The Merrill Minute
May 4, 2020
Happy Teacher Appreciation Week! Students - Let your teachers know how much they mean to you via email. They would love to hear from each one of you! Thank you!
Adjusting to Online Learning
As with any new skill or routine that we learn, there is a period of time where we fumble through until we gain confidence and ease and establish practices and habits that work for us. This has been especially noticeable and true for staff and students as we have entered the world of online learning. Below are some ideas that will support successful @Home learning:
We recommend students and families:
- Identify a daily routine that works for you and your family.
- Discuss with students what they found interesting or confusing in their learning.
- Reach out to teachers for support and guidance.
- Determine a space for the device to be kept at night and monitor the use just as you would a cell phone.
Teachers will:
- Provide optional @Home learning opportunities for students.
Continue with the ongoing cadence of engaging with students.
Collaborate with families to connect you with what you need.
Return e-mails within 24 hours Monday-Friday.
We are aware that there have been a few instances of inappropriate use of technology, and we want to reassure you that we are taking swift action when this happens. Here is what you should know regarding inappropriate use:
- Teachers have been and will continue to discuss appropriate use during "Teams" meetings. Please have those same conversations with your student.
- If you notice anything inappropriate, please report it by emailing one of our associate principals at brian.tate@dmschools.org or kristen.kennedyanderson@dmschools.org.
- DMPS policy allows us to deny, revoke, or suspend access to students who violate the acceptable use policy found here.
Your partnership in the @Home learning process is vital as we continue to gain confidence and ease and establish practices and habits that work for all students and families. Thank you for your feedback and we will continue to work tirelessly to meet the needs of all learners.
Yours in @Home learning,
Kate
Kathryn Panek
Merrill Middle School, Principal
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/
2nd Semester Grades
Because instruction for the semester was incomplete and all students did not have multiple opportunities to demonstrate growth as a result of learning over time, final Semester 2 grades will not be issued for middle school courses.
While all of the details are not yet worked out, student transcripts will likely indicate that students were enrolled in the courses and then will have an asterisk indicating school closure due to COVID-19. Students enrolled in Algebra I, please see previous e-mails from Mrs. Nolan regarding grades for Algebra I. Central Academy students, please refer to the options you received from Dr. Gogerty.
K-8 Workbook Printing
Print Materials: DMPS is still mailing print materials and unfortunately probably won’t have them all out to families until Tuesday, May 5th.
Sorry for the delay and thanks for your patience.
In the meantime, the materials are available at https://www.dmschools.org/onlinelearning/pk-8-subject-workbooks/.
Music Survey - Please complete ASAP.
In order for us to really get moving with next year's schedule, we need music course requests completed as soon as possible. To ensure your student gets enrolled in the music course of his or her choice, please follow the directions below.
Note: For next year's 7th and 8th graders, the survey is in the STUDENT PORTAL. For our incoming 6th graders, the survey is in the PARENT PORTAL.
Next year's 7th and 8th Graders:
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"
Incoming 6th Graders:
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"
Instrument Day
Community News
Support Small Business
Many of these businesses have supported fundraisers and activities that so many Merrill students have been involved in. With your help, he would like to help make a positive impact on them during this time of need.
Please help Brayden show small businesses in our neighborhood how much we care by donating on the Go Fund Me Page.
TRHS Choirs
Merrill 8th Graders: Join the Roosevelt Vocal Music Department for the 2020-2021 school year! Sign-up for open enroll choirs (no audition required): Forte Treble Choir, Riderchor Bass Choir, or Rider Rhythm Show Choir. Audition for Chamber Choir and/or Revelation Show Choir.
Please visit trhsvocalmusic.org/auditions to find out more!
We sing, we dance, but most importantly...we are one voice! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-yaMirUBCA
June 2 Primary
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
Tech Tips and Tricks from Mrs. Kent
Students have easy access to all their apps (Canvas, Teams, etc) through their student email. Go to student email through the DMPS website (do a Google search for DMPS). Click on the Students tab > Student email.
Sign in with the whole email address as the username (studentID@student.dmschools.org) and student computer password.
Once students are signed into their email they have access to OneDrive, Teams, Canvas, Word, Excel and other Apps by clicking on the "waffle" (the 9 white dots) in the upper left corner of the Outlook page.
This information is also on pages 8-9 in the Student Device Guide which was included in your bag if you picked up a computer from Merrill.
Canvas
What is Canvas? Canvas is DMPS's Learning Management System that supports teachers in providing content for students via an online platform.
What Canvas courses will my student be enrolled in? Canvas courses for English Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies, Art, Music, Physical Education, and Spanish will be published to students beginning on Monday, April 27. Students have been automatically enrolled in these courses and can login to access the content using the directions below. Content will include review and preview material. Students at Merrill will have access to all courses 6-8 in order to differentiate based on student need.
Are these courses required? No. Canvas courses are completely optional and there is no expectation for mastery of learning. In alignment with state expectations, we cannot require any attendance or engagement with materials. Additionally, no grades or scores will be taken for review of previous learning or new learning.
How do students access Canvas courses? Students can head to https://dmschools.instructure.com/. They will then use their student e-mail and password to login to Canvas. Students can also go to the DMPS homepage, click on "Students", click on "DMPS @Home", and then click on "Canvas".
How will Merrill teachers support student engagement with Canvas courses?
- Teachers will continue to keep you in the loop using our Daily Merrill Update which can be found in your inboxes each afternoon, on the Merrill website, and on School CNXT. If you are feeling overwhelmed by the communication, the Merrill website is your one stop shop that houses everything you need to know.
- Teachers are available via the Microsoft Teams chat feature, traditional e-mail, and School CNXT to help orient students to the Canvas modules, answer questions, and support students in engaging with the content.
- Many teachers are offering weekly "Teams" meetings for each class period and/or making themselves available during "Office Hours" to answer any questions students might have and support them in engaging with the content. We are working on a master schedule of "Teams" meetings and "Office Hours; however, these times can be difficult to pin down as our professional calendars shift, as we continue to care for our own families at home, and as other events pop up without much notice. Please know that we will continue to reach out to you, and we will respond within 24 hours if you reach out to us.
Click here to see a video introduction to Canvas.
Click here to read additional information regarding Canvas on the DMPS website.
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