Murray Avenue School

Dear Murray Avenue Families,

It is safe to say that winter has officially moved in and made itself comfortable! With this recent streak of sub-freezing temperatures, I know getting out the door in the morning feels a bit more like preparing for an arctic expedition than a school day.

However, there is something truly special about Murray Avenue during these "deep freeze" days. While it may be gray and chilly outside, the energy inside our building is anything but. Walking through the hallways, I am constantly reminded that our students bring their own sunshine.

Despite the indoor recesses and the extra layers of gear, I’ve been incredibly impressed by the resilience of our 4th, 5th, and 6th graders. They haven't let the cold dampen their curiosity. Whether it’s a deep dive into a new book, a collaborative math challenge, or just sharing a laugh in the cafeteria, the "warmth" of our school community is stronger than ever.

We are officially past the halfway mark of the school year, and while the ground might be frozen, our students are growing faster than ever. Let’s keep that momentum going!

Also, as a friendly reminder, we head outside for recess whenever the "feels like" temperature is 21 degrees or higher.

Lately, we’ve noticed many students arriving without the gear necessary to stay warm in these temperatures. We want everyone to be able to join their friends on the playground rather than staying inside, so please help your child prepare each morning.

Cold Weather Essentials:

• Layers: A warm coat over a sweater or sweatshirt is best.

• Accessories: Don’t forget hats, scarves, and gloves or mittens.

• Labels: Please write your child’s name on the tags of their winter gear so we can return any "stray" items to the right person!

Thank you for your partnership in keeping our students healthy, active, and warm!

Warmly,

Mr. Erin Stroup

Principal

Murray Avenue School

January

• 2/2-2/6 National School Counseling Week and Candy Grams Selling Week

• 2/9-2/12 Candy Grams

• 2/10 PTA Pretzel Day

• 2/11 PTA Meeting 9:15am

• 2/16-2/17 Holiday-Schools Closed

• 2/19 PTA Family Science Event

• 2/24 PTA Pretzel Day

We recognize that many students bring tech devices to school from home for multiple valid purposes. Please remind your students, however, that they are not to use phones or smart devices during the school day. All devices are required to be off and in their lockers. Thank you for your assistance.

Click on the image to view Ariela Golik's featured artwork!

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Just as a reminder, please take a moment to review the district’s policies and procedures regarding your child’s health.

If your child requires medication to be given during the school day, it is the policy of the LMTSD that:

-All medications to be administered must be brought to school by the parent/ guardian.

-All medications to be administered must be in the original container and prescription medication must be in the container with the prescription label attached, indicating dosage and dispensing information (https://www.boarddocs.com)

If your child has a fever of 100.4 or above, has vomited or has diarrhea he/she should not come to school. Your child may return to school when he/she has been fever free for 24 hours without medication, or has not vomited or had diarrhea for 24 hours.

Please refer to the Student Handbook for information regarding reporting student illness and documentation from a physician for absences.

If your child requires to stay in for recess for a medical reason, a doctor’s note must be provided. The note should include the reason and the specific dates he/she is required to not participate in recess.

If possible, please provide an extra set of clothing to keep in your child’s backpack/locker for emergencies.

Please remember to check your child’s head periodically for lice. Screening by parents on a regular basis allows for early detection.

If your child is in 6th Grade, and you have not provided a completed Physical Form, please do so as soon as possible.

Thank you for your help and cooperation.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Sharon Seefried RN, CSN sseefried@lmtsd.org

215-938-0230 ext. 4202

This is a reminder that Lower Moreland will utilize the Talking Points platform again this year. This will allow families to communicate with the district using whichever language they are the most comfortable with! You will receive communications via text message, however the experience is even better if you use the app, available for all platforms!

Lunch menus are posted on a new interactive website, Nutrislice. Our innovative and interactive site and mobile app make our school menus more convenient and informative than ever before! Download the Nutrislice App from the App Store or get it on Google Play and search Lower Moreland.

Friendly reminder that the universal free lunch has ended, however free breakfast will be continuing! Students that would like a free breakfast in the morning will walk straight to the cafeteria upon arrival. Students can eat breakfast in the cafeteria and granola bars, muffins, and cereal bars are also available if your student would like to save their breakfast for snack time.

Additionally, for the 2024-2025 school year, all students who are designated to receive “reduced” meals, will also be automatically qualified for free meals. There will be no reduced prices charged for the 2024-2025 school year.

The District is strongly encouraging families to fill out the Free and Reduced Applications if you believe your family will qualify. Information on income qualifications and paper applications can be found at : https://www.lmtsd.org/services/food-services-cafeteria-information

As field trips are scheduled, if you are unable to afford field trips, please reach out to your student's counselor, as assistance may be available.

Greetings from the Library!

For kids growing up in a world where algorithms drive social media feeds, and where a quick AI
prompt can generate photos or videos that look real, it’s not a surprise that they come to question or doubt everything.

February 2-6 is National News Literacy Week, a joint enterprise from the News Literacy Project, The E.W. Scripps Company (that's right, the 'Spelling Bee' people), and USA Today.

In conjunction with NNLW, we're teaching lessons to help empower kids to more skillfully judge for themselves what information to trust, believe, share and base decisions on. We're cultivating a healthy skepticism (not cynicism) by helping teach kids to stay grounded with facts.

To get involved & learn more:

https://newslit.org/news-literacy-week/
http://newsliteracyweek.org/
#NewsLiteracyWeek

Website: https://murrayave.lmtsd.org/
Location: 2551 Murray Avenue, Huntingdon Valley, PA 19006
Phone: 215-938-0230

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