From the Desk of Superintendent Glann: |
Dear Mustang Families,
Happy New Year! I hope your winter break provided time to rest, recharge, and enjoy special moments together. January brings a fresh start, and it has been wonderful welcoming everyone back as we begin the second semester of the school year, with the first semester now complete.
As we reflect on the accomplishments of the first half of the year, I am proud of the growth, perseverance, and hard work shown by our students and staff. The second semester is a time to build on that momentum, set new goals, and continue striving for success in every classroom across the district.
January is also Board Recognition Month, and I would like to place special emphasis on recognizing and thanking our Meridian Board of Education. Our board members serve our district with integrity, thoughtfulness, and a deep commitment to students, staff, and the greater Meridian community. Their role requires countless hours of preparation, discussion, and decision-making as they provide oversight, set direction, and ensure the long-term success of Meridian Public Schools.
On behalf of our students, staff, and families, thank you to our Board of Education for always leading with students at the heart of your decision-making. Your leadership, dedication, and unwavering commitment to Meridian Public Schools have helped create the programs we have today and will continue to provide new opportunities for the future. We are grateful for the partnership we share and the care you show for our district each and every day.
As we move through the winter months, please continue to watch for important communication regarding events, schedules, and district updates. Thank you for your continued support and trust as we work together to provide a safe, caring, and high-quality educational experience for every Meridian student.
With Mustang Pride,
Sarah M. Glann
Superintendent, Meridian Public Schools
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President, Stephen Grubaugh Vice President, Megan Clark Secretary, Dennis Cole Treasurer, Kristina Brawt Trustee, Heather Novak Trustee, Terrah Johnson Trustee, Evan Burdick Student Representative, Keegan Shephard |
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August 11, 2025 September 8, 2025 October 13, 2025 November 10, 2025 December 8, 2025 |
*Location & Time: Meridian Early College High School, 3303, N. M-30, Sanford, MI *Room 103 at 5:30pm
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Deepening Our High Reliability Schools Work
As we begin the second semester of the 2025–26 school year, Meridian Public Schools continues to build on our work within the Marzano High Reliability Schools framework. Last year, all three schools earned Level 1 certification, reflecting our commitment to safe, supportive, and collaborative learning environments.
This year, our focus has deepened into Levels 2 and 3, which emphasize effective teaching in every classroom and a guaranteed, viable curriculum for all students. This work is intentionally being approached as a multi-year process, with an emphasis on learning, refining, and gradually strengthening our practices over time. Current areas of focus include:
Developing and refining proficiency scales to clarify learning expectations
Strengthening Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) to support collaboration and instructional consistency
Expanding onboarding and professional learning for staff
Beginning the use of instructional rounds to identify strengths and opportunities for growth across the district
As we move forward, we will continue to build capacity, learn from practice, and thoughtfully increase our use of these strategies to ensure every Meridian student experiences consistent, high-quality instruction.
For more information on our High Reliability Schools journey, visit the HRS page on our district website at www.merps.org/page/hrs.
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Meridian Public Schools is proud to announce Mindy Harry as the November recipient of the Mustang Hoofprint Award—a recognition that stands as a powerful symbol of empowerment, resilience, and fearless leadership.
The Hoofprint Award celebrates individuals who leave an enduring impact on our school and community. Inspired by Meridian’s vision—Mustangs are empowered to be resilient and fearless learners, in order to THRIVE in an ever-changing world—this honor is reserved for those who boldly pave the way for others, leaving behind a lasting trail of inspiration and excellence.
A proud Reese High School graduate from the Class of 1997, Mindy went on to earn her Bachelor of Science in Mathematics with a Physical Education Minor from Saginaw Valley State University in 2001. She later completed her Master of Arts in Teaching with a Math Concentration from Saginaw Valley State University. Since joining Meridian Public Schools in 2004, Mindy has dedicated herself to helping students not only understand mathematics but also gain confidence and resilience in their learning.
Her impact as an educator is best reflected through the words of her student and nominator, Layne Gensel:
“Mrs. Harry really helped me understand math better and work even harder in it. She always had her lunches open to help students. She may have come off as tough and held us to a high standard, but she did so much for us. I now am able to understand math much better. She always pushed me to improve and never give up and overall I learned so much in her class.”
The Mustang Hoofprint Award is a tribute to educators, support staff, directors, administrators, and volunteers who embody the essence of what it means to be a Mustang. They demonstrate courage in facing challenges, resilience in overcoming obstacles, and tenacity in striving for greatness. By fostering curiosity and modeling lifelong learning, recipients like Mindy exemplify the mission of Meridian Public Schools—to educate and support every student to succeed in their career and life by nurturing curiosity and a love of learning.
