Mulch Sale Ending Soon, Deadline is March 1

The Mustang Athletic Boosters Association’s Mulch Sale is underway! Three cubic foot bags of double-shredded hardwood mulch mulch are priced at $6 each. All orders of 20+ bags will receive free home delivery on March 16 (within Falls Church City limits). Orders under 20 bags, or from outside FCC limits, can be picked up at Meridian High School on March 16. All proceeds fund the Mustang Athletic Booster’s mission to assist and support the athletes and athletic programs at Meridian High School. Order deadline is March 1 and all orders can be placed at Mustangfanshop.com.

STEAM Night was Out of This World

Last week, OSE STEAM teacher Tosin Adetoro and her team of 5th grade ambassadors hosted another stellar STEAM Night. Hundreds were in attendance and got the chance to experience several “out of this world” activities!

The 5th Grade STEAM Ambassadors led different stations such as a makey-makey circuit version of the game Simon, building pinhole cameras and straw rockets, making constellation creations and black hole models, virtual reality, drone flying, 3D printing, and more! Some of the PYP expertise demonstrated by the 5th graders included, but was not limited to, explaining electricity and how circuits work, the science concept of atmospheric pressure, projectile motion and forces, parts of a black hole, and how a pinhole camera works.

The Meridian Robotics team was on hand, letting visitors steer their bot and direct it to shoot a ball into a goal. Community partners such as Baroody Camps, Creative Cauldron, NOVA SySTEMic, Invent Virginia, and the Northern Virginia Astronomy Club were also there to introduce the students to many additional activities such as stargazing (and spotting Jupiter!) coding with Osmo, exciting foil boat challenges, and ways to create and showcase their own inventions! Thank you to all that came out, PTA and parent volunteers, FCEF grant support, custodial and facilities support, teacher volunteers, and administrators.

Meridian Mustang E-Sports Expanded to 3 Teams

Meridian’s E-Sports team expanded and is back for the spring 2024 season! Three teams, the Prime (V), Composite Meridians (JV), and the Mustangs (JV), were formed to competitively play Super Smash Brothers Ultimate for the Nintendo Switch with over 150 schools participating. On Wednesday, February 14th, the teams played their first match for the season. The Composite Merdians and The Mustangs had a close match to win, and The Prime Meridians scored their first win against Fluvanna Country High School.

The Prime Meridians (V) vs. Fluvanna County High School
- Score: 3-2
- Rank 49
The Mustangs (JV) vs. John Champe High School
- Score: 2-3
- Rank 74
The Composite Meridians (JV) vs. Mount Vernon High School
- Score: 0-3
- Rank 113

Meridian High’s Library Transforms Into Creative Oasis with New Makerspace Crafts Program

Thanks to funding from the Meridian PTSA and the FCEF, the library Makerspace now has many craft supplies. These include Perler beads, origami, knitting and crochet, embroidery, jewelry-making supplies, puzzles, rainbow loom, diamond art, and more! Students are welcome to use the supplies on Wednesdays during Mustang Block or other times by request. There will also be seasonal craft options as appropriate, such as Valentine’s origami bookmarks during February.

Campbell and Ziayee Lead Winter Track Team at Regional Championship

After a postponement due to the snowstorm, the Mustangs finally took on Region 3B on Monday at the Woodbury Forest School. Overall, the girl’s Team finished 9th Place with 12pts, while the boy’s Team finished 10th Place with 18, and both beat out district rival Warren County. They came away with five top 8 finishers and two all-region finishers! Congratulations to Joseph Ziayee, Region Champ in the 1000m, and Ally Campbell, Region Runner-up in the 300m. Both will compete at the 3A States at Liberty University on Tuesday, February 27th.

All-Region Finishers:

Ally Campbell- 300m (2nd Place)
Joseph Ziayee- 1000m (1st Place)
Girl’s 4x200m (7th place)
Kaitlyn Henrikson- LJ (6th place)
Mateo Ratheau- 300m (8th place) & TJ (6th place)
Boy’s 4x800m (5th place)

Meridian Varsity Cheer Team Showcases Talent at National Championship in Orlando

Meridian’s varsity fall cheerleading team competed at the UCA Universal Cheerleaders Association National High School Cheerleading Championship in Orlando, Florida. They qualified for Nationals back in the Fall, and while their outstanding performance highlighted their incredible talent, it was the end of their run at this year’s qualifying event.

PTAs Show Appreciation to Transportation Staff

Representing all fives schools, the Elementary, Middle and High school PTAs delivered breakfast to the transportation staff this week. These drivers are responsible for safely transporting all students to school and back home daily. They are an integral part of the FCCPS team.

