UPCOMING DATES

May 5-6 Murch Day at Politics & Prose
May 8 HSA Election & Budget Meeting
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 and Martha Saccocio

Thank you to the parents who were able to attend this week's General HSA meeting. The presentation by the Reading Specialist was truly inspiring. The discussion on the HSA Operating Budget was very productive and we appreciate all the input folks gave. If you were unable to attend the meeting and have thoughts about the HSA budget, please contact Martha Saccocio at MarthaNS@aol.com.

Some of the suggestions that were put forward were: bringing the Reading Specialist up to a full-time position; starting a fund for a comprehensive playground overhaul; purchasing a piece of playground equipment (such as a climbing wall) to replace the defunct swings; improving the soccer field; hiring a Math Specialist; hiring an Enrichment Teacher; contracting with a technology support company to help keep computers and related equipment running smoothly; and increasing the buildings and grounds budget.

The May 8th HSA meeting (7 pm) is an important one. Elections for the new HSA Executive Board as well as the Murch Development Team (MDT) will be held. In addition, we will vote to approve the proposed budget for the 2007-2008 school year. This meeting requires a quorum, so please make every effort to attend. If you're feeling guilty for not having attended an HSA meeting this year (you know who you are), here's a perfect opportunity to amend your ways. Childcare (a.k.a. Movie Night) will be provided for school-aged children for $5/child (maximum of $10/family).

The Politics & Prose Sale will be held Saturday and Sunday, May 5-6. This year, we are structuring the event as a Community Service Project and donating the proceeds from the sale to Teaching For Change, a non-profit organization that seeks to empower parents and schools to affect change in their own communities. The group offers workshops in advocacy for parents, trains parents and grandparents as Roving Readers, to share the love of reading in with school children, and maintains a catalog of educational publications that address issues of social justice. One of their programs, called Tellin' Stories, teaches families and school staff to use the power of stories to connect people of diverse backgrounds. Check them out at www.TeachingForChange.org.

The Student Council is working with Murch parent and restaurateur Ed Hanson to make and package Murch lollipop cookies, which will be available for purchase in the Politics & Prose coffee shop throughout the sale.

We will have special "celebrity readers" in the children section during the weekend (there is a rumor that the Cat in the Hat, a.k.a. Mr. Webber, may make an appearance). Volunteers are needed to help out during the sale. If you are available, please contact Linda Komes at LAKOMES@starpower.net. And if you shop at Politics & Prose on these days, use the coupons provided at check out to be sure to credit your purchase to Murch.

Michelle Cochran MichelleCochran@starpower.net

Martha Saccocio MarthaNS@aol.com

School Announcements

Murch Chinese Club started the spring session this Wednesday, April 18, and will continue to meet Mondays and Wednesdays 3:30 - 4:30 pm. Tuition is $180 for the spring session. All Pre-K -- 6th grade Murch students are welcome to join. Registration forms are on the HSA table. Please contact Tien Pasco at pascotv@gmail.com if you're still interested in joining. You may try a complimentary class through Wednesday, April 25.

The Murch auctions on eBay continue! This week we have GIFT CERTIFICATES for sports clubs, home improvement, and cultural enrichment up for bid. Plus: novels, Magic: The Gathering trading cards & a beautiful, signed poster by children's author Eric Carle. Here's what you have to do:

1. Log onto to www.ebay.com http://www.ebay.com/.
2. Search for MURCH to find our school's items for sale, which are denoted by a blue & gold ribbon (Mustang colors!)
3. Make a bid! If you're not a registered eBay user, sign up today - it's easy and it's free.

Note: We request that people pay for items using Paypal, but we are willing to take another form of payment for Murch families. If you have any questions, contact Laura Kaiser (Adelaide/ K-Hawkins) at lfkaiser@starpower.net. Support Murch and win something wonderful!

Principal's Corner by Carolyne Albert-Garvey

The Oxford American Dictionary of Current English defines talent as a "special aptitude or faculty." If you are ever with a group of ten or more people and ask them to take out a piece of paper and a pencil and take a quick pop poll of sorts. Ask them to write the name of the first person that comes to mind when you say the word "talent." Usually most people will name an athlete, musician, singer, author, or someone with high visibility. Very few people will name a teacher. Now ask that same group to name a person who has had a significant impact on their life. Now chances are good you may get several people who will name a teacher. When asked what that teacher did to stand out in his or her mind, the person is likely to describe someone who fits the definition of talent.

At Murch, our hope is that every student who goes through our school would list at least one teacher as having a significant impact on their life. The question for me and my personnel committee then becomes "how do we identify those teachers who can really impact a child's life?" The best predictors are more than experience, college grade point average, credentials, and the school they graduated from. The answer lies in what great teachers have within them that not only allows them, but also compels them, to teach with such effectiveness. Here are some characteristics of great teachers:

Great teachers set high expectations for all students. They expect that all students can and will achieve in their classroom, and they don't give up on underachievers.
Great teachers have clear, written-out objectives. Effective teachers have lesson plans that give students a clear idea of what they will be learning, what the assignments are and what the grading policy is. Assignments have learning goals and give students ample opportunity to practice new skills. The teacher is consistent in grading and returns work in a timely manner.

