The Merrill Minute
Sept. 28, 2018
Merrill Fall Parent/Family Survey
Greetings, Mustang Families,
Schools are so often the hub of communities, and I believe that this is true throughout our great city. Thank you for all you do on behalf of all of our students...both at home and throughout the community. From transporting your kids and their friends to and from school activities, voting in school elections, making sure students get a good night's rest, and communicating with us about how things are going for your child, we appreciate you! To have everyone working toward the same goal---improved learning for all students---can only be a positive for our students and community.
Now that we've settled in to the school year, I thought it would be a good time to check-in and see how things are going. I feel a great sense of responsibility as you entrust the well being of your student with our school district. Thank you. Please help us best serve your Merrill student by taking the Merrill Fall Parent/Family Survey.
We are working hard to identify and support both academic and social/emotional needs. We have a number of teams ranging from grade level teams to the Instructional Leadership Team to our Mustang Tier 1 Team who work collaboratively to meet the needs of each and every student. More importantly, these teams rely on student voice to guide the way for what's working and what's not.
Thank you for your continued support of and advocacy for our students at Merrill.I look forward to reading your responses and to seeing you both here at Merrill as well as out in the community. Please don't ever hesitate to reach out. I can be reached via e-mail at kathryn.panek@dmschools.org or by phone at 242-8448.
Go, Mustangs!
Kate
Kate Panek Principal
A little bit more about me...My family includes my husband, Jeff, who also works for Des Moines Public Schools, and our two daughters Abigail (7th grade) and Eleanor (4th grade). I graduated from Simpson College in 2002 and Iowa State University in 2009, but I'm a Hawkeye at heart. I-O-W-A!
Dr. Heather Farris Associate Principal
My name is Heather Farris. This school year marks my 28th year in education. I have worked in a variety of school districts and settings, most recently for fourteen years in Des Moines at both Callanan and Weeks. I have been a vice principal for seven years. I graduated from Central College with a BA in English, Iowa State University with a Masters in Educational Leadership, and from Drake University with an Ed.D in Educational Leadership. I am also the proud mother of two former Merrill students, who graduated from Roosevelt in 2017.
Mr. Dan Johnson Associate Principal
I want to take this opportunity to introduce myself as well as thank everyone I have met in the Merrill Community. My name is Dan Johnson and I am serving as the School Improvement Leader at Merrill Middle School. I graduated from Iowa State University with a Bachelor of Science in History and completed my Masters in Educational Leadership form Viterbo University. This will be my twenty-eighth year with Des Moines Public Schools. Prior to coming to Merrill, I taught social studies at Lincoln High School for twenty years, before becoming a School Improvement Leader at Lincoln in 2011. I am excited about the opportunity to be a part of the Merrill Community and look forward to meeting and working you with your students.
Inquiring, Learning, and Reflecting
We've analyzed big data, or what we call distance data, including MAP Assessment data and Iowa Assessment data. However, we've spent even more time collecting and analyzing small, or up-close data, including a student writing sample describing our school community, a student survey regarding reading and writing habits and perceptions, and face-to-face interviews with students about what it is like to be a Merrill student.
Central to our work is building a community of learners of students and staff, inquiring into issues that are relevant and important to our students, and using literacy and learning to help our students think and problem-solve like experts in all fields of study.
Announcements
Daily Student Announcements:
We now post our daily announcements on the website. To access the daily announcements just go to the Merrill website, click the "Student" tab, and then click "Announcements" or you may click this link here.
PE Dress Code:
Have questions about the "why" behind moving away from the PE dress code? Click here.
School Pictures:
Student pictures arrived and were distributed to students on Friday, September 28th. Retakes will be Friday, October 12th. If you are still wishing to order photos, there are order forms in the main office or you can go to inter-state.com/order and use the order code: 30008PB. If you ordered pictures and are not satisfied, please return the pictures on retake day. Cheese!
Calendar
October 1: Bullying Prevention
Wear blue for world day of bullying prevention. #BlueUp
October 3: Healthiest State Annual Walk
Ride your bike or walk to school on Iowa's 11th Annual Healthiest State Day. We'll be walking the Merrill Mile during Mustang Minutes. #GetYourWalkOn2018
October 12: School Picture Retakes
October 18: Conferences 4:00-7:15
October 19: Dance
The first middle school dance of the year will be held on Friday, October 19th from 3:30-5:00 in the Merrill gymnasium. Stay tuned!
October 22: Conferences 4:00-7:15
Contact Information
Email: merrill@dmschools.org
Website: https://merrill.dmschools.org/
Location: 5301 Grand Avenue, Des Moines, IA, USA
Phone: (515) 242-8448
Twitter: @MerrillMustangs