MURPHY LION LEADER
Empowering and Celebrating the Leaders of Today and Tomorrow
Murphy Elementary School
Website: https://www.northwestschools.net/Domain/14
Location: 2101 Valley Drive, High Ridge, MO, USA
Phone: 636-343-5466
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Murphy-Elementary-School-196041890557036/
Twitter: @Murphylions
MURPHY LEADERS MAKE IT HAPPEN!
Grade Level News
Kindergarten
Counting down the Alphabet is a fun way to end the year.
Each day some Kindergarten students will celebrate, write about, and read about a letter with fun activities. Students come
ready to celebrate the end the of the year alphabet style! Some days we have activities in class and some days students may need to dress or
bring something in. Either way, we are celebrating learning and keeping the learning alive until the end of the year.
First Grade
First grade has been working hard to prepare for 2nd Grade! As we come to the end of units and chapters in Reading and Math we are looking toward strengthening base skill levels and pushing in some 2nd grade curriculum for a little taste of what's to come. We are all about animals and their lives this time of year. The Zoo Field Trip includes a visit to the children's zoo to investigate animal habitats and needs, then off to an educational class where observation, interaction and education come together to introduce us to a variety of animals housed at our St. Louis Zoo.
Paw Prints awards went to seven of our first graders this year. Their writings included, personal narratives, non-fiction research, and fictional stories. Each entry was reviewed by members of the Northwest District Staff and awarded based on a number of qualifiers. We are very proud of our winners.
Writing skills reflect a good reader, which we have many of this year. The students have worked hard to build their reading skills, fluency, and love of books. We have several students who must be told to put their books away so we can move on to other subjects; a problem we love to have!
We hope to see many of our students at Summer Journey in June! The opportunity to apply skills they practiced this year and try new things is a great adventure. We love to see our students grow!!!
Second Grade
Third Grade
Third graders worked very hard on the MAP test. We are so proud of their focus and dedication!
Classes have been busy learning about Missouri History. We are currently learning about the Louisiana Purchase and Lewis and Clark. Third graders will take a field trip to Historic St. Charles to visit The Boathouse Museum and the first Missouri State Capitol. We are also getting excited about our upcoming field trip to Laumeier Sculpture Park. Students will be using math skills to study the sculptures. They will measure approximate perimeters, observe symmetry, identify right angles, and learn about scale.
Fourth Grade
Fifth Grade
What a busy time of year it is for the 5th grade! We have just finished MAP testing and are almost finished with iReady testing. Everyone has been working hard and now it is time to celebrate all that was accomplished while at Murphy. We are wrapping up our elementary school careers with our field trip on May 8th to Sunny Hill Adventure Camp and the 5th Grade Picnic & Celebration on May 11th; hope you’re able to join us.
Parents, it is hard to believe this year is almost over, and middle school is soon your next adventure. Our little ones seem to grow so fast, and it’s all right before our eyes. For those that have not entered the teenage years and the next phase of middle school, remember to be patient! Cherish every moment, every inch grown, every tear, every positive or negative grade, and yes, even every attitude. Take care of your angel, for a child is precious gift! Murphy Elementary teachers and staff say farewell, “We give you back your child, the same child you confidently entrusted in our care for so many years. We give him/her back pounds heavier, inches taller, years wiser, more responsible, and more mature than he/she was before.” Best wishes in all you do, don’t forget to help your child set goals, and make all their dreams come true!Special Areas
Music Room
Murphy students did an awesome job fourth quarter. From learning rhythms in Kindergarten to using them to compose in fourth and fifth grade. First grade did a great job differentiating voices while second grade did a challenging rhythm activity. Finally, our third graders are beginning to read pitches in preparation for next year. Super proud of our Murphy music students!
Music Leaders
What a fun year! So proud of the creativiness the team had. Here is a picture of their last project of the year. They asked classroom teachers if they were in band and what they played. We will miss our fifth grade team member, Chelsy. Good luck next year!
Computer Lab
Kindergarteners have learned color, font, size and image in Google Docs.
First graders have completed their ABC book in Google slides and will continue to use Teach Your Monster to Read.
Second graders are working on their keyboarding skills with Typetastic, typing.com and 2nd grade typing tutorial.
