The Merrill Minute
May 11, 2020
What? Where? When?
In order to support families with @Home learning, we have put together a master list of when Merrill teachers are hosting optional Teams meetings or are available via Teams for office hours. Teams is the Microsoft version of Zoom or Facetime.
Below is a table to help your student build his or her own “schedule”. Students can print or draw a similar table and then refer to this document and know when to jump on a class Teams meeting or when teachers are available to video chat or text on Teams. While this isn’t perfect and may seem late in the game, we do hope it helps.
Teachers all have a little different availability depending on the needs of their own children and families, depending on obligations for attending DMPS professional learning, and depending on other responsibilities such as locker clean out and continued technology distribution.
Yours in tailoring a plan that works for you and your family,
Kate
Kathryn Panek
Merrill Middle School, Principal
Students: Build Your Schedule!
Use a table similar to the one below to complete your own schedule and know when your teachers are available. (If you do not remember what classes you have each period, your schedule is still available in Infinite Campus.)
Merrill Inventors and Scientists
Plastic Bags?
If you would like to purchase this contraption, please contact Kathleen at kathleen.l.loder@gmail.com. All funds raised will be donated to the Food Bank of Iowa.
Zip Line Challenge
Check out these creative zip lines by our Merrill 6th grade scientists! The challenge was to design and build a miniature zip line and then test it out by transporting a "passenger" from one side to the other.
Wash your hands!
Personal items at Merrill
Link to Merrill Survey - Request for Personal Items
Students/families may pick up items on Tuesday, May 19 from 3:00-7:00pm. Stay tuned for more details.
K-8 Instructional Packets
During the week of April 27 and continuing last week, Des Moines Public Schools mailed instructional packets to each student in grades PK-8. Please complete the following three-minute survey to confirm you received a packet, request a new packet, and/or provide feedback on the packet.
https://dmschools.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9LAdvNntEfnyYwR
Before completing the survey, you will be asked to login using the phone number you provided the school as your primary contact phone number when you registered your student.
DMPS Call Center
Do you have questions about distance learning, technology, graduation, support services, or any school-related issue?
You can now reach us via the DMPS Family Call Center at 515-242-8221.
The hours of operation for the month of May are:
* Monday-Wednesday-Friday: 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
* Tuesday-Thursday: 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM
https://www.dmschools.org/familyre…/dmps-family-call-center/
A Drawing by Merrill's very own Channtha Vann
Be Ready for the 20-21 School Year
Incoming 7th and 8th Graders - Music Selection
This is the final call for incoming 7th and 8th graders to request a music course for next year. If we do not get your survey response, we will automatically enroll you in the course you were in this year. (i.e. - If you are in 6th band this year, we will enroll you in 7th band for next year.)
Students, please log-in to your Infinite Campus account to complete the music selection survey for the 20-21 school year.
1. Log-in to Student IC Portal
2. Click "Message Center" on left
3. Click "Surveys" in middle of screen
4. Click "New" on Music Course Selection - 7th and 8th
5. Scroll to the bottom of the descriptions and click "start"
7th Grade Immunizations
Students also need a one-time dose of of the tetanus, diphtheria, acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccine.
DMPS recommends making a vaccination appointment with a physician as soon as possible to avoid long wait times.
Unfortunately, if students do not have these vaccines, or a waiver, they will be sent home on the first day of school.
*This information is provided by the Iowa Department of Public Health and the Polk County Health Department.
Incoming 6th Graders - Music Selection
To ensure your student gets enrolled in the music course of his or her choice, please follow the directions below.
Parents/Guardians, please log-in to your Infinite Campus account to complete the music selection survey for the 20-21 school year.
1. Log-in to Parent IC Portal
2. Click "Message Center" on left
3. Click "Surveys" in middle of screen
4. Click "Merrill Music Course Selection"
5. Scroll to the bottom of the descriptions and click "start"
Meme Monday
Library Closed? No worries.
Follett, one of the vendors Merrill order books from, is offering free access to their eBooks through June 30th. They have over 1,000 titles in 10 different langagues. Mrs. Kent has already registered Merrill, so just follow the directions below to access this online library.
- Go to https://www.destinydiscover.com/
- In the Location box, it says “Any Location.” Do not change.
- In the School box, enter“Follett eLearning, McHenry, IL” and click Go!
- To log in, click on the “Log In” button at the top right of the screen.
Username: guest
Password: follett
Merrill Support Services
Merrill Support Services
Read Aloud Feature in Canvas
2. Click on the blue play button at the bottom of the screen.
***You may also click the little book icon with the label “Reading Preferences”. There you will find a translation menu to select your preferred language.
Language Preference in Canvas
2. Click "Settings"
3. Click "Edit Settings" on the right hand side of the page.
4. Click on the "Language" drop down menu and select preferred language.
5. Click the yellow "Update Settings" button.
DMPS/Merrill Resource Pages
Family Resources
*Childcare
*Domestic Violence / Victim Services
*English Language Learning Community
*Employment
*Financial Assistance
*Food Assistance
*Healthcare
*Housing/Homelessness
*Legal Aid
*Mental Health
DMPS@HOME
*Pk-8 subject workbooks
*General online learning resources
*Subject/Grade specific online learning resources
*Exceptional learner resources (Sped. and GT)
*Infinite Campus
Merrill Website
*Merrill Daily Update
*Contact information for Merrill staff
*Links to DMPS district resources
*Calendar
*Almost anything/everything you want to know about Merrill!
Ms. Schumann is updating the website daily. Check it out!
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