Merrill Area Public Schools

📢 A huge thank you to Alyssa Hahn at PRSYL for putting up this month’s bulletin boards at Central Office! Your creativity and effort help keep our space engaging and informative. We appreciate all the time and care you put into making our bulletin boards look great! 💙#WeAreMAPS

🚨 Reminder! No School for Students Next Week🚨 📅 Thursday, February 13 – No school for students due to MSI (Merrill School Improvement) Day 📅 Friday, February 14 – No school Please share. #WeAreMAPS

🎉 February is Career & Technical Education (CTE) Month! 🎉 CTE provides students with hands-on learning experiences, career exploration, and valuable skills that prepare them for success in college, careers, and beyond. We’re proud to offer diverse CTE programs that empower our students to explore their passions and build bright futures! 📜 Check out the official CTE Month Proclamation by Governor Tony Evers here: https://dpi.wi.gov/sites/default/files/imce/cte/pdf/2025_CTE_Month_Gov_proclamation.pdf #WeAreMAPS

🌟 Congratulations to Madison McCoy - January Youth Optimist of the Month! 🌟 We are proud to recognize this outstanding student for her positive attitude, dedication, and contributions to our school and community. Keep up the great work! 👏💙

MAPS is excited to offer classes to the community. Explore our catalog to discover new learning opportunities, or sign up for a fun, creative project. Visit the MAPS Community Education page!

☕ COFFEE WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT ☕ Please join MAPS Superintendent, Shannon Murray, for coffee and conversation next Tuesday at Friendship House Family Restaurant from 8 am to 9 am. Coffee with the Superintendent is a monthly, informal opportunity to learn about things going on in the district and to get your questions answered. Topics will include an update on the sale of Jefferson Elementary, strategic planning, school safety, bussing changes, and whatever is on your mind! Hope to see you there! #WeAreMAPS

Nick Wszalek, Director of Buildings & Grounds, recently joined Artie on Bluejay Radio's Community Scan to discuss several key updates and topics: ➡️ Improvements around the district following the sale of Jefferson, including efforts to enhance building efficiencies and save taxpayer dollars. ➡️ A heartfelt thank-you to the Wendorf family and all busing staff for their incredible service to our community as they prepare to step away from the busing business at the end of the school year. ➡️ Challenges ahead as we transition to a new busing company—parents, please keep an eye on our website for important updates and notices in the coming months. ➡️ Community outreach opportunities and a shoutout to MHS for hosting a successful wrestling tournament last weekend! Tune in to hear more about these important updates and exciting happenings: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1VshGGwjUwBWpEoJNoDdM4jcnDNJsLlS1/view?usp=sharing https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Vx-4MUDBmCHC_HNt_TPQt0TdnGCRMoF8/view?usp=sharing

🚨 There is no school for students in grades K-4 on Friday, January 24. This day is dedicated to Professional Learning for our K-4 teaching and support staff. Our team will be focusing on enhancing their understanding and implementation of the Science of Reading through LETRS training. Thank you for your support as we continue to strengthen literacy education for our students! 📚✨ Please share. #WeAreMAPS

🌟 Honoring Martin Luther King Jr. Day 🌟 Today, we celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a visionary leader who inspired change through his message of equality, justice, and nonviolence. #WeAreMAPS

📢 Reminder for the Community 📢 We previously shared that all school activities are canceled on Monday, January 20th, and Tuesday, January 21st—please know this also includes all pool activities on these dates. Thank you for your understanding, and please stay warm! ❄️💧

The MAPS Central Office will also be closed January 20-21, 2025, for the extreme cold weather.

MAPS is now under an extreme cold warning until Tuesday afternoon so no school and all activities are canceled Monday and Tuesday. Please share. #WeAreMAPS

📢 Important Information Regarding The Upcoming Cold Weather📢 As everyone is aware, we are expected to be experiencing some very cold temperatures and wind chills beginning on Sunday and lasting as late as Wednesday. I would like to remind everyone that if there is an Extreme Cold Warning for our area, school will be cancelled. These warnings are officially issued by the National Weather Service, so we follow their lead- if a warning is issued we are closed, and if it's just an advisory we are open. I share this with you today in hopes that any Extreme Cold Warning is issued by the National Weather Service well enough in advance to help families plan in the event of a school closure. In addition, I stress this Warning threshold because you might hear of the official Extreme Cold Warning before I do, so you can plan accordingly without waiting for our school cancelation notices. If an Extreme Cold Warning is issued, we will send school cancellation notifications through our normal channels as soon as we are aware. If there are cancellations, all after school activities will be canceled as well. Again, if there is an Extreme Cold Warning issued for our area, we are closed. If not, we will be open. In either case, I respect parents' rights to make decisions based on what they believe is best for their children in any weather situation. Have a good weekend everyone, and stay warm. Please share. #WeAreMAPS

