Meridian Newsletter

Para la traducción, presione el ícono de persona / accesibilidad a la derecha, luego seleccione "Translate Newsletter", y elija 'Spanish' u otro idioma en el que desee leer el boletín virtual. / እባክዎ በቀኝ በኩል ያለውን ሰው የተደራሽነት አዶን ይጫኑ ፣ ከዚያ ‹ Translate Newsletter › ን ይምረጡ ፣ ከዚያ ‹ጽሁፉን/መጽሔት› ን ለማንበብ የሚፈልጉትን ‹Amharic' › ወይም ሌላ ቋንቋ ይምረጡ ፡፡ / Please press the person/accessibility icon on the right, then select "Translate Newsletter", then choose your preferred language.

Dear Families,

I hope that everyone had a restful and safe midwinter break. As many of you know, the lottery for public schools in DC is currently open through MySchoolDC. We wanted to remind current Meridian families that you don't need to reapply to be back at Meridian next year, even if your student is in 5th grade and transitioning to our middle school campus for 6th grade. However, we also want to invite you to ask your friends and family members to consider sending their own children to Meridian next year. I know we have a lot of extended families at Meridian, and we believe it only helps build and maintain the family atmosphere we all appreciate.

If you need support with re-enrollment or your friends or family members need help with the lottery to join Meridian for next year, please don't hesitate to reach out to me or another member of our team and we would be happy to help.

Have a wonderful week and enjoy the slightly warmer weather!

Access the Spanish version HERE.

Access Spanish version HERE

The Spring 2023 Scholastic Book Fair will run from this March 13th - March 17th in the Multiple Purpose Room of the Elementary Campus, located behind the front desk.

Every Elementary class will have the opportunity to tour the book fair during the first two days of the book fair being open. Middle school students will have the opportunity to shop in person at the Book Fair after dismissal until 5:30 pm.

In addition to visiting the Fair in person, students and their families can also use Meridian's Scholastic platform for all of their book fair needs. You can browse, order, and pay for items that will be delivered to them in a timely manner.

Stay tuned for more information!

We are excited to invite you to the MS Black Excellence Showcase on Friday, March 17th, from 9:50 am - 10:30 am. Families will be able to join us virtually to celebrate the projects our Middle school students have been working on during Black History Month! The zoom link will be shared closer to the event via text.

We are excited to announce the start of re-enrollment for the upcoming 2023-2024 school year! Current families are not required to visit myschooldc.org to re-enroll. However, there are two steps that must be completed by all families to officially re-enroll at Meridian Public Charter School:

STEP 1 - Complete online registration by Thursday, March 31, 2023. All links and unique snap codes have been emailed and texted to all current families.

STEP 2 – Complete and Submit Valid Residency Verification and D.C. Residency Verification Forms online (links will be sent via email and text) or in-person beginning on/about Monday, April 3, 2023, until Friday, June 2, 2023. Start preparing NOW for STEP 2! For example, update your address with DC DMV so your driver's license matches other documents, verify that your paystub has your correct address, or find a copy of your apartment lease. REMEMBER the person enrolling a student in any public school in DC is REQUIRED to submit residency verification EACH YEAR.

If you need assistance to complete registration, please visit either campus between the hours below.

While walk-ins are always welcome, you are encouraged to make an appointment in advance with the following links.

For general Enrollment Support contact, Asia Gore at calendly.com/agore-mpcs

For Language Access Support needs contact, Hilda Marquez at calendly.com/hmarquez-mpcs

For Middle School Support contact, Pamela Anderson at calendly.com/panderson-mpcsms

You may also email an Enrollment Team member at enroll@meridian-dc.org.

Thank you to those who stopped by our Read Across America week event! Ms. Harrison and Ms. Beisso pulled off a great event where students were able to sign out books from our new library corner and have fun with some literacy exploration activities!

We are thrilled to have our new library corner officially OPEN! From books about civil rights to bedtime stories and a growing bilingual collection, the Library Corner is ready for some eager readers. In addition to checking out books, we encourage you to add to our collection of children's books as well!

The library will be open every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 3:30-4:00 pm!

We have loved seeing all of the pictures coming in for the #ILOVEMERIDIAN giveaway! There are only a few days left to spot Meridian ads and flyers along the red, yellow, and green DC metro lines, and on the back of Metrobuses. You can also listen up for the Meridian radio shout-outs on WPGC 95.5 FM and The Zol 107.9. Review the steps below on how to enter the giveaway.

Since, Friday, March 10th will be an early dismissal day for ALL students, there will be no after-school programming, and all students will be dismissed at 1:00 PM.

• No MOMIEs

• No YMCA

• No clubs

• No Sports

The before-school program will operate normally.

