One more good thing about Meridian HS. It is very easy to participate in sports and activities. I know travel-level athletes who can't make their school teams in McLean or Arlington schools. Because Meridian is so small, generally speaking, it's easy to make teams and school plays, etc.

However, it does mean away games are far -- like Rappahannock county! We usually also play some out-of-conference games/matches against teams like Yorktown or George Marshall, but those can be somewhat lopsided sometimes depending on the sport.

Regarding the building (new) I think it has a very college-campus feel. There are a lot of open study spaces. I think it's beautiful, though my student does get tired of the stairs (which to me just means he needs to get more fit...)

Anonymous wrote:The non-traditional grading is awful and nearly impossible to understand. The teachers are not allowed to average quarter grades so the final grade seems to be highly subjective and not at all transparent. It’s very difficult for a student to estimate where the final grade is headed (and to adjust study habits accordingly if needed) when quarter grades vary and averaging them is prohibited. I would not have knowingly put my students in this situation but the grading system changed recently, many years after we moved to FCC.

This isn't actually true. I can see very clearly on my kids' third quarter report card what their grades would be if the year ended now.

There is a lot of controversy over the standards-based-grading. I personally think the upsides are: your kid knows which aspects they need to work on in a subject (ie my kid does great in most math categories but less well in the "communicating" category of math). They also take several "formative" quizzes/assignments which gives them a good sense of where they will likely land on the "summative" assessment which affects their grade. So you/they can see if they're doing poorly on the formatives - they're going to need some help to do well on the summative.

It requires an investment of time to understand how it works, but I actually believe it's better for the kids.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Welcome back! I've only got middle schoolers so can't give much detail but I do adore the Secondary Campus leader and think she's developed an incredible community where teachers feel heard and valued. Obviously, Meridian is a beautiful school.

Are you a teacher? I’m curious how you know they feel heard and valued?

Based on conversations I've had with multiple teacher friends. They wanted to organize and parents came out en masse to support them and SB passed it.

I’m a teacher there. You are referring to collective bargaining, which has become important to some teachers. Others are not really following this or it’s not a main focus of the year.

When I think of being supported and understood, I’m thinking of it in terms of my day to day job and understanding what goes on in classrooms with students. Many teachers share the frustration of SBG referenced by the above poster. I wish we could have control over how we assess students and that they would take into consideration our opinion on what is best for students. We have meetings and surveys but do always feel heard.

I'm the parent you quote. Thanks for clarifying and educating me, and thanks for all you do.