Principal’s Message
IRE Families,
Welcome to Week 35 out of 39! The weather is getting warmer each week, so thank you for continuing to send your student to school with a water bottle each day. We love it when kids play at recess, and staying hydrated is important.
A huge thank you to our PTA for all of their support during Teacher Appreciation Week. We are incredibly grateful for the care and generosity they continue to show our staff. PTA will also play a major role in helping make our end-of-year celebrations and Field Day a success. If you are able, please continue finding ways to get involved and volunteer.
As we head into the final few weeks of school, we are focused on making every second count. There is still so much important learning, growth, and celebration ahead for our students, and strong attendance continues to make a difference each day. Every day counts.
Let’s have a great week together!
Best,
Tyler Dockins, Principal
Nate Beede, Assistant Principal
Rebecca Kratzig, Dean of Instruction

A HUGE Thank You

THANK YOU to our AMAZING PTA who went above and beyond to make our staff feel very much appreciated last week! These volunteers took time to feed our entire staff for the full week. The generous gift of their time and energy (not just for teacher appreciation week, but all year long) is truly a gift from the heart!
We couldn’t run the school without our volunteers!

Dr. Kurt Harvill Invites Community Input

Assistant Superintendent Dr. Kurt Harvill will assume the role of Interim Superintendent for the 2026–27 school year, beginning July 1.
As Dr. Harvill steps into this role, he is eager to listen and learn from Meridian staff, families, students, and community members. We invite you to share your perspective by completing our community feedback survey by May 22. Your input will help us better understand what Meridian is doing well, where there are opportunities for improvement and how we should shape our path forward. Thank you for your continued partnership.

Lockdown Drill This Month
This month, our school will conduct a lockdown drill as part of our regular safety practices.
These drills help students and staff know what to do in case we ever need to secure the building. We approach these drills calmly and in an age-appropriate way, much like we do with fire drills, to help students feel prepared and safe, not scared.
You can support your child by talking together about the drill. Here are a few age-appropriate discussion questions you might use:
  • What did you do during the drill?
  • How did you feel before, during, and after?
  • What helps you feel safe at school?
  • Who are adults at school you can go to if you ever feel worried?
Thank you for helping us keep our school a safe and supportive place for everyone.

Roots of Empathy (Volunteers Needed)
Roots of Empathy at Irene Reither Elementary is looking for family volunteers to participate in our programs next year! If you or anyone you know is expecting a baby between late May and early September, we would love to welcome you into the 2nd grade classroom (possibly 1st grade classroom) to participate in an evidence-based curriculum that uses babies as “tiny teachers” of empathy.
Volunteering with your baby would involve one or both parents coming into the classroom with your baby once a month for a 30-minute lesson. The Roots of Empathy instructor would engage your baby with toys and lead a discussion with the students on various themes including, crying, sleep, communication, and safety.
We are also looking for volunteer Instructors to help deliver the program curriculum in the classroom. We provide a summer training for Instructors and mentorship through the first year of instruction. Volunteers come from many backgrounds—former teachers, school counselors, therapists, social workers, parents, grandparents, or anyone familiar and enthusiastic about working with children.
If you would like to participate, please contact Roots of Empathy Program Manager, Gina Shannon, via email at gshannon@rootsofempathy.org, or let a school staff member know so that we can reach out to you. Thank you for your consideration!

 

Spring Testing is here!
Our annual spring assessments are just around the corner! Students in grades 3–5 will take the Smarter Balanced Assessment (SBA), 5th graders will also take the Washington Comprehensive Assessment of Science (WCAS), and all students in grades K–5 will complete i-Ready testing.
Testing Dates:
  • ELA (Grades 3–5): April 27–30
  • Math (Grades 3–5): May 11–13
  • i-Ready (Grades K–5): May 18–21
  • WCAS (Grade 5 only): May 27–28
You can help your child feel confident and prepared by:
  • Encouraging them to try their best
  • Making sure they bring a fully charged Chromebook each day
  • Providing a healthy breakfast
  • Helping them get plenty of rest
We are proud of the hard work our students have shown all year and look forward to seeing them shine during testing!