Dear Parents:

As we settle into the school year, I wanted to take a moment to share our excitement about the activities and achievements happening at Anselmo-Merna School. Our volleyball and football seasons are well underway, and our students are also gearing up for One Act performances. It’s wonderful to see our students engaged in these enriching extracurricular activities!

I’m pleased to report that we have successfully completed MAPS testing, and we are beginning to find our rhythm as we move through the academic year. It’s an absolute privilege to witness the dedication of our students and staff each and every day!

I love being a part of this community!

Thank you for your partnership in education!

Lloyd

A special thank you to Adams Land and Cattle for helping to organize this years Food for Youth Food Drive and to our community members who are helping to support that work! Food collected at our school is used to help support our backpack program.

Our school is competing with other organizations from Custer County to address food insecurity and hunger. The items we collect will go right back to our students. We have also collected numerous monetary donations that are used to help cover voucher assistance for groceries at the Grocery Kart or The Market and Mill.

To date - we've collected about 350 items and about $250 in cash donations.

The contest continues through this Thursday, September 26th

If you have any questions or want to support the cause, please contact Mrs. Molli Miller at molli.miller@amcoyotes.org

ASVAB testing is scheduled for Juniors this Wednesday, September 25th at 8:15 AM. Please remind your students to get plenty of rest before and to give it their best effort. More information on ASVAB testing can be found here or contact Mrs. Molli Miller with additional questions.

Picture Retakes Reminder

We wanted to remind everyone that picture retakes are scheduled for September 25th. If your child missed the initial picture day or you'd like a new photo, please make sure they are prepared for retakes on that day. Thank you!

We extend our heartfelt thanks to Farm Credit Services of America for their generous $500 donation to Anselmo-Merna School, which will help cover the cost of beef processing. We are proud to continue using Custer County Beef in our school meals, supporting local agriculture and providing nutritious options for our students. If you're interested in being part of this initiative, please reach out to Principal Chanc McIntosh for more information. Your support makes a difference!

We appreciate everyone who comes out to support ALL of our students in their events and activities! We also recognize that Junior High activities occur during the day and that families sometimes go together to watch! The school asks that parents call the school by 10:00 AM on the day of any Junior High event to excuse their student. That communication can also take prior to the day of scheduled competition as well. By having those requests in to the school by 10:00 am the day of, we can ensure that teachers are notified and release students accordingly. This allows us to communicate effectively with teachers, ensuring a smooth release process and reducing any potential confusion. We also ask that if releasing your student to attend a Junior High event - that they are accompanied by a parent / guardian. Calls to release a student can be directed to Mrs. Robin Christen at 308-643-2224 then press 2. Thank you for your cooperation!

The budget for the 24-25 school year have been established and approved. The approved budget for 24-25 reflected an overall increase of about 2.2% from 23-24. Current statute allow Nebraska schools an overall increase of 2% annually. Our additional .2% is tied to district "growth". While the budget grew 2.2% from 23-24, our mil levy is set to come down approximately 8/10ths of a cent. This is due to an increase in valuations in Custer Country. Our current mill levy is one of the lowest in the state when compared to other school districts in Nebraska.

We are mindful that livelihoods in our area are directly connected to the ground that is taxed to run our school. We are also mindful that our community is deeply committed to our school and our student outcomes. To that end, Mr. McIntyre has arranged for planning and goal setting sessions to occur with the support of NRCSA (Nebraska Rural Council of School Administrators). This will commence after harvest is wrapped up. Topics of discussion will prioritize student performance, include opportunities to identify things we are really good at, where we need to grow, and resource allocation planning. Similar to other schools in Nebraska, a large part of our expenses are connected to personnel and benefits. The remaining dollars of our budget are used to cover operational expenses / equipment and allowable cash reserves. The resource allocation planning will allow us to use schedules for purchases and planned improvements for the portions of our budget not tied to personnel or ongoing operational expenses (example - when do we buy a new bus or change the carpet in a classroom?). As those items are discussed and planned for - we will share that information with community members. If you have anything you'd like to share as we consider those topics, please share those items here or let Mr. McIntyre know!

We are excited to share some important updates regarding our learning resources. To enhance our students’ educational experience, we are now utilizing Clever to streamline access to digital tools for both students and teachers. This platform helps simplify log in / access.

We are also excited to announce that over the past several years, we have adopted three new curriculum programs:

1. Amplify for K-8 Science - addresses Nebraska's 3 dimensional science standards
2. Into Reading for K-12 students - addresses Nebraska's most current ELA content standards
3. Reveal Math for K-12 students - addresses Nebraska's most recent math standards

Our curriculum choices were made in collaboration with ESU 10 and included valuable input from our dedicated teachers. Our goal is to align our resources with the recommendations from our recent five-year accreditation visit, ensuring that we provide the best possible education for our students.

We believe these resources will greatly benefit our students’ learning journeys. Thank you for your continued support as we strive to provide a high-quality educational experience!

The 24-25 School Activity Calendar is available on our website and is THE BEST place to go to get current / up to date information. It includes things like gate charges for away activities, streaming links, and event start times!

Our School Activity Calendar is also available on our application.

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Please download our app and install push notifications to stay up to date with the most current Anselmo-Merna School news - including school closures due to weather or other important time sensitive announcements.

IOS users - https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anselmo-merna-public-school/id6471425919

Android Users - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.apptegy.ampsne&pli=1

*** Repeat from August - Attached - please find the school calendar for the 24-25 school year (It is also linked on our website). Please note that fall parent teacher conferences have been adjusted to avoid conflict with other activities. Parent teachers conferences are scheduled for this Thursday and Friday. Should you have any questions - please contact, Mr. McIntosh at chanc.mcintosh@amcoyotes.org.

Coyotes!

I am SO EXCITED to welcome our kids back to school on August 16th! We hope that each of you has been able to unplug, destress, and find sometime to connect with friends and loved ones over the past couple of months.

As we enter the 24-25 school year, I want to thank each of you for your continued partnership. It's been awesome serving the kids and families of Anselmo-Merna School! I feel incredibly lucky to be here with you.

As I reflect on this past school year, I'm humbled by the commitment of our community. Over and over again, I've seen people from A-M come together and provide experiences for our kids that they will never forget.. As an example, did you hear that our A-M Foundation raised nearly $45,000 a couple of months ago to help enhance our students experiences? Simply incredible.

The end of summer is always bitter sweet. I encourage each of you to continue to find joy with the changing seasons. Encourage your students to be involved and prioritize time to be together. Ask them to tell you about their day!

For those of you who have a kiddo leaving on their next big adventure - we are thinking of you. Remember, they are READY to fly!

As we get ready to start - please help your young people get back into regular routines (if they are out of one) Also, please remember that your excitement about the upcoming school year is something that your student can see and feel.

We are are here because of them. Their success is our success.

Be a Learner, Be a Leader, Be a Coyote!

- Lloyd McIntyre - Superintendent

Download our app and install push notifications to stay up to date with the most current Anselmo-Merna School news!

IOS users - https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anselmo-merna-public-school/id6471425919

Android Users - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.apptegy.ampsne&pli=1

Is scheduled for August 13th from 5:00 - 7:00 PM. This is a great opportunity to meet your students teachers! We want to partner with our families and are looking forward to seeing all of you that night!

Attached - please find the school calendar for the 24-25 school year (It is also linked on our website). Please note that fall parent teacher conferences have been adjusted to avoid conflict with other activities. Should you have any questions - please contact, Mr. McIntosh at chanc.mcintosh@amcoyotes.org

A-M is fortunate to have LunchTime Solutions handling our Breakfast and Lunch Program and working with our Farm to Table Program. It is our mission to offer meals to our students that are nutritions and whenever possible, sourced by locally raised products. Last year A-M had locally raised beef along with Sweet Corn that was donated to the school for our students to enjoy for lunch. The A-M Farm to Table Program also received monetary donations that are used to purchase locally raised goods or pay for beef processing.

This summer A-M was able to install a walk in freezer. This helps with having more frozen items on hand and including large quantities of locally raised beef on hand.

Earlier this summer, the A-M Farm to Table Program received a beef donation from Cliff Table Ag that will be the start to filling our new freezer. The A-M Farm to Table Program had the opportunity to purchase additional beef at market value during the Custer County Fair. This was made possible by Nebraska State Bank that supports the Custer County Fair and many exhibitors. The live auction on Thursday Night of the Fair is when exhibitors sell their exhibits. Many supporting businesses come and bid/buy those exhibits at a premium price and then put the exhibits back on base. The base is set by other entities bidding market value of that day. The County Fair is fortunate for having multiple supporters that are willing to participate in this process of setting the base and buying the exhibits.

