Dear Murch Families, 

Gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder. That is a perfect reflection of what I have experienced as principal of Murch ES. 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 your children. Every day, I celebrate the amazing support from you, our parents, and our 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 ES is committed to continue to grow with this focus and supporting our families during the school day and beyond. 

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

During this time of Thanksgiving, I want to share my gratitude and thank you for being such an important part of this incredible school community. This is a wonderful time of the year to be thankful for all the wonderful people in our lives.  

As I reflect on what gratitude means to me……… I am thankful for every moment….Gratitude is the inward feeling of kindness received….Thankfulness is the natural impulse to express that feeling…. If you are thankful, what do you do? You share…. As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words but to live by them…. We tend to forget that happiness doesn’t come as a result of getting something we don’t have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have….  The more we express thanks, the more gratitude we feel…. The more gratitude we feel, the more we express thanks…. It’s circular, and it leads to a happier life…. No duty is more urgent than that of returning thanks…. Appreciation can make a day, even change a life -Your willingness to put it into words is all that is necessary…. Strive to find things to be thankful for, and just look for the good in who you are…. I’m just thankful I’m surrounded by good people.   

On behalf of the Murch staff, I wish all of you a wonderful, safe, and happy holiday in which you can spend time with family and friends, be thankful for those things that bring joy to you, and the time to enjoy it.

Respectfully, 

Principal Cebrzynski 

Mayor Bowser and DC Health Announce Vaccination Plans for Children 5-11 Years Old

Public Health Officials and Pediatricians Are Strongly Recommending Vaccination Against COVID-19 for All Eligible Children

The Bowser Administration announced plans for vaccinating children against COVID-19. Once the pediatric Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is approved and distributed, families will be able to be vaccinated at more than 60 pharmacies, hospitals, and health centers in DC that will have the vaccine. Information about where the vaccine is available will be on vaccines.gov. Earlier this week, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to be given to children ages 5 to 11. On Tuesday, November 2, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) is expected to meet and make its recommendations. The final step in authorization will be approval from the CDC director.

Once approved, the vaccine will be shipped out. Washington, DC is expected to initially receive 24,600 doses that will be distributed to pharmacies, hospitals, and health centers across DC. The pediatric Pfizer-BioNTech is also a two-dose vaccine.

To provide additional opportunities for access, families will also be able to go to District operated pop-up sites set up specifically for 5-11 year olds. Families will be given more details about the second dose after their first dose. The COVID-19 vaccine for 5-11 year olds will not be immediately available at the District’s Take the Shot sites.

Vaccines will initially be available at select community pharmacies such as CVS, Giant, Grubb’s, Safeway, Walgreens and Walmart, as well as health clinics throughout the community. Children’s National Hospital has already announced that in addition to offering the COVID-19 vaccine to their pediatric patients at their eight primary care locations, they will also be offering the vaccine via their Mobile Unit throughout the community.

Below is a schedule for the first two weeks of the District’s pop-up vaccination clinics for children 5-11 years old. Community groups may request pop-ups through vaccineexchange.dc.gov which helps connect the community to local vaccine providers.

Note from Principal Cebrzynski:  The following locations listed in the table below, including Murch, are available for all DC residents with children ages 5-11 to attend.  Murch Elementary School is cooperating with the Department of Health and the Mayor’s office in providing a site for vaccinations to be administered. This is not a Murch sponsored activity. 

The Murch site is also not exclusive for Murch families to attend. All DC residents with children ages 5-11 can attend any pop up clinic on the dates listed below in the table. Please take advantage of other locations that are offering the vaccine as stated above.  There will be a finite set of vaccines available at each site which may not necessarily accommodate the entire student population at Murch. Please plan accordingly.

