Murch Elementary School

Halloween Parade – Thursday, Oct. 29

Clare Carr — Sun, 18 Oct 2026 15:15:20 +0000

As part of Halloween festivities at Murch, we invite parents/guardians to attend and watch our annual Halloween parade, which we are excited to continue this year. The parade will be held outdoors and will kick off at 2:45 PM on Thursday, October 29. Reminder: There is NO SCHOOL on Oct. 30, Nov. 1, and Nov. 2.

Costumes: Please check with your child’s teacher regarding costume do’s and don’ts, but a general rule of thumb at Murch is:

No fake weapons
No costume masks during the school day
Costume masks can be worn during the parade

Viewing: We invite parents/guardians to view the parade from the city block around Murch or from the playground; these are great spots for picture taking.

Pick Up: After the parade, dismissal will take place, per normal procedures, at 3:05 (Pre-K) or 3:15 pm (K-5). Please do not pick students up from the parade route but stay until the conclusion of the parade. This is to ensure that all students are safely and appropriately dismissed to the correct locations.

It will be a busy and exciting day, but our primary focus is always the safety of your children. Thank you for your cooperation, and we look forward to sharing the excitement of Halloween with you!

Fall Library Pop-Up – Monday, Oct. 26

Clare Carr — Sat, 17 Oct 2026 11:06:27 +0000

On Monday, Oct. 26, all current Murch students are invited to stop by the Big Playground from 3:15–4:00 PM to check out a book at a special library pop-up!

Our 5th grade Library Advisory Board (LAB) members will be running a mobile check-out station and sharing book recommendations to help you discover your next great read.

Nothing says fall quite like cozying up with a brand-new book—come by and find yours!

Calling All Murch Families to Support Our School!

Clare Carr — Tue, 06 Oct 2026 05:03:40 +0000

Dear Murch Community,

Every day, our teachers and staff give our kids their best. This fall, we’re asking our community to give a little back.

Today we’re kicking off our Support Our School Campaign, our annual fundraising campaign for Murch. Our goal this year is $110,000, and we’d love every family to be part of it.

Where your gift goes
We’re all lucky to be part of an amazing school, but the school budget doesn’t cover everything that makes Murch feel like home. SOS funds help bring to life:

After-school programs
Performing arts activities
Field trips
Coffee on the playground
Classroom and office supplies
Teacher and staff appreciation
Community events
And much more

These dollars help our teachers, and they help make sure every child can take part, including students who might otherwise miss out. When we raise this money together, it benefits everyone in our building.

Ways to give

ONLINE: Visit this link to make your gift via credit card.
Donor-advised fund (DAF): You can recommend a grant to the “Ben W Murch Home and School Association” through your DAF sponsor’s usual process. Our EIN is 52-6053804.
CHECK: Please mail any checks to: Murch SOS, PO Box 6356, Washington, DC 20015

Every gift matters, whatever the amount. If you’re able, we’re suggesting $500 per student. If that’s not possible for your family, please give what feels right. Every gift of $10, $25, or $50 makes a massive difference. Participation is what makes this community work. We’ll be collecting gifts through mid-December and will share updates along the way.

Thank you for being part of this community. If you have any questions, please email sos@murchschool.org or see our Frequently Asked Questions page.

With gratitude,
Mathew Harkins
Vice President of Development Murch Home and School Association

Ben W Murch Home and School Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, EIN 52-6053804. Your gift may be tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.

School Picture Day – Monday, Oct. 26

Clare Carr — Sun, 04 Oct 2026 14:05:38 +0000

Monday, October 26 is School Picture Day! Each student will have an individual photo taken by Freed Photography, which families will be able to purchase later.

Please note: class and group photos will be scheduled for a later date. We’ll share details once those are confirmed.

Make sure your student comes to school ready to smile!

Register for Murch Chess Club – Fall Session Starts Oct. 26

Clare Carr — Sat, 26 Sep 2026 19:47:29 +0000

Silver Knights Chess Academy is offering a chess club on Mondays for the fall!
Sign up directly to continue the progression, sharpen their strategy and enjoy the game with fellow chess players.

Clubs are a mixture of lessons, activities, and games. We welcome all skill levels. Register here.

Details:

When: Mondays, Oct 26 – Dec. 14 (no club Nov. 2)
Time: 3:30–4:30 PM
Who: K-5, all skill levels
Cost: $129 for the 6-week session

Register by scanning the QR code on the flyer or visiting: https://chessacademy.com/products/murch-elementary-chess-club

Questions or financial aid inquiries: info@chessacademy.com or 703-574-2070.

Murch Plus Runs Oct. 7 through Nov. 18

Clare Carr — Sun, 20 Sep 2026 16:13:43 +0000

Murch Plus will start on Wednesday, Oct. 7. and will continue on Wednesdays through November 18.