A-M plans to continue growing the Farm to Table Program and ensure that our students are served locally raised products. If you have any inquiries about the Farm to Table Program please Contact Chanc McIntosh - Anselmo-Merna PK-12 Principal. chanc.mcintosh@amcoyotes.org

Activities schedules for 24-25 are linked below.

When clicking on the link - you will find activities schedules for the entire 24-25 school year.

Activities / Events are also linked on our webpage

*All dates and times are subject to change

** Our website will have the most up to date information

***Please contact Spencer Goodman with any questions spencer.goodman@amcoyotes.org

What is Nebraska Smart?

Nebraska SMART (Success Made Accessible through Rural Tutoring) is a free virtual tutoring program for K-12 students who attend NRCSA (Nebraska Rural Community Schools Association) member school districts, school districts in Educational Service Units 1, 4, and 13, and other select smaller rural public-school districts. Teacher education candidates from Chadron State, Peru State, and Wayne State Colleges remotely tutor students through an online tutoring platform.

Nebraska SMART was established by the Nebraska State College System in partnership with the Nebraska Department of Education which awarded an Innovation Grant to the State Colleges to develop a rural tutoring program. Chadron State College, Peru State College, and Wayne State College collaboratively offer this free online tutoring program to K-12 students in rural Nebraska.

Nebraska SMART will host three (3) informational webinars at various times in August. Parents, Teachers, Counselors, Principals, and Superintendents are invited to attend. Join Julie Dickerson, Director of Nebraska SMART, to learn more about the free online tutoring program available for K-12 students in rural Nebraska. Click below to register for the webinar most convenient for you:

• August 6, 2024
  2:00 PM CT/1:00 PM MT
  Register
• August 9, 2024
  11:00 AM CT/10:00 AM MT
  Register
• August 14, 2024
  4:00 PM CT/3:00 PM MT
  Register

More information on Nebraska Smart can be found at the link below.

https://www.nscs.edu/NebraskaSMART

https://youtu.be/6nFWyY1fEGA

Nebraska Law requires a physical exam for all students participating in athletics, entering kindergarten, seventh grade, and those transferring in from out-of-state. The physical exam must have been within the previous six months. Parents have up to 30 days following the date of enrollment to present evidence of the physical exam or object in writing. Students will not be allowed to practice without current physical.

Physical forms can be found at our website

https://www.a-mps.org/

--> Menu

--> Documents

--> School forms and links

--> Sports forms

--> Pre Physical Form (JH & HS) or use one from your doctor (also linked here)

In an effort to improve the use of our time on Coyote Business night we are sharing our emergency contact form to be completed that evening. That form is linked here. Information from this form will be uploaded to Power School (our student information system).

For our newly enrolled students, we are ALSO required to collect the following: (please bring to business night)

- Copy of original birth certificate

- Immunization records

- Current physicals (for all K, 7th, Out of State)

Thank you to those of you who have already filled out bus request forms already! If you haven't - and your student will ride the bus - please fill out this form ASAP. If you have any questions - please direct them to transportation director, Mr. Joe Lamb at joe.lamb@amcoyotes.org or by calling 3086432224

USDA Guidelines for free and reduced thresholds are found here

For those qualifying for free and reduced lunch, applications must be submitted annually. That application is linked on our website under documents. It is also linked here.

Research shows that students learn better when they aren't hungry! Anselmo-Merna School is committed to providing access to nutritious meals!

All required sports forms are linked here. If you have any questions about what's required - please reach out to Athletic Director, Spencer Goodman.

All activities/individual sports handbooks are linked on our website under "Menu", "Activities & Athletics". They are also linked here.

As we enter the 24-25 seasons, this is a great time to be mindful of the following

- let the. players play

- let the coaches coach

- let the officials officiate

- speak words that encourage

- remember that activities are a privilege

- activities provide lessons on perseverance, hard work, teamwork, and adversity.

- be supportive of your student athlete

- be supportive of our coaches (they dedicate countless hours to our kids)

- encourage hard work and to have fun

- encourage your son or daughters to be the BEST teammate

Coyotes!

We have officially entered the home stretch. May is here and we are excited! The school year has been an incredible adventure and our young people have made it awesome! We will miss them this summer but we are also excited for them to have the chance to slow down a little bit, enjoy the sunshine, smell the roses, and be outside!

Our kids and staff have been working hard to wrap up spring testing. They have had the chance to experience different learning outside of the school and have probably spent some time talking to you about it at home!

There are numerous summer opportunities for our young people. We encourage you to stay tuned in / plugged in and look for important announcements on our website and our social media pages. Summer camps and other opportunities provide chances for our kids to come together, learn, and compete. These are great ways to build cohesiveness and camaraderie and are essential elements to high performing teams. As busy schedules allow, please continue to encourage your young person to be connected and involved with the different opportunities planned for this summer.

THANK YOU for making this school year awesome. The work we do in our school would not be possible without your support. We appreciate you!

Look forward to seeing you at graduation this weekend!

Superintendent - Lloyd McIntyre

As the 23-24 school year wraps up - so does the strategic plan that accompanied it. Strategic planning is a an opportunity to chart a course for the next 5 years and beyond here at Anselmo Merna. We will work to engage our stakeholders to hear what we need to continue, consider, and should reconsider. The planning that we do will help us be strategic with resources and investments in our school community. It will also help provide us a road map for the things we know we will have to address so we can plan accordingly. NASB (Nebraska Association of School Boards), will help us with that process. Our goals and priorities will frame up those planning conversations. Please be on the lookout for more information about opportunities to provide feedback on the future of A-M. If you have any questions, please reach out to Mr. McIntyre. 308-643-2224 ext 101 or lloyd.mcintyre@amcoyotes.org

As part of our efforts to ensure that we have current and required information on our students, we have worked diligently to reach out to parents and update information that has been shared with us regarding changes in phone numbers, medical plans, medications, etc. As always, please continue to call the main office at 308-643-2224 and speak with Mrs. Robin Christen regarding those updates / changes so we can note them in our student information system. You are also welcome to email her at robin.christen@amcoyotes.org We are also asking our parents to complete an enrollment form. That form is linked on our website under "Parents and Community". The link is called "Enrollment Form". The updating of this information will be required annually. Thank you for your help!

Summer is a great chance to get caught up on reading! Both Anselmo and Merna have libraries that are accessible to our community members. The hours of operation at the Merna library are Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday 12:30 - 5:00.

Nebraskas list of online resources provided b public libraries is linked here. https://nlc.nebraska.gov/tbbs/catalogs.aspx

Want to stay in the know but aren't on social media? No problem! You can download the Anselmo Merna App and stay up to date all things A-M!

For iPhone users - visit the Apple App store or click on this link

For Google Play store users - visit the Google Play store or click on this link

When you sign up - please "turn on" push notifications as we will send things like T-shirt orders and other important information through the app!

We are really fortunate to have the facilities we do!

We want to continue to offer our weight room facility for use to our community members. If you are interested in using it - you can sign up here. Requests will be routed to Athletic Director Spencer Goodman. He can be reached directly at spencer.goodman@amcoyotes.org

We ask the following from our community members

- Doors are not propped

- Access when students are not in session / using (scheduled team lift times will be posted in weight room)

- Stay in designated area (weight room only)

- Fobs are used by those who sign up

- Weight room is returned to the condition it is found

Anselmo Merna School is fortunate to have a partnership with Lunchtime Solutions. Lunchtime Solutions and their staff work diligently to offer healthy and appealing meals to our kids each and every day. Lunch Time Solutions along with other lunch providers are held to the standards established by the USDA as the offer reimbursement on some of the items we provide our young people.

We received some feedback on portion sizes and cost moving forward and want to address this with the community at large. Should you have any questions - please let Mr. McIntyre know.

Some facts -

- Students who eat breakfast and lunch are typically more focused and alert throughout the day.

- Our participation rate for breakfast is above 30% and lunch is above 70%. These percentages are considered "high participation rates" by Lunchtime Solutions.

- Students who purchase a lunch are able to visit the fruit and veggie bar as many times as they would like. We do ask that they eat what they take!

- Some of our costs have been offset by what are called "supply chain assistance grants". These developed during COVID and may be phased out next year. These grants can be used to source locally raised produce / meat.

- What is billed by Lunchtime to our school is more than what we ask our families / students to pay. The difference in those costs have been offset by USDA reimbursement for things like milk.

