Wishing Ms. Cutelis the Very Best in Her New Endeavor

Posted on May 9, 2012 by Chris

It is with a heavy heart that I have to announce that art teacher Ms. Cutelis will be leaving Murch at the end of the school year. Her enthusiasm, passion, and commitment to arts education is extraordinary. Over the past three years she has been able to accomplish what many people take careers to do in art education. These are going to be massive shoes to fill and we hope we can find someone as talented and committed to the success of children as Ms. Cutelis was for the Murch Community. We are going to miss her and wish her all the best in her future endeavors.

Posted in All Grades, Art | Leave a comment

Student Placement

Posted on May 8, 2012 by Chris

Many parents have questions about how class lists will be developed for the 2012-2013 school year.

Starting in early May, the staff and I will begin to develop tentative class rosters. Our goal is to maximize the opportunity for students to learn. We want classes that are balanced in terms of size, gender, academic achievement, special instructional needs, and social relations. Sometimes the most important factor in the success of a class is the mix and combination of students. We consider each student as we work to schedule him/her into the right learning environment.  All staff members who work with your children will be involved throughout this process. The responsibility for class placement as well as the final decision is mine. I take this responsibility seriously and know that it is a decision that can have a profound impact on your child’s education.

It is not possible to construct balanced classes if parent request for a specific teacher is honored. With all due respect, I urge you; please do not make such requests. I ask you to address all placement concerns with me and not approach teachers to request placement in their classroom. I welcome input about your child’s needs and will consider significant and compelling information about your child which can be placed on a student placement input form (allows you to let us know significant factors about your child that may assist us in making a placement decision). I am willing to meet with any and all parents who want to discuss their child’s needs; however, parents still need to fill out an input form.

I have struggled over the years to find a more eloquent way to express this. I realize it can come across awkwardly. I find it necessary to include a disclaimer like this because, believe it or not, I have had parents come in for a meeting, hand me a letter asking for a specific teacher, and when I remind them of why I cannot accept a request for a specific teacher, they then hand me an already prepared second letter without a teacher’s name. After such an experience I always feel as though I am in a bind. If I place the student with that teacher it might appear to others that this was a good way to approach me. If I don’t place the student with that teacher the parents might think I am being unapproachable or unresponsive. I’d rather not be part of anything that places either of us in an awkward position like this.

A couple of caveats I’ve learned over the years:

  1. No matter what you have heard on the soccer field it won’t help you determine whether the match between a particular teacher and your unique child will be a good fit.
  2. While the match between a particular teacher and a child is important, the grouping of students can be equally important.

When I begin the placement process for the next school year it all comes back to the one reason why I am an educator and work at Murch.  The reason I walk through the doors of Murch every morning is to ensure that all students are successful. One of my responsibilities as the instructional leader of this organization is to create and manage systems that will help us, as a faculty and staff, to meet this goal on a daily basis. Class assignments can be a sensitive issue. Please have faith in the trustworthiness and professionalism of our staff. I believe that we can make the right decisions for all Murch students.

Class assignments will be mailed to your home on August 6th.

If you have comments or questions please contact me.

Thank you in advance for your understanding and cooperation.

Mr. Chris Cebrzynski

Office:  202-282-0361 (please leave a voice mail if I am not available)

Posted in All Grades | Leave a comment

Changes for Next Year

Posted on May 8, 2012 by Chris

Dear Parents,

Based on shifts in student population, an effort to create equity in a staffing plan, and an attempt to use our resources to get optimal results, there are going to be a few changes in next year’s grade level teams, schedules for both core academic and resource classes, as well as our staff development efforts. We have recently begun work that will be developed throughout the rest of this school year and summer. We will also implement new initiatives beginning in August, 2012. These initiatives will include differentiated instruction, response to intervention, enrichment for all students, and curriculum alignment. These are exciting times at Murch and based on the conversations I have had with staff and parents, many of you feel the same way.

However, several parents have expressed concerns about the upcoming school year, specifically class size and teacher assignments. If you have concerns about the 2012-2013 school year, I would be more than happy to speak with you.  Please contact Ms. Coleman in the main office.  She will find a convenient time for both of us to meet.

