Melrose Area Public Schools

Students in grades 8-12 interested in joining the 2026 Dutchmen Trap Team are invited to attend an Open House Meeting in the HS Cafeteria on Monday, March 9th from 5:30-7pm. The purpose of this Open House Meeting is to get registered for the team! New members should allow 30 minutes to register, while returning members should take about 15 minutes. All participants must have a Firearm Safety Certificate to join. Please use Team Reach to contact Head Coach Cory Ellering with questions.
#DutchmenPride

We are excited to share some great news from our winter benchmark assessments! Across multiple grade levels, our students showed strong growth in reading and math since the fall. This progress reflects the hard work of our students, the dedication of our staff, and the support our families provide every day at home. We use this data to celebrate success, identify where students are thriving, and make sure we are providing the right supports so every child continues to grow. Thank you for being such an important part of our learning community — we are proud of the progress our students are making together!

Today, we proudly celebrate School Bus Driver Appreciation Day at Melrose Area Public Schools!

Officially recognized across the state and proclaimed by Governor Tim Walz, Wednesday, February 18, 2026, honors the dedicated school bus drivers who safely transport students each day.

Our bus drivers are often the very first and very last school connection for our students. They greet them with a smile in the morning, ensure they arrive safely, and bring them home at the end of the day. Their patience, care, and commitment do not go unnoticed.

Thank you, Melrose Area School bus drivers, for keeping our students safe and for being such an important part of our Dutchmen school family! 💜💛

#DutchmenPride

Congratulations to our Girls Wrestling Team! Section 8 Girls Wrestling honored and recognized 19 section wrestlers for academic and athletic excellence!
Robert Anderson and Lanna Walter of SC-M Defenders were named Section 8 Coaches of the Year!
Maddie Poissant of Thief River Falls & Georgia Anderson of SC-M were each awarded a $400 scholarship for academic and wrestling accomplishments!
Sauk Centre-Melrose received the academic team award with a team GPA of 4.0!
Thanks to the Section 8 Girls Coaches and Teams for providing these opportunities! We are thrilled to honor these amazing people!
#Defenders
#DutchmenPride

Our Melrose Area Speech Team earned 1st Place in Detroit Lakes on Friday, February 13th! Competing on Friday was a fun change, which allowed our speakers to enjoy the long weekend! Congratulations to our individual champions: Emily Sand in Ex. Reading and Zoe Hoeschen in Storytelling! We are so proud of this team's hard work and dedication!
Placements:
Creative: Ella Erdman - 3rd
Discussion: Aidan Kluempke - 2nd
Drama: Lola Dusha - 3rd
Duo: Erdmann & Hoeschen - 2nd; Sand & Lurken-Tvrdik - 6th
Ex. Reading - Emily Sand - 1st; Esther Kapsner - 2nd
Ex. Speaking - Teague Dusha - 3rd
Great Speeches: Teague Dusha - 3rd; Aria Hammond - 4th
Humorous: Jada Rausch - 2nd; Isaiah Gilk - 5th
Informative: Aidan Kluempke - 2nd
Storytelling: Zoe Hoeschen - 1st
Nice job, Team!
#DutchmenPride

Congratulations to our SnoDaze Royalty! King Luke Funk and Queen Kaitlyn Klasen were crowned yesterday! Senior Royalty includes:
Melissa Ambriz, escorted by Max Sakry
Bailey Wiechmann, escorted by Nolan Fleischhacker
Maddison Kraemer, escorted by Eddie Dickhaus
Jada Gettel, escorted by Andrue Stalboerger
Junior Royalty: Maggie Frieler, escorted by Maverick Kulzer
Sophomore Royalty: Faye Ellering, escorted by Landon Terres
Freshman Royalty: Jada Worms, escorted by Tyious Wolbeck
Congratulations to all!
#DutchmenPride

Here's a few more pictures from the trip Melrose Middle Schoolers took last Thursday. Students were able to hit the slopes and enjoy the beautiful weather! Students were given the option of skiing or tubing. It was a great day!
#DutchmenPride

Last Thursday, Melrose Middle Schoolers were able to hit the slopes and enjoy the beautiful weather! Students had the option of skiing or tubing. It was a great day!
#DutchmenPride

💻✨ Start 2026 by learning Spanish together as a family! 💻✨
This February, join our live virtual Spanish classes for youth, middle schoolers, and adults—each with a fun and engaging curriculum designed for every age group. Visit our registration site for full course descriptions and sign up today!
Registration link: https://isd740.ce.eleyo.com/search?redirected_yet=true&sf[category]=66

🎉 Preschool Enrollment Opens Tomorrow! 🎉

Little Dutchmen Preschool enrollment opens February 18 at 8:00 AM! 💜💛

Is your child ready to learn, play, and grow? Our preschool program offers engaging, nurturing experiences for children ages 3 and 4, helping them build confidence and a strong foundation for kindergarten.

