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Did you miss a Lions Share?  These important topics were recently covered:
  • Spring Picture Update
Find information on these topics and more in  previous editions of the Lions Share.

This week's edition of the Lions Share includes information on:
(click to read more)
End of Year Thoughts
As we wrap up another school year we want to not only wish the best to our seniors, but we want to take a moment to applaud all our students and their efforts during this phase of their educational journey. We have missed our students dearly during this time. We have grown closer in many other ways but our current situation has highlighted to so many of us that students are the reason we are in this profession. We love our students and we love everything about them!
 
Students, you continue to impress and amaze us. Not only did teachers have to adjust to Zoom and new technology platforms, but so did you. You have been creative in your product outcomes; you have adapted to new instructional delivery modes and you have grown in ways that you may not even realize at the moment. You are resilient and we anxiously await for your return after the summer break. While school may look and feel different upon our return, all of us who work at Meridian know that we are fortunate because you are the reason we love what we do! Looking forward to seeing you all again in person! Stay safe and healthy!
 
Graduation 2020
The moment the Class of 2020 has long been waiting for is almost here. On Saturday, May 23, they will graduate. Adjustments have been made due to current social distancing requirements. Only the graduate's household will be attending.  
 
Graduation 2020 will be held in the Meridian School main parking lot, with the audience in their cars (and family members at home) following along via Zoom Webinar. The morning ceremony in the parking lot will consist of graduation speakers, including Mr. Ryder, Ms. Holcombe, and the Salutatorian Katie Jackson and Valedictorian Caroline Short. Then, one by one, each graduate will be driven by their parent to the "cage" in the middle of the parking lot where they will get out of their car,  enter the cage, and follow a red carpet pathway to a stage to pick up their Meridian School Diploma that has been placed there by Mrs. Holcombe. The evening ceremony will be conducted via a second Zoom Webinar with graduates gathered in their homes with their families.  This evening ceremony will include a faculty address from Ms. Miriam Rodgers, and a viewing of the Senior Slide Show produced by senior class member, Fernando Sandoval Garza. If you would like to view one or both ceremonies live, you can view it live on the Meridian Community Facebook page--but note that you must join this group in advance.  To join the group, you will need to know the name of our superintendent: Rick Fernandez!
 
Graduation Recap:  
Watch via Facebook Live on the "Meridian Community: Facebook Page.
Morning Ceremony - 8:00am
Evening Ceremony - 7:00pm
 
Many thanks to Stela Holcombe and Alexia Thex for their hard work in coordinating this unique graduation. In all, it should be a memorable experience!  Congratulations to the graduating Meridian School Class of 2020!
 
Rising 10th Graders (Current 9th): Personal Project
In lieu of a Personal Project meeting for 9th graders and families that was supposed to happen right before Spring Break, we'd like to offer a very short set of slides that quickly explain the Personal Project . As 9th-becoming-10th-graders will find, the Personal Project is exactly that - personal! Over the summer we encourage the use of ManageBac to document ideas for topics that the students would like to explore. Families - please encourage students to consider topics that are interesting to them, about which they would like to spend a good seven months researching, producing a product, and documenting the journey. A video guide to how to access and enter the Personal Project portion of ManageBac can be found here  and was sent, along with the short presentation (same as the one linked above), through ManageBac, emailed to students yesterday. 
 
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact either Mr. Manuszak, Personal Project Coordinator ( n.manuszak@mwschool.org ) or Ms. Mac, MYP Coordinator ( k.machczynski@mwschool.org )! 
 
Meridian Proud Moment
Congratulations to Miriam Rodgers for being recognized as a Commended Teacher of the Humanities by Humanities Texas! Ms. Rodgers teaches US Government, Economics, and IB Diploma Program Theory of Knowledge. Her students won't be at all surprised that she received this recognition--many credit her for "teaching us to think."  We are proud and thankful to have her at Meridian!

Student Awards
Be on the lookout for student awards in next week's Lions Share!

Update: 2020 Junior-Senior Prom Cancelled
Prom was tentatively rescheduled to June 5. However, due to the difficulty of organizing a junior-senior prom while adhering to current social distancing, this event has been cancelled. At this time, we are not sure if an event of this size can be planned and executed over the summer. Questions about prom can be directed to Mrs. Holcombe at s.holcombe@mwschool.org .  
 
Athletics Corner
The Athletics Department suggests waiting on getting updated physical forms until the 2020-2021 physical form has been posted on the  Eligibility webpage

Yearbook Delivery
Due to Balfour's printing press closure (due to COVID-19) delivery of this year's Meridian yearbook, THE WORLD , will take place over the summer. We will send information when a date is set with instructions for a safe "drive-thru" yearbook pickup.  Thank you!

