#MeetTheBoard during Board of Education Recognition Month! Starting with one of our new trustees, Heather Novak! #ReachHigher #MeridianMustangs
Could you share the driving force or passion that led you to serve on the Meridian Public Schools Board of Education? What is your "why" in this role?
I have been impressed with Meridian Public Schools since I moved to Sanford 25 years ago. My husband has coached at Meridian since he graduated from high school. I have gotten to see Meridian through our friends children growing up and attending their events. My son began at Mustang Hill Daycare when he was a few weeks old. He attended preschool at Mustang Hill until Kindergarten. He is now a junior at Meridian Early College High School. I began my career in education 25 years ago. I was a teacher for 20 years, a building administrator for 4 years, and have been a district level administrator for one year. Having experience as a student, teacher, parent, and administrator makes me an asset to the Board of Education. I have all of these different views that help me see the big picture. I went into education to make a positive difference in the lives of children. I decided to run for the school board so that I can give back to the community and be a part of the decision making process.
My "why" in this role is the students. The students of our district deserve to have an effective and dedicated team of Board members. We should always focus on how we can best serve kids, how our decisions effect kids, and making decisions to benefit our students. We have such a strong community with alumni intertwined into the schools for multiple generations. These strong ties create such a unique community that supports our schools and students.
When you proudly speak about our schools, what key aspects or achievements do you emphasize? What makes Meridian Public Schools stand out in your eyes?
Meridian Public Schools is fully integrated into a community. The community is involved in supporting athletics, the music program, fundraising, youth sports, and many other school events. It is not unusual to see retired administrators, teachers, and multiple generations of alumni at events. The schools are the central focus of the community and help to create unity amongst various stakeholders. The community keeps growing and as other districts are seeing a steep decline in enrollment, we are maintaining enrollment levels. We have strong leadership in our building administrators and our superintendent. By having this strong leadership, we attract teachers who are passionate about educating students. This has a huge effect on our students and their success. There are amazing things happening in our schools.
Today, we reflect on the profound impact of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his tireless pursuit of equality, justice, and dignity for all. As we commemorate #MLKDay, let's remember his message of love, service, and community.
At Meridian Public Schools, we are committed to fostering an environment where every student is empowered to THRIVE. Today, we encourage our students, staff, and community to engage in acts of service and to reflect on how we can all positively impact our communities.
Let’s commit to living Dr. King’s legacy every day by upholding strong values that enhance our community, our state, and the world at large. Let's make a difference, today and every day. #ReachHigher #MeridianMustangs #MLKDay
The National Honor Society is hosting a blood drive on Friday, January 24th in the high school auditorium lobby from 9:30am-2:30pm. Use the QR code on the flyer or visit https://donateblood.versiti.org/donor/schedules/drive_schedule/11407547 to sign up for a time slot and give the gift of life! #ReachHigher #MeridianMustangs
MERPS REMINDER: 📢 Attention Students and Parents! 🗓️
Just a quick reminder: There will be no school for students on Monday, January 20th due to a Staff Professional Development Day. This day allows our amazing teachers and staff to focus on training, collaboration, and planning to make your learning experience even better! 📚💡
Enjoy your day off Mustangs, and we’ll see you back in class on Tuesday, January 21st! 🎉 #ReachHigher #MeridianMustangs #NoSchool
Step right up folks, step right up! It's time for the second annual Meridian Wellness Fair! Stop out to Meridian Junior High School on Wednesday, January 22nd, from 5:00-7:00pm to meet with local agencies, play carnival games, and grab dinner too! 5 family fun baskets will be raffled off at the event; sure to bring fun to the entire family! #ReachHigher #MeridianMustangs #WellnessFair
January is Board of Education Recognition Month! This month, make sure to check our pages for a post about each board member to learn more about them, and why they decided to serve on our board. We are thankful for the Board of Education members and their dedication to Meridian Public Schools. Join us in thanking them for their service! #ReachHigher #MeridianMustangs #BoardOfEducationRecognitionMonth