- We are able to carry a 3 month rolling average of our costs in our school lunch account. We are not able to carry dollars in excess of that 3 month rolling average in our school lunch account without a Nebraska Department of Education approved plan on how to allocate those resources. Those resources can be used to enhance our food service / production. Some things we've recently moved on, creating a walk in freezer, upgrading our lunch trays, securing a new proofer (cabinet to keep food warm), and a new serving line well warmer as the old one was rusted out and uneven with keeping food warm.

- Students will often come through for seconds. The costs associated with that are calculated on the cost of preparation. The cost extended to the school is less than what we collect as a school as we are not attempting to profit. We want kids to participate

- Serving sizes and nutritional content are based on guidance from the USDA.

- Costs from second trips through the serving line for main dishes or other offerings (with the exception of the fruit and salad bar) are advertised at the point of sale.

- For a meal to be considered reimbursable, it must contain 4 components. 2 servings of either fruit / or vegetables (or a combination of the two). A main dish and a milk.

- Our lunch program is audited annually by NDE and we are provided that feedback to make improvements to our processes.

We welcome feedback on our school breakfast / lunch! Please share that feedback with Mr. McIntyre or you can leave that feedback anonymously here.

Our Middle School and High School track teams continue to set PR's. We are proud of them and their growth throughout the year!

Our Elementary Concert was incredible. Thank you to Mrs. Baker and our kids for making a concert we won't forget!

Our Quiz Bowl team competed at state a couple of weeks ago and competed against teams from all class sizes from across the state. We are proud of them and appreciate how they represented us!

Our golfers won a meet last month and have finished solo second on a couple of occasions. They continue to impress. Districts are right around the corner.

Our booster club has graciously provided some financial support to have the graphics redone in our main gym! We are appreciate of their continued support!

The Nebraska Legislature set aside money this school year for schools to apply for funding for security infrastructure. This competitive grant funding opportunity represented an opportunity to secure some needed safety and security updates for our school. Anselmo Merna is on the list of schools to be recommended for funding on the state board of education agenda on May 3rd. While we aren't being recommended for full funding - we will be able to address safety and security needs in our building.

*Dates and times subject to change

**Please see https://www.a-mps.org/ for most up to date information.

Wed May 1, 2024

All day NSAA Transfer List Deadline

All day Senior Last Day

Description: Senior Picture - Graduation Ceremony Set up/Practice - Cap/Gown Walk through

8am - 8:30am Coyote Saving Bank Open (K-6th)

10am - 4pm Brady JH Track & Field Invite @ Arnold

2:30pm - 6pm Sandhills-Thedford JV Golf Invite @ Thedford

Thu May 2, 2024

All day K & 1st Grade Field Trip

8:30am - 2pm Junior Fire Patrol 6th Grade

Where: Broken Bow, Fire Hall

Description: Leave School 8:05 - Return 2:30 - Must wear jeans and closed toed shoes.

10am - 4pm North Platte St. Pat's Golf Invite @ River's Edge

12:15pm - 12:50pm JH/HS Student Council - Description: During Lunch Time

Fri May 3, 2024

All day 4th Grade Field Trip

9:30am - 4:30pm Dave Blevins HS Track & Field Invite @ Arnold

Sat May 4, 2024

5pm - 6pm Graduation

Mon May 6, 2024

All day 5th/6th Grade Field Trip

9am - 4pm North Central Golf Invite @ Bassett

7pm - 8pm JH/HS Spring Concert

Tue May 7, 2024

All day FFA Officer Meeting @ Lunch

All day 3rd Grade Field Trip

Description: Omaha Zoo Leave 2:00 Tuesday Return 5:00 Wednesday

7pm - 8pm 8th Grade Promotion

Wed May 8, 2024

All day 3rd Grade Field Trip Return 5:00 PM

9:30am - 5pm District Track & Field @ Paxton

11am - 4pm Mullen Golf Invite

Thu May 9, 2024

11am - 11:30am Preschool/JK Graduation

7pm - 9pm Spring Activities Celebration (snacks and drinks provided)

Fri May 10, 2024

All day Elementary Track Meet

7am - 8am School Board Free Pancake Feed

Mon May 13, 2024

8:30am - 3:30pm 2nd Grade Pioneer Village Trip

9am - 4pm District Golf @ Ainsworth

Tue May 14, 2024

All day FFA Meeting @ Lunch

Wed May 15, 2024

1pm - 2pm Dismissal (End of 2nd Semester)

Thu May 16, 2024

All day Teacher Workday

Fri May 17, 2024

All day NSAA State Track & Field Championships in Omaha

All day Teacher Workday

Sat May 18, 2024

All day NSAA State Track & Field Championships in Omaha

Mon May 20, 2024

7pm - 8pm School Board Meeting (7:00)

Where: A-M HS Library

Tue May 21, 2024

All day NSAA Boys Golf Championships

Wed May 22, 2024

All day NSAA Boys Golf Championships

Sat May 25, 2024

5pm - 8pm MNAC vs. MAC All-Star Basketball Game @ Mullen HS

Thu May 30, 2024

All day HS Girls Basketball Team Skills Camp

Mon Jun 3, 2024

All day Girls Basketball Summer League @ A-M

Families:

Spring activities are well underway! We hosted a track meet here at the school and by most accounts, it was a successful day! A special thank you to our staff and community members for helping make it a great day!

A special thank you to Joel Morgan and Jason Wehnes for helping with our starting / timing and Bob Westbrook for audio!

We also had our accreditation visit mid March. While the full report hasn't been made available quite yet, we heard some great things about our school and have been provided some opportunities to consider as as goals moving forward. There is more information about that visit below.

Thank you for all that you do for our young people!

Every 5 years, schools have the opportunity to have an external team come into the school and provide feedback on the work they've been doing in addition to suggestions for future goals. This work is tied to Nebraska's continuous improvement model and specific to our needs and goals. Our external team recorded their findings in an exit interview and are working on completing their official report. The video is linked here. A special THANK YOU to the staff who worked on preparing for the external visit, all of the community members who engaged with our external team, and our students who took time to visit with them about their experiences here.

Thank you again to those of you who shared feedback about our activities recognition (including our students!). We understand that their isn't a perfect plan for celebrating our young people and all that they've accomplished with us, but we wanted to make sure and hear from folks about what that might look like moving forward. Some of that feedback included perspective on the different ways it's been handled over the years and wanting to land on a way doing it here at Anselmo Merna. Questions were asked about location, weekday / weekend, how many events (and where). Based on that feedback, it appeared that folks would like to find a day to celebrate our young people at the school (with a meal) on a weekday night towards the end of the school year! We will work on setting that up for next year.

Attached, please see the schedule for next school year! We collected feedback from stakeholders on different school calendar options for the 24-25 school year. Things that were considered included professional development days, start and end dates/times (ensuring Rule 10 compliance), and events that draw large numbers of our people away from the area at different points throughout the year. If you have any feedback we should consider when developing the school calendar for next year, please share that with Mr. McIntosh and or Mr. McIntyre! The PDF / printable version is linked here.

Spring is legislative season. The Nebraska Unicameral continues to discuss a number of legislative bills during this legislative session. Floor debates will resume tomorrow. Bills impacting the world of education include school funding formula adjustments and changes to the open meetings act. The funding bill has been presented as a means to lower reliance on property taxes and may include a "hard cap" for public institutions and their ability to claim property tax authority which sets a defined percentage increase. Some of this shift would be funded by a reallocation of unclaimed property tax credits to what's being called the "futures fund" paired with an increase in "base aid", per pupil funding (across the state) and with an increase in sales tax to include goods and services that haven't been taxed historically. As many of you already know, property tax dollars are collected and redistributed to "equalized" districts in other parts of the state. This is done through TEEOSA

If you haven't claimed your property tax credits - please do so as it helps our school and shifts some of the funding burden from the local to the state level.

Nebraska's educational systems have benefited from strong local control and it's hardworking citizens who care deeply about Nebraska kids. Up until recently, Nebraska has also arguably benefited from a single house legislative body that has prioritized respectful political discourse by folks who recognize the importance of a well educated public. That investment is evidenced in NAEP outcomes (the only apples to apples comparison of state systems from across the nation).

While there is uncertainty about which funding formulas will be used to appropriate public resources across the state, Anselmo Merna School will continue to monitor and be strategic with our investments. For most districts, (including us) 80+% of our annual budget is allocated to staff salaries and benefits. Recognizing that our families make a living off of the ground taxed to fund our school and also the forward thinking needed to ensure that our community continues to benefit from a strong school district 20 years from now, we will continue to be strategic with our thinking and engagement of the community to help develop our short and long term priorities.

We are committed to ensuring great outcomes for our kids and out community.