Third graders have worked through their Google Drive complete unit.
Fourth graders researched a person of their choice from World Book Kids and prepared a Google slide presentation.
Fifth graders will be receiving their Google Driver’s License after working through a slide presentation testing their google skills.
Third, fourth and fifth graders continue to work on their keyboarding skills using typingclub.com. Hands on home row! Any extra practice at home this summer would be great!
Art News
The Northwest R1 Annual District Art Show was Saturday April 28th at the Early Childhood Center on Highway MM. The art show is a great way to end our school year by celebrating the outstanding talent from the Elementary Schools, Middle Schools and High School.
Thank You to all who attended!
The 3rd grade classes will also be enjoying a field trip to Laumeier Sculpture park. The project was funded by the Maritz Arts and Education Fund for Teachers, a grant program administered by the Arts and Education Council.
Library
Did you know that when kids read over the summer they are more likely to leap ahead when they return to school? This is often called the “summer leap,” and our school has made it a priority to keep our students’ skills sharp by encouraging them to read all summer long.
Our whole school has been signed up to participate in the Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge, a free online reading program that invites children to log their reading minutes all summer. The goal is for the students in our school to discover the joy and magic of reading, and read the most minutes possible in an effort for our school to earn the title, “Best in State.” With your help, we can do it! Murphy Elementary is challenging each student to read at least a total of 1,800 minutes.
I’m excited to share that the theme of this year’s program is A Magical Summer of Reading! As students log their reading minutes throughout the 18 weeks of summer, they will earn digital rewards as they meet their weekly reading goals. Plus, throughout the summer, students can learn about great new books to read, access fun videos and printables, and more. You’ll also find summer booklists for all ages (in English and Spanish) on the Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge website.
The fun begins on May 7, 2018, and ends on September 7, 2018. I invite you to learn more about the Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge at scholastic.com/summer.
If your child forgot his or her summer reading username, please contact me directly or contact Scholastic at 1-800-SCHOLASTIC or email summerchallengehelp@scholastic.com. For more articles, tips, and free resources for parents, visit scholastic.com/parents. For more games, book recommendations, videos and free activities for kids, visit scholastic.com/kids.
If you do not have internet access, please have your child return his/her completed reading log (found on the back of this letter) to Murphy Elementary Library no later than August 24, 2017 and the librarian will log your child’s minutes.
Have a wonderful summer!
Healthy Habits From the Nurse
Finally, the days are getting longer and warmer and we naturally think about spending more time outdoors. Spring is a great time to try to increase physical activity in your daily routine. Walking is also a great family physical activity. You don’t need any special equipment or location, it’s easily adaptable to many levels of energy and/or fitness, and it’s fun! Walking is an aerobic activity, which means it uses oxygen efficiently, causing our bodies to burn stored fat. For example, a 150-pound person will burn about 100 calories by walking a mile. That doesn’t sound like a lot, but if you walk 4 miles four times a week, you’ll burn 1600 calories. That’s a half pound of stored fat gone! But, you don’t have to walk those 4 miles all at once! Most people walk about 2.5 miles daily, so another 1.5 miles is just about 20-25 minutes more. You can break that up into 2 ten- to fifteen-minute segments daily and you’ll be burning stored fat. Walking is good for both adults and children. Children today are not as active as we used to be, so increasing physical activity is a healthy habit to start. The number of overweight children as increased 150 % in the last 15 years! Inactivity is a major contributor to that statistic.
HOW TO GET THE MOST FROM YOUR WALK
Any form of walking will burn calories and improve muscle definition but concentrate on these main points if you want to get the most from your walk.
§ Focus on distance over speed. Especially if you’re just starting out, it’s better to cover more steps walking at a steady pace than walk too quickly and have to quit after just a few minutes. As your ability to walk briskly improves, you can speed up gradually.
§ Alternate inclines. To help build your muscles, walk some of your steps up stairs, bleachers, or hills.
As you step out this spring, know that physical activity doesn’t have to be strenuous to produce results. Walking lets you raise body temperature, work your muscles, and ultimately burn off stored fat. It’s simple, enjoyable, and an effective weapon in the ongoing battle against bulge. It also improves mental alertness, improves heart health, slows the aging process, and enhances your outlook on life. Don’t forget to protect yourself from the sun’s rays! Wear sunscreen and sunglasses. Good Walking!
