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The Murch
Mustang Express
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| Back to School |
August 28, 2009 |
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Greetings!
 The first week of school at Murch Elementary School has been practically perfect, to say the very least. On opening day, Monday, students, staff, and parents buzzed with anticipation, and the day was fabulous from beginning to end.
We welcomed 470 students and 63 staff members to our school this week, and there is a tangible feeling of enthusiasm and optimism about this school year. Needless to say, having the new playground area and playing fields completed before our very eyes has provided a burst of excitement. Although we have a few enrollment anomalies (a large bubble of students in the first grade, and in kindergarten almost twice as many boys as girls), our student numbers overall are right where they were projected to be. The outstanding staff at Murch Elementary has been working long and hard these last few weeks to prepare an outstanding instructional program for each child. It is going to be a banner year at Murch Elementary!
During the first day of school, I met with all students in each grade level to go over the Murch Code of Conduct (respect yourself, respect others, and respect this place) and discussed what the Code looks like at school each day and in different situations. Students were also reminded to start taking precautions now to avoid getting sick as the anticipated H1N1 virus epidemic looms. Ask your child if he/she remembers the three things I taught them to keep from getting sick! We will be sending a great deal of information home in the next few weeks to help you and your family prepare for the arrival of the flu, so stay tuned.
Communication with parents and our community is a major priority of mine. On Thursday evenings, I send out a Connect Ed message to homes by way of the telephone. I've also called homes through Connect Ed when I have a message or reminder for just one grade or group of parents. Friday Folders will continue to go home with students this year and will contain all of the week's handouts from the school, DCPS, and other sources. Fridays will also bring each week's issue of the The Murch Mustang Express, like this one. And, of course, you are always welcome to email me at Dawn Ellis or call the school to speak with me in person.
Please mark your calendars: Back to School Night at Murch will be held on two nights this year. Parents of students in Pre-K through Grade 2 should come on Wednesday, September 9; parents of students in Grades 3 through 5 on Thursday, September 10. On both nights there will be a reception for parents new to Murch at 6:30 and the presentation will begin at 7. Babysitting will be provided. More information will come home with students next week.
It is an absolute delight to be a part of the rich tradition that is Murch Elementary and to have been able to meet so many of you in the few short weeks I have been here. Thank you for being so welcoming, and, most of all, thank you for allowing me to work with the finest children in the District.
--Dawn Ellis, Principal
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Build It and They Will Play
Today Mayor Adrian Fenty returns for a ribbon-cutting to officially open the new Murch playground. It's hard to believe that only a few months ago, during the ground-breaking for the soccer field, he made a jaw-dropping announcement that led to the dramatic transformation of the entire Murch playground.
"The results exceed my--and I think everyone's--wildest expectations," says HSA co-chair Karin Perkins, who formed a Playground Committee in 2008 along with Linda Komes, Mike Siegel, David Jefferson, and Sally Kux. They never dreamed that what began as an HSA effort to do something about the tired, bare-dirt playing field--mud hole in winter, dust bowl in summer--would wind up as a completely redesigned and refurbished play space.
Working in partnership with city's Office of Public Education Facilities Modernization (OPEFM) and the Mayors' office, the original plan called for installing artificial turf on the soccer field at city expense (spearheaded by Siegel), sodding the hill, and replacing the circa 1990 swings--decommissioned years ago for lack of a fall zone--and bouncing log ("Tootsie Roll") on the hill with an arched climbing structure. The HSA had allocated $75,000 in seed money for the latter, having polled the Murch community about the kinds of play equipment and features they'd like to have.
Then in June, Mayor Fenty visited the school and made the stunning announcement: Not only would the initiative be fully paid for with public funds, but the scope would be expanded, replacing or improving all play equipment, fields, and surfaces.
Oh, and it would be done by the start of school in August.
It seemed impossible to pull off in such a short time, but several things worked in Murch's favor. DCPS had already selected the contractor and Murch had the "in-house" expertise of Komes, a landscape architect who designs play parks for Montgomery County. She was able to quickly draft a design plan and identify suppliers unfazed by a short lead time or who'd done work for the District before.
