CO-PRESIDENTS’ NEWS by Michelle Cochran & Martha Saccocio

 Summer Reading Quest. Registration begins Friday, June 1 for DC Public Library's Summer Reading Quest Program. All ages can join and will be given a reading log passport. Children keep a list of books they read or have read to them and report the title to the librarians. There are 3 Trip Coupons to be turned in for prizes. Come to the Chevy Chase Library at 5625 Connecticut Ave, NW or the Tenley Interim Library at 4200 Wisconsin Ave, NW to register. You can also visit the DC Public Library on line at www.dclibrary.org.

Principal’s Corner by Carolyne Albert-Garvey

I am thrilled to announce that the following vacancies have been filled by:
Jayme Hines - Pre-K teacher
Gina Stephens - Second grade teacher
Shira Lantner - ELL
Andi Jamet and Andrea Chuahy - Special Education
Lauren Miller – Counselor
I think the Murch personnel committee beat a DCPS record! All current vacancies were filled before June 1! Bravo!

It’s important for the Murch community to get to know our new staff members. Bios for four of the newest members of the Murch community are below. Others will be included in next week’s newsletter.
 
Jayme Hines (Pre-K) Hello Murch Families! I cannot tell you all how excited I am to join such a wonderful community. I cannot wait to jump in with both feet! Let me introduce myself. I completed my undergraduate degree at St. Bonaventure University in Western NY majoring in Elementary Education in 1997. I went on to teach for the next few years working in grades 6, 5, & 3. I then moved to KY where I found my true home in Early Childhood Education while teaching both Pre-K & Kindergarten. I even had a year where I looped with my Pre-K when they moved to Kindergarten & I was able to continue working with them for another year. It was at this point that I knew that my heart was home. When we moved to SC I knew what my focus would be during graduate school. I completed my graduate studies at the College of Charleston in Charleston, SC where I earned my M.Ed. in Early Childhood Education. Also, I was awarded the Outstanding M.Ed. Early Childhood Education Student Award. It was a wonderful experience & I am so excited to take what I have learned & apply it to my teaching.

A little about me: I have been married for almost 10 years (September!!) and I have two great children: Brandon, 8, & Elizabeth, 2. We also have a wonderful rescue dog, Bonnie Venture, who just turned 1. My husband, Jamison, is a Major in the US Army. We have been blessed by the opportunities that the Army has given us & I love the life that we have been able to create for our children. I was born & raised in Rochester, NY, where my whole family still lives, and we visit often. We moved to DC in January & even though I still get lost whenever I drive anywhere, we are beginning to learn and love the city.

I am looking forward to the coming school year. I will be spending my summer planning & setting up my classroom. Mrs. Somerville has offered to work with me & I am sure that we will have excellent collaboration. I look forward to meeting as many families as I can so please stop by when school begins to say hello!  

Geraldine Stephens (2nd grade) Everyone calls me Gina. In 1982 I received a Bachelors Degree in Accounting from Virginia State University in Petersburg, Va. I moved to Annapolis Maryland after graduation in pursuit of an Accounting career. Nationwide Insurance Company hired me in June of 1983 as a part time Customer Service Representative and later as a Field Appraiser. As a Field Appraiser I was trained to assess damages and cost of repairs to homes and automobiles. In 1990 many things changed for me, I married an Insurance Agent, Terrence E. Stephens.

We have 3 children, Terrence II, Brandon, and Tiera. I also was hired by USSA Insurance Company as a Field Appraiser working from my home. In 1993 I was baptized at Hillandale Baptist Church in Adelphi, Maryland by Dr. William Moyer. Dr. Moyer’s nomination to WB50 landed me an Unsung Heroes Award on March 23, 2001. Through the years I worked at Hillandale’s nursery, toddler care and children’s church. It was through children’s church I realized that God gave me the natural gift of teaching. From this ministry I was led to pursue a teaching career. I quit my comfortable Insurance job and went back to college and received my Masters in Education in May 2001. For the last 5 years I have worked as a DCPS teacher at Wilkinson Elementary School. I have been given an awesome opportunity to work with some of the best Reading and Writing Teachers from Teachers College (Columbia University) over the past two years. I am looking forward to my second grade class, staff, and many new opportunities at Murch Elementary.
 
Shira Lantner (ELL) is looking forward to joining the Murch family next year as an ESL teacher. Mrs. Lantner has six years of experience with program development and educational enrichment. She holds a B.A. in English Literature from Washington University in St. Louis, and will complete her M.A. in Education with a concentration in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) from American University in August 2007. For the past two years she has taught English as a Second Language (ESL) at Raymond Elementary School in the Petworth neighborhood. Previously she taught ESL to adult immigrants in Arlington, VA and English as a Foreign Language (EFL) to junior high school and elementary students in Yamoto, Japan. In her spare time, Mrs. Lantner enjoys traveling, knitting, photography, and motorcycle riding.

Lauren Miller (counselor) Hi Everyone! I’m going to be your new school counselor at Murch! I’m so excited to become part of the Murch community and even more excited to meet all of you! I grew up in Allentown, Pennsylvania and went to the University of Rochester where I earned bachelor degrees in both Psychology and American Sign Language. I then found myself in Washington D.C. where I earned my masters degree in School Counseling at George Washington University (2007). I am familiar with the Murch community because I completed my 2006 practicum at Janney ES and an internship at Deal Jr. High this school year. I spend my summers in the Pocono Mountains as a head counselor at an overnight camp for kids and love every minute of it. I’m a big sports fan, especially for the Philadelphia Eagles. I love dogs, traveling and exploring what D.C. has to offer. I’m looking forward to the upcoming school year and am so thrilled to be working with all of you at Murch!

Community News & Classified

For sale: A Classic Leather Suiter/ Travel bag in high quality leather. Almost new, used only 2 or 3 times. Holds 2 to 3 suits, a pair of shoes in 2 internal pockets and much more in 3 large external pockets. Make: Da Milano. Size: 23"*21"* 8"
Price: $95/- If interested please contact Karthika Audinet at 460.9431 or karthika@audinet.net.

ART CAMP FOR 3-4 YEAR OLDS. Please come and join us for full mornings of art making the first two weeks of June this summer: drawing, painting, collage, printing and clay. Email me if you are interested and I will send you info, nicoleandrewsbrandes@gmail.com

Baby Parakeets for adoption. We have 7 eggs due to start hatching soon. Please email if you’re interested in adopting one or two after they are weaned. They are beautiful, sweet, very social pets. Contact Marci at nadler@starpower.net

Vacation Bible School. June 25-29 from 9 am – 12 pm at Washington International Church for kids ages 3-12. Theme: SonForce Kids Special Agents on a Mission for God. Bible stories, crafts, skits, games,
songs, snacks. Cost: Free and open to the community!  4420 River Road (at 45th St, NW and River). Contact Susan Pickell (VBS Director) at 301.294.6573 for more information or vbs@internationalchurch.org. Online registration available at www.internationalchurch.org

NOTE FROM THE EDITOR: The newsletter is sponsored by the HSA, whose purpose is to serve the best interests of the pupils of Murch Elementary School. Members of the Murch community may submit classifieds and announcements, consistent with this mission, to newsletter@murchschool.org, with “Murch Newsletter” on the subject line.  Submissions on behalf of for-profit enterprises will not be considered for publication.