[{"id":23217,"date":"2026-04-27T07:56:37","date_gmt":"2026-04-27T14:56:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/?p=23217"},"modified":"2026-04-27T07:56:37","modified_gmt":"2026-04-27T14:56:37","slug":"weekly-update-april-26th-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/news\/2026\/04\/27\/weekly-update-april-26th-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Weekly Update &#8211; April 26th, 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3>Principal&#8217;s Message<\/h3>\n<p>IRE Families,<\/p>\n<p>As we head into week 33 of 39 of the school year, we have a few quick updates to share. Our ELA state testing begins this week, and we kicked things off with a 3rd-5th grade assembly where our 5th graders shared advice on how to stay focused and do your best. They did an incredible job. We also reminded students that while this is an important opportunity to show what they know, it does not define them. We care deeply about how students treat others and their growth across all areas, including music, art, sports and more.<\/p>\n<p>You can support your child by helping them get a good night\u2019s sleep, arrive on time, and feel encouraged to do their best.<\/p>\n<p>Lastly, we also have an amazing Art Show on Monday that will include some musical performances. See more information below.<\/p>\n<p>Thank you for your continued partnership as we finish the year strong.<\/p>\n<p>Best,<br \/>\nTyler Dockins, Principal<br \/>\nNate Beede, Assistant Principal<br \/>\nRebecca Kratzig, Dean of Instruction<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>Class Placement Input Survey (Survey Closes Friday)<\/h3>\n<p>We invite families to share input that may help us create the best possible learning environment for your child next year. Our team thoughtfully builds balanced classrooms that support both academic growth and social-emotional needs.<\/p>\n<div>\n<div>While we cannot honor specific teacher requests, your insights about your child are valuable in this process.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Please note that many of our teachers and staff review these comments as part of the placement process. If you have private or sensitive information, we encourage you to share that directly with our school counselor.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Helpful information may include:<\/div>\n<ul>\n<li>Important peer relationships<\/li>\n<li>Educational history or experiences<\/li>\n<li>Any other relevant information about your child<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div><strong>The survey will close Friday, May 1st. <a href=\"https:\/\/email-link.parentsquare.com\/ls\/click?upn=u001.Mn4yxfqNAdY6h-2FnN25MhUS0Rwzz-2BASPTIUTz8zobkDD7B-2FAu4C5eKAoKGGk2GOmU1p46bHM0UujXKtLXkzY8HhRXH-2BCstHlsIkCZ0jRZq-2BQ-3DXUx8_oSbLEBDYGulrOylDB17zjf7RACDl25-2BbE5RXGzUzWwQJljVUlOZBHiGtMWWtUoGnpTfq38qrfUnKmgQYIYGr7pu-2FBQc-2BcL-2BoLEVr2b4kz41AiOHCEUAFTmVY36yyUshRbyE5bZqtx5rUO3E6obrTcMsInk1wMsE4ktmujUR4l-2Bl4Y8jzCQTfjiGlXA6zqdO3h9aLHW-2FubkZvDTNa-2FhS-2BoRDBWIC3kde1kwayowiIArlUylasUEv0CF6AR4mBTSDtjVoo6QLFjerUyEwjayQDkw-3D-3D\">Class Placement Input Survey.<\/a><\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 class=\"m_4195110741845689139s_typography-header2 m_4195110741845689139s_pb-8\">MHS Girls Basketball Youth Camp<\/h3>\n<div>\n<div>Join the Meridian High School Girls Basketball team for 3 days of learning, competing, and fun! Register by May 11th to receive a Trojan T-Shirt!<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><a href=\"https:\/\/email-link.parentsquare.com\/ls\/click?upn=u001.GRtUL4A0KmqqG52D3lnYZ25-2BXlQsS-2BYTEKScEhnT3vTuC07scuZSABmA-2FHtaCqcDvmtR_oSbLEBDYGulrOylDB17zjf7RACDl25-2BbE5RXGzUzWwQJljVUlOZBHiGtMWWtUoGnpTfq38qrfUnKmgQYIYGr7pu-2FBQc-2BcL-2BoLEVr2b4kz41AiOHCEUAFTmVY36yyUshRbyE5bZqtx5rUO3E6obrTcD4z0rhBWghxfO0R-2BnaRfwnEV4KXqHq-2FaY2gZ9zF-2BcOvntAqW5eXL9xagk5SX5AwyCf47ZiKlw7vvFssXuoxyuwhKu4Jf3s7g2MzAojn-2Ftr5Bpi7Y-2BZ2LoxEJjRHN-2B1eTQ-3D-3D\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/email-link.parentsquare.com\/ls\/click?upn%3Du001.GRtUL4A0KmqqG52D3lnYZ25-2BXlQsS-2BYTEKScEhnT3vTuC07scuZSABmA-2FHtaCqcDvmtR_oSbLEBDYGulrOylDB17zjf7RACDl25-2BbE5RXGzUzWwQJljVUlOZBHiGtMWWtUoGnpTfq38qrfUnKmgQYIYGr7pu-2FBQc-2BcL-2BoLEVr2b4kz41AiOHCEUAFTmVY36yyUshRbyE5bZqtx5rUO3E6obrTcD4z0rhBWghxfO0R-2BnaRfwnEV4KXqHq-2FaY2gZ9zF-2BcOvntAqW5eXL9xagk5SX5AwyCf47ZiKlw7vvFssXuoxyuwhKu4Jf3s7g2MzAojn-2Ftr5Bpi7Y-2BZ2LoxEJjRHN-2B1eTQ-3D-3D&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1777386982379000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1I7ToQ6V1DplpdIWdk-_Yh\"><strong><em>Click here<\/em><\/strong><\/a><strong>\u00a0<\/strong>or scan the QR code in the flyer for registration and payment links.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div>\n<hr \/>\n<\/div>\n<h3>Seeking Applicants for Board Vacancy (District 4)<\/h3>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>Meridian School District encourages qualified community members to apply to fill a vacancy on the Meridian School Board of Directors representing Director District 4. The selected individual will be appointed to serve through December 31, 2027.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>To be eligible, applicants must be a registered voter, a United States citizen, and a resident of\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/email-link.parentsquare.com\/ls\/click?upn=u001.w-2Fv-2FxuFWAzcH-2BzcLTPJcq1yAaIRAn3DVgNk647r88IsmSJgadgIDsMzd6wL8wgwwnsJYSW7T85zLty5-2BXJSzXgqwsN0gyOarKC7lrN6Lku-2BUDZtde76EdDLK-2B5kztA771vl4_oSbLEBDYGulrOylDB17zjf7RACDl25-2BbE5RXGzUzWwQJljVUlOZBHiGtMWWtUoGnpTfq38qrfUnKmgQYIYGr7pu-2FBQc-2BcL-2BoLEVr2b4kz41AiOHCEUAFTmVY36yyUshRbyE5bZqtx5rUO3E6obrTcOU5jGZIfc1VbqowlI45sQbWZqhI832OwFREP-2B3IK6X96dnwdsmTjuJ2oN4fHRvO-2BQ63eXQbVrVrhAIqTX9XnHln83APJU9w4-2BEmKpf3Hw3K29fJSn7Pmc0vI6-2BVmFbuwQ-3D-3D\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/email-link.parentsquare.com\/ls\/click?upn%3Du001.w-2Fv-2FxuFWAzcH-2BzcLTPJcq1yAaIRAn3DVgNk647r88IsmSJgadgIDsMzd6wL8wgwwnsJYSW7T85zLty5-2BXJSzXgqwsN0gyOarKC7lrN6Lku-2BUDZtde76EdDLK-2B5kztA771vl4_oSbLEBDYGulrOylDB17zjf7RACDl25-2BbE5RXGzUzWwQJljVUlOZBHiGtMWWtUoGnpTfq38qrfUnKmgQYIYGr7pu-2FBQc-2BcL-2BoLEVr2b4kz41AiOHCEUAFTmVY36yyUshRbyE5bZqtx5rUO3E6obrTcOU5jGZIfc1VbqowlI45sQbWZqhI832OwFREP-2B3IK6X96dnwdsmTjuJ2oN4fHRvO-2BQ63eXQbVrVrhAIqTX9XnHln83APJU9w4-2BEmKpf3Hw3K29fJSn7Pmc0vI6-2BVmFbuwQ-3D-3D&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1777386982380000&amp;usg=AOvVaw397t6xW7U6t0EyvO201mFJ\">Director District 4<\/a>\u00a0at the time of appointment.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Interested individuals are encouraged to<a href=\"https:\/\/email-link.parentsquare.com\/ls\/click?upn=u001.GRtUL4A0KmqqG52D3lnYZ8iCubHSxdS1Hz5hj5pZW1Ejo637orrXRAMOKsY7R8ZgpAau_oSbLEBDYGulrOylDB17zjf7RACDl25-2BbE5RXGzUzWwQJljVUlOZBHiGtMWWtUoGnpTfq38qrfUnKmgQYIYGr7pu-2FBQc-2BcL-2BoLEVr2b4kz41AiOHCEUAFTmVY36yyUshRbyE5bZqtx5rUO3E6obrTcOat94beDNbOAD7OQ2a8rDmG8UKu1BwE-2Fqk6cNk1xnr52LUhWOx510YsnS8GOCyvetnd6Z4MTuchfb6hi6pSqFd1TBDS2xnRMgThVZEjk9IB-2F8ZPuCd88WxZSD6h5m62XA-3D-3D\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/email-link.parentsquare.com\/ls\/click?upn%3Du001.GRtUL4A0KmqqG52D3lnYZ8iCubHSxdS1Hz5hj5pZW1Ejo637orrXRAMOKsY7R8ZgpAau_oSbLEBDYGulrOylDB17zjf7RACDl25-2BbE5RXGzUzWwQJljVUlOZBHiGtMWWtUoGnpTfq38qrfUnKmgQYIYGr7pu-2FBQc-2BcL-2BoLEVr2b4kz41AiOHCEUAFTmVY36yyUshRbyE5bZqtx5rUO3E6obrTcOat94beDNbOAD7OQ2a8rDmG8UKu1BwE-2Fqk6cNk1xnr52LUhWOx510YsnS8GOCyvetnd6Z4MTuchfb6hi6pSqFd1TBDS2xnRMgThVZEjk9IB-2F8ZPuCd88WxZSD6h5m62XA-3D-3D&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1777386982380000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3lNZsvPREKVZ1hUOwMrvWJ\"><strong>\u00a0submit an application<\/strong><\/a>by 5 p.m. on Friday, May 1. More information about the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/email-link.parentsquare.com\/ls\/click?upn=u001.w-2Fv-2FxuFWAzcH-2BzcLTPJcq1yAaIRAn3DVgNk647r88IsAHHgdtAMR3E4W1e27a3X7Hqup0AfWcTjKACEbdUNBmZhk5Yzd3mlg1rdCnMqLlV4-3DUekc_oSbLEBDYGulrOylDB17zjf7RACDl25-2BbE5RXGzUzWwQJljVUlOZBHiGtMWWtUoGnpTfq38qrfUnKmgQYIYGr7pu-2FBQc-2BcL-2BoLEVr2b4kz41AiOHCEUAFTmVY36yyUshRbyE5bZqtx5rUO3E6obrTcF1nGFBIGD7JecCXytw3I7YA7JlzmoLNtQA-2FE4R-2BgVH0skuxHpxpDuflzIlscW8qOnI2dbWqadiuIaNkVfEjKp1vWqRSQMHZeQ5z4QkunrCEQFnlcGf3a4RZLu00uAGDEw-3D-3D\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/email-link.parentsquare.com\/ls\/click?upn%3Du001.w-2Fv-2FxuFWAzcH-2BzcLTPJcq1yAaIRAn3DVgNk647r88IsAHHgdtAMR3E4W1e27a3X7Hqup0AfWcTjKACEbdUNBmZhk5Yzd3mlg1rdCnMqLlV4-3DUekc_oSbLEBDYGulrOylDB17zjf7RACDl25-2BbE5RXGzUzWwQJljVUlOZBHiGtMWWtUoGnpTfq38qrfUnKmgQYIYGr7pu-2FBQc-2BcL-2BoLEVr2b4kz41AiOHCEUAFTmVY36yyUshRbyE5bZqtx5rUO3E6obrTcF1nGFBIGD7JecCXytw3I7YA7JlzmoLNtQA-2FE4R-2BgVH0skuxHpxpDuflzIlscW8qOnI2dbWqadiuIaNkVfEjKp1vWqRSQMHZeQ5z4QkunrCEQFnlcGf3a4RZLu00uAGDEw-3D-3D&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1777386982380000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0B1_4aGIiAMU-k0BJZDpsJ\">role and responsibilities of school board members<\/a>\u00a0is available on our website.