The BULLetin
December 19, 2019
Principal's Message
Over the past 8 years I have tried to share a bit of myself both as a teacher and parent. My own children have navigated their junior high years as I have tried to navigate being a junior high principal. And much in the same way that adolescents stumble through adolescence, I stumbled through the ups and downs of being a principal. I hope, for the students, parents and staff that have been on this journey with me for the past 8 years or just 18 weeks, it's been more ups than downs. I look forward to taking a moment to reflect in the coming days, weeks and months. I hope when I do, I see that the work that I did made a small difference. I have been given reminders of how actions and words can have an impact on those around us. I believe that my work has made a small difference in the lives of others.
Being the principal of Murphy Junior High has been a significant part of my identity for the past 8 years. It has been a mantel that I have proudly worn but it has also been a source of pride of my wife and kids. They have grown up here too. It is part of their identity too. There have been few trips to the grocery store, out to eat, the movies or even Mexico when I haven't said, "There's one of my kids" or "That's a parent of one of my kids." I know there were moments when my own children were somewhat annoyed by this reality and other times they marveled that I knew everyone. But I always was proud of being the principal of Murphy.
As I write those previous sentences, I notice my pronoun usage. "My" kids. That's exactly how I felt about the 415 students we had in 2012 and that's how I feel today about the nearly 800 we have today. Each and everyone of the students here, I view as, "my" kid. I worked really hard to treat each student the way I would treat my own children.
I could go on. But I won't. In closing I will say...
Murphy is absolutely a part of me. While it may seem odd that I am choosing to leave my position in the middle of the school year, it's simply part of the crooked path that each of our lives chart. Not everything happens on an August to June timeline. Sometimes the right thing comes along when you least expect it. And sometimes, no matter how hard or scary it is, you know in your heart that it is time for a change.
My wife shared a post with me this morning, it read: "And suddenly you know... it's time to start something new and trust the magic of beginning." It spoke deeply into my soul. So as 2020 peeks from around the corner, I am excited to trust the magic of new beginnings.
And as I've said before, at Murphy we don't say good bye, we simply say, "See you soon."
NJHS
Hello Maverick families! We are pleased to announce that over 50 boxes here at Murphy were adopted for Operation Christmas. We would like to thank all of the families who adopted a box. Every box helps a child in need. Those boxes filled with school supplies, toys, and hygiene products will go to children that have been hurt by situations such as war and famine. Thank you so much to everyone who has donated a box and made a child’s Christmas this year!
Thank you from the Murphy NJHS
5-Essentials Survey for Students
Dear Parents,
We are writing to remind you about a student survey that will be administered at your child’s school called the Illinois 5Essentials Survey, a statewide survey of school climate and learning conditions. The survey provides a unique opportunity for students to have a voice in improving their schools.
On Friday, December 20th during our Advisory rotations, all students at Murphy Junior High will be asked to take the brief research-based survey to help identify strengths and weaknesses in their school’s learning environment. Student participants will be required to log-in using their student state ID and birth date in order to complete the survey. Students’ identities will be completely confidential. Teachers or administrators will never see individual responses to survey questions and will only receive aggregated information, such as the total percentage of students who agree homework assignments help them learn the course material.
If you would not wish to have your student participate, this form will need to be completed and returned to the building prior to our survey administration window.
In addition, the 5Essentials parent survey is continues to be open through February 14, 2020. Your participation in the parent portion of the survey will help us understand the conditions at your child’s school and guide improvement. Your identity and survey responses will be kept completely confidential and will never be connected to you or your child. To participate as a parent, please visit https://survey.5-essentials.org/Illinois/ and enter Kendall county then the appropriate school to begin.
Sincerely,
Laura Bingham
Murphy Toys for Tots
THANK YOU for your continued support with the Toys for Tots program. We are excited to have our "Murphy Elves" load the toys onto the fire truck and head to the Oswego Fire Department tomorrow to unload the items and have breakfast provided by the OFD. We are truly grateful for your generosity.
Scouts for Souls
PTO
The Murphy PTO does not do any fundraising as a PTO. Instead we ask families to make an annual donation to the PTO. These donations help us to provide classroom grants, student events, staff appreciation, community awareness 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!
The PTO can accept credit card payments for annual donations. You can also make your family’s annual donation via SignUp Genius by clicking on this link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0445aaaa22ab9-20192020 UPDATED LINK. If you prefer to send your donation in with your student, please print out the form below and send it to school with your student.
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).
SAVE THE DATE! Trivia Night!
