Principal Trotman Newsletter

Dear Meany Mountain Lion Families and Staff,

Thank you to all the families who joined us for our Back-to-School Curriculum Night! We enjoyed welcoming you into the building, connecting with our teachers, and sharing more about the learning experiences taking place in our classrooms. Your partnership and involvement make a difference, and we appreciate your continued support of our Mountain Lions.

We have exciting news to share about our students’ academic progress! Our Mountain Lions have completed their English Language Arts (ELA) MAP assessments, and we are excited to review their growth across both Mathematics and ELA. We are seeing encouraging signs of academic progress as we compare students’ Spring results with their initial Fall assessments. We look forward to building on this momentum throughout the year as our students strengthen their reading, writing, and mathematical skills. Thank you for encouraging your scholars to come to school ready to learn, challenge themselves, and do their best!

We extend a warm Mountain Lion welcome to Mr. Zachary Benvenga, who joins our Meany family this week! We are happy to have him with us and look forward to the contributions he will make to our school community.

Next week, we will celebrate Spirit Week! This is a fun opportunity for our Mountain Lions to show their creativity, school spirit, and sense of community.

Monday, October 26 – Dress Alike Day: Match outfits with one or more friends!

Tuesday, October 27 – Students Dress Like Teachers and Teachers Dress Like Students: Have fun switching roles and showing your school spirit!

Wednesday, October 28 – Anything But a Backpack Day: Carry your school supplies in a creative container other than a backpack. Remember that all items must be safe, manageable, and consistent with Seattle Public Schools rules.

Thursday, October 29 – Decade Day: Represent your favorite era, whether it is the 1960s, 1980s, 1990s, the Y2K era, or even a trip back to the age of dinosaurs! Students may also dress as famous historical figures. All outfits must be appropriate for school.

Friday, October 30 – Costume Day: Show off your creativity with a school-appropriate costume! Inflatables, weapons or weapon replicas, face masks that conceal identity, and distracting makeup, including gore or clown makeup, are not permitted.

As we celebrate Spirit Week, please remind your students that participation is always optional and that all outfits and activities must follow Seattle Public Schools expectations. We want everyone to have fun while being considerate of different cultures, backgrounds, beliefs, and comfort levels. Most importantly, let's continue to demonstrate our Meany ROAR in everything we do!

Thank you for your continued partnership and commitment to Meany Middle School. Together, we are creating a community where our Mountain Lions feel welcomed, supported, challenged, and celebrated. Have a wonderful weekend, and let's make it another great week at Meany!

Remember to ROAR!

R — Be Respectful
O — Take Ownership of your choices
A — Have the right Attitude
R — Be Ready and Responsible

With appreciation,
Chanda E. O. Trotman
Principal
Meany Middle School

My name is Mr. Benvenga. I was born and raised in Seattle. I went to Montlake, Meany and Nathan Hale. I come from a family of immigrants. My father’s people are from the Napoli region of Southern Italy and my mother’s people are from Vis a small island in the Adriatic sea off the Dalmatian coast of southern Croatia. I visit my family there every year.

I love nature, hikes, cooking and swimming. I also love fishing and growing food, just like my ancestors who were fisherman and farmers. We still grow many types of vegetables on Vis and we have a watermelon farm which is my favorite!

I love Seattle and I love working with the youth, it’s an honor for me to be able to work in the community that raised me. I used to walk home from Meany after missing the bus because I was playing sports or talking with friends after school in 97-99. I love movement, playing sports and love everything health and wellness from traditional medicinal herbs to meditation techniques to help you stay grounded and present.

Upcoming Dates

• October 20, 2026 - Curriculum Night - flyer attached
• October 26-30 - Spirit Week - details above and flyer attached
• November 10, 2026 - Picture Retake Day

Reminders and New Information

Picture Retake Day:

Photo Order Information:

Families can use this link 2026-27 Meany Middle School Pictures to view and order their student’s photos. To access your student’s photo gallery, enter their school ID number when prompted for the online code. Orders are now shipped directly to homes.

Picture Re-take info:

Picture retake day is November 10th. You can get retakes if you missed picture day or if you bought a picture package that you don’t like. There are no retakes just for new ID photos. If you would like a re-take appointment, please fill out the form outside of the main office.

Meany Out of School Time Clubs: Please visit our Meany Clubs Page on our website

• Stage Club will start on November 3rd - announcements and applications began Monday, 10/19

• Morning Arrival

To support a smooth and safe start to the school day:

• 8:35 a.m. – School doors open for students who need to eat breakfast.
• 8:50 a.m. – Hallway access opens for all students.
• Meals at No Cost

We are pleased to continue offering two nutritious meals daily—breakfast and lunch—at no cost to all Meany families. We encourage students to take advantage of this opportunity each day.