Summer Meal Programs
Check out this flyer for information regarding the Summer Meal Programs available to Texas children. If you have any questions, or concerns, please reach out to our Chef and Food Services Director via email: chef@mwschool.org

Spanish 1a Summer Review
Spanish 1a Summer Review by Ms. Melo is provided to help students from the Spanish 1a course who may be struggling or may just be fuzzy on certain Spanish concepts, or perhaps they just want to keep things fresh in their minds. If clicking on the document link, please start with the Instructions Tab and read that page before moving onto the Resource Tab. Please know that this is to be used as an optional tool to support students and is not a "summer assignment."

From the Nurse: CDC Information on Keeping Your Child Safe From COVID-19
Please click  HERE to find helpful information from the CDC.

Badgerdog Creative Writing Summer Camp
In past summers, Meridian School has hosted a Badgerdog Creative Writing Summer Camp on campus. After careful deliberation, Badgerdog has decided to host all creative writing summer camp workshops online instead of in-person this year. We agree that this is the safest course of action for the whole community at this time. With this in mind, Badgerdog has a full new summer schedule with some exciting offerings, and registration is now open! See here for more information on Badgerdog Creative Writing summer camps, the schedule, and registration .
 
Upcoming Date Summary  ( additions or changes in bold)
  • July 23 (Thurs): Math Acceleration placement test for incoming 6th graders (9am)
  • July 30 (Thurs): Math Acceleration placement test for incoming 7-10th graders (9am)
Declaration of the Báb
Beginning the evening of Friday, May 22, through the day of Saturday, May 23, is when followers of the Bahá'í faith celebrate the "Declaration of the Báb."  According to Bahá'í Topics , in 1844 a Persian merchant foretold the coming of a divine messenger. Because of his role in foretelling the divine messenger, the merchant took the Arabic title of "Báb", meaning "gate" or "door." This messenger of whom he spoke would be the Bahá'u'lláh, the central prophet of the Bahá'í faith.

Eid-al-Fitr
We are currently in the most holy month of the year for Muslims: Ramadan.  Ramadan ends with the "feast of fast-breaking," or Eid-al-Fitr. This day, occurring on May 24 this year, is spent feasting and celebrating.  Timeanddate.com notes that in celebration of Eid-al-Fitr Muslims often wear their finest clothes, decorate their houses, forgive old wrongs, donate to the poor, and generally dedicate the day to God.

Spring Bank Holiday & Memorial Day
In the United Kingdom, eight official Bank Holidays are sprinkled throughout the year, generally on Monday. These Bank Holidays are parliament-approved national holidays, but their roots tend to be found in traditional Christian or agricultural holidays and festivals.  This Monday, May 25, is Spring Bank Holiday in the UK. This holiday used to be the first Monday after the Christian celebration of Pentacost, and a day known as Whit Monday (June 1 this year). In 1971, however, parliament moved this Bank Holiday to the last Monday in May.

In the United States, Monday will be Memorial Day. According to the US Department of Veterans Affairs , after the US Civil War it became common in many localities to set aside a day in May to commemorate those who died in the war.  This day was frequently called "Decoration Day," as the graves of war dead were decorated with flowers and other memorials. After World War I, the day was expanded to commemorate those who had died in all US wars, and in 1971 the US Congress designated the last Monday in May as Memorial Day, an official national holiday.


Sincerely,

Charles Ryder & Melina Berduo


Contact Information
If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to email the appropriate contact for support:

Counselors
Middle School Counseling: Nicole "Coco" Cole ( n.cole@mwschool.org )
High School Counseling: Carrie Proctor ( c.proctor@mwschool.org )
College Counseling: Kathy Gregg ( k.gregg@mwschool.org )

Student or Curricular Concerns
Assistant Principal for grades 6 & 7: Matthew Castaneda (m.castaneda@mwschool.org)
Assistant Principal for grades 8, 9, and 10: Crystal Lane-Cox (c.lane@mwschool.org)
Assistant Principal for grades 11 & 12: Stela Holcombe ( s.holcombe@mwschool.org )
IB MYP Coordinator: Kristen "Mac" Machczynski (k.machczynski@mwschool.org)
IB DP Coordinator: Stela Holcombe ( s.holcombe@mwschool.org )
Secondary Special Education Coordinator: Haley Weisbrod ( h.weisbrod@mwchool.org )
Secondary Librarian: Jan MacWatters ( j.macwatters@mwschool.org )

Additional Contacts
School Nurse (nurse@mwschool.org)
Middle School Attendance: Olga Alexander ( attendance-MS@mwschool.org )
High School Attendance: Shawn Seaman ( attendance-HS@mwschool.org )
Giving - Annual Fund & Car Decals (giving@mwschool.org)

Principals
Middle School Principal: Melina Berduo ( principal-MS@mwschool.org )
High School Principal: Charles Ryder ( principal-HS@mwschool.org )

May 22, 2020












Charles Ryder
High School Principal
Melina Berduo
Middle School Principal


2019-2020
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A/B CALENDAR