PYP Pride (K–5)
Week of May 1, 2024
FROM THE PRINCIPAL
Happy Wednesday!
We kicked off our Boosterthon fundraiser on Tuesday and we have already met our first prize goal of $7,000! Students can bring a small stuffed animal and blanket on Friday. We are hoping to meet our next prize goal soon! Get registered and add to the fun!
Check out our next goal prizes:
$14,000 - Silly Hair & Sock Day
$21,000 - Pajama Day
$28,000 - Movie Day on May 22
$35,000 - Silly String Your Teachers!!!!
Safety Reminder: We have doorbell cameras at the front doors to our lobby for safety. Everyone who enters the building must ring the bell and identify themselves before the front office lets them in. Please do not hold the door open and let anyone in the building that has not been cleared by the front office. We understand this is a kind gesture, but you can politely remind them to ring the bell and the office can buzz them in after verifying who they are. Please remember that safety is our number one priority!
Also, congratulations to Nishanth for winning 1st place by winning all 5 rounds and Vibhav (Bobby) for winning 4th for 4 games out of 5 at the Austin Spring Chess tournament at Del Valle High School. Both made Meridian school team and won 1st prize beating 3 other school teams. Go Lions!
Melissa Reese,
PYP Principal
IB Exams: Good luck to our Seniors!
Starting today, May 1, our seniors will embark on three weeks of IB Exams. We want to wish them all luck. You’ve got this!
School Lunch Hero Day is May 3
Friday is School Lunch Hero Day! We would like to say thank you to our amazing Café Crew for all they do. Not only do they arrive each day before everyone else to make lunch, but they also prepare breakfast! Fresh bowls of fruit are filled around school for snacks and they make sure every meal is well balanced, tastes good, and is nutritious. Check it out.
Staff Appreciation Week: Next week May 6-10
Teachers, IB Coordinators, Nurses, Coaches, Administration, Support Staff and more! It takes a village and we have one of the best! Staff Appreciation Week is next week and there are a few ways you can help make it extra special. Handwritten notes or cards from you or your student are always welcomed – and saved for sweet reminders of why we do this work! You can also help ViP provide special breakfasts/treats all week. Want to get a small gift but not sure what your teacher likes? A Staff Favorites list is on the website under “School Resources.”
Spring Parent/Guardian Meeting
Thank you to everyone who came to our Annual Spring Parent/Guardian meeting. If you did not get a chance to come, please take a moment to look at the slides. You’ll find an expansion update, Standards Based Grading review, and more.
Meridian plastic film recycling drive with Ridwell
Do you have plastic bags saved up to recycle but don’t know what to do with them? Join our Ridwell recycling drive! This is what can be recycled.
Recycling drive timeline
- Now: Begin saving bags – make sure they’re clean and dry!
- May 13-16: Drop them off in one of our labeled bins on campus
Through May 31: If 10 Meridian families sign up for Ridwell services, the school will receive free plastic film recycling all next year!
Field Day shirts on sale now!
Deadline: Tomorrow, Thursday, May 2
Our National Honor Society students have designed a cool field day t-shirt for their High School Field Day. They would like to invite primary families to purchase them on MySchoolBucks until tomorrow, Thursday, May 2! Shirts will be delivered by the week of May 13.Meridian K-8 Glow Run: Register and pledge today!
Meridian has partnered with Booster to help us raise $35,000. Money raised by K-5 will go to improving our primary outdoor spaces and money raised by 6-8 will go to improvements to the Mays Aux Gym.
Want to help make our outdoor spaces better? Register your students and make a pledge/share! Here’s how you can help Meridian reach our goal:
- You can pledge per minute run or make a flat donation.
- Does your company match gifts? You can double your donation!
- Share your student’s site with friends and family – this is a great opportunity for out-of-town friends and family to support your student!
Then, it’s time for the fun! May 14, students in grades K-8 get to join in on the Glow Run in the Mays gym to fulfill those pledges! The more funds we have, the more improvements we can make! All students will get to participate regardless of pledges.
Primary Movie Night: This Friday
Join us this Friday, May 3 at 6:30 p.m. in the Primary Gym for our Primary-Only Spring Movie Night hosted by ViP. We're showing the Super Mario Bros movie! Doors open at 6 p.m. - please enter the building through the blacktop doors. This is a cash only event - $5 per family and there will be light concessions for sale. (Bring your own water bottles and blankets or chairs!) We will also be collecting uniform donations so you can bring them with you. If you'd like to help, there are a few volunteer slots available.
Fifth grade families: Switch Day is coming!
On Wednesday, May 15, after primary school classes have concluded, we will be hosting Switch Day. This is an opportunity for your 5th grader to briefly experience life as a middle schooler. Students will meet their future teachers, tour the building, and ask questions as part of their transition to the secondary level. Please see our Welcome Letter for more information and to RSVP. All parents should respond so we may place your student in the correct dismissal location.
Scholastic BOGO Book Fair: Next week!
Our annual BOGO Book Fair is back in the Primary Library May 6-10! Students may shop Monday - Thursday with their class. Friday students may shop until 10 a.m. when the Book Fair closes. Your student will bring home a book fair flier with their shopping day attached. Consider setting up an e-wallet to allow your child to shop without having to bring cash to school.
