Meridian High School

“To inspire and challenge active learners to positively impact a changing world.”

1. Principal's Message
2. T-3 This Week
3. Winter Wish Spirit Days
4. Sumas Elementary Supply Drive
5. HSBP Deadline - Seniors
6. Incompletes and Credit Retrieval
7. Counselor Information
8. Highly Capable Program
9. Winter Wishes
10. Purchasing a Yearbook
11. Senior Grad Ads
12. Senior Pictures for Yearbook
13. Washington Student Achievement Council
14. Holiday Meals 2021
15. Teacher Feature
16. Hot Lunches for Next Week
17. National Holiday
    
18. Attendance Information
    
19. Bell Schedule
20. MHS Building Entrance
21. Meridian Class Booster Club Information
22. MHS Points of Contact

With two weeks left of school in 2021, we are wrapping up our school supply drive for Sumas Elementary students and staff. Our Leadership class is gearing up for our Winter Wishes Celebration on December 17th. Winter Wishes is a very special program and our students do an amazing job making everything come together including spirit days and other activities leading up to the 17th.

While looking forward to the 17th, it is also a good time to remind seniors of important dates coming up. Senior portraits are due to Mr. McGrew by January 4th and their High School and Beyond Plan must be completed by December 15th.

Speaking of plans after high school, Meridian is looking for guest speakers to help students learn more about the different jobs available here in the county. If you are interested in sharing about your job or know someone who might be interested to share during one of our T3 sessions, please email bfeller@meridian.wednet.edu.

T3 continues to be a great place for students to get help on work or stay caught up on assignments and projects. The T3 week-at-a-glance is a great resource for you and your student to help plan out their time based on their progress in class. On Monday you should receive a 12-week grade check in your email. You can then go into Skyward for more detail. Please remember you can always access Skyward to check on progress and can even sign up for weekly emails if you like.

If you haven't already, please also sign up for Flash Alert to keep you informed of any school closures or changes in the schedule. Flash Alert can send you a text and/or email if for any reason our schedule changes. You may have signed up in the past but need to renew each year. http://www.flashalert.net/signup/

Details are found further in this newsletter along with other great information. If you have questions about things taking place on campus please either email me at dforbes@meridian.wednet.edu or call at 360-398-8111.

Stay safe. Stay healthy. Go Trojans!

- Derek Forbes

Your High School and Beyond Plan HSBP is due by 3:00 pm on December 15th. If you have any questions or would like your counselor to take a look before the deadline please make an appointment soon.

If you have credit retrieval or an incomplete to make up procrastinate no more! See your counselor to register in credit retrieval after school and get started. Transportation is provided home.

Winter Wishes gives everyone who is a part of the Meridian High School family a chance to make a wish for someone else. Every year for the last 10 years, the leadership class has raised money to grant the wishes that students and staff make for other students in our school. It is a unique and special opportunity for all of us to think of others when we wish. Because of the thoughtful wishing of students in our school combined with the efforts of our leadership students, Winter Wishes has provided gifts for hundreds of our students every year.

To make a donation click the link below.

https://wa-meridian-lite.intouchreceipting.com/MeridianHighSchoolWinterWishes

The Meridian School District referral window for highly capable program evaluation has opened. Students may be referred for evaluation by teachers or other staff, parents, community members or may refer themselves.

The state defines highly capable students as:

Those who perform or show potential for performing at significantly advanced academic levels when compared with others of their age, experiences, or environments. Outstanding abilities are seen within students’ general intellectual aptitudes, specific academic abilities, and/or creative productivities within a specific domain. These students are present not only in the general populace, but are present within all protected classes. ( WAC 392.170.080).

Referral forms are due by December 15th, 2021. The referral form can be found at the following links:

English: https://forms.gle/aAeME9f26DmdhP2y8

Spanish: https://forms.gle/iY2z68sjCfaq2D3c7

Please contact Rosalind Schumann, Highly Capable Program Coordinator, if you have any questions. rschumann@meridian.wednet.edu

Yearbooks will be on sale December 6th - December 18th, 2020. The cost is $70.00. Yearbooks can be purchased in the high school office or online using the online payment portal on the high school website.

This is an opportunity to give your senior student a shout out! One they will remember for years to come. Hurry these pages go fast and they are available on a first-come first-serve basis. You can pay Mrs. Gookstetter in the office now to reserve your space. Then turn in the pictures and text your would like to include by January 5, 2021. The Senior Ad form, with your pictures and text need to be turned in no later than January 4, 2022 to Mrs. Gookstetter. If you have any questions, please email Mr. McGrew at jmcgrew@meridian.wednet.edu

Mr. Hutchinson teaches English to Sophomores and Juniors, this is his fifth year of teaching at Meridian. He says his favorite thing about teaching at Meridian are the great students and the great staff. He likes how small the school is because he could be walking down the hallway and he would recognize most of the people there. He chose to be a teacher because he used to work at Mount Vernon High School and he really enjoyed working with kids. But what really inspired him was working with kids who were going to be the first kids in their families to go to college. Mr. Hutchinson’s favorite thing about teaching is it’s always different, he learns new things from the different people he sees daily. His favorite free time activities are hiking, preferably in the north cascades, and likes to play music, by himself and with friends. He plays the guitar and the piano. For the past three years he has been a mentor to new teachers. Outside of school Mr. Hutchinson is part of a group of teachers and counselors called the Mobile Response Team. They volunteer to visit different schools when something traumatic has happened to that school. They visit and talk to the students who go there. Mr. Hutchinson’s highlight from working at Meridian is doing the Macbeth play with his tenth graders, watching them dress up in fun costumes and watching their acting, it’s very impressive.