Great teachers are prepared and organized. They present lessons in a clear and structured way. Their classrooms are organized in such a way as to minimize distractions.

Great teachers engage students and get them to look at issues in a variety of ways. They keep students motivated with varied, lively approaches. They engage the whole class and ask questions frequently to make sure students are following along.

Great teachers form strong relationships with their students and show that they care about them as people.

Great teachers are warm, accessible, enthusiastic and caring. Great teachers are masters of their subjects. They exhibit expertise in the subjects they teach and spend time continuing to gain new knowledge in their field. They present material in an enthusiastic manner and instill a hunger in their students to learn more on their own.

Great teachers communicate frequently with parents. They reach parents through conferences and written reports home. They don't hesitate to pick up the telephone to call a parent if they are concerned about a student.

Interviews began this week. Starting the hiring process early is critical because we want to find the best possible candidates for our school. Murch has a personnel committee that will interview and recommend all candidates for vacant positions at the school unless a current staff member has been reassigned to fill a particular vacancy. The committee members are Ms. Cymerman, Miss Franklin, Ms. Wigglesworth, Ms. Lipshie and Ms. McCoy. Members of grade level or content areas will also be included. Hopefully, at least one MDT or HSA parent representative will be available to join us during the interviews.

After interviewing candidates, the committee will rank the candidates in order of preference using a consensus method. This recommendation will be forwarded to me and I will make the final decision from those ranked by the committee. All information received and/or disclosed during the interview and hiring process is confidential, and will not be shared with, or disclosed to, any third party.

AP Connection by Marcia Jackson
"Wow, what great attendance we have had this week!" Mrs. Albert-Garvey exclaimed to Ms. Jackson. "Imagine how many instructional minutes we could gain if our students were at school on time each day?" said Ms. Jackson. "What can we do?" each posing the question at the same time. After a brief pause and a moment of silent thinking, Mrs. Albert-Garvey stood up and shouted, "I know. Let's write an article expressing how delighted we are that students are arriving at school on time and encouraging everyone to keep up the good work!"

We are truly delighted that our attendance has been wonderful this week. No long lines in the front office, no excessive tardy passes to be written, all children here and accounted for ON TIME! As your fearless leaders, we appreciate your efforts to get your children to school on time and acknowledge your efforts. We want to encourage you to continue to get your children to school on time after testing is over.

During Spring Break, we had a plumbing blitz team in the building. The team successfully replaced the old toilet seats with new toilet seats in all of the bathrooms and they also installed push faucets. These faucets make it easier for the children to appropriately sanitize their hands. Before, we had the turn faucets and children had to hold and turn the faucets and could only wash one hand at a time. We are grateful to DCPS that efforts are being made towards updating the facility for the safety of our children.

It's hard to believe that we are looking forward to the last weeks of school. It has been an amazing journey for all of us. The one thing that I can count on in our school is that there will never be a dull moment and that each day I will learn something new.

Here is something new that I learned this week that I would like to share. Did you know that American children and adolescents spend 22 to 28 hours per week watching television? In lieu of that, April 23-29, 2007 is "TV Turnoff Week." If you have not heard about this week, there is a wealth of information on the Internet. We are encouraging Murch families to turn off the television during this week and spend more time getting your family active mentally and physically. More information will be coming home soon, so stay tuned. Let's continue to work hard together during this last advisory of what has been an awesome school year!

Community News & Classifieds
Apartment wanted. Susan Landmann taught preschool at Murch for twenty-seven years. She left four years ago to teach on Nantucket. Susan's husband, Bob Landmann, recently took a temporary job in DC, and wants to rent a small apartment, perhaps in the basement of a house.

If you know of a place in the Murch area please contact Susan Landmann at susanlandmann@comcast.net, or phone: 240.418.1993. Submitted by Joan Timony, Murch teacher LL Bean Jacket Found. We found an orange-and-grey LL Bean boys' jacket, size 6X-7, on Chesapeake Street next to Fort Reno on Monday.Please email jingram6@gmail.com or call us at 362.9253 if it belongs to someone you know.

Murch family seeks babysitter for month of June for after school and after camp pick-up for 1st and 5th grader. Must have a car. If you can recommend someone, please call Tien Pasco at 441.1536 or pascotv@gmail.com

Part-time Summer Babysitter. Looking for an energetic, responsible young woman to entertain 2 boys (ages 4 and 5) once or twice a week for 4 hours each day. Take them to the playground, zoo, or other adventures. Contact Martha Saccocio at MarthaNS@aol.com or (202) 237-6967.

 

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