Are Murch students, wearing their pajamas inside out, really to blame for the snowiest winter in DC history? (Now that the snow in my front yard is up to my armpits, I do wish they would stop.) According to NBC Washington's Pat Collins, it is Murch fifth grader Charlotte Goetzka and her large stuffed Snow Shark, George, who is causing all the snow. Charlotte and George were featured several times on Channel 4 during the two blizzards. After the newscaster begged Charlotte to retire George, she volunteered to sell the shark to Vancouver, where they're desperate for more snow for the Winter Olympics.

Regardless of the culprit, the snow has caused us to miss four days of school so far this winter that will need to be made up. June 21 and 22 are already designated as make-up days on the DCPS calendar; the other two make-up days are yet to be determined.

We also have school events that need to be rescheduled. The Murch Talent Show, originally slated for Feb. 5, will be rescheduled (again) when school resumes after the Presidents' Day holiday. The boys basketball team is in the middle of playoffs, and those games, too, will be rescheduled. The HSA meeting is now set for Feb. 16 at 7 p.m. As plans are made to put events and school days back on the calendar, I'll pass on that information to parents.

I hope Murch Mustangs have been able to get out and enjoy the record-breaking snow. But it is important for students to keep their skills sharp during this unplanned vacation. Every student should be spending time each day reading alone and with others, an exercise that makes a great family activity. DCPS has also compiled "Don't Stop Learning: Learning activities for snowed-in families," a terrific online resource. Please turn off the computer games and the TV, get the kids outside for some fresh air, and then come inside for some reading and other adventures in learning.  

Murch's custodians did an amazing job of clearing the school after the first big storm last weekend, and they are working hard again to get the school's sidewalks and steps cleared once again. Unfortunately, the playground will take quite a while to clear, especially since it has an ever-expanding layer of ice under all that snow. Students should not plan on having outdoor recess when there is ice on the playground and under the new equipment, so let's hope for warm temperatures and lots of sun in the coming weeks.  Walking to school will probably still be quite treacherous next week, so please use caution as you make your way to Murch with the children, and watch out for ice and packed snow.

Please stay safe in the snow and help all of our Mustangs return to school in one piece and ready to learn. We are ready to hit the ground running when school resumes on Tuesday!

-- Dawn Ellis, principal; Vicki Otten &

The Murch girls' basketball team rocked this season! With a 15-8 win against Mann on Feb. 3, the team wrapped up the season with an overall record of 2:3.

That game was the second one in two days. The game against Eaton scheduled for Feb. 1 had to be rescheduled but that remains in doubt due to the onslaught of Snowzilla and the lost week of school.

The next day, the Mustangs traveled to H.D. Cooke with only five players. Despite not having any substitutes, the team made a valiant effort, but lost. In January the Mighty Mustangs played tough against the Shepherd team, narrowly losing by three points. Earlier in the month we were defeated by Adams, which is by far the best team in the league.

This season the girls have had fun learning the sport and growing as a team. The team started the season with six players. As the season progressed, five more girls joined the roster. With the loss of last year's experienced fifth- and sixth-grade players to middle school, few players had much experience. But that hasn't stopped them from coming together as a team and, judging from their win against Mann, the more they play, the better they play.

-- Regina Bell, coach 

photo: Tim Berger, 3rd grade

Land of 10,000 Tales

The library serves as a vital meeting place for our school. Many parents know the library as the venue for HSA and LSRT meetings, but it is also a place for staff meetings and teacher development. You may have noticed some changes in the library meeting space, but most of the changes are not obvious. With help from parents, students, and volunteer librarians, we were able to get our collection of books in order shortly after the start of school. Keeping track of more than 10,000 books is a never-ending job with so many voracious readers at Murch. Even less obvious are the upgrades made to the computers that students use to access a whole variety of resources. 

As you would expect, the library is more than a collection of tables and chairs in between bookshelves.  It is a classroom where every class spends at least one class period each week.  Younger students often get to hear a story, while older students are typically assigned short research projects. Library class time is often used to support classroom studies or to provide research tools. For example, the third, fourth, and fifth graders have been learning how to use reference books. They are also researching topics on the Internet and discovering that not everything you read on the Internet is true. Younger readers got to view a podcast of Robert Munsch reading his picture book 50 Degrees Below Zero.

During library class, at lunch, and after school, students are allowed to check out a book for their own reading pleasure. With a little guidance to identify "just right books," students enter the library of limitless horizons. Several books have been particularly popular this year including Once Upon a Cool Motorcycle Dude, Alligator Baby, Anansi and the Talking Melon, and Diary of a Wimpy Kid. The library is where everything is happening and anything is possible!

-- Cheryl O'Neill