SD Met Family Updates

All parents/guardians must come to campus on Monday, August 4, to sign your student’s Independent Study Master Agreement.
First day of school is Monday, August 4! NEW students report to school at 8:30 and RETURNING students report to school at 9:30 on August 4.
Week of Welcome features minimum days! See below for pick-up times.
Interested in participating on our SD Met Foundation board? Email Lindsay Speaker at lindsayspeaker@gmail.com about our open position for Vice President!

Phone-Free School Day Policy - begins MON, AUGUST 4!

As shared in our previous newsletter, the Met will be implementing a Phone-Free School Day Policy starting on the first day of school, Monday, August 4, 2025. Our policy was created in alignment with the district’s cell phone policy, and in accordance with California state law. Please review our policy IN FULL at this link. All students are expected to follow the policy starting on August 4, beginning with putting their phone into the designated classroom containers when they go to their Advisory class!

Tomorrow, Aug. 4, is the first day of school!

The San Diego Met is excited to welcome back all of our returning families, and to welcome in all of our brand new 9th grade and transfer students! For our newer families, please note that we start school on Monday, August 4 (tomorrow!). You likely received a family email from our school district naming the first day of school as August 11; however, at the Met, we start tomorrow, August 4!

All students should plan to bring their FULLY CHARGED Chromebooks every day of Week of Welcome! All 9th graders and students who are new to the school district will be receiving a new Chromebook on Monday, August 4. Students who are transferring from another district school should still have their current Chromebook.

New Family Orientation and Week of Welcome!

Orientation on Monday, August 4, from 8:30am to 9:25am for our incoming 9th graders and new transfer students. All NEW 9th grade and transfer students are required to arrive at school at 8:30am on this day, though returning students and families are also welcome to join us. (Otherwise, returning students and families should arrive at 9:30am for Advisory.) Parents and guardians are invited to stay for the entire time, or as long as you are available.

UPDATE: Please go directly to the Met Courtyard in front of our office, K203, for our New Family Orientation at 8:30am! We have changed the location to simplify the day and bring together all of our new families, students, and staff for conversations and light refreshments right from the beginning. You will be able to sign in at our welcome table, then pick up an assortment of helpful handouts, and staff will be on hand to introduce themselves and share more about the school. At the end of the Orientation, we will inform new students of the schedule for the day and where to go.

Monday is the first day of our annual Week of Welcome (WOW!), the San Diego Met’s tradition of starting the school year with community-building among students and staff, developing relationships both in the advisory and across grade levels, and introducing students to the programs, supports, and learning opportunities that they can expect in the year ahead. We will feature a minimum-day schedule this week, which allows for planning time for staff.

The schedule for August 4, 5, and 6 will be 8:30am to 1:15pm. Please plan to pick up your students at 1:15 pm on those days.

On Thursday, August 7, we begin internship support for all students. School hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays will be 8:30am to 11:30am. Please plan to pick up your students at 11:30am. Any RETURNING student who has already secured an internship for Fall 2025, with advisor approval and signed paperwork, may begin attending their internship on Thursday, August 7.

On Friday, August 8, we will have a modified class schedule from 8:30am to 1:15pm. Please plan to pick up your students at 1:15 pm.

Parking Permits for August 4

Please click here for a VIRTUAL parking permit that can be used to park on campus on August 4 only. You will need to enter your license plate number at that link. Please enter it accurately to avoid receiving a parking citation. This virtual permit will allow you to park in any regular staff or student space on campus. There is no need to print anything out.

Independent Study Master Agreements - due August 4

As a required part of enrolling your student at the San Diego Met, ALL Met parents/guardians must sign and submit the Independent Study Master Agreements for their students on an annual basis. This year, we will have parents/guardians sign on the first day of school, Monday, August 4. The Master Agreement is the foundational document that details the terms of your student’s enrollment at the Met, an atypical, independent study school in the San Diego Unified School District.

Unlike admissions requirements at your neighborhood school, where students are entitled to enrollment, the Met is a SCHOOL OF CHOICE, which means that continued enrollment is conditional upon upholding the terms of the Master Agreement. This includes demonstrating academic achievement in your classes, maintaining excellent attendance for both classes and internships, and demonstrating behavior and conduct that are appropriate for the college and real-world work environments that are distinctive features of the Met.

You will be asked to review your student’s Master Agreement carefully on Monday, August 4, and then sign it to indicate your agreement with the terms and to confirm your student’s enrollment. Master Agreements will be distributed as follows:

9th graders and new transfer students will receive their Master Agreements at New Student Orientation at 8:30am. Please pick up the Master Agreement at the welcome table when you sign-in. Parents/guardians and students are expected to sign the Master Agreement and submit it to our office before leaving campus on Monday, August 4.
Returning students will receive their Master Agreements at advisory at 9:30am. At that time, parents/guardians should go with their students to advisory to sign and submit the Master Agreement.

If for any reason you are unable to come to campus on Monday morning, please plan to come to our office any time between 8:00am and 3:30pm on August 4 to sign the Master Agreement. Again, this is a requirement for enrollment at the Met.

Food on Campus - FREE Pizza Lunch on August 4!

To celebrate our first day of school, all students will have a FREE pizza and salad lunch on Monday, August 4! Vegan and gluten-free options will be available.

Free school meals provided by our district will continue to be offered at the Met this year.

Food options on campus will be limited prior to Mesa’s fall semester start date of August 25. To help you prepare your student, please note the scheduled Mesa food service options below. Please note that all Mesa food services are currently CLOSED on Fridays.

In addition, students are always welcome to bring lunch from home.

