Dear Meridian families,
We are about 20 days in to the 2021-2022 school year. I would like to share with you what I see, hear, and feel around campus to give you a sense of what’s going on within the classrooms, hallways, cafeterias, and playgrounds of our school.
Clearly, this is not a normal year. For educators, this year is even more challenging than last year, but we are doing everything possible to make this year feel as close to normal as possible for our students. My staff and I are so grateful to see our students back for in-person learning. The change from concurrent virtual and in-person learning to 100% in-person learning has made all the difference in the world.
As the head of school, much of my time is spent in my office alone or with another person, or on a Zoom call. Fortunately, my office has five floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook the primary school playground, where I get to see children running and playing. The overheard laughter, chatter, and joyful screams are music to my ears. Fresh air, sunshine, and fun makes everything better, even though the brutal Texas heat is always around.
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The real magic happens when I leave my office and venture through our two buildings. What I have noticed this year is students, both young and old, are more likely to say hi to me and engage me in conversation. Meridian students are incredibly polite and so good with one another. They truly enjoy being at school and being with each other.
Rumor has it that at least one student does a perfect mimic of me patrolling the campus. Hands behind my back, sharp looks to the left and to the right, and up and down and slow pace at first and then I’m gone. Just yesterday, a first-grader who was in line for lunch looked me up and down and said, “I don’t know you.” This was a perfect time for me to introduce myself and meet this inquisitive young man. While I was sitting in a first-grade classroom, a student with untied shoes tapped his shoe in my space. That was my signal to get busy and tie his shoes.
Little things like this make what seems like information overload from relentless Zoom meetings with the State Education Commissioner, the health department, the Texas Charter School Association, and fellow area superintendents seem bearable. Relationship building and making connections is so good for both adults and children.
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My time in primary always provides me with the most humor and surprises. I always need to be careful in the primary halls. I don’t think a day goes by when I get an unexpected jolt to my calves and knees by a tiny person hugging my knees.
Middle and high schoolers are always so polite when we lock eyes, but their attention is more on each other and their studies. When I started my career 30 years ago, it was as a middle school teacher. This is such an interesting age. There is so much going on in the life of a middle school student: friendships, puberty, sports, clubs, lunch, and oh yes … school work. Our IB curriculum certainly has our sixth, seventh, and eighth graders on their toes. Even though there is rigor, it is age-appropriate.
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High school is where my office is housed, so I get to interact with these students quite a bit. They are experiencing similar things as the middle schoolers but at a different level. The IB rigor has intensified, but these young scholars seem so well adjusted for the challenge. College is on their minds, so the mighty GPA is also on their minds. Prom, senior trip, and graduation are rites of passage that we as adults all had and remember. The school is doing our best to make sure that these major milestones will be there for our students in one form or another.
Parents, thank you for trusting us with your children and raising such wonderful human beings. I’d also like to thank our teachers and staff. This year is so incredibly challenging for them. New laws and mandates from the Texas Legislature and the Texas Education Agency, coupled with the resurgence of COVID-19 and our charter mission of excellence, have made the start of this year extremely hectic. We are doing our best not to let this trying time show too much in front of our students. I hope this snapshot of my initial perspective and the slideshow below give you some peace of mind. Nothing is more important than the safety of all 1,678 of our Meridian Lions.
I hope everyone enjoys the Labor Day weekend.
Go Lions!
Rick Fernández
Head of School
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