Last Thursday, the Meridian School Board considered the Return to Campus plan and approved a phased return schedule based upon the science-driven methodology prepared by the Williamson County & Cities Health District (WCCHD).

We have created Return to School Protocols and are on track to reopen Meridian School as early as September 21 on a phased return schedule. 

On Thursday, you will receive an email with a commitment survey for each child attending Meridian. (If you have three children, you will receive a separate email for each child). Emails will be sent to the adult listed as parent/guardian number one on enrollment forms only. If you do not receive it, check with the other adults in your household. 

You may commit to on-campus or distance learning for the remainder of the first quarter, starting as early as Sept. 21 (see return-to-campus guidelines for details). You may also register for after school care. You will also have the opportunity to commit to either on-campus or distance learning for the second quarter beginning Oct. 19, if you choose. 

Based upon previous surveys with variations by grade levels, 45% to 58% of our families 

will return their students to on-campus instruction when the campus re-opens.

After students have transitioned back on campus, the distance learning experience and expectations will change. Teachers will no longer be able to offer live lessons throughout the day. Instead, one teacher will post videos explaining the day’s content and walk distance learning students through the expected activity in those videos. Students will have to watch the videos and complete the assignments all asynchronously (similar to our Wednesdays currently). Classwork in math, ELA, science and social studies will still be assigned and due daily.

All specials lessons will become asynchronous. Students will be asked to complete 6 specials activities within the week. Specials teachers will have office hours on Wednesdays to assist with these lessons as needed. Counselors will continue to create opportunities for distance learners to connect in lunch bunch and small groups. Distance learning students will still have the opportunity to connect with their teacher and classmates during the morning meeting (on Zoom).

Students will be required to check-in with their teacher at least twice a week in Zoom small groups at times designated by the teacher. There will be little flexibility in these blocks of time as teachers will only have specific times during the day when they can complete these check-ins. 

As a reminder, based on the division of in-person and distance learning teaching on a grade level, your child’s teacher may have to change. 

Beginning September 8, the Meridian Libraries will begin offering curbside checkout of library books. Students will log in to the library website and place a hold on desired books. Books will be pulled and placed outside the primary building on a designated pick-up day. Click here to read all about this process. 

Are you looking for ways to connect your students with friends while distance learning? Check out the virtual socials that some of our amazing parent volunteers have organized! The calendar will be updated as more socials get planned so make sure to check back throughout the next few weeks. Big THANK YOU to all who have stepped up and taken on the role of "social coordinator" to ensure our students have a way to connect outside of the classroom. Don't see any socials listed for your class or grade? Sign up to help organize more virtual activities so ALL of our students have a chance to participate!

Spirit wear is here! Drive through pick up of your order is scheduled for Saturday, September 12th. Please arrive during your designated time slot. Times are organized by last name of the parent who placed the order.

12:00-12:30 A-F

12:30-1:00 G-L

1:00-1:30 M-R

1:30-2:00 S-Z

Volunteer opportunity: sign up to volunteer during pickup!

Parent Book Group: Wednesday, October 7 at 10 am. We are back and ready to zoom! We have scheduled four meetings this year. If you miss one, please don’t hesitate to jump into another. All are welcome.

For our first book of the year, we are excited to read and discuss National Book Award Winner Stamped from the Beginning: the Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by Ibram X. Kendi. We believe that by examining our history and ourselves we are modeling how to be reflective thinkers. This book is a platform for considerate discourse to examine our core beliefs. Which in turn, makes us stronger parents.

New students to Meridian lunch group: I will be contacting the parents of new students to share the lunch bunch schedule for new students. This should start this week!

Woohoo!!!! Lunch Bunches are now available M-W-F from 11:30-12 pm. If your scholar would like some one-on-one time to talk about anything weighing on their mind, please email me.

If a guidance lesson has an activity, I will let the students know. The activity will be listed under the rainbow bear icon for Counselor (K-2). Usually activities are done during our zoom class unless it is a ‘“free choice Friday” on Seesaw.

This week K-2 have been learning about diversity. We looked at the beautiful rainbow of shades across our screens. We listened to a song about our skin and the beauty in each individual. We have differences on the outside, but we are very similar on the inside. We also read some great books related to the skin we are in! You may see details on the guidance lesson tracker on my web page.  

This last week, we have been trying to work on what makes a fun distance playdate. It is so vital that children have a chance to laugh, play, and enjoy each other. But, it can be just as awkward for them as it is for us to be in a zoom meeting. We watched a video about different zoom interactive games and then they were placed in breakout rooms to figure out what makes a fun event and what squelches fun.

I am asking them to try to reach out to friends, family, or new kids in their classes to maintain and build relationships. They can do this with a little help from you or they can choose to attend a lunch bunch in order to be social with others. It becomes easier and easier to isolate themselves as the pandemic keeps us contained, but their brains need playmates & age appropriate social interaction for emotional/social development.

My lunch bunch Sign-ups are on my Webpage.

If your student is NEW to Meridian, I have standing Lunch Bunches that they may attend. No sign up required. Just show up. The more that attend, the more they have fun and have a chance to meet others who are going through the same experience. All of my lunch groups are simply my zoom classroom link. Any questions? Please email me.