The BULLetin
May 11, 2017
Principal's Message
Illinois Principal's Association Student Recognition Breakfast
Each year, on the first Friday in May, principals from Kendall, Grundy, Will and Kankakee counties meet at the Rialto Square Theater in Joliet to recognize two students in the highest grade at the school. This past Friday, some 116 students were recognized spanning schools from early elementary and intermediate school buildings, junior high and high schools. The criteria for recognition are up to the principals in the schools. At Murphy, I have chosen students who 1) are strong students, academically, they usually take at least 1 honors-level course; 2) are active in the school in some fashion and 3) are students with strong character. This year's students were: Carter Reed and Enea Gjinolli. Below are the bios we included for the program.
Enea Gjinolli is an outstanding student. While at Murphy she has maintained straight “As” for all three years of junior high school while being enrolled in honors courses in Language Arts, Social Studies and Science. Her course load has given her high school credit in English. At Murphy, Enea is the President of the National Junior Honor Society and is currently working on raising awareness about homelessness and conducting a school-wide toiletries drive to donate to Hesed House in Aurora. Outside of school she plays basketball and enjoys working to improve in that sport. The thing that strikes you about Enea if you see her in the hallways is that she always has a smile on her face. In the classroom, she works hard to expand her knowledge every day. Enea exemplifies the characteristics of Respect, Responsibility and Excellence—The Maverick Way.
Carter Reed is an exceptional all-around student. He has been enrolled in Honors classes in math, science and social studies. Due to his rigorous academic load, Carter will begin high school with a credit in Math. Carter is active in both band and choir, he was selected for the ILMEA choir and the SD308 district band. In addition to his musical talents, he won an individual Cross Country championship and placed 28th out of 300 runners at the IESA State Cross Country meet. He has participated in the fall play and spring musical in lead roles. Outside of school he plays guitar in the St. Louis Rock Band at “School of Rock”. One of Carter’s greatest gifts is his spirit of generosity. He is a great team mate, cast mate, class mate and person. Carter exemplifies “The Maverick Way” in all he does.
Congrats, Mani!!!
This year, Mani Nagarathnam was invited to join the IMSA class of 2020. His is one of the first Murphy students to be selected prior to the start of grade 9.
We are so proud of Mani and his accomplishment and we wish him the best.
#onceamaverick #murphypride
Survival Skills
Are you nervous about junior high school? Do you have questions and concerns? Well, you are in luck! Murphy is offering a 6th Grade Survival Skills class to assist you in the transition from elementary to junior high school. Those incoming students who would like to participate in Survival Skills may sign up for the class using the link found below.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/6th-grade-survival-skills-2017-registration-33534489561?aff=ehomecard
Please email Elizabeth Fell (efell@sd308.org) or Tracy Phillips (tphillips@sd308.org) if you have additional questions or concerns.
Ms. Walsh's ELA - Author Visit
Fall 2017 6th Grade Student Health Forms
2017-2018 Registration
Registration for returning students will take place online through Home Access Center.
Registration documentation available on the District 308 website under Re-Registration Procedures and will also be available on your Home Access account under Student Links.
These documents contain step-by-step instructions outlining the procedure to successfully register your student(s) for next year. You will not receive any official confirmation from the District. By completing the registration steps outlined in this documentation you are confirming that your student will be returning to School District 308 and that your family's information in the district's database is correct and up-to-date.
Updates were due April 18th - Please take a moment to update your student's information IMMEDIATELY.
If your student will not return to District 308 next year please contact your student's current school for withdrawal paperwork.
If you have any questions about your Home Access Center account or would like to request a paper registration packet, please contact your student's school directly.
PTO Thank You!!!
The PTO Executive Board would like to thank the Murphy community for your tremendous support this year. Thanks to your contributions, we were able to fund so many exciting things, for both the students and the staff. As you know, the PTO is run by parent volunteers and 100% of our operating budget comes from your very generous donations. Simply put, the PTO couldn’t function without YOU! Our goal for the 2017-2018 school year will be to raise funds for Classroom Grants and to continue our tradition of planning great events for the students. For more information about the Murphy PTO, please follow us on Facebook (Murphy PTO- Home of the Mavericks) or feel free to reach out to any of our Executive Board Members. We hope you have a safe & enjoyable summer! See you in August!