Students say that he “makes learning fun and much easier,” “takes his time to listen to us,” and “is nice, and actually cares and helps effectively when you ask him a question.”

Mrs. Turner also teaches English here at Meridian High School. She started working here in February, so this is her first year of teaching at Meridian. Her favorite thing about teaching at Meridian are the students, because of how funny and kind they are. She chose teaching because she used to coach so it led to her teaching. She loved being around people and helping them learn. So one thing led to another. Outside of school Mrs. Turner coaches basketball with her husband at Sehome. She also used to play basketball herself. Mrs. Turner loves cooking, playing with her dog and teaching her dog new tricks, and watching tik tok with a passion, which lots of students can relate to. She says her favorite thing about teaching is that it’s always interesting every single day, it’s always something new and fascinating. Her highlights from her first year of teaching here are just the general interactions with the students. She feels as though she’s made so many great connections with them and it just makes her feel amazing. She also said it felt really welcoming, especially since it’s her first year.

Student’s say that she is, “super nice and truly cares for students,” “the most positive person ever,” and “is very energetic and has good vibes.”

Teacher Feature is provided by Bhavnoor Dhatt. Bhavnoor is a leadership student that will be providing the Teacher Feature as part of her personal project for Leadership class.

Monday - Spicy Chicken Burger on WG Bun

Tuesday - Nachos

Wednesday - Mandarin Orange Chicken Bowl

Thursday - Dutch Waffle with Sausage

Friday - Max Cheese Sticks, Caesar Salad

A day of infamy, the day Japan attacked the United States at Pearl Harbor, is commemorated with the National Pearl Harbor Day of Remembrance each year on December 7. On that day in 1941, more than 2,400 people died in Japan’s attack on the Hawaiian base of America’s Pacific Fleet. Hundreds of aircraft were destroyed or damaged, as were most of the ships in the harbor, and thousands of service men and women were killed or injured. It was an unprecedented surprise attack that precipitated the United States entry into WW II as we sided with the Allies and declared war on Japan.

Being present in class is vital to be successful in school. We want to encourage all of our students to be at school every day! If you are missing school, you are missing out on learning!

If your kids miss a day or even part of a day of school for whatever reason, please contact our attendance secretary, Mrs. McMains by either phone (360-318-2260) or email (tgmcmains@meridian.wednet.edu)with the reason for the absence. If they are going to miss because of an illness, please call or email in the morning and let us know! If there is a planned absence, please contact her and she will take care of notifying teachers. If she is unable to answer the phone right at that moment, please feel free to leave the information on her voicemail.

The MHS office is open 7:30am - 3:30pm, Monday through Friday. To enter the building, you will need to go to the door by the auditorium. The doors to the main building will be open form 7:30am-8:00am every morning. The doors will be locked at 8:00am and unlocked again at 2:30pm. There will be someone stationed at the door to help students and families upon their arrival at school during school hours.

Hey senior parents, get connected to other parents in this grade by joining the Facebook Group "Meridian High School Class of 2022." Also, for upcoming announcements pertaining to the class of 2022, please email meridianhs2022@gmail.com and include the following information:

Your Name:

Seniors Name:

Email:

Phone Number

Please help support this year’s graduating class fundraise for graduation & a senior trip. They are selling amazing NubaySoft D-Luxe blankets. Use your Meridian Blanket at home, at the park or at the game and show your great Meridian spirit. They are $75 and you can reserve yours here: https://sites.google.com/spectatorblankets.com/meridiantrojans/home

Derek Forbes, Principal: dforbes@meridian.wednet.edu

Andy Donahue, Assistant Principal: adonahue@meridian.wednet.edu

Cheryl McBride, Counselor A-J: cmcbride@meridian.wednet.edu

Don McMains, Counselor K-Z: dmcmains@meridian.wednet.edu

Tami McMains, Attendance: tgmcmains@meridian.wednet.edu

Robin Brinkman, Registration: rbrinkman@meridian.wednet.edu

Chromebook Tech Support: chromebook@meridian.wednet.edu

Website-www.meridian.wednet.edu/mhs

The homepage has access to recent news.

Meridian School District on Social Media

Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/meridianschooldistrict505/

Instagram: @meridianschooldistrict505

Twitter: @meridian505

The Meridian School District does not discriminate in any programs or activities on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, veteran or military status, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The following employee has been designated to handle questions and complaints of alleged discrimination: Title IX, ADA, and Compliance Coordinator (RCW 28A.640/28A.642) Kurt Harvill, Director of Personnel, 214 W. Laurel Rd., Bellingham WA 98226. 360-398-7111. Section 504 questions