Mrs. Hospelhorns Announcements

Tuesday we will hold Drug Awareness Assemblies for grades 3, 4, 5 and Eddie Eagle Assemblies for grades K, 1, 2. These programs are presented by Officer Dye from Pierce Twp. Police Department.

On Thursday, the high school choir will come to Merwin to sing for the 5^th graders.

Friday night is the Extra Effort Movie night from 6:00-8:00. We are still searching for the just right G rated movie to show. This event is just for 3, 4, and 5^th grade students. Every student in those grades are welcome to come. All students have earned tickets for goodies that night. It is our way of thanking students for their hard work during testing.

This week the 4^th grade class is sponsoring “soda for a soldier” in honor of Chris Hurley, a former Merwin student who is returning from Iraq. A party is being planned for his unit. You are asked to send bottled water, Gatorade, or different canned soda by May 14^th if you would like to participate.

Amelia MS PTSO is holding a 5^th Grade Parent Social on May 12^th at 6:00 in the middle school library.

5^th graders are reminded that they can still sign up for band, orchestra, or chorus by calling the middle school at 947-7500.

Parents are asked to keep a close eye on their children’s lunch accounts due to the fact that students will not be able to charge lunches after Friday, May 16^th. Please call me at school if you need help with this issue!

We had a great testing week and the students have worked very hard. We have one test to complete on Monday. It is the 5^th Grade Social Studies test. Attendance has been outstanding and I thank parents for making sure that your child had a good night’s sleep, a good breakfast and at school on time.

Wednesday all Kindergarten students will ride the morning bus to school due to the trip to the Cincinnati Zoo.

Your child will be carrying home the newsletter on Tuesday. It has very important information for the end of the year. Please make sure you ask for it

I would like to start by telling you that we just finished a great week! We consider our “Merwin, Show What You Know” Week a success. Student and teacher participation was outstanding. We are ready for the test which will start Monday morning with the reading test. Wednesday is the math test and Friday, the 4^th graders will take the writing test and the 5^th graders will take the science test. We will start testing as soon as announcements are over in the morning so it is important that all students be at school on time! And don’t forget that students need to get a good night’s sleep and eat a good breakfast!

Thanks go out to the PTO for providing students with the Mobile Planetarium this week.

Wednesday ½ of the second graders will travel to Woodland Mound and the other ½ will go on Thursday.

Wednesday evening at 7:00 is the 4^th grade music program and the annual Merwin Art Show. This is an event you won’t want to miss.

A big “Thank You” to all parents who sent in donations to the Matt Maupin Scholarship fund. Merwin collected just under $300.

This week is a very exciting week for Merwin students. We are celebrating “Show What You Know” week. Monday, 3^rd, 4^th, and 5^th graders will receive a baggie containing lots of items designed to help students be stress free on testing day. Make sure you ask to see it!

Tuesday is “Exercise Your Mind” day. Students are encouraged to wear their sweat suits to school. We will hold a brief assembly in the morning at which time Mrs. Price will lead students through exercises. Students are encouraged to stay active and alert for testing week.

Wednesday is “Merwin Spirit” Day. Students are encouraged to wear their Merwin spirit wear to school. We have planned a huge pep rally which will be attended by the entire WC Marching band and the AHS cheerleaders! The 5^th grade chorus will perform. All students will attend. The pep rally is designed to motivate students to always do their best. Due to space in the gym, we are sorry to report we will not have space for parents.

Also on Wednesday, Spring Pictures and Classroom Pictures will be taken. What a perfect day for these pictures since students will be wearing Merwin spirit wear.

Don’t forget to pick up your Market Day order Wednesday evening from 6:00- 7:00 PM.

Thursday students will be wearing their Thinking Band and/or Thinking Caps designed to encourage students to put thought into every question they answer.

Thursday and Friday the Mobile Planetarium will visit Merwin. All students have been scheduled to visit. This large display will be in the gym and therefore, students will be eating lunch in their classrooms both days. We will not be accepting visitors for lunch due to space available!

Also on Friday, students will be wearing their PJ’s to school to signify how important it is for students to get a good night’s sleep and a good breakfast!

Students carried home report cards Friday. Please check book bags if you have not seen it yet. When checking attendance we noticed that Progress Book did not pick up some absences due to the code being used. Therefore, we found a few problems that will be corrected prior to the end of the year! If your child still owes fees, the report card was held. Fees may be paid in the office.

We are sadden by the loss of U.S. Army Staff Sgr., Matt Maupin. Matt was a student in our district and graduated from Glen Este High School. His mother, Carolyn, works for transportation. To honor Matt’s memory, Merwin, like the rest of Clermont County, will recognize Matt Maupin Day on Tuesday by asking all students and staff to wear red, white and blue. We will be taking up a collection on Tuesday and Wednesday for the Matt Maupin Scholarship Fund. Please send your donation into school with your child. We will take all donations, large and small.

This week on Wednesday morning we will once again have the Intramural Club in the gym at 8:15.

Remember that Friday is Teacher Inservice Day and there will be no school for students.

Great Job! Keep up the good work. The next contest runs until April 30 where students who answer 100 questions, 50 math and 50 reading, will win tickets for “Extra Effort Movie Night” on May 9.

The Merwin Messenger will come home with students on Tuesday, April 1. It has important information about testing week preparation. Please make sure to check book bags for this newsletter.

We have a large collection of lost and found items which will be donated to charity if they are not claimed soon. If your child has lost an article of clothing, please have them check the lost and found this week.

Tuesday 4^th and 5^th graders will attend an assembly concerning Internet Safety. This program is brought to us by our Resource Officer Julie Poe in conjunction with the Pierce Twp. Police Department.

Wednesday the 5^th graders will travel to Amelia Middle School for Orientation. They will leave school at 9:30 and will return in time for lunch.

Thursday is the last day of 3^rd Quarter. Kindergarten, 1^st and 2^nd graders will have the Eddie Eagle assembly, also brought to us by Officer Poe. Morning Kdg. will meet on the stage at 10:00 and afternoon Kdg., 1^st and 2^nd graders will meet in the gym at 2:45.

