DP Lions Share (11–12)
Week of December 4, 2024
FROM THE PRINCIPAL
Greetings DP Families!
I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving Break. I enjoyed time with my college kids who were home for the week.
We are in the home stretch of Quarter 2/Semester 1. Students are wrapping up their EEs, working on IAs, and preparing for end of semester summatives.
This coming Friday-Saturday (December 6-7) is our annual Senior Lock In! Thank you to the parents who have stepped up to make this event possible by volunteering to chaperone and donating funds for breakfast. See more details about this event below.
Stela Holcombe
DP Principal
Secondary Uniform Reminders
Please see this communication for important reminders about our school uniform policy. If you have questions or concerns, please reach out to your DP Principal, Stela Holcombe.
Senior 24-hour Lock-In: Action items and details
Friday, December 6 - Saturday, December 7
We have the parent chaperones we need to make this event possible! Thank you to the Vallejo, Cortinas, and Edrich families! This annual tradition requires parent support. Read on for forms and actions:
- Check here to review the sign up for volunteering/donating items.
- Students, please RSVP here.
- Students and parents/guardians must complete this form.
- Give pizza money to Holcombe by 2 p.m. Friday to be included in the pizza order.
- Drop off / pick up from the Mays Building (we will NOT be in the high school).
- Parents/guardians, please pick up on time (by 7 a.m.) so staff can go home and get some sleep!
Questions? Please email [email protected].
Meeting recording for Full Diploma juniors & parents/guardians
If you were unable to attend the required Zoom meeting about the Extended Essay (EE) last night, here is the recording, and here is a link to the presentation that was reviewed about the Extended Essay (EE). Please watch the recording so that you are aware of the timeline and expectations for this large task – a task that is required for students pursuing the IB diploma. The first few minutes of the meeting were not recorded, but you can see the information you missed on the first two slides of the presentation. If you have any questions, please email DP Coordinator Charles Ryder at [email protected].
Interested in summer study abroad opportunities?
Zoom Meeting Tuesday, December 10 at 6:30 p.m. via zoom (link)
The Council On International Educational Exchange (CIEE), a non-profit organization dedicated to global education for over 75 years, offers programs for high school students and graduating seniors. Their Summer Abroad programs are 3-4 weeks and cover topics from World Languages to STEM, Business, Arts, Social Change, and Leadership.
Monday, December 9 during advisory, a CIEE representative will present to our students. Some Meridian students have participated in these programs in the past and shared favorable reviews about their experiences.
If interested, please review this flier and join us for a 45-minute Zoom call with our CIEE representative, Erin El-Tawil Tuesday, Dec. 10 at 6:30 p.m.
Seniors: IB Exam schedule and billing for May 2025
Mr. Ryder has wrapped up IB exam registration with the seniors! The cost per exam is $125. Families will be billed for this via MySchoolBucks later this month. There is a 4% MySchoolBucks fee; you are also welcome to bring a personal check payable to "Meridian School."
The IB exam schedule for May 2025 will be published in this newsletter next week. If your student is taking IB exams, it's important for you to know that exams cannot be rescheduled. Don't plan travel or make doctor appointments on examination days. If you have an older student graduating from college in May 2025 (or another big family event), please share those dates with me asap so we can see if there is a potential schedule conflict.
Secondary Holiday Fun Week!
December 16-19
Get ready for winter dress up week! The week of December 16, before winter break, students may wear the following:
Monday, Dec 16: Regular Uniform with Holiday Accessories (socks, Santa hats, antlers, blankets, holiday slippers, etc.)
Tuesday, Dec 17: Holiday Sweater Day / Do It Yourself "DIY" Ugly Holiday Sweaters
Wednesday, Dec 18 (full day of school): Wear Plaid or a College Shirt
Thursday, Dec 19: Pajamas/Onesie Day
Save the Date for Graduation Regalia Orders
Monday, February 10 and Tuesday, February 11
Students and/or parents/guardians place orders for graduation regalia (cap and gowns) and graduation announcements in February. The vendor for our school is Herff Jones. Learn about graduation regalia from this helpful slide created by Robyn Tester:
RockSports spirit wear holiday sale
Schedule Update: Wednesday, Dec. 18 and Thursday, Dec. 19
Wednesday, Dec. 18 is a full school day for all students to allow for secondary students to take exams. Primary pick up starts at 3:40 p.m. and secondary pick up starts at 4:10 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 19, there will be no After School 6-12. Students will need to be picked up during secondary carline. This allows our After School staff to join the staff holiday party. Thank you!
The Teacher Experiences Auction is back!
Meridian Athletics
Boys Varsity Basketball in a home game huddle. Photo by Linda Mosqueda.
Basketball
Upcoming home games!
Wednesday, December 4 - Girls MS and Boys MS Beast
Monday, December 9 - Girls MS, Boys MS Beast, Boys Varsity
Tuesday, December 10 - Boys JV Bold
Wednesday, December 11 - Boys MS Bold
See the Athletics Newsletter and the Athletics web section for more about Meridian sports.
Questions? Email Meridian Athletics.
Extracurricular Activities and Clubs
School of Rock and Pop (9-12)
Now registering! The School of Rock and Pop is a spring semester after school program for high school musicians and vocalists. Registration is now open and ends at 9 p.m. on Thursday, December 12. No late registrations will be accepted. Mandatory auditions are Tuesday, December 17.
2024-2025 Secondary Clubs and Student Groups (6-12)
Find the Clubs List for this school year.
Learn how students can start or reactivate a club.
Questions? Email Secondary Enrichment
Important DP Program Contacts
Counselor for Grades 10-12, Nick Manuszak
College and Career Counselor, Kathy Gregg
SpEd Director, Susan Mais
ARD Coordinator, Anna Brown
504 Coordinator, Dottie Elliott
SpEd Coordinator, April HarrisDean of School Culture, Monique Swain
Help us reach you
- Please check your email and cell on Skyward for errors. If they are correct, please check to make sure you didn't accidentally un-enroll in updates by opting back in here.
- 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 with the cell phone number.
DP Calendar
-
Dec 6, 2024
-
Dec 7, 2024
-
Dec 12, 2024
-
Dec 14, 2024
- Winter Concerts (Band, Orchestra, Choir) - 4 pm - 8 pm
-
Dec 16, 2024
-
Dec 18, 2024
-
Dec 19, 2024
-
Dec 20, 2024
-
Dec 23, 2024
-
Jan 3, 2025
-
Jan 6, 2025
-
Jan 7, 2025
-
Jan 8, 2025
- Dance Team Senior Night! - 6:30 pm - 6:45 pm (Home - Mays Gym)
-
Jan 10, 2025
-
Jan 11, 2025
-
Jan 20, 2025
-
Jan 21, 2025
- Basketball Senior Night! - 7 pm - 7:30 pm (Home - Mays Gym)
-
Jan 23, 2025
- Yearbook Club Photos (Mays Lobby)