The last strategic plan cycle just wrapped up and was about 5 years long. Strategic planning discussions for will continue this year and we will need your feedback. We want to be transparent and inclusive while also honoring the hard work and sacrifices that have been made that make this place great!

If you have any questions or suggestions - -please let Mr. McIntyre know.

We have continued to identify items to be surplussed. We will have some additional technology items that should be available at the end of April. We will also be surplussing 2 busses that are no longer used. Please be on the lookout for more details on that.on our website / social media accounts.

April and May are busy times of year! Please click on the pictures below to see what's scheduled for the rest of April and May!

Has anyone else noticed the birds singing outside?

That is a tell tale sign that spring is right around the corner. Longer days and more time outside are just ahead. As we finish up our winter activities season, I'd like to thank each of you for coming out and supporting our young people. The time you've invested in them is something they'll always remember.

I'd also like to thank you for your patience as we navigated some challenging weather. We are hopeful that the worst of it is behind us. Making sure our kids and our staff are safe will always be at the heart of how we approach mother nature related changes.

My family and I continue to feel the love of the community! Thank you for making us feel so welcomed. I can't help but think that is something that sets us apart!

We are lucky to be here!

-Lloyd

Hunger impedes learning. As we work to educate kids, we also recognize that other barriers may prevent our students from shining their brightest. Last semester, Adams Land and Cattle lead a food drive in Custer County. Our school participated in that food drive to collect non perishables for families in need. We have used those items to help support our families and our students.

We have also collected some hygiene products and clothing.

How you can help - If you or or someone you know is in need and food / clothing for their young person is a challenge, we want to help. We are targeting Wednesdays and Fridays after school as distribution days, but can be flexible in working with families. If you are needing some assistance, please contact the school and speak with Robin or Molli .

What's coming? Feb 9th, our game against Ansley Litchfield - we will be accepting a non perishable item to get in the game!

The facilities at Anselmo Merna have been well kept and supported over the years. I continue to hear how nice our facilities are. As part of our responsibility to continue that legacy, I wanted to inform you that we will need to replace our elementary roof in the near future. This replacement cost has been budgeted and planned for and will ensure if we have any issues connected to roof compromise, those costs are covered. The roof is replaced in sections and currently, the other sections are still under warranty. If you have any questions, please let Mr. McIntyre know.

In an effort to maintain our current floor and to ensure that the finish we are using maintains / protects wood, we have been getting feedback on having gym floors refinished this summer. We have had several flooring professionals come look at our floors to see what would have caused some of the flaking (you can see the picture for reference) to occur. Based on the feedback from the professionals we've spoken with, they shared that over the years, different types of sealers have created spots where there is an uneven / inconsistent finish. We want to protect the community investment, ensure it is on par with what our community expects, lasts for years to come, and something our kiddos deserve. We have continued gathering feedback from folks who do this kind of work and will continue to evaluate. Below are some pictures of our floor (on left) and some of what that work could look like.

Every two years, school districts across the state are required to evaluate their Career and Technical Education offerings / practices (CTE). The purpose of this evaluation is to better understand the districts approach to preparing students for employment and post secondary readiness. Part of that process allows us to access information from NE Workforce on high demand, high availability, and high wage jobs (H3). (also pictured to the right). As we evaluate our current approach to CTE, one of our calls is to engage our community in collecting that feedback. If you'd be interested in providing some feedback as a parent or a business owner - please let Mr. McIntyre know and he will send you a survey. This is a great opportunity to make sure there is alignment between our practices and our community needs.

In recent weeks, we have been working through our student files to ensure they are compliant with the State of Nebraska requirements. Nebraska requires us to have on file a copy of a certified birth certificate, current vaccination record, a vision test by an optometrist, and a current kindergarten or 7th grade physical according to state statute Neb. Rev. Stat. § 79-214. Shots required are at least 4 DPT and IPV, 3 HepB and 2 MMR and Varicella.

We have already spoken to many of our students parents and guardians to gather the documents we need. For the folks we've been unable to connect with, we will be sending letters to families with a list of the missing items below. Thank you for your help in making sure we have the documentation we need for your student.

X Certified Copy of Birth Certificate

X Kindergarten Physical (or current)

X Vision test by Optometrist

X Current Immunizations/ Notarized Affidavit

X DTP X IPV X MMR X Varicella X HepB

Monday, February 5, today

All day -

MNAC Instrumental Music Clinic @ Arnold1 – 3:30pm

JH B & G Basketball vs. Ansley-Litchfield @ Litchfield

6 – 8pm Youth BB Practice in the Main Gym

6 – 7:30pm Club Volleyball Practice in the AB

Tuesday, February 6

Elementary Dance Camp

FFA Officer Meeting @ Lunch

Senior Night for B & G Basketball

8:30 – 11am Custer County Spelling Bee

4 – 9pm HOME JV/Varsity Basketball vs. South Loup

6 – 9pm FFA Labor Auction @ Cafeteria

Wednesday, February 7

All day - MNAC Speech @ Loup County

1- 3:30pm HOME B & G JH Basketball vs. Sandhills Valley

4 – 5pm - FFA District 8 Review & State Degree Inter. @ Shelton

Thursday, February 8

1 PM Dismissal

2 – 8:30pm Parent-Teacher Conferences

4 – 8pm Youth BB Practice in the AB

Friday, February 9

No School

2 – 6pm Girls District Wrestling @ Broken Bow

3 – 6pm - NSAA Boys District Wrestling Tournament @ Weeping Water 204 W O St, Weeping Water, NE 68463, United States

4 – 9pm HOME JV/Varsity Basketball vs. Ansley-Litchfield

4 – 5:30pm Youth BB Practice (AB)

Saturday, February 10

10am – 6pm NSAA Boys District Wrestling Tournament @ Weeping Water

NSAA Girls Basketball Subdistricts

Monday, February 12

6 – 8pm Youth BB Practice in the AB

Tuesday, February 13

All day - NSAA Girls Basketball Subdistricts

4 – 5:30pm - Youth BB Practice (AB)

Wednesday, February 14

Callaway High School Quiz Bowl2 – 4:30pm

JH B & G Basketball vs. Sandhills-Thedford @ Sandhills

Thursday, February 15

NSAA Wrestling Championships in Omaha (Day 1/3)

NSAA Girls Basketball Subdistrict Finals

4 – 5:30pm - Youth BB Practice in AB

Friday, February 16

NSAA Wrestling Championships in Omaha (Day 2/3)All day

No School!

4 – 8pm - Youth BB Practice in the AB

Saturday, February 17

All day - NSAA Wrestling Championships in Omaha (Day 3/3)

Calendar: School Calendar, Accepted

Monday, February 19

National FFA Week (Day 1/5) All day

NSAA Boys Basketball Subdistricts 7 – 8pm

Tuesday, February 20

National FFA Week (Day 2/5) All day

NSAA Boys Basketball Subdistricts

Wednesday, February 21

National FFA Week (Day 3/5)8:30 – 9:30am

FFA District 8 CDE @ Broken Bow HS

Calendar: School Calendar, Accepted

Thursday, February 22

National FFA Week (Day 4/5)All day

NSAA Boys Basketball Subdistrict Finals

4 – 6pm Club Volleyball Practice in the AB

Friday, February 23

All day NSAA Girls Basketball District Finals

All day - Holdrege Speech Meet

Saturday, February 24

NSAA Boys Basketball District Finals (Potential Date)

Sunday, February 25

1 – 3pm Club Volleyball Practice in the AB

Monday, February 26

NSAA Boys Basketball District Finals (Potential Date)All day

Start of Spring Practices

Tuesday, February 27

NSAA Boys Basketball District Finals (Potential Date)

6 – 7:15pm - Club Volleyball Practice in the AB

Wednesday, February 28

NSAA Girls Basketball State Championships in Lincoln (Day 1/4) All day

Broken Bow HS Quiz Bowl

Thursday, February 29

NSAA Girls Basketball State Championships in Lincoln (Day 2/4)All day

No School!

Friday, March 1

NSAA Girls Basketball State Championships in Lincoln (Day 3/4)All day

No School!

All day - Student Advisory Committee Applications Due

Saturday, March 2

NSAA Girls Basketball State Championships in Lincoln (Day 4/4)

ESU 10 HS Quiz Bowl @ Kearney

FFA Officer Meeting @ Lunch

Tuesday, March 5

6 – 7:30pm - Club Volleyball Practice in the AB

7 – 8pm - Speech Team Public Performances @ HS LibrarySchool Board Meeting (7:00)

A-M Board Room

Welcome to the New Year!

We are excited to have your students back in school! As our kids transition back into more of a routine, your help is appreciated with that!