Missy Dziewiatkowski, President (missyd71@gmail.com)
Sherry Orrell, Vice-President (l.orrell@sbcglobal.net)
Amy Allen, Treasurer (ajallen55@gmail.com)
Dee Spain, Secretary (spainer@sbcglobal.net
Debbie English, Social Media (debdave44@gmail.com)
Principal's Note: Our PTO is such a generous organization. They are SO supportive of our students and staff, we are so fortunate to have them. As with any volunteer organization it's as only strong as the leadership and support. We are fortunate to have a highly committed Executive Board and generous school-community support. If you're not connected, in some manner, with the PTO, please consider joining.
Class of 2017 Yard Signs
Yard signs can only be ordered at: http://napervillespiritwear.com/MURPHY-YARD-SIGN-MMYARDSIGN.htm
Student Services Spotlight
5th Grade Step Up Day
Over 250 excited 5th graders attended Step Up Day on Friday, May 5th. The day was filled with learning about the life of a 6th grade student, a building tour, and most of all fun! Check out all the fun we had!
The presentation from Parent Step Up Night can be found here.
“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.
PBIS Celebration for Quarter 4: Ice Cream Sundaes Again!
The students really enjoyed their ice cream last quarter and suggested that this be the reward again. Additionally- Teachers and school staff will nominate 2 students each week who exemplified the expected behaviors and those students will go into a raffle to win a Raging Waves Waterpark pass!
This quarter, the MAVS Target will be:
S: Mavericks are Safe
From April 5 – May 19: Teachers and staff will be passing out PINK Bullseyes to students for exhibiting specific locker pod and/or lunchroom behavior
Behaviors to Reward in the Locker Pods in the Morning
- Walking
- Appropriate language
- Appropriate tone & volume
- Respectful actions (self & others)
- Keeping hands, feet & objects to self
- Cleaning up after self
- Respect building property
- Lockers
- Artwork & classwork displayed on the walls
- Bathrooms
Behaviors that will be rewarded in the Cafeteria
- Sitting at assigned lunch table (not moving around)
- Cleaning up after self
- Respectful of others
- Not taking food
- Keeping hands, feet and objects to self
- Respectful talk (language & volume of voice)
- Following directives made by staff
- Arriving on time
- Walking - when arriving, going to lunch line, and leaving
When students receive PINK Bullseyes, they will bring them to student services and place them in their lunch period’s bin. On May 22nd, students will be randomly chosen from each bin, and these students will be notified that they are eligible to attend the PBIS Celebration (Ice Cream Sundae Bar).
On May 24th, these students will go to the multi-purpose room during the second half of their lunch period for an Ice cream sundae bar.
Bullseye Winners
Will Awounzou, Gabby Daley, Andrea Garcia, Avery Neal, Daoud Khan, Pratik Chittanoori, Alex Guardado, Samantha Carver, Charles Hughes, Angeles Mendoza, Morgan Hoffman, Kaylee Born, Connor Clancy, Zoe Morrisroe, Ben Pienkos
Faculty Winner
Congratulations, Ms. Fabere!!!
The Maverick Way Outside of School - Robertson Mulrooney
Robertson Mulrooney volunteered last Sunday morning as a course marshal for the Great Western Half Marathon which both his sister and father ran. Thanks to his help, runners were able to cross both the mile 2 and mile 10 roads without fear of obstruction and received encouragement for their effort. Way to go Robertson!
The Maverick Way Outside of School - The Nagle Family
The Nagles, as well as a number of other Murphy families donated their time and energy to the program. 8th grade student Gloria Echegoyan, Verweij Family, Zaccari Starkman and his father and there could have been others that I'm not remembering.
8th Grade Awards Night
8th Grade Dance
Information regarding the 8th grade dance was sent by phone/email to all 8th grade parents last week, in case you missed or lost that information, it can be found here.
High School Health Office for Fall 2017 Freshmen
From: The Oswego East Health Office
Dear Parent or Guardian,
If you have a student attending Oswego East during the 2017/2018 academic year please review the following health requirements.
- An annual health history form is required by the district for all students and must be completed prior to the start of each school year. The information is shared with paramedics in the case of an emergency and it is important for health service personnel to be aware of medical needs.
Please complete the attached form and submit it to the Oswego East Health Office.
- A physical examination, as prescribed by the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Illinois State board of Education, is required for all students entering 9th grade. If a 9th grade student does not have a completed physical and proof of current immunizations dated on or after August 17th, 2016, they will be not be allowed to pick-up their schedule and will be excluded from school until documentation has been received in the school health office.
