Melissa Murphy's Class

8th Grade ELA - West

Teacher Information

Where are you from? 
I was born and raised on Long Island. I live in Lindenhurst, and I owe my choice of career to the wonderful educators of Lindenhurst High School. It is there that I was first introduced to the study of languages.

What is your education?
I attended Stony Brook University, where I completed my BA in Hispanic Language and Literature. I graduated in 2013, magna cum laude, and I have been teaching ever since. When it came time to continue my education, I decided to pursue my love of the English language, completing my MA in English through the online program of Southern New Hampshire University.

Favorite Saint?
St. George is the Patron Saint of Books, so it should be no surprise that he is my favorite!

Favorite Quote?
There are many quotes from the series that I could leave you with, but I am going to share one that speaks to the importance of choice: “It matters not what someone is born, but what they grow to be” (Rowling, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire). One of the most important parts of my job as an educator is to give my students the chance to make good choices and to help them grow into successful young adults.

Favorite Book?
I grew up reading the Harry Potter series; these novels helped shape me as a person, and my aunt is the one who taught me that reading can take you to places you never dreamed of going.

Favorite Verse?
And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians
 

2022 - 2023 School Year

Welcome!
You are never too old to be read to! One of my favorite experiences to share with my students is reading, and we will read entire novels completely as a class. This is thanks to the block scheduling that we offer at OLG, which means I spend a full 80 minutes a day with each of my English classes. This may sound like an eternity, but I promise to fill each day with a good amount of book time, note taking, and fun and games! If the weather permits, we even go read outside sometimes!

As an end of year project, students write screenplays involving characters from the novel(s) we have read over the year. Students have the chance to act out each other’s work, and it is always fun to see what plots my students come up with!

Message to Parents
I am so thrilled to be working at Our Lady of Guadalupe because of the culture that is promoted within a dual-language school. As a native English speaker who studied both Spanish and Italian extensively, I know the importance of learning a new language. It is my goal to be able to help not only your children, but also you, the parents, in navigating through the school year.

Email is the best way to reach me; I will respond within 24 hours. Please reach out with any questions or concerns. As I have said to each of my students, I cannot solve a problem that I do not know exists. Here at OLG we are committed to a family atmosphere; it is one of the reasons why I have decided to pursue a career in Catholic education. I look forward to working with you all.