Green Lane Gazette
April 2022 - Harry S Truman High School
Dates To Remember
- April 14 - Early Dismissal (12:05 PM)
- April 15-18 - Spring Break
- April 22 - Soph/Junior Prom
- April 29 - Freshmen Formal
- May 13 - Senior Prom
- May 18-20 - Keystone Exams
- June 6 - Senior Finals Begin
- June 10 - Underclass Finals Begin
- June 15 - Commencement
- June 16 - Last Student Day
Attendance
All attendance notes, trip approval requests, and other inquiries should be emailed to hst.attendance@bristoltwpsd.org or call 267-599-2109 to speak with Debbie Schipilow, our attendance clerk.
Spring Formal Events
The following formal events are scheduled for April & May. Please note that ALL Truman attendees must serve ALL detention hours prior to final ticket purchase and approval to attend.
- Senior Prom - Friday, May 13 at the Philmont Country Club from 6:00-11:00 PM - Tickets go on sale on 4/11 at a cost of $90 each
- Sophomore/Junior Prom - Friday, April 22 at Westaby Hall from 7:00-10:00 PM - Tickets are on sale now at a cost of $60 each
- Freshmen Formal - Friday, April 29 at Georgine's Restaurant from 7:00-10:00 PM - Tickets go on sale on 4/7 at a cost of $40 each
Students should review their grade level Canvas pages for additional details. Please email class advisors with any other questions:
- 12th grade - tom.drazek@bristoltwpsd.org
- 11th grade - tim.monaghan@bristoltwpsd.org
- 10th grade - jamie.huber@bristoltwpsd.org
- 9th grade - jacquelyn.bellerby@bristoltwpsd.org
Marking Period Timelines
3rd Marking Period
- Marking period closes: 4/7/22
- Grades available in the portal: 4/22/22
4th Marking Period
- Progress reports: 5/12/22
- Marking period closes: 6/16/22
- Grades available in the portal: 6/30/22
Are you interested in reviewing content-specific materials for the upcoming Keystone Exams in Algebra I, Biology, or Literature? This is a great opportunity to review and better your chances of scoring Proficient or Advanced on your exams at no cost.
With new HS graduation laws in Pennsylvania, proficiency on the Keystones is the clearest pathway to success!!
The Bootcamp will run Monday, Wednesday, and Friday after school from 2:20pm to 4:20pm. Transportation will be provided. You can opt to come every day or 1-2 times a week. Below is the Bootcamp Schedule.
Students must register through their own school email addresses.
Dates Time
Monday, April 11 2:30pm-4:30pm
Wednesday, April 13 2:30pm-4:30pm
Wednesday, April 20 2:30pm-4:30pm
Friday, April 22 2:30pm-4:30pm
Monday, April 25 2:30pm-4:30pm
Wednesday, April 27 2:30pm-4:30pm
Friday, April 29 2:30pm-4:30pm
Monday, May 2 2:30pm-4:30pm
Wednesday, May 4 2:30pm-4:30pm
Friday, May 6 2:30pm-4:30pm
Monday, May 9 2:30pm-4:30pm
Wednesday, May 11 2:30pm-4:30pm
Spirit Day
Department Summaries
School Counselors
3rd Marking Period - End April 7th
The 3rd marking period closes on 4/7. Grades are typically posted on the parent/student portal about one week after the closing. Please continue to monitor your child’s academics and contact your child’s counselor with any questions or concerns. Our Grade Calculation and Policy worksheet can be a helpful tool to assist in monitoring.
Scholarship Opportunities for Seniors!
Seniors should check their 12th grade Canvas class daily for new scholarship opportunities. Announcements are sent out for each opportunity which includes requirements and supporting information for each scholarship.
Recent opportunities:
Upcoming Bucks County Community College Events
More information is available from your child’s School Counselor.
April 7th-Truman Day at Lower Bucks Campus (Seniors)
April 14th -Placement Test for Bucks in Truman Library
April 20th- Advising and Registration at Lower Bucks Campus (Seniors)
B-E-T (Business, Engineering, & Technology)
English
Mrs. Lieberman's Classes
- 10th-grade students began a discussion of The Time Machine by H.G. Wells with a focus on social justice and classism connected to our previous reading of Animal Farm and current events.