- Stay with your end of day routines / times.

- Remind kids to put away the devices and read before going to bed!

- Set alarms or wake kids at the same time each day!

- Ask kids how the return to school went!

Thank you for making 2023 AMAZING! We are so excited to see what 2024 has in store for Anselmo Merna!

• Champions for Coaches The program was designed to honor active coaches who go above and beyond for kids and the community. Students, administrators, parents/guardians, and community members are encouraged to nominate coaches that have made a significant impact in their school and community. Nominations are due Monday, January 22nd. The nomination form is available on the NSAA website here. Please consider nominating a coach who has made a positive impact in your students life!

We want kids in school! We also understand that our kids will need to be out of the building from time to time! Please contact Mrs. Christen when your son or daughter will be gone. You can share that information with us in advance of their absence. Please call the office at 308-643-2224 and let us know! If for some reason you get the answering machine - feel free to leave a message for Robin Christen and we will get that information entered into Power School

We've had some questions about flu and cold season and wanted to share the following. If your student is running a temperature - please make arrangements to keep them home! When they have been fever free (without the use of Tylenol, Motrin), for 24 hours - they can return to school. If you took them to see a doctor, please send that note to us as well!

We will also continue to routinely clean all student desks and doorhandles (and any other high touch areas) throughout the month of January to help reduce the chance of germs spreading! Please encourage your son or daughter to wash their hands regularly and to cough into their elbow!

In an effort to ensure the safety of our young people we wanted to communicate about what pickup and drop off should look like at the Broken Bow location (please see picture to the. right)

1.) Enter the parking lot and come around the south to the north and file in from east to west facing the church.

2.) After dropping of your young person, pull forward and head east and then south out of the lot (follow arrows below.

3.) Stay out of the area between where parent vehicles and the bus are parked (student walkways).

Lastly - the bus will leave at 7:30 AM each day. That is to ensure they have enough time to get back to school and eat breakfast before school starts. If you have any questions - please touch base with transportation director, Joe Lamb at joe.lamb@amcoyotes.org or 308-643-2224

Thank you for helping keep our kids safe!

This months Wholeness Healing Newsletter is linked here. Wholeness Healing is a local resource to our students. Please reach out to Mrs. Molli Miller with questions you might have. molli.miller@amcoyotes.org

Sunday, January 21st, there will be an MNAC Pep Rally at the Anselmo Fire Hall. It begins at 6pm. Basketball and wrestling athletes are encouraged to attend!

Wednesday, January 3, 2024

8am - 4pm - Teacher Professional Development

Thursday, January 4th

3rd Quarter Begins

5 – 8pm HS Wrestling Tri w/ Twin Loup & Ravenna @ Sargent

4:30 – 9pm JV/Varsity Basketball vs. CWC @ Bartlett

Saturday, January 6th

9:30am – 5:30pm Amherst Boys HS Wrestling Invite

1:30 – 5pm HOME Boys Only JV/Varsity Basketball vs. St. Mary's

Monday, January 8, 2024

4 – 7pm HOME JV Basketball vs. Broken Bow7 – 8pm

Tuesday, January 9th 2024 J

FFA Officer Meeting @ Lunch

Wednesday January 10th,

2 – 4pm JH B & G Basketball @ Mullen

Thursday January 11th

4 – 9pm HOME JV/Varsity Basketball vs. Sandhills-Thedford

Friday January 12th

11am – 12pm Girls Wrestling Invite @ Ord

12 – 5pm SEM HS Boys Wrestling Invite

4 – 9pm HOME JV/Varsity Basketball vs. Central Valley

Saturday January 13th

10am – 5pm Sandhills-Thedford HS Boys Wrestling Invite (MNAC)

Monday, January 15, 2024

Speech @ North Platte

4:30 – 6pm HOME JH Boys Basketball vs. Broken Bow

Tuesday January 16th

FFA Meeting @ Lunch

4:30 – 9pm JV/Varsity Basketball @ SEM

Wednesday January 17th

School Board Meeting (7:00)

Thursday January 18th

1 – 3:30pm HOME JH B & G Basketball vs. Twin Loup

Friday January 19th

4 – 9pm HOME JV/Varsity Basketball vs. North Central

Saturday January 20th

Speech @ Broken Bow

10am – 5pm Neligh-Oakdale HS Boys Wrestling Invite

Sunday January 21

6 – 8pm MNAC Pep Rally @Anselmo Fire Hall

Monday January 22nd

MNAC Boys BB Quarterfinals @ TBA

Tuesday January 23rd

MNAC Girls BB Quarterfinals @ TBA

Wednesday January 24th

A-M JH Quiz Bowl Meet

Thursday January 25th

MNAC Boys & Girls BB Semis @ Broken Bow @TBA

Friday January 26th

MNAC Boys & Girls BB Consolations @ TBA

Ord Speech Meet

11am – 5pm Central Valley HS WR Invite

12 – 1pm Girls Wrestling Invite @ Ainsworth

Saturday January 27th

MNAC Boys & Girls BB Finals/3rd Place Games @ Broken Bow

MNAC Boys & Girls Basketball Finals/3rd Place Games @ Broken Bow

9:30 – 10:30am - Girls Wrestling Invite @ Amherst

Monday January 29th

1 – 3:30pm JH B & G Basketball vs. South Loup @ Arnold

Wednesday January 30th

A-M HS Quiz Bowl Meet

Thursday February 1st

4:30 – 9pm JV/Varsity Basketball vs. Twin Loup @ Sargent

Friday February 2nd

3 – 8pm Girls Wrestling Sub Districts @ Gothenburg

Saturday February 3rd

NSAA Boys Dual Wrestling Championships in Kearney

Speech @ Gothenburg

1 – 7pm HOME JV/Varsity Basketball vs. Maywood-Hayes Center

Monday February 5th

MNAC Instrumental Music Clinic @ Arnold

1 – 3:30pm JH B & G Basketball vs. Ansley-Litchfield @ Ansley

Tuesday February 6th

B & G Basketball Senior Night

Elementary Dance Camp

FFA Officer Meeting @ Lunch

4 – 9pm HOME JV/Varsity Basketball vs. South Loup

FFA Auction @ Cafeteria

Anselmo Merna One Act wrapped up their season at districts a couple of weeks ago. They performed "10 Ways To Survive A Zombie Apocalypse", Their district performance was one of their best. The team finished 4th overall and the stage crew finished in 3rd. Students and sponsors worked hard and committed countless hours to early morning and after athletic practice rehearsals. That hard work paid through their recognitions of an "Outstanding Performance" at their district competition.

Sheriff Specatacular, Mrs. McCaslin and her 6th grade students wrapped up 10 weeks of DARE training this past week with DARE graduation. Studnents shared some of the things they learned during this 10 week long session and Sheriff Spectacular shared some of his highlights in working with our young people.

The high school library is used for a variety of functions. Our upperclassmen. who are taking dual credit offerings, staff development days, committee meetings, etc - all take place in the high school library. It recently received a bit of a facelift through the hard work of Katie Hoblyn and. through the generous support of the AM foundation.

The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) is a Federal Communications Commission program that helps connect families and households struggling to afford internet access. It provides a discount of up to $30 per month toward broadband service for eligible households.

There are two steps to enroll: 1) Go to https://www.fcc.gov/acp to submit an application or print out a mail-in application. 2) Once approved, contact your preferred participating provider, such as Consolidated, to select a plan and have the discount applied to your bill.

More information can be found at affordableconnectivity.gov

https://www.a-mps.org/ has undergone a redesign over the last several weeks. Thank you for your patience as we continue to work through that process. The purpose of this work was grounded in ensuring that there is a strong intersection between what's happening in our school with our community.

We understand that folks may or may not be on Facebook and or be signed up to receive text message alerts. The redesign has allowed the school to share important information with the community and be a single source for upcoming events and activities. We welcome any feedback you might have on how to continue to improve the website. You may also access that information via the Google Play or Apple App store by downloading the app called "Anselmo Merna School". If you haven't already, please take a minute and check out the new look website.

