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POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
Admissions: All elementary school-age children (K-5) residing in the boundaries of the Murch district have a right to attend Murch Elementary School. Students must be 5 years old by September 30th. Families living outside the Murch boundaries who wish to enroll their children at Murch must apply through the Out-of-Boundary process. Application is made in January or February of the year preceding entry into the next school year, and placements are made on a space-available basis through a lottery process. The Principal reviews out-of-boundary status each year for compliance with policy. Call the Office for more information on the application procedure. Applications for enrollment can be found on the DCPS website.
Attendance: The District of Columbia Compulsory School Attendance Law requires that children from the age of five be enrolled in and attend school regularly. Student attendance is monitored daily. The Connect Ed system, an auto-dial system, is used to notify parents of absences.
Absences: Please call the office by 8:30 a.m. when a child will be absent or tardy. The District specifies the following as valid reasons for absence from school:
- Illness of the student
- Emergency which requires the presence of the student at home
- Religious holidays
- Death in the immediate family
- Necessity for student to attend judicial proceedings as a plaintiff, defendant, witness, or juror
- Lawful suspension or exclusion from school by school authorities
- Temporary closing of school facilities
- Other absence approved in advance by the principal upon written request by parent
In the cases of frequent or prolonged absences, a student must bring a written note from the parent to the Front Office upon returning to school. The note must state the reason for the absence and include doctor’s documentation. Otherwise, a verbal notification of the reason to the Front Office (again, by 8:30 a.m.) on the day or days of the child’s absence will suffice.
School Hours: School hours are from 8:45 am to 3:15 pm. Children may arrive no earlier than 8:30 am and must be picked up by 3:15 pm unless they are enrolled in the before- or after-school programs or are part of supervised extra-curricular activities.
Tardiness: Please help your child arrive at school on time. The time of arrival can set the tone for the whole day for your child. A child who arrives late will miss instruction, cause disruption to the class, and may feel self-conscious.
Any student arriving after 8:50 is considered late to school and must report to the Office for a "late slip" before going to the classroom. Tardy arrivals are reported on a child's school record. Excessive tardiness will require a parent conference.
Arrival/Dismissal Procedures: Every morning at 8:40 am, a hand bell is rung on the playground to signal that it is time for students in grades 1-5 to line up by classes outside. Students form calm, orderly lines, and teachers accompany students into the building when the official school bell rings at 8:45 am. During inclement weather, students should report to the auditorium. They will line up by grade level and be directed to their classes from there. Pre-K and K students report directly to their classrooms regardless of the weather.
After the first few days of school, children in grades 1 - 5 are expected to go through this routine of entering the building in class lines WITHOUT their parents. This builds independence and self-confidence.
Students are dismissed by class through the same door they entered in the morning. NOTE: During extreme weather conditions, parents will pick up students from their classrooms.
In emergency situations when parents cannot pick-up their children by 3:30, students will go to the Front Office for assistance. Staff will make every effort to contact a parent or designated friend/neighbor to pick-up the children. Students who are not picked up by 3:25 pm will be brought to the front office. Repeat offenders of late pick-ups (non-emergencies) will be reported to the Office of Student Affairs.
Children who are allowed by parents to walk home by themselves must leave the school grounds promptly at 3:15. Only those students under parental supervision or who are in After-School programs or supervised activities may remain.
Please try to make all appointments for your child before or after school to avoid picking your child up before 3:15 pm. It disrupts classes and students will miss assignments and notices. If your child must leave early, only a parent, guardian, or adult designated by the parent or guardian may withdraw your child. Please call the Office or send a note to designate another person to pick up your child. Students may be picked up only at the Office, NOT from the classroom, and after the early dismissal book has been signed.
Parking Map
Students Transported by Car:
- Always have children exit or enter from the curb on the school side of the street. If you do park on the opposite side, make certain that your children use the crosswalks. It is very dangerous to have children crossing in the middle of congested streets.
- Children walk into the playground through the entrance gates, not the parking lot.
- Never double-park. Allowing children to enter or exit between parked cars is a safety hazard. Double parking, particularly in the afternoon, also creates congestion that can lead to accidents. Use the quick drop-off zones on Ellicott or Davenport Streets.
- There are Quick Drop-Off zones on Ellicott Street just outside the playground gate and on Davenport Street by the playground gate. Use these for dropping off and picking up only. DO NOT PARK in these spaces. Park in the 15-minute parking spaces on sections of Davenport, Ellicott, and 36th Streets or in the two hour spaces surrounding Murch.
- Support our School Safety Patrol. 3rd, 4th and 5th graders are positioned in the no parking, drop off zones on Davenport and Ellicott Streets to help students enter the playground safely. Please do not park on these streets. The patrol gives tickets to drivers parking in the no parking area.
- Never block the driveway into the school parking lot. Do not drive into the parking lot to drop your child off or to turn around. Children are not permitted to enter and leave school grounds through the parking lot. Teachers and staff may need to enter and exit at arrival and dismissal times.
- Review traffic regulations with your babysitter or other adults who are responsible for transporting your children.