Although sustainability was not a focus of the design program, several aspects of the project were environmentally friendly. For starters, the manufacturing process of playground equipment maker Landscape Structures has been certified as environmentally responsible. During demolition, the contractor KADCON separated all metal, plastic, and asphalt for recycling. The colorful spongy padding under the play structures is made from 100 percent recycled rubber tires. Those little black pellets you might have noticed among the blades of artificial grass are cryogenic rubber, a recycled product. The low-maintenance non-toxic artificial turf is also eco-friendly as it requires no water, and requires no gas-powered lawn-mowers-a major source of carbon emissions.
What's more, there was a mandate to spare every tree from the backhoe. KADCON transplanted three young trees and will replace another that got banged up. The crew felt so bad about that injury that they offered to sand and reseal the wooden "boats" gratis.
Of the hard top's tennis-court-like latex coating, many people have wondered, why blue? In addition to providing visual contrast with the Technicolor green of the soccer field, "we thought a lighter color would retain less heat," explains Komes. Besides, Principal Ellis liked the idea of using Murch's school colors.
Demolition began in July and contractors worked at break-neck speed to complete
the project in seven weeks. Even as students were streaming through the gate on Monday, a few KADCON workers were scurrying around taking care of items on the punch list. The Hill will be off limits for another week or so until the new sod takes root. Principal Ellis is also working on a use policy for the playing field, which will be communicated soon.
The one area of mystery is a new concrete pad on the hill. This will soon be the site of a Peace Pole, a gift from the last year's-and last ever--sixth grade class. Artist Regina Holliday, a former Murch parent, will paint a labyrinth around the base and then the Peace Pole will get "planted" in a ceremony on September 21st, the International Day of Peace. --Laura Kaiser
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The Home and School Association (HSA) is thrilled to welcome you to the 2009-2010 school year. This summer was a busy one for the HSA and many volunteers deserve a huge round of applause for their hard work to ensure that our children returned to a school that is, in many ways, better than ever.
The big news, of course, is our incredible new playground. Several parents worked intensively over the summer with the contractors to create this state-of-the-art play space, which you can read about in detail in this premier issue of the newsletter. Hats off to our dedicated committee: Linda Komes; David Jefferson; Karin Perkins; Michael Siegel; Eileen Kane; Robin McGrew; Sally Kux; Joseph Sternlieb; Shawn Berger; and Brett Wilson.
We launched a Buddy Family program, which connects every new Murch family with a returning one. New families can expect to be contacted by their buddy families in the next few days. Many thanks to Pat Harris and Michele Clements for spearheading this.
We're also grateful to Galen Acar, Kelly Lynch, Jana Woods-Jefferson, and Wendy Gualtieri for organizing summer play dates for pre-K and kindergarten students. Ditto to Karen Bond and Nicole Mintz, who hosted a fantastic luncheon to welcome the teachers back to school.
Jen Closser organized the summer reading challenge - congratulations to our students who collectively read more than 2,656 books this summer, earning themselves an ice cream party this Friday! In other reading news, Lori Woehrle began planning the Scholastic Book Fair, which will take place in September and will include a visit from Judy Moody author Megan McDonald. Meanwhile, Julie York got a head start on the Staff Our School campaign, as did Michelle Cochran and Kathryn Harllee on planning the October Fall Fair.
In addition to these HSA-sponsored activities, several parents and staff participated in the principal and assistant principal interview panels. The HSA thanks all of them as well for their service in this important role.
The HSA is ready for the new school year, with volunteers in place to lead all of the HSA's major activities and fundraising initiatives. Many thanks to all who have offered their time and expertise.
Among our new initiatives, we plan to collaborate with the Murch administration and the Local School Restructuring Team (LSRT) on a school-wide strategic-plan and on creating partnerships with local educational and arts-related organizations. We are also committed to working with Principal Ellis to improve communication within the school community.
As you know, the HSA plays several vital roles at Murch: Facilitating parent participation; directly providing more than $200,000 worth of classroom support and school initiatives every year; and building community among families and staff. Your participation is critical to the HSA's success, and we look forward to your active involvement. Please be sure to return the volunteer form that went home in backpacks on Monday.
Your HSA officersare always available to answer questions and help you get involved. We will do our very best to reach out to you, but please contact us, too. We anticipate an exciting year at Murch!
