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The Murch
Mustang Express
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| Reach for the Best |
September 25, 2009 |
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Hello, Murch Parents!
My recent bout with a cold-turned-bronchitis has been an unpleasant reminder that cold and flu season is upon us. As of this week, we have no identified cases of the H1N1 virus, but we do have plenty of children (and staff) who have come down with seasonal influenza (both respiratory and stomach flu), sore throats, and bad colds. In this newsletter, Nurse Wright explains the basic preventive measures we need to take to avoid getting sick. At school we are also well-stocked with tissues, soap, paper towels, hand sanitizer, face masks, and disinfectant for doorknobs and furniture.
There is one other important preventative: keeping sick children -- and adults -- home so that they do not infect others. Symptoms of the flu include fever (100 degrees Fahrenheit/37.8 degrees Celsius or greater), cough, sore throat, a runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, and extreme fatigue. Some people also vomit or have diarrhea. Sick students, teachers, and staff need to go home and stay at home until at least 24 hours after they no longer have a fever or signs of a fever (without using fever-reducing drugs). Students who are sick should not participate in any school activity, school-after care, or the community except to seek medical care. Children or staff who show symptoms of flu while at school will be sent home, so please make sure we have the most up-to-date contact information for you.
Last week Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee sent home a letter about the budget reductions facing the District. Murch Elementary, like most schools, is facing a reduction in our overall budget, but our reduction is mitigated by the fact that our enrollment exceeded projections this year. Our school budget must be reduced a total of $184,000 by Oct. 1, and I am working closely with the Cluster Office and the Office of Human Resources to make sure those cuts have a minimal impact on our operations.
Take care and stay healthy! --Dawn Ellis, Principal
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| HSA Update |
Hello, Murch Community,
If you are among the hundred or so families who have not turned in their information forms for the Murch Directory, I urge you to do so TODAY. We've had numerous inquiries as to when the Directory will be out, but we hate to go to press knowing that some people will be left out or have out-of-date information. Please make sure you have turned in an updated Directory form to your classroom so that we can get this vital communication tool printed and delivered by early October. If you didn't get a form or lost yours, there are blank ones available on the HSA table next to the library. Or you can send your information to Phyllis Jordan. Please include: student name and teacher; parent names; addresses; email addresses; home phone number; and work or cell phone numbers for each parent/guardian. Speaking of email addresses, please be advised that we are going to phase out paper copies of the Murch Mustang Express except for families that do not have Internet access. In order to receive it, you can sign up by clicking the sign up button above this update or you can access back issues by going to our archive and use the sign up form embedded in those issues.
As always, please let us know if you have any questions, or if you would like to get more involved in the HSA. See you at the Book Fair! -- Alison Howard and Karin Perkins, HSA co-presidents |
| Peace Pole |
Murch Plants a Peace Pole
Students, staff, and parents at Murch have a new place to seek a quiet moment. On Monday the school held a ceremony to "plant" and dedicate a Peace Pole on the hill, a crowning touch for the new playground. Each facet of the hexagon-shaped cedar pole bears the inscription "May Peace Prevail on Earth" in the six most common languages spoken in the homes of Murch students: English; Spanish; French; Chinese; Vietnamese; and Amharic (a Semitic language spoken in North Central Ethiopia). At the event, Murch parent Linda Komes, who helped design the space as part of the playground renovation, explained that the pole is meant to "act as a constant reminder for us to visualize and pray for world peace." The pole is a gift from the Murch 6th grade class of 2009, and some members came back to help with the dedication. The idea for the pole came from the mother of assistant principal Norah Rabiah. She lives in California, where they are more common, and part of a growing international effort growing international effort that began in Japan in 1955. After witnessing the Second World War, Japanese teacher, philosopher, and poet Masahisa Goi decided to start a world peace movement. He believed that peace begins in the hearts and minds of each of us, and that having a specific place to think peaceful thoughts can help bridge whatever divisions a community faces. There are now 200,000 peace poles in 180 countries at such symbolic locales as the pyramids in Egypt, the Allenby Bridge between Israel and Jordan, and South Africa's Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned. Around the base of the Murch pole, artist Regina Holliday, painted a mural of the seasons "to represent life as a circle. The seasons spin around again and again marking off our life."