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\n<hr \/>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h3>Dismissal Routines: Arrive between 3:30 p.m. &#8211; 3:40 p.m.<\/h3>\n<p>Our dismissal process begins at 3:30. If you arrive before then, please find a spot to park in the gravel lot. This helps keep fire lines open and our campus safe. Please ensure that you scan in using the SDM app upon arrival. There are scan stations in at the parking lot entrance, gravel lot, and front doors of building A.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>\nSpring Testing is Coming Up!<\/h3>\n<p>Our annual spring assessments are just around the corner! Students in grades 3\u20135 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\u20135 will complete i-Ready testing.<br \/>\nTesting Dates:<br \/>\nELA (Grades 3\u20135): April 27\u201330<br \/>\nMath (Grades 3\u20135): May 11\u201313<br \/>\ni-Ready (Grades K\u20135): May 18\u201321<br \/>\nWCAS (Grade 5 only): May 27\u201328<br \/>\nYou can help your child feel confident and prepared by:<br \/>\nEncouraging them to try their best<br \/>\nMaking sure they bring a fully charged Chromebook each day<br \/>\nProviding a healthy breakfast<br \/>\nHelping them get plenty of rest<br \/>\nWe are proud of the hard work our students have shown all year and look forward to seeing them shine during testing!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<hr \/>\n<div>\n<h3>District Art Show ~ April 27<\/h3>\n<p>Join us for our District Art Show April 27, 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. at Meridian High School.<\/p>\n<p>Student artwork from all Meridian schools will be on display in the commons, showcasing the creativity and talent of our young artists. Enjoy an evening of the arts, including musical performances by our students.<\/p>\n<p>This free event is open to the entire community. We kindly ask that children remain supervised by a parent or guardian throughout the evening. We look forward to seeing you there!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Principal&#8217;s Message IRE Families, As we head into week 33 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/news\/2026\/04\/27\/weekly-update-april-26th-2026\/\"> [&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":18708,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18,32],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23217","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-principal","category-school-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23217","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23217"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23217\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18708"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23217"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23217"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23217"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":23201,"date":"2026-04-20T13:21:47","date_gmt":"2026-04-20T20:21:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/news\/2026\/04\/20\/how-ire-helps-multilingual-learners-thrive\/"},"modified":"2026-04-20T13:24:50","modified_gmt":"2026-04-20T20:24:50","slug":"how-ire-helps-multilingual-learners-thrive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/news\/2026\/04\/20\/how-ire-helps-multilingual-learners-thrive\/","title":{"rendered":"How IRE Helps Multilingual Learners Thrive"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>At Irene Reither Elementary (IRE), multilingual learners are thriving thanks to strong classroom instruction, purposeful small\u2011group support, and a welcoming school culture that celebrates every language. Last year, about 64% of IRE\u2019s multilingual students met their WIDA growth targets, the state\u2019s annual measure of progress in English listening, speaking, reading, and writing, a strong indicator of steady language development.<\/p>\n<p>Teachers use strategies that make learning accessible and interactive for all students, while the multilingual team provides targeted support when needed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cStudents learn English both in and out of the classroom, but being in class with their teachers and classmates is where their skills really grow,\u201d said multilingual learner specialist Holly Li. \u201cOur teachers use many strategies to help students build their language as they learn.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>With about 150 multilingual learners, IRE carefully tracks growth and celebrates big wins. One student who moved from eastern Europe has more than doubled their expected annual growth two years in a row.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSeeing that kind of growth reminds us we\u2019re doing meaningful work,\u201d said multilingual learner specialist Twan Mathijssen.<\/p>\n<p>WIDA scores for this year are expected in late May. In the meantime, staff are strengthening how they monitor growth throughout the year by reviewing classroom work through a language lens and expanding collaboration between classroom teachers and the multilingual team.<\/p>\n<p><em>If your family speaks a language in addition to English at home, please let your school know during registration or by contacting the office. Your child may be eligible for language development support.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>At Irene Reither Elementary (IRE), multilingual learners are thriving thanks <a href=\"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/news\/2026\/04\/20\/how-ire-helps-multilingual-learners-thrive\/\"> [&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":22130,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34,33,35],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23201","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-learning","category-stories","category-support"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23201","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23201"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23201\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/22130"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23201"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23201"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23201"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":23198,"date":"2026-04-20T11:22:55","date_gmt":"2026-04-20T18:22:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/news\/2026\/04\/20\/district-art-show-april-27\/"},"modified":"2026-04-20T11:23:54","modified_gmt":"2026-04-20T18:23:54","slug":"district-art-show-april-27","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/news\/2026\/04\/20\/district-art-show-april-27\/","title":{"rendered":"District Art Show April 27"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Join us from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Monday, April 27 for our District Art Show at Meridian High School.