Sunday Notes & Reminders for Tomorrow’s 1^st Day of School

1. School starts at 7:40am tomorrow, Monday, September 9 (doors open at 7:25am).
2. Cars dropping off/picking ups students use the 44th St NE entrance on Nassau Ave.
3. After your student arrives at school, your student will enter the commons then go to the gym to pick up a fresh copy of their course schedule.
4. After the bell, students go to their 1st period class where they will learn about our unique schedule for the first two days which we designed for community building.
5. Please let your student know about Meeker’s No Cell Bell to Bell policy. Cell phones and Bluetooth earbuds and headphones are to be put away in a backpack or locker. Read the new cellphone policy
6. Email any questions about your student’s course schedule to your student’s counselor—Gina Coheley (gcohele@Tacoma.K12.Wa.US) for last names A—K and Laura Schrenk (lschren@tacoma.k12.wa.us) for last names L-Z.

We are so excited to see your Wolverine tomorrow!

Welcome Meeker Families to the 2024-2025 School Year!

The Meeker faculty is excited to greet your student on Monday and get the school year rolling! We have fun community building activities planned for the first days of school to begin cultivating your Wolverine’s feeling of belonging at Meeker.

This first week of community-building activities launches Meeker’s intentional school-wide focus on building a middle school culture where every student feels ‘at home’ because every student feels welcomed, invited, present, accepted, known, supported, befriended, involved, heard, needed, and loved at school.

While fostering a stronger sense of belonging is important in and of itself, it is essential to supporting student learning. Research and personal experience teach us that a sense of belonging is strongly related to academic achievement—when students feel like they belong, they feel happy, safe, and ready to learn.

Building a school culture of belonging takes time and requires everyone to “be the change they want to see in the world.”

One change that students will notice day 1 is Meeker’s “No Cell Bell to Bell” policy.

As we work to connect students to each other, to their teachers, and to learning, this policy is necessary. We strongly believe our school-wide policy prohibiting use of cell phones and Bluetooth earbud-headphones while students are at school supports student safety and helps students to stay more engaged and present in their learning and social environment. The intent is to support students in their academic and social success—removing major temptations and distractions and promoting face-to-face social interaction and connection.   

We appreciate student, teacher, and family partnership in supporting this new policy. We believe this policy will increase our students’ ability to focus on learning and decrease instances of harassment, intimidation, and bullying.  Read the new cellphone policy.

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

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

Upcoming Events

Friday	September 13	Fire Drill with Evacuation
Monday	September 16	Session 1 Sports Starts Club B Session 1 Starts
Tuesday	September 17	Drama Production - Peter Pan Auditions
Wednesday	September 18	Late Start Wednesday - Classes Begin @ 8:40AM
Thursday	September 19	Makeup Picture Day
Tuesday	September 24	iReady Reading for ALL Students
Wednesday	September 25	Late Start Wednesday - Classes Begin @ 8:40AM
Thursday	September 26	Back-to-School Night @ 6:30-7:30PM

First Day of School

Thursday, September 9^th – 7:40 AM start time. All grades. School ends at 2:10 PM

Students will be issued a locker the first day of school if they feel they need one. Students will not be required to use their lockers. Should a student want one, they will need to visit the office on the first day of school.

Back to School Night – Thursday, September 26^th

On September 26^th from 6:30—7:30PM we will host a Back-to-School Night for families to come meet their student(s)’ teachers and visit classrooms.  Mark your calendar!

Back to School Information on the Website!

Visit our one-stop-shop webpage to get most frequently asked questions answered! Visit the link below to find more information.  Back to School Information

Car – Pickup

Please ONLY use the entrance at 44^th St NE on Nassau Ave to drop off/pick-up students. To keep everyone safe, cars cannot enter the lot used by our school buses. In the morning, students who are dropped off by car will walk around to the lower Commons entrance. Thank you for supporting school safety!

New Meeker Office Hours

The Meeker Office will be open from 7:00AM - 2:45 on School Days. 

Child Nutrition Eligibility and Education Benefit (CNEEB) Application Due by Oct. 1

Help Meeker and all Tacoma schools by filling out the annual CNEEB application.  When families complete the CNEEB application, it helps fund things like before- and after-school programs, school counselors, health and wellness services, and classroom resources. It also ensures that students who are eligible for low-income benefits and discounts are recognized and can take advantage of additional benefits, including things like fee waivers for ASB cards. Thank you for your support by filling out this online application!  Here is a direct link: https://www.myschoolapps.com/Application. You can find more details on the public website.

First Four Days of School Attendance – WILL BE WITHDRAWN IF ABSENT

If your student is absent the first four days of school, they will be withdrawn from Meeker, and families will need to reenroll their student(s). Plan accordingly to have your student attend the first four days of school to prevent this from happening. 

Per the WA Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), students who are absent ALL first four days of school will be withdrawn. An absence is an absence, excused, or not excused.

Immunizations

If your child received any immunizations this summer or you need to update their record at all, contact our school nurse. Students without required immunizations or a valid exemption will not be allowed to attend school, by state law. Parents/Guardians will be called to pick up student If not fully vaccinated.

Free Meals at School Again This Year

TPS students can receive free breakfast and lunch in the 2024-25 school year, regardless of income. This will be offered as part of a federal school meal funding option.

As part of this programming option, select families will be asked to complete a Household Information Survey (this replaces the Free and Reduced-Price Meal Application families might be familiar with from past years). If your household is already directly certified, you will receive a confirmation from the school district, and you will not receive a Household Information Survey.  Nutrition Services - Tacoma Public Schools (tacomaschools.org)

Not Returning to Meeker?

If your student will NOT be attending Meeker in the Fall for any reason, please email Meeker Records as soon as possible. Include the following information in the email:
 

• Student Name
• Student ID#
• Reason for not attending Meeker in the Fall
• The name of their next school
• The city and state of their next school

NEWS from Meeker’s PTA

Join the Meeker PTA Today!

The new school year is here, and we're thrilled to bring you a year filled with exciting programs and events! To make this year a success, we need your support—consider joining the PTA today. Stay connected with weekly updates in the Meeker Memo and follow us on social media @MeekerMiddlePTA on Facebook and Instagram for the latest news. Visit our website at MeekerMiddlePTA.com to join and explore all the valuable resources available.

MOD Pizza Fundraiser - September 29, 2024

Enjoy a back-to-school pizza night and support Meeker PTSA programs at the same time! MOD Pizza in Federal Way (2104 S 320th Street, Federal Way, WA 98003) will donate 25% of fundraiser sales to support Meeker PTSA on Sunday, September 29th. Just mention fundraising code MODGIVES25 for in person orders or order online using the code.  It's a simple, delicious way to support our school!