Location	Address	Ward	1st Dose Date
Bancroft Elementary School	1755 Newton St NW	1	11/9
Marie Reed Elementary School	2201 18th St NW	1	11/12
Edlavitch DCJCC	1529 16th St, NW	2	11/7
Garrison Elementary School	1200 S St NW	2	11/17
Thomson Elementary School	1200 L St NW	2	11/12
Ben Murch Elementary School	4810 36th St NW	3	11/13
Janney Elementary School	4130 Albemarle St NW	3	11/19
Palisades Recreation Center	5200 Sherier Pl NW	3	11/16
Center City Public Charter School – Brightwood Campus	6008 Georgia Ave NW	4	11/9
Dorothy I. Height Elementary School	1300 Allison St NW	4	11/8
E.L. Haynes PCS	4501 Kansas Ave NW	4	11/18
Lafayette Elementary School	5701 Broad Branch Rd NW	4	11/19
Whittier Elementary School	6201 5th St NW	4	11/20
Bunker Hill Elementary School	1401 Michigan Ave NE	5	11/18
Center City Public Charter School – Trinidad Campus	1217 West Virginia Ave NE	5	11/17
DC Bilingual PCS	33 Riggs Road NE	5	11/20
Noyes Elementary School	2725 10th St NE	5	11/8
Kennedy Recreation Center	1401 7th St NW	6	11/10
KIPP DC – Lead Academy PCS	421 P St NW	6	11/16
Payne Elementary School	1445 C St SE	6	11/13
Friendship Blow Pierce Elementary & Middle	725 19th St. NE	7	11/12
Kimball Elementary School	3375 Minnesota Ave SE	7	11/9
Plummer Elementary School	4601 Texas Ave SE	7	11/17
Smothers Elementary School	1300 44th St NE	7	11/13
Thomas Elementary School	650 Anacostia Ave NE	7	11/19
Center City PCS: Congress Heights	220 Highview Pl SE	8	11/18
Excel Academy Public School	2501 Martin Luther King Jr Ave SE	8	11/16
Ingenuity Prep Public Charter School/Statesman Academy	4600 Livingston Rd SE	8	11/8
KIPP DC Heights Academy	2600 Douglass Rd SE	8	11/10
Patterson Elementary School	4399 South Capitol Terrace SW	8	11/10
Turner Elementary School	3264 Stanton Rd SE	8	11/20

 

Happy Friday and Halloween Weekend Murch Families,

Parent volunteers – I received many inquiries about whether parents can take advantage of volunteer opportunities in school. At this point I think it would be possible to begin having parents do so if the COVID regulations are in place: being vaccinated, social distancing, and wearing a mask. In my mind, the logistics for this can be daunting. I will initiate a conversation with HSA and room parents to see if we can coordinate with them to handle the logistics of the requests. Some examples of volunteers that we’ve already granted are helping supervise at recess in kindergarten and helping put up bulletin boards after school with kindergarten teachers. I am not requiring parents to go through a background check for these types of volunteer opportunities. Once again before we can start wholesale, logistics will need to be worked out. Thank you in advance to all the parents who have expressed their interest and are willing to help our teachers through volunteerism.

Specials rotation switch – Starting in the 2nd quarter, on November 8^th, there is going to be a change in how we do specials rotations. This is because the district shared with me that we were being non-compliant with the Healthy School’s Act in DC by not providing PE on a weekly basis for students. Please keep in mind, the schedule I presented for approval to the district was approved prior to the start of the school year. Instead of one class having art and music for four days a week, two classes will have art and music for two days a week for the entire quarter. Teachers will communicate which specials class your child will have starting on November 8th.

4^th grade basketball tryouts– We will be hosting boys’ basketball tryouts for 4th grade on Thursday, November 4th at 3:30 PM. Due to the constraints placed on us by the DCIAA, we can only have 15 players for each game. The final teams, both boys and girls, will be comprised of both 4^th and 5^th grade students.

End of the first quarter – In looking back at the first 8 weeks of school, heading to the end of the first quarter, a few things that stand out is the transition time it is taking many of our students to move back into an in-person model of instruction and getting accustomed to classroom routines and procedures. By no means is this inhibiting learning and teaching from happening, however, it is something teachers spend a great deal of time thinking about and planning for. If your child is continuing to experience stress or anxiety, we want to help. Our teachers and mental health team have been working hand in hand to address these concerns as they come up and have been doing a stellar job. But there are still students ​who we need to help. Feel free to reach out to Lauren Miller, our school counselor, or your child’s teacher if we can be of assistance.

After School Tutoring – Lastly, our afterschool tutoring program is going well. We have 8 instructors and 47 students attending regularly on Tuesdays and Thursdays. If we can add additional teachers for the 2^nd quarter, we will add additional students. It’s all about keeping the teacher/student ratio at a certain level. Please feel free to reach out to Assistant Principal Hawkins if you have any questions.

