The Hive Happenings

This past week, I had the opportunity to attend leadership trainings focused on growth, reflection, and becoming a better leader for the people who matter most—our students and our staff. Time spent learning alongside other educators always reminds me that strong schools are built through intentional leadership, clear communication, and shared responsibility.

As we move forward, I am asking our entire Meridian community—students, families, staff, and community members—to rally together. When we work as one team, we can lift our students, strengthen our campus, and continue building a school that reflects the pride and potential of our town.

The work ahead matters. Our students matter. And together, we can reach new heights.

Thank you for your continued support of Meridian High School.

Congratulations to Colby Cummings, Dawson Cummings, Ellie Baker, and Hayden Cummings for placing in the ATSSB All-Region Honor Band this year! They have been preparing select pieces for months to compete against other students from 2A-4A schools.

They, along with a few others, will be auditioning for the Centex Honor Band on January 26, and UIL Solo Ensemble on February 7. Best of Luck!

⭐ All-Tournament Team Recognition ⭐

Back in December, Meridian ISD was proud to host the Bosque Valley Christmas Tournament, welcoming outstanding teams from across the area for a week of competitive, high-energy basketball.

MHS is excited to give a well-deserved shout-out to the student-athletes named to the All-Tournament Team. These players stood out for their hustle, leadership, and skill on the court. We are proud of every athlete who competed and represented their school with class.

🌟 All-Tournament Team Selections

🥇 Champions – Oglesby

• Evan Williamson (#0)

• Hardyn Goff (#1)

• Braxton Ruiz (#5)

🥈 Runner-Up – Meridian 🐝

• Josh Nunez (#11)

• Guillermo Ortiz (#2)

🥉 Third Place – Abbott

• Chase Miller (#30)

• Leighthen Galvan (#24)

4️⃣ Bruceville-Eddy

• Carter Meiners (#23)

5️⃣ Iredell

• Gavin Vara (#2)

6️⃣ Blum

• Gunner Willingham (#4)

7️⃣ Cranfills Gap

• Diego Rodriguez (#1)

8️⃣ BGCH

• Brensan Hefley (#43)

👏 Congratulations to all of our All-Tournament athletes!
Thank you to every team, coach, official, and fan who made this tournament a success. We loved hosting you here in Meridian and celebrating the great game of basketball together.

Go Jackets! 🐝🏀

Meridian High School will host a Parent Open House on Monday, January 26th at 6:00 p.m. This evening is an opportunity for families to come together, ask questions, and gain a clear understanding of where we are and where we’re headed.

During the Open House, we will share:

• An honest overview of our school accountability rating

• Our goals for improvement and the steps we’re taking to support student growth

• Ways families and the school can partner to help students succeed

• A Dual Credit parent meeting for families interested in college-credit opportunities

• A Senior Graduation meeting with important information for the Class of 2026

This meeting is about transparency, partnership, and working together to ensure every Meridian student is supported and prepared for what comes next. We hope you’ll join us for this important conversation.

💛 We are better together. Go Jackets!

Parents and students are encouraged to attend our Dual Credit and Senior Graduation Meetings on Monday, January 26, 2026, at 6:00 p.m.

• The Dual Credit Meeting is for all students enrolled in dual credit courses and their families.
• The Senior Graduation Meeting is for students who will be graduating and their parents.

Both meetings will cover important timelines, requirements, and next steps for the remainder of the school year. This is a great opportunity to ask questions and make sure your student is on track. Please make plans to attend.

As part of our commitment to building strong relationships and a positive school culture, parents and students are asked to complete the Capturing Kids’ Hearts (CKH) survey. Your feedback helps us better understand what we’re doing well and where we can continue to grow in supporting our students.

The survey is quick to complete and provides valuable insight that directly impacts our campus. Please take a few moments to share your voice—we truly appreciate your partnership.

**Note: Senior Spotlights will feature 2-3 Seniors per week in the newsletters. Students will be put in the newsletter in the order they are received. Reminder that students who do not submit photos will only have their bio posted.**

The journey to graduation is filled with achievements, friendships, and unforgettable moments. Meridian High School is proud to shine a spotlight on this year’s seniors, celebrating their hard work, stories, and the bright futures ahead. Join us in recognizing the Class of 2026 — each week in our newsletter, we’ll share personal highlights and memories from our amazing seniors. Let’s honor their dedication and celebrate the start of their next adventure together!

Stay tuned for inspiring stories and help us cheer on the Class of 2026!

Noah Smith—known by many as “Steve Nash”—is the son of Marc and Christina Arnold and proudly holds the middle spot between his older brother, Elijah, and his younger sister, Afton. During his time at Meridian High School, Noah has been deeply involved in a wide range of extracurricular activities, including basketball, golf, tennis, marching and concert band, One Act Play, Not So Jazz Band/Jazz Band, Academic UIL, Leo’s Club, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and National Honor Society.

Noah has valued each of these experiences not only for the joy they brought him, but for the role they played in shaping who he is today. Through his involvement, he has developed important qualities such as self-control, patience, and self-discipline—traits that have been instrumental throughout his high school journey.