There is no school on Friday or for the following week. School will resume on Monday, March 31^st.

Thank you Merwin PTO and parents for the wonderful week of coverage and goodies in honor of Staff Appreciation Week. Kathy Vaské was the chairperson and was assisted by a host of parents.

When I reported last week that some people requested not to receive the Call Command, I heard from several more people who want the calls. Therefore, in an effort to accommodate everyone, I will continue the calls and ask that parents who request not to receive the calls please send me the request in writing to remove your name from the call command. Since I hope we are nearing the end of bad weather, you will not need to be on the list, but we will keep a separate list in the event you will need notification. Parents did request that the calls be shortened, and I will do my best to keep the calls short.

Monday all students will bring home a “Time for Kids” packet of information. Each year we use this as a means of providing Merwin students with the “Time for Kids” monthly publication without paying. Each family can help by filling out your packet with names and addresses. It is not necessary that you purchase a publication, however, Merwin will receive credit for your purchase should you decide to buy or renew a magazine. Remember, we only need the packets filled out to receive “Time for Kids” free for next school year. Please return these packets to school on Tuesday.

The second grade performance of “Bugz” will be held Tuesday evening at the AHS PAC at 7:30. Students need to arrive at 6:15 with costumes and doors will open for parents at 7:15.

Martial Arts Club will continue on Wednesday in the gym after school until 4:30.

Thursday night there is a Music Orientation for 5^th graders at the AHS PAC. Students interested in joining the band or orchestra at the middle school next year should attend with parents.

Parents may register kindergarten students for next year all week from 8-4 in the school office. Please check the last newsletter for a list of items needed to register or call school.

Thank you to all parents who responded to the Merwin Parent Survey. It is good to hear from you about important things for your children. I sent the surveys out to be scored on Monday and received the results on Tuesday. I am in the process of compiling the comments. Surveys that came back late were not included in the results. We were thrilled that 79% of our parents responded.

One thing that I heard from some of you is that you do not like the Sunday evening call. Therefore, I will no longer be sending the weekly call after March 2^nd. The information will still be available here on the website and by calling 947-7860. This way those of you who like receiving the information can still have access to it and those of you who do not may avoid it. It is my hope that next year we will create one database for those people who want the calls. So don’t give up on the calls, they will return next year for everyone who relies on receiving that information every Sunday evening. Until then, don’t forget to call 947-7860 each Sunday evening or any day of the week.

A big thank you goes out to Sam’s Club who is providing us with $1600 to purchase air conditioners for the computer labs and to run electric for them. Sam’s Club has been extremely generous to us last year and this year. I hope you take the opportunity to thank them.

Monday afternoon the 5^th graders will see a music orientation concerning vocal and instrumental music programs available at the middle school. The program will take place on the stage and will last 45 minutes.

Tuesday is a very important day for the children in West Clermont Schools. Issue 7 will provide the revenue needed to operate our schools. Please take a minute to read the letter from Dr. Brooks; it was attached to the March newsletter. If you have questions about this issue, call me at school. And above all, REMEMBER TO VOTE.

The second grade musical BUGZ, has been moved to March 11 due to missed practices during our snow days. Please mark your calendars as it is a wonderful program. It will be held at the Amelia High School in the Performing Arts Center.

We will continue to hold Study Island contests, however, students are involved in some Study Island mini testing. This will require our current contest to be extended over spring break. This is excellent practice and we hope that you encourage your children to use this practice regularly!

Thank you goes out to the Merwin PTO who is providing students with a unique experience called “The Traveling Planetarium. It will come to our school on April 17 and 18.

Remember to change testing dates on your school calendars. They will be held alternating days April 21 through April 28. Please do not schedule vacations or appointments on these days.

A big thank you goes out to Sam’s Club for giving Merwin a grant to pay for two air conditioners for the computer lab. They also agreed to pay for the electric install to run them! Please take a minute to thank them for their contribution to Merwin.

There will be a community meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 27 at 7:30 at the Union Twp Civic Center to discuss the 1% Alternative Based Income Tax. Please come and get the answers to your questions or find out more about how it can help your children.

Testing for the gifted and talented program will be held Monday through Thursday this week.

We have rescheduled the “Lunch with the Principal” once again due to the snow days. It will be held on Wednesday at 12:15 on the stage.

The Father Daughter Dance will be held Friday evening at 7:00. Tickets will be available during lunch on Monday and Tuesday for $10 per family.

The Second Grade Musical has been changed from March 4 to March 11. Please change this date in your calendar.

I received some very exciting news. Sam’s Club in Eastgate awarded Merwin a grant to purchase two window air conditioners for our computer labs. These air conditioners are necessary to keep the computers from over-heating and eventually burning out. We are so thankful to Sam’s and hope that you will let them know you appreciate what they are doing for our children.

As I have reported in the past few weeks, incidents on busses are on the increase. Safety is the most important issue when it comes to transportation. Holly Hill Elementary and Merwin Elementary are joining efforts to produce a bus safety video that will promote the safe transportation of our students. Mrs. Greer’s 4^th grade class will assist with this video which will be filmed and produced starting Thursday by Ginna Gauntner, our intern psychologist.

On Tuesday, Merwin students will carry home a parent survey. We are asking each family to fill out and return one survey. We are striving to fill the needs of our community and better service our school families. Please return surveys no later than Friday.

Our Karate Club starts Wednesday after school from 3:45 to 4:30. We hope that many of our students take advantage of this opportunity. Remember that students must be picked up at 4:30 and that all proceeds from these classes are donated to Merwin.

Interim reports will be carried home with students on Friday. Please remember to ask for them or check book bags. Teachers can be contacted by email or voice mail.

West Clermont has placed a 1% Alternative Base Income Tax on the ballot for the March 4 election. In order to provide information so that you may make a good choice for your family, there will be an Open Community Meeting on Wednesday, February 27^th at 7:30 PM at the Union Township Civic Center. I would encourage all parents to attend. If you can not attend but have questions about how this will help your child, please call me at school or stop by my office.