- African-American Literature students are studying Morrison's Beloved and its connection to the Margaret Garner incident, while focusing on imagery, milieu, conflict, symbolism and characterization connected to this winner of the Pulitzer Prize.
- Advanced Placement Literature and Composition students are studying Pre-Romanticism and Romanticism as they connect to Transcendentalism and the Industrial Revolution.
Mr. Mallon's classes created idioms during their figurative language lesson (see below).
In Mrs. Wood’s Honors English 12 classes, students are preparing sets, costumes, and staging for the performance of Macbeth (see below).
Ms. Schopfer and Ms. Ucci designed this seasonal, colorful bulletin board, encouraging students to Bloom in the Spring (see below)!
Mr. Gravuer’s classes:
- AP Language and Composition students have just completed a unit focused on argumentation and logic, including a thorough examination of cognitive biases and logical fallacies. Now the AP Language students will be expanding the boundaries of the realm of argumentation by exploring visual rhetoric.
- 10th grade English students continued to further build their critical reading skills through the analysis of literary irony, and are now moving into a unit focused on making the abstract become concrete through literary symbolism.
Health, PE, & Driver's Education
Health/PE & Driver Ed Department News
Driver Education In March our guest speaker Carly Manon the Program Director at TMA Bucks Community Traffic Safety engaged our students with real-life examples of the choices we make when we are driving and the outcomes that they can have on our lives. Driver education students will be starting a project on how to buy a car and all of the costs associated with owning a car.
Physical Education We have been getting prepared for spirit day! Students in all of the PE classes have been practicing events that students will be competing in on spirit day. Students loved practicing events such as Izzy Dizzy, Mat Slide, and Musical Tennis Balls. The culminating spirit day activities will take place on April 14 during the school day.
Health and Wellness We have just begun our comprehensive sex ed unit which will last through the end of the school year. Students will be learning about the reproductive systems, pregnancy and childbirth, contraceptive methods, sexually transmitted diseases, and consent.
M.A.C. (Music, Art, & Consumer Science)
Fine Arts:
Amy Guzman and Joshua Mangold work chosen for the “I touch Future” art show.
https://levittownnow.com/2022/02/26/two-bristol-twp-students-art-featured-in-juried-art-show/
Many students work is on display at the “Bucks County Community College Annual High School Show”
Music:
Marching band performed at Lower Bucks hospital
Students performed in county band at Council Rock High School
Jackson Montgomery
Alyssa Nevedomsky
Emma Doster
Congratulations to Iris Stadler and Elaina Kaess on making the Bucks County Educators Association's All-Star County Choir. Out of over a thousand high school students that auditioned, Iris and Elaina are two out of eighty students to make the High School County Choir.
Theater:
Successful world high school premier of musical “Rocky”.
The closing night performance was sold-out, the first since 2006!
Library: The library hosted the Truman Prom Fair for all students in March. High schoolers signed up for time slots to find free dresses, suits, jewelry and makeup for their upcoming dances. All items were donated and the ecstatic students were excited to show off their new finds. Looking forward to continuing this tradition allowing one to save on the expenses of what can be a costly evening.
The Truman Library Media Center embraces the new district label of empowered, engaged and inspired. Students are invited to come to the library to be actively engaged in an activity, become inspired by reading as well as empowered by accomplishing assignments and pursuing interests in an atmosphere conducive for learning.
Math
As the third marking period draws to a close, Algebra teachers are anticipating the arrival of the Keystone Exams in May. All students currently enrolled in Algebra 1B, or a full-year Algebra 1 course, will be taking the Keystone Algebra Exam next month. In many ways, this exam represents the culmination of a year’s worth of learning and effort. For students in Algebra 1B, this exam actually evaluates two years of math study.
The goal of each student should be to give their best effort and come away from the Keystone assessment with a score of proficient or advanced. In preparation for the exam, which in almost all cases is assessed electronically, teachers will be giving test takers an opportunity to familiarize themselves with the built-in calculator tools they can use on the Keystone testing program. If students wish, they are encouraged to bring their own calculator, as long as it meets the requirements and regulations set forth by the Pennsylvania Department of Education.