👉 Find program information and the registration link at:
isd740.org/preschool

We can’t wait to welcome our newest Little Dutchmen! 🧩📚✨
#DutchmenPride

Our Melrose Area Gymnasts had a great day at Sections on Saturday! Here are our Top 10 Event Placements:
Vault:
5th- Gabby Schoenberg - 9.40 - State Qualifier
6th- Celia Schoenberg - 9.225 - State Qualifier
9th- Josie Eveslage - 9.175
10th- Brynn Berscheit - 8.95
Bars:
4th- Celia Schoenberg - 9.10 - State Qualifier
7th- Josie Eveslage - 8.75
8th- Brynn Shaw - 8.60
Beam:
T-3rd- Gabby Schoenberg - 9.075 - State Qualifier
7th- Brynn Shaw - 8.825
Floor:
4th- Josie Eveslage - 9.30 - State Qualifier
6th- Eve Shaw - 9.10
8th- Celia Schoenberg - 9.05
10th- Brynn Berscheit - 9.00
All-Around:
4th- Josie Eveslage - 35.525
5th- Gabby Schoenberg - 35.45
6th- Celia Schoenberg - 35.25
Congratulations, Lady Dutchmen!
#DutchmenPride

Best of Luck to our Prairie Center Northstars as they play at Little Falls tonight in their Section Quarterfinals!! We are so excited for this team! Here are the links for the livestream links: https://www.midmnsports.com/ & https://youtube.com/live/vbPdMdYM3T0?feature=shared

#DutchmenPride
#Hockey

Join us for Open Swim, Open Gym or Open Pickleball today! Grab a friend & have some fun! $2/Person or $5/Family. Exact change is appreciated. Enter door 2.

Best of Luck to our Gymnastics Team as they compete at Sections today!! We are so excited to watch you perform!
https://fan.hudl.com/usa/mn/detroit-lakes/organization/7557/detroit-lakes-high-school/team/859221/girls-varsity-gymnastics
#DutchmenPride

Students in grades 7+ can join us tonight for Open Gym from 7-9pm.
$2/Player or $5/Family.
Exact change is appreciated. Please enter door 2.

National FFA Week will be celebrated February 23-27. To celebrate, our Melrose Area FFA Team has announced the following dress up days:
Monday, Feb. 23 - Who Let the Cows Out? - PJ Day
Tuesday, Feb. 24 - Ag Business Day
Wednesday, Feb. 25 - Carhartt Day
Thursday, Feb. 26 - Red, White, and Blue Day
Friday, Feb. 27 - Blue and Gold Day
Each day will include a lunch time activity.
There will also be a tiny cow hunt all week - find the tiny cows and spell FFA with the letters on the bottom to win a prize!
#DutchmenPride

Our Melrose Gymnasts have been practicing for Section Week and sharing their American Pride! With dedication, heart, and hard work, these athletes have poured themselves into each day of practice - and it's paying off!
Melrose Gymnasts compete at Sections in Detroit Lakes tomorrow at 5pm.
Best of Luck!
#DutchmenPride

Congratulations to our Melrose Area Speech Team, who had a great time at the St. Michael-Albertville HS tournament this past Saturday! There was some incredible competition, and some of our students finaled for the first time! What awesome work! Also, a big shoutout to our two individual champions: Aidan Kluempke in Discussion and Esther Kapsner in Ex. Reading! Here are the results:
Finals:
Discussion: Aidan Kluempke - 1st Place
Drama: Alex Moscho - 7th Place
Ex. Reading - Esther Kapsner - 1st Place
Humorous: Isaiah Gilk - 3rd Place
Informative: Brinley Ritter - 4th Place
Ex. Speaking: Aidan Kluempke - 5th Place
Next-In Finals:
Creative: Ella Erdman - 1st Place
Great Speeches: Aria Hammond - 2nd Place
Humorous: Jada Rausch - 1st Place
Informative: Abby Herkenhoff - 1st Place & Brooke Ruoff - 2nd Place
Original Oratory: Brooke Ruoff - 5th Place
Storytelling: Zoe Hoeschen - 4th Place, Isaiah Gilk - 5th Place
Merit FInals:
Discussion: Mara Larson - 3rd Place
Drama: Itzel Chisco - 2nd Place
Ex. Reading: Rebecca Welle - 4th Place
Poetry: Dia Malchow - 5th Place, Emily Ettel - 6th Place
Congratulations to this team!
#DutchmenPride