Turtle Lake-Mercer

Congratulations to Mr. Ziebarth on being named Region 2 Principal of the Year! This honor is voted on by other Region 2 principals. Thank you for your leadership and dedication to our students, staff, and community!

Happy Halloween from all of us at TL-M

We are excited to announce that Alive at 25 is coming to TL-M School on Friday, January 16, 2026. This is a free event to 9th - 12th graders thanks to a NDDOT grant. We would also like to thank Dakota West Credit Union for providing lunch for all of those in attendance that day. We have reached the 25 required students in attendance in order to secure our date. We need everyone who signed up for the training to complete this short form: https://aptg.co/pY2fF1 and return it to the TL-M School by Wednesday, November 10th. Paper forms can be picked up in the school office. Thank you.

Picture Retake Day is coming up on Monday, November 10, 2025. All students who missed taking pictures on picture day will have their photo taken. Picture forms are in the office if needed. Thank you!

Mrs. Slavik took the 9th grade to attend the Minot Career Expo at the North Dakota State Fair Grounds today! They got to talk to individuals in many different career pathways and participate in a number of hands-on activities.

Kindergartners, along with some Juniors and Seniors, measured how tall and how wide the pumpkins were. They made guesses and then tested whether pumpkins float or sink, and guessed and counted the seeds inside the pumpkins. They finished the afternoon by carving pumpkins with their partners.

4th Grade Earthquake Buildings: Mrs. Lelm's 4th graders have been learning about earthquakes and how buildings can be built to survive the force of an earthquake. Did your building survive the jello quake?   How can a building be designed to withstand an earthquake?

Kindergarten, First Grade and Second Grade went to Gateway to Science and Theo Art School for a field trip last week. They attended a workshop on types of matter, explored around the museum, stopped at a playground, and made a painting in the afternoon. It was a fun day of learning and creating!

TL-M FFA News: Seven officers and Mrs Laib are on their way to Indianapolis for the National FFA Convention. Follow their adventures on the FFA Chapter of Turtle Lake-Mercer Facebook page or on Instagram at turtlelakemercer or Turtle Lake-Mercer FFA. Watch for daily updates!

It's raining outside so come join the TL-M Music Department tonight at 7:00 for Disney Dazzle and enjoy dessert, music, and trivia!

Congratulations to Inaia Way, Jenna Goven, and Lily Christensen for being selected to participate in the 47th annual NW Festival in Minot! Inaia will be playing trumpet in the band while Jenna and Lily sing in the choir.

Congratulations to the Region 7 Junior High Honor Band on a fantastic Concert! Thank you to the teachers and students from Turtle Lake - Mercer, McClusky - Goodrich, Underwood, New Salem - Almont, Hazen, Washburn, Wilton, and Shiloh Schools for your participation in today's festival. It was a wonderful day of learning and performing!

Looking for something to do on the beautiful fall day?! Stop by the Ed Rath Auditorium at 3:30 for the Region 7 JH Honor Band Concert!

The 2024-2025 School Year had a new state assessment that our students completed in Spring of 2025. Last year was the transition from our previous state assessment, North Dakota State Assessment, to the current assessment, ND A+. Students in grades 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 10 took the math, reading and writing assessments while students in grades 4, 8, and 10 also took the science assessment. Since this was a new assessment, the timeline for getting results back was lengthened to allow a group of educators in the state to establish new cut scores. Individual Student Reports(ISR) for each student were printed and sent home during Parent/Teacher Conferences. If you did not receive an ISR for your child and would like one, please reach out to Mr. Ziebarth at kurt.ziebarth@k12.nd.us or 448-2365 to request a printout.

Check out our latest episode of The Wave. Today, Jenna and Nora sat down to talk about fall activities including some very special FFA events that are upcoming. The podcast can be viewed at: https://youtu.be/fwVtJeh7z84

The Turtle Lake-Mercer Music Department will be having its annual fundraiser concert on Monday, October 27th , at 7 pm in the Ed Rath Auditorium. The concert theme is "Disney Dazzle!" Come join us for some fun Disney music, Disney-themed snacks, and Disney trivia! Trivia groups will be limited to 1-4 participants with a $10 donation fee per group. 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place will be awarded gift card prizes to local Turtle Lake businesses. Bring your whole family and enjoy a fun night out!

We are excited to announce that Turtle Lake-Mercer School will be hosting the first-ever Region 7 Junior High Honor Band Festival on Friday, October 24th. Brought about by local music teachers Kailee Wyman (TL-M School) and Lia Buechelle (Wilton School), Region 7 music schools were invited to nominate their best JH band students to be a part of this festival. Students will engage in a full day of music-making with a guest conductor, Brandon Bondley (Mandan Middle School Band Director), and conclude the day with a concert. This concert is free and open to the public, starting at 3:30 pm in the Turtle Lake-Mercer School Ed Rath Auditorium. Come join us and listen to some fun music!

Today, the Writing Workshop students worked with first graders to write a 10 Sentence Story about monsters. The first graders made the monsters, and the juniors interviewed the first graders for some ideas for their stories. The juniors will then write the stories and will read them with the first graders next week. We love working with our first grade buddies and hope to do it more throughout the year!

Huge 'Thank You' to Brent Weston from the Dakota Zoo! He presented to grades 7-12 about North American animals and conservation today.