Dear Merrill #FAMILY,

I hope this Jaguar Journal finds you well! We’ve had a great week with our students as we dive into the start of Quarter 2. This is an excellent time to check in on your child’s AR or I-Ready goals for the quarter.

I also want to express my gratitude to those who have participated in our Tu Voz Survey. Currently, 22% of our families have completed it, and our goal is to reach 50%. Your feedback is invaluable, and I encourage you to make an impact by taking the DPS Your Voice/Tu Voz family survey. You can access the survey link here.

With Halloween coming up next week, costumes are welcome! Please ensure your student's costumes are school appropriate! No masks and no props.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Sincerely,

Merrill Leadership

11/8 & 11/9/24- Fall Play "The Play That Went Wrong"

11/13/24- Merrill Dine Out at Beau Joes Pizza

11/13/24- Fall Concert 5:30pm

Our MiS Class and some Student Assistants attended the YAC Youth Summit today! This Youth Summit focused on giving students the tools to empower youth leaders in their school communities. Our YAC representatives spoke, presented and shared their experiences in the classroom and with special olympics with the committee and did a great job!

Going, going, gone!!! Please have your kiddo check the Lost and Found! Items will be donated next Friday, November 1!

Congrats to the Girls Soccer team for winning the Championship! Way to go, Jags!!!

Thanks to 6th grader, Griffin Hemmert for the art!

Flag Football Kicks off today! Good luck to the girls and boys!

First, students watched a clip from Ralph Breaks the Internet about how to act (or how NOT to act) in an auction setting. Then students had 5 minutes in groups to determine which representations were or were not functions. Then we had an auction where students bid on the functions trying to buy the most functions and spend the least amount of money.

We are 25% of the way to our goal with almost $20k raised so far. A HUGE thank you to those who have already donated! We still have a ways to go, so let’s keep the momentum going toward our goal of

$77,777. There are close to 600 families at Merrill. We currently have participation from 49 families. Imagine what we could do if 100% of our families gave!

Give today!!! fundrazr.com/merrillmovers2024

Our goal this year is to raise $77,777. Why all the 7's?

Because we are supporting the Seven Habits of a Highly Successful Merrill!

What are the 7 Habits and what programs do your donations support?

1. Excellence in Academics Funds support Department Grants,

Apps/Software, Teacher Development, Learning Materials, ELA, GT, Special Ed, Learning Interventionists, and Continued Curriculum for and Literature Updates for Novels and Lit Circles

2. Varied, High-Quality, Electives, Enrichments and Clubs Funds support Extra Electives in dance and drama, Materials and Supplies, 3rd Party providers, Club stipends for teachers

3. Upgrading and Improving our Facility and Learning Environment Funds support Furniture Upgrades,

Outside Garden, Outdoor Tables, Trees for Shade, Tech in the Building and Classrooms

4. Providing External Learning Experiences Funds support school wide excursions and Field Trips aligned with Units of Study

5. Implementing Technology and STEM Funds support Updating/Maintaining Classroom Technology, Chrome Books, STEM Lab Upgrades, etc.

6. Promoting Athletics, Wellness and Mental Health Funds support providing more athletic opportunities, equipment and uniforms, advisement wellness education support, and additional Mental Health staff

7. Creating Community Funds support events like the Student Dances, Quarterly Celebrations, Teacher

Appreciation, 8th Grade Continuation

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

Upcoming PTSA Meetings

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

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!

Jaguars Next Dine Out – Wednesday, November 13 th at Beau Jo’s DU

Join us on Wednesday, November 13th – Beau Jo’s will donate 20% the pre-tax sale to

Merrill!

December 10 @ Raising Cane's - Colorado Blvd 3:00 - 9:00

April 29 @ Campus Lounge - 4:00-10:00

The Families Helping Families Committee is collecting grocery gift cards to help Merrill families in need over the holidays. Please bring $25 Safeway or King Soopers gift cards to the Merrill front office by December 4th. Thank you!

Happy Spooky Season! Sharing a resource for middle-grade scares: Spooky Middle Grade has a series of 90-second scares! Join each day as authors read short, spooky excerpts from their books October 13-31 at 5:00pm MST.

Please see the below sign ups for 5th Grade Shadows and Prospective Parent Tours! We can't wait to welcome future Jaguars to Shadow current 6th Grade Ambassadors! Contact Jordan Locklear with any questions! jordan_locklear@dpsk12.net

5thGradeShadows

ProspectiveParentTours

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

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

Club Offerings 24-25

Could your student use a creative outlet to learn problem-solving, self-confidence, project management, critical thinking, team work, and risk taking skills? And do all of this while having a great time? Your student should attend the first two meetings to see what it's all about!

When: Mon, Oct 21 and Mon, Oct 28 from 4:00-5:00

Where: Merrill Room 215

Who: Interested students

Please e-mail Erica Ecklund (ericadeckl@yahoo.com) or Nick Hemmert (nick@abilityto.com) if your student plans on attending!

The Family Cultural Festival is a unique celebration that engages families and communities by promoting fun, learning, and meaningful connections. Taking place on Saturday, November 9th, from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm, this event celebrates multicultural diversity and provides resources to foster wellness and socioemotional growth.

The Families will have the opportunity to learn about restorative practices and take part in a welcoming environment focused on family well-being. Together, we aim to strengthen relationships within the Denver Public Schools (DPS) community and celebrate the cultural diversity that makes our district vibrant.

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.