Merrill Area Public Schools

Mrs. Hass’s 4th grade class was invited to IncredibleBank yesterday to participate in Teach Kids to Save Day. Students were given a tour of the bank and participated in activities designed to help them learn the value of saving money. Each student was given their own piggy bank to encourage them to start saving even at a young age. A special thanks to IncredibleBank - Merrill’s Manager, Susan Ryman, for the invitation and presentation. #WeAreMAPS

💼✨ Happy Administrative Professionals’ Day! ✨💼 Today we celebrate the amazing administrative professionals who keep our schools and offices running smoothly every single day. Your hard work, organization, kindness, and dedication does not go unnoticed—and we are so grateful for everything you do! Please join us in giving a big thank you to these behind-the-scenes heroes who make a big impact across MAPS! 💙 #WeAreMAPS

🎤 Great Speaker, Joe Beckman, Visits MAPS! Today, students in grades 6–12 had the opportunity to hear from Joe Beckman, co-founder of Till360, whose mission is to help schools reclaim human connection. Joe’s powerful message focused on three key themes: 💙 Love YOU 💪 Push Through 👀 Just Look Up Joe was selected by our very own Great Speaker Committee (Avery Clark, Aaron Collinsworth, Corbin Hanson, Brooklyn Harding, Orion Hill, Josie Geiss, and Maya Paulus)—a group of students dedicated to finding impactful voices to inspire their peers. Along with staff members Trisha Detert, Cassie Schultz, Kasie Holt, Trina Knospe, Shannon Murray and Tammy Woller, community members also serving on the Committee are Renea Frederick, Clyde Nelson, Mike Ravn, Lynne Reindl, Sarah Sturm and Jay Tlusty. We think the students picked a great speaker - as you can see from the photos, our students were fully engaged! A huge thank you to Joe for reminding us of the power of connection and positivity. 💫 #WeAreMAPS

🖼️ Art Spotlight at Central Office! 🎨 A big thank you to Jamie Henrichs for creating vibrant bulletin boards at Central Office featuring elementary artwork from Washington Elementary School! These displays brighten our space and showcase the creativity and talent of our young artists. 💙 Be sure to check them out in person the next time you visit! #WeAreMAPS

📢 Board of Education Meeting Schedule Update At last night’s meeting, the Board of Education voted to move the May Regular Board Meeting to Wednesday, May 14, 2025 (previously scheduled for May 21). As a result, the Facilities, CTP, and Finance/HR Committee Meetings will now take place on Wednesday, May 7, 2025. 🗓️ You can view the updated meeting schedule on our website here: 🔗 https://merrillareasd.sites.thrillshare.com/page/board-of-education Please share to help spread the word. #WeAreMAPS

📅 Calendar Update: At last night’s Board of Education meeting, Friday, May 23, 2025, was added as a school day to make up for a weather-related closure earlier this year. This date was originally scheduled as a day off for Grades K–4, but now all grade levels will have school on May 23. You can view the updated calendar here: 🔗 https://www.mapsedu.org/documents/district/school-calendars/736081 Please share. #WeAreMAPS

Shoutout to the MAPS Fab Lab, specifically Max Black, for his incredible work in partnering with the Merrill Area Community Rides Charity to revitalize their logo and branding. This is a fantastic example of how student skills and innovation can make a real impact in our community! We’re proud to see our Fab Lab students applying their talents in meaningful ways. Great job, Max! #WeAreMAPS

Also recognized by the Board was the Merrill Girls' Bowling Team - Jayden Delinger, Avery Frisch, Marley Krueger, Isabella Scheffler, Bella Kottke and Peyton Smith - for being crowned District 2 State Champions once again! This incredible achievement marks back-to-back championships for the team. Way to go, ladies—your hard work and dedication continue to shine! #WeAreMAPS

Ninette Candler was recognized at the Board Meeting for her incredible work in organizing our Read Across America Week! She planned a well-attended breakfast that brought parents and loved ones together for engaging reading activities and games. Her efforts truly sparked excitement for reading across our school. We appreciate all the time and energy she put into making this event a success! #WeAreMAPS