Principal Cebrzynski

 

Good afternoon Murch Families,

In recent days, we have had a significant increase in bees affecting our lunch times and dismissal.  For the time being, we may exercise the option of eating indoors until this resolves itself. It is our intent to continue eating outdoors until we can no longer do that. The only thing stopping us would be weather.

For our picnic next week, Friday, October 29, we are offering options for lunch for all students. Teachers will be sending home a menu option checklist which needs to be returned to school no later than next Wednesday, October 27. You still have the option of bringing lunch from home. In addition, our PE teachers will set up some fun games and activities for students to participate in during their picnic time.  Thank you to all parents who have shared they could volunteer for this event. I will be in touch on Monday to share details for your volunteerism.

Next Friday, October 29, is going to be a fun day for all students. We will once again end the day with our Halloween parade tradition around the school. Feel free to line the curbs to take pictures and wave to students as they pass. It’s a fun activity and one we are all looking forward to. Remember, if you are sending any snacks/treats for classroom parties, we are a Nut Free School.

Lastly, don’t forget that on Tuesday, November 2 there is no school for students due to it being Election Day. Friday, November 5 is also a day off for students due to teachers participating in PD and records day.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Principal Cebrzynski

Happy Friday Murch Families!

I hope you and your children had a wonderful and joyful week. I am so thrilled to announce that we will have a boys and girls basketball team this year thanks to two parents who stepped up to volunteer. A huge thank you to Jordan Tama and Nicole Bates. If any parents are interested in helping either of our coaches as an assistant, we welcome this. Please let me know if you are interested. Also, if you are interested in coaching track and field this spring, please submit your name to me at your convenience. You can submit your name if interested Here.

Aaron Epstein is our school newspaper coordinator and volunteers his time to work with our students in creating our school newspaper, the “Blue and Gold.” I have been speaking with him and we are working to decide if he will work with students in person or virtually. As soon as we have an answer, we will share that with 4^thand fifth grade teachers who will be communicating with you.

We will be celebrating Halloween as a school following our long-standing tradition of Murch’s Halloween Parade. The parade will start at 2:45. Treats for classroom parties are welcome. I do ask everyone to remember that we are a nut free school.

On the same day, we are planning on having our schoolwide picnic. Pre-K 4 – 2^nd grade will be eating and playing from 11:30-12:30 and grades 3-5 will be eating and playing from 12:45-1:45. Parents, if you are interested in volunteering to help, please submit your name HERE.

I hope you all have a fantastic weekend!

Principal Cebrzynski

Hello Murch Families:

All parent teacher conferences will be virtual on October 7^th.  Teachers have sent home ways to sign up for a conference. My expectation is that every teacher meets with 100% of their parents. If this date doesn’t work, speak to your child’s teacher about alternative dates and times.

As a parent, we recognize and acknowledge that you are your child’s first and most important teacher. We both have something in common: We both want your child to learn and do well. When you speak with your child’s teacher, each person can share important information about your child’s talents and needs. Each person can also learn something new about how to help your child. Parent–teacher conferences are a great way to start talking to your child’s teachers. Below are a few suggestions that can help you to make the most of parent-teacher conferences so that everyone wins, especially your child.

What should you expect?  

A two-way conversation.

Like all good conversations, parent–teacher conferences are best when both people talk and listen. The conference is a time for you to learn about your child’s progress in school: Ask to see data about your child’s attendance, grades, and test scores. Find out whether your child is meeting school expectations and academic standards. This is also a time for the teacher to learn about what your child is like at home. When you tell the teacher about your child’s skills, interests, needs, and dreams, the teacher can help your child more.

Emphasis on learning.  

Good parent–teacher conferences focus on how well students are doing in school. They also talk about how students can do even better. To get ready for the conversation, look at your work, if any, that has been sent home before the conference. Be sure to bring a list of questions that you would like to ask the teacher. Ask your most important question first.

Opportunities and challenges.  

Just like you, teachers want your child to succeed. You will probably hear positive feedback about your child’s progress and areas for improvement. Be prepared by thinking about your child’s strengths and challenges beforehand. Be ready to ask questions about ways you and the teacher can help your child with some of his or her challenges.