We are working on developing solutions for a time issue that may impact our master schedule. Based on minimal instructional minutes for each core subject, (120 minutes for literacy, 90 minutes for math, 30 minutes for science, and 30 minutes for social studies), we are faced with a dilemma. When you add 30 minutes for lunch, 30 minutes for recess, 15 minutes for morning meeting, and 45 minutes for resource classes, it adds up to 690 minutes.  Our school day is currently 675 minutes long (9:00 am – 3:15 pm). As you can see, we need to make a few decisions.  The priority for this decision will focus on the allotment of appropriate instructional time for all students.

There appear to be several rumors traveling through the Murch grapevine. Please know that it is not my practice to make decisions based on rumors.  We are going to do the best we can to deliver a quality instructional program which meets the needs of all learners.  We have a great amount of work to do and we need time to create and implement all initiatives, which will improve our work from this year. Rumors become distractions and are divisive.  I appreciate all of the parents who have come forward to discuss their concerns about their children for next year.  I hope we can continue to build on this in order to create a culture of transparency and trust.  We have a ways to go.  I do believe we are moving in a positive direction.

I also wanted to share a bit of information with you regarding next year staff assignments and class size. Below is the comparison of the current year and next year’s projections:

2011-2012 School Year 2012-2013 School Year
Grade/#of sections Enrollment

2011-12

 Avg. class size Grade/#of sections Enrollment

2012-13

 Avg. class size
Pre-K – 3 sections 60 20 Pre-K – 3 sections 60 20
Kdg – 5 sections 86 17 Kdg – 4 sections 88 22
1st grade – 5 sections 97 19 1st grade – 4 sections 86 22
2nd grade – 4 sections 87 22 2nd grade – 4 sections 97 24
3rd grade – 3 sections 82 27 3rd grade – 4 sections 87 22
4th grade – 3 sections 70 23 4th grade – 4 sections 84 21
5th grade – 3 sections 74 25 5th grade – 3 sections 75 25

Grade level teams and teacher assignments for the 2012-2013 school year.

Pre-K team – Sarah Seltzer, Jeanice Stewart, and Jacqueline Hines

Kdg. Team – Sarah Bogan, Frances Braswell, Tim Welsh, and Katelyn Fitzpatrick

1st. Grade team –  Betsy Werner, Kathleen Bergin, Samantha Lieberman, and Wendy Cresswell

2nd Grade team – Elizabeth Schafer, Heather Kuduk-Hsu, Geraldine Stephens, and Alyssa Pinks

3rd Grade team – Orly Friedman, Sarah George, Emily Stewart, and Tim Brady

4th Grade team – Asha Mathur, Donna Robinson, Tim Patterson, and Sabrina Finberg

5th Grade team – Karen Levy, Victoria Otten, and Avis McCoy

We may look to explore several scheduling possibilities for multiple grade levels. There will be no decisions regarding a final master schedule until July 1st.  Schedules and class assignments will be mailed to your home on August 6, 2012.

I can’t say this enough, but it is critical that our decisions are made on behalf of all students. Effective instructional practices and a focus on learning will be our guide as we make the decisions that will impact your child’s educational experience at Murch.

I want to thank the Murch community for your continued support. Enjoy the remainder of the school year.

Sincerely,

Chris Cebrzynski

Posted in All Grades, Faculty | Leave a comment

HSA and LSAT Election Meeting May 22

Posted on April 30, 2012 by Laura

I urge all parents of the Murch community to step up and volunteer their time and talent to improve our school by serving on the Home School Association/PTA or the Local School Advisory Team for 2012-13. Other committees are also accepting new members and making plans, so please consider taking an active role in your child’s school. The Nominating Committee is now accepting applications. Thank you!

Posted in HSA, LSAT, Volunteer | Leave a comment

DC-CAS Science Testing for Fifth Graders

Posted on April 18, 2012 by Laura

Fifth graders will take the Science portion of the DC-CAS test on April 25. Study packets will be sent home this week containing: 1) study notes; and 2) practice questions. It is important for the kids to read over the packet (more than once) and work through the questions. They may go back to their notebooks or textbooks for additional information. They be asked to do a certain number of questions each evening but they can continue reviewing over the weekend, of course. Once the packet is completed, you are asked to initial the packet on the first page to indicate that you looked over the packet with your child.Your help in this is greatly appreciated since there are many different standards in science and questions on a variety of topics will likely appear on the test.