*All dates and times subject to change

**Please see https://www.a-mps.org/ for most up to date information

Monday, December 11

2 – 6pm Broken Bow JH Wrestling Invite

7 – 8pm Elementary Winter Concert

Tuesday, December 12

FFA Meeting @ Lunch

4:30 – 9pm JV//Varsity Basketball @ Overton

Wednesday, December 13

FFA District Leadership Skills Events @ Ansley

7 – 8pm School Board Meeting

Thursday, December 14th

**Senior Night for Wrestlers

4:30 – 9:30pm JV/Varsity Basketball @ Mullen

6 – 9pm HOME Wrestling TRI w/ Maxwell & Hi-Line

Friday, December 15th

10am – 5pm Sutherland HS Wrestling Invite

Saturday, December 16th

2:30 – 7:30pm JV/Varsity Basketball @ Burwell

Monday, December 18th

5:30 – 9pm Varsity Basketball @ Pleasanton Holiday Tournament

Tuesday, December 19th

5 – 8pm HS Wrestling Tri w/ West Holt & Central Valley @ West Holt

Tuesday, December 19

5:30 – 9pm Varsity Basketball @ Pleasanton Holiday Tournament

Thursday, December 21

End of 2nd Quarter

1pm Dismissal

Friday, December 22nd - Wednesday January 3rd

No School - Christmas Break

Saturday, December 23rd - Wednesday, December 27

NSAA Practice/Competition Moratorium

Friday, December 29

11am – 12pm Girls Wrestling Invite @ North Platte HS

1 – 8pm Varsity Basketball @ Brady Holiday Tournament

Saturday, December 30

1 – 8pm Varsity Basketball @ Brady Holiday Tournament

Tuesday, January 2, 2024

5:30 – 8:30pm HS Wrestling Tri w/ South Loup & Sandhills-Thedford @ Arnold

Wednesday, January 3, 2024

8am - 4pm - Teacher Professional Development

Thursday, January 4th

3rd Quarter Begins

5 – 8pm HS Wrestling Tri w/ Twin Loup & Ravenna @ Sargent

4:30 – 9pm JV/Varsity Basketball vs. CWC @ Bartlett

Saturday, January 6th

9:30am – 5:30pm Amherst Boys HS Wrestling Invite

1:30 – 5pm HOME Boys Only JV/Varsity Basketball vs. St. Mary's

Monday, January 8, 2024

4 – 7pm HOME JV Basketball vs. Broken Bow7 – 8pm

School Board Meeting (7:00)

Tuesday, January 9th 2024 J

FFA Officer Meeting @ Lunch

Wednesday January 10th,

2 – 4pm JH B & G Basketball @ Mullen

Thursday January 11th

4 – 9pm HOME JV/Varsity Basketball vs. Sandhills-Thedford

Friday January 12th

11am – 12pm Girls Wrestling Invite @ Ord

12 – 5pm SEM HS Boys Wrestling Invite

4 – 9pm HOME JV/Varsity Basketball vs. Central Valley

Saturday January 13th

10am – 5pm Sandhills-Thedford HS Boys Wrestling Invite (MNAC)

Monday, January 15, 2024

Speech @ North Platte

4:30 – 6pm HOME JH Boys Basketball vs. Broken Bow

Tuesday January 16th

FFA Meeting @ Lunch

4:30 – 9pm JV/Varsity Basketball @ SEM

Thursday January 18th

1 – 3:30pm HOME JH B & G Basketball vs. Twin Loup

Friday January 19th

4 – 9pm HOME JV/Varsity Basketball vs. North Central

Saturday January 20th

Speech @ Broken Bow

10am – 5pm Neligh-Oakdale HS Boys Wrestling Invite

Dear Parents and Community Members,

It is my privilege to share that our school district was recently recognized as “Excellent” inside of Nebraska’s school performance evaluation tool, AQuESTT. That rating can be found at this link https://nep.education.ne.gov/snapshot.html#21-0015-000

AQuESTT is composed of several tenants that include leadership, educational opportunities/access, transitions, positive partnerships/relationships, educator effectiveness, student achievement/growth, and postsecondary readiness.

Our school outperformed state averages across multiple indicators, including ACT, math, science, ELA, and graduated 100% of our students last year.

The work of educating young people extends beyond the classroom. Our kids are benefiting from strong community involvement and from the commitment of caring adults. Investments in our young people pay off with young adults who are confident and ready to successfully navigate their next steps.

On behalf of our school, we want to thank each of you for doing your part in helping ensure our kids succeed. From partnering with your child's teachers, establishing routines, encouraging them when it’s hard, and the countless hours many of you spend on the road going to watch them do the things that they love, they notice and appreciate your investment in them.

When success finds you, it’s easy to get comfortable. Please know we remain committed to improvement and believe learning never stops. Our work is ongoing and remains focused on ensuring ALL kids learn at high levels and leave here ready for their next step.

You can find more information on AQuESTT here https://nep.education.ne.gov/

Lastly, I know most of you already know this, but our kids and our staff are awesome! I feel incredibly lucky to be here.

Please let me know if you have any questions!

-Lloyd McIntyre

lloyd.mcintyre@amcoyotes.org

308-643-2224 ext 103

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mLh3ugVrCBAL6kyxczPHgCG5_VrpA_E0/edit

Welcome to the Anselmo Merna School Update!

This online newsletter features helpful information, notable update, and more from Anselmo Merna School.

We had an amazing fall here at Anselmo Merna School!

With a few full months under our belt and a recent time change, our staff have been hard at work with our kids!

- We've spent time teaching and reviewing expectations.

- We've continued to encourage kids to get involved with events or activities at the school and support each other!

- We've celebrated red ribbon week!

- We've wrapped up fall activities

We are excited for the winter season and all of the different opportunities our kids will have in the coming weeks!

With colder weather and the potential for changes to our school day with snow please continue to monitor our website for school closure as well as our Facebook page. We will also send text notifications in the event we use a late start or cancel school.

As always, please reach out with any questions you might have or stop by!

Let's make November awesome!

#GoCoyotes!

Lloyd McIntyre

We want our kids in school!

If you need help getting kids to school - please let the main office know by calling 308.643.2224. The district runs routes throughout the district and has spaces on busses.

With flu season approaching, if your son or daughter is running a fever - please send them to school AFTER they have been fever free for 24 hours.

We will continue to go outside for recess unless it is unsafe to be outside.

Thank you for making sure kids are dressed appropriately. If you need a coat, gloves, or hat for your young person, please reach out to Mrs. Miller by calling the school 308.643.2224 or email Mrs. Miller at molli.miller@amcoyotes.org. Those requests are confidential!

Likewise - if you have school aged cold weather gear that is in good shape and needing a new home - feel free to bring it by the office and we will route it to someone in need!

Veterans Day is November 11th. Thank you to all who have served in our armed forces! Our school will be hosting a Veterans Day program on 11/13 in the main gym. Anyone from the community is welcome to attend. The event will be live streamed at https://www.youtube.com/@A-M_Coyotes

We would like to invite parents and guardians to join their student(s) for our Holiday Meal on November 21st. If you are interested in joining your son or daughter, please fill out this brief questionnaire on or before 11/17 (this will help with planning!). Adult meals cost $5. Thank you to Lunch Time Solutions for putting this together!

Menu

Turkey

Mashed Potatoes / Gravy

Dinner Roll

Fruit and Veggie Bar

Frosted Pumpkin Dessert

Choice of Milk

... is up and running! If you have a student who is preparing for their next step beyond A-M or a student who is considering some dual credit offerings - you need to check this site out!

Getting ready for the next step can come with lots of questions and Mrs. Millers site aims to provide some resources and clarity to families who are navigating that next step. As always, please reach out to Mrs. Miller if you have any specific questions!

The site is linked below!

Mrs. Millers Career Counseling Site

*** All dates and times subject to change - please see https://www.a-mps.org/ for most current information.

**** Home Events will be live streamed at this link https://youtube.com/live/ANvt6dcno3I?feature=share

*****THANK YOU for supporting our kids and their activities!

Event Costs

AM Students - Free

Adults - $5

November 07, 2023

FFA Officer Meeting @ Lunch
3:40 pm–4:10 pm Elm Creek Early Bird One Act Competition
*Competition begins at 7:30am. A-M will perform at 3:40pm.

November 08, 2023

8:00 am–4:00 pm FFA District Livestock Judging @ Broken Bow

November 09, 2023

8:00 am–8:00 pm Cozad One-Act Play Contest
A-M will perform at 4:30pm.2:00 pm–6:00 pmSouth Loup JH WR Invite

November 10, 2023

1:00 pm–2:00 pm Dismissal (Professional Development)

November 13, 2023

All Day Start of Winter Practices
All Day Scholastic Book Fair
9:00 am–10:00 am Veteran's Day Program
7:00 pm–8:00 pm School Board Meeting (7:00)

November 14, 2023

FFA Meeting @ Lunch
All Day MNAC Play Production @ Sargent
Supervision: Goodman Performance will begin at 1:15pm.

