Welcome Back! 2020-2021
Information for the first week of school - Drop / Add Day - New Student Sign In
Welcome to Meridian Elementary and High School
Welcome back to another year at Meridian.
School starts Wednesday, August 19th with a 1:30 dismissal.
Class change - drop - add day will be Friday, August 14th from 9:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m.
New students are encouraged to stop in that day to register for classes, have a tour of the building, etc. If you are taking any online classes, you need to come in that day and make sure registration is complete and books have been ordered.
OPEN HOUSE for all students is tentatively scheduled for Monday, August 17th, from 5:00-7:00 p.m. This is a good time to bring crayons, pencil, etc. and meet your teacher/s. A meal to go will be given as you leave. This is also a good time for parents to check with Kathy Houser or Kelly Kanost to see if you are logged in to PowerSchool. WATCH FOR UPDATES ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND THE WEBSITE FOR ANY CHANGES THAT MIGHT OCCUR IN THE NEAR FUTURE. (www.meridianmustangs.org)
#1 – Physicals – All Kindergarten and 7th graders need a physical and updated immunizations. Kindergarteners also need an eye exam as well as a copy of birth certificate and social security number.
#2 - Sport Physicals – 7th, 8th and 9th grade students will need a physical for playing sports. Grades 10, 11, 12 will not need a physical as long as one is on file from last year. All students Grades 7-12 will need the NSAA parent permission form signed and turned in to play sports. The physical and physical consent forms are located on the website under SCHOOLS >Info/Forms>NSAA School Physical Consent Form and NSAA School Physical Form. Please give to Trish as soon as possible.
#3 – Dress Code- When buying clothes for the school year, please remember the school handbook dress code… “Student dress should be appropriate for the school setting. This includes offsite events and activities. Dress that is in good taste, in no way distracting, and is not vulgar or suggestive in appearance or in the written word or illustration will be acceptable. Inappropriate attire may not be worn to school or school activities. Please check elementary and high school handbooks located on the website for more information. SCHOOL>Elementary>Handbook and SCHOOL>High School>Handbook
#4 – Absences – If you are going to be gone during the school day, please remember to call, send a note, or email (in elementary kkanost@meridianmustangs.org or in high school khouser@meridianmustangs.org.) before 8:30 a.m. If you have a doctor/dental appointment, please have them furnish a note. In high school, students are allowed to miss five days of school a quarter. If you miss over that, you will be expected to make up time to meet the satisfaction of the teacher.
#5 – Sign in and out – We need to know if you are in the building. If you are late for any reason, you need to sign in on the door outside Kathy’s office in high school. Just put your name and the time you came. If you need to leave early, you will do the same but put the time you left. In elementary, you need to check in or out with Kelly Kanost.
#6 – Email / Daily Announcements– Students, please remember to check your personal school email daily as the daily bulletin will be sent via email usually around 10:00 a.m. Parents, please check the daily announcements on the web (www.meridianmustangs.org). Tab under Meridian Public School > Daily Bulletin – click that for the daily announcements – it has bus times, updates on activities, and a lot of information for the school day. Emails: Both elementary and high school offices would like to have your email address for communication purposes.
#7 – Lunch Money/Lunch Money Balance – Please bring all lunch money and give to Trish in the main office. Please remember that hot lunch checks are to be made separate from all other payments. Also, please check your power school lunch balance weekly to see when lunch money is due. Go to the web site – Click tab Power School – enter you or your child’s username/password – Click BALANCE (left hand side). Meridian Public School offers healthy meals every school day. Breakfast costs Pre-K-6th grades $1.30 ($26.00 – 20 days), Grades 7-12 $1.55 ($31.00 – 20 meals); lunch costs PreK-6th $2.60 ($52.00 – 20 meals), Grades 7-12 $2.70 ($54.00 – 20 meals). Reduced price is $.30 for breakfast and $.40 for lunch.
#8 – Grades – Students and parents can look at grades at any time. Parents, see Kathy or Kelly for help in setting this up. Down lists and ineligibility list for high school students will begin at Week 3 of each quarter.
#9 – Homework Hour – In High School - If you do not turn in your homework for the day in any class, you will be given a homework hour in which you will need to stay that night and get your work made up. You will call your parents and tell them that you need to stay. They will have to pick you up around 4:30-5:00. So make sure you plan for doing homework each night so this does not happen to you.
#10 – Detentions – If you are given a detention for being disrespectful, not staying for homework hour, or any reason, you will call your parents and set up to serve it for that night or the next night. Failure to make up a detention, will result in an in-school suspension.
#11 – Supplies – Please check the school website and the August Newsletter for supplies needed for elementary. High School students will need paper (6-8 notebooks), pens, pencils, book bag, PE bag with change of clothes and shoes. In the 7-10 grade math classes, it is beneficial for students to own a scientific calculator.
#12 – Most Jr. High sports will be held during the day. Most of the time, it is worked out so that the bus will be back in time for the afternoon bus routes. But sometimes parents will need to either bring them to school for an earlier leave time or pick them up after school if the bus can’t make it back in time from an athletic or music activity.
#13 – The first day of school papers will be sent home to update and sign along with the handbook signature page (located at the end of the handbook). Please take care of this and return the papers to school as soon as possible.
#14 – Student Accident School Insurance Coverage 20-21 – Please go online to purchase this coverage… here is the link for your voluntary parent paid student accident insurance for the 2020-2021 school year.
https://www.sas-mn.com/
Please incorporate this information in your website so that parents are made aware of the coverage. I appreciate the opportunity to be of service to you school. Please give me a call at 800-328-2739 if you have any questions. David Desch, Sales Director
#15 –Masks and individual water bottles are highly encouraged.
#16 – Bus routes - If you are looking at any changes from planned bus riding participation since the end of last year, please contact the school with any changes as the bus drivers will be meeting shortly to set up their route.
#17 – Leaving off or Picking up a Student - Parents must wait outside the school building to drop off and/or pick up their student/s. They are not to enter the building. Please call the school 402-446-7265 (Ext. 2 Trish, Ext. 3 High School, Ext 4 Elementary) and we will send your student out when you arrive.
#18 – Many of the school forms are found on the website under SCHOOL>Info/Forms. Also check the school handbooks which are also located on the school website under SCHOOL>Elementary or High School>Handbooks. The last page in the handbooks needs to be signed by both student and parent and returned each year.
#19 - We want the beginning of your elementary, junior and senior high school years to be a good experience. Keeping on top of homework, being involved in sports and other school organizations, being organized, etc. will help you with the school year. Remember if you have any questions or concerns, you and/or your parents are welcome to talk with the administration, teacher, or staff member involved. We cannot take care of a situation if we do not know about it.
#20 – Please check social media and the school website for any last minute changes due to Covid 19 or call the school to check daily happenings.
Please feel free to contact one of us at any time and we will help with any questions or concerns you might have or steer you in the right direction.
Kathy Houser, High School Secretary Kelly Kanost, Elementary School Secretary
402-446-7265 (Ext 3) khouser@meridianmustangs.org 402-446-7265 (Ext. 4) kkanost@meridianmustangs.org