• Stay Connected with Meany

Please visit the Meany Middle School website frequently for updated information, calendars, announcements, and important resources:

• Communication - We have many ways to stay connected with families throughout the year:

• Chats with Chanda and Ask Your Administrator: Our administrative team will bring these opportunities back this year. More details about dates, formats, and frequency will be shared soon.
• S’More Newsletter: I will begin using this newsletter format for regular updates.
• School Messenger: Voice and email messages (also known as robocalls).
• Meany SPS Website
• Talking Points: Used for short principal messages.
• Teacher Communication: Through Schoology, email, and Talking Points.
• PTSA Newsletter

Please make sure your contact information is updated so you receive important school communication. Weekly newsletters and robocalls will be sent to the primary phone number and email addresses listed in our system.

If you are not receiving emails, please check that all household email addresses are updated.

• Attendance Matters

Attending school every day is one of the most important things students can do for their success. Punctuality and regular attendance are top priorities at Meany because every day of learning matters.

Please refer to the student handbook for more information about SPS attendance policies.

To report an absence, please call our Attendance Line:

206-413-2104

• Counseling Support

Our counseling staff is available for parent and guardian consultation. Please reach out to schedule an appointment with your student's grade-level counselor or to ask questions.

Mr. Au Yeung or Mr. Johnson
arauyeung@seattleschools.org, gajohnson1@seattleschools.org

You may also contact our Main Office at:

206-413-2100

Thank you for your continued partnership and trust. Together, we will help every Mountain Lion feel known, challenged, supported, and celebrated.

Let's have an amazing school year.

Meany Mountain Lions R.O.A.R!!!!

Be Responsible

Taken Ownership of Your Choices

Have the Appropriate Attitude

Be Ready and Responsible

Hello Families,

Please review the information below regarding practices, transportation, and what student-athletes will need for Fall Sports.

Practice Schedule

• Ultimate Frisbee: Mondays & Fridays
• Soccer: Mondays & Fridays
• Practice Time: 4–5:30 p.m.

Athletes should meet out on the field for practice. Students who need to change into their athletic clothes may use the bathrooms before heading out to the field.

Transportation After Practice

Please note that there are no buses available after practice. All athletes must have a plan for getting home. This can include being picked up by a parent/guardian or walking home with parent/guardian permission.

What Athletes Should Bring

Students should come prepared with appropriate clothing and equipment for their sport. For example, soccer players should have:

• Soccer/athletic shorts
• Shin guards
• T-shirt or sweatshirt
• Appropriate athletic shoes/cleats
• Water bottle (recommended)

If your student does not have any of the items needed to participate, please have them talk to Mr. Rance. We will do our best to make sure students have what they need.

Game Schedule

We have not yet received the official game schedule from the district. We do know that the Varsity Soccer team will have a game on September 26. We expect the full schedule to be released closer to the start of games, most likely during the week of the first game. Once we receive it, we will share it with families.

If you have any questions, please reach out to Mr. Rance.

We’re looking forward to a great fall sports season!

Mr. Rance

If your student plans to participate in sports this year, all athletic paperwork must be completed online through FinalForms

Questions about athletics can be directed to Henry Rance, Athletics Director, at hcrance@seattleschools.org.

More detailed information can be found on the Meany Middle School Athletics page

PTSA Information

Thanksgiving Food Drive:

The Thanksgiving food support SignUp Genius is live and ready for you to share in your newsletter. I'm trying to get a QR code set up for Curriculum night this evening and it will go out in the PTSA newsletters beginning Sunday through 11/20 (when donations will be due).

PTSA Spirit Wear Sale: PTSA will be selling spirit wear from now until the end of the month. If you are interested in purchasing items, here is the link: https://meanyms.seattleschools.org/student-life/buy-spirit-wear/

PTSA encourages all families to get involved in whatever way fits them best. Family partnership is an important part of what makes Meany a strong and connected community.

Ways to get involved include:

• Join the PTSA.
• Volunteer your time. Participate in building meetings, the Race and Equity Team, Special Education gatherings, support student clubs and after-school activities, help at school events, volunteer in classrooms, or chaperone field trips.
• Attend events. At this age, simply spending time with our students matters. Stay connected and show your support by attending Meany athletics, performances, family events, and other activities.
• Donate financially. Contributions help support student experiences, programs, and activities.
• Stay in touch. Subscribe to the Meany PTSA Newsletter to stay informed about events and other important Meany updates.

Questions? Contact Meany PTSA at:
meanymiddleschoolpta@gmail.com

Chanda E Oatis Trotman, Principal, ceoatis@seattleschools.org

Carlon Munroe, Assistant Principal, camunroe@seattleschools.org

Sarah Marshall, Administrative Secretary, semarshall@seattleschools.org

Christie Hanson, Attendance Specialist, cahanson@seattleschools.org

Kamari Thompson, Registrar, kjthompson@seattleschools.org

Arthur Au Yeung, 6 and 7th Grade Counselor, arauyeung@seattleschools.org

Arlo Johnson, 8th Grade Counselor, gajohnson1@seattleschools.org

Lyndsey Johnson, Social Worker, lbjohnson1@seattleschools.org

Meagon Williams, Nurse, mmwilliams@seattleschools.org

Henry Rance, Athletic Director, hcrance@seattleschools.org