Meadow Ridge Monthly

Dear Meadow Ridge Families,

We hope this message finds you well as we settle into the second half of the school year. We recently completed our winter benchmarking period, which provided valuable insights into student progress. Our team has been using this data to guide instructional decisions, ensuring that we continue to meet the needs of all learners.

Additionally, family conferences are happening this week! These conferences are a great opportunity to discuss your child’s progress, celebrate their growth, and collaborate on goals for the remainder of the year. We appreciate your partnership in your child’s education and look forward to connecting with you.

As always, thank you for your continued support of Meadow Ridge. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Go Jaguars!

Sincerely,

Erin O'Connor

Meadow Ridge Principal

February

February 12-14 Conferences

• Wednesday 2/12 Early Release 12:45
• Thursday 2/13 No School for Students
• Friday 2/14 No School for Students

Feb 17th-President’s Day - No School

Feb 28th-Hockey Night at Chiefs*

*Denotes a PTO-sponsored event. Dates subject to change

It's an exciting time here at Meadow Ridge. Snow is falling, we are preparing for Valentine's Day parties and Parent Teacher Conferences, and some days, we can even feel spring in the air. I've enjoyed spending time with the students in their classrooms, and I appreciate the conversations I've had with many of you. One frequent topic this year has been the use of, or time spent, on screens. There are many articles about the effect of screens on brain development, and the following link has free parent resources to help you make the best choices for you and your family. This link includes ways to better understand, and monitor, your child's use of technology.

https://www.projectstand.org/parentresources

Our students have people who love them and are paying attention. That's all anyone needs.

We are better together,

DW

Dear Mead School District Families,

Each year, school districts across Washington implement procedures for the referral, assessment, and selection of students for highly capable designation. Referrals may be received for any K-12 student from teachers, parents, support staff, students, and members of the community. Mead School District currently uses the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) to help with this process. Being designated as a highly capable learner gives parents and the school more information about the student’s learning needs.

The Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT), along with prior District and/or State assessments, are among the multiple measures used as part of the evaluation process to determine if a student qualifies to be designated as highly capable. The CogAT measures a student’s general abstract reasoning and their verbal, quantitative, and non-verbal abilities.

This year, we screened all 5th graders using the CogAT in November and will screen all 2nd graders in March. Therefore, referrals are not necessary for 2nd or 5th grade students during this open referral window. However, they may be referred for evaluation in future years.

For parents who wish to refer their child for highly capable screening, use this link to access the [Highly Capable Referral Form]. The referral window is now open and will remain open through February 28, 2025.

Families will be notified of final decisions regarding Highly Capable designations no later than June.

If you’d like to know more about the Highly Capable program, please visit our district [website] or contact the Mead School District Learning and Teaching Department at (509) 465-6031.

FEBRUARY 2025

This month we focus on Heart Health and Automated External Defibrillator (AED) awareness. Did you know our building has an AED? Our staff had a successful AED drill this last month as we navigated new scenario variables. Thankful for all our staff having big hearts and a willingness to practice to keep our kids and community safe. Take a moment to locate our AED the next time you are in the building.

Remember that Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) can happen to anyone and it's important to teach kids what to do in the event of an emergency. If you or your family are interested in CPR classes you can reach out to a local fire department (Fire District 9) or learn more from the American Heart Association.

February is also a great time to think about heart health as a family. Try to practice physical activity as a family, prep and make a meal together, set good bedtime routines to promote good sleeping habits, and parents - lead by example - your kids watch what you do and how you take care of yourself.

Lastly, we are STILL seeing plenty of illnesses circulating in the school. Remind your kids to keep up with the hand washing and covering those coughs. Please keep your kids home if they are ill (illness guidelines). We're seeing a lot of influenza in the community right now. Thank you all so much for keeping everyone healthy!

Happy Heart Month!

Allison Cowart BSN, RN

Clean Hands and Best Wishes,

Nurse Allison

We are excited to announce that our Family Conferences will take place from Wednesday, February 12th through Friday, February 14th. This is a wonderful opportunity to connect with your child’s teacher and discuss their progress and goals for the remainder of the school year.

To schedule your conference, please use the Pick-a-Time scheduling tool. The system will open on Sunday, January 26th and remain available until Monday, February 10th.

We encourage you to book your conference early to secure your preferred time. If you have any questions or need assistance with scheduling, please feel free to contact the school office.

Thank you for your continued partnership in your child’s education. We look forward to seeing you at the conferences!

February

Feb 11th- PTO Meeting/ Crave Fundraiser

Feb 18th- McClain's Fundraiser

Feb 28th-Hockey Night at Chiefs*