A MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL
Together We Rise
Our Promise: Every Child. Every Classroom. Every Day.
Dear MMLA Families,
As we continue into the 2026–2027 school year, I want to take a moment to officially welcome our families and share how pleased I am with the start we have had at Mid Michigan Leadership Academy.
We opened the year with just under 221 students, and it has been exciting to see our classrooms, hallways, and school community come to life. Our students are settling into their routines, our staff is working hard, and we are continuing to strengthen the systems that will help make MMLA a school where every child can be successful.
Academics Remain Our Priority
While there are many positive things happening at MMLA, we also recognize that we have important academic work ahead of us. Improving student achievement is one of my greatest priorities as principal.
Our staff will continue to use student data to identify learning gaps, provide intervention and additional support, and ensure that students are receiving strong instruction every day. Families can help tremendously by making sure students attend school regularly, arrive on time, complete assignments, read at home, and come to school ready to learn. We will continue to raise expectations for our students because we believe they are capable of meeting them.
Building Pride at MMLA
There are also exciting things happening outside of the classroom. Athletics will soon be underway, giving our students additional opportunities to participate, compete, develop teamwork, and represent MMLA with pride.
We are also excited about improvements to our gymnasium, including new bleachers. These improvements will help create a better environment for our students, families, athletic events, and school activities. We look forward to seeing our MMLA families filling those bleachers and supporting our Lions!
Attendance, Behavior & School Expectations
Strong schools are built on strong routines and expectations. Students need to be in school every day and on time in order to benefit fully from instruction. Please continue to make regular attendance a family priority.
We are also working with students to reinforce appropriate behavior, respect, responsibility, and pride in our school. Our goal is not simply to address behavior when something goes wrong, but to teach students how to make positive choices and become responsible members of our school community.
Family Partnership
One thing I want our families to know is that we need you. Schools are most successful when families and school staff work together. Please stay connected, communicate with your child’s teacher, attend school events, monitor your child’s academic progress, and reach out when you have questions or concerns.
As your principal, I am committed to continuing to move MMLA forward. There is much to celebrate, and there is also important work ahead of us. I am excited about what we can accomplish when our students, staff, families, and community work together.
Thank you for entrusting us with your children each day. We take that responsibility seriously.
Together We Rise.
Warmly,
Shawn Merriweather
Principal
Mid Michigan Leadership Academy
Mid Michigan Leadership Academy would like to inform families of an important change to our report card system for students in Kindergarten through 3rd Grade.
In previous years, students in grades K–3 received standards-based report cards, which reported student progress toward individual grade-level standards. Beginning this school year, MMLA will transition to a letter-grade report card system for students in grades K–3.
Under the new system, students will receive traditional letter grades that reflect their overall academic performance and progress in each subject area. Teachers will continue to closely monitor students’ mastery of grade-level standards and use assessment data, classroom performance, and daily work to guide instruction and provide support when needed.
Our goal is to provide families with a clear and familiar way to understand their child’s academic progress while continuing to maintain high expectations for teaching and learning.
We appreciate your continued partnership and support as we make this transition. If you have questions regarding your child’s grades or academic progress, please contact your child’s classroom teacher.
NO School Friday, September 25th. School resumes Monday, September 28th!
No School on Friday 9/4/2026 and Monday 9/7/2026. Have a great Labor Day weekend.
ALL FAMILIES MUST SCAN THE QR CODE OR USE THE LINK BELOW AND COMPLETE THE SCHOOL BUS TRANSPORTATION REGISTRATION IN ORDER TO BE PLACED ONTO A ROUTE.
FAMILIES MUST REGISTER EACH SCHOOL YEAR AS ADDRESSES, STOPS AND CONTACT INFORMATION MAY HAVE CHANGED.
FAMILIES CAN ALSO UPDATE THEIR REGISTRATION AS WELL.
Dear MMLA Families !
Regular attendance is essential for student success. Even a few missed days can impact learning and academic progress.
Please review the attached flyer to understand how absences add up and why being present every day is important. Together, we can ensure every student has the best opportunity to succeed.
https://forms.gle/EvsU213xf1WN7sY27
Note: sign ups from last school year do not automatically transfer. You MUST submit a new request. Remember, bussing is not guaranteed and is on a first come first serve basis.