Don’t forget that the Senior Citizen’s Fair will be held at Amelia Middle School Tuesday from 4:30 to 6:00. This has been rescheduled due to the weather last Tuesday. Please make sure to share this information with the seniors in your family and neighborhood.

Last of all, The Father/Daughter Dance is coming up on February 29. Presale tickets will be available during lunches on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday at a cost of $10 per family. Wrist Corsages may also be purchased for $8 each. Thank you to Mrs. Angie Tucker who is the event chairperson.

Mrs. Tucker asked that I also tell you that she is still taking yearbook orders. Yearbooks are $17 and are payable in the office.

Last of all, the OAT testing dates for grades 3, 4, and 5 have been changed by the state. Please make sure to mark these days on your calendar. They are changed to April 21 through April 28. Please do not schedule appointments or vacations on these dates as state testing is mandatory. More information will be coming.

I am so excited about students actually getting started on Fast Math. Mrs. Brown, one of the 5^th grade teachers, has taken the lead to make sure all students know how to work within the program and the labs are operational. Two 5^th grade students log all computers on each morning and two others log all the computers off in the afternoon. Our electric seems to be working now, so we are thrilled. Please continue to make sure students have ear buds or ear phones for use in the labs.

I am also excited to tell you the 5^th graders have been working hard on the laptops making Powerpoint presentations and performing research under the guidance of Mrs. Christian, Ms. Renken, and Ms. Jones. They have been the brave volunteers who have weathered the storms as we learn about their use. In addition, Ms. Jacobs has worked with the second graders to complete their Reading Counts tests on the laptops! It is so exciting to see our students moving into the 21^st Century finally!

Tuesday at 4:30, Amelia Middle School will be holding a new event on their campus to assist senior citizens in our district. We sent invitations to all Merwin grandparents for this event, however, if you know of any seniors in your neighborhood, please make sure they know about it!

On Tuesday your child will bring home a parent survey. The purpose of the survey is to collect information about our service to the Merwin community. Please take a minute to respond to this quick survey and return one survey per family to your child’s classroom. If you have more than one child at Merwin, please return only one survey.

We regret the Study Island popcorn party scheduled last week had to be moved to Tuesday. It will be held on the stage at 1:15.

On Wednesday the Second Grade will travel to the Symphony, downtown. Please send money and permission slips to school tomorrow if you have not already. Thank you to Mrs. Graham, Mr. Kloth and the second grade teachers for arranging this trip.

Also on Wednesday, we will have the last Martial Arts assembly for the year. We are excited to give our students the opportunity to participate in these classes which will be held after school in Merwin’s gym. Information about the costs and times of classes will come home with students on Wednesday. Please ask for it. All proceeds from these classes go to Merwin Elementary!

Thursday we will be having the classroom Valentine parties. Morning Kindergarten parties will be held from 10:30 – 11:30. All other parties will be held from 2:15 – 3:15. Please note that all cars must exit the parking lot at 3:15 as we must be able to get buses into the lot. Parents who attend parties are permitted to sign out their children in the classroom.

We do not have school on Friday, February 15 or Monday, February 18 due to Mid Winter Break and President’s Day. Enjoy your time off and note that interim reports will go home when we return from this break on Friday, February 22.

Mark your calendars for May 7^th and 8^th as Mrs. Price and Ms. Brock are planning the first annual Merwin Family Sports Night! More information will come soon.

I am excited to report that all first through fifth graders completed their pretest for Fast Math. Many of Mrs. Brown’s fifth grade students helped students in lower grades learn to maneuver through the operations. We are excited to start our first full week of practice, but we are concerned about electric issues we are having. If there is an electrician out there who could and would help us, please call school. We have applied for a grant from Sam’s Club to provide air conditioners for the labs, which by the way will add to our electric issues but is none the less needed! We will keep you posted about our application! Please remember that we still need students to bring earphones or ear buds to use in the lab. Send them in a Ziploc bag with name and teacher in permanent marker. Please remind students not to share their earphones. I understand that they are available at the dollar store!

We just completed the January Study Island contest which lasted 4 weeks. The amazing thing is that all of the top ten were in the 5^th grade! In the four weeks, the 5^th graders answered 28,162 questions with 85% accuracy. The next good news is that 83% of the fifth grade class participated in the contest! I am so proud of them. The winners will have a popcorn party on Friday and will be permitted to bring a friend! The winners are:

The new Study Island contest is once again looking winners in the following areas:

The contest begins Feb. 4 and ends Feb. 22 at midnight! Everyone who participates for every 50 questions answered you will receive a ticket to enter a drawing. Each homeroom will have two winners. The winners will receive TWO free homework passes to use in any subject but you can not use them for projects! Good Luck!

Remember that the last scheduled Parent/Teacher Conferences are Tuesday night from 5:30 to 9:00. If you have not scheduled a conference and would like to, please call Mrs. Ogden in the office or contact the teacher via email or voice mail.

Wednesday our 4^th graders will be attending an assembly with the “weatherman”. This assembly will take place on the stage. Wednesday is also PTO Papa John’s Pizza Night.

I appreciate your assistance with discussing bus issues with your children. It worked as we had fewer issues last week!

If we have delays or cancellations due to the weather, I will make a command call as early as possible. We also have a voice mail line you can call. This is helpful for children who spend part of the week at different houses. I change the message each time there is a delay or cancellation. The number is 947-7898. Please make note of it.

I would like to start by congratulating Alex Burbick for winning the Merwin spelling bee on Friday. Alex will move on to the city tournament. Great Job Alex!

Yearbooks are on sale for the 2007-08 school year. The cost is $17 and checks must be made payable to the Merwin PTO. Last day to order is February 8!

