Mustang Message

Entries due by January 24th, 2025

We want entries with a lot of BRIGHT color. The theme at school this year is “Murchison’s 25th Birthday”. You may use that theme for ideas for your cover artwork. Please use a white 8.5” X 11” sheet of paper and make sure your artwork is oriented vertically/portrait. You may use any art medium you prefer, crayons, markers, watercolors, etc. Let’s see your brightest, most fun representation of our school and learning.

Teacher’s will vote on all entries. The top overall vote getter will be the front cover of the yearbook. The top from each grade will be shown on the back cover of the yearbook.

Questions? Email: murchison.pto.yearbook@gmail.com

The Texas Education Agency has released the Federal Report Card based on data from the 2023-2024 school year. See information about the Federal Report Card for MES here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YwJLPSwagZD7LFYLkuIuhIX-rE3OUzl3/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=106675285707929045048&rtpof=true&sd=true

Check out these Family Engagement Events offered by Pflugerville ISD for January: https://drive.google.com/file/d/11IhGkRZgryuZ0bPNORnEEnPO8TnsG5yZ/view?usp=sharing

Learn more about 504 at the Parent Palooza! See details here: https://www.canva.com/design/DAGbuOK8A-I/ZTaV3uS1Rea4GUhXcjOx4Q/watch

See the flyer below with information about the Healthy Kids Running Series if your child would like to participate!

Ms. Grillo & the MES Library is so excited to welcome award-winning author Chris Barton to visit all students at MES on January 24th! If you would like to purchase a book on your own through Amazon or another vendor (or you already have one of his books from home you would like him to sign) please have your student bring it to the library at some point next week (Jan 21-24) marked with their name and teacher. Chris will be able to sign it during his author visit on the 24th. Any questions please reach out to Ms. Grillo at theresa.grillo@pfisd.net

*If you have already ordered a book from Black Pearl, those will be signed and delivered to your child on the day of the author visit*

Shaping the 2025-2026 Academic Calendar: Your Voice Matters

Pflugerville ISD is committed to creating an academic calendar that reflects the diverse needs of our students, families, and staff. As we plan for the 2025-2026 school year, we invite our students, families, and staff to play an active role in shaping a calendar that supports high-quality instruction, respects family schedules, and honors important holidays while prioritizing professional development for our educators.

The proposed calendar options were thoughtfully crafted by the District Academic Advisory Council (DAAC), a collaborative group of parents, staff, and community members dedicated to ensuring the academic calendar aligns with our district's goals and values. Their work aims to balance instructional time, teacher planning needs, and the unique dynamics of our community.

This year, the DAAC has developed two calendar options for your consideration: Draft 1 and Draft 2. To help you make an informed choice, we have also included a Side-by-Side Comparison of the two drafts.

• Draft 1

• Draft 2

• Side-by-Side Comparison
  We encourage you to review the drafts and share your thoughts. Your feedback is invaluable in helping us finalize a calendar that works for everyone.

Does your 4th or 5th grade love problem-solving and board games? Then your child might be interested in Math Pentathlon!

Math Pentathlon is a program where students will meet after school to learn and practice 5 fun math board games with other 4th and 5th graders. Practice will begin Tuesday, January 14th and continue through the end of April. After learning and practicing all 5 games, students will compete in a tournament on April 26th at Leander ISD, Rouse High School. The tournament cost is $49/child until February 24th. After that date, the cost is $62. I will pass along the tournament registration information after practices have begun. In order to participate in the tournament, one parent needs to be available to accompany your child and stay to help with the tournament on April 26th.

If your child is interested in joining our team, please follow the link below to register your child by Friday, January 31st as there is limited room. In addition, if you would like to volunteer to help coach please let me know. I would love to have you as part of my coaching team! In order to participate, your child must be able to stay after school for practice on Tuesdays until 4:00 pm. Our first practice will be Tuesday, January 14th.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe-kJWZ9tZKPA8xpmCJlUtQ1TgEq2tXmgVindjQzBWJpT5N6g/viewform?usp=sf_link

If you have any questions don’t hesitate to contact me at Nancy.Lorfing@pfisd.net.