Students Walking: Walkers should cross streets only at corners. Adult crossing guards cover especially busy intersections at Connecticut and Nebraska; Connecticut and Davenport; and Reno and Davenport.
Students Riding Bikes: Students riding bicycles are encouraged to follow the same rules as pedestrians when biking to school. Bike racks are located inside the gates near Davenport Street. Bikes must be secured with a lock during the day. Murch is not responsible for stolen bikes. We suggest that bikes are registered and serial numbers recorded at a police or fire station. Helmets must be worn by all bike riders. Bikes are not permitted to be ridden on the playground on school days until after 6:00 pm.
Scooters, Skates Skateboards, Heelies: Scooters, skates, skateboards and heelies are not permitted on the playground on school days until after 6:00 pm. Students are encouraged to use helmets with these activities.
Students Using Public Transportation: Students may pick up the forms for Metro cards and tokens in the Front Office at 3:15 pm daily.
Dress Code: Murch does not have a formal dress code. However, students are expected to wear clothing appropriate for the weather and footwear appropriate for recess (no sandals or flip flops) and physical education. Dangling earrings are not allowed for safety reasons. Children may not wear hats in the building. Heelies are not allowed in the building or on the playground.
Lunch/Recess: Lunch and recess are scheduled between 12:00 and 1:00 daily, with schedules staggered according to grade. Children have 30 minutes to eat lunch, and 30 minutes for recess. All grades eat in their classrooms. Children can either bring lunch or purchase it in the hallway outside the auditorium for $1.25. Milk may be purchased for $.35. A two-week lunch ticket is $11.50. Parents may make arrangements for purchasing meal tickets from the lunch clerk between 8:00 am and 9:30 am in the Hall of Flags. [Note: Applications for free or reduced price lunches can be picked up in the Front Office]. Breakfast is served at no cost at 8:15 am daily, and is available to all students.
Homework: Homework is assigned to review and reinforce skills taught in the classroom, and to develop routines for independent study. Teachers of grades K through 5 assign homework daily. It should be completed by the student independently, though parents are often asked to monitor completion by initialing homework assignments. Parents of students in grades 2-5 must check homework planners daily.
*Students are expected to read or to be read to at home everyday.
In addition to daily homework assignments, long-term projects may be assigned. They are a valuable tool to help students plan and manage their time, learn research techniques, and engage in in-depth study.
If your child is spending an inordinate period of time on school assignments, or is having great difficulty, let the teacher know.
Lost and Found: Lost items are placed in a yellow container located in the hallway near the music room. Unclaimed items are donated to a social service agency at the end of each report card period. You can also view our lost and found items online.
Lockers: Individual cubbies or lockers are assigned to each child in August. Children are discouraged from bringing valuable items to school.
Conduct: Everyone within the Murch community is expected to treat one another with kindness and respect. Adults are expected to model for children, and children are expected to take their social responsibilities seriously, as dictated by age-appropriateness. Name-calling, for example, is not accepted at Murch. We also request that parents and children arrange play dates and birthday party invitations at home, so others do not feel left out.
Discipline: Murch teachers handle disciplinary matters within their own classrooms, with conflict resolution and peer mediation techniques utilized for handling normal behavioral problems. If problems persist, the teacher will inform parents, and then access further resources via the guidance counselor and the principal. It is imperative in these cases that channels of communication remain open, and that parents make themselves available to discuss potential solutions.
In the case where a student’s behavior disrupts or substantially threatens the maintenance of a safe and secure environment for students and staff, a child will be subject to appropriate disciplinary actions as set forth by the Board of Education in Chapter 25 of the District of Columbia’s Municipal Regulations, Title 5, Board of Education. Disciplinary measures will be aimed, to the extent practicable under the circumstances, at remediation and rehabilitation to enable students to complete their instruction.
Emergency Plans and Fire Drills: St. Paul’s Church, on the Ellicott side of Murch, will be used as a temporary shelter for an emergency evacuation. Deal Junior High, at Nebraska and Fort Drive, will be used to house the regular school program during a long-term crisis situation. Fire drills are scheduled from August through June.
Report Cards and Deficiency Notices: Four report cards are issued each year. Issue dates are on the school calendar. Deficiency notices, a formal early warning system to alert parents to serious problems, are sent out mid-advisory. Parents should first conference with the classroom teacher mid-advisory if they have concerns about their child’s report card. If needed, the principal and guidance counselor are available for discussion.
Snow and Extreme Heat Policy: Occasionally, weather conditions cause the Board of Education to close school early. Parents are advised to listen to the radio or TV for news of early closing and to pick up their children promptly at early dismissal time. The emergency form which you complete at the beginning of the school year informs us of your provisions for your child in this type of event. No child is dismissed unless a parent or emergency contact person has been contacted and arrangements have been made for pick-up.
Testing: DCPS requires that Murch administer tests in math and reading for grades 3 through 5. Results provide an additional tool to aid teachers and administrators in instructional planning and goal setting.
