Klipper News
Klinger Middle School Summer 2016 Newsletter
Summer Events
June 1 - 8th Grade Dorney Trip
June 1 - 5th Grade Visitations
June 9 - Field Day
June 16 - Last Day for Students
Klinger Spring News & Notes 2016
Klinger Middle School
1415 Second Street Pike
Southampton, PA 18966
Tel.215.364.5950
Office Ext. 13012
Fax 215.364.5955
Mr. Travis Bloom
Principal
Mr. James Ford
Assistant Principal
Did You Miss Something?
Principal's Press
The warm weather is slowly coming along, spring sports are wrapping up, and we are in full planning mode for the end of a great school year. It seems like just yesterday we were welcoming all of the students back-to-school. As we begin to wind down the school year, we are looking forward to the many fun activities we have planned for the remaining weeks left in the school year. We have our field day, the 8th grade Spring-Fling, the 8th grade Recognition Breakfast, and a few other fun activities to celebrate our student’s hard work throughout the school year.
We had a wonderful year at Klinger. We had many students show off their talents in the classrooms, on the music stages, out in the athletic fields and in the community. We welcomed many new staff members to our families and were privileged enough to have new students become part of our community! We implemented two new successful classes during the 2015-2016 school year (Life-Time Fitness and Lights, Camera, Action) which continued to enhance our student's educational experience.
As we near the close of the school year we are forced to say goodbye to our 8th-grade students making the transition up to high school. Getting to know this group of students has been very fun. There is one thing I can share that I will remember about this group students and that is I will always remember the lyrics to a few Justin Bieber songs that were repeatedly requested during Music Friday’s! We want to thank them for the past three years here at Klinger, we want to wish them all the luck in the future, and we also want them to know they will always be a Klipper. Good luck 8th graders!
Along the lines of saying goodbye, we also want to welcome our incoming 5th-grade students. We will hold our 5th-grade parent orientation on May 31, 2016, at 7:00pm in the Klinger Auditorium. We encourage all of our incoming parents to join us on this evening as we review information that pertains to the very important transition from elementary to middle school life. Students in 5th-grade will also have the opportunity to come and visit Klinger on June 1, 2016, during a Field Trip from their current school. We are excited to welcome our incoming 6th-grade class to Klinger, we look forward to working with you, and helping you grow over the next 3 years!
Finally, I want to thank everyone for a great year. It has been such a pleasure to be able to work with outstanding students, a committed staff, and an involved community. I know everyone is looking forward to a relaxing summer vacation. During this break, I hope that you are able to relax, spend time with family, and get ready for the next school year, August 30th will be here before you know it. Have a great summer everyone and we look forward to seeing you all in September!
Sincerely,
Mr. Bloom
@Klinger_MS
Klinger Middle School Information
Email: runido@centennialsd.org
Website: http://www.centennialsd.org/Domain/243
Location: 1415 2nd Street Pike, Southampton, PA, United States
Phone: 215-364-5950 13012
Facebook: facebook.com/csdinfo
Twitter: @Klinger_MS
Klinger Goes to Harrisburg
Congratulations to students from Mr. Marchetti and Mr. Fischer's classes. They were chosen to participate in the PAECT Student showcases in the East Wing of the Capitol Rotunda in Harrisburg on May 16th. This is the 6th year that students from Klinger Middle School have been selected to present at the State Capitol. The students showcased their talents for their state legislators, peers, teachers and administrators from across the state.
Mr. Marchetti’s students Josh Biedrzycki, Aiden Devine, Valerie Kalchenko, Jenna Klingenberg, Ethan Martinez, Matthew Reithmeier began exploring the world of coding through Scratch and Alice. They spent hours creating authentic 2D and 3D animations. The students learned the drag and drop concept of coding to develop computational thinking skills while collaborating on their digital projects.
The KTV news crew presented information about our TV studio. They explained to conference attendees from across the state how KTV is used for morning announcements, alternative assessments, spelling and geography bees and so much more. The students from KTV were Avamarie Backich, Dante Sharp, Krystal Cirillo, Nick Sturgis, Alan Schwartz, Ryan Hall, Olivia Cremonese, Jaymi Torjman, Taylor Weidman, Juilana Cave, Jake Cremonese, Evan Scally and Nina Lombardi.
Our students were outstanding and impressed the people that stopped at their booth. They also received a private tour of the Senate floor as well as a photo op with Senator Greenleaf as well as lunch that was provided by Senator Greenleaf, Representative Farry and Representative O' Neill. This was a wonderful learning experience for the students. They represented Klinger well.
