Meridian Public Schools
3303 N. M–30, Sanford, Michigan 48657
p. (989) 687–3300 f. (989) 687–3309
February, 2023
MECHS Families,
Our school year continues to fly by! The following memo provides updates on upcoming school events as we progress through our third Marking Period.
Advisory courses are about to begin preparing for Learner Led Conferences and our corresponding parent-teacher conferences the evening of February 28. Our goal at MECHS is to empower all students to communicate their progress to an educational advocate outside of the classroom. The learner-led conference structure will provide students with a guided process where they reflect on their coursework, provide a summary of what skills they are building and what they need to do to help get them to their “next step.” After preparing, each student will be required to complete a conference at home. This is an assignment for the Advisory course. What is the parents' role in all of this? We ask that you use this as a tool to build partnerships in learning. Center the conversation about what is being learned in the course and how your child is improving academically. As a reminder, course grades can be monitored by reviewing Echo gradebooks. We strive to have all students in the school complete a conference at home with a trusted adult. If during this conversation you feel that there are concerns about your child's progress in a specific course or you wish to conduct a conference with a teacher, please schedule a conference using PTC Fast. We are no longer hosting drop-in conferences. Please schedule an appointment with a teacher if you wish to meet with them for a parent-teacher conference. This is a shift in previous conference procedures. Do not hesitate to reach out if you have concerns with PTC Fast or need other assistance scheduling a conference.
At MECHS we are doing everything we can to foster a culture where all students are actively engaged and taking risks in the learning process. This begins with our instructional model, Project Based Learning (PBL), and how course structures are intentionally designed to help build academic skills such as collaboration and oral communication abilities. When students are struggling we have systematically built a system of support that is available to students. Twice weekly, students are given time to visit a teacher for targeted support in a program called Focused Instructional Time. We also continue to have an after school tutoring program that runs every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 3:05-4:30 (school transportation is available). If a student is struggling in class and not utilizing the support systems listed above, staff is being asked to inform you that your child is “at-risk” in a specific course. The teaching staff has been advised to communicate with you what the student’s plan is to help get them back on track. If you receive an “at-risk” referral from a teacher, please understand that this is their attempt to proactively build a plan to support your student. We ask that you work with them in this process to help your child and help them with their commitment to improving.
MECHS continues to partner with local law enforcement and fulfill commitments as advised by the MDE to ensure we have a safe environment at schools. We continue to upgrade our security door “boot” systems so that all classrooms are adequately prepared for the event of a school lockdown. Our recent upgrades have led to the front door of the school being locked at all times. The new “buzzer” system has all visitors checking in through an active camera system. Visitors must be cleared by a faculty member before entering the Main Office. Our staff will ask you, “how can we help you?” in which we are asking that you provide them with your name and the reason you are seeking entry into the school. We ask for your patience and cooperation as we continue to learn this new system. The secured front door system is becoming a norm in public schools across the country and we want to ensure that we are doing everything we can to keep our students and faculty safe.
Fulfilling our commitments from our County Courts, we are continuing to mail attendance concern letters home when students hit certain absence thresholds. This is a new procedure in Midland County and has triggered some concerns. A few points to consider when receiving the letter. We code absences in our system, but the county only considers an “excused absence” to be when medical documentation is submitted or school business occurs. All other absences are considered in a potential trancy petition. We certainly value school attendance and understand the strong correlation between school attendance and academic success. In general, use the letter as a resource to review your child’s attendance. However, a school attendance officer (Scott LaFever or Bekka Seer) will reach out to you if we are concerned about your child's attendance.
Review of upcoming events:
Parent Teacher Conferences- Feb. 28, 4:30-7:30 p.m. Appointment Only! Schedule using PTCFast.
Delta College Spring Break- March 6-10
End of M.P.3- March 24
Spring Break (No School)- March 27-31
Sincerely,
Scott LaFever
Principal