Thank you,

Nancy Lorfing and Linda Helmsin

Math Pentathlon Coaches - Division III

Murchison Elementary will be hosting GirlStart again this Spring. Girlstart After School provides 4th & 5th-grade girls with a fun, free, weekly STEM enrichment program in the fall and spring semesters that builds confidence and encourages them to pursue paths to higher education and discover more significant career opportunities. Additionally, Girlstart After School seeks to enhance and supplement girls’ classroom science learning through engaging activities that introduce important STEM concepts in a hands-on and informal environment. As a standards-aligned STEM program, Girlstart After School supports the science and math learning recovery for our participants. Girlstart’s STEM CREW program leaders serve as role models and empower their program members to be “brave, creative, and curious.”

The first Girlstart club will be on January 23rd and will take place weekly on Thursdays from 3-4:15 p.m in room 402. Students can sign up by completing the registration/permission form found here: Registration Form (English) or Registration Form (Spanish). The deadline to apply is Wednesday, January 15th. Participation in Girlstart will be determined on a first-come, first-served basis. Please ensure that weekly participation will be consistent before registering your child.

If you have questions or concerns, please contact Chinwe Onwujuba (chinweokwu.onwujuba@pfisd.net)

Coach Harvey and Coach Smith are excited to bring Kids Heart Challenge back to Murchison. Kids Heart Challenge (Formally Jump Rope for Heart) brings awareness and support to the American Heart Association. This challenge also gives back directly to Murchison PE to help with equipment and supplies. You student(s) should have brought home a packet describing what the program is and how to register. Hope you will join us as we bring awareness and support to the AHA.

Here is Murchison's KHC page: https://www2.heart.org/site/TR?fr_id=11259&pg=company&company_id=489022

We are very excited for the new year at Murchison Elementary School in Pflugerville, TX! Our wonderful Coach Harvey and the Murchison Elementary PTO are looking for business sponsors for our 2025 T-Shirt for Field Day, which will take place on Friday, March 14, 2025 and Mustang Stampede Fun Run which will take place on Friday, April 11 at our campus. Field Day and The Mustang Stampede are our two biggest events for students in the spring. Having one shirt they can wear to both events adds to the sportsmanship and unity for our students while they get active and have a blast outside!

With your help & sponsorship, we will be able to provide EVERY student at Murchison Elementary with a FREE school t-shirt, with your business name or logo on the back. This shirt will be worn at multiple events by over 750 students, providing continuous exposure for your business! We have tiers ranging from $250-$2,000 for all levels of support.

Thank you so much for your consideration. If you are interested in participating, please fill out the linked Google Form document or respond with any questions you might have. I’m looking forward to hearing from you! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSereEWz1V_z7CX3hzPTMuNWIq7M4ExOZa6ziSNjAkXNMFODTQ/viewform?usp=header

Want to make a staff members' day? Give them a shout-out through the PfISD Pfamily Pflyer! Click here to submit your Pfamily Kuddos for the google form.

The 2023-2024 Texas Academic Performance Report (TAPR) is now publicly available on TEA’s website here.

Campus TAPRs will also be posted to each webpage in the “About Us” → “Performance Indicators” section.

I will briefly review the results of the TAPR at the PTO meeting on February 11.

Our Special areas team will regularly update their newsletter. To see updates for PE, Art, Music, and STEM, click here: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1L9KEOq4FWj4X5t8_MrxoIv1P_sEIecSsQMjKaZtZzoI/edit?usp=sharing

January 20 -- No School (Student and Staff Holiday)

February 11 -- PTO meeting at 6:30 p.m.

February 14 -- Valentine's Day parties

February 17 -- No School (Student Holiday)

February 18 -- Jump Rope Challenge Kindergarten-1st Grade (parents can come into the gym in the morning to see students jump rope, challenge their parents, and show their skills!)

February 19 -- Jump Rope Challenge 2nd-3rd Grade

February 20 -- Jump Rope Challenge 4th-5th Grade, XSTREAM Night (more information coming soon)

February 18-21 -- PTO Penny Wars (more information coming soon)

Find the whole Pflugerville ISD academic calendar here: https://www.pfisd.net/calendar

Website: https://mes.pfisd.net/
Location: 2215 Kelly Lane, Pflugerville, TX, USA
Phone: 512-594-6000
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/murchisones/