<\/p>\n<p>Student artwork from all Meridian schools will be on display throughout the commons and the old cafeteria, showcasing the creativity and talent of our young artists.<\/p>\n<p>Families are welcome to stop by at any point during the evening to enjoy the displays. This free event is open to the entire community. We kindly ask that children remain supervised by a parent or guardian throughout the evening.<\/p>\n<p>We look forward to seeing you there!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Join us from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Monday, April <a href=\"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/news\/2026\/04\/20\/district-art-show-april-27\/\"> [&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":23199,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23198","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-district-update"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23198","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23198"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23198\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23199"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23198"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23198"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23198"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":23197,"date":"2026-04-20T08:31:09","date_gmt":"2026-04-20T15:31:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/?p=23197"},"modified":"2026-04-20T08:31:09","modified_gmt":"2026-04-20T15:31:09","slug":"weekly-update-april-19th-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/news\/2026\/04\/20\/weekly-update-april-19th-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Weekly Update &#8211; April 19th, 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<h2>Principal&#8217;s Message<\/h2>\n<div>IRE Families,<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>As we approach state testing, we want to share a balanced perspective. These assessments are one way we measure student progress and help us understand how well we are supporting learning across our school. While they are important, they are just one piece of the bigger picture of your child\u2019s growth and success.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>What matters most are the daily experiences students have at school and the support they receive at home. Strong attendance, encouragement, reading together, and conversations about learning all play a powerful role in helping students do their best, not just on a test, but over time.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>We are proud of the progress we are making as a district in partnership with the middle and high school. This growth reflects the hard work of our students, the partnership of our families, and the dedication of our staff. At Irene Reither Elementary, we remain deeply committed to the educational excellence of every child.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Thank you for your continued support. There are some great suggestions below.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Lastly, it is that time of year where we start getting our class placement process started. You will find the survey below.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Best,<\/div>\n<div>Tyler Dockins, Principal<\/div>\n<div>Nate Beede, Assistant Principal<\/div>\n<div>Rebecca Kratzig, Dean of Instruction<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\n<hr \/>\n<\/div>\n<h3>Dismissal Reminders<\/h3>\n<div>Arrive between 3:30 &#8211; 3:40 p.m.<\/div>\n<div>\nOur dismissal process begins at 3:30. If you arrive before then, please find a spot to park in the gravel lot. This helps keep fire lines open and our campus safe. Please ensure that you scan in using the SDM app upon arrival. There are scan stations in at the parking lot entrance, gravel lot, and front doors of building A.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\n<hr \/>\n<\/div>\n<h3>Spring Testing is Coming Up!<\/h3>\n<div>Our annual spring assessments are just around the corner! Students in grades 3\u20135 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\u20135 will complete i-Ready testing.<\/div>\n<div>\n<strong>Testing Dates:<\/strong><\/div>\n<ul>\n<li>ELA (Grades 3\u20135): April 27\u201330<\/li>\n<li>Math (Grades 3\u20135): May 11\u201313<\/li>\n<li>i-Ready (Grades K\u20135): May 18\u201321<\/li>\n<li>WCAS (Grade 5 only): May 27\u201328<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div><strong>You can help your child feel confident and prepared by:<\/strong><\/div>\n<ul>\n<li>Encouraging them to try their best<\/li>\n<li>Making sure they bring a fully charged Chromebook each day<\/li>\n<li>Providing a healthy breakfast<\/li>\n<li>Helping them get plenty of rest<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div>We are proud of the hard work our students have shown all year and look forward to seeing them shine during testing!<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\n<hr \/>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h3>Class Placement Input Survey<\/h3>\n<p>We invite families to share input that may help us create the best possible learning environment for your child next year. Our team thoughtfully builds balanced classrooms that support both academic growth and social-emotional needs.<\/p>\n<p>While we cannot honor specific teacher requests, your insights about your child are valuable in this process.<\/p>\n<p>Please note that many of our teachers and staff review these comments as part of the placement process. If you have private or sensitive information, we encourage you to share that directly with our school counselor.<\/p>\n<p>Helpful information may include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Important peer relationships<\/li>\n<li>Educational history or experiences<\/li>\n<li>Any other relevant information about your child<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The survey will close Friday, May 1st.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/meridiansd.qualtrics.com\/jfe\/form\/SV_3eoWoVs3AlQeeQm\">Class Placement Input Survey<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<hr \/>\n<\/div>\n<h3>District Art Show ~ April 27<\/h3>\n<div>Join us for our District Art Show April 27, 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. at Meridian High School.<\/div>\n<div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Student artwork from all Meridian schools will be on display in the commons, showcasing the creativity and talent of our young artists. Enjoy an evening of the arts, including musical performances by our students.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>This free event is open to the entire community. We kindly ask that children remain supervised by a parent or guardian throughout the evening. We look forward to seeing you there!<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\n<hr \/>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h3 class=\"m_6939995076745321247s_typography-header2 m_6939995076745321247s_pb-8\">Blue Skies Little Wishes<\/h3>\n<div>\n<ul>\n<li>Applications accepted\u00a0<strong>April 1st &#8211; April 30th, 2026<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>A\u00a0<em>One-Time Little Wish<\/em>\u00a0is a\u00a0<strong>single<\/strong>,\u00a0<strong>one-time award<\/strong>\u00a0designed to support a specific wish or enrichment opportunity (like camp, after-school enrichment, or equipment fees) for a child. Each Little Wish request is tailored to meet the unique interests or needs of the child.<\/li>\n<li>One-Time Little Wishes are limited in number and may not cover the full request. Little Wishes granted generally range from $50.00 &#8211; $150.00.\u00a0Wishes are awarded through a lottery System.