Meridian School

Archive for February, 2009

The Decision To Teach

Having earned a Ph.D. from the University of Pittsburg and after teaching sociology at the collegiate level for 35 years, what could motivate a former chair of the Sociology Department at Brigham Young University to take on a class full of high school seniors?

After serving in the military as the Senior Tri-Service Instructor for Chinese, Senior Army Instructor for Chinese and translator, why would a former Associate Research Consultant in the Humanities Research Center at BYU choose to teach Chinese to a classroom of grade-schoolers?

With years of experience as the Dean of Valley Forge Military Academy in Pennsylvania, what could be the motivation to take a position as a teacher of history and mathematics at a small private school in Utah Valley?

Along with the rest of the faculty at Meridian School, the above mentioned Lynn England, Kim Smith and Philip Townsend realize that there is something special about this Orem based school. Ever since first opening its doors in 1989, a welcoming atmosphere along with a firm belief in striving for excellence have attracted well qualified individuals with a variety of experiences to teach at Meridian. “We don’t run into the same problems of public schools here (at Meridian),” England said. “The kids are less resistant and we don’t fight the same battles in our classrooms.”

Dr. England started teaching at Meridian in 2001. Recognizing that his grandson would have difficulties flourishing in a public school environment, Dr. England enrolled both himself and his grandson at Meridian: Dr. England as a teacher and his grandson as a student. Seven years later, Dr. England’s grandson is loving school, and Dr. England’s students are benefiting from their teacher’s many years of experience as a college professor. “When I first started here, I was impressed by the closeness the students develop,” Dr. England said. “It’s more of a family feeling and the students are very supportive of each other.”

While drawn to the school for many different reasons, the teachers at Meridian all have two things in common: a wealth of experience and love for their students.
One would be hard pressed to find a more qualified group of teachers than those at Meridian. During the 2007-2008 school year, the faculty boasted more than 60 college degrees, five of those being Ph.D.s. More importantly, the faculty also combined to bring hundreds of years of teaching experience to share with their students.
Why do so many qualified educators choose to teach at Meridian? For each teacher there is a different answer. One of the reasons mentioned over and over is the added benefits of teaching small classes. “It’s wonderful to have a small enough class to take regular field trips,” 6th grade teacher Eileen Nagle said. “There is so much learning to be done outside of the classroom that is impossible with larger classes.”

With a maximum class size of 18 students in the lower grades, and 24 in the middle and upper grades, Meridian allows for closer teacher-student relationships. “I’ve had 5-25 students in a class,” Dr. England said. “With the smaller classes the students tend to be closer to each other and you really learn to care about the students individually. It’s something that’s just not possible in public schools.”

Financial Aid

Download a Financial Aid Application for 2010-2011:
PDF Document
Word Document

It is Meridian School’s goal to provide financial assistance to those students seeking to improve their educational experience, but cannot otherwise afford this opportunity. Although we are not a lending institution, we do remain committed to reviewing and considering all requests for tuition assistance and helping those with genuine needs. All financial aid is managed and appropriated within the following guidelines:

• Financial aid will be available only to current full-time students at, or new students registering for full-time status at, Meridian School.
• The Financial Aid Fund will be administered by the Meridian School Board or an appointed Student Financial Aid Committee under its oversight.
• Financial aid will appear as a credit on the student’s account and the enrollment contract, and therefore is not available to be refunded or used for any other purpose.
• The maximum financial aid award will be 50% of an individual students’ tuition. The remaining tuition amount must be paid by the family or outside scholarship funding source, or a combination of family resources and outside funding.
• Regardless of the amount of financial aid provided, failure to meet the remaining financial obligations at Meridian School may result in a revocation of the financial aid, as determined by the Meridian School Board, as well as the inability to register for the following year or graduate from Meridian School.
• Monies donated to Meridian School for financial aid cannot be directed to any one particular student, or classification of student (e.g., academic scholar, athlete, etc.).
• Monies donated to Meridian School for financial aid cannot be used for any other purpose unless permission is granted in writing to the Meridian School Board by the donor.
• Students receiving financial aid must follow all standard admissions processes, and enter Meridian School on the same basis and in the same manner as all other students, and must adhere to all Meridian School policies while enrolled.
• Failure on the part of the student (or family) to adhere to Meridian School policies, or failure on the part of the student to maintain an overall Grade Point Average of 2.50 at Meridian School, may result in a revocation of the financial aid, as determined by the Meridian School Board of Trustees. Students who end a school year on academic probation will not be eligible for financial aid for the upcoming year.
• Existing Meridian School families requesting financial aid or having been granted such aid must be or must remain current on their student tuition accounts (i.e., have no outstanding balance from previous years).
• Financial aid cannot be granted to families who have not fully met financial obligations at any other school.
• Financial aid is only available as funds are available—qualifying for financial aid does not guarantee receipt of financial aid.
• If in the process of enrollment, a family applies and does not qualify for financial aid, or does not qualify for enough financial aid (resulting in the student not being able to enroll), a full refund of tuition and fees already paid toward the upcoming year will be provided.
• If in the process of enrollment, a family applies and qualifies for financial aid at Meridian School and funds are not available (resulting in the student not being able to enroll at the school), a full refund of tuition and fees already paid toward the upcoming year will be provided.
• If in the process of enrollment, a family applies and qualifies for financial aid at Meridian School, and funds are available yet the family decides not to enroll their student(s), a full refund of only tuition already paid is available.

How to Apply for Financial Aid at Meridian School

Complete financial aid application, with letter of request and current tax returns

1. Deadline for fall enrollment is February 6th.
2. Awards will be announced February 20th.
   a. Applicants must accept or decline award by February 27th.
   b. Applicants that accept the award must complete the enrollment process by February 27th or awards will be redistributed.
   i. Sign student enrollment contract
   ii. Complete PlanPay forms
   iii. First payment on tuition begins in June 3. If monies are still available after the first round of financial aid, families will be notified of additional funds. Another round of applications will be accepted in March.

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