Hello Murch Families,
I hope everyone had an enjoyable time over the Thanksgiving holiday, spending time with family, friends, and those that you love. My wife and I celebrated the holiday by ourselves for the first time in 28 years, the age of my oldest child. I am grateful for the spirit of giving that exists within and around the Murch community. As we move toward winter break, I hope that there will be many opportunities to celebrate with our community and families.
The month of November, I suspect because of holidays like Thanksgiving and days like #GivingTuesday, is often the start of the Season of Giving. But the act of giving is something that comes in all shapes and sizes, is not always about fundraising, and is a practice I hope we all use year-round. Giving is also about inclusivity and ensuring that all members of a given community feel welcome. The way that Murch families “give,” whether it’s through donations or time, is truly extraordinary and I want to thank all of you for the many acts of giving that take place in our community on a daily basis.
I also want to express my deep gratitude for our teachers and staff and the countless contributors who give so much to ensure that every single Murch family is supported – from our HSA, to community partners like the D.C. Food Project, to the small businesses surrounding our school. It really does take a village.
In the spirit of giving, the most important opportunity to give financially to Murch is through our HSA led, Support Our School (SOS) Campaign. To date, the SOS Campaign has reached 63% of its fundraising goal for this school year. As a reminder, the budget we are provided by the District does not (unfortunately) cover all of our expenses. The funds raised by the SOS Campaign support activities for every grade level including field trips, the Green Scene, additional supplies for our Art, Music, and PE classes, after-school programs like Murch Plus, the Spring Musical, scholarships, and so much more. I hope that all of our families will give to the SOS Campaign, no matter the amount, and help us reach our year-end goal.
Giving can also be sharing, and one of the events I look forward to all year is Murch’s Festival of Lights, a sharing of cultural traditions and music from around the world. This year, the Festival of Lights, directed by our music teacher, Dr. Branch, will take place on December 18. We hope everyone will be able to join us! The event is always a great opportunity for us to come together as a community and celebrate. And as best as you can, please arrive before the program begins.
A few notes about the new and shorter program format:
- Pre-K will host their festival in their classrooms where parents will have the opportunity to celebrate with the grade level and classroom communities. Pre-K teachers will share information about dates/times and content of the program with families soon.
- Grades K-2 will start performing at 9:15 in the gym.
- Grades 3-5 will start performing at 10:15 in the gym.
Song Selections:
- 5th Grade: Festival of Lights in Sweden, Norway – “St. Lucia Day,” arranged with new words, by Sally K. Albrecht
- 4th Grade: Kwanzaa – “Child of Kwanzaa,” Words and Music by Roger Emerson
- 3rd Grade: Ramadan – “Ramadan,” Words and Music by Lois Brownsey and Mati Lunn Lantz
- 2nd Grade: Diwali – “Aeyaya Balano Sakkad,” Words and Music by Chandra Bhat, and M. R. Srinivasan English Lyrics
- 1st Grade: Christmas – “Los Reyes De Oriente,” “The Kings from the East,” by Aguinaldo from Puerto Rico
- Kindergarten: Hanukkah – “Hanukkah Is Here,” Words and Music by Judith Eisenstein and Frieda Prensky
I look forward to seeing everyone at the Festival of Lights and all of the other community activities that take place through the month of December.
Wishing you a wonderful holiday season of celebration and giving,
Principal Cebrzynski