Dear Meeker Families,

This week you will start hearing from your student’s 4^th period teacher to learn about how to schedule a Spring conference for March 13. Be on the lookout!

Please read below to learn about this week’s upcoming the upcoming week at Meeker Middle School.

In appreciation and in partnership on behalf of Meeker Middle School Faculty & Staff,  

Dr. Cherlyn Pijanowski, Principal & Taralynn Grau, Assistant Principal 

Upcoming Events

Session 3 Sports: Girls Basketball V/JV/C, Cross Country (No cut) Football (begins Jan. 21^st)
Session 4 Sports (April): Wrestling (No Cut), Fastpitch (V/JV), Track-Field (No Cut)
Session 3 Club B: ASB Yearbook, Art, Cooking, Drama, Dungeons & Dragons, Junior Curator, Metaverse Adventures, STEM Multi Sports

Monday	March 3	Session 3 Sports: Girls Basketball V/JV/C, Cross Country (No cut), Football Practice Club B: ASB Yearbook, Cooking, Dungeons & Dragons
Tuesday	March 4	JV Girls Basketball vs Giaudrone @ Giaudrone 3:00-4:00PM Varsity Girls Basketball vs Giaudrone @ Meeker 3:00-4:30PM Club B: Art, Cooking, Drama, Junior Curator
Wednesday	March 5	Late Start Wednesday: Classes Begin @ 8:40AM Boys Football vs Gray @ Mt Tahoma 3:00-4:30 Club B: ASB Yearbook, Cooking, Dungeons & Dragons, Metaverse Adventures
Thursday	March 6	JV Girls Basketball vs Truman @ Meeker 3:00-4:00PM Varsity Girls Basketball vs Truman @ Truman 3:00-4:30PM Club B: Art, Cooking, Drama, STEM Multi Sports
Friday	March 7	Cross Country vs Gray @ SERA Athletic Fields 3:00-4:30PM Teen Late Night 5-9PM
Sunday	March 9	Course Requests CLOSE for students to choose classes for 25-26 SY MOD Pizza ASB fundraiser all day – mention code MODGIVES25 online for pickup or at the counter at MOD pizza in Federal Way!
Monday	March 10	ASB Fundraiser: Lucky Charm Grams on Sale @ Lunches & Online! Scholastic Book Fair in Library until 2:30PM Club B: ASB Yearbook, Cooking, Dungeons & Dragons

To-Do’s:

⧠ Sign up for courses for the 25-26 SY! Course request window closes Sunday March 9th.
⧠ Remind your Wolverine about Meeker “No Cell Bell to Bell” policy. Students must keep cellphones and Bluetooth devices tucked away in backpacks during the school day.
⧠ Submit pictures to MeekerYearbook@tacoma.k12.wa.us for consideration to be added.
⧠ Send your 8th grader’s Baby Photo for the Baby Photo spread in the yearbook.
⧠ Remind your student to charge their laptops EVERY NIGHT.

COURSE REGISTRATION INFORMATION

8th grade students have until March 6th to choose classes in StudentVUE. StudentVUE directions found HERE. Counselors will be available at lunches in the commons next week to help students register. We have extra green sheets in the office to see Stadium electives.

6th and 7th grade students have until March 9th to choose classes in StudentVUE. Presentations with elective information and registration directions can be found below:

Note: Please have your student log in to view presentations!

• Current 7th graders presentation - Copy.pptx
• Current 6th graders presentation.pptx

8th Grade Families–Send Baby Photos to be put in the Yearbook!

Submit your 8th grader’s Baby Photo for the Baby Photo spread in the yearbook! The last day to submit your photo is April 1st, no exceptions due to printing deadlines.  Please email ONLY 1 photo of your student along with their first and last name to: MeekerYearbook@tacoma.k12.wa.us

March 9 is our next MOD pizza fundraiser for ASB!

Join us on March 9th for a slice of Pizza at MOD Pizza in Federal Way. You’ll lose an hour of sleep, but you could gain a great tasting pizza that will give 25% to Meeker ASB! Use code MODGIVES25. We hope to see you there and spread the word! Thank you for your support!

Request courses for 2025-26 in StudentVUE

Students in grades 6-11 will use StudentVUE to request courses for the 2025-26 school year. This is the first step in scheduling for next year. To request courses, students and families will go to the “Course Request” tab in StudentVUE to view, select, or change courses. How will students learn about their course elective options? We are so glad you asked!

• End of February: Counselors will go into all 6^th and 7^th grade classrooms to teach students about the course selection process, and to provide students with information about elective course options.
• End of February/Early March: Meeker counselors will visit each of our elementary schools to teach 5^th graders about middle school course registration.

How to register for courses in StudentVUE

Food Bank Hours

When: the 2nd and 4th Thursday of each month from 4:00pm to 6:00pm. 

Where: Browns Point United Methodist Church, 5339 Browns Point Blvd, Tacoma 98422

NEWS from Meeker’s PTA...

Thank you to everyone who joined us for our Mega Meeting on Thursday, January 23rd. We are grateful to have families engage in our Community and Culture Night and 8th grade party planning as well as our general membership meeting!

Volunteer Opportunities

Thank You for Your Support!

A huge thank you to everyone who participated in our February Fundraiser! With your generosity, we raised $1,645 to support Meeker Middle School students and programs. Every contribution makes a difference, and we are so grateful for our amazing Meeker community.

If you’d still like to donate, we are always accepting contributions through our website at MeekerMiddlePTA.com—just visit our store to give!

Stay tuned for more opportunities to support our school—together, we can accomplish great things!

Upcoming Events & Volunteer Opportunities

Have You Signed Up for Meeker’s 1st Annual Community & Culture Night?