After graduation, Noah plans to attend Texas A&M University, where he will major in biology. He then intends to continue his education at Texas Woman’s University to pursue a doctorate in physical therapy. As a future physical therapist, Noah hopes to help individuals improve movement and rebuild function, while also sharing his faith and teaching others about what Jesus accomplished on the cross. He plans to live out his faith through both his profession and his everyday life, knowing that while he may not reach everyone, he can still make a meaningful difference.

“Don’t shine so that others can see you. Shine so that through you, others can see HIM.”
— C.S. Lewis

01-23-26 -- Perfect Attendance Lunch

A fantastic idea from one of our parents: Meridian High is looking to launch a volunteer program—much like classroom moms but for our whole school! We’d love for parents or family members to help greet students, decorate hallways, make positive phone calls home, and support other school activities. This is a wonderful way to build connections and celebrate our students. Interested in joining the volunteer team or learning more? Let us know by filling out the form.

We will send out a monthly sign up sheet requesting volunteers for events happening at the school. Sign up for one or all. Anyone is welcome! Volunteer forms must be signed in order to participate during school hours.

🌟 Gold Stars: Celebrating Our Everyday Heroes

Every week, we’ll shine a little spotlight on moments—big and small—that make our campus stronger, kinder, and more connected. Gold Stars aren’t about titles or checklists; they’re about the heart and hustle we see in each other every day.

💡 Want to nominate someone for a Gold Star? Send me a quick note with their name and what they did. All shout-outs are not just welcome—they’re encouraged!

This week's Gold Star Nominations were (insert drum roll here):

Miss Whitmer was nominated by Mark Pittman. He said, "Miss Whitmer has worked tirelessly to be the best she can be at her job. I appreciate all of her hard work!"

Daylee Gilbert was nominated anonymously. They said, "Daylee comes to class everyday ready to learn. She is attentive in the lesson and works well with others when working on assignments. Daylee is a joy to have in class!"

Noah Pendleton was nominated anonymously. They said, "Noah has been working really hard this semester. I enjoy listening to him peer tutor other students and to hear the different ways that he solves problems."

Aden was nominated anonymously. They said, "Aden has been working hard this 6 weeks. He really wants to deepen his understanding of the topic that we are going over and isn't afraid to ask questions. "

Sarah was nominated anonymously. They said, "We have been going over operations with matrices in Algebra 2, which can be a difficult concept to some students. Sarah has tackled this challenge and does not back down when the problem gets hard. She is a very determined student and I appreciate her hard work!"

Guillermo was nominated anonymously. They said, "Guillermo has tackled the challenge of matrices in class and doesn't shy away from a challenge. He ensures that he understands the concept and then will help his peers without being asked to do so."

Jackson was nominated anonymously. They said, "Jackson is involved in various organizations on campus but ensures that his grades do not take a hit. He is a very determined young man and ensures that he takes care of his business in the classroom first. I appreciate his responsibility to his academic studies!

Trinity was nominated anonymously. They said, "Trinity has worked very hard this year. I appreciate her willingness to peer tutor her classmates!"

Jasmine was nominated by Kay Davalos. She said, "I would like to nominate

Yasmine Paniagua for helping with the setup and cleaning up for the Baseball dinner. She is always ready to help her grandma in supporting her Yellow Jackets. "

---------------------

Remember anyone can nominate a teacher, staff member, or student! Let's help build each other up this year to make this the best school year ever! Go Jackets!!

🔼Attendance by grade level as of January 17, 2026:

6th grade: 97.14% 🔽

7th grade: 96.71% 🔼

8th grade: 98.39%🔼

9th grade: 96.20%🔼

10th grade: 95.75% 🔽

11th grade: 95.27% 🔽

12th grade: 96.24% 🔼

Note: A student may not have any absences or tardies to earn the library lunch.

For field trips, a student can have zero unexcused absences, no more than 2 excused absences, and no more than three tardies.

It will reset every three weeks for the lunch and every six weeks for the field trip!

• 01/19/26 - Staff Workday, January School Board Meeting
• 01/20/26 - JV/V Girls and Boys @ Valley Mills
• 01/21/26 - FTW Breeding Sheep Show, Centex Honor Band Auditions
• 01/22/26 - FTW Heifer Show, JH Girls @ Valley Mills, JH Boys vs Valley Mills
• 01/23/26 - Progress Reports Due, HS Curriculum Dives
• 01/26/26 - Herff Jones Cap & Gown Presentation
• 01/27/26 - JV/V Girls and Boys vs Bosqueville
• 01/28/26 - ASVAB Test
• 01/29/26 - JH Boys @ BCG HMS
• 01/30/26 - Senior Parent Meeting for Caps and Gowns
• 01/30/26 - JV/V Girls and Boys @ Crawford
• 02/02/26 - JH Boys @ Bosqueville
• 02/03/26 - JV/V Girls and Boys vs Itasca
• 02/05/26 - JH Girls vs Bosqueville
• 02/06/26 - JV/V Girls and Boys vs Rapaport
• 02/07/26 - UIL Solo and Ensemble