While there students visit kindergarten classrooms, teachers, and students. They are introduced to a day in the life as a Murray Elementary School kindergartener.
Big smiles were found among these little Tigers! #murrayschools
We congratulate Mya, SaMieya, and Justyss! #murrayschools
(photo from left): Whitney York, MISD Assistant Superintendent, Mechelle Morgan, MISD Director of Instructional Technology , Mary Beth Paschall, Murray Electric Service Community Relations, Sherry Purdom, MISD Public Information Officerr, Heather Scott, Murray Electric System Broadband Billing Clerk, Dr. David Meinschein, EdD., MISD Superintendent, and Denise Whitaker, Murray Elementary School principal.
The Murray Independent School District received a $5,170.00 Technology Grant from Murray Electric System to assist the district with technology demands. Sherry Purdom, MISD public information officer, said the grant assists in each respective programs at Murray Elementary, Murray Middle, and Murray High schools. “We are thankful and appreciative to the Murray Electric System for their unwavering support in helping us continue to meet the evolving technology demands and needs of our students,” Purdom said. “Their sense of community goes above and beyond in every endeavor they undertake.”
Through the grant, Photoshop licenses, upgrading PA Systems, microphones for school programs, video software licenses, updating video and still-shot cameras, and publicity materials for school and community programs will be purchased. #murrayschools
Antony, Daughaday, Krotova , and Peng join a group of more than 15,000 Finalists. These academically talented high school seniors have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 6,900 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $26 million that will be offered this spring.
National Merit Scholarship 2026 winners will be announced in four nationwide news releases beginning in April and concluding in July. High school juniors in the 2026 competition entered by taking the 2024 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, which initially screened program entrants. Merit Scholar designees are selected based on their skills, accomplishments, and potential for success in rigorous college studies.
Since 1974, Murray High School has boasted 55 National Merit Finalists, 9 Semi-Finalists, and 14 National Merit Commended scholars.
🐯🎉 Future Murray High Tigers — this night is ALL about YOU!
On Tuesday, March 10 from 4:00–6:00 PM, we are thrilled to welcome our future Murray High Tigers (current 8th Graders) and their parents/guardians to campus! This come-and-go event is your chance to explore everything Murray High has to offer.
Students will be able to:
🐾 Check out our amazing elective classes
🐾 Meet teachers, staff, and current students involved in clubs & organizations
🐾 Learn about future career pathways with community partners
🐾 Experience our visual & performing arts programs
🐾 Visit academic core areas and tour the entire facility
🐾 Tour the Murray/Calloway County Area Technology Center (ATC)
Be ready to engage, ask questions, and have fun — we’ll even have a scavenger hunt to help you explore!
During the evening, families are asked to make their way to the Murray/Calloway County Area Technology Center (ATC) as part of the experience. Waiting there will be ATC staff and administration to answer questions, provide tours of the facility, and showcase some of the incredible hands-on work our students are doing. We want every student to see what a valuable opportunity the ATC can be!
📣 In the upcoming days, families will receive a short survey along with a brief video from Mr. Jarvis and our school staff with important information to help you prepare — please be watching for it!
We can’t wait to meet you. You are our future, and we want you to be READY TO ROAR! 🐯💛
Seniors Selvam Antony, Ali Yarali, Anastasia Arkova, Cullen Larkin, and Brandon Daughaday along with Junior Josh Sloan won second place in Quick Recall, advancing Murray High School to State Finals for the first time since 2022. MHS won 37-6 against Ballard Memorial in the first round before losing to McCracken 46-18 in the second round. The team persevered, moving up the lower bracket to defeat Caldwell 43 to 3 and Tilghman 34 to 9. Murray High School secured a 35 to 32 victory, punching MHS’s ticket to State Finals.
In individual awards Ali Yarali received his second Regional Social Studies championship and placed third in Composition. Selvam Antony placed third in science, and Anastasia Arkova placed both second in Arts & Humanities and third in Language Arts. Both Selvam and Anastasia received higher placements at Regionals than at our District competition - an amazing accomplishment.
The team is coached by MHS teachers, Adam Pitman and Wesley Bolin.
All volunteers are required to complete yearly confidentiality trainings and submit a new volunteer form.
Each volunteer is required to become approved. This mandates a state-background check.
There is a suggested $10 donation fee to perform the background check,. Once the background check is received and approved the check remains on file five years until another check is required. Remember all volunteers must be approved to attend field trips.
