Dear Murch Families,

Gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder. That is a perfect reflection of what I have experienced during my twelve years at Murch Elementary School. Every day, I am moved and inspired by what I see. Every day, I marvel at the incredible devotion of our staff and their unique ability to teach and inspire our children. Every day, I celebrate the amazing support of our parents and community.

I believe that the success of our school is built on a foundation of mutual respect and inclusiveness.  Every day, dedicated teachers and staff nurture a culture of fairness, love and caring, all focused on the goal of providing a safe learning environment for our students and families.  Murch Elementary School is committed to continuing this focus and supporting our families during the school day and beyond.

I am thankful that Murch continues to strive for excellence in every classroom, to grow stronger by our diversity, and to cultivate an open and positive school climate.

During this time of giving thanks, I want to share my gratitude and thank you for being such an important part of our children’s lives. This is a wonderful time of the year to get together with friends and family to celebrate and be thankful for all the wonderful people in our lives. On behalf of the Murch Elementary School staff, I would like to thank you for your continued support and wish you all a safe and happy holiday. We will see everyone back here on November 28^th.

Respectfully,

Principal Cebrzynski

Hello Murch Families,

The year has started well. It’s great to see all the smiling faces on the faces of our students and teachers. Below are a few announcements and reminders.

REMIND APP: If you are not receiving REMIND announcements on your phone, please make sure your contact information is correct (up to date). You can share new email addresses or phone numbers with the welcome center staff.

BREAKFAST: BREAKFAST for 1^st-5^th graders is served in the school cafeteria starting at 8:15am and ending at 8:40am. If you would like your child to have breakfast, please have them arrive at Murch and enter the main entrance at Davenport at 8:15am. All students will be dismissed at 8:40 from the cafeteria to arrive in classrooms on time for instruction.  Breakfast for Pre-K and K is in the classrooms.  Click HERE for all the breakfast and lunch procedures.

NEW PROCEDURE FOR STUDENTS ENTERING THE BUILDING: Starting on Tuesday, September 6, teachers in grades 1-5 will no longer pick students up from outside lines in the morning. All students in grades 1-5 will enter the building on their own and be guided to classrooms with the help of peer mediators and several staff members.  Each teacher will personally greet each student before they enter the classroom.  Doors will open just after 8:30am. Please note that instruction begins at 8:45 and all students should be present and in classrooms for daily instruction by this time.   To clarify, Pre-K and K students will still meet their teachers at outdoor lines.

BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT FOR K-5: Back to school night is on Thursday, September 8^th. There will be two sessions offered at each grade level. The first one begins at 6:05pm and the second one begins at 6:45pm.  The same information will be shared at both sessions and will last 30 minutes.  These sessions will be held in your child’s classroom.

Pre-K will have their own back to school night, still TBD, separate from grades K-5.

Enjoy Labor Day Weekend!

Principal Cebrzynski

Good Morning Murch Families,

I hope that you all have had some time to relax and enjoy with your friends and family over the summer. Our teachers and staff report back to work on August 19, and I am sure they will be excited to welcome back our learners and families. There is still a great deal of work to complete between now and the 19^th. This email is full of what I hope you will find to be useful information.  I’ll be sharing several more emails between now and the 19^th.

• There is a new app we have access to, provided by the district. The app is called Remind. https://www.remind.com/ We are all in the process of learning how to use it. This gives us another way, and I hope an additional and more effective way, to communicate with you. A reminder about contact information; please make sure that the welcome center has your most current email and phone number. If you made any recent changes to either, please contact the welcome center to provide this new information.

• We appear to be entering the endemic phase of covid and there will be several changes to the covid protocols that we have had in place and followed over the past few years. These changes will be shared when finalized by DCPS. A few things I can share are:

***Pre-K 4 will continue to eat lunch in their classrooms. Kindergarten will eat lunch in the commons and grades 1-5 will eat in the cafeteria. I am strongly encouraging our teachers to continue the practice of having lunch outdoors when possible.

