MMS families,
Next week is Spirit Week at MMS! We’re looking forward to a week of creativity, fun, and school spirit as our students and staff come together to celebrate what makes MMS a great place to be. From Pajama Day to Friday’s grade-level Color Wars, there will be plenty of opportunities to show some Trojan pride! You can find the full schedule of dress-up days in the calendar below.
School spirit is about more than dressing up or having fun. Research shows that students who feel connected to their school tend to have better attendance, stronger academic outcomes, and greater overall well-being. Events like Spirit Week give students opportunities to build connections, strengthen their sense of belonging, and take pride in being part of our school community. Those things matter, both inside and outside the classroom!
Of course, having fun and learning aren’t competing priorities. We can celebrate, be a little silly, and show our school spirit while still being respectful, following school expectations, and staying focused on learning. In fact, that’s exactly the kind of school culture we want to build: one where students feel connected, enjoy coming to school, and take their learning seriously.
We hope every student finds a way to participate, whether that’s going all out for a dress-up day or simply cheering on their classmates. Let’s have a great week.
As always, let us know what questions you have!
Go Trojans!
Robert Kratzig, Principal
Jill Hammack, Assistant Principal

UPCOMING EVENTS
Monday, October 19
  • Black Day
  • Spirit Week – Pajama Day
  • Girls Basketball Begins
Tuesday, October 20
  • Gold Day
  • Spirit Week – Crazy Hair Day
  • 7th Grade Football vs. Lynden Christian MS, 4:15pm at LCHS
Wednesday, October 21
  • Black Day
  • Spirit Week – Jersey Day
  • School Board Meeting, 5:00pm in MMS Library
Thursday, October 22
  • Gold Day
  • Spirit Week – Anything But a Backpack Day
  • 6th Grade Field Trip to Pickford
  • Multicultural Club
  • 8th Grade Football vs. Horizon/Vista MS, 4:00pm at MMS
Friday, October 23
  • Black Day
  • Late Start (School begins at 9:05am; no drop off before 8:45am)
  • Spirit Week – Color Wars (6th – Green, 7th – Blue, 8th – Pink)

ATTENDANCE STATUS
Below we track the percentage of MMS students who have attended 90% or more of school days. Students who attend regularly have more opportunities to learn, build relationships, participate in school activities, and stay connected to our school community.
Our Goal: 90% of students attending 90% or more of school days
September: 91.11% of students

IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Digital Citizenship graphic

Digital Citizenship Update
8th graders had their first digital citizenship lesson this week with Mrs. Richardson, our secondary technology coach. In our first digital citizenship lesson, students reviewed MSD technology expectations, including proper Chromebook care, responsible device use, and internet safety. Students also discussed ways to protect their personal information and reviewed the Meridian Digital Citizenship Mindsets. Students have been added to a Digital Citizenship Google Classroom where monthly lessons and additional resources are available for students to revisit and access.
Families play an important role in helping students build safe and productive digital habits. We encourage parents and guardians to use the GoGuardian Parent app to support students in using their school-issued Chromebooks appropriately, especially outside of school. The app provides insight into commonly visited websites and apps and allows families to set website controls or pause internet access during out-of-school hours. GoGuardian is intended to help families and the school work together to keep Chromebooks focused on learning while reinforcing digital citizenship and internet safety at home. Learn more about the GoGuardian Parent app and access setup instructions on the Meridian School District GoGuardian webpage.
Three Chromebooks

New Chromebooks
This November, all students at Meridian Middle School will receive a new Chromebook.  Our existing devices have reached the end of their service life and new devices are here and being prepared for distribution.
As we prepare to collect the old devices, please work with your student to locate the following items.  These should be returned with the device on exchange day.
  • Chromebook
  • Case
  • Mouse (if assigned)
  • Charger
Exchange days will be as follows (tentatively):
8th Grade – November 10
7th Grade – November 23
6th Grade – November 24

