Principal's Message

Dear Families and Scholars,

On behalf of the teachers, staff, and administrative team, I would like to welcome each of you to the Murdy Elementary school community as we embark on the 2025-2026 school year! My name is Dr. Michele Luong and I am proud to be the principal of John Murdy Elementary alongside your assistant principal, Mr. Thao To.  

Murdy has earned a reputation for academic excellence through our various programs on campus. In 2024, Murdy Elementary was the winner of the prestigious 2024 California Association of Bilingual Education (CABE) Seal of Excellence School Award for our Vietnamese Dual Language Immersion Program (VDLI). Our award-winning VDLI Program is effective and successful due to its cohesive school-wide shared vision of biliteracy and clearly defined goals towards educational excellence for all students. With the commitment from all stakeholders and a focus on curriculum and instruction, students have been able to meet the goals of bilingualism and biliteracy, high academic achievement, and sociocultural competence in the VDLI Program. Our inaugural class of VDLI students will be at McGarvin Intermediate this year continuing their Pathway to Biliteracy in secondary education. 

Besides our VDLI program on campus, we also house a robust Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) Program, which is in its 10th year at Murdy. In addition to academic excellence, our school also takes pride in developing the personal skills necessary for students to achieve those academic and social goals.

In 2025, Murdy Elementary was recognized as one of the best communities for Social Emotional Learning in California and earned the 2025 Thriving School Award by SEL4CA and was one of only two schools in Orange County to receive the Platinum Award for System SEL Implementation. Murdy Elementary provides Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) curriculum in conjunction with the framework of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) to support students’ behavioral, academic, social, emotional, and mental health.

All of our school’s successes are not possible without the hard work and commitment of our students, teachers, parents, and staff. I look forward to the continued partnership as we work together to ensure that every child becomes a life-long learner and reaches their academic potential through enriching curriculum, engaging hands-on activities, and inspiring teachers and staff.

It is an honor and a privilege to serve the Murdy Elementary school community and I look forward to working with you to continue our tradition of excellence. 

If I can be of assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me.  

Sincerely,

Michele Luong, Ed.D.

Principal, Murdy Elementary

Our School

The teachers and staff at John Murdy Elementary are hardworking and dedicated to providing our students with high quality learning experiences and preparing them for future success. We are proud to offer an on-site GATE (Gifted and Talented Education) Program and our district’s first Vietnamese Dual Language Program.

We have a strong commitment to STE(A)M, and recognize the importance of getting technology into the hands of our students.  All our students participate in Hour of CODE and many elect to participate in robotics. The last three years, we partnered with a local high school to bring an art teacher to Murdy to provide lessons after school.

Other Opportunities for Murdy Scholars:

• After school STEAM Enrichment (Coding, Robotics)
• Before & After School Intervention/Support
• On-Site GATE Program
• After School Art Programs
• District & County Art Festivals
• Honor's Orchestra
• Honors Chorus
• Cultural Celebrations
• The Gratitude Project
• Community Service Opportunities
• On-site Boys and Girls After School Program