- State law states that any child entering 12th grade shall show proof of having received two doses of meningococcal conjugate vaccine. The second dose shall have been received at least eight weeks after the first dose. If the first dose is administered when the child is 16 years of age or older, only one dose is required. If a student does not submit proof meeting these requirements, they will not be allowed to pick-up their schedule and will be excluded from school until documentation has been received in the school health office.
Please submit all forms and documentation to the Oswego East Health Office in person or via fax or e-mail. Feel free to call with any questions or concerns.
Thank you for your cooperation.
The Oswego East Health Office
Phone: 630-636-2202
Fax: 630-636-4500
E-Mail: jpienkos@sd308.org
End of Year Activities
May 13 - 7th Grade Fine Arts Trip - 7th band and choir students ONLY
May 16 - Spring Choir Concert (7pm)
May 18 - Spring Band Concert (7pm)
May 19 - 8th Grade Dance - more information to come
May 22 - Springfield Trip - 8th grade students who have signed up and are eligible
May 25 - 8th Grade Awards and Recognition Night (7pm) - 8th grade "graduation"
May 26 - Maverick Mania and 12pm Dismissal
Please see the Building Calendar for other events not on this list.
High School Summer School
Bridge to AP - English, Math, Science and Social Studies Courses, this course may be a good way to build some initial skills for students taking AP Human Geography. It is only a 4 day commitment and a great way to build skills. More information...
SAT Prep - This is a class for ANY high school student who is interested in building their knowledge and skill to be successful on the SAT; 6th and 7th grade students can register for the Junior High version. More information...
Honors Geometry Prep - If you are currently enrolled in Algebra 1 in 8th grade and are registered for Honors Geometry in the fall. This class will reinforce the Geometry skills that you will need to start the year off strong. More information...
2017 Summer School
Summer School for Junior High will be held at Plank Junior High. Additional details about SD308 Summer School can be found here.
Activity Buses - End of Year Update
Next week is the last week of our Activity Bus experiment. Buses will run on Tuesday and Thursday. We hope to offer this service at the start of the year.
MyOwn.edu - May Update
7th Grade:
Is this summer the right time for a job or volunteering experience for your teenager? Read about how this can be the perfect time to help your student take advantage of some extra summer hours and learn about the world of work. Continue reading...
8th Grade:
The transition to high school can be exciting and challenging for students (and their parents). Take a few minutes to read about your role in the transition and how you can help them start their high school experience the right way! Continue reading...
9th Grade:
High school is a great time for students to understand the value of positive teacher-student relationships. Check out a few strategies to help them take full advantage of the great educational professionals that are there to help! Continue reading...
Upcoming District and Area Events
Wolves 101
The purpose of the program:
To educate incoming freshman on what is it means to be a student and part of the OEHS community, teach strong work habits, ways to demonstrate strong character, and critical social-emotional strategies to help ease the transition and maximize the possibility of student success in high school.
SD308 Summer Camps
Upcoming Events
May 12
- Oswego Quint @ OEHS (4:30pm)
May 13
- 7th Grande Band & Choir Trip
- Boys' Volleyball Conference Tournament
May 14
- Mother's Day
May 15
- 6th Grade Morning Band Rehearsal
- Girls' Soccer Tournament
May 16
- Girls' Soccer Tournament
- Spring Choir Concert (7pm)
May 17
- 7th Grade Morning Band Rehearsal
- Girls' Soccer Tournament
May 18
- Spring Band Concert (7pm)
May 19
- 8th Grade Dance
May 21
- Springfield Trip
May 25
- 8th Grade Awards Night
May 26
- 4th Quarter Assembly & Maverick Mania
- Last Day of School - 12pm dismissal
- End of Quarter 4
If you are looking for directions to AWAY events, this link will provide directions to many area schools.
Use the link below to see all the things going on at Murphy Junior High
Upcoming Events - Planning for Fall 2017
- Cross Country Fun Run (7am)
August 8
- Cross Country Fun Run (7am)
August 9
- Cross Country Fun Run (7am)
- 6th Grade Survival Skills
August 10
- Cross Country Fun Run (7am)
- 6th Grade Survival Skills
August 11
- Cross Country Fun Run (7am)
August 17
- First Day of School
- Boys' Soccer Tryouts (3pm) - Must have current physical AND register on Murphy Athletics website
August 18
- Boys' Soccer Tryouts (3pm)
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