Marie Murphy Principal Message

Welcome to the 2026–2027 school year! I hope your summer was filled with time to relax, recharge, and make special memories with family and friends. All of us at Marie Murphy are excited to welcome our students back and begin another year of learning, growth, and belonging together.

As you return to campus, you'll notice a few exciting additions to our school grounds. Our Class of 2026 left behind two wonderful legacy gifts that will be enjoyed for years to come: a new Olympic Records display in the gym celebrating our athletic tradition and a beautiful mural, currently being finished, that will soon brighten our stairwell and celebrate the many learning opportunities at Marie Murphy.

We are also thrilled to unveil our new Marie Murphy Tree Walk, made possible through the incredible work of one of our graduates. As you explore our campus, you'll find QR codes placed throughout the grounds that allow students, families, and visitors to learn about the beautiful trees that surround our school while hearing descriptions shared by Marie Murphy graduates. We hope you'll take some time to experience this unique addition to our campus.

Most importantly, we cannot wait to welcome our students back into the building. There is nothing quite like the energy that fills our hallways when school begins again. We look forward to partnering with you throughout the year to ensure every student feels they belong, is challenged to grow, and has opportunities to thrive.

Here's to an amazing school year ahead!

Elena Ryan

Principal

New to the Avoca's Calendar this year are Early Release days. We have four Early Release days over the course of the school year. This includes the first day of school. Students will dismiss at 1:20 pm on early release days. Below is a list of our early release days this school year. Bus service will run on these days.

• Wednesday, August 19th - First Day of School
• Wednesday, October 7th
• Wednesday, May 12th
• Thursday, June 3rd - Last Day of School

All students: On August 10th you will receive an email detailing your student's first-period teacher and welcome back to school information. This information will help your student navigate the first day of school.

On August 7th the 6th grade math placement letters will be mailed home. Expect to see these in your mailbox between the 9th and 12th.

Paid bus service is offered for all students. You can find the information for bus registration linked here. Please note, existing Avoca 37 families that have not registered and paid either in full or made a partial payment by July 24, 2026 will not be able to add bus service until September 14, 2026. New families who move into the district after July 24, 2026 need to register and pay for the bus service as soon as possible.

In the next few weeks, parents will receive communication from the District regarding busing information. This information will include bus stop location and pick-up/drop-off times. Students riding the bus are required to follow our Bus Regulations and Guidelines. Please reach out to Sadie Weiss at weisss@avoca37.org with any questions you may have.

Marie Murphy is looking for 1-2 more lunch supervisors for the year. Please consider applying for this paid position and supporting our safety during the lunch/recess mods. If you are interested, please email Elena Ryan at ryane@avoca37.org. Lunch is from 11:20-1:00 on most days. The formal application may be found here.

Your schedule can be flexible. Even if you can only work 1 day a week it helps us.

All visitors to Marie Murphy must have a valid state ID or driver’s license. Identification is entered into the Raptor identification system. This process only takes a short time to complete. Once you have clearance, the office staff will provide you with a visitor pass lanyard/badge that you must wear throughout the building. The office will hold your ID until you return to the office and return your lanyard. We appreciate your support as we proceed with this district-mandated safety procedure for the safety of our students.

All visitors to Marie Murphy must have a valid state ID or driver’s license. Identification is entered into the Raptor identification system. This process only takes a short time to complete. Once you have clearance, the office staff will provide you with a visitor pass lanyard that you must wear throughout the building. The office will hold your ID until you return to the office and return your lanyard. We appreciate your support as we proceed with this district-mandated safety procedure for the safety of our students.

Monday, August 10 - Welcome back letters emailed home

Tuesday, August 18 - 6th grade supply drop-off 1:00-1:30pm

Wednesday, August 19- First day of school (ends at 1:20)

Thursday, August 20 - First full-day of school (ends at 3:20)

Website: https://avoca37.org/schools/marie_murphy_school
Location: 2921 Illinois Rd, Wilmette, IL 60091, USA
Phone: (847) 251-3617
Twitter: @MarieMurphySch