For parents and students interested in viewing a series of sample questions from past Keystone Algebra exams, we are proving the following link:
Here, you can see a representation of the type of problems students will be challenged to solve. These samples also explain how student answers are scored. Everyone is encouraged to review the items released on this website so they can maximize their efforts on the day of the exam. Best of luck to all our test takers!
Science
Academic chemistry classes performed experiments that demonstrated different reaction types. They generated hydrogen gas using the single replacement reaction of hydrochloric acid and magnesium. They then did a quick synthesis reaction when we collected the hydrogen gas and lit a match at the opening of the collection test tube to cause a reaction with oxygen which produced water. We also performed double replacement reactions using 7 different solutions of ionic compounds. In all cases, the reactions were described with balanced equations which included the states of matter for reactants and products. Students reported their results in lab reports.
Honors Chemistry 2 students have conducted experiments to study chemical kinetics which relates to reaction rates. They also concluded experiments dealing with gas laws.
AP Chemistry students have been preparing for the AP exam studying equilibrium and acid base reactions.
Miss Bellerby, Mr. Drazek, and Mr. Craig took a group of 15 Truman students to Quito, Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands. They learned about the culture and history of Ecuador and saw countless animals such as tortoises and blue footed boobies which are endemic to the islands. They also learned about Charles Darwin, conservation efforts, and participated in activities such as hiking and snorkeling.
Social Studies
Special Education Corner
This year’s junior class (2023) will be the first to graduate under the new Keystone Policy.
Act 158 of 2018 establishes five “Pathways” to graduation involving Keystone testing in addition to standards-aligned high school course work (obtaining 25 credits).
There are 5 Pathways and additional Pathways for special circumstances. Special education students will continue to have the option to graduate per IEP goals given an IEP team decision (special circumstances pathway).
Special education teachers attended a training on Wednesday, March 16th at the high school. The Truman teachers were provided with training on developing Measurable Post-Secondary Goals and aligning them with a student’s transition plan and completing a course of study. Transition planning begins at age 14 for special education students.
Most will turn 14 when they are in the 8th grade. In the past, the transition grid was completed for the current year, and projections were made for the following school year. Now, IEP teams will have a multi-year focus beginning at age 14 (8th grade) and projecting out over the next four years of high school (a course of study).
The special education department will continue to provide support for our families as we navigate Act 158. If you have any questions regarding Act 158, please do not hesitate to reach out to the special education department.
World Language
Hola, Ciao, and Hello! We will be notified soon if we have been selected as a school to host an international teacher for the 2022-2023 school year.
Trip to Italy planned for 2023 - Signora Guida is planning a trip for students to go to Italy in conjunction with EF Tours. Detailed information on the tour can be found here: https://www.eftours.com/tour-website/2533389WD
Feel free to email her if you have specific questions: amanda.guida@bristoltwpsd.org.
Classroom Corner:
12th grade ELL - We are studying British literature. We are a group of students from all over the world from the following countries: Dominican Republic, Liberia, Guatemala, Fance, India, and Mexico.
10th grade ELL - We are knee deep into Poetry Projects applying learning of figuarative language and poetic forms.
Italian 1 - We are continuing to present tense verbs to talk about what we like to do.
Italian 2 - We are working on learning the past tense.
Italian 3 - We are learning about fashion and how to describe clothing.
Italian 4/5 - We are making campaign videos for mach debates and election.
Medical Spanish - We are learning to talk about pain and identifying body parts.
Spanish 1 - We are working on strengthening our skills with present tense verb conjugations.
Spanish 2 - We have been working with commands and are getting ready to learn about “el imperfecto,” the 2nd past tense in Spanish that we will learn this year.
Spanish 3 - We are working on learning about por and para and using vocabulary about relationships.
Honors Spanish 4/5 - level 4 read Como agua para chocolate & level 5 read the famous play, La casa de Bernarda Alba.
Traffic Procedures
Truman Contact Information
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Twitter: @TrumanTigerBTSD