State Representative Bernie O'Neill
Lt. Governor Mike Stack
State Senator Stewart Greenleaf
Harrisburg
Meeting Senator Greenleaf
Red Carpet Moment
Counselors' Corner
TIME TO DISCONNECT
With summertime approaching, too much technology can prevent your teen from interacting with people in real life. It can also interfere with sleep and physical activity. Consider these suggestions for keeping tech time in balance:
Make a ratio rule! For example, you could say for every half hour your child spends on the computer or phone, he/she should spend an hour doing something else – such as riding bikes, taking a hike, or playing the guitar.
Create digital-free zones. You might say no cell phones or tablets at the dinner table or in restaurants.
Insist that devices go off at bedtime. Children could stay up for hours playing games or watching videos. They can also be awakened by texts or sleep lightly in anticipation of them. Idea: Try setting up a family charging station where everyone must leave their device.
BEAT THE SUMMER BREAK BACKSLIDE…
There’s nothing like 2 or 3 months away from pencils and books to take kids’ minds off school! Still, it’s important to get your child into a school-year rhythm as soon as possible so he/she doesn’t fall behind. To help with this:
KEEP ESTABLISHED ROUTINES. Did your child relay on certain after school routine this year? Keep that routine going. For instance, if the old habit was to come home, grab a snack and then hit the books, make it easy for him to do it again. Check out a few books from the local library during these summer months to keep skills fresh.
ENFORCE BEDTIME. Staying up late may be easy over the summer, but it doesn’t work during the school year. In fact, lack of sleep can interfere with academics and overall well-being. To make sure your child gets enough shut-eye, set a reasonable bedtime and stick with it… even during those warm months.
TAME THE TECH. Even if you’re normally vigilant about TV and video game time, you may have relaxed rules over the summer break. However it’s important not to be TOO relaxed as it will be more difficult to get that school-time routine back in the fall. Too much “screen time” isn’t good for kids, so limit your child to an hour or two per day, even with the increased freedom over the summer.
Have You Been Caught?
Since the start of this school year students have been able to answer yes with a smile 840 times (and counting) to the question, “Have you been caught?”. From those 840 tickets we have had 70 students receive a mystery motivator prize.
Klinger Middle School students want to say yes (as long as it is inside the walls of Klinger). We have turned being caught into a positive thing. The School-Wide Positive Behavior Intervention & Support Program (SWPBIS) has put many smiles on the faces of students and faculty at Klinger. Students have worked hard every day at being respectful, responsible, reliable and safe and the Klinger staff enjoy recognizing it.
As the school year comes to a close so must our School-Wide Positive Behavior Intervention & Support Program (SWPBIS). BUT, that doesn’t mean that our Klinger students have to stop displaying these positive traits. It’s not about being recognized for it, it’s about doing the right thing all the time. So Klinger students, keep being respectful, responsible, reliable and safe, today, tomorrow and always. We look forward to seeing those positive behaviors back at Klinger in September.
We Were Caught!
How to Get Caught
We Were caught Too!
Art News
The following artists were awarded first place ribbons: Nadya Yushkevich (8) painting, Gena Troy (7) sculpture, Michael Sienkiewicz (8) portrait and Michelle Palatino (7) Scratch art. Second place ribbons were awarded to: Madelyn Plenskofski (7) watercolor weave, Megan Trotter (7) sculpture, Sophia DeNofa (8) portrait, and Olivia Bigboy (8) portrait. Third place recipients were: Elle Karff (7) scratch art, Raul Villarreal (6) sculpture, Moira Rice (7) collage, and Cailean Cavanaugh (8) portrait. Honorable mention prizes were given to: Olivia Bigboy (8) book arts, Carly Lopez (8), Mayley Morena (6) sculpture, and Katherine Molloy (7) collage. Congratulations to all of our participants and showcase winners!
In other art news with the help of the Klinger PTO, several pieces of artwork will be selected to be on display in both the permanent art gallery and in our four year rotating gallery located outside the auditorium. Five exceptional works of art will be purchased to be a part of our permanent collection and four pieces will be selected for the rotating art gallery; they will be framed, displayed and later returned to the students during their senior year in high school.
As the school year comes to and end, student artists are reminded to take their projects home with them. Students can stop by the art room at any time to collect their wonderful projects.
I want to personally thank all of my students and their families for an amazing year at Klinger. I wish our 8th grade students the best of luck as they move on to High School.
I am truly excited for the upcoming 5th graders and hope to see many of my 6th & 7th grade artists returning to the art room next year for more fun and engaging art lessons. Over the summer, I would encourage all students to continue practicing in their sketchbooks. Have a great and relaxing summer!
