Meridian Newsletter

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Dear Meridian Community,

I hope this email finds you all well and safe. This month, I want to take a renewed look at attendance for the year. As the father of two children, I know that this winter has hit many of our kids hard with illnesses that they haven't had in some time, especially respiratory illnesses and the flu. That's caused more missed school days than we usually have, and when the kids are sick, that's the right thing to do. However, missing a lot of days for sickness makes it even more important that our children are present every day that they're well enough to attend school. Our team is working hard to support families so that we see more positive attendance, so if there's anything we can do to help you with getting your children to school every day, please don't hesitate to reach out.

Have a great rest of the month and I look forward to seeing you around one of our campuses.

Dear Meridian Families,

You are invited to complete a survey conducted by the DC Public Charter School Board to understand how families, education advocates, and community leaders in Washington, DC think about the public schooling options offered in the District. Individuals who complete the survey will be entered into a raffle to receive a $25 Amazon or Target gift card.

This survey is part of DCPCSB’s ongoing implementation of its 2021-2024 strategic roadmap and the information we learn through these survey responses and focus groups will inform future program and policy decisions. Your voice is vitally important to ensuring that the education options being offered in Washington, DC meet the needs of all families.

The survey will be open from Monday, January 23 – Friday, February 3, 2023, and should take approximately 15-20 minutes to complete. Please note that survey responses are confidential.

Thank you for your consideration and candor in completing the survey. If you have any questions about the purpose of this work, please contact Ms. Tomeika Bowden at tbowden@dcpcsb.org. If you have specific questions about the survey or how the data will be used, please contact Dr. Brian Robinson at brian.robinson@bellwether.org.

Link to DC PCSB Parent Perception Survey

Have you ever wished Meridian had an online school apparel store? Well, you are in luck. In the next week, we will be releasing more information about our new online ordering system which makes purchasing uniforms and apparel a breeze!

Ms. Leclerq's Peace Table is a safe space in her 1st grade classroom where students can actively send themselves to self-regulate. Students can use calming strategies like breathing or using fidget tools to calm themselves down. They also use the Peace Table during conflict resolution when we use the VOSP method.

Sometimes we all need a 1 min break/rest! We encourage each of you to create a Peace Table at home, at work, or even just identify a short activity that brings you peace and relaxation.

Winter clubs have begun! There’s still time to join, but spaces are limited, so don’t wait. Please use this link to register:

ES Links: Span / Eng

And below, you can learn more about some of our exciting new Elementary School club offerings this Winter!

We are excited to offer 8 clubs at our Middle School this winter, including our new Music and Drama clubs. Spaces are limited so register today! Music Club will meet on Mondays and Thursdays, and Drama club on Tuesdays and Thursdays. For questions, please contact Mr. Mack Guthrie at mguthrie@meridian-dc.org.

Registration forms are electronic and available in both Spanish and English:

• MS Links: Span / Eng

Elementary school basketball starts this week! Below are links to the fliers with the schedule and roster:

Grades 3-5 Roster / Grades 3-5 Schedule & Grades K-2 Roster / Grades K-2 Schedule

If you have not already purchased school portraits, you can do so at v2.myproimages.com/freedphotography and use the code MPCS22 to make purchases until March 18th.

We wanted to communicate a reminder about cell phones. As a reminder, cell phones are not to be out during the school day. We want to ensure that the learning environment is sacred and that distractions are limited. To support these efforts, we have purchased lock boxes that will be stored in the student's CREW/Homeroom class and will be returned by the teacher of the last class of the day (approximately at 3:50 pm). Students found with cell phones out during the school day without permission will have to give their cell phones to an administrator. The family of that student will be contacted for the next steps.

- Middle School Leadership Team

Please take the time to review Meridian’s mask protocol linked below l including the current Elementary School mask mandate and the revised mask requirements at the Middle School effective as of Tuesday, 1.17.

Review Meridian’s Mask Requirements

Pre-K4

6th grade

7th grade

The Books from Birth program is open to all children under the age of five who live in Washington, DC. It mails all enrolled kids in D.C. a free book each month from birth until they turn five.

Registering your child is easy, simply complete the online form located at www.dclibrary.org/booksfrombirth. If you have any questions or issues filling out the application, please contact us at booksfrombirth@dc.gov.

Once you have registered, you should receive an email from our vendor Imagination Library confirming your approval. Please note that this email will not come from the DC Public Library but from Imagination Library.

Ring in the Lunar New Year both in person and online with SAAM, the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the United States, and the Korean Cultural Center of DC.

Join them in person on Saturday, January 28, for the annual celebration featuring Chinese and Korean traditions, including performances, crafts, food, and more. Learn about the importance of the Lunar New Year across cultures and explore SAAM’s collections with an art scavenger hunt. Can’t attend in person? Visit bit.ly/3wrkI1A to find crafts, coloring pages, and videos of performances to enjoy the Lunar New Year with your loved ones at home.

What is Lunar New Year? It marks the arrival of spring and the beginning of a new year based on the lunisolar calendar. Celebrated around the world, it is a time to cherish loved ones both near and far. This year, we welcome the Year of the Rabbit, represented in the Chinese zodiac.

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