We are starting Fast Math! We are still having issues with not enough electricity and flipped breakers, but we are going to start and give it our best shot! We have found that the sound effects for Fast Math are entertaining but distracting to the students. To help your child concentrate while in the lab, please purchase a pair of headphones or ear buds to keep at school. Place them in a Ziploc bag with the child’s name and room number/teacher written in permanent marker. Teachers will keep them for students to use each day in the lab! I have been told that these items are available at the dollar store!

Students will begin the skating program in PE classes this week. Mrs. Price has asked me to request that students dress appropriately, wear thick, tall socks and bring bicycle helmets to wear if you have them. They may also want to bring wrist, elbow and knee pads. PE classes have somewhat changed however, your child should know the day they skate. Every class was changed to one hour to allow time to put on and take off skates.

We will be holding the assemblies for Honor Roll and Perfect Attendance on Wednesday this week. Due to skating week, these assemblies will be held on the stage. It will be crowded but, as usual, we will do our best to accommodate everyone who comes!

Please encourage your child to wear their Restful and Responsible pins that day!

As a reminder: Merwin student attendance is part of the state report card. We must have 93% attendance for our school to get the point. The illnesses going around have taken a toll on our attendance the past two months. Please try to schedule appointments before or after school or on the weekends. Also remember that doctor notes are a big help for us in documenting absence. Please call school by 10:30 if your child is absent and parents are required to sign children in if they are tardy! Thank you for your assistance in this very important area.

Bus discipline issues have begun to spring up. Please note that the first bus referral can receive a warning depending on the severity of the issue. The second is a detention and the third starts bus suspension. Safety is the key issue here and I will not tolerate anyone who jeopardizes the safety of our children.

Conferences are Wednesday evening and next week on Tuesday from 5:30-9:00. Please return request for conference sheets to the homeroom teacher immediately.

If you are looking ahead, Mid-Winter Break is Feb 15 – 18 which is a four day weekend.

Also Kindergarten registration for 2008-09 is March 10-14 and Intradistrict applications for next year will be accepted April 7-May 30.

I have been asked to announce that sign-ups for softball and baseball will be held at WT Park on January 31^st, Feb. 5^th and Feb. 7^th from 6:30-8:00. Cost and age group information has been sent home for softball and will be coming home for baseball. If you have questions, call Dave Burbick at 753-5374 for softball and 588-4979 for baseball.

Once again I would like to remind you these messages can be heard by dialing 947-7860.

Report cards were carried home with students on Friday. If you have not seen it, please check book bags. According to district procedures report cards were held if you owe fees. Any size payment is acceptable. Stop by the office or send a check with your child.

We spent most of Thursday and Friday working on attendance issues in Progress Book (our Report Card Software). Though the problem has now been solved, we had already printed report cards. You may find the teacher corrected the attendance by hand. Please note the problem is corrected for the next quarter. We appreciate the teachers taking the time to correct them by hand so that you have accurate records for your children.

Our Merwin Spelling Bee will be held this Friday at 9:30 in the gym. Awards will be given to classroom representatives and the overall winner. A big thank you goes out to Mrs. Brentlinger who organized this event.

We are looking for businesses that might be willing to sponsor the monthly Lunch with the Principal. Students love this event and I look forward to it as well. If you know of a potential sponsor, please let me know. It involves lunch for approximately 50 students.

Don’t forget conferences on Jan. 30 and Feb. 5. Conference request forms are available in the office; you can contact the teacher by voice mail, or email.

As a reminder: It is that cold time of the year when students need their coats, hats, and gloves. Our lost and found will grow over the next few months. One sure way to make sure your child’s belongings get home is to label them with first and last names.

Attendance is one of the indicators on the Merwin state report card. Please take vacations during scheduled breaks.

Last of all, tardy students must be signed in at the office by a parent, and absent students must be called into the office by 10:30 at 947-7804.

Monday marks the end of second quarter. Once grades are in and attendance has been determined, we will hold our assemblies for Honor Roll and Perfect Attendance. Report cards will be carried home with students on Friday.

Students will be bringing conference request forms home this week. This is a very important time for all students because parents and teachers get together to discuss ways to help improve learning. Please take advantage of the time our district sets aside for these discussions. The last scheduled conferences for the year will take place the evenings of Jan. 30 and February 5. Please return your conference requests to the homeroom teacher as soon as possible.

Study Island Contest: Once again we are looking for the TOP TEN. That is the top ten math students in Study Island. The top ten students will be determined by the most questions answered with the highest percent of accuracy. Winners will receive a popcorn party where you can bring a friend! Contest ends Jan. 31.

The computer labs are progressing each day and we hope to be up and running soon. We will keep you posted!

Please note that you can now pick up my weekly messages by calling 947-7868 if that is your preference. These messages are intended to keep you informed of school "happenings" for the week and to assist you in preparing for upcoming events!

Monday is Ohio State Buckeye Day at Merwin. In honor of the national championship football game students are asked to wear red and gray to school. I would also challenge students to wear their Respectful and Responsible pins! Good Luck Buckeyes! Our Merwin skating party is also on Monday from 6:30 pm to 8:30pm at Beechmont Rollarena.

Tuesday is Twins’ Day. Students may select a twin and dress alike. This is a fun day for everyone. Group pictures will be taken this day for the yearbook. Fifth grade choir members are also reminded to wear Choir shirts to school. We will take the Choir picture first and allow you to change into your twin shirts immediately.

I would like to remind you the skating and electronic dance program (C’Motion) is returning this year by popular demand. Mrs. Price tells me this popular program is requested by students every year and that it falls into the PE curriculum while allowing students to have fun. If you have not returned the form, please send it back to school with payment on Monday. Activities will begin on January 28. And by the way, Mrs. Price’s birthday is Wednesday – Happy Birthday Mrs. Price!

Cherry Grove Lanes notified us that they would like to run another after-school bowling program with our students. Students love this program. This is an optional after-school program. It is NOT a school program. However, we encourage children to learn life long recreational skills! Paperwork was sent home with students and is available in the Merwin office. The registration deadline is February 4^th.

