Nurse Joellen is challenging our MJHS students to stay properly hydrated! Drinking plenty of water is a key aspect of staying healthy.
Students can track their water intake and be entered to win a prize!
“Illinois Principal Appreciation Week”
🗓️ October 19–25, 2025
⭐ Illinois Principal Appreciation Day – October 24
Join us in celebrating our building leaders for their dedication, vision, and commitment to our students and staff. Thank you for your leadership, which inspires excellence across Meridian CUSD #223 every day!
This morning, our Meridian Transportation team led school bus evacuation drills with students across the district to reinforce safe and efficient procedures in the event of an emergency.
A huge thank you to our students for their cooperation and our dedicated transportation team for their diligence, professionalism, and commitment to keeping our Cardinals safe every day—both on and off the bus! ❤️🖤
Mrs. Salo's 7th grade history students took their learning to the next level this week with a fun and fast-paced activity called THE BAG GAME! This creative twist on a worksheet turned review time into an interactive challenge full of teamwork, movement, and strategy.
Students worked in groups to pull question strips from numbered bags across the room, raced to collaborate on their answers, and took turns writing responses on their whiteboard tables. With time ticking and points on the line, the energy (and friendly competition!) filled the classroom.
This simple but effective strategy boosted engagement and made reviewing historical concepts both meaningful and memorable! This is proof that learning can be active, collaborative, and fun!
Here is this week's transportation bus safety tip!
Link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BrCnGj0BhxW3pEq4KB9jelCFltSy_Rnm/view?usp=drive_link
🎉 Fundraiser Alert! 🎉
MJHS PE has kicked off a fundraiser to replace our old and broken equipment! Students who are participating have uploaded contact info (all confidential and never shared) and can continue to add more as the fundraiser goes on.
We’d love your help! 🙌
You can support by donating or simply sharing the fundraiser link. Every bit helps us give our students the best PE experience possible. Quality equipment—like nets, volleyballs, basketballs, and rackets—makes a huge difference in class.
💬 Have questions? Reach out to Mr. McDevitt or Mr. Zambrovitz, or talk to your student!
Thank you for reading, sharing, and supporting our MJHS PE program! ❤️
👉 Donate or Share Here
A total of 5,943 correct grade level questions were answered by students from Monday-Wednesday.
1st Hour was the overall winner and rewarded with a donut party on Friday. The top two winners from each class were also rewarded.
Special shout out to Autumn G with the highest overall correct questions answered of 657!
Here is this week's bus safety tip!
Link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/14Jpx2gCHQvwSQG62DUmfyzxHKj57m2fg/view?usp=drive_link
Highland Elementary School is preparing to host their annual Scholastic Book Fair! This is a perfect time to start or grow your family's home library.
For more details and to create your eWallet, visit our school's Book Fair homepage: https://www.scholastic.com/bf/highlandelementaryschool3
Join us for the next Parent & Family University Workshop: Attendance Matters!
📅 Wednesday, September 18
🕖 7:00–8:00 PM (Virtual via Zoom)
Why it matters:
✅ Consistent school attendance helps children succeed academically, socially, and emotionally.
✅ Families will learn simple, practical tips to:
Build healthy morning routines
Reduce stress at home
Overcome barriers to daily attendance
Support their child’s school readiness
📌 Register today: https://forms.fillout.com/t/5sMCD8nDv9us
(Or scan the QR code on the flyer below!)
Your support in spreading the word makes a difference in helping families access valuable resources and strengthen their child’s success in school.
This week, our Student Council hosted a school-wide Rock, Paper, Scissors tournament for students and staff. On Thursday, challengers faced off throughout the day, with the top 8 advancing to Friday morning’s finals.
👏 Congratulations to Kaitlyn A., our MJHS Rock, Paper, Scissors Champion!
A big thank you to our Student Council members and Mrs. Hoefle for organizing such a fun activity for our school community!
Contact information and important forms may be found here on the district webpage: https://www.meridian223.org/page/health-services
Our Transportation Department has been hard at work preparing for the upcoming school year by running routes and gathering necessary information. If you have registered your student and submitted a transportation request form, you should have received a call from your assigned bus driver.
If you have not received a call, please reach out to the Transportation Department at 815-645-2230 ext. 7011 or 7013, and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
Thank you for your patience and cooperation as we work to ensure a smooth start to the school year.
MJHS Fall Sports Are Starting Soon!
We’re excited to kick off the fall sports season at Meridian Junior High! Here are the important dates and details:
Volleyball
Open Gym (6th–8th Grade)
📅 Wednesday, August 6 – Friday, August 8
⏰ 7:00–8:30 AM
📍 MJHS Gym
8th Grade Practice
📅 Monday, August 11
⏰ 3:00–4:30 PM
📍 MJHS Gym
👥 Parent Meeting to follow at 4:30 PM in the main gym
6th & 7th Grade Practice
📅 Wednesday, August 13
⏰ 2:45–4:30 PM
📍 MJHS Gym
👥 Parent Meeting immediately after practice
Cross Country
First Practice
📅 Monday, August 18
⏰ 2:45–4:15 PM
🏐 Rooms are being created, and you should start to see communication from the coaches of each team. Practice locations and times will be discussed at the parent meetings.
📌 Reminder:
All athletes must be registered and have a current sports physical on file before participating in practices.
There will be no practice on Tuesday, August 12, due to the MJHS Open House.
If you have any questions, please reach out to the coaches or contact Mrs. Jepsen.
Let’s have a great season!
Go Cardinals! 🏃♂️🏐