 Inside the mural she painted a labyrinth. Some students have taken this for a maze, but it's actually quite different. While mazes demand logic and choice to find the right path, the labyrinth design dates to ancient Greece and is unicursal - a single continuous path, which winds in and out. In modern times, many have come to believe that walking this path can quiet the mind and promote meditation.
Holliday says she was trying to explain this concept to a Murch student one day and had to laugh when he responded, "You do know this is an elementary school, right?"
But if you've passed by the pole, you've seen some children are indeed joyfully walking through the rings of the labyrinth. Holliday, a former Murch parent, thinks they'll catch on to the meditation concept, whether they realize it or not. "I remember vividly following the matching tiles in the grocery store as a child," she says. "It was so peaceful and rewarding, I hope the kids feel that." -- Jennifer Ludden
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| Kudos |
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Murch Wins Safe Routes Award
The National Center for Safe Routes to School has awarded Murch Elementary the 2009 James L. Oberstar Safe Routes to School Award. Competing with thousands of other schools around the country, Murch won thanks to a combination of new sidewalks, traffic lights, bike rack, school safety patrol, and outreach to the community to create a pedestrian plan along Connecticut Avenue. To celebrate October's Walk to School Month, Rep. Jim Oberstar (D-MN) will present the award to Principal Ellis at Murch some day in October to be announced. -- Robin Schepper, Team Leader, Safe Routes to School
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| Book Fair |
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Starting Thursday: Magic, Wimps, and Goosebumps
The annual Murch Book Fair will feature hundreds of titles from Scholastic in hardcover and paperback - with 25 percent of sales directly supporting the goals of the HSA. Choose among picture books, early readers, reference, and chapter books in fiction, nonfiction, science fiction, sports, and history. Popular series include Tales of a Wimpy Kid, Fancy Nancy, Flat Stanley, Goosebumps, Magic Tree House, Harry Potter, Star Wars, and, of course, Judy Moody and Stink. In fact, Friday is the big day, starting with an assembly at 12:45 p.m. for grades 2 and up with Judy Moody author Megan McDonald, who will also sign copies of her books. (See the interview with McDonald in this issue.) Then at 6 p.m. it's Pizza Night, the lively tradition that combines some evening shopping and dinner. Teachers and librarian Regina Bell have compiled wish lists for the classrooms, so you can buy books and donate them for school use. Murch will also continue last year's successful One for Books program, where every dollar donated for the Murch library is matched by Scholastic in book donations for those in need. Cash, checks, and credit cards accepted. New this year: weekend hours! For families who want more time to browse, stop by at your leisure on Saturday or Sunday from noon - 4 p.m. -- Lori Woerhle, Book Fair chair
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| Q & A |
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In a Judy Moody Kind of Mood
Megan McDonald is the author of the Judy Moody book series as well as All the Stars in the Sky and Is This a House for Hermit Crab? She is our special guest at the Book Fair, and fourth grader Eliza Zizka and her mom, Mary Kay Zuravleff, interviewed her.
Q: How did you make a bossy, moody girl so fun to read about?
A: I have four bossy older sisters, and we were always having some kind of funny adventure. I'm moody, like Judy. Bad moods can actually be kind of funny, when you're not in one.
Q: Is it true you (like Judy Moody) collected toothpicks, doll heads, and scabs as a kid?
A: It's true-for sure and absolute positive! These days, I collect sock monkeys, Band-Aids, Magic 8 Balls, vintage beads and buttons, glass bottles, pitchers, books, pencils, and anything with dragonflies.
Q: For class, Judy Moody makes a "Me Collage," which includes the funniest thing that ever happened to her. What would be in your "Me Collage?"
A: I once chased down a bicycle book burglar! He stole two big bags of books at a children's bookstore where I worked. I ran after him yelling, "Stop! Thief! Give us back our books!" Luckily, he dropped the bags and all the books were safely returned to the bookstore.
