I am thrilled to join the Meridian community as Head of School. Founded in 1976, the Meridian School has a long-standing history of cultivating joyous, deep learning and care for relationships among students, faculty, and families. A community focused on nurturing our next generation of cultural stewards connected to place resonates in our school. At Meridian, you will see, feel, and hear that Meridian Cares, a mantra that reminds us all to take care of ourselves, one another, and our greater community.
Meridian has flourished in
the Wallingford community by intentionally connecting to our local community members in the historic Good Shepherd Center. Our educators encourage our students “to think globally, act locally,” by tackling real-world challenges, engaging in global learning, and exploring U.N. Sustainable Development Goals. Our students are able to engage with local leaders as ecological stewards, with an intentional emphasis on addressing social inequities through civic engagement, service learning, and a robust social justice curriculum. Meridian’s strong foundation in equity and inclusion is nationally recognized and provides opportunities for our community to engage in dialog and action that supports inclusive practices. Meridian continues to grow and adapt to “the new normal” of the 21st century, and we will continue to evolve and adapt to best support all of our learners and community.
In our K–5, soon to be pre-K–5, setting Meridian students have opportunities that help them grow both in academics and social-emotional skills. Our dedicated and talented educators create experiences that bring students together, interacting with the natural green spaces while modeling intellectual curiosity. The learning environment is a rich tapestry of joy, deep learning, hard work, respect for diversity of people, and care for our community. Our goal is to foster empathetic, lifelong learners ready to take on the challenges that the world has to offer. Through problem-based learning and academic vigor, our faculty stretch students to strive to be the best complex thinkers and doers they can be. We support them all the way with love, compassion, and care. It is this amazing learning environment and dedicated educational team that drew me to Meridian, and I look forward to leading and learning along with them.
This year marks my first year at Meridian and my 20th year in education. Over the next year, as I continue to get to know the students, families, alumni, professional community, and neighbors, I will simultaneously be immersed in opening our pre-K addition, affectionately known as the Corliss House. Our pre-K is a natural evolution of our program and our continued commitment to creating confident learners who will care for our world.
The beauty of Meridian is best experienced in person. I invite your family to visit and witness our incredible learning community firsthand. We hope to see you soon!
Warmly,
Ruth Mathis Bissell, Ph.D.
