Murphy Middle School ENews
October 18, 2018
Parent Workshop Tonight!
Attention 8th Graders and Their Families- Plano ISD Academy Programs
Parent and student information meetings for the Academy Programs of Plano will be hosted during the month of November for incoming ninth graders (and their parents) considering attending one of the Academy Programs of Plano. Each academy program will host three information nights between November 5 and November 15 (follow the link below). All meetings will be held at 6:30 p.m. Online applications will open on November 16 and close December 14. Students will receive notice of placement on January 11 and student commitments must be received by January 18, 2019.
Learn more at www.pisd.edu/academies.
Watch an overview video for each program at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVcNW-DvhSHX64qUL4meOnpqtY4PTpwxH.
Red Ribbon Week - Oct 22-26
7th and 8th grade Murphy Middle School Science Fair and Engineering Fair
Mark your calendar! November 28th is the Annual Murphy Middle School 7th and 8th grade Science Fair and Engineering Fair in the Murphy Middle School Library from 8:30-12:30pm (judges only).
Parents and students are invited to view the fair on Thursday, November 29, 2018 from 7:45 am to 4:30 pm
If you have a science background, and consider yourself a professional in your field of science and should you like to assist with judging, please visit https://goo.gl/forms/Ezs0KCI6TEDY4OOM2 with your preferred area of judging. Your time and expertise is essential to assisting our students to achieve in the next round of judging at the district and regional level! Thank you in advance for your dedication to helping our future scientists!
After signing up, please look for an email as time gets closer. Thank you!!! Should you have additional questions, please email Elizabeth.Jones@pisd.edu or Mary.Lysell@pisd.edu.
Picture Re-Takes - October 24th
MMS Basketball Tryout Information
7th Grade Boys Basketball Tryout:
Wednesday-Friday
October 31, November 1, November 2
6:30-8:15AM
8th Grade Boys Basketball Tryout:
Thursday, Friday, Monday
November 1, 2, & 5
6:30-8:15AM
7th & 8th Grade Girls Basketball Tryout:
Monday-Wednesday
October 29, 30, 31
3:35-4:30PM
MMS Upcoming Athletic Schedule
10/22
7th Grade FB vs Haggard @ Clark Central (5:30/7:00)
10/23
8th Grade FB vs Haggard @ Clark Central (5:30/7:00)
10/25 – 10/27
7th & 8th Grade VB A Team Tournament Location Varies by day and results.
Regional History Fair
If you would like information on participating in the Regional History Fair come to room N103 before 10/29 to pick up a packet.
All History Fair topic ideas need to be submitted to MS. Watkins by Mon. 10/29.
Citizen Bee
MMS Students,
If you would like to participate in the regional Citizen Bee and possibly win cash prizes, come to rm N103 on Monday 10/22 with Ms. Watkins.
National Junior Honor Society
Attention all 8th grade students who are NOT members of NJHS.
If you have a 94.5 average (when you average 6th, 7th and 8th grade together), or you think you are close, and you weren't selected as a 7th grader.
See Mrs. Mullen for an Invitation to Membership Form (due by October 26th).
This is the LAST opportunity for 8th graders to be selected for membership in NJHS.
(6th and 7th graders will be selected in January for Honor Society)
Mathcounts Club
TEST DATES ANNOUNCEMENT!!! - There will be 3 tests for those interested in representing Murphy MS in the chapter competition on a Saturday, February 2, 2019. Each test will be 40 minutes long; two of them without a calculator and one with a calculator. I will provide a school calculator for those testing, but you may bring your own. All tests will be held in the Distance Learning Room (DLR). The following dates are as follows: October 30, November 6, and November 13. Students will be dismissed by 4:30 PM.
MMS Orchestra News
Tuesday 10/23 MMS Orchestra Cookie Dough arrives (must be taken by MMSO students at 3:30)
Thursday 10/25 MMS Orchestra Picnic/Concert at Murphy Central Park. Food at 5:30, Concert at 6:30
Spring PACE Testing
Is your student interested in participating in PACE next year? Testing for consideration to be admitted into the Plano Academic and Creative Education (PACE) program for next school year will take place next spring. Referral packets can be submitted online or on paper by Friday, Jan. 16 to Ms. McAnderson in E105. If you have any questions about the process please contact her at melissa.mcanderson@pisd.edu. The online version will automatically send an email to her.
MMS Speech and Debate Team- Congratulations!
Congratulations to the MMS Speech and Debate team for placing 3rd overall at the tournament on Saturday, October 13th at Bowman Middle School! Over 70 MMS students from 6th, 7th, and 8th grade competed against all the other middle schools in PISD and worked extremely hard to reach their goals. The following are individual placements at the tournament:
Sukhran Chandrasekar- First Place in Humorous Interpretation
Alexis Coker, Parthiv Varanasi, Ishan Patel, Labiba Islam, and Aayush Gandhi- 2nd Place in Readers Theatre
Alexis Coker- Dramatic Interpretation Finalist
Sophie Guion- Dramatic Interpretation Finalist
Lubana Islam- Storytelling Finalist
Gauri Mittal, Shriya Jain, Aditi Amin, and Kayla Kurian- Lip Sync Finalists
Parthiv Varanasi, Alexis Coker, and Labiba Islam- Musical Pantomime Finalists
Our next tournament will be December 8th at Renner Middle School. Please see Mrs. Norris during morning tutorials if your student would like to join the team! All grade levels are welcome!
Congratulations!
8th Grade Students - Congrats!
PTA News and Updates
Reflections - Due November 9th
Reflections is a National PTA sponsored arts recognition program that encourages artistic expression. The Reflections theme for 2018 – 2019 is “Heroes Around Me”. Use your imagination to create a film, song, artwork, photograph, poem, short story or dance routine. You may enter as many times as you like in as many categories. Each entry must be accompanied by an official entry form. Be sure to reflect the theme in your work.
Murphy Middle School won the award for the most student participation in Reflections among all the middle schools in Plano ISD, for the last two years! We had 12 Council Award winners last year!! So lets keep the tradition going!
All entries will be due Friday, November 9, 2018.
Entries can be turned in to the front office starting in mid October. There is no limit to the number of entries a student can turn in, but each entry must be accompanied by an entry form.
Spirit Wear Orders- Deadline approaching
Order deadline for all MMS Spirit Wear is October 30, 2018. It's the LAST ORDER of the school year. ORDER NOW at mmspta.org/spiritwear.
Hygiene Kit Drive
TAXPARENCY AND SCHOOL FINANCE, OCTOBER 22ND
DISCOUNT CARDS FOR SALE THROUGH OCTOBER 26TH
Boys and Girls Athletics are selling discount cards. See an MMS athlete by October 26th so you don't miss out on this great deal!