As you are aware, I will make a broadcast call to all parents on days when school is delayed or closed. I make this call as soon as the information is given to me so parents who must make child care arrangements have as much time as possible to do so. School Closing and Delay information is also available on the school hotline: 947-7898. You may call this number anytime you are in doubt. I change the message as soon as I hang up from the broadcast call to parents.

Great news! One of the two computer labs is nearly ready for teacher training for our new math program.

If you are looking ahead, Report cards will go home with students on January 18 and there is no school on January 21^st. Parent Teacher Conferences will be held January 30 and February 5.

January 1, 2008

Happy New Year Merwin families!

Our last Study Island contest was a competition amongst all third, fourth and fifth grade students. Our winners, the Top Ten students to answer the most reading questions with the highest percentage of accuracy are:

1. Evan Kramer – 915/93%

2. Nicholas Calhoun 470/90%

3. Joey Speth – 357/94%

4. Austin Ringle – 277/95%

5. Ben Harris – 241/97%

6. Tie: Ethan Kimble 177/80%

7. Conner Keith 177/79%

8. Jacob Hedges – 174/85%

9. Evan Moore – 154/80%

10. Makenzie McGuire – 141/87%

Grade totals: 3^rd grade = 1898/81%

4^th grade = 2168/81%

5^th grade = 2135/80%

McDonald’s Lunch will be served to the winners at 12:15 on Thursday! Congrats Top Ten!

Over winter break, the district tech support team and the maintenance team worked on our two computer labs and laptop lab. We are not up and running yet, but we are closer every day! A big thank you to Jim Stahl and Ed Dyer for their support with these projects that are so important to the Merwin staff and students.

Parents are reminded that we do not have staff available before 9:00 and therefore, students should not be dropped off at school before 9:00. It is never safe for children to be unattended at school. In addition, if children arrive at school late, a parent must sign them in at the office. Please do not send children into school alone.

January 8 is Twin Day at Merwin and Yearbook group pictures will be taken. Encourage your child to find a twin for this special day!

Wednesday is PTO Papa John’s Pizza Night!

Have a great week! Welcome back!

This is the last of the weekly messages of the year! On behalf of the staff and students at Merwin, we would like to wish you happy holidays.

This is a busy week for Merwin students. We will start the week with favorite team day on Monday. Students are permitted to wear attire that supports their favorite team which can be professional, college, high school, or even Merwin teams. Shirts, hats and the Merwin Respectful and Responsible pin are encouraged!

Please encourage your children to work on Study Island during the winter break. The current contest will end at midnight on Friday. It involves students answering Reading questions.

4^th grade students are reminded to bring in school supplies to send to their pen pals in Zimbabwe. These items must be turned into teachers by Friday.

Parents are reminded that if you are bringing lunch to your child, it is important to have it here by the time lunch starts. Otherwise, they will be told to purchase lunch. With the limited time for lunch, it is difficult for children to finish eating if their lunch is not here on time.

The 3^rd grade program will be held at the AHS PAC at 7:30 on Tuesday evening. The 5^th grade Choir concert is Thursday evening at 7:30 in the Merwin gym. Also on Thursday evening at 7:00, the PTO will hold a meeting in the gym just prior to the concert. Your participation in our PTO is needed and appreciated.

Holiday parties for the morning Kindergarten will be Friday at 10:30. All other holiday parties will be at 2:15 on Friday. Please make sure that you leave the parking lot no later than 3:25 and please do not park in the exit lane of the parking lot! This is a constant problem on party days.

Also on Friday morning, the 3^rd, 4^th, and 5^th grade will have an assembly on Bullying presented by our School Resource Officer Poe.

A parent asked if I would provide a phone number parents can call should they miss my weekly message. I was provided with the following number after going through school channels. If you miss my weekly message and can not log onto this website, you may call 947-7860 and listen to a recording of my message. Grandparents or other family members might like to know how they too can learn about their favorite child's school events.

Please remember to call 947-7804 by 10:00 if your child is absent from school. This is a 24 hour line, so you may call as soon as you have decided not to send the child to school. That way you will not forget!

Our Study Island contest ended on Wed. last week with 4^th grade taking home the first place prize of popcorn and a video. Those students won by answering 6057 questions with 75.4% accuracy. I am so proud to announce that 15, 065 questions were answered during the four week contest with 70.4% accuracy. We will start a new contest on Monday. We will be looking for the top ten studen

Monday we will have an assembly called The NED Show which represents “Never give up, Encourage others, and Do your Best. The assembly is free if we agree to offer their Yoyo’s for sale for a week. It is available only if you wish and there is absolutely no pressure to buy.

The Limo Luncheon reward for the fundraiser will be held on Tuesday from 11:00- approximately 2:00.

Interim reports will go home with students on Friday. Different from in the past, all students will receive interims except kindergarteners. Interim reports are given to communicate with parents concerning progress of their student ½ way through the quarter. Please remember that Merwin staff can be contacted through email and voice mail.

Market Day Pick Up is Wednesday from 6:00-7:00 in the hallway by the library. We have moved it out of the gym to accommodate basketball practices for the students.

Please continue to encourage students to log on to Study Island. Our current contest does not end until 9:10 on Wednesday! Good luck everyone!

Secret Santa Shop opens for business on December 10 for a week of shopping. The 3^rd Grade Program will be held at 7:30 on Tuesday, Dec. 18 and the 5^th grade Choir Concert will be held at 7:30 in the Merwin gym on December 20^th. That concert will be held immediately following the PTO meeting also to be held in the gym.

I hope you had a happy Thanksgiving and a restful break. I am calling to give you the weekly update.

When we return on Monday, November 26, we will start the Merwin Book Fair. Please check the schedule in the planner to see what day your child is scheduled to attend. We have planned a family night this year for Wednesday, November 28 from 6 to 8 in the evening. Clifford the Dog will be there for free pictures. Books are a great gift for your children so we hope you will come and do some of your shopping!