<\/li>\n<li><strong>More Information<\/strong>\u00a0&amp;\u00a0<strong>Applications<\/strong>:<a href=\"https:\/\/email-link.parentsquare.com\/ls\/click?upn=u001.w-2Fv-2FxuFWAzcH-2BzcLTPJcq5udVbHtdBphpYyxn2V-2B2cyohPq7ffZmz0qZVeahzybjGP5StLTXgkHsn9DfnTHzggBcog-2BpFlThXy97f0Jam2M-3DGudr_oSbLEBDYGulrOylDB17zjf7RACDl25-2BbE5RXGzUzWwQJljVUlOZBHiGtMWWtUoGnpTfq38qrfUnKmgQYIYGr7q-2B6kzTvVMmh1h19iSy0jhCkbVbopdyx-2BjYhbyfsEwDTsuZR2zZ3yjTKJxcRI6Yb4i9d1Lh2KAGVMmapn-2Fx167zmFP1xF8iUIY04V98gVYM5gSAty8b2M6hfaOWu9UFp-2BMh-2FSLDuj3Trph1r-2FdNypicwFn03q9nbMYttXoLWmNIum7FPH5xk19Pun-2BkSIAs9mQ-3D-3D\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/email-link.parentsquare.com\/ls\/click?upn%3Du001.w-2Fv-2FxuFWAzcH-2BzcLTPJcq5udVbHtdBphpYyxn2V-2B2cyohPq7ffZmz0qZVeahzybjGP5StLTXgkHsn9DfnTHzggBcog-2BpFlThXy97f0Jam2M-3DGudr_oSbLEBDYGulrOylDB17zjf7RACDl25-2BbE5RXGzUzWwQJljVUlOZBHiGtMWWtUoGnpTfq38qrfUnKmgQYIYGr7q-2B6kzTvVMmh1h19iSy0jhCkbVbopdyx-2BjYhbyfsEwDTsuZR2zZ3yjTKJxcRI6Yb4i9d1Lh2KAGVMmapn-2Fx167zmFP1xF8iUIY04V98gVYM5gSAty8b2M6hfaOWu9UFp-2BMh-2FSLDuj3Trph1r-2FdNypicwFn03q9nbMYttXoLWmNIum7FPH5xk19Pun-2BkSIAs9mQ-3D-3D&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1776782659326000&amp;usg=AOvVaw37_Pdw093Gm3pIZcZeIEsn\">\u00a0https:\/\/www.<wbr \/>blueskiesforchildren.org\/one-<wbr \/>time-little-wishes.html<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 class=\"m_6939995076745321247s_typography-header2 m_6939995076745321247s_pb-8\">Register for Kindergarten<\/h3>\n<div>\n<div>Kindergarten registration for the 2026-27 school year is underway. Children must be 5-years-old before Sept. 1, 2026 to be eligible.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Research shows that high-quality early learning programs increase graduation rates, reduce disparities in early literacy and language development, and support long-term emotional well-being. Students who begin kindergarten ready to learn are more likely to stay on track academically.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Daily learning for our youngest students includes morning meetings for social development, two recesses, structured play, and enrichment classes. IRE uses Creative Curriculum, a research-based program that blends literacy and math into hands-on, interest-driven units of study.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Questions about registration? Contact\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/email-link.parentsquare.com\/ls\/click?upn=u001.w-2Fv-2FxuFWAzcH-2BzcLTPJcq1yAaIRAn3DVgNk647r88Iu4ApE2EONJgEaigg1SX-2BIX3RVG_oSbLEBDYGulrOylDB17zjf7RACDl25-2BbE5RXGzUzWwQJljVUlOZBHiGtMWWtUoGnpTfq38qrfUnKmgQYIYGr7q-2B6kzTvVMmh1h19iSy0jhCkbVbopdyx-2BjYhbyfsEwDTsuZR2zZ3yjTKJxcRI6Yb4vD4cINMHBvpqcGNSSFDHEJbw1zk2YuCrSIhAsQOIfXj6J8BjMD4IVhCwWy0Aa-2BJ7pyePAEyW43jX36FhU031-2FlIk7TqmfdmX5K3RtLpihEfZBJyfqsKt5yngIclJe-2Bc-2Fw-3D-3D\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/email-link.parentsquare.com\/ls\/click?upn%3Du001.w-2Fv-2FxuFWAzcH-2BzcLTPJcq1yAaIRAn3DVgNk647r88Iu4ApE2EONJgEaigg1SX-2BIX3RVG_oSbLEBDYGulrOylDB17zjf7RACDl25-2BbE5RXGzUzWwQJljVUlOZBHiGtMWWtUoGnpTfq38qrfUnKmgQYIYGr7q-2B6kzTvVMmh1h19iSy0jhCkbVbopdyx-2BjYhbyfsEwDTsuZR2zZ3yjTKJxcRI6Yb4vD4cINMHBvpqcGNSSFDHEJbw1zk2YuCrSIhAsQOIfXj6J8BjMD4IVhCwWy0Aa-2BJ7pyePAEyW43jX36FhU031-2FlIk7TqmfdmX5K3RtLpihEfZBJyfqsKt5yngIclJe-2Bc-2Fw-3D-3D&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1776782659327000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0E7W03UrpeJqKur2Q3al1E\">Irene Reither Elementary School<\/a>\u00a0at 360-398-2111.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><a href=\"https:\/\/email-link.parentsquare.com\/ls\/click?upn=u001.w-2Fv-2FxuFWAzcH-2BzcLTPJcq1yAaIRAn3DVgNk647r88Itf8dWlvr4d5FchWzOEJ7Dv8Z28cIGXVUFX6eTGPJsXuNv0ycecwSYhpYOLkoLaYTg-3D-CRU_oSbLEBDYGulrOylDB17zjf7RACDl25-2BbE5RXGzUzWwQJljVUlOZBHiGtMWWtUoGnpTfq38qrfUnKmgQYIYGr7q-2B6kzTvVMmh1h19iSy0jhCkbVbopdyx-2BjYhbyfsEwDTsuZR2zZ3yjTKJxcRI6Yb4vUa62zIeG2L5TEK-2FcPN9-2Fk05cV9f-2BTHmVbK5zYNqGsHCblrVUWZzNRLyfTBDcYWcpqunjPFb0raP6in8bylfWIu-2F-2FfO87LDxYUVs0NGrysLyvRNG3t0VDuUuqqAK7NqkA-3D-3D\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/email-link.parentsquare.com\/ls\/click?upn%3Du001.w-2Fv-2FxuFWAzcH-2BzcLTPJcq1yAaIRAn3DVgNk647r88Itf8dWlvr4d5FchWzOEJ7Dv8Z28cIGXVUFX6eTGPJsXuNv0ycecwSYhpYOLkoLaYTg-3D-CRU_oSbLEBDYGulrOylDB17zjf7RACDl25-2BbE5RXGzUzWwQJljVUlOZBHiGtMWWtUoGnpTfq38qrfUnKmgQYIYGr7q-2B6kzTvVMmh1h19iSy0jhCkbVbopdyx-2BjYhbyfsEwDTsuZR2zZ3yjTKJxcRI6Yb4vUa62zIeG2L5TEK-2FcPN9-2Fk05cV9f-2BTHmVbK5zYNqGsHCblrVUWZzNRLyfTBDcYWcpqunjPFb0raP6in8bylfWIu-2F-2FfO87LDxYUVs0NGrysLyvRNG3t0VDuUuqqAK7NqkA-3D-3D&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1776782659327000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1MFfPqsJlx0Eezw0zinu_s\"><strong>Visit our online registration webpage.\u00a0<\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Early Childhood Programs at Irene Reither Elementary<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><strong>Pre-Kindergarten Programs (PK)<\/strong><\/div>\n<div>In addition to kindergarten, IRE offers a full-day preschool experience for eligible three- and four-year-olds. The Pre-Kindergarten (PK) Program, brings together Transitional Kindergarten (TK) and Early Childhood Education Assistance Program (ECEAP, pronounced e-cap). Each program is designed to help children build a strong foundation for school and life.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>This blended model creates an inclusive setting where children learn through play, exploration, and connection with peers. Teachers emphasize early literacy, math concepts, problem-solving, language development, social-emotional skills, and kindergarten readiness.\u00a0Families also receive support through strong collaboration between school staff and community partners. Eligibility is based on age, need and family circumstances following TK and ECEAP guidelines.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><strong>Developmental Preschool<\/strong><\/div>\n<div>Developmental Preschool serves children ages three to five whose families have concerns about their child\u2019s development or learning. Students may experience speech or language delays, motor or adaptive skill challenges, social-emotional or behavioral needs, or may have a diagnosed disability or chronic health condition. Through specialized instruction and individualized support, the program centers each child\u2019s strengths. Children qualify through a free evaluation which families can request throughout the school year.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Learn more about our\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/email-link.parentsquare.com\/ls\/click?upn=u001.w-2Fv-2FxuFWAzcH-2BzcLTPJcq1yAaIRAn3DVgNk647r88IvL3lzUHGspgcWFTiK6VwPv-2Bj07PNzow1Eu8zgX0Xf2Bg-3D-3DlJiB_oSbLEBDYGulrOylDB17zjf7RACDl25-2BbE5RXGzUzWwQJljVUlOZBHiGtMWWtUoGnpTfq38qrfUnKmgQYIYGr7q-2B6kzTvVMmh1h19iSy0jhCkbVbopdyx-2BjYhbyfsEwDTsuZR2zZ3yjTKJxcRI6Yb4r3ExKGtibphTUmb4D2XSxmOhzLAk3pKxPCSCjdavCD29JmSfz8U1OykIiALj54mq8x5awu8a4j64bLqER6Fo8TyFy5zzXbymnFRzuWSuAkElL5yBMgYNifySCztthXYKQ-3D-3D\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/email-link.parentsquare.com\/ls\/click?upn%3Du001.w-2Fv-2FxuFWAzcH-2BzcLTPJcq1yAaIRAn3DVgNk647r88IvL3lzUHGspgcWFTiK6VwPv-2Bj07PNzow1Eu8zgX0Xf2Bg-3D-3DlJiB_oSbLEBDYGulrOylDB17zjf7RACDl25-2BbE5RXGzUzWwQJljVUlOZBHiGtMWWtUoGnpTfq38qrfUnKmgQYIYGr7q-2B6kzTvVMmh1h19iSy0jhCkbVbopdyx-2BjYhbyfsEwDTsuZR2zZ3yjTKJxcRI6Yb4r3ExKGtibphTUmb4D2XSxmOhzLAk3pKxPCSCjdavCD29JmSfz8U1OykIiALj54mq8x5awu8a4j64bLqER6Fo8TyFy5zzXbymnFRzuWSuAkElL5yBMgYNifySCztthXYKQ-3D-3D&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1776782659327000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1FEfzhhDIrnTgWFxd4CfmD\">early childhood programs.