Meridian Sophomores Showcase Passions and Skills in MYP Personal Project Event
Last week, Meridian sophomores held their MYP Personal Project Showcase. Each student pursued their passion with a purpose by working toward a learning goal and researching their topic of interest. Examples of topics include fashion design, various baking and cooking skills and techniques, service to the community, designing a drum stool, origami and various art forms and writing styles, as well as gaming and sustainability connections. Students participated in the self-directed inquiry by planning, taking action, and reflecting on the process.
Meridian Unveils Modernized Weight Room, Expanding Education and Fitness Opportunities
Last Monday afternoon brought the Grand Reopening of the Mustang Weight Room at Meridian High School. A Centers of Excellence grant from the Falls Church Education Foundation, with supporting funding from the Mustang Athletic Boosters Association and the Athletics Department at Meridian High School, helped bring about a thorough reimagining and re-outfitting of the weight room, which dramatically expanded possibilities for education and exercise.
The project had its roots in an FCEF SuperGrant application submitted by MHS Physical Education Team Lead Courtney Gibbons, MHS Head Football Coach and MEHMS PE instructor PJ Anderson, and MHS Athletic Trainer and Director of Sports Medicine Vicki Galliher. Working together, they developed plans for a new setup with equipment to support extensive programming in the Weight Room, including:
- expanded offerings in weight lifting and resistance training for 9th and 10th grade PE classes as well as Champ Training Classes
- better layout and equipment for adaptive PE class use
- dedicated space for athletic training activities and injury recovery and rehabilitation
- expanded learning opportunities for Sports Medicine students with broader access to areas for rehab protocols
- enhanced equipment and weight offerings for use in training by athletes from Meridian’s 29 sports teams (with over 60% of students grades 8-12 participating in HS athletic teams)
- improved options for secondary campus staff to access the MHS Weight Room for workouts
Weight Room orientation sessions are underway, allowing students and staff to learn more about the proper usage of the new equipment. MHS PE classes will soon be able to work out in the upgraded facility. A new scheduling system allows athletic teams to reserve the area for workouts, and plans are underway to provide supervised afterschool workout opportunities for students who complete required training.
Speakers from the Falls Church Education Foundation and Mustang Athletic Boosters emphasized the excitement of both organizations about collaborating and supporting a wellness initiative with such a broad reach across the secondary campus. Students looked forward to improved possibilities for challenging workouts and expanded hands-on learning in the Sports Medicine program.
Boys Lacrosse Wins Season Opener
Meridian’s Boys Lacrosse teams opened their season on the road on Tuesday afternoon. Varsity won 14-5 versus Seton. An even first quarter led to a 1-1 tie, but the Mustangs opened up the margin by tallying the last five goals of the half to lead 7-2 at the break. Seniors Carter Williams, Dean Zike, and sophomore Jack Moore led the Mustangs in scoring.
Junior tandem Grady Jinks (long-stick midfielder) and Domanic Zacharias-Martin (goalie) anchored the defense.
FCCPS Readout From School Board Meeting
FCCPS provided the following readout of last week’s school board meeting:
“In last night’s Regular Monthly meeting, the Falls Church School Board unanimously approved its “Advertised Budget” for the fiscal year 2025. It includes reductions in health expenditures and the addition of an Elementary Reading Specialist. The budget also maintains its commitment to competitive compensation for FCCPS staff, with a proposed Step increase for all eligible employees and a 3.5 percent Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA), translating to an average pay increase of 6 percent. The budget is now submitted to the City Manager for inclusion in the General Government’s Proposed Budget to be presented to the City Council in April.
“The School Board also approved two landmark Collective Bargaining Agreements with the Falls Church City Education Association (FCCEA), representing both certified and non-certified Falls Church City Public Schools (FCCPS) employees. The agreements encompass a range of topics, including salaries, benefits, and some working conditions, ensuring that our employees are supported and providing for the continuation of PEAC and SEAC and the creation of a labor-management committee.”
Mt Daniel 2nd Graders Explore PYP Unit of Inquiry: How We Express Ourselves At Portrait Gallery
In the second grade “How We Express Ourselves” PYP Unit of Inquiry, the central idea is sharing our thoughts, values, and beliefs can lead to change. Students have been learning about change-makers, including Martin Luther King, Jr., Abraham Lincoln, Rosa Parks, and George Washington Carver. In the National Portrait Gallery are portraits of several of these individuals. On this field trip, students searched for and analyzed clues in portraits to learn more about some historically significant Americans.
Meridian Highlights IB Diploma Candidate’s TOK and CAS
New to Monday’s 2024 Meridian IB Showcase was the inclusion of the Theory of Knowledge (TOK) Exhibition for IB Diploma Juniors and a celebration of the Creativity, Activity, and Service (CAS) Projects for our IB Diploma Seniors. These elements are two parts of how IB Diploma candidates meet the requirements of the IB Diploma Core.
The TOK course provides students an opportunity to reflect on the nature, scope, and limitations of knowledge and the process of knowing. As part of the course, students complete the Exhibition, which focuses on exploring how this is manifested in the world around us. Students must select one prompt from the list of 35 and then curate an exhibition of three objects connected to their chosen prompt.
Additionally, during the showcase, we celebrated the work of our Senior IB Diploma candidates in meeting the CAS Project requirements. A video featuring a handful of students was aired during the event, explaining how they navigated the stages of the CAS project from start to end. Watch video here.
Music In Our Schools Month – OSE
In Music class at Oak Street, Ms. Reid emphasizes IB Learner Profile Traits with the students. For example:
- Communicator – they listen to others respectfully, and they share their ideas.
- Thinker – they combine pitch and rhythm to create music that they will be able to play on their recorders.
