Rising 6th Graders

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5th Grade Showcase at Murchison MS

This event will take place on Tuesday, December 16, 2025.  All 5th graders from our feeder schools (Hill, Doss, Davis, Pillow, and Summitt Elementary) will attend. Students from non-feeder schools that are interested in attending can fill out a registration form.

This is a student-only showcase for those that will be 6th graders in the 2026-27 school year.  Parents should not plan on attending. Students being dropped off by a parent (not coming from a scheduled feeder school) should plan on arriving around 9:30 am to check-in their student at the front office and return at 11:00 am for check-out.

Please note that the 5th Grade Showcase is not an in-depth information session or tour.  Students will see some areas of the school, but are primarily visiting to learn more about MMS elective courses. This will include brief performances from fine arts classes and information about our language offerings.  

Questions

Contact IB Coordinator Megan Meyer.

International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program

Murchison is proud to be a member of the global network of International Baccalaureate (IB) World Schools. As the only IB Middle School in Austin ISD, Murchison is dedicated to offering our students balanced and rigorous coursework to prepare them to become engaged citizens of the world. Our students drive inquiry, strive for multilingualism, participate in interdisciplinary study, and are committed to giving back through student-led community service to improve our school and community.

Every year, our students take a course from eight different subjects each year.

  • Language and Literature (ELA)
  • Mathematics
  • Individuals and Societies (Social Studies)
  • Science
  • Language Acquisition
  • Design (CTE)
  • Fine Arts
  • Physical and Health Education

An important component of the IB program is community service. Students who complete the MYP in Year 3 (8th grade) complete the community project. The community project provides an important opportunity for students to collaborate and pursue service learning. MYP projects are student-centered, and they enable students to engage in practical explorations through a cycle of inquiry, action, and reflection.

Language Acquisition

We offer classes in six foreign languages as well as English for English language learners.

  • Chinese
  • French
  • German
  • Latin
  • Spanish
  • Vietnamese

Most students will follow the following sequence of language learning:

Grade 6: language foundations
Grade 7: level 1 (HS credit)
Grade 8: level 2 (HS credit)

Design (CTE)

Grade 6 students either apply for the year-long Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) course or they will take one semester of IB Foundations and one semester of Career Discovery.

In 7th and 8th grade, students choose from semester and year-long courses (some of which are high school credit). These may include: 

  • Engineering Futures
  • Team Robotics
  • Principles of Information Technology
  • Digital Media

Fine Arts

We offer classes in six different arts programs:

  • Band
  • Choir
  • Dance
  • Orchestra
  • Theatre Arts
  • Visual Arts

Physical and Health Education

Grade 6 students will either take a year-long course of Dance Wellness or Functional Fitness + Physical Education

Students may participate in school sports in 7th and 8th grade. Murchison has the following sports:

  • Football
  • Volleyball
  • Basketball
  • Soccer
  • Cross-Country
  • Tennis
  • Track and Field