Frequently Asked Questions
How do I set up accounts for my child to buy lunch at school? Can I review what they purchase? Do I get alerts when the account is low? School lunch accounts are set up through SchoolCafe. SchoolCafe allows you to upload money to your child’s account. It will alert you when they are low on funds as well as provides an overview of what they’ve purchased. You can also view the menu for the month.
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How can I get involved in the PTA? PTA board positions (either nominated, self-nominated, or just asked to help!) are generally assigned in the Spring. However, you can join the PTA at anytime during the school year, and volunteer opportunities are routinely available. Please reach out the PTA President for more information on becoming involved in our PTA.
- How do I volunteer at MPE?
In order to volunteer for this school year, please fill out the RISD background check--this is required on an annual basis
RISD requires that all volunteers complete a background check. You will be able to select schools for this school year’s volunteer opportunities, including “Any RISD School.”
You MUST select Merriman Park to be in our database and volunteer on the MPE campus.
If you select "Any RISD School," you will not be in the MPE database and will not be able to volunteer. You will receive an email that you have a registered VOLY account with RISD. You will also receive an email that you have a cleared background check within 24 hours.
- What are the Paw’d Party signs in yards? The Paw birthday signs can be signed up for through the MPE store here. This is hosted by the 5th grade as a fundraising event, but any grade level can sign up to participate in the fun.
- Birthday on the Marquee: You can also have your child’s name on the school marquee for his/her birthday month: Birthday Marquee
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Can I eat lunch with my child? You can eat lunch with your child on stage in the cafeteria - it makes it special, and kids love doing this! Front office requests you do lunch visits on Fridays starting after Labor Day, but for special occasions, like birthdays or out of town guests, exceptions can be made. No lunch visits during testing weeks though.
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How can I connect with other parents at the school or in our grade? MPE has Instagram and Facebook pages for the school – follow these and stay in the loop. Additionally, each grade level has a Facebook page (not sponsored by MPE or RISD) that gives specific information for that grade and allows for parents to ask others grade-specific questions. All the links to these accounts can be found on the webpage: Stay Connected
- MPE Carnival - MPE does a Carnival in Spring that is free to all and sponsored by the PTA. There are bounce houses, obstacle courses, games, and face painters – all the fun things kids love! It is family-friendly so bring the whole family!
- All-School Dinner - We will host an all-school dinner as a fundraiser for the 5th grade class to help pay for their end-of-year party and legacy gift back to the school. This is an additional cost for families, but it makes such a fun night for people to hang out together.
- What are Pride Rallies? At the end of each 9 weeks, we have a Pride Rally (pep rally) where the teachers do some fun/silly things, and awards are given out. Parents are notified beforehand if their student will receive an award so you can attend and take pics - but you can go even if your child isn't receiving an award – the kids love these and look forward to them!
- Auction - We have an Auction in February to fundraise for the school for the next year. The money raised goes towards additional tutoring, support for Faculty/Staff and so much more! It is typically held at an event place and always has a theme where people go all out in their costumes! There will be ‘Sign and Go’ Parties sponsored by groups of families that you can purchase for your child to attend - like bowling, back-to-school luaus, paintball and a BUNCH of other things.
There are also adult-only events, which is great way to connect with parents across grades. We do a live auction for some really cool things, such as trips with hotels and fun activities included! We offer online bidding, as well, so people who can’t be at the live event can still participate. There is a band and dancing. It’s quite a party and every cent raised goes back to the school! Tickets go on sale in October follow MPE Auction on Instagram or check out Auction page on the website for all the info.