The PTO has scheduled a skating party for Monday night from 6:30-8:30. They have also added an additional Movie night for Thursday the 29^th at 7:00 at the Bethel Theatre. The feature will be Disney’s “Enchanted” and will cost the same $4.50.

On Thursday night, November 29, Merwin will host the annual district wide Gifted/Talented family night from 7-8:15. We hope you will schedule some time to visit the student displays.

Looking ahead, Interim reports will go home on December 7. Merwin PTO Santa Shop will run from Dec. 10-Dec. 14. Please be sure to check your child’s planner for the day and time the class is scheduled to attend.

Merwin PTO Santa Night will be held on December 14 between 7-9PM. Look for more information to come home about this new event.

Parents of third graders are asked to reserve Dec. 18 on their calendars as they will be performing at the AHS PAC at 7:00. This is a special evening that you will not want to miss.

Parents of 5^th grade Chorus members are asked to reserve Dec. 20 for their concert. This is always a special treat for us. You won’t want to miss it!

The December PTO meeting has been moved to Dec. 20 to accommodate the 3^rd grade performance. It will be help at 7:00 in the gym just before the 5^th grade concert! Please join us in planning for Merwin students.

As we celebrated Thanksgiving, I want you to know that I am thankful for your children and all Merwin families!

Parents who have not picked up their fundraiser orders should do so as soon as possible. The office is open 8-4 daily. Orders were sent home with students if the order sizes were manageable for the them to take on the bus. If you need to make special arrangements, please call the office during school hours.

We received the SAT and OAT scores for fall testing. Grades 2 and 4 took the fall SAT and 3^rd graders took the fall reading OAT. Students will bring home parent reports on Monday. Please be sure to check the agenda. We only receive one copy of the parent report so they can not be replaced.

Tuesday the students in Kdg through grade 3 will be attending an assembly on Stranger Danger by Pierce Twp Police Officer Poe.

When we return from Thanksgiving break, we will have our annual Fall Book Fair. It will run from November 26^th to the 30^th. The Book Fair will be open for the community to shop Wednesday, November 28^th from 6:00 to 8:00pm.

My excitement about the fundraiser is spilling over into this week! As we completed orders for the new laptop lab, I could not stop thinking how lucky our students are -- to be supported by Merwin parents. On behalf of the students, I want to send a warm "Thank You". We are anticipating that Santa will deliver our Christmas early this year as we are expecting the lab and Fast Math site license before we leave for winter break!

I am disappointed that students are not practicing on Study Island. Please encourage your students to participate in the contests we hold. This is a very expensive program and we need to prove to PTO that it is a worthwhile program. We can only do that if students actually use it! The current contest will run until Dec. 5 and winners will receive popcorn and a video.

We will be holding Honor Roll and Perfect Attendance assemblies this Wednesday. The schedule is

We will also be giving out the Respectful and Responsible pins to all students and we will be discussing bus safety.

Don’t forget that Tuesday night is the last conference night for fall conferences from 5:30 – 9:00. Friday is the additional conference day for Kindergarten!

Just in case you haven’t heard, the WC Bond Issue passed! I want to start by thanking all parents who came out to vote. It was so exciting to hear about the celebrations today at WT and Amelia. I believe that these new buildings will be a catalyst for good things in our district. If you helped our efforts by placing a sign in your yard, please remove it and dispose of it. We are happy to have no further use for it!

Don’t forget that conferences are tomorrow night, Thursday, from 5:30 to 9:00. If you sent in a request and do not have a response, please ask your child. To schedule a conference, you may call school, however, I must warn you that most slots have been filled.

Our annual Veteran’s Day program is Friday morning at 10:00. Students are asked to wear red, white, and blue! We have very limited space for visitors, but would love for veterans to join us for this celebration.

Big News: As I told you earlier this week, Merwin students have raised enough money to purchase Fast Math . Students also believe that we will have enough money to purchase a laptop lab. It has been quite a week for us as far as good news goes. In order to thank students, we will hold a celebration on Friday afternoon.

Thank you parents for your support with this fundraiser. I know that without your support, we would not have such outstanding results.

I would like to start the call this week with a big thank you to all Merwin parents, students, and staff for attending the AHS Powder Puff game where our students performed. If you went, as over 200 Merwin students did, you know first hand what a great job we did. I am so proud of our performance. I hope you enjoyed the evening. I have suggested that we use this as an annual event for the elementary children.

We are still not 100% sure of the money raised from the fundraiser last month, but we think it will exceed $15,000. As you can see, we now have enough money to purchase the site license Fast Math program (which by the way I have called several different things) and we are trying to get a price on a laptop lab for our school! Thank you so much for help our school move into the 21^st century. We are so excited! I will keep you posted once the final amount comes in and the lab costs arrive.

There is no school on Tuesday. Teachers will be attending district wide professional development. As for you, I continue to urge you to model good citizenship for your children by getting out to vote. Last November, only 233 Merwin parents voted. We have over 700 children in our school. We must have at least 1000 parents out there. There are important issues to our school on the ballot. Please, get out there and vote!

Don’t forget that conferences are scheduled for Thursday evening from 5:30 to 9:00. You should be receiving confirmation home through your child. Please ask and if you don’t receive it, call or email the teacher. Conferences will also be held the following week on Tuesday (11/13).

Once again this week we will be holding “Lunch with the Principal”. Each classroom will select 3 students from the “Respectful and Responsible” tickets. Invitations will be sent! This month, we will be eating Frisches.

Friday at 10:00 we will be holding the annual Merwin Veteran’s Day Assembly. This event is held to honor the Veteran’s from Merwin families and Veteran’s from our community. Please remember to invite your loved ones who have served in the armed forces.

Mrs. Price and Miss Brock, our PE teachers, have planned an IN-School skating and electronic dance program called C’Motion. They will be sending home information about these programs soon.

Last of all, thanks to all parents who are Merwin Party Planners and helpers! You did a great job last week. At one point, I was sure you had more adults in the building than children! Your support and dedication to our students is sincerely appreciated!