Just as a hoofprint marks the ground with strength and determination, Mindy Harry has left her mark on Meridian Public Schools through her compassion, dedication, and excellence in teaching. Her work continues to inspire students and colleagues alike to push boundaries, embrace growth, and thrive in an ever-changing world.
Congratulations, Mindy, on this well-deserved honor—and thank you for leaving an indelible hoofprint on the heart of our Mustang community. |
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December Hoofprint Awards |
Meridian Public Schools is proud to announce Brianna Crandall as one of the December recipients of the Mustang Hoofprint Award—a recognition that stands as a powerful symbol of empowerment, resilience, and fearless leadership.
The Hoofprint Award celebrates individuals who leave an enduring impact on our school and community. Inspired by Meridian’s vision—Mustangs are empowered to be resilient and fearless learners, in order to THRIVE in an ever-changing world—this honor is reserved for those who boldly pave the way for others, leaving behind a lasting trail of inspiration and excellence.
Since joining Meridian Public Schools in 2024, Brianna has dedicated herself to helping students get to school safely each day, in a professional and caring way. This point makes it clear why she is the recipient of the Hoofprint award.
Her impact as an educator is best reflected through the words of her nominators, Superintendent Sarah Glann and the Meridian Board of Education:
“On November 13th, while transporting students to school, a cement truck had to make a sudden lane change and veered into the lane of travel that the bus Briana was driving was in. She took upon her training that she has been provided to ensure that her students remained safe on the bus. She was able to avoid the accident, and get all students into the school parking lot without issue. This is a true testament of someone who has left a lasting impact on our school community. This could have been a much different outcome should something else have happened. We applaud Brianna for her attitude that day, and are proud to have her on the Mustang team!”
The Mustang Hoofprint Award is a tribute to educators, support staff, directors, administrators, and volunteers who embody the essence of what it means to be a Mustang. They demonstrate courage in facing challenges, resilience in overcoming obstacles, and tenacity in striving for greatness. By fostering curiosity and modeling lifelong learning, recipients like Brianna exemplify the mission of Meridian Public Schools—to educate and support every student to succeed in their career and life by nurturing curiosity and a love of learning.
Just as a hoofprint marks the ground with strength and determination, Brianna Crandall has left her mark on Meridian Public Schools through her compassion, dedication, and excellence in her job. Her work continues to inspire students and colleagues alike to push boundaries, embrace growth, and thrive in an ever-changing world.
Congratulations, Brianna, on this well-deserved honor—and thank you for leaving an indelible hoofprint on the heart of our Mustang community.
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Meridian Public Schools is proud to announce Amy Boxey as one of the December recipients of the Mustang Hoofprint Award—a recognition that stands as a powerful symbol of empowerment, resilience, and fearless leadership.
The Hoofprint Award celebrates individuals who leave an enduring impact on our school and community. Inspired by Meridian’s vision—Mustangs are empowered to be resilient and fearless learners, in order to THRIVE in an ever-changing world—this honor is reserved for those who boldly pave the way for others, leaving behind a lasting trail of inspiration and excellence.
A proud Meridian High School graduate from the Class of 1989, Amy went on to earn her Bachelor of Science in Biology from Michigan State University in 1992. Since joining Meridian Public Schools in 1994, Amy has dedicated herself to helping students not only understand the world of science but also gain skills through countless laboratory opportunities and extracurricular opportunities. Amy moved from her role as a science teacher at MECHS in 2013 to the Dean of Student Transitions role where she helped students with their post-secondary and dual-enrollment opportunities through our various off campus opportunities that Meridian offers. In 2025, Amy moved to her new role, Coordinator of Student Success and Career Programs.
Her impact as an educator is best reflected through the words of her colleague nominator, Jennifer Nosakowski:
“Amy Boxey has been an educator, advisor, mentor and community member of Meridian Public Schools for over 30 years. She has dedicated herself to supporting students through high school and into their post-secondary goals. She is a trusted mentor to students and staff alike. Her dedication to the Mustang Community is unmatched.”
The Mustang Hoofprint Award is a tribute to educators, support staff, directors, administrators, and volunteers who embody the essence of what it means to be a Mustang. They demonstrate courage in facing challenges, resilience in overcoming obstacles, and tenacity in striving for greatness. By fostering curiosity and modeling lifelong learning, recipients like Amy exemplify the mission of Meridian Public Schools—to educate and support every student to succeed in their career and life by nurturing curiosity and a love of learning.
