Dear Families,

Thank you for your ongoing support. We’re excited to share that the Merrill Innovation Plan and the Luminary Learning Network (LLN) Plan are now available on our website. As an innovation school, we value the flexibilities that help us support, inspire, and challenge our diverse learners.

As we head into Thanksgiving Break, please encourage your student to engage with i-Ready and IXL, especially if they are on a support plan. Finding 30 minutes a day for i-Ready and 15 minutes for IXL for 4 days over break will greatly support their continued learning and growth.

After the break, we’ll have three weeks before the semester ends. For the Quarter 2 celebration only, all make-up and missing work must be turned in by December 8th. All remaining work for Quarter 2 grades is due December 17th. To learn more about the happenings and learning for December, please check out our grade-level monthly newsletters:

6th Grade

7th Grade

8th Grade

Electives/Newcomer/SSP

Thank you to everyone who donated for the food drive  — we deeply appreciate our community. From all of our Merrill staff, we wish you a joyful Thanksgiving filled with time with loved ones.

Thank you again for your partnership

Sincerely,

Merrill Leadership

Community Food Pick UP Friday, November 21, 1-3pm

No School Friday, November 21 through Sunday, November 30. Enjoy the long break!

December 1- Welcome Back, Students!

The student registration for Boys & Girls Volleyball for our Winter Prep League season is now open. The deadline to register is set for December 5.

Merrill Middle School

Please know that this is different from the 6th grade volleyball, all grades are able to try out for the team.  There will be 1 boys team and 1 girls team.  Games are slated to start the first week back from Winter break.

Tryouts for Boys will be December 9th and 10th from 4-515pm.

Practices will be Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4-5:15pm beginning the week of Dec. 15.

Tryouts for the Girls will be:

Dec 15- 8th grade- 7:15-8:45am

Dec 16- 7th grade- 4-5:15pm

Dec 17- 6th grade- 7:15-8:45am

Dec 18- Call backs for all grades 4-5:15pm

Practices will begin after winter break and will be Mon- Thursday 4-5:30pm

Please reach out to vincent_franklin@dpsk12.net with any questions.

PTSA Holiday Celebration!!
Wednesday, December 10 6:30pm @Reivers!

You're invited to join us in celebration of a wonderful fall semester at Merrill!! We will be at Reivers on December 10th at 6:30pm with drinks and apps in hand!!

RSVP 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! 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! SignUpGeniusHere

Greetings #FAMILY! Merrill Meals pantry provides free groceries once a month to families in the Merrill community 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.

MerrillMealsForm

The Merrill Meals program is in need of backpack in new or like new condition for our monthly food distribution. Must be at least 16 inches and made of durable material. Neutral colors preferred. Logos are fine. Please bring donations to the main office. Thank you!

We have four winners each receiving a $50 gift certificate for delicious Lazo Empanadas! Thank you to all who donated!

Did you miss the chance to win? Not to worry!

We are entering donors who give between today and after Thanksgiving into a drawing for TWO Nuggets tickets to a game in Jan or Feb. Any amount counts and repeat donors are eligible!

http://fundrazr.com/merrillmovers2025

At over $20k raised so far, the Merrill Movers Giving Campaign is about 35% of its goal. A huge thank you to those who have already donated!!!

Our goal is to raise $57,777. We need your support!

http://fundrazr.com/merrillmovers2025

There are close to 600 families at Merrill. So far we have participation from 79 families. Imagine what we could do if 100% of our families gave!

Every dollar goes to support every student, and no donation amount is too small!

There are so many ways to give:

 Remember, no amount is too small, and you can absolutely give
anonymously (just check the box to remain anonymous when you submit
your gift).

 You can also elect to give a recurring amount of your choosing each
month if that is more comfortable. Scroll down the homepage of the
giving site for instructions under “How to Donate”.

 And don't forget to check in with your employer to see if they offer a
company match to your donation. Most large employers do!

 Consider donating stock. Did you know if you donate stock directly to a
charity, there's no capital gains tax to pay? *Please contact your tax advisor
for guidance as it pertains to your personal situation - instructions are at the bottom
of the giving site homepage.

Why all the 7's?
Because We are Funding Current and New Initiatives in Merrill’s Seven Key Areas of Success for our Students:

Please give!  We ask that you give as generously as you can! Together, we can reach our goal!

http://fundrazr.com/merrillmovers2025

Calling all parents!

*Help us create momentum and excitement around this year’s campaign, by donating
gift certificates, event tickets and items of value to be used as incentives for boosting
donations throughout the campaign!

*Are you considering making a large donation or offering a match? Please reach out
before doing so for additional instructions.