Winter Coat Distribution
As colder weather approaches, The Interfaith Coalition is offering free winter coat distributions at several locations throughout Whatcom County. Families who could use warm winter clothing are encouraged to stop by the location that works best for them. Upcoming distributions include:
  • Bellingham – Bellingham Food Bank: Wednesday, Oct. 28, 10 AM–4 PM
  • Deming – St. Peter’s Mission Church: Thursday, Nov. 5, 11 AM–5 PM
Please feel free to share this information with friends, family, or neighbors who may benefit. Stay warm and stay healthy!
Winter Coat Distributions flyer from The Interfaith Coalition listing free coat distribution dates and locations in Lynden, Ferndale, Bellingham, and Deming during October and November. Includes illustrations of a winter coat, hat, mittens, snowflakes, and trees.
Volante en español de Distribución de Abrigos de Invierno, patrocinado por The Interfaith Coalition, con fechas y lugares de distribución gratuita en Lynden, Ferndale, Bellingham y Deming durante octubre y noviembre. Incluye ilustraciones de un abrigo, gorro, guantes, copos de nieve y árboles.
Erika's Lighthouse logo

Erika’s Lighthouse in Health
We have adopted a mental health and depression awareness program called We
All Have Mental Health. This program was developed by a highly respected mental health
education and advocacy organization, Erika’s Lighthouse: A Beacon of Hope for Adolescent
Depression. All of these lessons meet National Health Education Standards.
The program goals include:
  • Raising awareness of good mental health.
  • Reducing the stigma surrounding mental health issues.
  • Encouraging help-seeking skills and, if necessary, additional support services.
  • Providing 8th graders with a deeper understanding and knowledge base toward reaching the goals listed above.
These fact-based, student friendly and hopeful programs promote the messages we need our
students to hear: that everyone deserves to have good mental health. The following lessons will be taught, over two weeks by our health teacher to those students who are enrolled in Health this semester.
  • Lesson 1 – Intro to Depression: To raise awareness of depression and reduce negative attitudes of depression and its treatment.
  • Lesson 2 – Depression is Treatable: To effectively communicate with friends in need.
  • Lesson 3 – Help-Seeking: To increase student engagement and communication in activities which promote good mental health.
  • Lesson 4 – Unit Assessment: Students will have the opportunity to put their knowledge and skills developed in this program to practice.
Dates:
  • Lesson 1- Black 10/26, Gold 10/27
  • Lesson 2- Black 10/28, Gold 10/29
  • Lesson 3- Black 11/2, Gold 11/3
  • Lesson 4- Black 11/4, Gold 11/5
Our school wants all of our students to be healthy, both physically and mentally. We encourage students to take control of their mental health and learn how to seek help for themselves or a friend if needed. One of the biggest challenges to mental health is teen depression, a common, yet widely overlooked mood disorder that impacts 15–20% of young people before they reach Adulthood.
We look forward to working together to better inform students of healthy mental health and
provide the tools students need to navigate challenging times. For more information on this
FRC

Family Support Center
The Meridian Family Support Center’s Food Pantry and Clothing Closet serves families and students enrolled in the Meridian School District.
Their regular hours are:
  • Monday–Friday: 8:30 AM–4:00 PM
  • Wednesdays: Open until 5:00 PM
  • Location: Portable 400A on the Irene Reither Elementary campus
At the family resource center, families can:
  • Pick up school supplies for students who qualify for free or reduced meals
  • Sign up for Operation School Bell (new school clothes for Meridian students)
  • Access the clothing closet (gently used adult and kid clothing)
Questions?

FAMILY GUIDES
At MMS, we want families to have a clear window into what is happening in classrooms. We have two tools to help.
For our 6th-grade families, students use their agendas each day to record a brief description of the day’s learning or focus. Checking the agenda can be a great way to turn “What did you do today?” into a more specific conversation.
For all MMS families, we provide Family Guides throughout the year. These guides show the standards and skills students are learning and being assessed on in each class. They also provide important context for the letter grade you see in Skyward: What has my student been expected to learn, and how are they doing with that learning?
Our hope is that these tools make learning more transparent, help you ask more specific questions, and give you opportunities to celebrate progress and support growth along the way. Keeping families informed about what students are learning is one more way we can strengthen the partnership between school and home.
Below, you’ll find links to our Quarter 1 Family Guides, covering student learning during September and October. We encourage you to take a look and use them as a conversation starter with your student about what they’re learning in each class.
6th Grade
7th Grade
8th Grade