Meridian Middle School

The staff and teachers at Meridan are excellent. My daughter currently goes there and is doing very well. The teachers we have met are patient with the students and are more than happy to assist them when they are struggling or have a question. They also have a no bullying policy and say no to drugs program that they teach in health/PE and teach them how to handle difficult situations which we really appreciate. They teach the students to respect each other. We are very impressed at their dedictation to the student's education and well-being.
—Submitted by a parent

I am a student at Meridian and I looooove it. The school has an awesome band and science program. Actually. All of their programs are excellent. All of the teachers push you to do the best you can. But the teachers are also very fair. the extra-curricular activities are great.

the discpline at this school is really strict i go here.
—Submitted by a student

My daughter has attended Meridian September through November of 2009 and so far, these have been the worst months of her life. There is very little done to accommodate even the most basic of requests and she feels a lack of success no matter how hard she tries. We have tried meeting with the principal and teachers, but things just go from bad to worst. Unfortunately, the school district will not allow mid-year school changes, so I believe home school is the only way to help my child regain her self esteem.
—Submitted by a parent

I am unable to comment on the parental involvment but have seen the availability in music, art and other extracurricular activities. The kids show a great deal of respect and enthusasiem in the before and after school programs. I have seen first hand how much the teachers care and work with students to the best of their ability and leave no student behind. They always manage to get every child involed who want to be involved. My son has shown great strides in his acedemic and social skills because of his involvment in the before school program 'Jazz Band' and his involvment in the drama club. Keep up the good work!
—Submitted by a parent

Can't say enough about the quality of the teaching staff at Meridian Junior High.
—Submitted by a parent

I am not a parent, but a former student of Meridian. I believe, whole heartedly, that Meridian was one of the best experiences of my life so far, and leaving Meridian to go on to Kentwood, was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. The clubs and sports programs are wonderful, and I speak from experience (being that I was in the ASB and part of various sports teams throughout my Meridian days). The teachers at Meridian are wonderful as well. They really focus on you achieving your learning goals and believe in you, even if you dont believe in yourself. And I'd like to take this time out to personally thank Mrs. Kever for helping me achieve some of my goals at Meridian. If I were to rate Meridian, I would give it a 10 out of 10.
—Submitted by Emma Bussell, a former student

First off, I'd like to begin this review by telling everyone that I'm not a parent, but a Meridian student. And I'd just like to make a comment that this school is a wonderful place. I've currently been here for one full week now, and surprisingly, I actually enjoy school now. This is the best school I've ever attended so far. The teachers here are wonderful, and they really seem to care about students' thoughts and their achievements. And, as much as I love all of my teachers, I have something special to say to one of them; Ms. Winn. Ms. Winn, I realy don't know what to tell you. You are an awesome choir teacher, and you really enhance our learning by making funny comments about reading music (you know what I'm talking about! Hehe. And, as funny as your remarks seem, they really do help. Meridian rules.
—Submitted by Sophia Sophia, a student

Meridian Is the best school my child has ever gone to. She continues to maintain good grades with the help of the teachers. It is an environment I feel safe letting my child be in and also that my child is comfortable in. I have never had any problems with this school and know that my child attends a school where nothing but the best takes place. I am greatly impressed with the staff, mentioning Mr. Daugherty, Mrs. Mehl, and Ms. Winn. If your child will ever attend this school, you can expect the best.
—Submitted by a parent

Principal and staff seem out of touch with individual student needs; focus in this school is totally on meeting district administrative requirements. Principal talks a good talk, but has poor follow-through. Although the test scores appear high, the general demeanor I have observed by the students is one of frustration. Please note that we have a child who is a 'middle of the road' scholar, who also has a 504 plan due to medical conditions. Very little effort is made by staff to accommodate special needs, unless parent is strong advocate for the child. When approached, counselor is typically argumentative and states that all policies are made by administration and that making simple changes (such as asking for a teacher change or asking for a seating change in class) must be requested through principal. This is a great school for self-motivated, top of the line kids (and we've had both in this school). It's a tough place for the average or below average student to succeed.
—Submitted by a parent