Students are NOT allowed to have food delivered from delivery services (such as DoorDash, GrubHub, Uber Eats, and similar apps). Though we are located on a college campus, the Met is a CLOSED campus, and students are not allowed to leave campus during school hours without permission, nor are food deliveries or other unauthorized visitors allowed. Please ensure that your students bring food or lunch money so that they can eat well, be healthy, and stay focused on their studies!

Attendance Procedures - NEW ATTENDANCE REPORTING FORM!

Regular and timely attendance at school and internships is one of the most important factors for your student’s success! Students who are regularly tardy or absent from one or more classes are missing valuable learning time and are much more likely to fall behind and struggle in their studies. As such, we will be contacting parents/guardians for your support if your student is struggling with attendance.

This year, we are implementing an Attendance Reporting Google Form linked here. This will allow parents to quickly and simply report a student absence. Please use this form any time your student will be absent for any part of the day (including whole day absences, as well as late arrival and early dismissal), as well as for multi-day absences (e.g., vacations, illness).

In the meantime, if you need to excuse your student from any part of the Week of Welcome, please contact us at sdmet@sandi.net to report the reason and times of the absence.

Seeking Vice President for SD Met Foundation

The San Diego Met Foundation is our non-profit, parent-driven organization that supports the mission of the Met through fundraising and family engagement. We are a small group that meets every other month so the time commitment is low! We are currently seeking a new Vice President for our Foundation, who supports with our bylaws and assists the President with events such as Back to School Night and Met Monday.

Are you looking for a way to support our community and connect with other parents? Consider nominating yourself for Vice President! For more information, please contact our Foundation President, Lindsay Speaker, at lindsayspeaker@gmail.com or 832-427-2286.

School Picture Day - Fri., August 29

Lifetouch Photography will be on campus on Fri, August 29, to take student's photos for ID cards and our yearbook. Please ensure your student is in attendance that day. The makeup picture day is scheduled for Fri, October 3. Parents/guardians of seniors will be sent an email with information on scheduling a senior portrait session.

Daily Schedule

The regular daily schedule for the school year starts on Monday, August 11. All students will attend classes on campus from 8:30am to 3:15pm on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Tuesdays and Thursdays are dedicated to internships, and ALL students must attend school on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:30am to 11:30am. NEW students will participate in the Met Gateway Program on Tuesdays and Thursdays (see below), while RETURNING students will work with their advisor on finding an internship placement. As soon as a student has secured an internship, including a signed contract with the mentor, the student may start attending internship on Tuesdays and Thursdays instead of coming to campus.

Met Gateway Program for NEW Students

All 9th graders and new transfer students must attend our Gateway program on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:30am to 11:30am for the first six weeks of school (starting Tuesday, August 12, and ending Thursday, September 18). LTI Gateway teaches our new students how to search for an internship that aligns to their interests and goals, how to use our internship database platform called ImBlaze, and how to interview for and be successful in an internship. In addition, students will experience the Met 101 course, which teaches the skills that students need to become successful Met students. During the Gateway program, students will be supported in scheduling interviews for internships, and the goal is for students to be able to transition directly into an internship by the end of the six weeks or shortly thereafter.

Drop-Off and Pick-Up Information

Student drop-off and pick-up is allowed in Lot 1 in the pull-out area in front of I-400, near the bottom of the main staircase. You may also use other areas along Mesa College Circle where there are curb cuts to allow cars to pull off the road. Please DO NOT attempt to drive up to the SD Met building for drop-off or pick-up. If you plan to park and visit the Met, you may park in a 1-hour visitor spot (limited) or use pay stations to purchase an hourly parking permit in Lot 1.

Student Parking Permits

For students who drive to campus and wish to have a parking permit for the semester, the application form is available in the front office. Please bring the completed form with the payment of $40 cash (no card payments are accepted at this time) to the Mesa College police office at Q-100 between 8am and 5pm Mon-Thurs (closed Fridays). The Mesa College is no longer issuing a physical parking permit to keep in your vehicle. Instead, your vehicle will be registered virtually in their new online system for the semester.

Mesa College Fall Classes

All students who are enrolled in Mesa College classes for Fall semester should bookmark and regularly check the Met/Mesa Google Classroom for updates, deadlines, and instructions. The first day of college classes is Monday, August 25. If you have any difficulties with your college enrollment, please contact our counselor, Mr. Moravec, at jmoravec@sandi.net.

Yearbooks!

Thanks to all our students and families who purchased a yearbook for the previous school year, 2024-2025, and for your patience in awaiting delivery! Yearbooks will be distributed to all returning students during our Week of Welcome.

PowerSchool Parent Portal

The PowerSchool Parent Portal provides you with access to your student’s grades and current progress. If you need support with setting up your PowerSchool Parent Portal access, please contact Mr. Moravec at jmoravec@sandi.net for support.

2025-2026 Academic Calendar

The Academic Calendar for 2025-2026 is linked here. Please refer to this for holidays, grading periods, Exhibition and Student-Led Conference dates, and other important information. Here are some important upcoming dates:

August 4 - First Day of School!
August 4-6 - Week of Welcome (WOW!). Schedule is 8:30am to 1:15pm
August 7 - LTI Gateway and LTI support in ALL Advisories begins. Tues/Thurs schedule is 8:30am to 11:30am for ALL students.
August 8 - Modified class schedule, ending at 1:15pm
August 25 - Mesa College Fall Classes BEGIN
August 29 - School Picture Day
September 1 - Labor Day HOLIDAY (No School)
September 5 - Grading Period P1 ends - teachers update grades in PowerSchool
September 5 - Back to School Night
September 26 - MetUp Community Learning Day