Yearbooks are On Sale
LOOK FORWARD TO LOOKING BACK
Capture the good times with a yearbook that your student will hold on to forever.
Meet & Eats
Every Student. Every Day.
Ms. Miller's Genius Hour
6th Grade Music Students
6th grade musicians saw Mary Poppins at the Drury Lane theater on 12/18. It was a great show and the students had a supercalifragilisticexpialidocious time!
Local Choirs Visit Murphy
Spotlight acapella group from Oswego East high school visited eighth grade choir today.
Both groups performed and talked about singing in high school/college. We loved listening and appreciate them visiting!
Mavericks Make a Difference
We are continuing our Mavericks Make a Difference Volunteer Program this year. Students who acquire 25 volunteer hours per year (current 8th graders only need 50, 6th and 7th graders need 75) throughout their time at Murphy Junior High will be recognized at 8th grade promotion night. Below is a list of volunteer opportunities throughout the surrounding communities. Please fill out the following form to track your hours. Forms are due to Brian Falli on or before Friday, April 24.
Service Hour Verification Form
Oswego Lions Club Youth Service Awards Program- At the end of the Lions Club Service Year in June 2020, any District 308 student volunteers (ages 11-18) who have completed at least 25 hours of qualified and approved service work will receive an award from the Oswego Lions Club recognizing them as a Lions Young Leader in Service. See the flyer for more information.
Oswego Lions Club Flyer Oswego Lions Club Service Hour Tracking Sheet
Ongoing events:
Marklund - Serving people with autism spectrum disorder and other special needs https://www.marklund.org/volunteer/
Giving DuPage - This website connects volunteers with volunteer opportunities in DuPage County https://givingdupage.org/volunteer-portal-2/
Project Linus
https://www.projectlinus.org/volunteer/volunteer.php?StateKey=IL#tgt
Arbor Day https://www.arborday.org/takeaction/
Oswego Natural Resources https://www.oswegolandparkdistrict.org/get-involved/volunteers/#1
Plainfield Public Library https://plainfieldpubliclibrary.org/about/volunteer-opportunities/
Feed My Starving Children https://www.fmsc.org/volunteer-listing/?chosen_mode=Site%20or%20Event%20Name&search_term=Aurora,%20IL&miles=25&minimum_spots=1&time=Any%20Time%20of%20Day&search_start=2019-08-19&search_end=2019-11-17
Fox Valley Park District (under 14 must have a parent) https://www.foxvalleyparkdistrict.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/VolunteerInterestForm_Fillable.pdf
Kendall County Forest Preserve https://www.co.kendall.il.us/forest-preserve/volunteer-opportunities/
Village of Montgomery https://ci.montgomery.il.us/201/Volunteer-Opportunities
Gigi’s Playhouse https://gigisplayhouse.org/foxvalley/fox-valley-volunteer-interest
Naperville Area Humane Society - must have adult https://www.naperhumane.org/volunteer
Habitat for Humanity https://www.habitat.org/volunteer/near-you/youth-programs
Oswego Senior Center http://oswegoseniorcenter.org/volunteer/day-to-day-volunteer-opportunities/
Kendall County Food Pantry https://www.kccfoodpantry.org/get-involved/
Weekly Cat Care at Aurora Petsmart/Naperville Petco https://www.volunteermatch.org/search/opp2902893.jsp
- Association for Individual Development https://www.aidcares.org/volunteer/
Ms. Avignone
Student Services Spotlight
Practice SAT for Murphy Students - 1/17/20
As in previous years, Murphy will host a practice SAT at our school. This practice test will be Friday, January 17th on a shortened attendance day. The cost of the test is $5 and payment must be brought on the day of the test. Registration is limited to the first 100 students.
Please click on the following link for further information and to register your student: Practice SAT Sign Up
6th/7th Graders - Elective Course Selection for 2020-2021
12/13 at 8am - elective selection window closes in TylerSIS for 6th/7th graders
Current 7th grade students cannot retake semester-long electives again next year in 8th grade
Students must sign up for enough electives to fill two class periods each semester
Completing Course Section for 2020-2021
Course Description Guide - Electives
American Heart Challenge at Murphy
Upcoming Events
12/20
- SIP Day (11:40am dismissal) NO LUNCH SERVICE
12/23-1/3
- Winter Break - Building Closed
1/6
- Start of Semester 2
- 1st Musical Rehearsal
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
Mission Statement
Murphy Junior High School is an inclusive and supportive community that promotes student success by ensuring ALL students are college and career ready.
Vision Statement
Every student. Every day. Grow. Inspire. Empower.
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