IRE Families,

Tomorrow is Day 1, and we could not be more excited to welcome our students back to school!

As we begin the year, we want to help every student build confidence and independence. Tomorrow, all students are expected to walk independently to their classrooms. Only Pre-K and kindergarten families may walk their children to class.

We know goodbyes can bring big feelings—especially on the first day. Children often do best with a loving hug or kiss, a confident goodbye at the front doors, and the reassurance that they are ready for a wonderful day.

Our staff will be throughout the building to greet students and help them find their classrooms.

If you are dropping off your child, please park in the gravel lot and join us at the front of the school for our opening door countdown. We would love to have you help us celebrate the official beginning of an incredible school year!

Below, you will also find a video introducing our Meridian Mindsets:

These values will guide our work as we help students build character, uphold high expectations, and celebrate their learning, growth, and contributions to our community. We have also included the video script below for families who would like to read it instead or need it translated.

We cannot wait to see our students tomorrow. Let’s make it a fantastic Day 1!

With excitement,

Tyler Dockins, Principal

Rebecca Kratzig, Assistant Principal

Holly Li, Assistant Principal

This year, we’re excited to introduce the Meridian Mindsets: Caring, Courageous, Trustworthy, and Open-Minded.

These Mindsets grew from work that began with a team of leaders and was shaped by input from students and families across the Meridian School District. They build on our former Trojan Traits while taking our expectations one important step further.

The Trojan Traits helped students understand the basic behaviors expected at school. The Meridian Mindsets are designed to help students go above and beyond—to become people who care for others, make good decisions, solve problems, listen to different perspectives, and keep trying when things are difficult.

You can think of the Mindsets like a staircase. At Irene Reither, we begin by teaching clear, age-appropriate behaviors and then build toward greater independence, responsibility, and aspiration as students grow. Our goal is for students to continue climbing that staircase so they are ready to thrive when they transition to middle school and beyond.

Over the coming weeks, our staff will explicitly model, practice, notice, and reteach these Mindsets throughout the school, in classrooms and in shared spaces such as hallways, the cafeteria, the playground, and buses.

We’re excited to partner with you as we help every student grow into someone who is caring, courageous, trustworthy, and open-minded—every day and in every space.

Roots of Empathy at IRE is looking for family volunteers to participate in our programs next year! If you or anyone you know had or is expecting a baby between late May and early September, we would love to welcome you into the 2nd 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 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, Makela Alem, via email at malem@rootsofempathy.org, or let a school staff member know so that we can reach out to you. Thank you for your consideration!

If you have a go home change for your student or need a message to reach your student, we kindly ask that you contact the Irene Reither Main Office.

During the school day our teachers give their full attention to their students and are not typically able to reply to email or Parent Square messages. The office will make sure your message is delivered promptly and appropriately.

Thank you for your understanding and your cooperation in helping us maintain a focused learning environment for all students.

We take the safety of your child at school very seriously. Irene Reither Elementary is a locked campus, which means all exterior doors remain locked, and all entry and exit must be through the main entrance.

Whether you are visiting or volunteering, you are required to check in at the front office to receive a badge and to check out with the office when you leave. While in the building, badges must be worn visibly at all times (not carried in hand). Volunteers must do a background check.

For the safety of our students and staff, any adult on campus without a visible badge will be asked to immediately check in at the office.

Thank you for your cooperation and for helping us keep our school community safe.

The YMCA offers before- and after-school child care for IRE students. Scan the QR code below to learn more about the program, availability, and registration.

Kindergarten Parents and Guardians are invited to join us for snacks, coffee and getting to know your fellow kinder families.

After drop off on September 3rd, head to the fenced in area outside of Building A to celebrate and share some tears and/or cheers!