Murch Elementary School

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Murch Elementary School > Articles by: Abigail Shawn

Capital Cotillion – Registration Now Open!

Looking for a unique opportunity for your child to build confidence, learn social etiquette, and have fun with peers? Capital Cotillion offers a wonderful program where students practice manners, dressing up, and social dancing in a welcoming, structured environment.

A Murch parent shared that their children have participated for several years and found it to be an enriching and memorable experience—and many Murch families may not yet be aware of it!

Pre-registration for the 2026–2027 school year is now open, and classes tend to fill quickly in the spring. Families are encouraged to sign up early to secure their preferred schedule.

👉 Learn more and register HERE
📧 Questions? Contact accounting@capitalcotillion.com

Feel free to share with friends—this is a great opportunity for students to learn lifelong social skills while having fun! 💫

🏃‍♀️ STEM for Her 5K Fun Run!

Lace up and join us for the 2nd Annual STEM for Her 5K Fun Run—a fun, community-powered event for a great cause!

🗓 Sunday, May 3 at 9:00 AM
📍 Starting at 41st & Chesapeake Street NW, with a looped course around Alice Deal Middle School

Organized by 9th grade students from School Without Walls and GDS–proud Murch and Deal alums–this event supports STEM for Her, a nonprofit dedicated to inspiring girls and young women to explore careers in science, technology, engineering, and math.

This friendly 5K is open to all ages and all paces—run, jog, or walk! Strollers are welcome, and there will be snacks, water, and a STEM for Her information booth to learn more about their mission.

Can’t make it that day? You can still support the cause by sharing the event with friends and neighbors or making a donation—every bit helps!

👉 Register and learn more here: https://5krun.godaddysites.com/

Aftercare Programming Update for 2026-27 School Year

March 27, 2026

Dear Murch Families,

I am writing to share an important update regarding our aftercare programming for the 2026-27 school year.

For more than 15 years, Capitol Language Services (CLS) has been a valued partner in providing aftercare at Murch. We are deeply grateful for their long-standing commitment to our community and the care they have shown to our students over the years.

As we look ahead, the administration has been exploring ways to expand access to affordable, high-quality aftercare options for families. After reviewing multiple providers and considering factors such as program structure, cost, enrichment offerings, and capacity, we are planning to move forward with Future Stars as our aftercare and enrichment vendor beginning next school year.

Why the Change?

Future Stars will be able to offer:

  • Extended care hours
  • A wide selection of after-school clubs and enrichment options
  • Lower overall costs for families compared with current pricing
  • Flexible enrollment options

To help you learn more about Future Stars and what they offer, we are sharing their informational brochure. This includes sample schedules, program highlights, club descriptions, and pricing.

We understand that changes to aftercare routines affect families in different ways. Our goal is to provide clear, timely information and ensure a smooth transition for everyone.

After spring break, we will share enrollment timelines, registration instructions, and opportunities to meet the Future Stars team.

Thank you for your continued partnership and for all you do to support our students and school community. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Warmly,

Principal Cebrzynski and Assistant Principal Hawkins

Live from Murch… What A Night! There’s Still Time to Join the Fun!

🎤 Mic Drop, Murch! Auction Goal Reached!

We did it! We’re thrilled to share that we surpassed our ambitious auction goal—raising over $105,000 for Murch! Thanks again to everyone who attended, bid, donated, volunteered, and helped make the auction such an incredible success. We couldn’t have done it with you!

✨ It’s not too late to join in! There are still Grade-Wide Teacher Outings that need your “votes,” Sign-Up Parties with spots available, and a few amazing items you can still “Buy Now.” See below to get in on the fun!

🛍 Auction Item Pick-Up
If you have items to pick up from the auction, please contact Mathew Harkins at mathewharkins@gmail.com to coordinate.

 

GRADE-WIDE TEACHER OUTINGS

The following Grade-wide Teacher Outings need some love. Let’s make these outings possible for our kids!

2nd Grade (#512) is $130 away from a cinematic adventure!

Through the “Voting” system in GiveSmart, 1 vote = $10. You can vote 1 time and contribute $10; you can vote 10 times and contribute $100; you can vote 100 times and contribute $1,000 (highly recommended!)

VOTE NOW HERE for our kids!

SIGN-UP PARTIES

There are Sign-up Parties with tickets still available!

Champion’s League Final Party (May 30) has 10 tickets still available.
Start of School Karaoke Party (TBD) has 5 tickets still available.
Moms and Margs 2026 (May 1) has 23 tickets still available.
Golf Simulator Party (May 16) has 4 tickets still available.
Trivia Night at the Fitzsimmons (May 30) has 7 tickets still available.
Mom’s Wine Night at Skip’s (May 13) has 4 tickets still available.
Throwback Dance Party (May 8) at Skip’s has 30 tickets still available.

Join the fun and sign up HERE today!

BUY NOW ITEMS 

There are a handful of items available for “BUY NOW.”