📢 Reminder for Families 📢 🚨 No School for Grades K-4 on Friday, January 24, 2025 🚨 This day is dedicated to Professional Learning for our K-4 teaching and support staff. Our team will be focusing on enhancing their understanding and implementation of the Science of Reading through LETRS training. Thank you for your support as we continue to strengthen literacy education for our students! 📚✨ #WeAreMAPS

And, last but not least, ​​Tiffany Bucheger was recognized for her extraordinary effort in organizing five elementary holiday concerts in the month of December. Her hard work, creativity, and positive spirit brought the joy of music to our students, staff, families, and community during the holiday season. Her ability to coordinate so many unique performances, showcasing the talent and hard work of more than 600 students is a testament to commitment and incredible teaching. Thank you for going above and beyond to share your passion for music with our schools and community. #WeAreMAPS

Kayla Williams was recognized by our Board of Education for the incredible display she organized in the PRMS cafeteria. The giant Christmas tree, with every student’s contribution and the staff pictures on top, was such a beautiful representation of our “We Are Connected” mindset. The effort Kayla put into ensuring all students participated was amazing. The final result is not only visually stunning but also a powerful reminder of the sense of community we’re building. A big thank you to Kayla for her creativity, thoughtfulness, and dedication to making this happen! #WeAreMAPS

Also recognized were MHS staff and students who went above and beyond during the Christmas season to make sure everyone had a good Christmas. Whether it was through helping with our adopt-a-family program, the “Oh Cozy Night” program, or celebrating with staff, this group of staff and students went above and beyond to brighten the lives of others in the Christmas season. Staff: Trisha Kubichek, Kasie Holt, Bree Kratz, Toni Moldenhauer, Grant Dahlke, Amy Raddatz, and Jason Wadzinski; and, students: Chloe Borman, Jameson Frisinger-Karpinski, Evan Grefe, Lily Kerins, Gage Kimmins, Zachary Millard, Shannon O’Malley, Amaris Palacios Reyes, Damien Parker, Jon Schneider, Liam Walters and Jameson Ward. #WeAreMAPS

The following teachers at Pine River School for Young Learners were recognized at last night's meeting: Cortney Wadzinski, Anne Novinska, Khala Strayer, Trisha Wille and Stacey Molitor for their dedication and hard work. Their commitment to investing extra time in training and professional development has been invaluable. Additionally, their efforts in building strong connections with families and providing ongoing support have made a meaningful impact on our community. Thank you for going above and beyond to ensure the success of every child and family. #WeAreMAPS

Last night, our Board recognized Levon Van Der Geest for his donation to the NEST. Levon is a Merrill native, an MHS grad, and is currently a junior at UW Milwaukee pursuing a degree in mechanical engineering. Levon is also a local race car driver who was chosen as one of seven national finalists to participate in the Kulwicki Driver Development Program which was founded in honor of the late NASCAR legend Alan Kulwicki. The KDDP finalists are judged not only on their on track stats, but also on their philanthropy and volunteerism. Since Levon’s race car number is 23, he identified 23 local organizations to raise money for and the NEST was lucky enough to make the list. Levon had stickers made for the hood of his race car and invited local businesses and race fans to give $10 to get their name on the hood of his race car for each race on his schedule throughout the season. The local causes he championed included domestic violence, animal welfare, veterans, community service, fighting cancer, community enrichment, food insecurity, mental health awareness and suicide prevention, and homelessness. He also raised money for several organizations supporting kids’ basic needs, positive mentorship and healthy activities. Incredibly, Levon ended up raising over $25,000 for local organizations which is such a testament to the fact that many people doing a little can really accomplish great things. The NEST is a fund run by our school social workers to provide necessities to students and families who are struggling. This was the largest of all of Levon’s fundraisers last season and he presented us with a check for $4,405! #WeAreMAPS

🥬🌱 Green Team Takes Action at Washington! 🌱🥬 Our incredible "Green Team," made up of 10 dedicated fourth graders, has been hard at work growing various types of lettuce in their hydroponic planter. After a month and a half of care and dedication, they proudly harvested their crops! 🥗 These young leaders took turns educating their peers about the process and even served the freshly grown lettuce to both grade levels during lunch. What an inspiring way to promote sustainability and healthy eating! 🌟 Great job, Green Team! 👏 #WeAreMAPS