The Merrill Minute
May 18, 2020
Celebrating Student Accomplishments
The last week or two of the school year is always filled with celebration, pomp and circumstance, and anticipation of what lies ahead. In a typical year, teachers would be holding classes outside, Mrs. Foshe would be handing out pool passes, 8th graders would be headed to Roosevelt for promotion practice, and parents and families would be putting together the final details for the 8th grade dance.
We have set aside and adjusted our end-of-the-year routines and traditions in order to prioritize the health and safety of our students and staff. Indeed, this has caused us to feel both out of sorts - knowing that we will not be able to send students off with hugs, high fives, and fist bumps - and sad that there is no closure to our school year.
To celebrate our 8th grade class, Ms. Johnson, Mr. O'Connor, and Ms. Schumann have been working on a packet that will be mailed to all 8th grade students sometime next week. I'll let you know when the packets are all postmarked and on their way to your doorsteps.
On a final note for this week, let's not allow the pandemic to minimize the accomplishments of our students. Every single student has grown up this year. They are walking a little taller (literally and figuratively), using their voices on bigger stages, and letting the world know that they are not just here to show up, but they are here to make a difference. And that is why we all love teaching middle school. Please congratulate them for us, hug them tight, give them a sweaty high five, and don't forget to smile as you reflect on all that they have accomplished. We are doing the same from afar.
Yours in virtual hugs, high fives, and fist bumps,
Kate
Kathryn Panek
Merrill Middle School, Principal
Tuesday! Personal Belongings Pick-Up Plan
Student last names A-F: 3-4 PM
Student last names G-L: 4-5 PM
Student last names M-R: 5-6 PM
Student last names S-Z: 6-7 PM
If you have questions, please email Mr. Tate at brian.tate@dmschools.org. Thank you!
Return to Learn
DMPS families will be receiving a survey from our district office in the coming days to better understand the needs of each family should we find ourselves in a similar situation in the fall. Stay tuned for more information.
In the meantime, you can find guidance on the Return to Learn Plan from the Iowa Department of Education here.
DSM Tutor Connection
Looking for tutoring services for your child? The Greater Des Moines Partnership and Drake University have launched the DSM Tutor Connection to provide additional support for K-12 students. The service is a web-based platform designed to connect families seeking tutoring for their children with university students interested in providing these services. All of the tutoring will be conducted on-line and scheduled between tutors and interested families at a rate of $15 per hour. Click here for more information.
DMPS Call Center
Merrill will remain closed for both May and June. If you have questions about distance learning, technology, 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/
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A Message from Dr. Ahart
The COVID-19 pandemic is not over, neither in central Iowa nor around the world. Just this week, Des Moines was noted as one of the nation's hot spots for our increasing number of confirmed cases. Viruses do not react to government proclamations.
At this time it is not clear when the number of COVID-19 cases will peak in Iowa. As a result, at Des Moines Public Schools, we will continue to monitor the situation and follow our current steps, including limited access to our buildings, the cancellation of activities until further notice, and limiting our Class of 2020 graduation to the "personal commencement" plan announced earlier this week. As Superintendent, my team and I are also looking ahead to the start of the next school year and possible changes that may be needed in order to safely resume school.
Finally, I would simply urge all of our students, staff and families to continue to take steps to limit your exposure to COVID-19, such as maintaining physical distancing, wearing a mask when around other people, and limiting events and activities. We cannot wait until the time we can return to normal, both in our lives and at our schools. That day will not come if we rush into it, but only if we listen to the medical experts and continue to do the things necessary to maintain the health and well-being of ourselves and our community. And thank you for your continued support as we navigate this historic challenge.
Wishing you all good health,
Tom Ahart
Superintendent
Be Ready for the 20-21 School Year
7th Grade Immunizations
Students entering 7th grade are required to have the Meningococcal vaccination, or waiver, to begin school in the fall.
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.
Middle School Cross Country
The Roosevelt Middle School boys’ cross-country meeting for the fall of 2020 will be held virtually on Microsoft Teams at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 20. Any interested boys who are currently in 6th or 7th grade are welcome to attend. Please have your student email adam.severson@dmschools.org via their student email to receive the invite to that meeting. The invites will be sent to student email addresses by 3:00 PM on Wednesday. In order to make sure everyone who is interested receives the invite, please make sure to email by 3:00 PM on Wednesday, May 20th.
Computers
If a computer falls out of working condition or is damaged, please let us know right away so that we can arrange to pick it up and get it fixed. Regardless of what learning looks like in the fall, it will be important for all computers to be in working order.
Please email technology questions to our office manager, Jane Schumann (jane.schumann@dmschools.org) or to our media specialist, Carrie Kent (carrie.kent@dmschools.org).
Thank you!
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