<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Principal&#8217;s Message IRE Families, As we approach state testing, we <a href=\"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/news\/2026\/04\/20\/weekly-update-april-19th-2026\/\"> [&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":18708,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18,32],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23197","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-principal","category-school-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23197","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23197"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23197\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18708"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23197"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23197"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23197"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":23189,"date":"2026-04-17T08:29:16","date_gmt":"2026-04-17T15:29:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/news\/2026\/04\/17\/seeking-applicants-for-board-of-directors-vacancy-district-4\/"},"modified":"2026-04-17T08:53:57","modified_gmt":"2026-04-17T15:53:57","slug":"seeking-applicants-for-board-of-directors-vacancy-district-4","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/news\/2026\/04\/17\/seeking-applicants-for-board-of-directors-vacancy-district-4\/","title":{"rendered":"Seeking Applicants for Board of Directors Vacancy (District 4)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Meridian School District encourages qualified community members to apply to fill a vacancy on the Meridian School Board of Directors representing<a href=\"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/District-4.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u00a0Director District 4<\/a>. The selected individual will be appointed to serve through Dec. 31, 2027.<\/p>\n<p>To be eligible, applicants must be a registered voter, a United States citizen, and a resident of\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/District-4.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Director District 4<\/a>\u00a0at the time of appointment.<\/p>\n<p>Interested individuals are encouraged to<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/forms.gle\/6PjD38CuMB58SeqX7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u00a0submit an application<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>by 5 p.m. on Friday, May 1. Paper applications are available in the District Office. Candidate interviews will be conducted during the May 13 board meeting, and an appointment may be made that evening. Please note that not all applicants may be selected for an interview.<\/p>\n<p>More information about the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/our-district\/school-board\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">role and responsibilities of school board members<\/a>\u00a0is available on our website. Additional questions may be directed to Superintendent Dr. James Everett at 360-398-7111 or\u00a0<a href=\"mailto:jeverett@meridian.wednet.edu\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">jeverett@meridian.wednet.edu<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Thank you for considering serving and for your ongoing partnership.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/forms.gle\/rVuWMjHVZ2Ut1jYx7\">Apply for Board Vacancy<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_23190\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/District-4.pdf\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-23190\" class=\"wp-image-23190 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/04\/District-4-300x230.jpg\" alt=\"Map of the Director District 4 area in purple. This is the southwest corner of our school district boundary. This area encompasses part of the Cordata Neighborhood, from Guide Meridian west to Aldrich Road, and roughly from W. Horton Road north to W. Smith Road. \" width=\"300\" height=\"230\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/04\/District-4-200x153.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/04\/District-4-300x230.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/04\/District-4-400x307.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/04\/District-4-600x460.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/04\/District-4-768x589.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/04\/District-4-800x614.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/04\/District-4-1024x786.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/04\/District-4-1200x921.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/04\/District-4.jpg 1349w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-23190\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">District 4 Map (click to enlarge)<\/p><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Meridian School District encourages qualified community members to apply to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/news\/2026\/04\/17\/seeking-applicants-for-board-of-directors-vacancy-district-4\/\"> [&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":19140,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23189","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-district-update"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23189","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23189"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23189\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19140"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23189"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23189"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23189"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":23179,"date":"2026-04-13T08:57:10","date_gmt":"2026-04-13T15:57:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/?p=23179"},"modified":"2026-04-13T08:57:10","modified_gmt":"2026-04-13T15:57:10","slug":"weekly-update-april-12th-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/news\/2026\/04\/13\/weekly-update-april-12th-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Weekly Update &#8211; April 12th, 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Principal&#8217;s Message<\/h2>\n<p>IRE Families,<\/p>\n<p>Welcome back! We hope you had a restful spring break filled with time to connect with family and friends. We missed seeing our students and are so excited to have everyone back this week as we begin our 4th quarter together.<\/p>\n<p>As we start week 30 out of 39, some questions you may ask your students could be:<br \/>\nWhat is something that you are proud of from this school year so far?<br \/>\nWhat is something that felt challenging, and how did you handle it?<br \/>\nWhat is one goal you have for the rest of the school year?<br \/>\nHow can we, as a family, help you be successful in these last weeks of school?<br \/>\nWhat routines (bedtime, reading time, getting ready) will help you feel your best?<\/p>\n<p>Best,<br \/>\nTyler Dockins, Principal<br \/>\nNate Beede, Assistant Principal<br \/>\nRebecca Kratzig, Dean of Instruction<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"s_typography-header2 s_pb-8\">Register for Kindergarten<\/h3>\n<div class=\"s_typography-body\">\n<div>Kindergarten registration for the 2026-27 school year is underway. Children must be 5-years-old before Sept. 1, 2026 to be eligible.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Research shows that high-quality early learning programs increase graduation rates, reduce disparities in early literacy and language development, and support long-term emotional well-being. Students who begin kindergarten ready to learn are more likely to stay on track academically.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Daily learning for our youngest students includes morning meetings for social development, two recesses, structured play, and enrichment classes. IRE uses Creative Curriculum, a research-based program that blends literacy and math into hands-on, interest-driven units of study.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Questions about registration? Contact\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Irene Reither Elementary School<\/a>\u00a0at 360-398-2111.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><a href=\"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/families-and-students\/registration\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Visit our online registration webpage.