Mustang Wrestlers Excel at Regionals, Secure Spots in State Tournament with Podium Finishes

The Mustang Wrestling Team had a strong showing at the regional competitions, with Anthony Guiracocha, William Fitzgerald, Jack Mossburg, William Hahn, Jeremy McInerney, Grayson Kusic, Welby Smith, Ben Behr, Jack Freas, and Michael Williams all competing in their respective weight classes. Several wrestlers made it deep into the competition, and a few made podium appearances. Earning a spot in the State Wrestling Tournament, Jack Mossburg placed 3rd (126-pound weight class), and Jeremey McInerney placed 4th (138-pound weight class) in the region. Two other wrestlers placed in Regionals: Grayson Kusic placed 5th (144-pound weight class) and traveled to the State Wrestling Tournament as an alternate, and William Hahn placed 6th (132-pound weight class). Mossburg and McInerney had a strong showing in the tough state competitions last Friday.

One final tournament will conclude the wrestling season — the Girls Wrestling State Championship, which is this Friday and Saturday at Garfield High School — where they will compete for a position on the State Championship podium.

Meridian Mustang Mysteries Club Dazzles with Annual Show, Raises $1000 for Innocence Project

The Mustang Mysteries club, led by Riley Chirico and Olivia Pierre, skillfully executed Meridian’s annual murder mystery show last week. Over 120 guests eagerly worked to solve the murder of Kelly Moore at Camp Crater. They reviewed the evidence and interviewed suspects, which club members spent months carefully developing. In the end, many audience members selected the wrong suspect, highlighting the importance of the Innocence Project — an organization working to free those wrongfully convicted. The event raised over $1000 to benefit the organization.

MD Second Graders Explore The History of Indigenous People

Second grade Standards of Learning include using history and social science skills to identify the geographic location, use of resources, and contributions of Indigenous peoples past and present, including Indigenous nations and tribes of the Eastern Woodlands, the Plains, and the Southwest. Mount Daniels Elementary School second graders were given artifacts from a region (as a provocation before they learned about each region), and the students guessed which region it was based on the artifacts. Then, they predicted how the Indigenous people in that region lived (what they ate, what their occupations could be, what their transportation would be, what type of land/climate, and what kind of home they lived in, etc.). This led to a conversation and research (read for information) to learn more and see if they predicted correctly.

More Meridian H.S. Scholarships Available

Meridian High School has over $50,000 in scholarships for our graduating seniors. The scholarships cater to various interests and aspirations, including specific ones for future careers or majors such as engineering, music, or math. Additionally, there are opportunities for students who excelled in sports, vocal performance, or community service during their time at Meridian. Whether your student comes from an immigrant family, is considering community college, or is pursuing a non-traditional career path, there are scholarship options tailored to their unique circumstances.

Explore the list here to learn about the diverse range of scholarships awaiting our students.

Let Me Run is back at Oak Street Elementary for Spring 2024!

Let Me Run is a nonprofit wellness program that inspires boys to be themselves, be active, and belong. With a comprehensive curriculum that applies the power of running, the program encourages boys to develop their psychological, emotional, and social health and physical health. Two trained volunteer coaches lead the elementary team through practice twice a week for seven weeks. Designed to amplify confidence, self-expression, and respect for others, each practice includes a lesson from the Let Me Run curriculum incorporating running, games, and activities. Each fall and spring season culminates in a 5k race festival celebrating the boys’ personal growth.

Registration at Oak Street Elementary is now open for grades 3, 4, and 5. Spring season starts on March 13, meets Wednesday and Friday mornings from 7:15 a.m. – 8:30 a.m., and ends with a 5k race on May 11. Visit to learn more and register.

Questions? Email James Thompson at jamescthompsonjr@gmail.com and David Newton at David.newton.sr@gmail.com.

OSE Counselors Hosting a Book Club for Parents

Parent Book Club: The book read by Lisa Damour for the winter parent book club is “The Emotional Lives of Teenagers: Raising Connected, Capable, and Compassionate Adolescents.” The group will meet to discuss the book on Monday, March 18, from 7:00 p.m. — 8:00 p.m. at Oak Street Elementary School. There is an option to participate in person or virtually. RSVP here.

11th Grade College Information Night, Thursday, March 7

The Meridian High School student services team would like to invite Juniors and their families to attend our annual Junior College Information Night, March 7at 7:00 p.m. in the Meridian auditorium. The evening will cover how to build a balanced college list, the contents of a college application, tasks to complete to apply, and more. A streamed option will be available to families not able to attend in person but would prefer to watch the “live” event. If families cannot participate in the in-person presentation, it will be recorded and posted to the Meridian High School webpage.