Gem Prep: Meridian

More fun in the foam from the EPIK Foam and Fun Fest thanks to 🫧💙

We had such a fun time at our EPIK Foam & Fun Fest on Thursday evening! 🌞

We were blown away by the amazing turnout and loved seeing so many new and returning scholars and families spending time together before the start of the school year. The night was filled with foam, smiles, connection, and excitement for the year ahead.

Thank you to everyone who joined us and helped make this event such a success. We can't wait to welcome our scholars back and kick off another EPIK year together in 2026-2027!

A special thank you to Rapido Burrito - Meridian, ID 🌮, 🫧 and Twistopia🎈for joining us. We loved working with you!

Don’t forget to join us tomorrow for the first GPM community event of the 26-27 school year-EPIK Foam and Fun Fest! Stop by GPM between 5:30 and 7:00 to enjoy a frozen treat, learn your class and teacher for the year, grab dinner from Rapido Burrito, make your own tie-dye spirit shirt, have some fun in the foam and most importantly, meet other wonderful members of the Griffin family.

If you aren’t yet at Gem Prep: Meridian but are interested in learning more and applying, we hope to see you there as well!

*GPM Families, check your email for details regarding the event!

Come hungry! Rapido Burrito will be joining us at our EPIK Foam Fun Fest on July 30. Grab a taco (or two or five) to enjoy for light snack or dinner or share some nachos with the family.

Don't forget to pick out your white/light colored t-shirt to turn into a tie-dyed spirit shirt at the event. Remember that the first 75 scholars will get a special decal to add to their shirt.

See you just two weeks from today from 5:30-7:00 at GPM (2750 E. Gala St)!

For this ✨Teacher Spotlight Tuesday✨, we are celebrating our amazing Student Support Team and introducing two new faces for the 2026-2027 school year!

These educators have a unique role in supporting scholars across many grade levels. Mrs. Miller is returning as our incredible school counselor and the wonderful Mr. Young is back to teach PE to scholars from Kinder through high school.

New to the team are Ms. Jill Pland and Mrs. Britni Hartis who make up our special education teaching team. Ms. Pland will be working with elementary scholars in grades K-5 while Mrs. Hartis will work with our secondary scholars in grades 6-12.

Ms. Pland earned her Bachelor’s degree in Special Education from Boise State University in 2026. She is passionate about creating an inclusive, supportive classroom where all students feel valued, capable, and encouraged to grow both academically and personally. Outside of school, Ms. Pland enjoys spending time with friends and family, listening to music, and exploring new coffee shops.

Mrs. Hartis earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Business (2005) and a Master of Public Administration (2006) both from the University of South Carolina. She then earned her Master of Arts in Teaching (2011) from Converse College in Spartanburg, SC. Mrs. Hartis loves learning, and, as a teacher, strives to make learning a fun and engaging experience. In her free time, Mrs. Hartis enjoys spending time with her husband, son, and Dutch shepherd, watching Gamecock football, reading, and riding her bike.

We are looking forward to having both Ms. Pland and Mrs. Hartis join the Griffin family!

https://jobs.redroverk12.com/org/GemPrep

We are looking to fill our final available positions in preparation of the 2026-2027 school year. Please visit the link above for more details.

Join the Griffin team today!

For this 🌟Teacher Spotlight Tuesday🌟, we are excited to introduce another fantastic educator joining our elementary team for the 2026-2027 school year!

Please help us welcome Mrs. Katie Dahners, our new Kindergarten teacher, who will be joining returning teachers Mrs. Mahler (K), Mrs. Sanders (1st), and Mrs. Swift (1st) on the K-1 Team!

Mrs. Dahners joins Gem Prep after spending the last three years teaching 2nd grade in Grand Forks, North Dakota. A graduate of the University of North Dakota with a degree in Elementary Education and minors in Special Education and Athletic Coaching, she is excited to begin a new adventure teaching Kindergarten. Mrs. Dahners is passionate about building positive relationships with scholars, creating a fun and engaging learning environment, and bringing energy and enthusiasm into everything she does.

Outside of school, she enjoys spending time with her husband, Ian, and their bernedoodle, Chewie, reading a good book, staying active outdoors or at the gym, and cheering on UND Hockey.

Mrs. Dahners is going to make a wonderful addition to our elementary team! We can't wait for our youngest scholars to learn from her this year!

As we celebrate 250 years of America's history, we reflect on the freedoms, opportunities, and communities that make our nation strong. We wish all of our scholars, families and all in our GPM community a safe, joyful, and memorable holiday!

Happy 4th of July, Griffins!

July is here and we are less than one month away from the EPIK Foam and Fun Fest! If you are a returning family, new family or simply interested in enrolling at GPM, we hope to see you on July 30 from 5:30-7:00 for a fun-filled evening of building community.

We are also excited for scholars to have the opportunity to make a tie-dye spirit shirt 👕 to wear throughout the year. Scholars who bring a plain white/light colored shirt can create a design and select colors to have added to their shirt. The first 75 scholars will also have a decal pressed onto their shirts once the tie-dye process is complete.

*Shirts can be short or long-sleeved (no tank tops/crop tops) and must be school appropriate. Plain white cotton t-shirts work best. You can find inexpensive options at Walmart, Michaels, etc. if you do not already have one to use.

Your Future is Bright at GPM!✨

For this Teacher Spotlight Tuesday, we are celebrating the incredible educators who make up our high school team for the 2026-2027 school year!

Please join us in welcoming back Mrs. Rasmussen (ELA), Mr. Gillespie (Math), Mrs. Sherman (Science), and Mr. Velie (Social Studies).

We are grateful to have this outstanding team returning for another year of supporting, challenging, and inspiring our high school scholars. Their dedication to academic excellence, meaningful relationships, and preparing students for success beyond graduation helps make our school community so special.

As we look ahead to a new school year, our high school teachers are excited to continue building on the strong traditions of Gem Prep: Meridian while creating new opportunities for scholars to learn, grow, and achieve their goals.

We are thankful for the passion, expertise, and commitment that Mrs. Rasmussen, Mr. Gillespie, Mrs. Sherman, and Mr. Velie bring to our school each day, and we can't wait to see all they accomplish together with our scholars during the 2026-2027 school year!