Halloween parties will be held this week on Wednesday. Students do not wear costumes for these parties. Morning kindergarten parties will begin at 10:30 and afternoon parties begin at 2:15. We ask that all parents exit the parking lot at 3:15. You may take your children with you if you attend a party by signing the child out with the teacher. As a reminder, all parents must check in at the office upon entering the building.

We are so excited about our performance at the high school on Thursday this week. We will hold a practice for all grade levels including kindergarten at 9:30 on Wednesday and 2:00 on Thursday. We ask that students wear Merwin or Amelia spirit wear, however, it is not mandatory. Please arrive at Amelia High at 6:00. We will organize at the soccer field which is adjacent to the football field. Parents may go to the stands once you drop off your children so that you may watch the performance. Remember that there will not be staff to watch the children so do not leave them at the high school for the evening. Students will be free to leave after they perform which will be around 6:45, but there will be free hot dogs, drinks, popcorn and cookies for the children. We hope you will come and enjoy this event.

Due to the event on Thursday evening, we changed the market day pick up to Friday from 6-7PM. Please remember to change your calendar.

We do not have a tally on our fund raiser but we will let you know when we find out. Thank you to everyone who participated.

After Monday, we will not be able to accept any other Fund Raiser orders or Money.

Conference requests need to be returned to school ASAP. Remember that conferences are November 8 and 13. They will fill up quickly!

Remember that there is no school for students on November 6. Please model good citizenship for our children by voting!

I have exciting news. All Merwin Elementary School children have been invited by Amelia High School to perform at the annual Powder Puff game on Thursday, November 1 at the Amelia High School Stadium. This event is free to the public and we are excited to be a part of it. Our students will lead the pledge, sing the National Anthem and AHS fight song. Please mark this date on your calendar. There will be free food and drinks. This is a must see! More information will be sent home soon!

Our fundraiser will end Tuesday, October 23 which is this Tuesday. Thank you to all parents who have worked help us raise the money needed for Fast Math! Please send all orders with payments to school on Monday or Tuesday.

Don't forget to order your pies and side dishes for your holiday meal. Market Day order forms are due to school no later than Thursday, October 25th or orders can be placed online at marketday.com.

The current Study Island contest will end tomorrow morning at 9:10. Remember that the class that has answered the most questions and has the highest % of questions correct will win two consecutive nights of no homework! The new contest will start tomorrow and will also run for two weeks. It will center around reading questions. The Reading Class with the most correct answers with the highest % of correct answers will receive Dounuts and Juice. The contest will run for two weeks starting Monday October 22 through November 5 at 9:10 AM. Good Luck everybody.

Picture retakes are Wednesday. It is important that we have pictures of all students for their cum folders and for the yearbook. All students who enrolled after September 21 or who were absent on that date must have their pictures taken. Order forms are available in the office.

I can’t believe it , but the first quarter of the year will come to an end this Friday! We will be holding assemblies for honor roll and perfect attendance as soon as lists and certificates can be generated. Last year we added student pictures to the certificates in hopes that parents will enjoy these keepsakes!

Please mark your calendars for November 8 and 13 as those are conference nights at Merwin. Forms will come home with students this week. Please return them promptly as conference schedules fill up quickly.

A big thank you goes out to everyone who helped with our Fall Festival. We had a great time Friday night. A special thank you goes out to Angie Tucker who chaired the event. Many, many parents volunteered their time to make the event a success. Merwin is a great place for kids because of the support we get from parents and staff!

We are having issues with adults (parents) going to classrooms without checking in at the office. Please remember that the locked doors were put into place in order to create a safe environment for all students. Please do not go to classrooms before and after school. Please check in at the office and we will assist you. If you come to eat lunch with your child, please do not leave the cafeteria area. If you need to talk with a teacher, please call and we will arrange a conference for you. Teachers can also be reached through email and voice mail.

I continue to encourage you to model good citizenship for your children by voting on Novemeber 6.

Our Study Island contest is in full swing and will continue until 9:10 AM on Monday, Oct. 22. The big prize this time is two consecutive nights with no homework. To win, your class must answer the most Math Questions and have the highest per cent of correct answers. Good Luck everybody!

This Thursday is the first “Lunch with the Principal”. If your child receives an invitation, pizza and drinks will be provided. Names will be drawn in each classroom on Monday and invitations will go out as soon as they are prepared by the office.

The Principal’s fundraiser is in full swing and will continue until October 23. If all students in the building sell three items, we will reach our goal. We are working to provide a site license for Fast Math. Students were given three rules, Tell Mom, Don’t talk to strangers, and use manners! We have discouraged students from selling door to door for safety reasons!

Friday night is the Merwin Fall Festival from 7-9. This is the biggest event at Merwin each year. Students come dressed in costumes and the school is set up for games and prizes. Please join us for a night of fun! Due to size, this event is open to Merwin students and their parents only! I look forward to seeing you there!

Thursday and Friday the 3^rd Graders will be going to the Nature Center. Please check with your 3^rd grader to confirm the exact day for his/her class and dress appropriately for the weather.

Mark your calendar for Oct. 24 if you need picture retakes. Oct. 26 is the end of first quarter already!

And last of all, conferences will be held on November 8 and 13. There is no school for students on November 6 which is election day. Model good citizenship for your children by voting! Last year in the November election, only 233 out of approximately 1000 Merwin parents voted.

We continue to receive requests for students to be absent from school for vacations. Please make sure you follow the guidelines in the handbook as we are required to follow guidelines set up by the BOE. We still recommend that you take family vacations when school is not in session.

Study Island Contest: The Math Class with the most correct answers AND the highest % of correct answers will receive Two Consecutive Nights of NO HOMEWORK. The contest will run for two weeks starting Monday October 8 through October 22^nd at 9:10 AM. Good Luck everybody.

Winners in last weeks’ contest were third graders with 3400 questions answered and 5^th graders with 3500 questions answered. They will each receive an extra recess this week!