\u00a0<\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Early Childhood Programs at Irene Reither Elementary<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><strong>Pre-Kindergarten Programs (PK)<\/strong><\/div>\n<div>In addition to kindergarten, IRE offers a full-day preschool experience for eligible three- and four-year-olds. The Pre-Kindergarten (PK) Program, brings together Transitional Kindergarten (TK) and Early Childhood Education Assistance Program (ECEAP, pronounced e-cap). Each program is designed to help children build a strong foundation for school and life.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>This blended model creates an inclusive setting where children learn through play, exploration, and connection with peers. Teachers emphasize early literacy, math concepts, problem-solving, language development, social-emotional skills, and kindergarten readiness.\u00a0Families also receive support through strong collaboration between school staff and community partners. Eligibility is based on age, need and family circumstances following TK and ECEAP guidelines.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><strong>Developmental Preschool<\/strong><\/div>\n<div>Developmental Preschool serves children ages three to five whose families have concerns about their child\u2019s development or learning. Students may experience speech or language delays, motor or adaptive skill challenges, social-emotional or behavioral needs, or may have a diagnosed disability or chronic health condition. Through specialized instruction and individualized support, the program centers each child\u2019s strengths. Children qualify through a free evaluation which families can request throughout the school year.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Learn more about our\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/early-childhood\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">early childhood programs.<\/a><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Principal&#8217;s Message IRE Families, Welcome back! We hope you had <a href=\"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/news\/2026\/04\/13\/weekly-update-april-12th-2026\/\"> [&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":18708,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18,32],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23179","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-principal","category-school-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23179","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23179"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23179\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18708"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23179"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23179"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23179"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":23144,"date":"2026-03-31T09:00:44","date_gmt":"2026-03-31T16:00:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/?p=23144"},"modified":"2026-03-30T08:34:51","modified_gmt":"2026-03-30T15:34:51","slug":"spring-break-april-6-10","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/news\/2026\/03\/31\/spring-break-april-6-10\/","title":{"rendered":"Spring break, April 6-10"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>Spring break is April 6-10. All schools and the District Office are closed during spring break. The Meridian Family Support Center food pantry will be open on Wednesday, April 8 from 2-5 p.m.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/calendars\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">school year calendars<\/a> are available on our website.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><strong>Looking ahead:<\/strong> The last day of school is Wednesday, June 10. The first day of school for the 2026-27 school year is Monday, Aug. 31.<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Spring break is April 6-10. All schools and the District <a href=\"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/news\/2026\/03\/31\/spring-break-april-6-10\/\"> [&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":18390,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23144","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-district-update"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23144","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23144"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23144\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18390"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23144"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23144"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23144"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":23148,"date":"2026-03-31T08:42:02","date_gmt":"2026-03-31T15:42:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/news\/2026\/03\/31\/building-strong-foundations-ires-early-learning-programs\/"},"modified":"2026-03-31T08:42:02","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T15:42:02","slug":"building-strong-foundations-ires-early-learning-programs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/news\/2026\/03\/31\/building-strong-foundations-ires-early-learning-programs\/","title":{"rendered":"Building Strong Foundations: IRE&#8217;s Early Learning Programs"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>At Irene Reither Elementary (IRE), the first floor is buzzing with energy and curiosity. It\u2019s home to our youngest learners, ages three to five, who are beginning their educational journey in programs designed to support lifelong success.<br \/>Research shows that high-quality early learning improves long-term academic and social outcomes. Students who begin kindergarten ready to learn are more likely to stay on track.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur teachers are creating a school experience where children feel safe, known, loved, and valued,\u201d said early childhood specialist Natalie Eining. \u201cAt this age, children can take risks, share their thinking, and start building friendships. It\u2019s this collective effort that\u2019s happening across each classroom.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Pre-Kindergarten Programs (PK)<\/strong><br \/>In addition to kindergarten, IRE offers a full-day preschool experience for eligible three- and four-year-olds. The Pre-Kindergarten (PK) Program brings together Transitional Kindergarten (TK) and the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP, pronounced \u201cE\u2011Cap\u201d) into one inclusive model where children learn through play, exploration, and connection with peers.<\/p>\n<p>Teachers focus on early literacy, foundational math, problem-solving, language growth, social-emotional development, and kindergarten readiness.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cKids are excited to come to school. They love one another, and they love the staff,\u201d Mrs. Eining said. \u201cEven in a few months, the growth we\u2019ve seen is tremendous. It\u2019s such a special foundation for their learning journey.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Families also receive support through strong collaboration between school staff and community partners. Eligibility for PK is based on age, need, and family circumstances, following TK and ECEAP guidelines.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Developmental Preschool<\/strong><br \/>Developmental Preschool serves children ages three to five whose families have concerns about their child\u2019s development or learning. Students may experience communication delays, motor or adaptive challenges, social-emotional or behavioral needs, or have a diagnosed disability or health condition.<\/p>\n<p>Through specialized instruction and individualized supports, the program centers each child\u2019s strengths. Children qualify through a free evaluation that families can request anytime during the school year.