Merrill Area Public Schools

🎉 Please help us congratulate our May Youth Optimist Award winners — Austin Depies and Haylea Drabek! Your leadership, positivity, and dedication make us proud. Way to go! 👏 #WeAreMAPS

📦 End-of-Year Food Drive – May 12–23 Help us support local students and families facing food insecurity this summer by donating non-perishable food items. 🧡 Drop-off at: MHS, PRMS, Washington, or Kate Goodrich 🍎 Suggested items: Canned fruits/veggies, peanut butter, pasta, rice, canned meats, cereal, shelf-stable milk, and more. If your family could benefit from this program, please contact your school’s social worker. Every item makes a difference—thank you for supporting our school community! 💙 #WeAreMAPS

📚✨ Congratulations to the 2025 MHS National Honor Society Inductees! The Viola Holt Chapter held its annual Induction Ceremony on Wednesday, May 7 in the MHS LMC. We’re proud to welcome these outstanding students and celebrate their commitment to scholarship, leadership, service, and character. 👏 A special thank you to our senior officers for your dedication and leadership this year! Inductees: Olivia Barker, Adison Clark, Avery Frisch, Hazeley Gates, Grace Hoff, Addison Jirovec, Brenna Jirovec, Hannah Klinger, Noah Klug, Korina Kraegenbrink, Abbie Krueger, Mark Marvin, Greta Peterson, Derek Schult, Layla Schmidt, Remington Skic, Lauren Zuelsdorff Not Pictured: Erik Grunenwald 2025 Officers: President – Jazi Severt Vice President – Keeley Benedict Secretary – Emily Winter Treasurer – Theo Johnson Historian – Ronan Van De Weerd

🎉 On May 7, the Merrill High School Youth Apprenticeship Program celebrated its Student Stars at a special banquet at the Eagle's Club! Out of 93 students in the program this year, 12 were recognized for going above and beyond in building career readiness skills. 👏 A new "Mentor of the Year" award was also introduced and presented to Greg Gressens of Brickner’s Park City for his dedication and mentorship since the program's start. Congratulations to all our Youth Apprentices and a big thank you to our business partners for helping students build bright futures! Contact Linda Murray or Steve Hintze, Youth Apprenticeship Coordinators at 715-536-4594 for more information or if students or businesses would like to participate in the program next school year. #WeAreMAPS #YouthApprenticeship

After 30 years of dedication to MAPS, Doug Iwen is retiring at the end of this school year! Doug has taught High School Social Studies his entire career in our district! When asked about his favorite memory, Doug shared, "Seeing students’ differing personalities outside of the classroom—like working with students when preparing for Homecoming." What will he miss the most? Doug said, "The day-to-day challenges of trying to explain things so students can relate to the material and understand it better—along with the interaction with the students." Doug, thank you for three decades of inspiring, educating, and connecting with students. We wish you the very best in your next adventures! 🎉 #WeAreMAPS

💙🩺 Happy School Nurse Day! | May 7 🩺💙 Today we celebrate and thank our incredible school nurses for the care, compassion, and calm they bring to our schools every day. Whether it's a scraped knee, a comforting word, or managing complex health needs, our nurses are always there to support students and staff. Thank you for being the heartbeat of student wellness and for all you do to keep MAPS healthy and thriving! #WeAreMAPS