***We will continue to have breakfast served to any student who would like one. The change is that breakfast will be served in the cafeteria instead of grab and go.  If you would like for your child to have hot lunch, the district is going back to payment for lunches. They are no longer free for the entire student body.

More evolutions/changes to covid regulations will be shared as they are made available to principals.

Put Vaccines on Your-Back-to-School List

To attend school, families are required to submit their student’s up-to-date immunization record by the first day of school. Vaccinations are critical for preventing disease and reducing the dangers that can come with being exposed to certain diseases. You can find a list of required immunizations for your child according to their age by viewing this helpful flyer from DC Health.

If you have not already submitted your child’s immunization records to your school, here is what you need to do now:

1. Make an appointment with your child’s doctor. DC offers resources to help you find a health providerif you do not have health insurance.
2. Have the doctor complete DC’s Universal Health Certificate, available here.Your health provider may also provide a different proof of immunization document or an exemption explanation.
3. Submit your immunization paperwork to your child’s school. You can drop it off at your school or call the school’s main office if you have questions about how to submit your form.

Where to Obtain a Vaccine

The best place for DC families to access childhood immunizations is at their primary medical provider. If a family does not have a health care provider for their child or has difficulty securing an appointment before the first day of school, they can select one from a list of pediatric locations, located in every ward. There are DCPS School Based Health Centers to consider on that list, and mobile units that will visit schools through August and September.

For more information on obtaining immunizations by the first day of school, visit dcpsreopenstrong.com/vaccines.

• All student class placements have been finalized. Student classroom assignments will be sent to you electronically on August 15. Along with the placement, you will receive a student profile form that you are being asked to complete and to email to your child’s teacher prior to August 19^th.

Mr. Hawkins and I will be hosting in person evening events to share information about the upcoming school year as well as listen to concerns you may have or questions that need to be answered. The schedule for these evening events are:

***Tuesday, August 16^th, grades K-2 – 5:30-6:30 

***Tuesday, August 16^th, grades 3-5 –6:45-7:45 

***Tuesday, August 23rd, Pre-K4 – 5:30-6:30 

Finally, we have several new staff members who will be joining us this school year. They are:

• Elizabeth Hagan, Kindergarten
• Monique Webber, Kindergarten
• Kyle Buza, 2^nd grade
• Loretta Ingebrigtsen, 5^th grade Math/Science
• Allison Birgfeld, EL teacher
• Tarah Keeley, Social Worker
• Cristina Wurster, Math specialist
• Mr. Travitz will be moving to 1^st grade and Ms. Crabtree will be moving to 3^rd grade math/science.
• Ms. Carney Hagan and Ms. Kopin are moving from their grade level positions to becoming reading specialists.

That’s all for now!!!  I’ll be in touch several times over the next few weeks.  We’ll continue to send out helpful info!  Please enjoy these last three weeks of summer!!!!!

Regards,

Principal Cebrzynski

Happy last Friday of the year Murch Families,

As we close out this extraordinary school year, I believe many of us, in some way, shape, or form are happy to have gotten here. A quote from Nelson Mandela comes to mind: “It always seems impossible until it’s done.” Not that having students come to school every day is impossible but managing a school in a post pandemic world was a unique challenge. I think I could use every cliché possible in describing this past year but the message I would want to have everyone walk away with is that we did our best with what we knew, what we had, and who we are. And now it’s time to move on….onward and upward.

As we tried to make sense of what normal meant, heading into year three of this post-pandemic world, we will continue to learn from our successes, minimize our failures, and celebrate our accomplishments. We need more celebration! My hope is that as we look forward to next year, we can maintain our continued focus on building a strong and cohesive community, taking time to celebrate our successes, and having a laser sharp focus on our goals and how we intend to meet them.

I am sincerely grateful for all the families of this great Murch community, for your support, patience and acknowledging the fine work the teachers did throughout the year. I am preaching to the choir when I say that this year was not an easy one and although working virtually was new and challenging in its own way, this past year posed consistent challenges in an everchanging and unpredictable environment.