Peggy Karleskint, R.N.
HAIRCUTS
PTO UPDATES
PTO BRAG REPORT:
- Solar Eclipse Day Activities
- Veteran's Day Activities
- Dr. Seuss Birthday Activities
- Winter Wonderland
- Hosted 2 class parties- Harvest Party and Valentine's Party
- Held 9 Popcorn Fridays raising over $1,000 and supporting the Student Service Committee and aiding in their donations to 4 charities!
- Held 9 Pretzel Fridays raising over $1,000, and fulfilling countless teacher requests including -
Pencil sharpeners
Sand timers for reading
Digital timers for reading
Writing Process Charts
Magic House Science Program for 2nd Grade
Flex seating chairs
Cutting edge translator
- Successfully collaborated with Leader Newspaper to raise $265 which was used to purchase playground tetherball sets and soccer goals!
- Funded buses for one field trip for each grade ... $1,700
- Continued paying for blacktop outside gym area...$2,000
- Held several successful events that were free to attend, but still raised money for our school:
Father/Daughter Dance
Mother/Son Dance
Halloween Festival
Incredibles Movie Night
- We also did some really fun fundraisers at school:
Family Trivia Night
Bingo Night
- We held several School Stores with the infamous Smencils making a grand comeback to our school.
- We found friends in high places and held our first ever online auction raising over $3,500 which will go toward our new gym projector and screen.
- We worked with the Environment Team and purchased birdhouses for the student team to decorate and represent each grade level.
- Miniature horses made a first time appearance to our school or any school in our district. Blue and Dez read to students during Final Friday and paraded throughout the school starting everyone’s day off with a smile.
- The Little Lion Library was introduced to Murphy during Bounce Back and has been used frequently ever since. PTO is still currently working with Boy Scouts to gift a library to every elementary school in the district. Brennan Woods was presented with one during Bounce Back as well. We can’t wait to share the Lion Library Love with more schools in the future.
- The fifth grade teachers organize a fun celebration for their students moving on to Middle School. We were honored to help make this event even more fun by purchasing autograph books, photo booth, pizza, snacks and drinks. We are also excited to celebrate with these sweet kiddos.
- Field Day is not Field Day without sno cones. PTO makes sno cones for all 500 kiddos and interested staff.
- We love helping make Bounce Back a continued success. We are honored to be a part of a fun tradition for Murphy. PTO with the help of Elevation Church always supplies sno cones, popcorn and cotton candy for free to Murphy families;).
- Teacher Appreciation Week is a very important time to celebrate all our wonderful teachers. This year PTO has surprises for every day of the week including a catered meal for lunch.
- Welcoming teachers back is an exciting time for PTO. We catered a welcome back teacher luncheon For the teachers to enjoy during their long meetings prior to school starting.
- Coffee Cartel is a fun tradition we started this year;). PTO grabs coffee from our favorite local coffee house and strolls the halls offering coffee to our much deserving staff.
- Food nights are a great way to reach out to the community for help while creating a family night too. We gained easy money for our school by participating in 2 food nights at Menchies and McAllister's.
- We aren’t done yet. On the last day of school, PTO scheduled a fun event at Skyzone to celebrate the start of SUMMER!
The Leader in Me
The Importance of Goals
At school, your child may write his or her academic and personal goals in a Leadership Notebook. You will gain a lot of information on how your child is doing if you ask your child to tell you about his or her goals. The goals chosen are meaningful to your child so be sure to practice Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood.
The Leadership Notebook idea can also be used in your home. Create goals such as reading together, eating dinner at the table, or doing an activity together. Involve everyone in the family in choosing a meaningful goal and action steps. Post the goal and the action steps in a visible place and be sure to track and celebrate progress!
NEWS FROM CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION
PAW Print Writing Winners
1st Grade
Maya F., Amber G., Grace., Michael H., Ryley L., Olivia M., Paige S.
4th Grade
Kendra H., Mckenna J.
5th Grade
Megan B., Hawkin O., Abby R., Wanda S., Lindsey W.