Q: How many books have you written?
A: I have no idea-probably more than 50. I have a file cabinet FULL of books I've written and never published, and books I've never even finished writing.
Q: You string together adjectives like "sold-dirt-for-moon-dust brother." What's the longest or silliest one you remember?
A: Wow! You might say this is a first-time-rack-my-brain-think-really-hard-but-be- funny question for me. I'd have to say... maybe... joyful-on-top-of-spaghetti-and-the-world for when Judy is in a way-good mood.
Q: Do you ever write songs?
A: I don't write songs per se, but I do write piggyback songs for Judy's brother, Stink, to sing, such as "My Country Peed on Me."
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| Did You Know... |
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What Was Here Before Murch?
 When the construction crew dug up the soccer field this summer, they found this old Quaker State Motor Oil sign. According to collectors of "petroliana," this is a rare piece of vintage advertising, but how did it get here? Did there used to be a gas station where our school stands? We've researched and here's what we've come up with:
In the late 1800s, this part of Washington was "the country" and the first school built on the site was the Grant Road School for African-American students. It closed in 1903 and was used as a warehouse. Then the city built four temporary school buildings that were horrible. According to a history of Murch written by Ann Kessler in 1990, these portable buildings "had no electric lights, so no reading or school work could be done on dark days. In winter, the children froze, and in the spring and fall, they were too hot. Because the roof leaked, drops of water would fall down on the children's papers on rainy days. The portables were also infested with such creatures as rats, mice, roaches, assorted bugs, an occasional dog or cat, and possibly a snake. Finally, in 1928 a rare tornado struck Washington and blew off the roof of one of the portables."
The first wing of the new Ben W. Murch Elementary school on Davenport Street welcomed its first students in 1930. But, based on what we can uncover, there doesn't appear to have ever been a gas station or garage on what became our soccer field. So, how this old metal sign happened to be buried here remains a mystery. Maybe it blew here from Oz! -- Adelaide Kaiser, 3rd grade
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| Health |
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Lice, Fever, Flu
 We've had a couple of incidents of head lice in our classes, one detected within a week of school starting. Lice do not normally develop overnight. Eggs (nits) hatch 7-10 days after being laid, and it takes another 8 to 10 days for a louse to become an adult. They live 32 days on average. Lice cannot hop or fly. They spread by close person-to-person contact or by using an infected person's hat, bedding, or hair brushes, where nits and lice can survive for up to two days. Deprived of regular blood meals, they typically die within 36 hours.
Please check your child's head regularly and be on the look out for any signs of itching, bite marks, redness, or unease in your child, particularly at night. A reliable source of information about managing head lice safely is the University of Nebraska extension service.
Another area of concern has to do with children being sent to school with fever from the previous day. Please keep children home until they have been fever-free for 24 hours without the use of a fever-reducing medicine.
With the H1N1 flu around the corner, we have to remain vigilant in safeguarding our children's health. To prevent transmission of microorganisms, please enforce at home the basic sanitary precautions we teach kids at school: Wash hands frequently; cover coughs and sneezes or direct them into their elbow; use hand sanitizer; and avoid touching different parts of their faces.
I am always available to respond to your needs. Please call me at 202-282-0354 for any questions you might have. -- Nurse Wright
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| Save the Date |
Fall Fair to be Oct. 24
Just a month from now, Saturday, Oct. 24, the fabulous Fall Fair returns to the Murch playground. In addition to many perennial favorites - cake walk, crafts, food, rides, and slides-we'll have a new Dunk-a-Hunk tank and much more.
The flea market will be in a more central location this year due to the changes to the playground. Please contact Rachel Garrett if you are interested in renting a table.
As the fair is one week before Halloween, there will be a costume sale, where you might find the perfect gently used get-up at a bargain-basement price. Contact Donna Fabiani or Gayle Hager to donate costumes and other Halloween decorations, props, and paraphernalia.
The traditional book sale will also take place. Book donations will be collected the week before - details available soon.
