Murch’s beloved after-school program, Murch Plus, is back! The 8-week Fall session will take place at Murch on Wednesdays from 3:30-4:15PM from October 16 – December 11 (no session on Wednesday, November 27). We hope all students and teachers have a great first session! 

Important Murch Plus Pick Up Information:

• Kindergarten through 3rd Grade parents/caregivers picking up: 
  Please enter the Commons through the outdoor Commons entrance on Davenport Street (enter through the blue and yellow gate). Once in the Commons, parents/caregivers will wait to pick up their children from the Gym. We will prioritize pickups starting with Kindergarten and 1st grade, followed by grades 2 and 3. After picking up your child, we kindly ask that you exit through either side door of the Gym, which leads to the big playground or Reno Road.
• 4th and 5th Grade: Pickup will take place in front of the school’s main entrance on Davenport.

Please pay close attention to the signage that will be posted to guide you to the correct pickup areas. We appreciate your cooperation and support as we work to improve this process.

In addition to Murch Plus, Murch is partnering with Chess Academy and Amore Learning to provide more after-school options this year.

Chess Academy is offering an after-school chess program at Murch on Mondays from 3:30-4:30PM starting on October 7. For more information and to join the wait list, please click HERE.

Amore Learning after-school classes will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:30-4:30PM starting on October 15.

• Pre-K4 through 1^st grade:
  • Tuesdays – Lego Engineering
  • Thursdays – Atelier Adventures OR Spanish (K-5 only)
• 2^nd through 5^th grade:
  • Tuesdays – Mystery Solvers
  • Thursdays – Kidtrepreneurship OR Spanish

Pick Up Information for Amore Learning Classes: 

Pick up will take place in the library for all students being picked up by parents. Please make sure to arrive by 4:30pm and sign out with your child’s instructor before leaving.

Amore Learning also offers Individual Signature Tutoring. Tutoring sessions can be scheduled from 3:30-4:30PM on Tuesdays and Thursdays. For more information, please contact Liz Rosenberg, Director of Tutoring and Consulting at Amore Learning.

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!