Fall 2015 Principal s

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1 Fall 2015 Principal s Martin Murphy Middle School Fall 2015 A Message From the Principal Murphy Parents and Guardians- Welcome back to school! We are looking forward to an exciting year at Murphy with numerous positive behavior and climate supports, continued technology integration and the implementation of the Common Core. We are still celebrating our new status as a California Gold Ribbon School. This next year we are challenging all students to be involved in at least one school activity or club, since we know the importance that school connectedness has on our student s success. Parent engagement is at the core of our mission as a school and we look forward to working with you to support your child with their educational success. This year, Murphy will continue to offer four Parent Education Nights to share information with our community about technology, Common Core, mental and social health as well as high school and college readiness. All school calendar items are posted on the school s website,which can be found at martinmurphy.mhusd.org. With the support of the Morgan Hill Unified School District, Martin Murphy students will be assigned a Chromebook, charging cord and protective case to be utilized as a learning tool. These tools will give our students the opportunity to develop 21st century skills as well as their digital literacy. Information will be provided to parents at all parent nights as well as on our school website. Students will participate in a week long school wide roll out and training in August. You can expect your child to be bringing home their new Chromebook on August 25th. A user agreement and supporting documents will be sent home with your child for review and must be turned in no later than August 20th. This year our students will also be exposed to Positive Behavior Intervention Systems (PBIS), Restorative Justice and the OLWEUS Bullying Prevention program. In conjunction with a school rewards system, these programs and processes will help to foster our sustainable positive school climate. Inside this issue: New Staff 2 Murphy s Band 2 Club News 3 Murphy s Mission 4 Connections 5 Back to School Night Calendar of Events Ms. Heather Nursement, Principal Success is no accident! Spring Trip to DC Each year the 8th Grade students who register travel to Washington, DC. They visit the Smithsonian, the Capital, major monuments, Colonial Williamsburg, Arlington and Monticello. This year s trip is looking for a parent leader. We will hold a meeting for all interested 8th grade parents at Back to School night in the Library to gauge interest in this great opportunity.

2 Welcome to Our New Teachers! We d like to welcome new teachers to Martin Murphy. In the Math Department, Leigh Culkin is joining the team. She has always had a passion for teaching. She is excited to teach her favorite subject, mathematics, and share her love of learning with students. This will be her fourth year in California, and she absolutely loves the weather and being close to San Francisco. She frequently travels back to the East Coast to visit family, which she enjoys a great deal, as long as it is not winter! She is very excited to start this next chapter in her life as a part of the Martin Murphy community! In the English Department, our newest member is Ms. Juliana Bremer. Miss Bremer is looking forward to teaching 7th and 8th grade English this year at Martin Murphy. She hopes to facilitate a creative, collaborative and positive classroom environment that caters to a wide array of learners. She is excited about the technology offered at Martin Murphy and plans on utilizing with her students. Mr. Irik Edens will teach 8th grade Physical Science. He believes in creating a positive learning environment in order to help students develop, not just academically, but also socially and emotionally. He provides student -centered curriculum in which students develop both 21st century technology skills and 21st century leadership skills along with the 4 C's. He challenges his students to go beyond what they've ever done before while giving them the support necessary for them to succeed at it." Mr. Greg Chambers has two levels of band at Murphy: Advanced Band and Cadet Band. Advanced band members are eligible to try out for the Jazz Band at Sobrato and they perform with the High School Band at Christmas and in the Spring Concert. Advanced Band members travel to Disneyland in May Page 2 Music at Murphy to play with bands from all over California. The Cadet Band works through the year to become a cohesive whole. Their Spring Concert is a showcase for the skill and technique they ve developed it s a joy to listen to! This year, Mr. Chambers is hoping to soundproof the band practice room so that students can hear a more accurate reflection of their tone and pitch. If you re interested in helping with materials or contributions, contact him at ChambersG@mhusd.org. Fall 2015 Principal s Newsletter