All Day Scholastic Book Fair (elementary library)

November 15, 2023

All Day Scholastic Book Fair

November 16, 2023

All Day Scholastic Book Fair

November 17, 2023

All Day Scholastic Book Fair
12:00 pm–4:00 pm Mullen JH WR Invite

November 18, 2023

All Day Wrestling Hydration Testing

November 20, 2023

All Day NSAA FB State Championship Final

November 21, 2023

6:00 pm–9:00 pm HOME V Only Jamboree BB vs. Riverside

November 22, 2023

All Day No School - Thanksgiving Break

November 23, 2023

All Day No School - Thanksgiving Break

November 24, 2023

All Day No School - Thanksgiving Break

November 27, 2023

10:00 am–4:00 pm District One Act @ Ogallala

November 28, 2023

1:00 pm–5:00 pm Sandhills-Thedford JH WR Invite (@ Sandhills)

November 30, 2023

6:00 pm–9:00 pm V BB vs. Paxton @ NPCC

December 01, 2023

4:30 pm – 9:00 pm JV/V BB vs. Sandhills Valley @ Stapleton

December 02, 2023

11:30 am – 5:30 pm Mullen HS WR Invite December 04, 2023 11:00 am – 3:00 pm HOME A-M JH WR Invite

December 05, 2023

FFA Officer Meeting @ Lunch 4:30 pm – 9:00 pm HOME JV/V BB vs. Arcadia-Loup City

December 06, 2023 All Day NSAA Play Production State Championships in Norfolk

December 07, 2023 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm JH/HS Winter Concert

December 08, 2023 11:00 am – 5:00 pm Twin Loup HS WR Invite (@ Sargent) 4:30 pm – 7:30 pm Girls Only JV/V BB @ Nebraska Lutheran (Waco)

December 09, 2023 10:00 am – 5:00 pm HOME A-M HS WR Invite 10:00 am – 11:00 am Girls Wrestling Invite @ Stapleton

December 11, 2023 2:00 pm – 6:00 pm Broken Bow JH WR Invite 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm Elementary Winter Concert

December 12, 2023 -- FFA Meeting @ Lunch 4:30 pm – 9:00 pm JV/V BB @ Overton December 13, 2023 7:00 am – 8:00 am FFA District Leadership Skills Events @ Ansley

December 14, 2023 All Day Senior Night for Wrestlers 4:00 pm – 9:00 pm JV/V BB @ Mullen 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm HOME WR TRI w/ Maxwell & Hi-Line

December 15, 2023 10:00 am – 5:00 pm Sutherland HS WR Invite

December 16, 2023 2:30 pm – 7:30 pm JV/V BB @ Burwell

December 18, 2023 5:30 pm – 9:00 pm V BB @ Pleasanton Holiday Tournament

December 19, 2023 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm HS WR Tri w/ West Holt & Central Valley @ West Holt 5:30 pm – 9:00 pm V BB @ Pleasanton Holiday Tournament

December 21, 2023 All Day End of 2nd Quarter 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm Dismissal

December 23, 2023 All Day NSAA Practice/Competition Moratorium

December 24, 2023 All Day NSAA Practice/Competition Moratorium

December 25, 2023 All Day NSAA Practice/Competition Moratorium All Day No School - Christmas Break

December 26, 2023 All Day NSAA Practice/Competition Moratorium All Day No School - Christmas Break

December 27, 2023 All Day No School - Christmas Break All Day NSAA Practice/Competition Moratorium

December 28, 2023 All Day No School - Christmas Break

December 29, 2023 All Day No School - Christmas Break 11:00 am – 12:00 pm Girls Wrestling Invite @ North Platte HS 1:00 pm – 8:00 pm V BB @ Brady Holiday Tournament

December 30, 2023 All Day No School - Christmas Break 1:00 pm – 8:00 pm V BB @ Brady Holiday Tournament December 31, 2023 All Day No School - Christmas Break

Email: lloyd.mcintyre@amcoyotes.org
Website: https://www.a-mps.org/
Phone: (308) 643-2224
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amcoyotes/
Twitter: @amcoyotes

Welcome to Anselmo Merna School Monthly Update!

This online monthly newsletter features helpful information, notable updates, and more from Anselmo Merna School.

August's edition provides information for the upcoming month!

Students are back and we are in the swing of things!

Activities and events will be starting tomorrow with our first home volleyball match. We would love to have as many of our community members as possible fill our gym!

As we get back in the swing of things, I encourage you to get in a routine of asking questions about your students school day!

Questions to consider could include:

- who did you help today?

- what did you enjoy most about your day?

- what was something that was hard?

- what did you learn?

Our building principal, Mr. McIntosh welcomed the chance to meet with students and review expectations for the upcoming school year and our three school rules at Anselmo Merna, to be safe, respectful, and responsible. Being clear with expectations and taking time to teach and reinforce those expectations allows us to build a shared understanding of what it means to be a Coyote!

Working together we will continue to shape bright futures for our children and for Anselmo Merna!!

Let's make August AWESOME!

#GoCoyotes!

Lloyd McIntyre

Anselmo Merna Superintendent

*** All dates and times subject to change - please see https://www.a-mps.org/ for most current information.

**** Home Events will be live streamed at this link https://youtube.com/live/ANvt6dcno3I?feature=share

August 21, 2023

6:30 pm–8:00 pm HOME Jamboree VB vs. SEM
Supervision: Mr. Goodman & Mr. McIntyre Supervising

August 24, 2023

School Picture Day!

August 25, 2023

7:00 pm–9:00 pm Varsity FB vs. Twin Loup @ Taylor - Live stream link https://www.youtube.com/@twinloupwolves4177

Supervison: Mr. McIntyre

August 26, 2023

10:00 am–5:00 pm Overton VB Tournament
Supervision: Mr. Goodman

August 29, 2023

5:30 pm–9:00 pm HOME JV/V VB Tri. vs. Mullen & South Loup
Supervision: Mr. McIntyre & Mr. McIntosh

August 31, 2023

8:00 am–12:00 pm Lions mobile screening unit (hearing & vision)

5:00 pm–8:00 pm JV/V VB Tri vs. Twin Loup & Ansley/Litchfield @ Ansley
Supervision: Mr. McIntyre

Streaming link - https://bit.ly/SpartanLivestream

September 01, 2023

7:00 pm–9:00 pm Varsity FB vs. Ansley/Litchfield @ Ansley
Supervision: Mr. McIntyre

Livestream link - https://bit.ly/SpartanLivestream

September 04, 2023

All Day No School!

September 05, 2023

5:00 pm–7:30 pm JV/V VB @ Pleasanton
Supervision: McIntyre

5:00 pm–6:00 pmJ V FB vs. Twin Loup @ Sargent

September 07, 2023

4:30 pm–5:30 pm JH VB vs. Arcadia/Loup City @ Arcadia

September 08, 2023

7:00 pm–9:00 pm HOME Varsity FB vs. Central Valley
Supervision: Mr. McIntyre

September 11, 2023

2:30 pm–3:30 pm HOME JH VB vs. South Loup

4:30 pm–5:30 pm HOME JV VB vs. South Loup

4:30 pm–5:30 pm HOME JH FB vs. South Loup

6:00 pm–7:00 pm HOME JV FB vs. South Loup

Supervision - Mr. McIntyre, Mr. McIntosh, Mr. Goodman

September 12, 2023

7:00 pm–8:00 pm School Board Meeting (7:00)

September 13, 2023

All Day MNAC Autumn Art Workshop @ Mullen

September 14, 2023

5:00 pm–7:30 pm JV/V VB vs. Sandhills Valley @ Stapleton
Supervision: Mr. McIntyre

September 15, 2023

1:00 pm–2:00 pm Dismissal (Professional Development)

2:00 pm–4:00 pm HOME Varsity FB vs. Leyton

3:30 pm–5:30 pm HOME JV/V VB vs. Leyton
Supervision: Mr. McIntyre, Mr. Goodman

September 16, 2023

9:00 am–12:00 pm HOME JH VB Tri. vs. Twin Loup & Ansley/Litchfield
Supervision: Mr. McIntyre

September 18, 2023

1:30 pm–2:30 pm JH VB @ Brady
Supervision: Mr. McIntosh

3:30 pm–4:30 pm JH FB @ Brady

5:00 pm–6:00 pm HOME JV VB vs. Sandhills/Thedford
Supervision: Mr. McIntyre and Mr. Goodman

6:00 pm–7:00 pm HOME JV FB vs. Sandhills/Thedford
Supervision: Mr. McIntyre

September 19, 2023

5:00 pm–8:30 pm JV/V VB Tri vs. South Loup & Elm Creek @ Elm Creek
Supervision: Mr. McIntosh

Thank you to Tabbi Seevers for providing sweetcorn for our students this past week! Kids enjoyed corn shucking races and the corn for lunch!