Regards,

Principal Cebrzynski

Happy Friday Murch families,

In case you missed the data talk last night and wanted to view the presentation, you can find it HERE.

One of the questions asked at the end of the presentation was how can parents be supportive? It’s a great question and as I shared last night, in my professional opinion and experience, the most valuable form of parental support is sending your child to school every day ready to participate, engage, be present and fully immerse themselves in the educational program – in other words go to school to get everything from the day that you can. Having students ready to learn, excited about school, and participating to their fullest extent will have an impact on their learning.

Many research studies support what teachers instinctively know: Students do better academically and socially when schools build positive relationships with their families.

Here are several studies that explore the critical school-home connection:

• Parent involvement in education is crucial. No matter their income or background, students with involved parents are more likely to have higher grades and test scores, attend school regularly, have better social skills, show improved behavior, and adapt well to school.

National Coalition for Parent Involvement in education. 2006. Research Review and Resources. Retrieved September 16, 2011

• Regardless of family income or background, students whose parents are involved in their schooling are more likely to have higher grades and test scores, attend school regularly, have better social skills, show improved behavior, and adapt well to school.

Henderson, A.T., and K.L. Mapp. 2002. A New Wave of Evidence: The Impact of School, Family, and Community Connections on Student Achievement. National Center for Family and Community Connections with Schools, Southwest Educational Development Laboratory.

• The most accurate predictors of student achievement in school are not family income or social status, but the extent to which the family creates a home environment that encourages learning, communicates high yet reasonable expectations for the child’s achievement, and becomes involved in the child’s education at school.

National PTA. 2000. Building Successful Partnerships: A Guide for Developing Parent and Family Involvement Programs. Bloomington, Indiana: National Education Service, 11–12.

• When parents are involved at school, the performance of all the children at school, not just their own, tends to improve. The more comprehensive and well planned the partnership between school and home, the higher the student achievement.

Henderson, A.T., and Nancy Berla. 1995. A New Generation of Evidence: The Family Is Critical to Student Achievement. Washington, DC: Center for Law and Education, 14–16.

 

On a separate note, assessment data from beginning of the year assessments (I-ready, TRC, DIBELS,  and RI) will be sent home by teachers. Check your Friday folders and reach out to teachers if you have not received your data (grades 3-5) by next Friday. Grades K-1 will share their data with you prior to parent teacher conferences .

Best,

Principal Cebrzynski

 

 

Hello Murch Families,

I hope your children had a productive week of learning. If I were to poll the Murch community about what the homework policy should be from grades K-5, the response would be varied with a variety of pros and cons.

Proponents of homework say that it improves student achievement and allows for independent learning of classroom and life skills. They also say that homework gives parents the opportunity to monitor their child’s learning and see how they are progressing academically.

Opponents of homework say that too much may be harmful for students as it can increase stress, reduce leisure and sleep time, and lead to cheating. They also say that it widens social inequality and is not proven to be beneficial for younger children.

It is my professional belief that if homework is given, it is twofold. It can help students to extend their learning after mastery of content. It can also prepare students for upcoming lessons, building background knowledge and introducing new vocabulary and content.

It is also my professional belief that if homework is given and students are asked to complete a homework product, the expectation is that written or verbal feedback from the teacher is given to the student in a timely fashion. Students should benefit from knowing how to improve and the steps they can take to move toward proficiency and mastery.

What is the appropriate amount of time for homework? We wanted to come up with a sensible approach to homework that was consistent across all grade levels. The recommendation our teachers and I came up with is based on the 10-minute rule.

Kindergarten – No Homework 
Grade 1 will provide a menu of options parents can complete with their child which is communicated in the weekly email. Reading to their child for 10 minutes can be one of the options.
Grade 2 will provide a menu of options parents can complete with their child which is communicated in the weekly email. Reading to their child for 20 minutes can be one of the options.
Grade 3 – 30 minutes with flexibility for assigning reading and math minutes
Grade 4 – 40 minutes with the time split between reading and math – long term assignments for science and social studies
Grade 5 – 50 minutes with the time split between reading and math – long term assignments for science and social studies

NO HOMEWORK ON WEEKENDS 
With any new initiative/policy, we will give it time and examine whether it is meeting the intended outcomes we expected. If it needs to be tweaked, it will be, but it will also be tweaked based on available data and evidence.

