The Tohickon Golden Eagle
April 2017
THE FINAL MARKING PERIOD HAS ARRIVED!!!
Dear Tohickon Families,
The fourth marking period arrives on Friday, April 7th. It is very hard to believe that we are beginning the final stretch of the school year. The last marking period of the school year is always the busiest for staff and students. There are several important events to be aware of as we begin this month.
During the first and last weeks of the month, we will be administering the PSSA Tests in the areas of English and Mathematics for grades seven and eight. We encourage those taking the exams to get a good night's sleep and eat well in order to be properly prepared for the tests. If you can assist us with this, it would be greatly appreciated.
The National Junior Honor Society Induction is scheduled to take place on Thursday, April 6th, in the Tohickon Auditorium. The event will begin promptly at 7:00 PM. We are honored to have our State Representative Marguerite Quinn deliver the keynote address.
The Ninth Grade Students will be going to Washington, DC on Wednesday, April 12th. This is an event that our students look forward to all year. Students and staff going on this trip will be leaving early in the morning and arriving back at Tohickon at approximately 9:00 PM.
Lastly, Relay for Life is quickly approaching. In preparation for the event, the Relay for Life Chaperone Meetings will be held on Tuesday, April 18th and Wednesday, April 19th in the Tohickon Auditorium. These are important, mandatory meetings for any adults that have chosen to chaperone the event.
If you have any questions about the upcoming events this month, please do not hesitate to call the Tohickon Main Office at 267-893-3300. There is a more detailed calendar below. Mr. Dudley and I wish you the best as we enter the final phase of the 2016-2017 School Year!
Sincerely,
Kevin Marton, Principal
The April Calendar of Events
There are several upcoming events that students and parents should be aware of. The events for the month of April are as follows:
April 4, 5, 6 and 7
- PSSA ELA Testing in AM for Grades 7 and 8
April 6
- Math Club Meets at 2:30 PM
- NJHS Induction 7-8 PM in Tohickon Auditorium
April 12
- 9th Grade Students to Washington, DC
April 13
- Parent-Teacher Conferences - NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS
April 14 and 17
- NO SCHOOL - HOLIDAY
April 18 and 19
- Relay for Life Chaperone Meetings 7:00 PM
April 20
- Parent Council Meeting 9:00 AM
- Reading Olympics Competition at Unami Middle School
April 25, 26 and 27
- PSSA Math Testing in AM for Grades 7 and 8
April 28
- Red Cross Blood Drive in Tohickon Cafeteria 3 - 8PM
TOHICKON STUDENTS MAKE THEIR MARK AT SCIENCE OLYMPIAD
This year the Science Olympiad Club traveled to Neumann University to compete in the regional competition. Events ranged from knowledge based tests of stars and constellations to tower building, rubber band propelled aircraft and bottle rockets. Competing against 27 other schools, Tohickon finished 14th overall! In addition we had a group take 4th overall in Anatomy and Physiology as well as a tremendous 2nd place finish for our Optics group! Congrats to all for a great performance!
TOHICKON JAZZ BAND COMPETITION SEASON COMES TO AN END
On March 31st, the Tohickon Jazz Band ended their competition season on a high note by earning the overall rating of Superior for their performance of “Gonna Fly Now," “Jericho” and “Chameleon”.
The accolades continued with the Trombone Section being recognized Best Trombone Section, and Patrick M. winning the award for Best Guitar Solo.
Congratulations and thanks to the Jazz Band and to Ms. McGahey for an exciting season!
Important Reminders
Late Arrival to School and Participation in After School Activities
In order to take part in any after-school event (including dances), students must attend school for at least half of the day. At the middle/high school levels, students need to report to school by 10:30 AM.
Water Bottles are Allowed at Tohickon
Water bottles are allowed at Tohickon! It is important for our students to be hydrated at all times, especially as we approach the warmer months. Please note that students must keep water bottles in their lockers during PSSA Testing.
PARENT COUNCIL MEETING REMINDER
The April Parent Council Meeting is scheduled for April 20th at 9:00 AM in the Tohickon Library. This will be our last formal meeting of the 2016-2017 School Year.
TEAM HAPPENINGS!
7TH GRADE TEAMS
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!! The Hope Lodge Drive was another huge success. A carload of donations was sent to Hope Lodge earlier this month and we have another load to deliver in April! Our Party Hat Spirit Day was a huge success, raising almost $200! We used that money and bought laundry detergent and copy paper for Hope Lodge. They are so appreciative of our donations every year. Thank you for helping us make this a successful community service project.
It’s hard to believe the fourth marking period is almost here and the seventh graders are almost through their first year of middle school! Spring is a busy time of year and there are a lot of exciting and important things coming up. PSSA testing will be happening in April; in seventh grade, the students take both an English / Language Arts test and a Math test. Testing dates are April 4th-7th and April 25th-27th; students being on time and in attendance on those days is very important so that class time is not missed for make-up testing. Students have off from school Thursday, April 13th through Monday, April 17th. Spring sports are also underway, including baseball, softball, track, girls soccer, and lacrosse! As a gentle reminder, please check your child’s school supplies. It may be time to restock on paper, pencils, etc., for the fourth marking period. Thank you!