3 Extracurricular Activities at Murphy The Fall Athletic Schedule will include the following activities: Cross Country Girls Softball Wrestling Roller Hockey Boys Basketball For a schedule of these events, please check the Athletics Website And be sure to fill out a Sports Permission Slip before your child signs up for an activity. They are available through the PE teachers. Students can get involved at Murphy in the following ways: ASB (Associated Student Body) MEChA (Movimiento Estudiantil Chican@ de Aztlán) CJSF (California Junior Scholarship Federation) Drama Club Year Book Club Peer Mediators (Students trained to help resolve minor disagreements among their classmates) MESA (Math, Engineering, Science Achievement) Murphy Mouse Squad (a Student IT team to support teachers and students with technology) Math Counts Club Future City Talent Show A winter event that showcases individual abilities Cultural Night A spring event that allows students to share their ancestral traditions, foods, costumes and customs. AND MORE! Please check out the Murphy website for a complete list of student clubs and advisors. Homework Help and Subject Support Murphy hosts an after school Homework Center from 3:15 to 4:00pm Monday through Friday. Students who complete the expectations agreement may attend. Any student who needs transportation to Morgan Hill following the sessions can ride the Activity bus at 4:10pm. The Activity bus drops students off at each of the schools in the district. We will also offer an after school Elevate Math workshop with Staff support for students who sign up for it. Students will receive a foundation in the math concepts they need for Algebra, Geometry and Pre-Calculus. The greater danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it. - Michelangelo Morgan Hill-Mizuho, Japan Student Exchange Eight Student Ambassadors have been chosen for the Morgan Hill- Mizuho, Japan Student Exchange for The program is part of the Morgan Hill Sister City organization, under Morgan Hill Community Foundation. Four students from Murphy will be hosting Mizuho Middle School Student Ambassadors from August 21-30, They will be staying with the families of our students and shadowing them during their classes. Their time will include an introduction to American culture, activities, and education in our diverse community. It will be a great opportunity for students here to find out about life for a tween in Japan! In return, the Murphy students will visit Mizuho, Japan in July, They will each stay with their own Japanese Host Family and attend Mizuho Middle Schools with their host student. They will have 10 days to experience Japanese culture, education and extra curricular activities. Our Student Ambassadors will use this coming year to prepare for immersion in Japanese culture next summer. Murphy students who are hosting Japanese Middle Schoolers are: Aaron Osborne, Alexa Mendoza, Kylie Sullivan and Isabella Fiorentino. Stop by to say hello and welcome to the students from Japan who will be with them in late August. Page 3

4 Collective Mission & Vision for Martin Murphy MISSION STATEMENT Martin Murphy is dedicated, in partnership with parents and the community, to constructing a rigorous learning environment where ALL students are empowered to achieve, use creative and critical thinking skills, develop a global perspective, and to model the core values of respect, responsibility, and safety. SCHOOL VISION Our students will be prepared to succeed in a diverse, global society and to make meaningful contributions to our community. Students will become digitally literate, critical thinkers, collaborators, and problem solvers who can meet the challenges of the 21st Century. The students of Martin Murphy will demonstrate perseverance and grit so that they may achieve success in life and a variety of situations, including college and career. Home and School Club: Helping the School and its Students The Home and School Club members are a vital part of the Murphy Community. Without them, we would find it difficult to hold dances, arrange photo shoots, health exams and field trips, support our students during testing and show our teachers the appreciation they ve earned. Please consider volunteering and giving your invaluable help. The officers for this year s Home and School Club follow: President Naa Anim-Appiah (naappiah@gmail.com); Vice-President Wendy Sullivan (wendygsullivan@yahoo.com); Treasurer Cara Price-Zimmerman (caraprice22@hotmail.com); Co-Secretary Jennifer Cruz (jennifer14cruz@aol.com). Please consider helping with fundraising, volunteering, coordinating student activities and supporting community activities that enhance the school. With your help we can give our students so much more! School Site Council and English Learner Advisory Committee Please consider becoming a member of either the School Site Council or the English Learner Advisory Committee. Both groups help advise the Principal and staff on directions to take to improve student learning and which resources are best managed to fulfill the goals that help students succeed. B oth groups meet monthly. Please look over the schedule attached to see if this is a way that you can support your child s education. Dates and times are also posted on our school s website. 9/22 English Learner Advisory Committee 6 7pm 9/23 School Site Council Meeting 3:15 4:15pm 10/20 English Learner Advisory Committee 6 7pm 10/21 School Site Council Meeting 3:15 4:15pm 11/17 English Learner Advisory Committee 6 7pm 11/18 School Site Council Meeting 3:15 4:15pm 1/20 English Learner Advisory Committee 6 7pm 11/21 School Site Council Meeting 3:15 4:15pm 2/23 English Learner Advisory Committee 6 7pm 2/24 School Site Council Meeting 3:15 4:15pm Page 4 Fall 2015 Principal s Newsletter

