Murray PTO

Dear Murray Families,

Thank you all so much for such an incredible and smooth start to the school year! Your collective energy, enthusiasm, and dedication over these opening weeks have laid a fantastic foundation for our students and staff, and we are so grateful for this amazing community.

As we move into the next chapter of the term, we are thrilled to announce several exciting new fundraising opportunities designed to enrich our school programs. You can find all the details on how to get involved further down in this newsletter. To make these initiatives a success, we are actively looking for enthusiastic parents and guardians to join us—please take a moment to look over our current volunteer needs to see where your unique talents might fit.

We also want to keep celebrating the everyday moments that make our school special! Please continue sending in your favorite snapshots of school events, sports, and daily activities to be featured in our upcoming Murray Highlights section.

Thank you for your ongoing partnership, your time, and your commitment to making Murray a wonderful place for every student to learn and grow.

Warmly,

Lynnae Erwin, President

Mandi Rupp, President

Nia Anderson, Treasurer

Kerrin Flanagan, Secretary

SPPS Proposal for Mid-Year Terminations and Reallocations (slides)

St Paul Federation of Educators (Union) petition for a public School Board vote: petition

See proposed changes HERE

RSVP - Tuesday, October 20th at 4:30pm at 360 Colborne as we rally before the school board meeting to demand that there are no mid-year terminations of EL Teachers.

The district is currently proposing a mid-year staffing cuts that involves the termination of 18 tenured teacher positions. Unlike standard end-of-year contract adjustments, these administrative actions are taking place midway through the school year.

Because the affected educators hold tenured contracts, specific contractual policies are activated:

• The Seniority "Bumping" Process: Under current contract guidelines, tenured teachers whose positions are eliminated have the right to "bump" colleagues with less seniority. This can create a cascading shift in staffing across multiple schools within the district.

• Classroom Disruptions: As a result of this chain reaction, some students may experience a change in their assigned classroom teachers before the school year concludes.

The district tis proposing mid-year adjustments to address budgetary constraints due to shifting enrollment patterns across the district. However, parents and staff have raised concerns about the timing, noting that mid-year transitions can disrupt established student-teacher relationships and classroom continuity. The PTO will continue to share updates on how these changes might affect our specific school community.

Wave 1: 8:00 am – 12:00 pm

Wave 2: 12:15 pm – 4:15 pm

Date: Saturday, January 23rd

Venue: DeGidio's Italian Restaurant

As you can see Murray PTO has two large fundraisers happening on the same day (January 23rd). We will be needing volunteers both the day of the events as well as leading up to the events. Volunteers may be asked to shop for concession food, set up/tear down, work the concession stand, request/collect donations for the auction or sell auction tickets.

If you are interested in volunteering or learning more about what is needed please fill out this short survey.

Thank you for the Murray Highlights submissions! Please keep them coming so we can keep sharing out all of the wonderful things happening at Murray Middle School!

A group of 34 eighth-grade students traveled to Washington, D.C. over the long MEA weekend for an exciting and educational adventure. The students explored the nation's capital, taking in historic monuments, world-class museums, and iconic landmarks. A huge thank you goes out to the three dedicated adult chaperones - Ms. Croone, Ms. Steinhoff, Ms. Steiner, and Ms. Helmen—whose time and leadership made this memorable trip possible for everyone involved.

Murray spirit wear is still available for purchase through our showroom at Thread Art. Orders can be shipped directly to your home for a fee, or you may choose free pickup at the store. For an additional no-cost option, the PTO will periodically pick up orders and deliver them to the school—perfect if you are not in a hurry. Be sure to browse the latest selections, including our special Murray 100th Anniversary shirts, a wonderful way to celebrate this milestone year while showing your school spirit!

Murray Spirit Wear - scroll down to the Murray Middle School showroom. Choose your logo style and then choose your spirit wear!

Monday, Sept 28

Thursday, Oct 22

Monday,November 16

Thursday, December 17

Monday, January 25

Thursday, February 18

Monday, March 29

Thursday, April 29

Monday, May 24