TEAM TRAILBLAZER
You know Spring is around the corner when Spring sports tryouts start, Relay for Life fundraising is in full swing, and we are finalizing our eighth grade field trip!
The eighth grade teams will be heading to Philadelphia, for their history based field trip at the end of May. It is a fun day in Philadelphia spent visiting buildings and sites you might miss if you were just walking down the street. The social studies teachers will be sending out information on the dates and details soon.
Last month the math department did a fundraiser for the Ronald McDonald House by selling Tastykake pies for Pi day. I am happy to report that the school was able to raise $1419.50 to donate! This money will do a lot of good for the families and children at the Ronald McDonald House. Thank you for your support.
In science class we concluded the unit on the human body senses by dissecting the cow eye. During this dissection we could see what we studied, such as the lens, retina, and muscles that surround the eye and even the optic nerve. We compared this cow eye to how our eye works and were able to better understand the connection of the parts of the eye to the brain.
TEAM EXPEDITION
In Mr. Trimbur’s SS class students are involved in a unit titled America Grows Up – Causes of the Civil War. Over the past few weeks students have completed tasks regarding the growing nation. At the completion of the tasks students met with Mr. Trimbur in an “oral defense.” Each student met with Mr. Trimbur twice to engage in discussions about what was learned.
In Mrs. Zagwoski's English classes, students have been enjoying exploring Susan Beth Pfeffer’s The Dead and The Gone as a literature circle. Each week, the students meet to share and discuss what they read in the assigned section of the novel. Students have practiced summarizing, making connections to both the world around them and past class novels or independent reading books, defining words using context clues, pulling out interesting, surprising, or confusing passages, and creating questions that require inference and analytical thinking. We have also been studying literary devices and looking for examples throughout the novel. In the weeks ahead, we will be beginning our final novel of the year, Chasing Lincoln’s Killer, which will be completed in conjunction with the students' study of the Civil War in Social Studies.
In Mr. Sibel’s English class, students have been working through an argument mini unit as well as a short story mini unit. Students read Bradbury’s There Will Come Soft Rain and analyzed the use of technology, for good and bad, in their own lives. Afterwards, students read Roald Dahl’s Lamb to the Slaughter. With this text, students discovered what our minds do with narrative when we approach an interpretive gap. We also discussed the use of adaptation and applied some introductory film theory to an Alfred Hitchcock adaptation of the text. Next month, students will work with the play Twelve Angry Men and start our new Justice unit, all the while celebrating National Poetry Month with a poem a day.
In science, we have been learning about the communications centers of the body, specifically the brain. How does it take in information through our senses, where does that information go, and how does our body then know what to do with it? We just dissected a cow eye to see how the eyeball gathers and focuses light which our brain visualizes for us. And most recently, we learned about phantom limb sensation as well as some split-brain experiments which indicate that our brain’s left and right hemispheres might each have a mind of their own.
During the month of March, Miss Fuller's classes participated in the Ronald McDonald House Fundraiser. Miss Fuller's second period class won first place for buying the most pies! Pi Day was celebrated on 3/14 by exploring pi and of course, eating pie! Academically, we have been exploring radicals, the Pythagorean theorem, and rational expressions.
In Mrs. Kennedy’s eighth grade math classes students are getting ready to take the PSSA. We are reviewing important concepts and test-taking strategies. The exam will take place on April 25-27. Please encourage your child to get a good night of sleep and to eat a healthy breakfast on these testing days. Students should bring a #2 pencil and a scientific calculator for the test.
In Science, Mr. Weir’s classes are wrapping up the human body unit. Students are examining the endocrine system as well as the immune system. Students are learning about the importance of vaccinations as well as other disease prevention techniques.
Mrs. Moran’s English students are beginning the core novel in eighth grade, The Outsiders. Written 50 years ago by S.E. Hinton, who tried to hide that she was a female because she thought boys wouldn’t read her book if they knew it was written by a girl, the novel covers timeless topics like family, friendship, society and class, peer pressure, appearances, and identity. S.E. Hinton was just seventeen years old when the book was published.
In Mr. Forney’s social studies class, students are continuing a unit on the early part of the United States Constitution period. Students are debating each other on the many controversial topics of the early republic. Over time, students are developing an understanding of the sectional differences will that will eventually lead to the Civil War.
NINTH GRADE TEAM
In science class, ninth graders have been studying human origins. A large part of this unit is devoted to a detailed analysis of many hominid skull replicas. Students make several measurements of the extinct hominid skulls. Students then analyze how the skulls of different hominid species have changed over time. Comparisons are made to modern Homo sapiens (humans) and other living primates. This activity requires students to utilize many of the scientific practices they have learned over the three years they have spent here at Tohickon.
