Summer is maybe the most misunderstood season in education. I’ve heard it for years from all sorts of people, “Must be nice having the whole summer off!” The truth is that many of the moving parts in our school community continue to move all summer long, from our dedicated maintenance and custodial teams, to the work of our school board, to many of our teachers, specialists, and administrators who continue to pursue professional development throughout the summer months. So, the truth of it is, summertime may not look like the typical school year, but many of us are still focused on our education community and what it means to the kids of Meridian.

In this, our Special Summer issue of Fusion, we feature the stories of individuals who have overcome epic health challenges, forged robust futures through hard work, re-examined and re-booted professional trajectories, and contributed to the wonderfully diverse fabric of the Meridian School Community by simply being who they are.

At Meridian, I continue to believe we have something extraordinary. We have come together from, perhaps, the broadest array of backgrounds, beliefs, and cultural traditions of any school community in Southern Illinois, and we’ve been forged into family.

It is my sincere hope that you’re enjoying your Summer. We’ll be over here, busily preparing for the 23-24 school year, welcoming our students back, and looking forward to the continuation of our Meridian story. #bobcatsrising