As we get back in the swing of things, we are looking to grow and expand our beef program. Mr. McIntosh will be heading up those efforts! We are so appreciative of all who have donated beef to Anselmo Merna School in the past and are looking forward to feeding our kids locally raised beef in the future! Please contact Mr. McIntosh at chanc.mcintosh@amcoyotes.org if you're looking to participate!

Welcome to Anselmo Merna School Monthly Update!

This online monthly newsletter features helpful information, notable updates, and more from Anselmo Merna School.

July's edition provides back to school information for the 2023-24 school year.

As we all gear up for another school year it is my pleasure to share a welcome to the Anselmo Merna Coyote Family!

This district newsletter is intended to provide helpful information to our families and our community. We are excited to have your children back from summer break and learning with us! Our families are critical partners in ensuring great outcomes for our kids. Your support of, and commitment to our students and staff are greatly appreciated.

As we move towards the start of the school year I encourage you to:

-reach out to your child's teacher and share any information they should know as we maintain and build that partnership

-maintain or implement a routine that allows for appropriate amounts of sleep

-maintain or implement limits on screen time (suggestions linked here)

Working together we will continue to shape bright futures for our children and for Anselmo Merna!!

Welcome to the 2023-2024 school year!

Lloyd McIntyre

Anselmo Merna Superintendent

Here is how the first week of school will look for students across the district:

JULY 31

• Athletic conditioning begins (Athletics calendar linked here)

AUGUST 1

• For anyone riding the bus - transportation form due (linked here)

AUGUST 7

• Athletic practices begin - please contact Coach Hoblyn katie.hoblyn@amcoyotes.org (Volleyball), Coach Gilligan troy.gilligan@amcoyotes.org (football) or Athletic Director Spencer Goodman at spencer.goodman@amcoyotes.org with questions

AUGUST 10

• PreSchool - Coyote Night 5:00 - 6:00 PM, Here is a link to the information you'll need!

AUGUST 14

• Teacher Professional Development / Workday
• Coyote Night (Open House / Business Night) - 5:00 - 7:00PM

AUGUST 15

• Teacher Professional Development / Workday

AUGUST 16

• First Full Day - K-12 (normal schedule)

AUGUTST 21

• First day for Junior K and Pre-School

Pre School and Junior K - Mrs. Schmidt

• 1 Pencil Box
• 2 Glue Sticks
• 1 Glue Bottle
• 3 Pencils
• 1 Pair of scissors
• 1 Paint shirt
• 1 water bottle with no spill lid
• PE shoes (please send velcro if your child is still learning to tie!)

Kindergarten Mrs. Evans

• Copy of birth certificate
• Copy of immunizations / shots
• Completed physical exam
• Completed vision exam
• These must have been completed no more than 6 months before school started
• Small Plastic Pencil Box
• Child safe scissors
• Rug or mat for rest time
• 2 large boxes of Kleenex
• 12 Yellow #2 Sharpened pencils
• 24 count crayola crayons
• 4 large glue sticks
• Water Bottle and PE Shoes (left at school)

1st grade - Mrs. Thorton

• 1 Pencil Box or pencil bag
• 2 pink or white erasers
• 1 Pair of scissors
• 2 boxes of crayons (24-36 count)
• 12 Pencils
• 6 Glue Sticks
• 1 Box of Kleenex
• 1 pocket folder
• PE schoes
• 1 Water bottle

2nd grade - Mrs. Mason

• 12 #2 Pencils
• Washable Markers or colored pencils
• 8 dry erase markers
• 1 big eraser
• Scissors
• Pencil Box
• 2 boxes of Kleenex
• 12 inch and metric ruler
• Headphones
• 1 container of Clorox wipes
• Water bottle with lid
• PE Shoes
• 1 bottle of hand sanitizer

3rd grade - Mrs. Marshall

• Pencils
• Pens
• Pink eraser
• 2 notebooks
• Composition notebook
• 1 box of Kleenex
• Pencil bag or box
• Dry erase markers
• Ruler
• Crayons, Markers, or colored pencils
• PE Shoes
• Scissors
• Glue Sticks
• Wired headphones (no earbuds)
• Water bottle with lid

4th grade - Mr. Gilligan

• Pencils / erasers
• 2 highlighters
• 3 notebooks
• 6 black expo markers
• Scissors
• 2 large glue sticks
• Ruler
• 2 rolls of double stick tape
• Colored pencils (no markers or crayons)
• Pencil box or bag
• 3 boxes of kleenex
• 1 water bottle
• 2 sets of ear buds / headphones (wired - not wireless)
• 3 different colored folders
• 1 (2") 3 ring binder
• 1 black sharpie
• PE Shoes

5th grade - Mr. Gilligan

• Pencils / erasers
• 2 highlighters
• 3 notebooks
• 6 black expo markers
• Scissors
• 2 large glue sticks
• Ruler
• 2 rolls of double stick tape
• Colored pencils (no markers / crayons)
• Pencil box / bag
• 3 boxes of kleenex
• water bottle
• 2 sets of wired ear buds (no bluetooth / wireless)
• 3 different colored folders
• 1 (2') 3 ring binder
• 1 black sharpie
• PE shoes

6th grade - Mrs. McCaslin

• Pencils
• Colored Pencils
• Thin Markers
• Scissors
• Ruler
• Notebook
• Water Bottle
• Pencil Box
• Pencil Pouch
• 2 Rolls Double-sided Tape
• Large Glue Stick
• 3x3 Sticky Notes
• Highlighter
• 2 Boxes Kleenex
• PE Shoes
• Earbuds (Wireless are fine)

7th grade - Career Exploration, Mrs. Miller

• All students need 8 folders and 1 3" binder

7th / 8th grade grade Mr. Haake

• Pencils
• Loose leaf paper
• Black pens
• 3 hole folders
• 1" binder
• Book Covers
• Highlighters
• Scientific Calculator (graphing not required)
• 1 notebook for English
• 1 note book for Social Studies
• Folders for English and Social Studies

Middle School Science - Mrs. Hoblyn

• 1 2" or 3" binder

Due to Federal regulation, meals at Anselmo Merna are not free for all students for the 2023-24 school year.

If you have a student that you think may qualify for Free & Reduced Meals, please submit an application. Approved students may eat at no cost or a reduced cost for the 2023-24 school year if an application is approved due to income qualifications or if you have a foster child.

Income eligibly guidelines are linked here from NDE

Applications may be found on the website linked below:

• Free & Reduced Meal Applications
• Applications can be scanned and emailed to robin.christen@amcoyotes.org

FAQ's are linked here

If you would like assistance in filling out your application, you may reach out directly to the school.

Physical Examination Form

All students are required to have a physical examination completed by a healthcare provider for Preschool or Kindergarten and 7th grade. Any student who transfers to Anselmo Merna from out of the state or out of the country is required to have a physical examination by a healthcare provider before they attend school.
Sports physicals are required for any student grades 7-12 who wish to participate in activities during the school year.

ATHLETICS CALENDAR

Please click on this link to view the most current athletic calendar. On the right hand side - please select the sports you would like to view. Contact Athletic Director Spencer Goodman at spencer.goodman@amcoyotes.org

Kindergarten Ready

We understand Kindergarten is new adventure. For most first-time Kindergarten parents, the last Kindergarten experience you had was when you yourself were in kindergarten a few years ago. A lot has changed since then! Kindergarten helps students transition and prepare for the rest of their elementary school experience. The foundation of Kindergarten is important for all students, whether or not they have had a high-quality early childhood education experience. The typical Kindergarten day includes learning, lunch and recess, as well as built-in time for play and discovery - two very important parts of early childhood education.

Students will progress throughout the year. Anselmo Merna follows the state standards for kindergarten curriculum and assesses students accordingly. Our teachers at Anselmo Merna are exceptional at integrating learning while caring and supporting each individual child in a safe, predictable, and inclusive environment.

Forms that need completed

Contact Medical Information (completed annually)

Athletic Forms 7-12 - contact Spencer Goodman with questions spencer.goodman@amcoyotes.org

Enrollment Form (new students only)

Technology (acceptable use policy)

Online Transportation Form Request (please complete before 8/1)

Please help us by welcoming our new staff for the 2023 - 2024 School Year!

Robin Christen - Administrative Assistant / Office Manager

Jenna Evans - Kindergarten

Gage Haake - Middle School

Kaitlin Hultquist - High School English

Marcia Keeney - Elementary Special Education

Michele Koubek.- Bus Driver

Chanc McIntosh - K-12 Principal

Mark Meyers - Bus Driver