WWII has been the main topic in social studies over the past month. Students have learned about everything from Hitler’s rise to power to the bombing of Japan. The focus has been on larger, conceptual ideas: why the war occurred, and how it not only affected Europe and Asia but the United States, as well. Currently, the classes are transitioning into the Cold War and the increased tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union.
Several of the English classes concluded their study of Elie Wiesel's book, Night, by creating infographics. Students researched various topics, in order to make connections between Wiesel's experiences and the greater picture of WWII Europe and the Holocaust, and created visual representations of that information. In addition, students learned about 'upstanding' citizens who had the courage to help many of those who were persecuted during that period of time.
ATHLETICS UPDATE
Spring sports are off to a rainy start at Tohickon, including our inaugural lacrosse season. During the spring season, any practice or game cancellations are posted on the main page of the Tohickon Athletics website by 1:30 PM.
Our varsity and freshmen winter athletes were recognized on our morning announcements television show for their hard work and efforts this season. This winter season’s sportsmanship awards winners included Brett P., Caroline E., Jamie L., Braeden M., Brooke R., Katy C., and Mariella N.
AFTER SCHOOL CLUB INFORMATION
Message from the Garden Club
This week our Garden Club will have their first meeting to prepare our garden for planting. The ninth grade classes will begin with seeds, in their Botany Unit, and the FCS classes will be using nearly all of the plants in their lessons.
Also, please check out the Wellness Committee’s webpage (a link is on the Tohickon homepage) for weekly menu and recipe ideas, including breakfast, lunch and dinner. All of the recipes are healthy and convenient.
General Information about After School Clubs
In order for clubs to run, a teacher must be willing to sponsor the club after school and there must be a reasonable level of student interest. For these reasons, Tohickon clubs may be different from year to year. Over the course of this year, Tohickon will be running the following clubs:
Debate Club - Sponsored by Mr. Forney
Diversity Club - Sponsored by Mrs. Fox
Anime Club - Sponsored by Mrs. Bongiorno
Math Club (2nd Semester) - Sponsored by Mrs. Bellavance and Mrs. Rissing
Science Olympiad - Sponsored by Mr. Weir and Mr. Collins
Garden Club (Seasonal) - Sponsored by Mr. Neely and Ms. Mangold
If you are interested in joining one of the clubs at Tohickon or have any questions, please see the club's sponsor in order to sign up.
MESSAGE FROM THE SCHOOL NURSE
The health office has recently seen an increase in allergy season related symptoms. Please be reminded to give medication at home before school as the nurse’s office does not have allergy medicine to administer to students.
Important Information for Incoming Seventh Graders
All incoming seventh grade students are required to have a Pennsylvania state mandated dental exam. Dental exams are acceptable with any date after 8/1/2016. Please complete and return the dental exam form prior to the start of the new school year. Also, seventh grade students should have received the Tdap and meningitis vaccinations prior to the start of the new school year. THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH IS CHANGING THE IMMUNIZATION REGULATIONS BEGINNING AUGUST 2017. Please keep this in mind as your child has their yearly physical completed. Feel free to contact the health office with any questions.
FROM THE GUIDANCE DEPARTMENT
SAP – Student Assistance Program
Tohickon recognizes students who are subject to a variety of pressures. The mission of our Student Assistance Program (SAP) is to identify students through a referral process and to intervene in an effort to promote achievement and academic success. We seek to promote healthy, safe, and substance-free lifestyles by connecting these students and their families with appropriate school based or community resources. For more information, please visit the link on the Tohickon webpage under Guidance:
http://www.cbsd.org/Page/28103
Parent Portal
Online Census Verification is a feature available in Infinite Campus Parent Portal. Each year, the Central Bucks School District asks our families to fill out a census verification form. This year the form is online. This form ensures that student information is accurate and also provides our school nurse with important medical permissions for your child. If you have not already done so, please complete the census verification through the PARENT PORTAL as soon as possible.
For more information, including troubleshooting suggestions, please go to: http://www.cbsd.org/Page/26952
If you are unable to complete the online verification, please call the Tohickon Guidance office at 267-893-3310.
Haven’t set up your Parent Portal Account?
Go to www.cbsd.org
Click on “Parent Resources”
Click on “Parent Portal Information” in the left column
Select link “Need a Parent Portal Account”
Complete “Parent Portal Online Request Form”. Submit.
Do we have your E-Mail Address?
In an effort to communicate with all of our families in a fast, efficient manner, we are asking parents/guardians to enter their E-mail addresses through the parent portal. Having a contact E-mail address on file will allow us to mass E-mail all of our Tohickon families at once regarding urgent news and information. Not only will the information reach you faster than through the traditional mail service, but we will also save considerably on paper and postage costs.
How to add or update your E-Mail address?
Log on to the Parent Portal
Choose option to “Change Contact Info”
Enter E-Mail address in field and SAVE
Thank you for helping us improve our communication with our families!
Tohickon Middle School
Email: kmarton@cbsd.org
Website: cbsd.org
Location: 5051 Old Easton Road, Doylestown, PA
Phone: 267-893-3300