<br \/>\u201cAll of our staff are here for the kids and what\u2019s best for kids,\u201d Mrs. Eining said. \u201cThis year, especially with adding so many students, everyone\u2019s excited to have them here. They love building relationships and creating intentional experiences to support a lifelong love of learning.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Supporting a Strong Start<\/strong><br \/>Both PK and Developmental Preschool prepare young learners for a successful transition into kindergarten while offering families ongoing support. Whether a child thrives in an inclusive, play-based environment or needs more specialized services, Meridian provides pathways that meet children where they are and help them flourish.<\/p>\n<p>Early childhood education at IRE isn\u2019t just about academics \u2014 it\u2019s about belonging, confidence, and joy. By investing in these programs, we are giving our youngest learners the tools they need to succeed now and in the future.<br \/>Kindergarten registration and applications for PK programs open annually on the Tuesday after Presidents Day. Visit our website to learn more about Irene Reither Elementary\u2019s early learning programs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>At Irene Reither Elementary (IRE), the first floor is buzzing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/news\/2026\/03\/31\/building-strong-foundations-ires-early-learning-programs\/\"> [&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":23149,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34,33],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23148","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-learning","category-stories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23148","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23148"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23148\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23149"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23148"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23148"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23148"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":23145,"date":"2026-03-30T08:42:39","date_gmt":"2026-03-30T15:42:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/?p=23145"},"modified":"2026-03-30T08:42:39","modified_gmt":"2026-03-30T15:42:39","slug":"weekly-update-march-29th-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/news\/2026\/03\/30\/weekly-update-march-29th-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Weekly Update &#8211; March 29th, 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"s_typography-body\">\n<h2>Principal&#8217;s Message<\/h2>\n<div>IRE Families,<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>As we head into the final week before Spring Break and close out Quarter 3, we want to take a moment to thank you for your continued partnership. This time of year is a great opportunity to reflect and recharge. We hope your family is able to enjoy a restful and meaningful break together.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>As we look ahead to the final 10 weeks of the school year, finishing strong is key. Small, consistent habits can make a big difference in keeping students academically sharp while still making space for fun and connection.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Here are a few simple questions you might use during Spring Break to support learning at home:<\/div>\n<ul>\n<li>What are you reading right now, and what\u2019s happening in your book?<\/li>\n<li>Can you tell me about a new word you learned or noticed?<\/li>\n<li>Where do you see math in our day today (shopping, cooking, traveling)?<\/li>\n<li>Can you write or draw a story about something we did today?<\/li>\n<li>What is something new you learned this year that you\u2019re proud of?<\/li>\n<li>What is a goal you have for the last part of the school year?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Even 10\u201315 minutes of reading, writing, or math practice each day can help maintain momentum, while still leaving plenty of time for rest, play, and family connection.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>We are grateful for the opportunity to partner with you in supporting your child to feel known, loved, and valued each day. We look forward to a strong finish together this spring!<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Last, 5th grade closed out their annual Pi Day celebration by getting to the &#8220;pi&#8221; the principal. Three students memorized nearly 100 (or over 100) digits of pi! Holy smokes. See some of the photos below.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Best,<\/div>\n<div>Tyler Dockins, Principal<\/div>\n<div>Nate Beede, Assistant Principal<\/div>\n<div>Rebecca Kratzig, Dean of Instruction<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\n<hr \/>\n<\/div>\n<h2>School Safety Drill Update<\/h2>\n<div>At IRE, student safety is our top priority. As part of our ongoing safety efforts, we follow the <a href=\"https:\/\/iloveuguys.org\/The-Standard-Response-Protocol.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Standard Response Protocol (SRP)<\/a>\u00a0developed by the \u201cI Love U Guys\u201d Foundation. This approach uses clear, consistent language so students and staff know exactly how to respond in any situation.<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"s_typography-body\">\n<div><\/div>\n<div>This month, we will be practicing two important drills:<\/div>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Shelter-in-Place:<\/strong>\u00a0Students remain inside and take protective action (often used for environmental situations like weather or air quality).<\/li>\n<li><strong>Evacuation (2nd instance for the year):<\/strong>\u00a0Students safely move to a designated location outside or away from the building.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div>These drills are practiced in a calm, age-appropriate way so students feel prepared and confident.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><strong>Questions to ask your child at home:<\/strong><\/div>\n<ul>\n<li>What do you do during a shelter-in-place drill?<\/li>\n<li>Where do you go during an evacuation?<\/li>\n<li>How does your teacher help keep you safe?<\/li>\n<li>Why is it important to practice safety drills?<\/li>\n<li>What questions do you still have about school safety?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Thank you for partnering with us to ensure every student feels\u00a0<strong>safe, known, and cared for<\/strong>\u00a0at school.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\n<hr \/>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Spring Break is April 6-10. School resumes on April 13.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\n<hr \/>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h2 class=\"s_typography-header2 s_pb-8\">Native American Student Union Presents Children of the Earth Pow Wow<\/h2>\n<div class=\"s_typography-body\">\n<div>Families are invited to attend the\u00a0<em>Children of the Earth Pow Wow<\/em>\u00a0hosted by Squalicum High School\u2019s Native American Student Union on\u00a0<strong>Saturday, April 25, 2026<\/strong>, at the Squalicum High School Gymnasium in Bellingham. This traditional pow wow is planned by Native student youth leaders and celebrates Native American dancing, singing, arts and crafts, vendors, and food. Grand entries will take place at\u00a0<strong>1:00 PM and 6:00 PM<\/strong>, and the event is free to attend with free parking.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>All are welcome at this drug- and alcohol-free community event. A free community dinner will be provided. This is a wonderful opportunity for students and families to experience and celebrate Native culture and traditions in our region.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\n<hr \/>\n<\/div>\n<h2>PTA Meeting<\/h2>\n<div>You&#8217;re Invited!