(The online training is still available)
During the ceremony Black History Club members, Mya Brown, Zaye Richardson, Justyss White, KJ Bomar, Lyric Cole, Ayden Wilkerson, King Williams, Jr., Dylan Payne, Meech Carman and Kyson Reed spoke. A special performance was provided by the MHS Choir singing “Lift Every Voice.” The event was hosted by the Murray High Black History Club.
During the program, Mya Brown was crowned the 2026 MHS Black History Queen. SaMieya Cosby, and Justyss White were the attendants. (SaMieya Cosby was absent due to sickness).
To view the assembly visit: https://youtu.be/xi-V42uykMg
Dr. Marteze Hammonds, MHS alumnus and Murray State University graduate , offered a solo performance of Sam Cooke’s A Change is Gonna Come.
Dr. Patterson focused his message on Leadership, Education, and Commitment. “I stand on the shoulders of my elders, and do not take this lightly,” he said. “Those three words—leadership, education and commitment—they tell the story of black history in America. They reflect the perseverance in the face of challenges, excellence in pursuing opportunities and deep sense of responsibility, not only to oneself, but also to future generations,” he said.
Special thanks to Dr. Patterson and his wife, Jenny, for being a part of the MHS Black History Assembly.
#murrayschools
Ann Marie Ulrich, (center) 2026 Mrs. Kentucky Globe and a Murray Independent Bus Driver, gifted the Murray Elementary School Drama students with a rose for their amazing performance in Frozen. Murray Elementary School Drama Club students performed four shows of FROZEN at Murray State University Johnson Theatre this past weekend.
Ulrich serves s a bus driver for the Murray students and will compete for the national title of Mrs. Globe in California this summer.
Area realtors with the Murray-Calloway County Board of Realtors (MCCBR) toured the Murray Middle and Murray High schools as a part of their community school tours. During the tours, Shelley Stubblefield, MMS principal, and Whitney York, MISD assistant superintendent , provided an overview of MMS. Tony Jarvis, MHS Principal, and Heath Walls, MHS Assistant Principal, provided overviews of MHS.
The MCCBR community school tours are a part of the group’s mission to provide education and professional development opportunities throughout the year. To enhance their mission and convey education opportunities to future homeowners, the group will also visit the Area Technology Center.
While at Murray Middle School, realtors posed for a picture on the historic stage inside the MMS auditorium. Realtors pose outside the MHS Memorabilia Case at Murray High School that was constructed by students at the ATC and funded by Murray High School Alumni
At the end of the community tours, the group will visit nine schools in the Murray and Calloway County school districts. #murrayschools
These second and third grade MES Drama Club students, directors, and parents have worked tirelessly for this classic performance. Special thanks to the MISD Foundation For Excellence for their grant assistance to make this a reality.
This past week students performed at the monthly MISD Board meeting, and offered dress rehearsal performances for the Murray Elementary School student body.
We applaud these students and hope you are able to attend one of the no-admission performances. #murrayschools
As a teacher, educator, and leader, Mrs. Harrell's nominations reflected the powerful influence she has on both students and colleagues.
Nominators wrote:
"Shannon not only motivates students—she motivates teachers as well. When this school year began, she was assigned as a mentor teacher to a new MES Resource Teacher, but quickly became a support system for many new staff members across the building."
“Shannon Harrell has been exceptional since day one—not only as a teacher leader, but also as an example of how to help children reach their highest potential, ” said one colleague.
Congratulations Mrs. Harrell, and thank you to CFSB, the Murray Foundation, and our local Sonic team for helping us celebrate the outstanding people who make Murray Independent School District so special.
(Dr. David Meinschein, EdD., MISD Superintendent, Nathan Crafton, MISD Foundation For Excellence, and Tyler Cope, CFSB, are pictured with Shannon Harrell at MISD Board Meeting)
#murrayschools
Congratulations to Mrs. Stone who is an essential part of the Murray High family.
Nominated multiple times by various staff members, Mrs. Stone's nominations speak volumes about the impact she makes each day. Others describe her as kind, knowledgeable, punctual, always ready, and admired her incredible work ethic, ability to multitask, and unmatched warmth.
“Julie is an integral part of Murray High and works closely with ALL stakeholders in our success,” said one nominator.