On a recent episode of Bluejay Radio’s Community Scan, Director of Finance Mark Powell shared updates on several key topics: 🧾 State Budget & District Budget Development The Wisconsin Supreme Court recently upheld the $325 per-pupil revenue cap increase, but future state funding remains uncertain. With a Democratic governor and a Republican legislature, there could be extended debate—and final decisions may not come until fall. For now, MAPS is moving forward with a status quo approach to budgeting. 👩‍🏫 Hiring Update MAPS has had a strong hiring season, filling roles such as an instructional coach, Tech Ed teacher, Special Ed aide, two health aides, and clerical support at MADA (Merrill Adult Learning Academy). The District is hopeful for a stable staffing outlook with no major year-end resignations. 🚌 New Busing Contract for 2025–26 Wendorf is exiting the transportation business. Starting in 2025–26, Kobussen—a company based in the Fox Valley with service in Shawano and Marshfield—will take over. Transition planning is underway, and no major changes are expected in the first year. 📣 Additional Announcements Spring sports are in full swing Community Education classes launched this spring, and the team is planning the fall catalog—contact Angie Drew if you’re interested in teaching a class Special School Board meeting on April 28 to elect officers MHS Graduation is May 23 Last day of school is May 30 You can listen to the interview here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IDcfenYd8BYLT7NLrKK_oIrYeG36vPtM/view?usp=sharing #WeAreMAPS

🌟Custodial/Maintenance Employee of the Month🌟 🎉Congratulations to Al Galarza🎉 Al does a great job at PRMS. He is friendly and always willing to help out wherever he can. He is a hard worker and always has a good attitude. - Nate L. Thank you, Al, for your hard work and commitment!💙👏 #WeAreMAPS

🍎✨ National Teacher Appreciation Week | May 5–9 ✨🍎 This week, we celebrate and honor the heart of our schools—our amazing teachers! 💙 Your passion, creativity, and commitment to students make a difference every single day. To all of our educators across MAPS: thank you for inspiring minds, shaping futures, and leading with heart. We appreciate you today and every day! Drop a comment to shout out a teacher who’s made an impact in your life! 👇 #WeAreMAPS

🍎🥪 Happy School Lunch Hero Day! 🦸‍♀️🦸‍♂️ Today we celebrate the amazing school nutrition staff who fuel our students with healthy meals, warm smiles, and incredible care—every single day! From early mornings to busy lunch lines, your hard work does not go unnoticed. Thank you for being real-life heroes in our schools! 💙 #WeAreMAPS #SchoolLunchHeroDay

📚🍎 Happy National Principal’s Day! 🎉 Today, we recognize and thank the incredible leaders who guide, support, and inspire our students and staff every day. 💙 Join us in celebrating our amazing principals ! Thank you for the heart, leadership, and dedication you bring to your schools every single day! 🌟 #WeAreMAPS

It’s hard to believe we’re already in the final month of the school year! As we move through May, we want to thank our students, staff, families, and community for another incredible year of learning, growth, and partnership. 🎓 From end-of-year celebrations and graduations to final projects and field trips, this month is packed with opportunities to reflect, recognize, and wrap up the year strong. 📅 A reminder that the last day of school for students is early release on Friday, May 30th. Let’s finish these final weeks with positivity, purpose, and BlueJay pride! Thank you for being an essential part of our Merrill Area Public Schools community. We are already looking forward to the 2025–26 school year and all the possibilities ahead! 💙📘 #WeAreMAPS

🎉👏 Congratulations, Maya! 👏🎉 Please join us in recognizing Maya Paulus, our April Youth Optimist of the Month! Maya was selected for this honor because of her positive attitude, strong character, and commitment to making a difference in her school and community. 🌟 Way to go, Maya—we're proud of you! 💙 #WeAreMAPS

Last night, newly elected School Board members Paul Proulx, Jon Smith, and Jacqueline Gremler recited the oath of office for their 2025–2028 term. Please join us in thanking them for their commitment to serving the MAPS community! #WeAreMAPS

🎙️ Superintendent Shannon Murray on Bluejay Radio! Superintendent Shannon Murray recently joined Bluejay Radio's Community Scan to give a recap of the most recent Regular Board of Education Meeting, including recognition, budget, and upcoming events. Tune in here to stay informed and connected with what's happening at MAPS: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FD3q0p9wQFm1f8QRtBOzUC_V-3cE7MZD/view?usp=sharing https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FEJkDEjme3ZZHkolayRb85CGDd5aFXkH/view?usp=sharing #WeAreMAPS

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

📢 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