Hello #FAMILY,

We have enjoyed the first full week with students! Our teachers have had a great time getting to know their students through relationship-building activities in the first week. They have also started diving into their first study units, which you can read about in our monthly newsletters below.

Merrill offers free breakfast for all our students, served on the blacktop from 8:30-8:40. Please ensure your student arrives at school during the breakfast window to have time to eat. Our cafeteria staff works hard to prepare delicious hot lunches. Students who want to have hot lunch will need to get a free lunch from the cafeteria, as we do not have microwaves available for student use at lunchtime.

Merrill’s Back-to-School-Night is next Thursday, 9/5, from 5:30-7:00. We hope you can join us to discuss topics from Merrill’s Grading Policy to Schoology and have opportunities to meet Merrill’s teachers.

Enjoy your holiday weekend and we look forward to seeing our students on Tuesday!

• 6th Grade Newsletter-Here
• 7th Grade Newsletter-Here
• 8th Grade Newsletter-Here
• Newcomer/Elective/SSP Newsletter-Here

Sincerely,

Merrill Leadership

9/2/24 - No School Labor Day

9/5/24 - Back to School Night! 5:30-7:30pm. I

9/10/24 - Merrill Dine Out at Bull & Bush ALL DAY!

9/27/24 - No School

Our 6th graders collaborated in an activity where they had to put together a puzzle while being blindfolded and they could be the only person touching the puzzle pieces! Build that communication!

Hello Merrill Community,

The early fall sports schedule can be seen through the link below. Please note that this can change through the season so please keep an eye out.

Sports Schedules Early Fall

Refunds will be issued to any students who tried out but did not make the final roster. Thank you for your patience.

Go Jags!

Calling All Baseball Fans!! Join Us at Coors Field and Support Merrill!

Take me out to the ballgame! It’s Fundraiser Weekend at Coors Field! Sept. 13, 14, 15

Rockies vs Cubs!

Discounted tickets available and with active participation, a portion of sales come back

to Merrill! Get your tickets today!

PTSA Membership Drive!!

Click HERE Now!

Please help support your kiddo and the amazing teachers and staff at Merrill by joining

the PTSA. The PTSA extends funding to each classroom, teacher and program offered

at Merrill and we cannot do it without the Merrill parent community, plus you get a closer

look into your child's school with PTSA involvement! Here are the initiatives where the

PTSA provides support:

 Teacher/Department Grants

 After School Clubs

 Student Council

 Merrill Store

 Field Trips/Grade Level Celebrations

 Grant Writing

 Teacher Appreciation

 Merrill Spirit Gear

 International Festival

 Attendance Reward Parties

 Families Helping Families & Merrill Meals

 Dads at Merrill (DAM)

 Monthly Dine-Out Socials & Grocery Shopping Fundraisers

 Fundraising for all of the above!

 If the PTSA can help with anything to guide you through middle school, please

reach out to ptsamerrillmiddleschool@gmail.com

Introducing your Merrill 24-25 PTSA Board

President: Mark Smiley

Co-VPs: Kathleen Chambers/Joanna Shear

Treasurer: Natalie Nove

Secretary: Anastasia Glennie

Communications: Alison Roberts

We look forward to a fantastic school year and meeting you at Back to School Night on

September 5th!

Join Us on the Jaguar PTSA Today!

Upcoming PTSA Meetings

Come hear about the exciting things Merrill has planned this fall!!

September 24 @ 6pm – Campus Lounge

October 22 @ 6pm – Merrill Library

November 19 @ 6pm – Merrill Library

December 10 @ 6pm – Junction Food Hall

Dads at Merrill (D@M)

Are you a Dad reading this?

Connect with other Jaguar Dads by emailing john.hesse@me.com

Click to gear up your Jaguar with 20% off code: SAVE20

Quick links to support Merrill:

Donate your Longmont Dairy Caps

in the Merrill Office

Longmont Dairy supports Merrill by

giving 5¢ back for every milk cap!

Start collecting and tell your neighbors

that Merrill is a drop off location for

Longmont Dairy milk & juice caps!

Enroll Merrill as your Community

Rewards Recipient under My Account!

Bull & Bush will donate 10% of all dine in and to-go order sales, ALL DAY, to Merrill

Middle School. Please join us on Tuesday, September 10th for great food and great

company! See you there!

Bull & Bush Brewery – 4700 Cherry Creek South Dr.

Upcoming Dine Outs – Details to Come!

October 8 @ Reivers

November 13 @ Beau Jo’s Pizza DU

Greetings #FAMILY! Merrill Meals pantry provides free groceries once a month to Merrill families that would like to receive extra food. We understand that everyone could use some support from time to time, and we are here to help.

If you would like to receive extra groceries one-time per month, please complete this private and anonymous survey, so we can provide the food items that your family likes to eat and match your preferences. Please mark the items that you would like to have potentially included in your pre-packed backpack.

***NOTE: Not all items are available, but we will match your request with whatever is in stock! Thank you.

Form can be found HERE

Are you interested in volunteering with Merrill Families Helping Families and the Merrill food pantry? The Fall signup is now open to help with the monthly backpack distributions. Currently our biggest need is on the first Friday afternoons packing the bags and distributing the backpacks. Spring volunteer dates will go out toward the end of 2024. Don't see a time that works for you, but interested in helping? Email sgrisinger77@gmail.com to be on the email list.

The school library is open

Students are invited to the library during recess on Thursdays. There they can:

• Check out books, return books

• Do school work

• Do a puzzle

• Read

• Play chess

• Play other board games

Our first Merrill Store of the year will be Friday, September 13! The Merrill Store is designed to promote positive behavior and encourages students to make good choices. They earn Merrill Money throughout their time at school and use it to "purchase" items at the store during their recess. Items include snacks, chips, candy, sports equipment, Merrill gear, fidgets, toys, stickers and most importantly- gift cards! Please see the Sign Up Genius below to sign up to donate items and to volunteer at the store. It's so fun seeing your student during the school day! We will have the store open 2 Fridays a month and hope to see you there!

MerrillStoreSUG

Beach Day!

This new pilot program will provide 4,000 eligible Denver Public Schools middle school students with $1,000 to enroll in afterschool programs. As students enroll in participating programs, My Spark Denver will also invest $4 million in afterschool activities.

My Spark Denver gives parents the agency to decide how they want to use the money, which is provided to them in the form of a restricted debit card that can be redeemed across 100+ afterschool providers, big and small. Every kid is different and what parents really need are the resources to help their children pursue their sparks, whether it's fencing, football or fashion design.

Xfinity offers packages on home internet ($9.95 or $29.95) to qualified households. Please see the flyer for more information.