clear focus on instruction and learning, our students are also involved in many sports and activities throughout the district. Research clearly links positive participation in sports, music, FFA, drama, and other activities to improved performance in the classroom. It is wonderful to see so many of our students participating and performing so well. In support of these students there are many coaches, advisors, parents, PTA, boosters and community volunteers who make all of this happen. I am so impressed with the level of willingness within the Meridian community to support our children. There is nothing more impressive to me than the commitment shown by the community for the schools and the positive support for solid work in academics and activities.

Meridian is a great place! Our schools are off to an excellent start and we have great support. I am excited about all of the positive potential that our schools and programs possess. I encourage you to become involved in the parent and support organizations in the community. If we are all in this together, we can accomplish great things.

Have a wonderful September.

* Please see the link on each school website for student academic performance data provided by OSPI.

July 15th, 2007

In my first few weeks as superintendent I have been overwhelmed at the kind wishes and genuine interest the community has shown in our schools. The willingness of the Meridian community to actively support its children in all number of ways, gives me great hope for the future of the Meridian School District!

There has been very positive progress over the entire Meridian school system in the past few years. Student performance has improved, many of the co-curricular programs have performed at the top levels in the state, and the support for the schools by parents and the community has continued to be quite high. With all of those positive images in mind, we still have the opportunity to improve our schools in all areas. Quality instruction and student learning is the daily focus for our entire district, wherever and whenever students are interacting with our staff.

One of the most unique and wonderful things about our schools is having a new and fresh beginning each year. There are very few memories as powerful as the first day of school and the hopeful expectations that surround children as they partake in the growth that education provides. When transitions take place, there is an opportunity to examine our practice and refocus our goals. Our task as a district will be to continue the good work that is already taking place and to examine carefully how our entire system will align to best serve the educational needs of our children.

We live in a great community with high expectations for our schools and all of the programs we offer. As a district we will embrace the opportunity for continued improvement and reflection on our practice. I am honored and excited about the opportunity to serve as your superintendent and I welcome your observations, input and support for our schools.