Principal's Message

Dear Families and Scholars,  

Welcome to the 2018-2019 school year!  I am excited about the upcoming year and honored to continue to serve as principal at John Murdy Elementary.  John Murdy Elementary is a California Distinguished School with a reputation for academic excellence.  The staff and I are committed to student achievement and growth, and are looking forward to partnering with you for another wonderful year of learning and fun!

The 2018-19 school year promises continued expansion into STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math) learning opportunities school wide, and also in our school-wide use of thinking tools and universal themes.

We will also continue to offer GATE (gifted) services for our students at John Murdy Elementary.  We have an onsite GATE cluster model, where we purposefully place gate-identified students with their academic peers in classrooms with teachers trained in GATE instructional practices and strategies on how to support their unique social-emotional needs.​

This year will mark the second year of our Vietnamese Dual Language Immersion Program, which will include both transitional kindergarten (TK) and kindergarten students. The benefits of biliteracy and bilingualism are well-documented, and I am excited to work in conjunction with our district office as we move forward in our commitment to provide all of our students with a rigorous and supportive academic experience that will prepare them for future success.    ​

It is my belief that schools and families must work together as partners to ensure the success of all our students.  I look forward to continuing this partnership with you.  To all our new families, please feel free to stop by and introduce yourselves.

I look forward to another wonderful year!  If my staff or I can be of any assistance, please do not hesitate to call.

Respectfully,

Marcie Griffith, Principal

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