5 Parents: Keep In Touch! You ll want to keep up with your student s assignments and grades. There are two points of access for you. The first is the new data system our district is using: Aeries. You ll be given a user name and password for access to your student s grades and attendance. The second is Google Classroom. You can use your child s user name and password to access his or her classwork in every core class. Our Community Liaison, Celina Echavarria, sends out Connect Ed messages for every major event parents will want to know about. We do send home letters, flyers and announcements about Home and School Club and School activities. Please check in with your students regularly to make sure you receive them. Please be sure to check the Murphy Website for updates on events, technology, sports calendars, Home and School Club updates and general information flyers. Martin Murphy Middle School Contact Information Phone: Attendance: Website: Build Memories: Order a Yearbook discounted price through December! Back to School Night is September 17th All Parents are invited to attend this informative event. Ms. Nursement and the staff will be presenting some of the essential changes in classroom learning that your children will experience this year. You ll have an opportunity to hear a brief presentation by every teacher who has your child as a student. You ll see examples of the use of classroom technology and you will receive the web links for homework assignments and grades. Teachers will share with you their expectations of classroom behavior and will give you an overview of what your child will be learning in each subject. You can prepare by making a copy of your child s classroom schedule. You ll follow their schedule in 10 minute sessions beginning with Period 1 and ending with Period 6. We ll have a demonstration of how to access Aeries and Google Classroom in the I-Center to help you get the steps you need to stay aware of your student s progress. Be sure to stop by the Home and School Club table and check out the ways you can be involved in the school activities. The office staff will be available to answer any questions you may have about the coming year. Page 5

6 Martin Murphy Middle School Calendar of Events Fall 2015: 8/10 7th Grade 4:00-6:00pm pm in I Center 8/11 8th Grade Schedule pick 9:00-11:00am in front of Murphy 8/13 Students return to school 8/24-8/28 SCHOOL WIDE ROLL OUT OF CHROMEBOOKS 9/7 NO SCHOOL/HOLIDAY 9/17 BACK TO SCHOOL 6PM IN I CENTER 9/22 ELAC Mtg 6:00-7:00pm in Rm 40 9/23 SSC Mtg 3:15-4:00pm in Rm 40 9/30 Parent Education Night #1: TECHNOLOGY & CYBER SAFETY 6-7:30pm 10/20 ELAC Mtg 6:00-7:00pm in Rm 40 10/21 SSC Mtg 3:15-4:00pm in Rm 40 11/4 Parent Education Night #2: CCSS & NGSS/INSTRUCTIONAL SHIFTS 11/11 NO SCHOOL/HOLIDAY 11/17 ELAC Mtg 6:00-7:00pm in Rm 40 11/18 SSC Mtg 3:15-4:00pm in Rm 40 11/23-11/27 THANKSGIVING BREAK 12/11 Winter Academic Awards Assembly 12/18 Teacher Workday/No students 12/21-1/1 WINTER BREAK All calendar items can be accessed on the Martin Murphy website as well.