Join us for our inaugural Community & Culture Night on Thursday, March 27, 2025, from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at Meeker Middle School! We're partnering with Crescent Heights Elementary to celebrate the diversity, traditions, and talents that make our community special.

Enjoy food trucks, performances, and interactive activities for all ages.

We need volunteers to help make this event a success:

• Share a taste of your culture by donating finger foods.
• Host a booth with cultural displays, crafts, or activities.
• Perform music, dance, storytelling, or another art form.

Sign up today! Community and Culture Night Sign Up or contact meekermiddlepta@gmail.com.

Let’s come together to celebrate the cultures that make Meeker a great place to learn and grow!

Book Fair Volunteers Needed

Book Fair is coming to Meeker during spring conferences!  Our wonderful librarian is organizing a Scholastic book fair for our school. She needs help with community volunteers to make the book fair a success. Sign up for a volunteer slot here to help out. Book Fair Volunteer Link

Ongoing Volunteer Opportunities 

Wolverine Warehouse - We Need Your Help!

Our Wolverine Warehouse is running low on supplies, and we need your support to keep our incentives exciting and well-stocked! Please consider helping by ordering an item from our Amazon Wish List. Every contribution makes a difference!  Thank you to Adrianne Brugman, Michelle Craig, Dawn Schultz & Miss Smith from CHE for your donations!

Twice a month during lunch we offer a store where students can use Meeker Money to “buy” fun items. Volunteering in the Wolverine Warehouse is a quick-paced and fun way to interact with students while helping reward good behavior.  Sign up here: Wolverine Warehouse Volunteer Link. 

Worth Repeating:

Box Tops Help Meeker’s ASB

Please sign up to give to Meeker ASB Box Tops to earn cash for our school by using the Box Tops app. It’s an easy way to make a difference. All you have to do is buy Box Tops participating products (like Cheerios!) and scan your grocery receipt. Box Tops are worth $.10 each and they add up fast! Twice a year, our school receives a check to help pay for whatever we need - equipment, supplies or experiences the kids love! We have a goal of $1000 for Sports Equipment
 
Use this referral code HJWG6AIK when you sign up and you’ll get 25 Bonus Box Tops when you scan your first receipt now through 05/31/2025, while supplies last! Download the Box Tops for Education app here: https://btfe.smart.link/c2jjdifkw?referral_code=HJWG6AIK

Be sure your contact information is updated in ParentVUE

Snow is in the forecast, so please check ParentVUE to ensure your contact information is up to date. If the weather impacts our school schedule, we’ll contact you based on the information in ParentVUE.

If it needs to be updated, contact our office at MeekerRecords@tacoma.k12.wa.us.

This is also a good time to review your emergency contacts in ParentVUE. When you provide emergency contact information, consider adding trusted adults (neighbors, friends) who do not live in your household. ParentVUE allows you to update your emergency contacts directly in the app, without contacting our office.

Get help with ParentVUE. 

Parent Dropoff/Pickup Reminders

Morning: If you see the orange cone/orange flag between 7:35 and 7:40AM, please drive to the front of the building to drop off your student.                                                          

Afternoon: Parent after school pickup is in the front of the building. For safety reasons, we want to keep cars away from students and buses. Thank you for NOT using the lower bus loop for PM pick up.

New school-based healthcare clinic open to all students

Tacoma’s students now have another healthcare option - the new SeaMar Health Center based at Lincoln High School. It’s open to all Tacoma Public Schools students.

Nurse practitioners provide services including sports physicals, annual checkups and acute illness care for things like cough, cold, ear pain, UTI and minor injuries. Immunizations are also available.

Get more information here: SeaMar School-Based Health Center - Lincoln High School

Mental health resources available on our website

Our website now makes it easy for students and families to find resources to support mental health, find help for friends, and get in touch with school counselors.

Explore these resources for ways to support your child. You can find them listed under the “Family” and “Students” tabs on the top of our web site.

When are kids too sick for school?

Respiratory illnesses are on the rise right now, and a stomach virus is making its way through some households, too. If you’re wondering when your child is too sick for school, take a look at this information from our health department:

Too sick for school?

Stay home with these illnesses

Questions? Contact our school nurse at 253-571-6568.

Review standardized test scores in ParentVUE

Students at each grade level take standardized tests as a tool to monitor learning. Teachers use the test results to inform their teaching practices and make changes to meet the needs of all students.

Some of these scores are available to students and parents in StudentVUE and ParentVUE. To view scores, go to the “Test History” tab. For tests like Smarter Balanced Assessment (SBA), a more detailed report can be found in the “Documents” tab for the previous year.

How to check grades in ParentVUE

You can find your child’s grades, assignments and posted test scores on ParentVUE. Check the app for directions: ParentVUE Help - Tacoma Public Schools (tacomaschools.org)

Do you know about the 10-school-day rule for grades and assignments?

• Students have 10 school days from the original due date to turn in an assignment and receive full credit.
• Students have 10 school days from receiving a grade on an assignment or assessment to request a revision, retake or correction.

Tutor.com offers free, online tutoring services 

Our students have access to a free online tutoring service through Tutor.com. They can access this resource through Clever.

Services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week and include: 

• Live tutoring
• Paper review
• Math question drop off
• Resume/cover letter writing
• Creating healthy habits

Students can access tutors by chat or a voice call in less than a minute without an appointment. Get more information, including a detailed list of services. 

Community Resources Help

If your family needs resources of any kind, please reach out to your student’s counselor.

Gina Coheley: Last Names A-K – gcohele@tacoma.k12.wa.us

Laura Schrenk: Last Names L-Z – lschren@tacoma.k12.wa.us