<br \/>\nMeridian PTA Meeting<br \/>\nWednesday April 1st, 4:00-5:30pm<br \/>\nIn the Building A staff lounge<br \/>\nDoors open at 3:50- Please wait outside until dismissal is over before entering the building for the meeting.<br \/>\nWe will be discussing:<br \/>\nPlanning for end of the year field day<br \/>\nCheck in on yearbook<br \/>\nRecap on past events<br \/>\nFinancial reports and more!<br \/>\nAll are welcome! No obligation to volunteer- come see what we are all about!<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<h3>Yearbook Photos Needed<\/h3>\n<div>The PTA is working hard on designing this year\u2019s yearbook, and we need more photos! If you would like to upload photos, you can use the link below to access our community album and add photos to your student\u2019s classroom folder.<\/div>\n<div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Yearbook photo upload:<\/div>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/books.yearbooks.me\/cg\/9bpjt39b6m73meu4ed8yp7mqtqqtwev59\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/books.yearbooks.me\/cg\/9bpjt39b6m73meu4ed8yp7mqtqqtwev59<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Password: Trojans#1\u00a0 (case-sensitive)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div><strong>OR you can email pictures to the PTA directly. Please include your student\u2019s name and class, and the event the photo is from if it\u2019s not obvious.\u00a0<\/strong><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><a href=\"mailto:IreneReitherYearbook@gmail.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">IreneReitherYearbook@gmail.com<\/a><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Pictures DUE by April 3rd 2026.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Principal&#8217;s Message IRE Families, As we head into the final <a href=\"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/news\/2026\/03\/30\/weekly-update-march-29th-2026\/\"> [&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":18708,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[25,18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23145","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-newsletter","category-principal"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23145","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23145"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23145\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18708"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23145"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23145"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23145"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":23126,"date":"2026-03-25T15:00:31","date_gmt":"2026-03-25T22:00:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/?p=23126"},"modified":"2026-03-24T15:53:35","modified_gmt":"2026-03-24T22:53:35","slug":"summer-nutrition-benefits-for-kids","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/news\/2026\/03\/25\/summer-nutrition-benefits-for-kids\/","title":{"rendered":"Reminders: Summer Nutrition Benefits for Kids and Apply for Thriving Schools Planning Team"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3>Summer Nutrition Benefits for Kids<\/h3>\n<div>We want to share information with you about a state program called SUN\u00a0Bucks, also known as Summer EBT. This program provides families with assistance to buy groceries for their school-aged children during the summer; each eligible child receives $120 on an EBT card.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Your child is eligible for SUN Bucks automatically if you already\u00a0participate in SNAP, TANF or other programs directly certified by the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS), such as McKinney-Vento, or if your household income meets the requirements for free or reduced-price school meals.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>If your family does not automatically qualify through the previously mentioned criteria, you may complete the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/departments\/food-service-program\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">free and reduced-price meals application<\/a>\u00a0available on our website or in school offices.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Applications must be\u00a0submitted before the end of the school year and can be turned in to your child\u2019s school.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>If you are unsure if you have already completed these forms this year, please contact Food and Nutrition Coordinator Erin Groen at 360-318-2267 or\u00a0<a href=\"mailto:egroen@meridian.wednet.edu\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">egroen@meridian.wednet.edu<\/a>.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>For\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.fns.usda.gov\/summer\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">more information about SUN Bucks<\/a>,\u00a0you can call 1-833-543-3230 during business hours Monday-Friday or visit the program\u2019s webpage.<\/div>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>Apply for Thriving Schools Planning Team<\/h3>\n<p>Families, staff, students and community members are encouraged to apply for consideration to serve on the Thriving Schools Planning Team. Interested individuals are encouraged to apply by 8 a.m. March 30.<\/p>\n<p>Directed by\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/our-district\/school-board\/policies-procedures\/3112-policy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Board Policy 3112<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/our-district\/school-board\/policies-procedures\/3112-procedure\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Procedure 3112<\/a>\u00a0this team will review data and recommend areas of improvement that would ensure learning thrives for every student. The team serves to bridge the district\u2019s five commitments of Belonging, Communication, Support, Wellness, and Learning by creating safe, equitable, and restorative environments where students and staff feel honored, valued and empowered to succeed.<\/p>\n<p>Visit the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/our-district\/committees-advisory-groups\/thriving-schools-planning-team\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">planning team webpage<\/a>\u00a0to learn more about this group, open positions and timeline.<\/p>\n<p>To apply for consideration to serve on this team, please\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/meridiansd.qualtrics.com\/jfe\/form\/SV_9uIcwFyebMHs6Ro\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">complete and submit an online form<\/a> by 8 a.m. on March 30 or<a href=\"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/MSD_Letter-of-Participation.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u00a0download to print this form<\/a>\u00a0and submit it to the District Office at 214 W. Laurel Road, Bellingham, WA 98226 or email it to communications@meridian.wednet.edu.<\/p>\n<p>Questions? Please contact (360) 398-7111.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Summer Nutrition Benefits for Kids We want to share information <a href=\"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/news\/2026\/03\/25\/summer-nutrition-benefits-for-kids\/\"> [&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":22282,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23126","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-district-update"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23126","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23126"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23126\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/22282"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23126"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23126"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.meridian.wednet.edu\/ire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23126"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}]