Family shopping hours
- Tuesday: 6 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. during the Primary Art Show (see information below for details)
- Wednesday: 1:30 p.m. - 4 p.m.
- Thursday: 3:50 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
The book fair is a great way to shop for gifts for your child’s teacher! Teachers have
selected some books they’d love to have in their classroom libraries and you can pull a slip
from the wish list display in the library and bring it to the register to purchase the book.
The Book Fair is online
Can’t make it to the book fair at school or have relatives out of town? Shop online! All orders ship home; book-only orders over $25 ship free.
Primary Art Showcase is Tuesday, May 7!
Join us Tuesday, May 7 between 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. for the Primary Art Show and late night at the Book Fair. Enjoy viewing artwork created by Kindergarten students through 5th grade! We still need volunteers during the Art Show from 4 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. If you are interested please email our Primary Art teacher Marny Lee.
4th and 5th Grade Field Day
Our Field Days are almost done! Thanks to all who have already signed up to volunteer or support through donations. 4th and 5th grade will have their Field Day May 8. We still have some openings on our sign up.
Students may wear Free Dress on the day of their Field Day. Please send your child dressed comfortably for being active outside most of the day. They can wear a t-shirt, comfy quick-dry shorts, and a hat. Tennis shoes will be best for the activities. We do have a water game station, so your child is welcome to bring a small towel. Water bottles are a must for this day!
Parent Feedback form for the 2024-2025 school year
Our parent feedback form is an opportunity for you to share what type of environment best supports your child and their ability to learn. As we create our class lists for the 2024-2025 school year, we will take your feedback into consideration. Please note there are several factors that are taken into consideration, including teacher feedback, when planning for our student learning groups. Forms are due by Monday, May 13.
IB Initiative: The Transdisciplinary Theme of Who We Are
Who We Are • Where We Are in Place and Time • How We Express Ourselves
How the World Works • How We Organize Ourselves • Sharing the Planet
The theme of Who We Are is an inquiry into the nature of the self; beliefs and values; personal, physical, mental, social and spiritual health; human relationships including families, friends, communities, and cultures; rights and responsibilities; what it means to be human.
Children develop their sense of identity through their relationships, their personal experiences, their culture, and their community. As parents, you share your beliefs and values, your culture, and your sense of right and wrong. Children learn about differences in these as they engage with others and eventually develop their own sense of self that incorporates their own unique perspective on the world.
At Meridian, all grades study the theme of Who We Are through the following central ideas:
- Kindergarten - Our relationships impact ourselves and others.
- 1st Grade - Our understanding grows through learning and reflection.
- 2nd Grade - Individuals and experiences can influence our values.
- 3rd Grade - Awareness can lead to action.
- 4th Grade - Significant events and people help promote growth.
- 5th Grade - Relationships influence identity.
Important Triple A Dates
May 15: Last day of early release Wednesday care
May 23: No Triple A
Now Open: Triple A and À la Carte 24-25 Registration
Full time and part time Wednesday care available. Registration is from May 1 - July 10. À La Carte programs fill up quickly and are first come first serve.
Check the links below for more information:
- Full time care (K-2)
- Wednesday only care (2-5)
- Art (1-5)
- Martial Arts (K-5)
- Basketball (2-5)
- Volleyball (2-5)
- Soccer (2-5)
- Coding (3-5)
- Cooking (1-5)
- Public Speaking (K-2)
- Orchestra (2-5)
- Keyboard (K-2)
- Chess (1-5)
Upcoming enrichment activities
Primary Resources
Daily Announcements: Did you know you can watch the daily morning announcements that your student sees? You can find them on Ms. Lieurance’s YouTube Announcements Channel.
Upcoming Events and Dates
May 3: Primary Movie Night
May 6-10: Staff Appreciation Week
May 6-10: Book Fair
May 7: Primary Art Show 6 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
May 8: Field Day for 4-5
May 14: K-5 Glow Run Boosterthon
May 15: Primary Switch Day
May 15: 5th Grade Switch Day
May 16: Board Meeting
May 17: Kindergarten Showcase 11:30 a.m. - noon
May 17: 4th Grade Passion Project 2 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
May 17: 2nd Grade OCLE
May 20: School Health Advisory Council (SHAC) meeting
May 21: 5th Grade Exhibition from 5 p.m. - 6 p.m.
May 22: Full day of school no early release
May 23: Last Day of School
May 23: No Triple A or After School 6-12
Check out our online calendar of events for more upcoming dates.
Important Contacts
PYP Principal, Melissa Reese
PYP Assistant Principal Grades K, 2, 4, Donida Garcia
PYP Assistant Principal Grades 1, 3, 5, Brooke Knight
PYP Counselor, Nicole Alvarado
PYP Coordinator grades K – 5, Leah Lieurance
Help us reach you
Are you getting our Catapult text messages? If you have a landline as your primary contact you will not receive Catapult messages. You may change this in Skyward or fill out the google form to indicate the cell phone number you wish to receive messages on.