I am so proud of the Murch teachers and staff as they were able to increase student achievement levels and make a significant dent in the achievement gap. I am honored to lead such an incredible group of professionals. The credit for what we accomplished goes to the teachers. They created, innovated, persevered, and were resilient in the work they did with their students. I also want to acknowledge that teaching this past year was met by unusual challenges and required great focus and stamina. Thank you, teachers, for creating opportunities for incredible learning for our students.

Early next school year, I will be hosting an evening event to discuss academic successes, how areas for improvement are being addressed, and to share information about all the assessments we use and why we are required to do so. Most importantly, we would like to share how we intend to provide support for you to work with your child at home if that is something you can view as beneficial. AP Hawkins and I will also be hosting monthly listening sessions which will be topic driven. I will be sending home a brief survey at the beginning of next year to get an idea of what it is that parents are interested in talking about and when the ideal time might be to host these forums.

We have been planning for next year, and we hope to host an all-community event during our sneak peek on Friday, August 26^th. Please reserve that date between 11:30 and 2:30. More information will be forthcoming. We will be opening Murch’s doors for students starting on Monday, August 29th. We will be prepared to open strong, focus our efforts on reestablishing relationships, tending to the academic and social aspects of learning, and delivering a quality instructional program.

Class placement notifications will be sent at the end of the first week in August and staffing changes will be announced in your notification.

On a side note, our welcome center staff will begin to work virtually from home as well as taking much deserved leave, starting on July 5th until the first week of August. They will still be able to register your child, answer questions, and address concerns you may have. I will be on leave starting July 11^th until July 29^th. AP Hawkins will be on leave From July 5^th – July 15^th. There will be a change in modes of communication for next year. The district has purchased an app that will allow us to text you and send messages more efficiently. More on the name of the app in summer communications. I will not be using my blog on the HSA website (murchschool.org) to communicate anymore. I will be posting a quarterly message on the website and communicating via email and robocall as needed as well as the use of the app. All essential information for the upcoming school year will be posted on murchschool.org throughout August, prior to our sneak-peek, which is on Friday, August 26th.

Finally, I would like to wish our only retiree, Ms. Erna Marcus, a sincere thank you and congratulations for her 34 years of service at Murch ES. I want to wish her all the best in her new adventure, post retirement. She has influenced the lives of many and always put the students first. I would also like to wish three of our staff members who will be leaving us at the end of this year, Ms. Lucie Mendelson, Ms. Lavon Shepherd, and Ms. Jennie Anderson all the best on their new adventures as well. We will all miss them immensely and hope that they will hold a special place in their heart for the students and families of Murch ES.

Thank you all for being part of this great adventure this past year. As best as possible, enjoy your summer and we look forward to starting a new school year with the first day of student attendance on August 29th.

Principal Cebrzynski

Happy Friday Murch Families,

I used to think of my career in steps: teacher, assistant principal, principal, adjunct…now I view it more as pre and post pandemic.  I am currently finishing year 2. As parents and educators, we have both faced challenges these past two years that were unlike many before. Things have changed radically yet we find ourselves looking for normal. Let’s get back to the way we used to do things.  Pre-pandemic, the Murch community looked and acted a bit differently than it does now.  I try to put my finger on the differences as to why and sometimes end up saying to myself, I’m not quite sure what it is but I know that it feels different.

As a generalization, I think many of us yearn to return to the way things were, yet I often wonder what missed opportunities we may overlook if we did that. As we have already begun thinking about and planning for the next school year, there are a few things I think about, and hope others will, as well as the opportunity to rebuild and create a stronger Murch community is at hand.

Are we an inclusive community – does every family feel like they belong, and this is a community they are proud of being a member?

Do we actively cultivate respectful, supportive relationships among students, teachers, and parents?

Do we emphasize common purposes and ideals?

Do we provide regular opportunities for service and cooperation?

Do we have fun as a community?

What will Murch look like next year? Much of what will be known is still unknown and will make for a very busy yet productive summer. The district has already begun to develop its districtwide focus and relationships will be at the top of the priority list. It will be ours as well.

