Meridian Public Schools
3303 N. M–30, Sanford, Michigan 48657
p. (989) 687–3300 f. (989) 687–3309
August 2025
MECHS Families,
I am reaching out to you with great excitement as we prepare for another school year at MECHS. Please review the following as it provides information pertinent to the start of the school year.
Welcome Back Event/Onboarding
Our summer mailings were delivered last week and included information about our August 12 “Welcome Back Event” and the back-to-school checklist. To provide additional explanation for new families, our “Welcome Back Event” is an open-house style event in which families are able to drop in from 4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. to receive their items. Families can save time by updating their Skyward information and paying for laptop protection ahead of the event. Having updated Skyward information is crucial for our office to provide timely/accurate communication as well as a tool to communicate in the event of a student concern or medical issue arising. At MECHS students are permitted to take their school-issued laptop home, only if they have laptop protection. Please reach out to our office if you are unable to pay for laptop protection due to financial hardship. Also, note that a student must be accompanied by a parent or guardian to receive their school-issued laptop on the night of the event.
On the first day of school, our teachers are prepared to deliver lesson plans that will demonstrate to students what behaviors are acceptable at MECHS. In addition to this event, we provide all students with necessary onboarding information in their first week of school during their Advisory period. Advisory is a course that meets three times per week for 25 minutes. During this course period, we provide students with information that contributes to healthy habits of mind and aim to make them more aware of the opportunities that are available to them to meet their career and college goals. Students do receive credit for the Advisory course and it is needed to meet graduation requirements. In addition, on August 22, I alongside our Assistant Principal, Mr. Michael Bilina, will deliver a presentation about student code of conduct and handbook policies to students in the Auditorium.
Safety/Security
We schedule all of our emergency drills prior to the school year and meet the state requirements for fire, tornado, and lockdown drills. If the security system or lockdown system is initiated during school hours we will do our best to provide timely communication to families regarding the status or if a false alarm occurred. Throughout the year I encourage you to discuss with your students after emergency drills are conducted. We welcome your feedback to ensure our school is safe and orderly.
Communication
To receive updated information on school events we recommend checking your email regularly. In addition, MECHS announcements are emailed daily. You can follow us on Facebook, Twitter (X), or merps.org on our live feed. MECHS updates a digital public calendar on our website with information about upcoming events or event schedule changes. All posts will run through the Meridian Public Schools social media platforms. I encourage you to like/follow this page.
School Improvement
This year, our teachers are working to develop and implement proficiency scales, a tool designed to support student learning and self-assessment. These scales are directly aligned with course learning targets and help clarify expectations for student progress and mastery. Over time, proficiency scales will become the foundation for how student learning is assessed, graded, and reported. As part of this transition, our teacher teams are collaborating to ensure each scale accurately reflects essential course concepts and is used consistently and appropriately. You may hear your student mention how their teachers are using these scales in the classroom to track growth and guide instruction.
Interested in learning more or sharing your input on this shift in grading and reporting? We invite you to join our Parent Advisory Council. Our first meeting of the year will be held on September 23.
Handbooks
Each year, the administration at MECHS updates our handbooks to reflect changes that support the growth of our school and ensure alignment with Board of Education policies. This year, we’ve added clear language regarding the use of cell phones and other personal electronic devices. To promote a focused and productive learning environment, these devices are not to be used during instructional time unless explicitly permitted by the teacher for educational purposes. We hope you will support this change, as it is intended to minimize classroom distractions and improve student outcomes. A digital copy of the updated handbook will continue to be available on our school’s website. If you have any questions or concerns about the handbook, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
We look forward to working in partnership with you to support your student(s) during their high school experience. Do not hesitate to reach out if you have questions or concerns related to our school. Please stop me and introduce yourself in the community or at a school event so that I can put a face to a name.
Review of upcoming events:
Welcome Back Event: August 12th, 4:00pm-7:00pm
First day of School: August 19th, starting at 8:05am
9th-10th Grade NWEA Testing: August 26th, 8:05am-11:00am
Picture Day: September 11
Homecoming Week: September 15th-19th
Half Day for Students (PM Schedule): September 19th
Homecoming Dance: September 20th, 7:30pm-10:30pm
Fall Learner Led Conferences- September 23rd, 4:30pm-7:30pm
Other items:
Handbook: https://www.merps.org/o/early-college-high-shool (Select Our School then Handbook)
MECHS Community Input Survey: https://forms.gle/Eqka6o14HwSxtMqX8
Parent Advisory Council Registration: https://forms.gle/uQngYNChSEKh2ryU6
Sincerely,
Scott LaFever
Principal