Congratulations, and thank you for your Tiger Pride Ms. Stone. We appreciate you for all you do for the MHS family. Your dedication and service exemplify what it truly means to be a Tiger.
Special thanks to CFSB, the Murray Foundation, and our local Sonic team for helping us celebrate the outstanding people who make Murray Independent School District so special. #murrayschools
(Mrs. Stone is pictured with Dr. David Meinschein, EdD., MISD Superintendent, Nathan Crafton, MISD Foundation For Excellence, and Tyler Cope with CFSB.)
Since the beginning of January, the class has received 93 total cards. The cards represent 39/50 states, along with four other countries Canada, Antigua, Ireland, and New Zealand. “For every card we receive, we track it on a class map, and we graph it as well,” said Williams. “Not only does this project help to teach geography skills, but it also teaches students the importance of love and kindness. “
“This experience is first and most importantly about us acknowledging and paying tribute to the lives of the people involved and their experience that we have learned about in class. In addition, it is designed to help students better understand how difficult it was to go through a day in the manner of Anne and the other members of the annex space. We know we are barely scratching the surface, but the goal is to give students a better understanding of just how difficult even daily life was,” Fielder said.
Fielder said this is an opportunity to celebrate the courage of those worked tirelessly to protect others during this difficult time in history.
A native of Madisonville, Ky., Carter earned his Bachelor of Music Education degree from Murray State University in 2018. While a student at Murray State, he was an accomplished trumpet performer, appearing at the National Trumpet Competition for four consecutive years and performing at the International Trumpet Guild Conference in 2014. He has been a teacher in the Murray Independent School District since 2019, where he began his career as a general music teacher at Murray Elementary School. In 2023, Carter was appointed Assistant Director of Bands and Choir Director at Murray High School. In 2024, he became Director of Bands at Murray Middle School. Currently, he serves as Director of Bands at Murray Middle School and as Interim Director of Bands at Murray High School. Carter has taught and assisted at multiple grade levels, including the marching band program, sixth, seventh, and eighth grade middle school bands, the high school symphonic band, the Murray High School Jazz Ensemble, and several small chamber ensembles.
Most recently, Carter led the Murray High School Jazz Ensemble in a featured conference performance at the Kentucky Music Educators Association (KMEA) Conference. Under his direction, all ensembles have consistently earned Distinguished ratings at the Kentucky Music Educators Association (KMEA) Concert Assessment and KMEA Choral Assessment.
The Murray Tiger Band has achieved continued success during Carter’s tenure, earning KMEA Class 3A State Marching Band Championships in 2021, 2023, 2024, and 2025. The program also earned Bands of America (BOA) Class 1A Grand National Championships in 2021 and 2024, and most recently placed third in Class 1A at the BOA Grand National Championships this past year.
The 2022 KMEA First District Elementary Teacher of the Year, Carter has adjudicated marching band competitions throughout Tennessee, Carter has served as an adjudicator for numerous solo and ensemble events throughout Kentucky. An active member of the Kentucky Music Educators Association (KMEA) and the National Association for Music Education (NAfME), Carter is committed to providing comprehensive music education experiences that promote musical excellence, student growth, and lifelong engagement in the arts.
“I am very excited to begin this new role in the Murray Independent School District. This district is near and dear to my heart, and I am truly looking forward to the upcoming year and continuing to serve our students, families, and community,” Carter said.
The Murray Elementary School Drama Club’s seventy-three second and third grade members received a surprise during their Frozen rehearsal at Murray State University's Johnson Theatre.
A good-luck video by Kristen Anderson-Lopez, the writer and composer of Frozen and several Disney shows, concluded the student’s rehearsal in a recorded video directed to the Murray Elementary School Drama Club students.
Anderson-Lopez is the cousin of one the MES second grade actresses and lives in NYC while working on Broadway.
The Frozen performances will be Friday, Feb. 20, and Saturday, Feb. 21, at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. each day in the Murray State University Johnson Theatre. There is no admission and it is open to the public.
The Murray Elementary School Drama Club is a 2025-2026 MISD Foundation For Excellence Mini Grant Recipient. This grant allows the group to purchase rights to scripts, music, instructional videos, and performance licensing for their 2025-2026 production.
The Murray Elementary School Theatre Department allows the students to learn about all aspects of the theatre. Each student is given a speaking part and learns the choreography along with blocking, vocals and characterization. #murrayschools