As we are all aware, life is busy and we all get bogged down and at times take on way more than we can handle, yet it all must get done. This creates a lot of stress, communication can break down, misunderstanding can be commonplace, and perception can become reality.

We have an incredible staff and community and if we examine how we do our work and what our focus is, I believe we can accomplish almost anything. This will take a lot of coordination, time, effort, communication……and so on.

One of the things we did years ago was to invite parents in to work with students in an area of expertise. One dad who was a cartographer on Mt. Everest brought in his tools of the trade, pictures, and other things to a first-grade classroom. It was memorable and the experience was worth its gold in weight. This sort of initiative is a big lift and will need help getting this up and running but I think it is an effective way to build community with a focus on learning.

There will be many changes in how we do our work as educators, and I am excited about what the future of this school community is and know that we have learned many valuable lessons from the past.  This is an opportunity for history not to repeat itself but to be a time where we can make history.

Have a wonderful weekend and end to this school year!

Principal Cebrzynski

Happy Friday Murch Families,

Looking forward to June, we will be bringing back field day for our students, a day where they get to have fun, play games, spend time outdoors and be kids. Mr. Hayden and Fry are preparing for a memorable day. We will have our fifth-grade promotion ceremony on Tuesday, June 21^st. Fifth graders, as part of a long standing Murch tradition will participate in a class picnic on Wednesday the 22^nd and will end their school year, not having to attend on the 23^rd or 24^th of June.

As covid cases appear to be on a downward spiral, I know that many teachers will want to plan end of the year celebrations for their students. It would be my hope and preference that parents would be able to join in the festivities.

I hope many of you had the chance to peek in on the talent show. Fantastic job by our students. It’s nice to have some semblance of normal back. I can only hope that next year will be a time where we can gather more to celebrate with each other, celebrate our students, and celebrate our community.

As we look forward to the unofficial start to summer this weekend, rising temperatures, and summer vacation, I hope you all have a chance to celebrate family and take time to remember what the meaning of Memorial Day is about. Memorial Day is to memorialize the veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. We are grateful for their service to our country.

Principal Cebrzynski

Happy Friday Murch Families,

Recently, we have seen a significant increase in covid cases at Murch. Below is the latest information we can share, effective May 6^th 2022 and subject to change based on the latest health guidance.

If you are a close contact and fully vaccinated:  Fully vaccinated individuals (or individuals who have tested positive for COVID within the last 90 days) do not need to quarantine if they are identified as a close contact, but please continue monitoring/testing regularly. Consider testing on day 5 after exposure. The day of exposure counts as day 0 (zero).  Close contacts are also required to wear a mask for 10 days after exposure.

If you are a close contact and are not fully vaccinated:   Individuals who are not fully vaccinated who are close contacts are required to quarantine until day 5 after exposure.  On day 5, the individual can test.  If the test is negative, and the individual has no symptoms for the 24 hours prior, the individual can return to school on day 6.  This would be an earliest return day, and we would need the negative test submitted via email or through the testing portal.  If the individual returns on day 6, a mask is required until day 10.  If you decide not to test, the individual will need to continue quarantining through day 10 and can return on day 11.

If you test positive:  The day we are notified or discover that a positive case exists, the individual will need to quarantine/stay at home through at least day 5 (with day 0 being the day of the test or beginning of symptoms).  On day 5, the individual can test.  If the test is negative, and the individual has no symptoms for the 24 hours prior, the individual can return to school on day 6. This would be an earliest return day, and we would need the negative test submitted via email or through the testing portal.  If the individual returns on day 6, a mask is required until day 10.

If the test is positive on day 5, however, the individual will need to continue quarantining through day 10 and can return on day 11.

If you decide not to test, the individual will need to continue quarantining through day 10 and can return on day 11.

 

If at any time you have questions, please feel free to contact me at chris.cebrzynski@k12.dc.gov.

Principal Cebrzynski

Happy Friday Murch Families,

What a beautiful Friday it is!

Thank you to all who attended the PARCC assessment sessions last night. If your child is in grades 3-5 and you have burning questions about the upcoming assessment, please feel free to reach out to me and/or your child’s teacher.

