Happy Sunday Murch Families,
This school year, I will be writing to the Murch community at the end of every month, instead of every week. So welcome to the first installment of “Principal C’s Corner!” I hope that each and every family in the Murch community has experienced a smooth transition to this school year, but please know that my door is always open should concerns arise.
As we move into the month of October, there are a handful of changes and up-coming engagement opportunities that I want to highlight.
Starting tomorrow, Monday, October 2nd, there will be a change in arrival procedures for grades 1-5. As a part of our Strong Start practice, a set of rituals and routines that focuses on the “whole child” and gets students ready to learn by fostering a sense of safety, belonging, community, and self-efficacy, students in grades 1-5 will enter the school building and go to their respective classrooms on their own starting at 8:30 a.m. Kindergarten students will continue to line up and be met by their classroom teacher on the soccer field. When K students are ready, they will also implement this practice.
The rituals and routines continue as students enter the classroom and begin their day with morning meeting. As students enter the classroom, they choose their own greeting which can be a fist bump, high five, verbal hello, hug, a wave, or a handshake. The teacher personalizes their greeting, so it is unique to each student. This is one of the many whole-child strategies we will be incorporating into the “Murch Way.” Teachers love it because they make a personal connection with each student to start their day and the students enter the room knowing they are loved, they can accomplish all they attempt, and that they have a voice in their classroom community.
We will continue to work with an organization called Transcend, which supports schools in implementing the whole-child model. You can learn more about Transcend and the work they are doing in other DC schools here.
All school morning meetings are also back, a Murch tradition that existed for many years and was interrupted by the pandemic. On Friday, we celebrated as a school, everyone in the gym participating in a greeting, a share, an activity, and a positive morning message. Students and staff were excited to bring this back and we are looking forward to more of these all-school get-togethers as the school year progresses.
One final change announcement – Starting next school year, DCPS will no longer be utilizing the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) assessment. Instead, the CAPE assessment will be used. This is an OSSE (Office of the State Superintendent of Education) decision and I will provide additional details as soon as I am able. Our PARCC scores from last school year have arrived, however, and will be sent home in your student’s backpacks as soon as as possible.
Now, a few engagement announcements. As a part of our community’s effort to strengthen inclusivity and ensure that EVERY student feels engaged, I want to remind our families that Student Attendance impacts learning and affects how a student and their family connects to the school. It’s that simple. If you or someone you know in the Murch community is struggling with attendance, please reach out to our school Guidance Counselor, Lauren Miller.
This year, DC Public Schools (DCPS) is teaming up with EveryDay Labs to enhance attendance strategies and will reach out to families by sending mail and text messages to help keep attendance on track. This partnership work will begin on October 4th with an introductory text message. Families of students who have missed five percent (5%) or more of the school year (excused or unexcused) will receive these messages which are designed to help reduce student absenteeism and motivate student engagement.
Assistant Principal Hawkins and I are planning several opportunities to connect with families. Starting tomorrow, we will officially start our “Lunch with the Principal/AP” and these student engagement opportunities will continue throughout the year. We want to listen to what our students have to say and want the same for the parent community. Published dates for these family outreach opportunities will be posted in next week’s HSA bulletin and on the Murch calendar.
In the meantime, enjoy the rest of your weekend. See you all at school tomorrow and hopefully, everyone will consider attending the Fall Fair on October 14th!
To a wonderful week ahead,
Principal Cebrzynski