It's Official:
Fenty Cuts the Ribbon
Sept. 15--Mayor Adrian Fenty was hailed like a sports hero as he arrived for the official "grand opening" of the new Murch playground today. More
PLAYGROUND UPDATE
Isn't the playground amazing? The renovation truly wouldn't have been this extensive and fabulous had it not been for Mayor Fenty's intervention. More
Murch Mission
We, at Ben W. Murch Elementary School, promote excellence in education. Collectively, teachers, staff, parents, and community members are committed to all children achieving at high levels.
We foster the development of lifelong learners who are confident, competent and contributing citizens of our global world
We value equally:
Academic excellence
Cultural Diversity
The uniqueness of every child
The authentic style of teaching and learning
Mutual kindness and respect
On-going faculty development
Open communications among administrators, teachers, parents and children
+ School
Motto: Reach for
the Best
+ School
Colors:
Blue and gold
+ School
Mascot:
The Murch Mustang (and the school’s cupola is also a symbol in
our community, often produced on cards and letterhead)
+ Location: We
are located in Northwest D.C. at 36th Street, between Davenport and
Ellicott streets. Accessible by Metrobus and Metro "Red" line,
Murch is located between Connecticut and Wisconsin Avenues, near
Fort Reno Park, the highest point of land in the District.
+ History: Murch Elementary School has
a long history of educational excellence and community support.
In the 1920s, neighborhood parents formed the District’s
first Home and School Association to press for construction of
a new school. After four temporary buildings were erected on the
Murch site, the HSA pushed for a permanent, more satisfactory solution.
The result was the building we know today, dedicated on May 2,
1930, and named after Ben W. Murch, a prominent and well-loved
local educator who came to Washington from Maine in 1887 and served
as a principal and administrator for D.C. Public Schools from 1887
to 1927. Mr. Murch's favorite quotation was, "Give the world
the best you have and the best will come back to you." This
philosophy has been shared and emphasized with each generation
of Murch students.
The
full history of the school was well documented by Ann Kessler,
a Murch parent and historian in a wonderful booklet entitled,
"A History of Ben W. Murch Elementary School 1930 –
1990," which is available in PDF
format here.
