The BULLetin
August 31, 2017
Principal's Message
Out there things can happen... and frequently do...
Thank you to all of the families who came out to Curriculum Night, last night. It's my sincere hope that you were able to get a sense of what your students will be learning and a bit about the teachers they will be working with throughout the year.
Remember: Parent/Teacher conferences will be at the start of November, look for sign up information at the end of September, start of October.
We are 3 weeks into the school year and routines are being set. Some of the "newness" of the year is wearing off as homework, projects and all the trappings of school are ramping up. I encourage you to keep an eye on your student's progress throughout the year. If you are checking grades daily via Home Access, that's probably too much. If you've never heard of Home Access or have never logged on, that's probably too little.
In middle school, I had got to the point where I was comfortable checking grades on a weekly basis. My kids would tell me if they had a big test or assignment and would often let me know how they did. I had to trust them. We outlined expectations for our kids and when I checked grades, if expectations weren't being met we would develop a plan to bring them back in line. At first I did the checking on Fridays. My suggestion is to check on Wednesday. On Friday it would ruin my weekend because I couldn't work with my kids to truly resolve the issue(s). On Wednesday, I could tell them they have 2 days to get their schooling in order or there would be consequences during the weekend. That's what worked in my house. Figure out what works in yours.
If you have questions about classes, grades no matter how specific or general, it is your best option to reach out to the teacher and email is probably the most efficient means of doing that. If you can't come to a resolution with 1 message and 1 response, I suggest setting up a time to talk by phone. Sometimes, as we all know, nuances of communication can be lost in email.
Enjoy the long weekend and a little end of summer.
Weekly JAM (Just Another Maverick)
Week 2 brings several new contributors and a few more stories. We will getting the JAM staff (and any potential contributors) together at some point next week to develop an organizational plan.
In the mean time,
Enjoy the Weekly JAM
Student Health History Forms
Murphy PTO
Thank you to everyone who stopped by the PTO table during the Locker Load sessions. We were so busy that we sold out of Spirit Wear! We will have new inventory available for sale on Curriculum Night (August 30th from 6-8pm). Be sure to stop by our table located at the entrance of the gym and at the bottom of the main staircase (across from the main office). We will also hold our annual Spirit Wear sale sometime this Fall.
As many of you know, we don’t do any fundraising as a PTO. Instead we ask families to make an annual donation to the PTO. These donations help us to fund school dances, classroom grants, new staff welcome baskets and much more! Please consider making a donation! In addition, any family who donates $25 or more will receive one free ticket to the Murphy Monster Mash! You can download a Donation Form and turn it in to the Main Office at Murphy.
For more information on the Murphy PTO, upcoming PTO events or volunteer opportunities, please contact PTO President Missy Dziewiatkowski at missyd71@gmail.com or 630-999-3927. Please also follow us on Facebook for PTO events and updates (Murphy PTO-Home of the Mavericks).
Washington DC Trip
Washington DC
Attention all 8th graders…it’s your turn for the trip of a lifetime …don’t get left behind!!
On Wednesday, September 6th there will be an informational meeting at Murphy Junior High in the LRC at 6:30PM about the Washington DC trip for Spring break 2018. This is the trip of a lifetime and might be the most exciting thing you will do as 8th graders! You will be touring our nation’s capital and see your government at work, visit the Holocaust Museum, several memorials and monuments and a play at the Kennedy Center.
Information about cost, hotels, meals, attractions, and transportation will be presented at the meeting.
Drop Off/Pick Up Procedures & Buses
We have a crossing guard at the entrance/exit to Murphy and Grande Park. Due to the numbers of kids who walk to and from school, that person or those persons are there to help ensure that students are able to safely cross the street when there is a lot of traffic. There job is student safety. Neither the District nor the Plainfield Police want them to be directing traffic. To help ensure efficient drop off/pick up procedures, we have worked with the Plainfield Police to create a process that is effective and ultimately safe.
When leaving Murphy/Grande Park parents are asked to follow the traffic patter so that the passenger door is curbside and students are dropped off/picked up curbside. This is to ensure that students are not walking through the parking lot and into the flow of traffic. That is why we ask ALL parents to drop off/pick up their students by going through the cue.
Also, in order to minimize traffic back ups on Grande Park Boulevard, between 7am and 4pm, there are only RIGHT hand turns onto Grande Park Boulevard. Because the entry to the school gets traffic from three directions, not having left turns reduces the potential for accidents from the other two directions. On most days, the crossing guards have cones to block left hand turns.
Student Services Spotlight
If you missed curriculum night, or would like to review what the Student Services team presented, you can view/download their presentation HERE.
Zeroes Aren’t Permitted!
ZAP is an intervention implemented to develop good homework habits. This program helps students self-correct without a penalty. Getting into the habit of doing homework and realizing that it counts is tough for many students. ZAP helps reinforce the importance of homework completion and provides an opportunity for intrinsic growth through self-correction.
What to do when your student is ZAPPED?
If a student does not complete a homework assignment he/she will receive a ZAP. Students have until 8:00am, the following morning, to turn the assignment into Student Services for full credit. If the student chooses not to complete or submit the assignment, then the student will be required to attend the ZAP classroom (D126) during his/her lunch to complete the homework, also for full credit. It is your student's responsibility to know what is missing and bring the necessary materials home. Students will be allowed 5 visits (every 9 weeks) to the ZAP classroom to complete their work. After 5 visits, students are no longer eligible for the ZAP intervention.
If you have questions, please contact your child’s teacher and/or counselor.
“The Maverick Way” Outside of School
Murphy Junior High students are doing amazing things in the classroom as well as demonstrating “The Maverick Way” outside of school. If any student is demonstrating “The Maverick Way” outside of school we want to know about it! Please contact Karen Whited at kwhited@sd308.org or Brandi Zawacki at bzawacki@sd308.org.