Posted in 5th Grade, Testing | Leave a comment

Enrichment Program in Progress

Posted on April 12, 2012 by Chris

A group of dedicated parents met over several weeks to identify how we can provide oportunities for enrichment in a meaningful way for all students at Murch. A group of teachers will join the parents to create a proposal for next year’s enrichment program.  We will spend the end of this school year an summer to make sure we have the resources and training needs of teachers met in order to deliver an outstanding enrichment program. Stay tuned for details.

Posted in 1st grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, Enrichment, Kindergarten | Leave a comment

DC CAS Testing

Posted on April 12, 2012 by Chris

On Wednesday, April 18, we begin our DC CAS testing schedule for grades 2 through 5. We will be on a modified schedule for the week of the 16 and the 23. It is imperative that all students not only participate in these tests, but give their best effort. The results of our statewide testing give teachers a direct indicator as to how well our students are learning academic standards and how well our teachers have taught the standards of learning. Results can also be used as one of many factors to help place students in appropriate classes next year. Please support your child to do his or her very best by ensuring that they are in school and on time. Please make sure your child gets plenty of rest and has a good nutritional breakfast in the morning. With your continued support, we are confident that our students will exceed last years testing scores and more so, confident that we will be able to improve our instructional program to meet the needs of all learners.

Posted in All Grades, Testing | Leave a comment

Student Placement for 2012-2013 School Year

Posted on April 12, 2012 by Chris

As this year draws to a close, we have already begun to consider class placements for next year. Student placement is a group effort and my goal is to place every child in a classroom where their social, emotional, and academic needs are met.  On Friday, April 20, you will receive a packet explaing the process for student placement. There will be a few things for you to complete and return to the office. It is critical that we have as close to a 100% return of these materials as possible. At Murch, we are committed to building classrooms where all students are challenged, all students will achieve, and all students are successful.

Posted in All Grades, Enrollment, Parent Info | Leave a comment

Beautification Day August 25

Posted on April 11, 2012 by Chris

Save the Date: On August 25, the District will once again hold its annual Beautification Day. We will be well prepared to have multiple projects taking place and we will need a good deal of volunteers to make it all happen.  Although the building will be renovated in 2014, we still need to make our school the most inviting and welcoming place for our students now. Details will available over the summer.

Posted in All Grades, Community Service, Volunteer | Leave a comment

2012-2013 Budget Information

Posted on March 23, 2012 by Chris

Earlier this month, DCPS conducted its budgeting process for next year.  We are pleased to share with you the following highlights from the FY12-13 DCPS budget for Murch:

  • Murch’s budget allocation is based on a projected enrollment of 577 students.  The increase in enrollment over the current year is almost entirely attributed to in-boundary enrollment in kindergarten.  Enrollment in Pre-K and Grades 1 through 5 is projected to remain stable at current levels.
  • Administrative staffing levels will remain at current levels.
  • We will maintain the current number of classroom teachers, though distribution among grade levels may change to promote equity in class sizes across grades.
  • We will have one (1) full-time counselor and one (1) half-time social worker.
  • We will gain one (1) Reading Specialist.
  • Special Education staffing will remain at current levels.
  • We will gain one (1) ET-15 (teacher-level position), which is currently unspecified and will be deployed where it can best serve the needs of Murch students, at the discretion of the principal with input from the LSAT.
  • DCPS will continue to provide one (1) instructional aide per 20 Pre-K and Kindergarten students.
  • We will have one (1) music teacher, one (1) art teacher, one (1) media specialist (librarian), and one and one-half (1.5) PE teachers.

The LSAT discussed and supports this staffing plan.

More details on Murch’s FY12-13 budget will be available to the public via the DCPS website on March 23.  If you have any questions about the budget or staffing plan, please feel free to speak with Mr. Cebrzynski.

Sincerely,

Chris Cebrzynski        Denise Alexander            Karin Perkins

Principal                       LSAT Co-Chair                LSAT Co-Chair

Posted in Budget, Enrollment, Faculty, LSAT | Leave a comment