  • Shefferman Orthodontics (#308) $1000 gift certificate
  • Noya Chiropractic (#326) consultation, exam, X-rays, and adjustment
  • District Irish Dance (#425) week of summer camp August 3-7
  • Camp Twin Creeks (#401, #402) $2,000 gift certificate for overnight camp
  • CommuniKids Summer Camp (#414) one week of full language immersion camp
  • PPA Soccer Camp (#433) one week of free camp with personalized soccer training
  • Heller Orthodontics (#337) $750 discount on orthodontic work
  • Bethesda Spine and Posture Chiropractic Service (#300) free consultation, exam, and adjustment
  • Cleveland Park Club Camp Aftercare (#416) free week of camp aftercare
  • District Irish Dance (#423) intro short session to learn Irish dancing

Click HERE to purchase any of these items!

🌱 Girl Sprouts – A New Girl Scouts Program for Pre-K Girls

Girl Scouts Nation’s Capital (GSNC) invites families to explore Girl Sprouts, a new program designed especially for Pre-K girls! Girls who are at least 4 years old and will be entering Kindergarten next school year are invited to join.

Girl Sprouts introduces preschool girls to the Girl Scouts experience through fun, age-appropriate activities. Participants will explore STEM, the outdoors, and teamwork, while learning important values like honesty, kindness, sharing, and friendship—all while having lots of fun!

👉 Click HERE for more details and to register.

Girl Sprouts Spring 2026

Thank You, Murch Families!  We Did It! 

Thank you, Murch families! 💙 We did it! 

The Murch HSA’s 2025 Support Our School (SOS) Campaign wrapped up on December 31, and thanks to your incredible generosity, we reached our fundraising goal!

Together, we raised $110,575, which will support the programs and moments that make Murch such a special place, such as Murch Plus, Movie Night, Fall Fair, field trips, performing arts, teacher grants, student scholarships, 5th grade promotion, student council, teacher and staff appreciation, and more!

🌟 THANK YOU to every family who donated, shared, encouraged, and showed up for Murch. Your support truly makes a difference, and we couldn’t do it without you! 🌟

If you weren’t able to donate during the campaign but would still like to support our school, contributions can be made at any time through the Murch website. Thank you for your continued support!

Important DCPS Calendar Adjustments for the 2025-26 School Year

February 11, 2026

Dear DC Public Schools Parents and Families,

At DC Public Schools (DCPS), we are committed to providing students with rigorous and joyful learning experiences through high quality instruction. I am writing to share adjustments to the School Year (SY) 2025–2026 calendar resulting from the recent inclement weather closures.

Last month’s winter storm brought significant snow and ice to our city, and DCPS closed schools on Tuesday, January 27 and Wednesday, January 28. In order to meet the instructional day requirements outlined in the DC Municipal Regulations (DCMR), DCPS is making the following modifications to the SY 2025–2026 calendar:

  • Thursday, March 12 previously scheduled for Parent-Teacher Conferences, will shift to an instructional day for all students and teachers.
    • Parent-Teacher Conferences previously scheduled for this date are cancelled, and schools are encouraged to leverage existing communication structures—such as routine check‑ins, emails, or phone outreach—to share timely student updates with families and caregivers.
  • Friday, March 13 will remain a Wellness Day with no school for students or teachers.
    • Maintaining this day supports student and educator well‑being and honors the commitments outlined in the district’s Collective Bargaining Agreement with the Washington Teachers’ Union.
  • Thursday, June 18 will be the last day of school for students.
    • This one-day extension ensures students receive the full instructional time needed to finish the school year before the Juneteenth holiday.

We recognize that changes to the school year calendar can affect our families’ planning and end-of-year expectations. We hope that with this advance notice, families will be able to plan ahead as we look toward closing out another remarkable school year at DCPS.

Thank you for your flexibility and continued support.

In partnership,

Lewis D. Ferebee, Ed.D.
Chancellor, DC Public Schools

Support a Beloved Neighborhood Restaurant: I’m Eddie Cano

Communities aren’t built overnight. They’re built one neighbor, one family, and one shared meal at a time. Since 2018, I’m Eddie Cano has been proud to be part of that story—serving classic Italian and Italian-American cuisine on Connecticut Avenue and creating a welcoming gathering place for the neighborhood many Murch families call home.

Like many family-owned restaurants, they’ve faced significant challenges over the past few years. Now, they’re inviting the community to come together once again—this time to help support their future.

Join them on Sunday, February 15 for a Venetian-themed Carnevale Cocktail Reception and Fundraiser. Guests will enjoy two drinks and heavy hors d’oeuvres while browsing auction items, with the live auction beginning at 7:00 PM. The evening will also share the Papetti family’s story—where they’ve been and where they hope to go next.

👉 Purchase tickets or learn more here.

Unable to attend but still want to help? Please consider supporting their GoFundMe campaign.

Our neighborhood thrives because of gathering places like I’m Eddie Cano—and we’re proud to support the small businesses that help make our community special.

Fall Student Portraits Available for Purchase! 

Good news! Fall Student Portraits are now online for viewing and ordering. Families of photographed students should have received an email from Freed Photography with a link to their private gallery (be sure to check your spam folder!).

If you did not receive an email, please contact Freed Photography at support@freedphoto.com or 301-652-5452 for assistance.

Murch ES GOOD NEWS (1)

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