The Merrill Minute
April 6, 2020
Connectivity Survey
Please make sure to complete this connectivity survey for EACH student in your family as soon as possible. This will tell us if you need a device or anything else to engage with our school community.
https://dmschools.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5alw7vxlhcyXy7z
A few notes to help us make sure that the data we receive is accurate...
- Use your student's legal name in Infinite Campus. (For example I would use Kathryn instead of Kate)
- If you know your student's 6 digit ID number, please enter it in the survey. If you don't, no worries, just move on. It is also available on Infinite Campus if you really want to use it.
If we haven't heard from you by Wednesday evening, we will be contacting you via phone on Thursday or Friday.
Thank you!
Better Together, but 6 Feet Apart
I am writing this note with so many different emotions. I am thankful Dr. Ahart has put the health and safety of our students, families, and staff at the forefront and publicly announced his intent to not resume in-person classes for the remainder of the school year. Click here to read his full statement released last Thursday.
I am saddened by the thought of us not all being back together to finish the year. Your students are the reason we all chose this profession, and seeing them in our hallways and classrooms creates synergy and inspires us to be bold in our pursuit of creating a better and more peaceful world. We promise to continue to support Merrill students as they become active citizens in our democracy and someday lead the way in developing medical advancements, in keeping supply chains running, and in bringing communities together during a crisis. We are determined to find new and innovative ways to prepare our students for the next stage of their lives.
Students are likely feeling uncertain, sad, and maybe angry; hug them tight and reassure them that we will find creative ways to build community. Reach out to us with your needs and we will work to find answers and resources. We are sending positive thoughts your way that you all remain healthy. Let our community coming together, while staying 6 feet apart, be a source of strength.
Yours in missing our Merrill family, (send me @ home pics to include in the newsletter)
Kate
Kathryn Panek
Merrill Middle School, Principal
Hey, Merrill 8th Graders!
FAQ - What we are working on...
Retrieving Personal Belongings
At this time, we are not allowing access into any of our buildings for any reason other than to retrieve medication for students with medical emergencies.
As soon as we are able to accommodate your requests for personal items, we will let you know.
SRG Questions
ALL activities and learning engagements that you are receiving are OPTIONAL and NOT GRADED.
Students and families are requesting opportunities to turn in missing work or show progress on learning of a topic from prior to spring break. At this time, the guidance we have received is to not assess this student work until a district-wide plan is developed and communicated.
Please know that we (both Merrill and DMPS as a whole) want to provide these opportunities and we are working on a plan to make that happen. We have plenty of time to sort through grading issues and I will be in contact with you about the plans moving forward as soon as they are made available to me.
Tips for accessing Student Email/Infinite Campus
Use the links for Student Email and Infinite Campus on the DMPS homepage under the Students Tab
Make sure you are using your student email address as the username. See below.
studentID@student.dmschools.org
If you forgot your password please contact Mrs. Carrie Kent (carrie.kent@dmschools.org) with student name and ID number to reset your password.
A shout-out to our amazing Merrill staff!
I would like to extend a public "thank you" to our amazing Merrill staff. As you have witnessed in our daily update, they are fully invested in the children of our community and continue to work tirelessly to create a better and more peaceful world...while we are in the midst of a pandemic!
I saw a Facebook post that, in summary, said, “Teachers have been able to completely redesign schools with little notice, limited resources, and policies changing by the hour. They’ve basically Apollo 13’ed our 100 year old system….in just a few DAYS.”
This is so true at Merrill and I am thankful for their brilliance, their flexibility, the good will they’ve displayed, and their perseverance during these uncertain times. Thank you, Merrill staff! We are so lucky to have you serving the Merrill community!
Hey, Merrill 6th Graders!
"Staring Contest" by Ms. Anders
Learning Resources
Merrill Daily Update: By now I hope you are all receiving our Merrill Daily Update. In it you will find "hello" notes or videos from the teachers, ideas for optional activities for students, student "challenges", or links to resources that students may be interested in inquiring into.
