Dr. John Sample
Proud Superintendent
Another busy and productive month for Merrill Area Public Schools has passed! I am pleased to have the opportunity to share a few of this month’s highlights with you.
Patriotism Patriotism is taught in our schools and this past week marked an annual event hosted by our very own VFW Post 1638. MAPS middle school and high school students had the opportunity to compete in written essay and taped audio contests. Our Prairie River Middle School students competed in the Patriot’s Pen Essay Contest and responded to this year’s theme “America’s Gift to My Generation.”
I am pleased to announce the following final contestants representing PRMS this year.
2nd Place Madison Vandergeest Seventh Grade
4th Place Dafney Yates Seventh Grade
6th Place Erin Kremsreiter Seventh Grade
8th Place Olivia Troyer Seventh Grade
9th Place Evan Perry Seventh Grade
10th Place Liv Cordova Seventh Grade
Merrill High School students participated in the Voices of Democracy audio essay contest. This year’s theme was “American History: Our Hope for the Future.”
Here are the proud winners of this year’s contest:
1st Place Abraham Akey Junior
2nd Place Lily Cordova Junior
3rd Place Ian Springborn Senior
4th Place Dayton Frederick Junior
5th Place Casie Mcallister Senior
Congratulations to all of our students for representing Merrill Area Public School with pride and dignity! I had the pleasure of attending most of the Veterans Day programs in our schools and I am amazed by the work our students, teachers, support staff, parents and administrators do to create such wonderful ceremonies. Our students and staff had the opportunity to thank the brave women and men who sacrificed so much for our country. Our Veterans continue to give their time by connecting with our young people in helping them to understand the struggles they endured and the purpose of their great undertaking. It’s this connection to our Veterans that will never be forgotten. It is important that we thank and honor our Veterans throughout the year. You may be aware of their vision to construct a new building, the NorthWoods Veterans Post, which will not only benefit Veterans, but other organizations as well. Their plans include housing the American Legion, Disabled American Veterans, AmVets, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and the Cub Scouts. Such a project also holds promise for attracting potential residents to our area. Please consider supporting this project and remember our Veterans each day of the year.
MAPS Referendum Survey: Other significant news in the district includes the results of the referendum survey. The MAPS Board of Education and members of the Long Range Financial Referendum Planning Committee received the results of this community survey at their meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 14. Expect to hear more information in the coming months based on the results of this survey.
School Cancellation Reminder: It’s that time of year where the snow falls and the temperatures drop. Since our district’s highest priority is that of student safety, this is a great time to remind the community of our Weather Related School Closures procedure.When making the determination to cancel school due to weather emergencies, I will always take every reasonable effort to make thoughtful and timely decisions in the interest of student safety. Each event has unique circumstances and, at times, will allow for more notice than others.If the National Weather Service issues a wind chill or cold temperature warning, school and school related events will be cancelled.If the National Weather Service issues a snow or freezing rain advisory or warning, I will make a determination as to whether road conditions pose a substantial risk for travel. This decision is made with assistance from local meteorologists, transportation providers, state patrol, and the county highway department.Decisions to cancel school or conduct a late start will generally happen prior to 6:00 a.m. I understand that this may challenging for some families however, storms are not as predictable as outside temperatures.Early releases will be decided no later than 10:15 a.m. and parent notification will occur immediately following the decision.Please remember that I am dealing with natural forces which are not always predictable. I will take every precaution to make the best decision possible with the information available. At times, this may include keeping our students at school instead of issuing an early release for the purpose of allowing road crews the time necessary to clear roads.