Merrill Area Public Schools

🔧✨ Celebrating Our SkillsUSA Competitors! ✨🔩 As part of CTE Month and SkillsUSA Week, a few members of our Merrill High School SkillsUSA Team put their skills to the test at a competition at Northcentral Technical College in Wausau! 🏅 Congratulations to Miah for earning 3rd place in the Job Demonstration Competition! 👏 🔢🛠️ We also had strong performances in Related Technical Math and Woodworking Display. We are so proud of all our Bluejays for their hard work and dedication! 💙 #WeAreMAPS

📣 Registration Now Open for the 3rd Annual UCA Cheer Camp! 🎉📢 Calling all future cheerleaders! Registration is officially open for the 3rd Annual UCA Cheer Camp, happening soon! This camp is open to students entering grades 7-12 for the 2025-2026 school year. 📅 Registration Deadline: February 28th 📍 Don’t miss out on this amazing opportunity to learn, grow, and cheer with the best! Sign up today and join us for an unforgettable experience! https://forms.gle/NUWDTp3xvhqGWwY38 Thank you, ~~ Coach Sarah #WeAreMAPS

📢 Exciting News! More Winter Swim Lessons Added! 🏊‍♂️❄️ Due to high demand, we’re opening up Session 3 of winter swim lessons! If you were on the waitlist or missed out on registration, now’s your chance! 📅 Dates: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday evenings 📍 Session 3 Runs: March 3 – March 21 🏊‍♀️ Available Levels: Learn to Swim Levels 1 & 2 Spots are limited, so be sure to sign up soon! For more details and registration info, visit https://www.mapsedu.org/page/pool-schedule-information or contact Eric Ball, MAPS Aquatics Director - 715.536.9593, ext. 17030 eric.ball@mapsedu.org. Please share! #WeAreMAPS

📢 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

🚨 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

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

🌟 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