And attention all bakers: The cake walk, one of the more popular events in recent years, will return, so start greasing up the pans. Contact Susan Zentay if you'd like to bake a cake or other treat for the bake sale.
Each class at Murch is responsible for staffing a booth, game, or ride at the fair. When the room parents ask you to sign up for a shift, please do! An hour of your time will help make this event a success. And if your business or your family would like to sponsor a ride, please contact event chairs Michelle Cochran and Kathryn Harllee.
We appreciate your help!
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Share the Mustang Express with your children!
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SOS Campaign Update 
Make Your Contribution Today!
Thank you to all SOS Campaign contributors. So far, we have heard from 121 families and have received over $60,000 in contributions. We still have a ways to go to meet our personnel and educational support commitment of $141,800, so please remember to return your form and contribution.
Next week, personalized letters will be mailed to those families who have not yet responded. To save the HSA the cost of postage and stationery, please send in your reply forms and donations now - and be entered in a drawing for an iPod Touch! If you have misplaced your reply form, you can pick up another from the HSA table, download one from the Murch Web site or contact Julie York.
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In the Classroom
Busy B's
In the Kaufman wing, Ms. Wierenga's and Ms. Stewart's pre-k classes have been very busy this week with the letter "B". They have been identifying the similarities and differences of buttons and beans, sorting them by colors, sizes and shapes. They also enjoyed identifying the letter B and making the /b/ sound by listening to Mr. B's story and Mr. B's song. The student had lots of fun decorating butterflies with colorful beans, making beautiful buttons out of paper plates, creating individual letter "B" charts, and recognizing words starting with the letter. The students' favorite song for this week was "The Button Song."
Next week we look forward to meeting another exciting letter friend and creating activities for the fall season.
-- Aruni Hettipola
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Events |
Sept 24-28
Book Fair
September 25
Judy Moody author Megan McDonald presents to 2nd-5th graders
October
National Walk/Bike
to School Month
Oct TBD
Walk to School Day
and National Safe Route to School Award Ceremony with Rep. Oberstar
Oct 2
Sally Foster orders due
Oct 5
School Picture Day
Oct 12
NO SCHOOL
Columbus Day
Oct 13
7 pm: HSA meeting
Oct 16
8:30 am Coffee on the Playground
Oct 28
Halloween Parade
Oct. 29
12:15 pm dismissal
Records Day
Oct 30
NO SCHOOL
Professional Development Day
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Art Supplies Needed
Parents from pre-K thru 5th, please remember to send your child's required art supplies:
1) An old t-shirt for smock to stay in classroom until your child comes to art.
2) Two boxes of baby wipes.
3) A sketchbook (to stay in child's locker/cubby until they come to art), not required for pre-K.
Art Room Wish List:
*cardboard, 8x10 or larger
*any shiny paper (gold, silver, bronze)
* shiny paint of any kind
* old manila folders or cardstock paper
* wooden pieces (nothing too long or heavy)
* corks
* meat trays (clean, obviously)
* flat sheets and pillow cases (solid color only)
* insides of pillows/pillow inserts
* sewing needles
* lace
* old canvases (we will paint over)
* old baby quilts
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Volunteer
Fall Fair Be sure to sign up with your child's room parent for your class booth. |
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Contributors Wanted
The Murch Mustang
Express is looking for parents--and students!--to be reporters, editors,
& photographers.
Contact Laura Kaiser or Robin Schepper |
An independent Yahoo Group, the Murch Forum enables Murch parents, caregivers, and teachers to share information and discuss school-related issues. To subscribe, please provide your full name; grade/function (if you're Murch staff); and the names and teachers of your children (if you're a
parent). Contact: Sally Kux, parent volunteer-moderater. | |
| Got News? Comments? Contact us |
| Copy deadline: Tuesdays at noon.
Editors: Laura Kaiser and Robin Schepper Contributors: Michelle Cochran; Miriam Cutelis; Kathryn Harlee; Aruni Hettipoli; Adelaide Kaiser; Jennifer Ludden; Lori Woerhle; Nurse Wright; Julie York; Eliza Zizka; Mary Kay Zuravleff.
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