Happy New Year! Anyone who needs to complete a 2025-26 (or prior) FAFSA, Delta College is hosting multiple completion workshops throughout the many months ahead. From January 10- August 12, you can find them on main campus, or at either of the Downtown Saginaw or Midland Centers. Experts will be there to assist you and your contributors. #ReachHigher #MeridianMustangs Here is the link: https://www.canva.com/design/DAGZLoyG5O4/_HgDXvQCBwOGsaI450FOZg/view?utm_content=DAGZLoyG5O4&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=uniquelinks&utlId=hb226b65db8#1
Today marks ONE WEEK until our FAFSA Night here at MECHS. This event is open to any student and their family looking to complete the 2025-26 FAFSA form. The event will be held in the cafeteria on January 8th, 2025 from 6-8pm. Dinner is provided. You MUST RSVP. There will also be prizes to raffle off! #ReachHigher #MeridianMustangs RSVP here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdASy-N_s9nZ7JJbPvKCfoFin3fxKAgWBFs0T8_V4eFGx49eA/viewform?usp=sf_link
🎉 Happy New Year Mustangs! 🎉 From all of us at Meridian Public Schools, we look forward to continuing to #ReachHigher through deeper learning, community partnerships, and innovative learning practices to ensure our mission to "Educate and support every student to succeed in their career and life by developing a learning environment that fosters curiosity and lifelong learning." At Meridian, our vision is "Mustangs are empowered to be resilient and fearless learners, in order to THRIVE in an ever-changing world." Here's to a great year, Mustangs! #ReachHigher #MeridianMustangs
Today marks TWO WEEKS until our FAFSA Night here at MECHS. This event is open to any student and their family looking to complete the 2025-26 FAFSA form. The event will be held in the cafeteria on January 8th, 2025 from 6-8pm. Dinner is provided. You MUST RSVP. There will also be prizes to raffle off! #ReachHigher #MeridianMustangs RSVP here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdASy-N_s9nZ7JJbPvKCfoFin3fxKAgWBFs0T8_V4eFGx49eA/viewform?usp=sf_link
From all of us at Meridian Public Schools, we wish you and your family a happy holiday season! #ReachHigher #MeridianMustangs #HolidaySeason
Students, if you have a 3.0 or higher cumulative GPA, you're eligible for the Michigan Assured Admissions Pact! 11 participating Michigan public universities have agree to admit students meeting the 3.0 or higher GPA requirement. You must still apply to each school individually. For more information, you may visit: https://maap.org #ReachHigher #MeridianMustangs
Now commencing holiday break! School resumes on Monday, January 6th, 2025. See you all in the New Year! #ReachHigher #MeridianMustangs
MECHS Christmas Break Office Hours.
The MECHS Algebra 1 students made a fairly large Christmas tree by tessellating triangle shaped trees. We learned how and why triangles tessellate, and what other polygons will also. We also discussed how to determine how many "trees" we needed by investigating why the sum of the series of odd natural numbers is always a perfect square. Our tree is made up of 100 (that's 10 squared!) trees. Math is everywhere! #ReachHigher #MeridianMustangs
The Midland Area Community Foundation Scholarship Application will CLOSE on January 31, 2025. This is a MUST for any student graduating from MECHS, and heading off to school in the fall. You can complete an application here: https://www.midlandfoundation.org/scholarships/ #ReachHigher #MeridianMustangs
Today marks THREE WEEKS until our FAFSA Night here at MECHS. This event is open to any student and their family looking to complete the 2025-26 FAFSA form. The event will be held in the cafeteria on January 8th, 2025 from 6-8pm. Dinner is provided. You MUST RSVP. There will also be prizes to raffle off! #ReachHigher #MeridianMustangs RSVP here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdASy-N_s9nZ7JJbPvKCfoFin3fxKAgWBFs0T8_V4eFGx49eA/viewform?usp=sf_link
SAVE THE DATE! Save the date for Meridian's Second Annual Wellness Fair, on January 22nd at Meridian Junior High School from 5:00-7:00PM. Visit and interact with agencies from Midland County! Enjoy dinner, prizes, games, and an visit the mobile food pantry too! #ReachHigher #MeridianMustangs #WellnessFair
Tomorrow, December 18th, Mr. Zink will be at the boys' basketball game tabling for FAFSA. If you or your guardian need to create a FSA ID, have FAFSA questions, or general questions around postsecondary education, please stop by! Mr. Zink will have lots of valuable handouts and information. #ReachHigher #MeridianMustangs
Seniors and families, Mr. Zink will be hosting VIRTUAL office hours on Monday, December 23 from 12-4pm. Stop by for questions on applications, scholarships, FAFSA/Financial Aid, and anything else. You can connect via email (skylyr.zink@merps.org), SMS text messaging (989-850-1838), or hop on a Google Meet (https://meet.google.com/gdr-cuqo-dhm). If you need assistance outside of this time, Mr. Zink will have access to his email in a limited capacity.