Just as a hoofprint marks the ground with strength and determination, Amy Boxey has left her mark on Meridian Public Schools through her compassion, dedication, and excellence in teaching. Her work continues to inspire students and colleagues alike to push boundaries, embrace growth, and thrive in an ever-changing world.
Congratulations, Amy, on this well-deserved honor—and thank you for leaving an indelible hoofprint on the heart of our Mustang community.
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Friendly Reminders for On Campus Driving |
To help ease congestion and ensure a smooth start to the day, doors at Meridian Junior High School and Meridian Elementary open at 7:30 AM. We encourage families to take advantage of this earlier access to help reduce traffic backups.
General Safe Driving Reminders
Stay focused: Avoid distractions like cell phone use while driving on campus. Follow traffic flow: Be patient, courteous, and aware of pedestrians at all times. Use crosswalks: Always yield to crossing students and staff.
Meridian Elementary Drop-Off Guidelines (Curb Lane)
To keep traffic moving efficiently and students safe:
Pull forward as far as possible before stopping. Each vehicle behind should do the same. Unload anywhere along the sidewalk once traffic has stopped — our goal is for 8–10 vehicles to unload simultaneously. Be ready: Have backpacks on, hugs given, and goodbyes shared before you reach the sidewalk zone to help keep things flowing.
Important:
If you need to get out of your vehicle to assist your child for any reason — unbuckling a seatbelt, helping with a backpack, walking them to the door — you must park in the designated spaces in the high school parking lot. Then, safely walk your child across to the sidewalk at the end of the elementary building. Do not exit your vehicle in the drop-off lane. This creates delays and safety hazards for others.
Your commitment to these practices plays a vital role in maintaining a safe, welcoming environment for all. Thank you for doing your part to help every Mustang start and end their day safely.
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Meridian Junior High School
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Athletic Sports Passes for the 2025–2026 school year are now on sale in the High School Office!
Passes are available for families ($180), individuals ($70), and seniors age 60+ ($10), and they cover admission to regular season junior high and high school athletic events (excluding tournaments). Payment can be made by cash, check, or credit/debit card—pay online https://payments.efundsforschools.com/v3/districts/55802.
Game-day admission is $6 for high school events and $4 for junior high. Pre-K is free, and MECHS students (grades 9–12) receive free admission with student ID again this year!
📅 Check out the full sports schedule at this link. For questions, call 989-687-3302 or email bridget.vandongen@merps.org or mitchell.bohn@merps.org.
Quick Highlights:
🏠 Family Pass: $180 (covers immediate household) 👤 Individual Pass: $70 (non-transferable) 👵 Senior Pass: $10 (age 60+) 🎟 Gate Admission: $6 HS / $4 JH / Free for Pre-K 🎓 Free for MECHS students (grades 9–12) with ID
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Looking to build strength, speed, and confidence? Join Coach Swieton for Speed and Strength conditioning! Offered as an elective at the high school and also available after school, this program is open to all MJHS and MECHS students. Athletes gain endurance, power, and healthy habits that support success in sports and beyond. Whether you’re on a team or just want to get stronger, this is a great opportunity to challenge yourself and reach new goals.
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Enrollment Opportunities
Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP)
A few openings remain for this free preschool program. Children who turn four by December 1, 2025 are eligible to attend Monday–Thursday, 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. The program includes breakfast, lunch, and snack each day, transportation within Meridian district lines, and all field trip costs. GSRP runs through mid-May 2026.
👉 Apply at www.preschoolpartnership.org or call Julie Sheets at (989) 687-3460.
Tuition-Based Three-Year-Old Preschool
We also have limited spots available in our three-year-old program. Children who turn three by December 1, 2025 may attend Monday–Thursday, 9:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. Tuition is $625 per month (for eight months) and includes breakfast, lunch, and engaging learning experiences designed to spark curiosity and joy. The program runs through early May 2026.
👉 Apply at www.preschoolpartnership.org or call Julie Sheets at (989) 687-3460.
A Strong Start Begins Here: 2026/27 FREE 3 year old and 4 year old PRESCHOOL enrollment now OPEN!
Our Meridian Head Start (3-year-old) and GSRP (4-year-old) programs are officially accepting interest forms for the 2026/27 school year! Did you know your child may qualify for high-quality, no-cost early childhood education through NEMCSA Head Start? Our programs go beyond the classroom to support the whole family, focusing on school readiness, social-emotional growth, nutrition, and developmental screenings. Enrollment is ongoing, and because we prioritize accessibility, families may qualify even if they are over the standard income guidelines. 👉 Apply at www.preschoolpartnership.org or call Julie Sheets at (989) 687-3460.
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