At last night's Regular Board of Education meeting, the Board recognized MHS Senior, Molly White, who competed at the WACPC State Dance Competition in La Crosse on Saturday, February 1, 2025. She was announced as a qualifier at the regional event held the previous weekend at DC Everest to compete at State with her solo dance routine. Molly competed against 19 other soloists in Division 4 at State. The top 10 were announced as All State Champions. Molly earned a spot in the top 10! Molly has been dancing for 14 years and after high school, Molly plans to continue her academic and dance journey, studying psychology in college and pursuing her dreams of being on a college dance team. We have no doubt that she will continue to excel in everything she does. Congratulations, Molly! We are very proud of you! We wish you all the best in your continued success as you begin your next adventure in College in the fall! #WeAreMAPS

📢 REMINDER: Monday, April 21 is a MSI Day (Merrill School Improvement Day) for students in 4K–8 — there will be no in-person school for those grades. 📱 High School students will have a virtual learning day. Please help us spread the word by sharing this post! #WeAreMAPS 💙

📅 Reminder for Families: There will be no school on Friday, April 18. Please share. #WeAreMAPS

🎨 PRMS Student Artists Shine! 🎨 Congratulations to the five talented PRMS students whose artwork was selected for the annual Young People’s Art Exhibition at the Wisconsin State Fair! Their pieces stood out as some of the best examples of the amazing creativity happening at PRMS. 👏 A special shoutout to 8th grader Aria M., whose artwork received a 1st Place Award out of over 400+ entries! 🥇 Incredible work, Aria! #WeAreMAPS All selected student submissions will be proudly displayed at the Exhibition Center at the Wisconsin State Fair Grounds in Milwaukee from July 31–August 10. We’re so proud of all our young artists—your hard work and creativity are inspiring! 💙

🌟 Congratulations to our 4th Quarter Youth Apprenticeship (YA) Student Stars! 🌟 These students have gone above and beyond in their YA placements, showing dedication, professionalism, and a strong work ethic. We’re proud to recognize their achievements and continued growth! 👏 Keep up the amazing work!

🎙️ Superintendent Shannon Murray and Board President Kevin Blake were recently featured on Bluejay Radio's Community Scan! They discussed highlights from the most recent Regular Board of Education Meeting and shared information about upcoming events across the district. 📻 Tune in to the full interview here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1795SMCs23bsSBTNKCDQVCo5Wq9it9Eq8/view?usp=sharing https://drive.google.com/file/d/17DM5JbOSZaycNtuA1BczarKKLPH26Tyu/view?usp=sharing #WeAreMAPS

🌞 Summer School Registration Opens Today! 🌞 We’re excited to welcome students currently in 4K through 4th grade from MAPS and parochial schools to join us for a fun and enriching summer experience! 📅 Registration is open now through April 18 – don’t miss your chance to sign up! Our summer school program includes: ✏️ Engaging math and literacy activities 🤝 Making new friends 🌳 Outdoor fun and games 🎤 Special guest speakers 🏊‍♂️ Swim lessons for students 6 years and older 🎉 A celebration field trip to the outdoor pool to wrap up the session! Register today and get ready for a summer of learning and laughter! For more information on summer school please visit: www.summermaps.com To register fill out this Google form: https://forms.gle/8RGzcRieg7cPiSkZA

🎉 It's National Assistant Principals Week! 🎉 This week, we extend our gratitude to our incredible Assistant Principals for their leadership, dedication, and unwavering support of our students and staff. Their hard work helps create positive learning environments and ensures student success every day! 👏 Thank you to: ⭐ Brad Potter – Merrill High School ⭐ Allie Libby – Merrill High School ⭐ Nate Lemmens – Prairie River Middle School ⭐ Jaime Farkas – Bridges Virtual Academy Your leadership makes a difference! 💙 #WeAreMAPS

📚✨ Happy School Librarian Appreciation Day! ✨📚 Today, we celebrate our amazing school librarians and Library Technology Specialists who inspire a love of reading, support student learning, and create welcoming spaces for exploration and discovery. Their dedication to fostering curiosity and knowledge makes a lasting impact on our schools! Thank you to our incredible LTS staff for all you do! 💙📖 #WeAreMAPS

🎉 Congratulations to our March Youth Optimist of the Month Ben Thom! 🎉 We are proud to recognize Ben for his outstanding dedication, leadership, and positive impact in our school and community. Your hard work and optimism inspire those around you! 👏 Keep up the great work! #WeAreMAPS

🌟Custodial/Maintenance Employee of the Month🌟 🎉Congratulations to Jeffrey Zettler🎉 "Jeff always responds quickly and efficiently and takes care of issues that involve our school. Consistently reliable. " - Ryan M Thank you, Jeff, for your hard work and commitment!💙👏 #WeAreMAPS