Upcoming Dates
April 16  Emancipation Day, NO SCHOOL

April 17 HSA Meeting, 7 pm
April 17-20 DC CAS Testing Grades 3-6 (Math & Reading)
May 5-6 Murch Day at Politics & Prose
May 10 Shining Stars Talent Show, 7:30 pm
May 18 Parent-Teacher Conference Day – NO SCHOOL
May 19 Murch Rummage Sale

 

CO-PRESIDENTS’ NEWS by Michelle Cochran & Martha Saccocio

A reminder that the next general meeting of the HSA will be Tuesday, April 17 at 7 pm. The meeting will begin with a presentation from the Reading Specialist. The meeting itself will focus on input from the community on the HSA budget. Please make every effort to attend this meeting. If you cannot attend, feel free to send one of us an e-mail with your thoughts about the HSA budget.

We will present the proposed operating budget at the May 8 meeting. Elections for next year’s HSA Executive Board and the Murch Development Team will be held at that meeting as well.

We have two fundraisers left in the school year. The Politics & Prose Book Sale will be held Saturday and Sunday, May 5-6.  Be sure to mark your calendars and come out and do some shopping to support Murch.

Also, the Murch Rummage Sale is scheduled for Saturday, May 19. It will be held in the gym and on the black top (weather permitting). Start clearing out your closets now. We will accept donations the week before the sale. We welcome donations of children’s clothing, household items, books, sporting equipment and furniture in good condition. No adult clothing please.

 

Michelle Cochran                                                 Martha Saccocio
MichelleCochran@starpower.net                     MarthaNS@aol.com
                                                               

Principal’s Corner by Carolyne Albert-Garvey

It’s spring and that means testing time in schools all around the country. Our 3rd – 6th grade students will be taking the DC Comprehensive Assessment System (DC CAS) in reading and math next week. Attendance during testing week is very important. A minimum of 95% of our 3rd–6th grade students must take the assessment in order for Murch to meet annual yearly progress (AYP). Make-up days are scheduled for the week of April 23 for students who are too ill to come to school during one or more days during testing week.
 
TARDY students will not be admitted to class until after that day’s testing session is over. Tardy students will be pulled from class in the afternoon or during the make-up dates to complete the missed assessment. Tardy students will be given assignments and will work in a lower grade classroom until testing is over that morning (around 10:30 am).
 
The DC CAS is a “state” assessment and we must follow strict guidelines and procedures. Unscheduled visitors must report to the office and scheduled visitors for grades 1–2 will be escorted by a staff member to the classroom. There will be a DCPS monitor in the building during testing week.
 
All “late arrival” lunches must be dropped off in the office. Students will be called to the office after testing to pick up their yummy lunch.
 
Staffing News
Our office assistant, Ms. Tracy, resigned during spring break. Tracy spent three years managing the daily operations of the front office. I know many parents, students, and staff members shared a close relationship with Ms. Tracy. She will be missed.
 
Volunteers needed!
I am in desperate need for volunteers to work in the main office between 8:30 and 9:30 am daily until I fill the office assistant vacancy. Please let me know if you are available (email works best). I’m looking for volunteers who can consistently volunteer one or more days a weeks. Basic training will be provided.
 
REPORT CARDS are in back packs today.
 
I hope you had a wonderful spring break! My break was spent hanging out with family members in New Brunswick and eating too many maple syrup products.
 

Classroom Connection by Ms. Levy and Ms. McCoy

The 6th graders have been very busy! Students have been reading novels and writing their reflections in reader response journals. In mid-March, students viewed an interactive show about mapping at the National Geographic Society. Students got to see images of the Grand Canyon in 3-D! Right before spring break, the 6th grade Earth Science Expo was held. Students shared games, activities and models related to rocks, minerals, earthquakes and volcanoes. A trip to Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary included water testing, exploration of wetlands and catching pond critters. Now students are beginning a study of Russia and will visit the embassy in May.

Keyboard/piano lessons in your home. All styles (jazz, classical, etc.) and all ages. References available. Call Georgia Hughes at 545.9080. (submitted by David Diggs)

Science Exhibition. On Sat., April 14 and Sun., April 15 there will be a lot of cool stuff going on in and around the House of Sweden. It’s an interactive science exhibition, “Cold Poles – Hot Stuff,” where kids can dress up as real polar researchers and step into a cool room, climb aboard a model of icebreaker ship, Oden, as well as play a game of Glacier Memory and lots more. There will be a Penguin photo exhibition and an interactive climate map. Other kids’ activities include: a quiz walk, an art contest and Free Frozen Treats! For more information, call 467-2600. Address: 901 30th Street, NW. Hours for exhibitions: 10 am – 6 pm. Hours for kids activities: 11 am – 4 pm.

Summer sitter needed. Murch family is looking for a mature high school or college student to watch our child for 7 weeks this summer, 8:30 am until 3 pm. Our daughter is loads of fun. Call Cooney at 237.5765, or email cmcdayton@msn.com.

Si usted llegara o necesita alguna ayuda para traducir algo al espanol contacteme. Sara Villeda: telefono 202.244.7493/email savll@aol.com