For incentive items and large donations, please contact lcervantesglynn@gmail.com

Quick Link to Support Merrill

Enroll Merrill as Your Community Rewards Recipient Under My Account!

Donate Your Longmont Dairy Caps in the Merrill Office Longmont Dairy supports Merrill by giving 5¢ back for every milk cap! So, it's time to drop off all of those extra Longmont Dairy milk caps that you have been saving all summer! Stop on by the main office and help us fill up our collection bin to start our year off strong. Don't have any to turn in quite yet? We will continue to collect milk caps throughout the school year. Encourage your friends and neighbors to help us collect as well to help raise money that goes to support our students and staff.

Students in Ms. Sommer’s and Ms. Brauer’s ELA classes had an incredible guest speaker from DU Law come in to discuss laws and how they relate to their current novel, To Kill a Mockingbird!

November is National Native American Heritage Month. We celebrate the cultural wealth of achievements and contributions that all Native Americans have provided and continue to bring. Below are some book recommendations that can be found on Sora to help with appreciating the multitude of accomplishments of Native American people. 

Merrill Memories from Bennie Lucille Williams

We are honored to share a special Merrill memory about Bennie Lucille Williams, who taught Vocal Music at Merrill from 1977–1981. Bennie — who passed away in 2023 at the age of 90 — lived a remarkable life across many historic moments and generously shared her musical gifts with our students and community. During her Merrill years, "Grease" was topping the music charts — a fun reminder of the era she taught in.

In her later years Bennie worked with Jacquelyn Benton to write her autobiography, My Song Is My Testimony, which was recently published. The book is highly recommended for anyone who wants to learn more about Bennie’s life, faith, and lifelong commitment to music and service.

Learn more and listen to excerpts from the book at: https://www.mysongmytestimony.com/. One excerpt is read by Steve Laudeman — a former neighbor and parent of a Merrill student, one of whom later returned to Merrill to work as a paraeducator for many years.

If you need support securing food…

• City and County of Denver: Visit their website to find food assistance across the city.

• Tasty Food Program: Afterschool meals for children will be offered at Denver recreation centers. Visit the Tasty Food website for locations and hours of operation.

• Food Bank of the Rockies: Find a food pantry near you using their Pantry Locator tool.

• Colorado 211: This confidential and multilingual service connects people to vital resources across Colorado. Call 2-1-1, 866-760-6489 or visit 211colorado.org. Note: The hotline is open 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday, however, expect long wait times. To avoid waiting, use the call-back feature.

• Feeding Colorado: The collaborative effort of the 5 Feeding America food banks that serve Colorado and Wyoming to coordinate and enhance food resources, ensuring food insecure Coloradans have access to healthy, fresh foods. Visit feedingcolorado.org/find-food or email info@feedingcolorado.org.

• Hunger Free Colorado: Connects Colorado families and individuals to SNAP/food stamps, food pantries, free meal sites, WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) and other nutrition programs geared toward families, children and older adults. Call 855-855-4626 Monday through Thursday from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

The City and County of Denver’s Department of Human Services (DHS) will continue processing SNAP applications and renewals to make sure benefits are processed in a timely fashion as soon as the government shutdown ends. SNAP beneficiaries will receive SNAP benefits retroactively once the government reopens. DHS strongly encourages families to continue submitting SNAP paperwork in the meantime.

If you would like to support local efforts…

• Denver Public Schools Foundation: Support the DPS community by donating to the DPS Foundation Food Security Fund.

• City and County of Denver: Visit their website to learn more about donating food, money and/or time.

• Denver Recreation Center Drop-off Locations: Non-perishable food items can be dropped off at any Denver rec center. Visit the City and County of Denver website to learn more.

• Denver Animal Shelter: Donate pet food to the Denver Animal Shelter located at 1241 W. Bayaud Ave. or through their Amazon wishlist.

• 10 Ways to Support Your Community Now:This slide deck from the City and County of Denver provides resources, suggestions and ideas on how to take immediate action in your community.

Youth On Record Programs!

FREE program offerings for young musicians, and we’d love for you to share this opportunity with any students who might be interested. 

• Creative Enrichment Classes for middle and high school students. Classes next session include Beatmaking, Songwriting, and Piano Lab.

• Studio Bookings young musicians can book out space in our Youth Media Studio for recording, mixing, band rehearsals, songwriting sessions, and jam sessions

• Drop-in Fridays - Youth and Families are welcome to drop in on Fridays for tours, studio access, and a regular schedule of events and activations including First Friday Open Mic!

Here is our registration link.