I hope you and your children enjoy the time away from school next week. Lots of big events coming up as students return to school on Tuesday, April 19th: PARCC testing, Lip Sync, Talent show, Auction, the return of MurchPlus, the end of term 3, track and field competitions, field trips, and you can throw tax day for the adults in there as well. Please don’t forget to follow our required test-to-return COVID testing prior to your return on Tuesday, April 19^th. Click HERE for more details.

Unfortunately, due to timing and other factors, we will not be hosting a public STEM fair this year. We will return to having this next year as well as many other things we have had to put on hold due to the pandemic.

Whatever you may do, wherever you may go, enjoy your time and be safe!

Principal Cebrzynski

Hello Murch Families,

Let’s start with some great news! For the past three weeks of asymptomatic testing, we have tested over 375 students with zero positive results.  With the change in the mask policy and now with travel restrictions being lifted, we hope this trend will continue.

As we move toward Spring Break, there are several things that will be happening as we get back. Teachers will attend in house training on Wednesday, April 6^th in preparation for the PARCC assessment which will be given to all 3^rd through 5^th grade students, starting the week of Tuesday, April 19^th. We will be assessing one grade level at a time and completing one test per day. All tests will be conducted in the morning and will last approximately 60 minutes. The rest of the school day will go on as normal for students who were testing and all other students. Prior to spring break, an assessment schedule for PARCC will be posted onto the website and shared by teachers from each grade level.

Monday, April 18^th, is professional development for teachers as well as records day. There is no attendance for students on this day.

Track and Field has begun for the students at Murch who were outside practicing yesterday. This is one of our largest participation sports for students in grades 4 and 5.

We are entertaining the idea of restarting Murch Plus some time after spring break and will be developing options for students in grades K-3. Since we have not held Murch Plus for some time now, we want to start slow and pilot how we think it may work best, taking some of the best of what we have done in the past with some new ideas. Information will be shared via the web page when available.

On Tuesday, April 19^th at 7:00pm, AP Hawkins, members of the DCPS equity team, and I will be hosting an evening listening session for parents of color. Invitations and an explanation/agenda for the evening will be sent prior to April 8^th. On the invitation we will be asking for attendance preference: in-person, virtual, or hybrid. We are looking forward to having a productive initial conversation that will lead to proactive actions that will help us move to a more inclusive school and community.

Lastly, the annual Lip Sync and Talent show will be back this year and are currently in the planning stages. Although these two events will be modified from their former selves, it’s nice to see these two events making a comeback. The jury is still out on whether we are going to have a STEM fair. A decision will be made by the end of next week.

Have a wonderful weekend!!!!

Principal Cebrzynski

Good afternoon Murch Families,

Tomorrow marks the two-year period from when the pandemic arrived and we began planning for virtual instruction to tomorrow, where we find ourselves making another transition and entering a new phase of getting back to the way life was pre-pandemic. All of you have received the notice from the Chancellor that starting tomorrow, masks are optional for all students, staff, and visitors.  This policy will apply to all school related activities.

There are several emotions that are coming to surface and all of us at Murch continue to prioritize the safety of every individual in our school. It is vital that whatever individual choices are made by families, teachers, and staff are respected.

We all recognize that this is a significant change for our school community and may cause some initial concern. I want to strongly reiterate that all our students and staff are welcome to continue to wear a mask if they choose, and we will actively promote a climate where this choice is respected.

Families who wish to continue to have their child wear a mask will have access to free masks at school. Families who wish for their child to continue to wear a mask, or not, should have a conversation with their child about their expectations.

We will continue to screen for students who exhibit symptoms and follow the protocols for positive cases that the district, in conjunction with the CDC and DC Health, have established.

The focus is on safety and doing our best to maintain the routines and practices we have worked very hard to be the consistent force that students need daily.

Please communicate with your teachers, any relevant information that you would find useful to share.  We will monitor the events of this first day to make sure that we are focusing on the right things.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, feel free to reach out to me at chris.cebrzynski@k12.dc.gov.

Respectfully,

Principal Cebrzynski