Renovation News 07/2018
To have a look at where things stand as of July 19, 2018, click here. … [Read More...]
Renovation News 06/2018
Read about and see photos from June 2018 by clicking here. … [Read More...]
Updates and Art Concepts for New Building
Read about the latest updates and see some of the commissioned artwork by clicking here! … [Read More...]
Amazing Broad Branch Stream Playground Coming to Murch
Get ready to ford a stream, climb into a fort, balance, spin, bounce, and zip! The big kid playground at Murch is wild! Designed to give our students a sense of place along The Fort Circle Park National Recreation Trail above our neighborhood's Broad Branch stream valley, this adventurous playground takes our play space to new heights - literally! The equipment features a double decker fort, three different slide experiences, challenging and undulating climbers, spider web hide-aways, a four-person bouncing see saw, a "boogie board" balance hammock, a tight rope with overhead zip line handle, a rock wall and boulders, monkey bars, and a double-decker-inside-outside Global Spinner! With exciting elements for every ability level, this playground will quickly extinguish all memory of dusty mulch! Thanks to our wonderful parent community, the HSA was able to make a donation for awesome upgrades to the design. Thank you to our team at DCPS, DGS, and the playground designers for capturing the sense of Murch and the dreams of our students, and to SIT members Linda Komes and Sally Gresham for their invaluable expertise in helping the SIT evaluate the equipment options. … [Read More...]
Pre-K/K Playground Design Plan and Renderings
Want to see the final design for the pre-k/k playground equipment at the modernized Murch? Read on! This green-roof playground is designed to give students a sense of place; specifically, the Soapstone Valley of Rock Creek Park. The children will enjoy the sense of climbing into a treehouse, crossing a stream, and playing on the logs and boulders of the local stream valley. The equipment has been ordered and is currently in fabrication (the slide and cozy dome color appears darker in this rendering). Several elements of our preK and K curriculum are incorporated in to the design, including a trike track, musical play, and art boards. This design was shaped by the feedback provided by the SIT grounds committee and has been reviewed and approved by Principal C. Please note that the attached renderings only show the play equipment, not the full green-roof space nor the total design. More to come! … [Read More...]
Construction Photos 10/2017
Status of the Murch Renovation
We know everyone is eager to stay up to date about the progress of the Murch renovation. Click here to see the biweekly update from D.C. Public Schools. Also, click here to see the latest update presented to the School Improvement Team (SIT), which includes samples of the furniture, fixtures and equipment that will be in the new building. … [Read More...]
Renovation Update: One Year Down!
One year to go! As Murch students prepare to start their second and final year in their home away from home at Murch@UDC, construction back on 36th street continues on schedule for a July 2018 completion. Concrete foundations are curing and more than two-thirds of the steel framing for the new wing is up. Inside the historic building, new walls, windows, plumbing and electric are being installed. Watch this site for regular updates from DCPS. … [Read More...]
Construction on Schedule – Addition Going Up!
As we finish our first year of Murch@UDC, it is a good time to check in on construction of the renovated and expanded Murch@36th Street. Excavation and remediation are complete. The project has all permits necessary and has cleared all major administrative reviews. The construction site is busy with cranes helping to erect steel supports for the new addition to the school. Behind the brick walls of the original school building, classroom walls are starting to go up. Most importantly, construction continues on schedule for completion next summer! DCPS has given the contractors a July 2018 deadline to allow time for staff to move in over the summer and families to see the renovated space prior to the start of the 2018-2019 school year. You can see more construction photos and a copy of the latest update from DCPS to the Murch School Improvement Team here. The Murch community is grateful to the project managers at DCPS and DGS, the construction team at MCN Build, and the architects both R. McGhee & Associates and Hord Coplan Macht for their continuing hard work this year to see that the renovation and expansion project remains on-track and meets the needs of the students and staff of Murch for the future. … [Read More...]
Missed the video at the Auction?
Or just want to watch it over and over again? Thanks to the amazing efforts of Tanya and Judd Fischer as well as the cooperation of our always willing teachers, staff and students - we once again have a video to express what is so wonderful about Murch. Plus, you can get a tour from Mr. C of what's going on at the "old" Murch and see the construction up close and personal. So, take a minute...or six and enjoy. Watch it here! … [Read More...]
- Renovation Update: A Look Inside The Future Murch
- (De)construction Begins!
- Builders have arrived–Murch@36th Street!
- Mayor's Budget Still Underfunds Murch Renovation
- UDC and DCPS Reach Formal Agreement on Swing Space
- Letter on Murch Renovation from Deputy Mayor for Education
- Third Redesign Presented & Community Meeting Scheduled
- Compare the Design Plans for Murch
- Modernization Redesign Continues, Still Misses the Mark
- Murch testimony at DC Council on DGS