Here is who you will hear from each day:
- Monday: Merrill Minute from Kate
- Tuesday: Language and Literature and Individual and Societies Teachers
- Wednesday: Performing Arts and Physical Education Teachers
- Thursday: Mathematics and Science Teachers
- Friday: Language Acquisition and Design Teachers
You can find the daily Merrill Update in your e-mail inbox, here on the Merrill website, on School CNXT, and on our Twitter feed @MerrillMustangs.
Microsoft Teams: This week teachers will be developing a plan to connect with students via our Microsoft Teams platform. This platform allows teachers the ability to send a link to students via e-mail so that they can connect live. Unlike Zoom and Google Hangouts, Teams is a secure, district supported platform. Thank you for your patience as we both hustle to connect with students while still following district guidance and adhering to student privacy laws.
Print Materials: Additionally, beginning today (Monday, April 6), print materials for all PK-8 grade students will be distributed at all food distribution sites and will continue on each subsequent Monday. Materials will be bound "workbook" style by grade level. Click here to access the resources online.
DMPS Online Learning Resources: Finally, DMPS is regularly updating the online learning resource webpage, https://www.dmschools.org/onlinelearning, where you can find links to high-quality resources, should you choose to have your student engage in learning activities online. These links are meant to support, not burden, families. We hope you’ll browse through and see if there’s something that will meet the unique needs of your family.
The situation we have found ourselves in will likely be a marathon, rather than a sprint. We are working around the clock, partnering with community agencies, and listening to your ideas and concerns in order to serve you and your family at a high level during the next several months.
A few pics from the 6th grade science challenge...
Please Pass The Love
PLEASE PASS THE LOVE is committed to increasing school mental health (SMH) supports to improve the quality of life and educational opportunities for children, families, and educators. They offer culturally responsive, comprehensive services and evidence-based supports to school systems. In doing so, Please Pass The Love bridges positive relationships between the educational and mental health communities to more effectively prevent and address mental health issues for our children and adolescents throughout Iowa.
A message from Please Pass The Love:
Our normal routines are very different right now, but we don’t have to be isolated from each other. Join us, and encourage the young people in your lives to join us too, for time to connect with others. All programs are FREE. More information can be found here.Joyful Sound
Thank you to Joe and Lauren Carpenter for kicking off our virtual faculty meeting today with some joyful sound. Joe, a current Merrill student, played his trumpet, followed by Lauren, former Merrill student, who played the piano.
It was a wonderful reminder of how hard working and talented our students are. There was not a dry eye in our virtual room. Many thanks to the Carpenters!
Des Moines Public Library
School CNXT
Login using your email address or mobile number. If you experience any difficulties, email SchoolCNXT at support@schoolcnxt.com.
Mental Health Resources from NAMI
- Virtual speaker series each Wednesday at noon
- Workshops to help us understand anxiety, problem solve, and manage stress
- Resources for working from home including working from home with kids and high performing remote teams
- Fitness: Join Farrell's Extreme Bodyshaping 10-week challenge
Click here to access these FREE resources. Thank you, NAMI of Greater Des Moines!
Follow @MerrillMustangs on Twitter
- @jk_rowling: Parents and teachers working to keep children amused and interested while we’re on lockdown might need a bit of magic, so I’m delighted to launch http://harrypotterathome.com
- @CommonSense: As schools continue to close due to the coronavirus, we are partnering with some of the most respected companies in education, media, & tech to offer a free & open collection of quality online learning resources to educators & families!
- @timeforkids: TIME for Kids has a SUPER new resource, a free digital library of our 2020 issues. The latest cover story, Comics Craze, is now available. Sign up here: https://time.com/tfk-free/
- @NAMICommunicate: National Alliance on Mental Illness - Reach us at our HelpLine: 1-800-950-6264 or info@nami.org #SuicidePrevention This account is not managed 24/7.
Thank you for supporting Merrill students and teachers during the Merrill PTA Spring Fundraising Event!
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