We are still recruiting students for clubs. Please be aware that the African dance club was canceled altogether.

ES: Links (Span/ Eng)

MS: Links (Span/ Eng)

Use the links below to sign up for MS Baseball, MS Track & Field, MS Soccer, and ES Soccer.

MS Baseball - English and Spanish

MS Track & Field - English and Spanish

MS Soccer - English and Spanish

Middle School registration closes on Friday, 3/3 and the season begins on Monday, 3/6.

ES Soccer - English and Spanish

Elementary School registration closes Friday, 3/10 and the season begins on Friday, 3/13.

Please contact Athletic Director, Ms. Tanasha Allen at tallen@meridian-dc.org with any questions.

Now that we are in tax season, we want to ensure you are aware of the federal and DC Earned Income Tax Credits (EITC). By claiming these two credits, qualified workers are eligible for up to $9,000 combined — that's a lot of money! If you earn less than $60,000, you should check to see if you are eligible.

Free tax preparation sites including 4 bilingual tax clinics are available across the district. You can find the free tax clinic closest to you by visiting this website, Free Tax Preparation Sites. IRS Certified volunteers at the clinics will help prepare and e-file your federal and state returns at no cost!

We want to prepare you for the impending discontinuation of government-provided COVID tests distributed on our campuses. Easy and free COVID test kits will still be widely available through local programs.

Test Yourself DC is an at-home testing kit program that allows DC residents to take a COVID-19 test without waiting in line at a testing site. Test Yourself DC kits are available for pick-up and drop-off at 36 locations around the city. Check out the daily schedules at coronavirus.dc.gov/rapidantigen.

Bread for the City is a nonprofit organization that offers grocery bags for pick up at their Southeast Center, 1700 Good Hope Rd SE, and their Northwest Center, 1525 7th St NW. Bags are available Monday-Thursday from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. Current DC identification OR proof of DC residency (within 3 months) is required.

If you are unable to make it to the center, they offer grocery delivery to DC residents who sign up here. You can sign up for grocery delivery here, as capacity allows.

Food and nutrition have been at the heart and soul of Martha’s Table since its doors opened in 1980. They have developed several food assistance programs aimed at increasing access to healthy food and supporting families in making healthy choices.

Programs offered include daily Martha’s Table Markets, monthly Community Markets, a network of monthly Joyful Food Markets, and McKenna’s Wagon. To learn more about each of these programs, visit Health & Wellness Programs – Martha's Table.

We are happy to share that all pre-paid school photos have been received and distributed to students by their teachers. If you pre-paid for school photos and did NOT receive them, please email support@freedphoto.com for assistance.

All families interested in ordering their students' school photos may visit www.freedpics.com and use the code MPCS2223 to view and purchase your students' pictures. If you have additional questions about school photos, please reach out to the Family Engagement team. Pamela Anderson (Middle School) can be reached at panderson@meridian-dc.org and Hilda Marquez (Elementary School) can be reached at hmarquez@meridian-dc.org.

Access Spanish version HERE.

Drummer Kofi Dennis brings the vibrant life of a West African village to the Discovery Theater stage through music, storytelling, and dance. Using authentic instruments, the Ghanaian native leads lively call-and-response songs, games, and movement that gets audiences on their feet in a high-energy exploration of African cultural traditions.

Registration for the DPR aquatics program is now OPEN as of today at noon and tomorrow, Thursday, March 2 at noon all other program registration will be open. You are encouraged to create an account online with DPR’s registration system in advance to save time once program registration opens. To create an account, visit dpr.dc.gov/DPRaccount.

DPR programs offered this spring include:

• Aquatics programs, including learning to swim, aquatic fitness, senior aquatics, water polo, and lifeguard instruction.
• Team sports and athletics, including soccer, kickball, volleyball, gymnastics, baseball/softball/tee-ball, pickleball, tennis, and flag football.
• Out-of-school time programs like DC Public Schools (DCPS) Fun Day (March 10) and DCPS spring break camp (April 18 – 21).
• Additional activities include fitness programs, senior programming, dance, candle-making, music, and movie nights.

Join art therapist, Anais Lugo-Axtmann for the Family First Fridays dinner and art therapy workshop designed for families! Anais will guide families in exploring one another’s attributes and strengths. She will invite creativity as family members use colorful clay to represent themselves and each other as magical creatures. Please register for this unique workshop. A delicious hot dinner will be served at 6:30 pm!

Email: information@meridian-dc.org
Website: www.meridian-dc.org
Location: 2120 13th Street Northwest, Washington, DC, USA
Phone: 202-387-9830

Email: information@meridian-dc.org
Website: www.meridian-dc.org
Location: 770 Kenyon Street Northwest, Washington, DC, USA
Phone: 202-793-2667