*Don’t forget to include some pictures in your email.
Anxiety
Anxiety is an issue Student Services staff deal with often. While there are many tools we offer students, the following article outlines some methods to best support your child at home.
Attention 6th Grade Families!
Please click on the links for more information about binders.
Interested in finding out more about binders and how we check student organization? This letter explains the process that we are using.
Want to help your student keep their binder organized? This letter explains how binders are set up.
"You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who’ll decide where to go…"
― Dr. Seuss, Oh, The Places You'll Go!
Fall Sports
Cross Country
The Murphy Cross Country team took on Thompson to open the season. Congrats to 6th grade boys Ayaan Mustafa, Allen Chorba, Mathieu Kieffer and Brandon Allgaier all placing in the top 10. The 6th grade girls' team beat Thompson with Riley Gumm (1), Alex Hoger, Tessa Kennicott, Ava Saalfeld, Emma Klosterman and Madigan O'Dowd all placing in the Top 10. For 7th grade boys, James Deubel (1), Zach Benoit and Zaccari Starkman all placed in the Top 10. The 7th grade girls had a perfect score as Angeles Mendoza (1), Monica Lopez, Ximena Torres, Emma Cortes, Karina Paz, Ashley Sniegowski and Elisha Gaston placed 1-7. The 8th grade boys, Arnulfo Mendoza, Bryan Allgaier, Parker Holland, Justin Thul, Robbie English and William Kieffer all palced in the Top 10. Lastly, congrats to Leah Allgaier (1), Katie Dunn, Molly Ede, Hannah Martynus for all placing in the Top 10.
Full meet results can be found HERE.
Girls' Volleyball
The 8th grade girls volleyball team has struggled out of the gate this fall. While they have shown improvement every game they have come up empty handed in the win column in matches against Thompson, Washington and Heritage Grove. Come out and support the girls tonight in the Main Gym as Murphy takes on the Plank Pirates.
The 7th grade girls volleyball team has had a strong start with wins over Thompson and Washington and a forfeit by Heritage Grove. They take on Plank @ Plank at 4:30 tonight. Keep up the great work!
Boys' Soccer
Great job to the boys soccer team. Tuesday night they took on Heritage Grove and walked away with a 10-0 win. With this dominating win their record is 3-0.
Murphy STEM Club
Murphy Cooking Club
Registration fills quickly so get your sign up and $15 club fee turned in ASAP.
OE Study Abroad Opportunities for Current Murphy 8th Grade Students
Interested in studying abroad? We are taking an educational tour in June 2018 to London, Normandy, Paris, Berlin, Munich and Salzburg on a WWII inspired tour. Students in 8th - 11th grade in District 308 are invited to attend an informational meeting on Thursday August 31st at 6:30 pm in the Oswego East LRC, please use the following link to RSVP. If students and or parents are not able to attend the informational meeting they may still apply for the tour. Applications are due September 11th, once students are accepted they must enroll on the tour by September 30th.
Flyer for information meeting: Click here
Oswego TAG website; Click here
RSVP for the info meeting: Click here
Application for WWII tour: Click here
If you have any questions please feel free to ask any of the following teachers. Mrs. Stanich (hstanich@sd308.org), Mrs. Krzeminski, Ms. Radziewicz, Mr. Leal, Mr. Szymanski, and Mr. Thurlwell at Oswego East High School.
Oswego East Wolfpack Basketball
Tryouts are coming soon. Registration and sign up information can be found at: www.oswegoeastwolfpack.com and more information can also be found here.
Screening of "Screenagers" at Bednarcik
Bednarcik Junior High is hosting a FREE showing of the movie, Screenagers: Growing up in the Digital Age on Thursday, September 21 @ 6:00 PM in the cafeteria. The movie dives into many issues surrounding social media, gaming, academics, and internet addiction with a focus on how we can empower kids to best navigate the digital world. After viewing the movie, parents will have the opportunity to discuss reactions to the move and share insights they have from their own experiences.
Please click on the link below and register in the top right corner so Bednarcik knows how many people to expect.
https://impactflow.com/event/presented-by-bednarcik-junior-high-school-3384
For more information visit https://www.screenagersmovie.com/
Upcoming Events
August 31
- 6th Grade STAR Testing ELA
- Boys' Soccer @ Plank (4:30pm)
- Cross Country v Washington & Jefferson (4:30pm)
- 7th Girls' Volleyball @ Plank (4:30pm)
- 8th Girls' Volleyball v Plank (4:30pm)
September 1
- 6th Grade STAR Testing Math
September 4
- Labor Day - NO SCHOOL
September 5
- Band/Choir Cookie Dough Fundraiser Ends
- Boys' Soccer @ Bednarcik (4:30pm)
- Cross Country v Jewel/Herget (4:30pm)
- 7th Girls' Volleyball @ Bednarcik (4:30pm)
- 8th Girls' Volleyball v Bednarcik (4:30pm)
September 7
- Boys' Soccer v Jewel (4:30pm)
- 7th Girls' Volleyball v Jewel (4:30pm)
- 8th Girls' Volleyball @ Jewel (4:30pm)
September 9
- Cross Country "Run the Plank" @ Old Post Elementary
If you are looking for directions to AWAY events, this link will provide directions to many area schools.
Use the "Murphy Building Calendar" link below to see all the things going on at Murphy Junior High.
Contact Us
Email: banderson@sd308.org
Website: www.sd308.org/murphy
Location: 26923 Grande Park Boulevard, Plainfield, IL, United States
Phone: (630) 608-5100
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/murphy308/
Twitter: @murphy308