Murray Elementary School
A Great Place to Grow
Important Information for Families
Family Handbook
Our Family Handbook is an important tool that helps build a strong and consistent partnership between home and school. It serves as both a helpful guide and a shared agreement between families, students, and staff. Inside, you’ll find important information about our routines, expectations, and resources—everything we need to work together to support your child’s learning and success.
School Attendance is Important!
Why?
Academic Achievement: Attending School regularly allows your child to fully participate in classroom activities, engage with teachers and peers, and stay up to date with their learning.
Skill Development: Beyond academic learning, school is a place where children develop critical life skills such as communication, teamwork, problem solving, and time management.
Well-Being: Regular school attendance helps children build strong relationships with peers and teachers, fostering a sense of belonging.
On January 1, 2025, Albemarle County Public Schools began a new division-wide policy to support student learning: Personal Device-Free Education.
Research shows that when students use cell phones or personal communication devices during class, their ability to focus and retain information decreases, leading to lower academic performance. Beyond classroom distraction, frequent use of personal devices and social media can have long-term impacts on adolescents’ attention, concentration, and mental health.
To create a healthier, more focused learning environment, ACPS has established a device-free school environment. This initiative ensures that all students can engage fully in instruction and school activities without the interference of digital distractions or personal communication devices.
What that means for Murray for Access to Personal Devices?
- Students may not use personal communication devices (such as cell phones, Apple Watches, etc.) at any time during the school day, from the first bell to the last bell (Bell-to-Bell).
- Ideally, personal devices should be left at home. If a student brings one to school, it must stay stored away for the entire day.
School Safety
We will conduct a variety of emergency drills throughout the year to ensure we are prepared to prevent, respond to, and recover from any crisis that may occur. These drills help us practice the safest and most effective actions to keep our students and staff safe.
Using ACPS’s Emergency Response Protocols, we will conduct:
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Fire Drills
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Lockdown Drills
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Tornado Drills
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School Evacuation Drills
Listening Conferences
A listening conference is an opportunity for parents or caretakers to meet with the teacher and share background information about your child’s experiences that you feel would be helpful for the teacher to know. During the conference, the parent or caretaker does most—or all—of the talking, while the teacher listens and takes notes.
The insights gained from these conversations help the teacher build a strong relationship with your child and create a supportive classroom community.
Please watch for more information from your child’s teacher about scheduling your listening conference.