Teachers’ observations, class performance, and other types of assessments combine to form a multi-dimensional view of each student and each class. All methods of assessment should assist to:
- Assess individual academic skill development
- Measure student progress in various achievement areas
- Identify students who would benefit from additional educational services
- Evaluate the effectiveness of the school curriculum
Assessments are not intended to be punitive or stressful. Parents or children with concerns should speak with their teachers, the guidance counselor, or the principal.
Textbooks: Students are responsible for keeping textbooks clean and replacing them if they are destroyed or lost. All lost books must be paid for by the last school day in June.
Visitors: All parents and visitors must register at the hallway desk outside the Front Office before entering the school. ALL PARENTS AND VISITORS MUST WEAR A VISITOR PASS. The students and staff are very alert to strangers, and a security guard is employed during school hours to ensure safety.
Classroom Visits: Classroom visits must be made with the permission of the teacher and/or the principal. Parental involvement is extremely important and is certainly encouraged; however, unannounced visits by parents may cause disruptions and break routines designed to maximize classroom instruction.
Volunteers: Murch encourages parent volunteers! Parents interested in volunteering in the classroom should talk directly with the teachers. Volunteers are expected to maintain the confidentiality of information about students gathered in the course of their volunteering.
COMMUNICATION
Communication between home and school is critical to a positive educational experience for children. Murch provides many formal opportunities for communication among adults in our community, both within the context of the Home and School Association and public forums hosted by the Local School Restructuring Team. Parents also are invited to visit the school website www.murchschool.org which provides information about Murch and the many activities that go on throughout the year.
Teacher Communication: Parents are informed of the educational progress of their children through written comments on homework and class work, regular Parent-Teacher conferences, and report cards which are issued every nine weeks. Teachers also regularly communicate to parents via announcements sent home in the children’s backpacks regarding classroom activities, field trips, other upcoming events, etc.
Parent Communication: Please tell the classroom teacher of any family changes, household crises, or medication that may affect your child’s learning readiness and behavior. Send a written note if you want to schedule a conference to address questions or concerns about your child or the class.
It is expected that your concerns will be taken seriously and handled respectfully by the staff member. If that is not the case, the matter should be brought to the attention of the principal. If a matter has been brought to the staff member involved, as well as to the principal, and it continues to remain unresolved, either the principal or the family may bring it to the Instructional Superintendent who oversees Murch. If it continues to remain unresolved, either the principal or the family may bring it to the Office of the Chancellor.
Communications Policy:
The appropriate process for concerns and complaints is:
- To bring the matter to the attention of the staff member involved
- If the matter remains unresolved, bring it to the attention of the principal
- If the matter still remains unresolved, bring it to the office of the instructional superintendent who oversees Murch
- If the matter still remains unresolved, bring it to the attention of the Chancellor’s office
Parent/Teacher Conferences: There are three parent/teacher conferences scheduled per year. Appointments also can be made at other times, as requested by either parent or teacher, normally organized before or after school, or during the teacher’s planning period.
Room Parents: Room Parents are an important liaison between teachers, parents, and the HSA. Any parent or guardian may volunteer to be a room parent for his/her child's class by indicating their interest on the HSA volunteer form distributed to all families at the beginning of the school year, or directly via the teacher or the HSA Room Parent Coordinator. Most classes have at least two Room Parents. They support the teacher and the HSA with communications, classroom activities, and other events. Room Parents create and manage a parent email distribution list as a communication channel for classroom and HSA information. With the teacher, they help plan and organize parties, field trips, and other events for the students. They coordinate parent volunteers for the class' Fall Fair booth and the traditional "parent potluck" in the fall. Room Parents also organize the class "auction gift" which is an art project or other item collectively made by the students and sold at the spring auction.
Murch Website: The HSA collaborates with the principal and maintains the official school website, www.murchschool.org. The site includes information for parents, students and staff, and serves as a centralized news source for all school policies, programs and events, including HSA fundraisers, class field trips and even lunch menus.
Murch Mustang Express: Parents and students contribute the Murch Mustang Express, an electronic bi-weekly newsletter. If you are not receiving it, you can sign up directly here.
Telephone Calls, Cell Phones and Ipods:
In-coming calls: Students are to be called at Murch only in emergency situations. They cannot be called to the telephone, but will be given urgent messages immediately.
Out-going calls: It is Murch policy that students use the telephone only for emergencies or unusual situations. All after-school plans therefore should be made before leaving home in the morning.
Cell phones can be brought to school ONLY if there is a parent authorization letter on file in the office. The cell phone must be kept in the student's locker. All cell phones found in classrooms will be confiscated and taken to the front office for a parent to pick up.
Ipods are not allowed at school. Any Ipods found will be confiscated and taken to the office for a parent to pick up.
Change of Address/Phone Number: If you change your address, and/or your home or office phone number, please go to the Front Office and complete a change form so that Murch can reach you promptly in case of emergency.
Murch Directory: Each year, the HSA produces a school directory that contains the addresses and phone numbers of all Murch families and students, along with names of Murch staff, HSA officers and committee chairs, MDT members, and the school calendar. These will be distributed in October.
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