- Reflective – they are curious about music and acknowledge ways to improve.
Third graders are working on writing the national anthems for their Geo Island. After composing the notes, they each had a turn at playing their song on a xylophone for a partner.
Oak Street Elementary Shines in National WordMasters Challenge, Achieving High Honors
Several teams representing Oak Street Elementary School achieved the Highest Honors in the recent WordMasters Challenge™—a national vocabulary competition involving nearly 125,000 students annually. The third-grade team scored an impressive 165 points out of a possible 200 in the second of three meets this year, placing fourth in the nation. In addition, the fourth-grade team scored 180 points, finishing fifth nationwide, and the fifth-grade team captured ninth place with 176 points.
Competing in the tough Gold Division of the WordMasters Challenge™, fourth grader Bram Lindsay earned a perfect score of 20 on the challenge. Nationally, only 20 fourth graders achieved this result. Other Oak Street Elementary School students who achieved outstanding results in the meet include third grader Audrey Eppel, fourth graders Kylie Fine, Nikhil Kapadia, and Kabir Sharma, and fifth graders Sebastian Savitz and Greer Storm.
JTP Prepares for St. Patrick’s Day
Sneaky leprechauns searching for a treasure made a mess at JTP this week! One student exclaimed: “that is so very bad!” Luckily, JTP students know what to do with a mess, so they diligently swept it up! In Ms. Keara’s class, students painted shamrocks with marbles. “Marble painting for preschoolers is a creative art activity that uses marbles, paint, and a container to make unique designs on paper. It encourages artistic expression, enhances fine motor skills, and allows young children to explore colors and textures.” Green is the color of the day!
MHS US Government Toured Capitol
At the conclusion of their legislative branch unit, Ms. Glees, Ms. Hill, and Mr. Carrico’s US Government classes toured the US Capitol. Students had the opportunity to meet with Representative Don Beyer, who represents Falls Church in the House of Representatives.
Girls Varsity Tennis Begins Spring Season
The Meridian Girls Tennis Team got off to a great start this season with two solid team wins in their scrimmage matches. On Tuesday, they battled a very, very good team from Independence High School and lost 2-7. Freshman Misato Kasumi won her singles match, and doubles team Ellie Bruce (junior) and Misato Kasumi won their match.
Doubles partners Charlotte Rice and Joyce Tadesse Kassa (juniors) had a very close match that ended in a tie-breaker. After a very hard fight, they lost.
Girls Varsity Soccer Begins Spring Season
The Mustangs Girls Soccer team traveled to Class 6 Annandale HS for their season opener Tuesday night. Senior Mia Rodriguez opened the scoring with a rocket from 35 yards out, and Sophomore Emma Flanagan added a second goal from outside the 18. Despite controlling possession and applying constant pressure to secure a third goal, the Mustangs fell 3-2.
Henderson PTA to Hold Parent Social April 6
The Henderson PTA will hold a parent social on Saturday, April 6, from 7:00 p.m. — 9:00 p.m. in the Game Room at Modera Founders Row (110 Founders Ave., Falls Church). Food, fun, and friendly competition included with $65 tickets (price will increase after March 22), available at tinyurl.com/FCNP0324hp.
FCEPTA International Night: Food, Music, & Entertainment
International Night this year was a massive success, with hundreds of visitors. The evening featured 30 interactive educational tables, 30 phenomenal dishes from around the world donated by Fall Church families and restaurants, musical performances from elementary and middle school students, and guest performers from Fairfax Chinese Dance Troupe and U.S. Wushu Academy.
Music In Our Schools Month – OSE Band
At Oak Street Elementary School, students in 4th and 5th grades may join the band program, with practice held in the mornings. 5th grade students are working on music for the upcoming concert, themed “The Animal Kingdom,” with pieces that represent nearly all classifications of animals, including bugs, mammals, amphibians, and reptiles. 4th-grade students are working on music from Simple Gifts and Star Wars.
The OSE band concert will be on Thursday, May 30, at 7:00 p.m. in the Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School gymnasium (7130 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church).
MHS Shines at Regional KidWind Challenge, Qualify for States
Last week, the team from Meridian High School traveled to Shenandoah University to compete in the regional KidWind Challenge under the guidance of CTE teachers Kenny George and Will Snyder. This challenge is open to students in grades 5-12 and encourages students to use wind and solar energies creatively and innovatively.
This year’s team includes Delaney Flanagan, Lucy Hladky, Paige Kessman, Clementine Kim, Cameron Dunn, Samuel Fried, Zubin Basil, Kaitlyn Henrikson, Henry Nguyen, and Emily Borum. They performed exceptionally well and earned first-place recognition, easily qualifying for the state level of this competition next month.
Big Win in Girls Varsity Soccer Home Opener
The Mustangs Girls Soccer team hosted Seton HS for their home opener Friday night. Senior Rosa Sims opened the scoring early in the first half on an assist from Junior Lucy Hladky, with Sophomore Emma Flanagan adding a second goal one minute later on an assist from Junior Gia Khan. Flanagan secured a brace for the Mustangs’ third goal, Freshman Violet Zullo added a fourth goal, and Senior Mia Rodriguez completed the scoring to go up 5-0 with a goal from outside the 18. The defense secured the season’s first clean sheet to complete the win.
Mustang Girls Lacrosse Season Openers: Dominant Wins Over Lightridge, Independence
The Meridian Girls Lacrosse team started their season this past week with two decisive victories, beating Lightridge (16-9) and Independence (18-10). The Mustangs never trailed in either game, as the offense was powered by multiple goals by Caroline Carmody, Tilly Gale, Ally Campbell, Lila Deering, Zoe Gale, and Hannah Rosenbusch.