In addition, teachers in grades 3-5 will begin to send home weekly progress of completed student work from the week. This will give you an idea of what students worked on and what work was completed. I will also ask teachers to give a preview of what is upcoming for the week ahead in the content areas so you have a sense of what students will be working on.  Grades K-2 will begin weekly updates at a date TBD soon.

I hope you all enjoy your weekend!

Best,
Principal Cebrzynski

Happy Friday Murch Families,

Below are a few informational items and one procedural change of note. We were scheduled to have our all-school picnic next Friday, September 17. Due to a conflict with our food service provider, we are going to have to reschedule this event. I would much rather do this right than to rush the planning of the event, and focus on having an event that is enjoyed by all students. I’m thinking about possibly planning something in conjunction with Halloween. Stay tuned for details.

As promised, all students at Murch are eating lunch outdoors. We have been very fortunate with the weather cooperating with us these past two weeks. Although there are a few kinks in how we are carrying out the outdoor lunch plan, most things are working well. We will continue to make adjustments as needed. We will continue to eat outdoors if the weather cooperates. If it gets cooler this fall, I will ask families to dress students appropriately.

This past summer we ordered multiple large tents, picnic benches and tree stumps to be used as seats. We are expecting these items to be arriving toward the end of September or early October. I want to thank the countless parents who volunteered to purchase additional seating, tents, etc. Things are beginning to fall into place and although it’s taking way longer than I’m comfortable with, these items will be arriving shortly.

Starting on Friday, September 17, I will be changing the way I share communications with the school community. Rather than posting everything on my blog or sending emails to the community, I will be including my communications along with teacher emails and class updates that are sent to you over the weekend and prior to Monday. Hopefully this will be a more efficient way to communicate information from the school and get everybody what they need in a timely fashion.

If you were able to attend back to school night last night, I hope you found it informational and addressed questions and concerns you have/had. I do apologize for the technical glitch of having a cap on the number of people for the large group presentation. The contents of this newsletter are what I shared last evening for those of you who were not able to get into the zoom call.

One last thing I would add is that things appear to be moving forward in a positive direction at Murch and students seem to be settling in and assimilating to a new school year. We will continue to help students who need to make connections to both their peers and adults and will continue to focus on the social and emotional aspects of learning.

Have a great weekend!
Principal Cebrzynski

Hello Murch Families,

There are three events being planned for which I would like to share the details. The events are an all-school picnic, back to school night, and a data presentation evening.

All School Picnic
On Friday, September 17, in conjunction with our food service provider, we will offer a picnic lunch for students as an opportunity for them to come together and build community.  After students have finished eating their lunch, they will be led through fun activities by our PE teachers, Mr. Hayden and Mr. Fry.  To limit crowding and to allow for appropriate distancing, Pre-K 4 – 2^nd grade will eat from 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM and 3^rd – 5^th grade eat from 12:40 PM to 1:40 PM. We will need parent volunteers to help with passing out lunches and assisting with the games. If you are interested in volunteering, please be on the lookout for more details, including a SignUp Genius, which will be forthcoming.

Back to School Night
Back to School Night will be a virtual event held on the evening of Thursday, September 9, 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM. We will have multiple sessions for each grade level for those who have students in multiple grades. The evening will start with a brief whole group presentation. Afterwards, you will go to your child’s grade level/teacher presentation. The schedule will be posted on the website next Tuesday.

Data Presentation Evening
Every student will take multiple assessments throughout the year and many of you may not be aware of what they are or why we give them. Most importantly, you may not know what the results are, how the results are used, and how you can benefit from knowing what the results. During this event, we will share information about the assessments that are given, why we give them and the data that is produced, share information about what type of communication about these assessments you should expect to receive, and how the results can be helpful while working with your child at home. I will also share the results of the assessments we administered last year. This event will be held on the evening of Thursday, September 16 at 7:00 PM.  A recording of the presentation will be made available on the website.

Finally, we have begun work on developing a homework policy for grades K-5 and will post it on the website prior to the fourth week of school. You should also expect to receive a weekly progress report about your child’s performance for all content areas starting on September 17.

Have a wonderful holiday weekend!

Principal Cebrzynski