On Tuesday WT Elementary is hosting a family bingo called BONDGO NIGHT. It runs from 6:30 to 8:30. There will be hotdogs and other food for sale and prizes for game winners. There will also be split the pot. Come out and join the fun.

Our Fast Math fundraiser will start on Thursday. I hope you will support this very important fundraiser for the Merwin students.

We are still accepting applications for the Martial Arts Club held October Wednesdays after school.

We will hold a PTO meeting on Wednesday at 7:00 at school. Hope to see you there.

This Friday at 6:00 I hope to see you at the Amelia Homecoming parade that starts at Amelia Elementary and ends at Nurre Funeral Home on 125. I will be a part of that parade as I work to rally support for the Bond. I hope to see you there.

And a last reminder: Tuesday is the last day to register to vote in the November election! If you need assistance with this, please call me at school and I will send home a registration card. If you return it to me Tuesday morning, I will make sure it gets to the proper place for the Tuesday deadline.

Reminder to parents: when students are late to school, you must come in and sign them in. They are not permitted to sign themselves into school. It is also helpful if you are taking students to doctor appointments to bring a doctor’s note with you.

The first week of October is what schools in Ohio call “count week”. The number of students in school each day determines the amount of money we get from the state. Please be sure to have students at school unless they are sick. If they are sick, please provide a doctor’s note.

Interim reports are scheduled to go home on Wednesday this week. We are using a new system call Progress Book. If we have no glitches, I will start running them tomorrow, teachers will check them on Tuesday and students will bring them home on Wednesday. If for some reason our plan fails, I will make another call so you will know when to expect interims to come home. Reminder to all Kindergarten parents that kindergarteners do not receive interims, however, teachers will be sending home a DIBELS update on Monday.

Tuesday is the required 3^rd Grade OAT Fall Reading test. The entire week we will be administering the 3^rd, 4^th, and 5^th grade mock OAT Tests. In mock testing, we administer tests from previous years that have been released by the state. We simulate the testing situation for students so that students are practicing the tests under the same circumstances as the test will be given in May. The information from these tests will help teachers identify student strengths and weaknesses and help students become familiar with testing format. It is important that students be in school all day and be on time!

Martial Arts Classes will begin Wednesday after school until 4:30. Registration sheets went home with students on Wednesday. All proceeds from these classes go to our school.

Market day pick up is Wednesday at school from 6-7 PM. Wednesday is also Papa John Night.

Merwin Fall Festival will be held on Friday Oct. 19 from 7-9. Students are asked to dress like the character in their favorite storybook. Tickets go on sale during lunch starting Oct. 10. Because Merwin has so many students, the event is limited to Merwin students and their parents only.

Also looking ahead, the Principal’s fundraiser will start on October 11. and there is a PTO meeting at 7:00PM on October 10.

I have exciting news! Mr. Carl Lindner’s office called Friday to tell me they are sending us a check for $2500 to help us purchase the Fast Facts Math Program! I should receive the check this week! We will be asking students to sign a thank you card! Only $6000 to go! Thanks Mr. Lindner!

Last year we held contests to encourage students in grades 3, 4 and 5 to use our web based Study Island program. We believe students who practice will perform better in all subjects. The PTO helped us purchase this program for last year and this year. You will hear about contests as we announce them via our calls and daily announcements. Our first contest this year is:

This week we will hold Martial Arts Assemblies to offer children participation in the classes that will be held at Merwin on Wednesdays after school from Oct 3 through Oct 31. Information will be sent home the day of the assembly. All proceeds from these classes will be contributed to our school!

We had a great week. Open house was a success. Thank you to everyone who attended.

Monday is the last day to turn in your child's Emergency Medical Form without the child being excluded from school. Please help us comply with this law.

This week we held our second fire and tornado drill. Students exited the building in 1:30 and were extremely well behaved. The tornado drill was equally impressive with students being under cover in less than one minute. In the near future we will be holding a Lock Down. All of this is done in an effort to keep our buildings and children safe.

We are asking that all students keep webkins and stuffed animals in their book bags on the bus. Students on some buses have been throwing them which distract the driver. I have instructed the drivers to take these items if they are not in book bags. Your support on this issue is important to providing safe transportation.

It is very important that parents of kindergarteners and first graders be at the bus stop when students are returning home. If you are not there, students must continue on the route with the bus driver and arrangements must be made to pick up the child at another location.

We also ask your patience when picking up a child as it is very important that we ID parents. Please plan to bring an ID with you or advise anyone picking up your child to expect to have an ID check.

SAT testing for 2^nd and 4^th graders will begin on September 17. It is very important that students be in school every day. Please talk with your child about the importance of doing his/her best.

We continue to request students wear gym shoes to school. It is much safer for students when in gym class and on the playground.

Wednesday is Papa John’s Night. If you intend to order pizza this week, please support this PTO fundraiser.

Market Day pickup is also on Wednesday from 6:00-7:00 at the school.

Thursday night at 6:00 is open house for grades 1, 2, and 3. Parking is at a premium and you will be able to park on the grass in front of the school. We will meet for a very brief meeting in the gym and then parents will be dismissed to move to classrooms. We ask that you leave the parking lot by 7:00 so that parents of the 4^th and 5^th graders can park for their open house at 7:15. This group will also meet in the gym prior to meeting with teachers.

Last year I heard several complaints that Open House was held the night before school started. In an effort to be responsive to parent needs and requests, we decided to hold this years Open House after school started. It is regrettable that these changes have also met with some disfavor. Please be assured that we will continue to listen to you and will strive to meet the needs of all our parents.

On Friday we practiced fire and storm procedures. We will continue with these required drills. We work in conjunction with the Pierce Twp. Police Department. We are required to hold another drill this week. In the near future, we will hold a practice lock down drill also. Practice with these procedures will help us improve our plans.

Parents of kindergarten students are asked to make sure their kindergarten student wears the bus tag teachers gave them on Friday. Teachers have requested students wear this tag for the first 2 weeks. Many kindergarten students do not return home after school and these tags help teachers ensure that students are going to the correct care providers.

Have a great week!