We are happy to announce that the HSA sponsored Murch Plus program will be back in October! The Fall session will be held after-school on Wednesdays from early October through December. Stay tuned for more details regarding class options and registration.

In addition to Murch Plus, Murch is partnering with Chess Academy and Amore Learning to provide more after-school options this year. Chess Academy will have an after-school chess program at Murch on Mondays. Amore Learning Academy will provide after-school classes and tutoring on Tuesdays and Thursdays. All programs will begin in early October and run through December. Details on the class offerings, registration, and fees for the Murch Chess program and Amore Learning will be provided in next week’s Thursday newsletter. Don’t miss it!

Join us for Murch’s Outdoor Movie Night on Friday, October 4! The movie this year will be Migration – a fun, fast-paced comedy/adventure with plenty of laughs. The movie stars the voices of Kumail Nanjiani, Elizabeth Banks, Keegan-Michael Key, Awkwafina, and Danny DeVito!

This is always a favorite event of the school year with pizza, FREE popcorn, and fun as the Murch community comes together for a movie on the soccer field. The movie will begin at 7:30PM.

Pizza sales will start at 6:30PM on a first-come, first-serve basis, until 7:45PM. Snacks, water, trinkets and MURCHandise will also be sold.

Volunteers are needed for set up, food and beverage sales, and clean up. Please sign up HERE to help make movie night a great night for our students and community!

We can’t wait to see you there!

Dear Parent/Guardian:

Our goal this year is to ensure that every student attends school regularly.

We realize some absences are unavoidable due to health problems or other circumstances. However, we also know that when students miss too much school — regardless of the reason — it can cause them to fall behind academically. Research shows:

• Children chronically absent in kindergarten and 1^st grade are much less likely to read at grade level by the end of 3^rd
• By 6^th grade, chronic absence is a proven early warning sign for students at risk of dropping out of school.
• By 9^th grade, good attendance can predict graduation rates even better than 8^th grade test scores.

Absences can add up quickly. A child is chronically absent if he or she misses just two days every month!

Going to school regularly matters!  Here are some frequently asked questions and answers: FAQ

Here are a few practical tips to help support regular attendance:

• Make sure your children keep a regular bedtime and establish a morning routine.
• Lay out clothes and pack backpack the night before.
• Ensure your children go to school every day unless they are sick.
• Avoid scheduling vacations or doctor’s appointments when school is in session.
• Talk to teachers and counselors for advice if your children feel anxious about going to school.
• Develop back-up plans for getting to school if something comes up. Call on a family member, neighbor, or another parent to take your child to school.

If your child will be absent for whatever reason, please fill out the Murch Absence Form found below.  You can also find the link on the Murch website (www.murchschool.org):

Murch Absence Form

As a reminder, an absence is only excused for the following reasons:  Illness (a doctor’s note is needed after 5 consecutive days), medical or dental appointments, death in one’s immediate family, court activity, religious holidays or events, school visits (up to one day) or visiting a parent prior to military deployment.

For the 2024-2025 school year, DC Public Schools (DCPS) elementary schools will implement the “60/40” attendance policy as required by the DC Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE). This means if your child attends school for less than 60% of the day, it will be tracked as a 60/40 absence. This applies to both excused and unexcused absences. (See 5-A DCMR § 2199.1.)

To support your child being marked present for the full day, please make sure they arrive on time and stay until the close of the school day every day. Please note that the following late arrivals and/or early dismissals will result in your child being considered legally absent for the day:

• Students arriving after 11:25 a.m.
• Students leaving before 12:35 p.m.
• Students arriving late and leaving early and missing more than 40% of the scheduled school day.

You can review the complete DCPS Attendance and Truancy Policy for additional information.

Let us know how we can best support you and your children so that they can show up for school on time every day. If you have any questions or need more information, please contact your child’s school at Murch ES, (202) 282-0130 or email Murch.Attendance@k12.dc.gov.

Sincerely,

Attendance Team

The Kids Ride Free program allows students to ride for free on Metrobus, Metrorail, and the DC Circulator while traveling within the District. The Kids Ride Free program ensures that enrolled District students who are also District residents can get to school and school-related activities for free. To request a Kids Ride Free card, please complete THIS form. You can also use the form to request a DC One Card.

2023-2024 Kids Ride Free Metro Cards will expire on September 30, 2024, so please request a new card by completing the form for the current school year.

If you have any questions, please contact Ms. McGraw (rebecca.mcgraw2@k12.dc.gov).

Murch ES is looking for substitute teachers for the 2024-2025 school year. If you are interested in learning more about being a substitute at Murch ES, please email Principal Cebrzynski (chris.cebrzynski@k12.dc.gov) or AP Hawkins (devario.hawkins@k12.dc.gov).

To view the current DCPS requirements for substitute teachers and the Substitute Teacher Application, please visit: https://dcps.dc.gov/page/substitute.

Supply lists for the 2024-25 school year are available by clicking HERE.

If you need assistance procuring any of the suggested supplies on the list, please reach out to Ms. Lauren Miller (Murch’s guidance counselor) for confidential assistance.

Enjoy the rest of your summer!

Freed Photography has let us know that the Murch ES class photos are now online for viewing and purchasing. Pre-orders have been sent home, and parents can continue ordering class photos. The flyer is HERE, with a hyper-link to view the galleries.

Or, to view the class photos, go to www.freedpics.com

Enter the password: MURCH2324CL

Have a wonderful day!