--Alison Howard and Karin Perkins, Co-Presidents
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 A Thing of Beauty
Raise a shovel in salute to the 30-some volunteers who slogged through 100 percent humidity on Saturday to spruce up our school as part of DCPS Beautification Day. Murch parents, teachers, students, and other volunteers yanked weeds, planted flowers, spread mulch, plucked trash, and swept sidewalks as contractors put the finishing touches on the playground.
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| LSRT Gears Up |
The Murch Local School Restructuring Team (LSRT), an elected committee of Murch faculty, administrators, staff, and parents who advise the principal on school policy, curriculum, and resources, held its first meeting of the 2009-10 school year on August 20. LSRT members discussed the body's roles, responsibilities, and priorities for the year. Members agreed to begin longer-range planning, starting with a vision and mission statement for the school, and to explore the use of outside professionals to facilitate a planning process. Principal Ellis also addressed concerns about class size, noting that final student enrollment in each grade might not be clarified for several days. She reported that she had alerted DCPS officials that Murch might have unexpectedly large enrollments in a couple of grades, and that DCPS has agreed to send an additional teacher to assist the first grade. The LSRT will meet on the second Monday of each month; the next meeting will be at 5 pm on September 14 in the Murch media center. Meetings are open to the Murch community and agendas are circulated beforehand. If you have issues you'd like to bring to the LSRT's attention please contact us. -- co-chairs Vicki Otten (5th-grade teacher); David Weiner (parent)
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Events |
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Aug 28
9 am: Ribbon cutting for the new
playground with Mayor Fenty. Coffee served courtesy of Starbucks!
Aug 28
1 pm: Ice Cream Social (scoopers & kids only)
Sept 2
3:15 pm:
Cross Country
interest meeting
in the gym
(parents welcome)
Sept 4
Sept 7
Labor Day -- NO SCHOOL
Sept 8
7 pm: HSA mtg
Sept 9 & 10
6:30 pm: New-parent reception
7 pm: Back-to-School Night
9/9: Pre-K -2nd
9/10: 3rd - 5th
Sept 14
5 pm: LSRT mtg
Sept 18
Professional Development Day NO SCHOOL
Sept 21
Peace Pole Ceremony
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Can You Help?
Murch depends on volunteers every year. Murch parent Cinzia Roveta has been working on the Murch Web site for years, but she can't do it alone. If you have experience using Dreamweaver or can help with Web site design please contact Robin Schepper.
Check out the site for more volunteer
opportunities. |
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Contributors Wanted
The Murch HSA Newsletter is looking for parents--and students!--to be reporters
& photographers.
Contact Laura Kaiser or Robin Schepper |
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Shop for Murch
Did you know you can earn cash for Murch every time you shop? Always start your online shopping at One Cause and raise money for Murch-- up to 20% of eligible purchases! When you sign up, use Murch's One Cause ID number: 120519. |
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Get Your Shots
DC Public Schools requires some new vaccines for students in pre-k through fifth grade including: the pneumococcal; chicken pox; and Hepatitis-A. Visit the DCPS Web site for more information about all immunization requirements.
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Forms
Don't forget to return the photo release and HSA forms in your Back-to-School Packet. |
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Join the Murch Forum
The Murch Forum is a Yahoo Group that enables Murch community members to share information and discuss school-related issues. When you subscribe you must provide your full name and, if you are a parent, the name(s) and teacher(s) of your child(ren). This information must be provided in order to be approved; only Murch parents/guardians are members of the forum.Please contact Sally Kux, the parent volunteer who moderates the listserv, with any questions. |
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Welcome, New Teachers
Please welcome the newest additions to the Murch staff: Katelyn Fitzpatrick (kindergarten); Orly Friedman (3rd grade); Rose Goudas (special education); Miriam Cutelis (art); Holly Hope (ESL); Regina Bell (media specialist); Amy Magee (instructional aide); Virginia deRaddo (aide); and Minerva Cruz de la Rosa (building services).
Congratulations to Norah Rabiah who is now officially Murch's assistant principal! | |
| Got News? Comments? Contact us |
| Editors:Laura Kaiser and Robin Schepper |
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