We’re excited to welcome students back to Murch Plus , our Wednesday afternoon enrichment program! Murch Plus gives K–5 students the opportunity to explore new interests, build friendships, and enjoy fun, engaging activities with their peers and adult instructors beyond the regular school day. Thanks to the generous support of the Murch HSA, Murch Plus is completely free and open to all Murch students in grades K–5 !

Program Details

Fall Session: Wednesdays, October 7 – November 18
Time: 3:30–4:15 PM, instructors will collect participating students from the gym
Who: Free to all Murch students in grades K-5
Spots: Placement by lottery if demand exceeds capacity, please select your student’s 1st, 2nd, and 3rd choice. Confirmation by Oct. 5.

Please note that submitting the form does not guarantee placement in a particular club. Families will receive confirmation of their student’s Murch Plus placement after registration has been reviewed.

Student Expectations

Murch Plus is an extension of the Murch school community, and we want every student to have a fun, safe, and positive experience. Students are expected to follow the same behavior expectations during Murch Plus that they follow throughout the regular school day.

This includes being respectful toward instructors and classmates, following directions, using materials appropriately, participating safely, and helping maintain a welcoming environment for everyone. We understand that students sometimes need reminders and redirection.

However, repeated disruptive, unsafe, disrespectful, or otherwise inappropriate behavior that interferes with the safety or experience of the group may result in a student being removed from their Murch Plus club. Families will be contacted if behavioral concerns arise so that we can work together to support a successful experience whenever possible.

We’re looking forward to another exciting session of learning, creativity, friendship, and fun with Murch Plus! Space is limited, so be sure to register early and submit your student’s 1st, 2nd, and 3rd club choices by the deadline.

We can’t wait to see our Murch students at Murch Plus!

Girls Basketball Tryouts – Oct. 15 and 16

Clare Carr — Tue, 15 Sep 2026 16:05:05 +0000

Girls Basketball tryouts will be held after school on Oct. 15 and 16. All fourth and fifth grade girls are invited to try out! Please note: Health forms MUST be completed in order for students to participate in the tryouts.

The girls’ season will be led by Coach Hayden.

Boys:

The boys will be led by Coach Fisk and will take place after the girls season.

Health Forms:

Fourth and Fifth graders interested in basketball must complete a participation packet in order to participate in tryouts. See the DCIAA website for more details, or see FAQs on the Murch Athletics page.

Room Parent Orientation – Sept. 15

Clare Carr — Mon, 31 Aug 2026 15:00:26 +0000

The Room Parent Orientation will be on Tuesday, September 15 from 7:00-7:45PM in the Murch Cafeteria (36th Street/Cafeteria entrance). If you sign up but are unable to make the meeting, we will follow up by email.

Questions? Email HSA Room Parent Coordinator Brigette Courtot at: roomparents.murch@gmail.com.

We still need a few room parents – please check your class sign up to see if your class needs room parents!

Sign up to be a Room Parent HERE.

This is a fun, low-lift volunteer opportunity that typically requires only 1-2 hours per month.

Room Parents assist teachers with:

- organizing classroom celebrations;
- coordinating gifts to teachers and donations of supplies to classrooms;
- occasionally recruiting volunteers for HSA events; and
- sharing information with families and caregivers about school and community events.

Fall Community Events: Washington Spirit, Fall Fair, Movie Night, Pizza Night

Clare Carr — Sun, 23 Aug 2026 18:42:28 +0000

Join the Murch Community at one of the upcoming events this fall:

Sept. 26: Murch at the Washington Spirit

Join fellow Murch soccer fans and cheer on the Washington Spirit! Purchase discounted tickets here.

Oct. 2: Movie Night

A Murch tradition: Bring your picnic blankets and lawn chairs and watch a movie with all you Murch friends! Pizza and popcorn will be for sale. Movie time and selection to be announced! Rain Date will be Saturday, Oct. 3.

Oct. 7: Dine Out at Pete’s Pizza

Bring your friends to Pete’s Pizza and help raise money for Murch! Pete’s will donate 25% of profits to the Murch HSA. Orders must be made directly through the store (not through third-party apps) and apply to all dine in and carry out orders.

Oct. 17: Fall Fair

A full day of fun and friends at the Murch Fall Fair. Get involved with the Fall Fair and learn more here.

Join the Murch Online Directory to Stay Connected!

Abigail Shawn — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 17:08:01 +0000

The Murch Online Directory is the easiest way for families to stay in touch and connect with our school community. The directory is available to Murch families only, and you control what information is visible to others.

Here’s how to access it:

New families: Create an account to be listed and gain access.
Register on Membership Toolkit
Returning families: No need to re‑register! Simply log in if you need to update your contact info and privacy settings.
Returning families with new students: Log in and add any siblings to the directory.

Class assignments (with 2026–27 teacher names) will appear in the directory in September.

Tip: For the easiest access, download the Membership Toolkit app to your phone – you can add contacts directly to your phone from the app. The directory is online‑only.

Questions? Email Rajiv D’Cruz.