Tech Ed and STEM
The Tech Ed and STEM classes are ending the year in a big way. We have many projects including building picnic tables, an air hockey table, and steam boats. Our PTO has graciously given us the money to purchase materials for building three picnic tables. These tables will be used at Klinger during lunches and nice sunny days. We also hope to find some downtime this school year to have an air hockey tournament! In addition to our big builds, we are also making scale model steam boats. Mr. Fleisher from Craven Hall (the John Finch steamboat museum) spoke to our students about how steam works as well as other mechanical parts involved in making power out of steam. We are using 3D drawing software to design the boats currently.
Good luck to all of the 8th graders as you graduate and move on to bigger and better things. As for the incoming STEM students, welcome! I can’t wait to get started next year. We have many fun and interesting projects waiting for you.
Nurse News
Thinking about the end of this school year……
If your child has medication in the Nursing Office, please contact us before June 10, 2016
to make arrangements for unused medication to be returned to you prior to the last day of school! All medication not picked up prior to the end of the school day Wednesday, June 16th, 2016 will be properly disposed of.
Thinking about summer safety……
Protect yourself and your children by using appropriate insect and tick repellent (containing DEET) and apply it properly. Check your clothes and body for ticks daily. If you find any ticks, carefully remove them with tweezers.
Avoid being outdoors mid-day if the sun is intense. Use sunscreen with at least SPF 15, cover up with clothing, wear a hat and sunglasses.
Avoid combination sunscreen/insect repellents because sunscreen needs to be reapplied every 2 hours, but insect repellent should not be reapplied.
Don’t let food poisoning spoil your cookouts and picnics. Food items containing mayonnaise, milk, eggs, meat, poultry, and seafood should not be out more than 1 hour if the temperature is 90 degrees or more.
Hydrate often with plenty of water! Relying on thirst as a reminder to take a drink puts you at risk for dehydration. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends drinking at least every 20 minutes while participating in vigorous activities. Water and sports drinks are the best options for hydrating kids. Avoid sodas, juice and other fruit drinks.
Thinking about next year……
You will soon be receiving letters and forms home for PA Department of Health mandates needed to start school in the fall.
These are requirements set by the state of Pennsylvania.
Documentation of physical exams, dental exams and immunizations are due by the start of school in the fall as follows:
- 6th graders must have a physical exam completed July 1, 2015 or later.
7th graders must have a dental exam completed July 1, 2015 or later.
7th graders must have documentation of MCV (Meningococcal-meningitis) and Tdap (tetanus booster).
Forms for physical and dental exams can be found by following the link below @
http://www.centennialsd.org/Page/1887
OR
by visiting the Klinger Middle School webpage @
http://www.centennialsd.org/domain/263
Click on “Our School” across the top of the page
Click on “Nursing Services”
Click on “Forms” select the form needed, download it and print :-)
If your child has a severe allergy, asthma or any other medical condition that requires either rescue medication or daily medication that must be given at school you can also find the following forms by visiting the Klinger Middle School webpage @
http://www.centennialsd.org/domain/263
Click on “Our School” across the top of the page
click on “Nursing Services”
click on “Forms”
Select the form needed, download it and print
Allergy Action Plan
Asthma Action Plan
Diabetic Action Plan
Medication Permission Form
Release of Information
Seizure Action Plan
Family Consumer Science (FCS)
There are many exciting things that happened this year in FCS. Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS ) is an exploratory class that includes problem solving, hands on activities, technology, and cooperative learning techniques. Last marking period we focused on food and nutrition. 7th grade learned about “my plate” and made simple meals that they can make at home. 8th grade learned knife skills, and made homemade soups. We also completed out first ever “Cupcake Wars”. It was a huge success!! The kids and the staff really enjoyed the project. We are currently working in our child development units.
7th grade is just finishing the unit on babysitting, and 8th grade are getting their egg babies next week. We will end the year with sewing. This year has been an amazing school year for FCS. We have really built the program this year into something fun and exciting for our students. Can’t wait to see you all next year.
The following is a list of items we can use at Klinger throughout the year:
· Plastic cups
· Plastic wrap
· Aluminum
· Foil
· Wax paper
· Zip lock bags
· Tissues
· Hand soap
· Dish towels/towel
· Containers
· Irons
· Kitchen Utensils
· Small kitchen appliances
· Cookbooks
· Fashion and Cooking Magazine
· Old Sweaters
· T-shirts
· Old clothing
· Fabric scraps
· Buttons
· String
· Yarn
· Knitting Needles
· Thread
· Sequins
· Lace
· Sewing/Sewing Machine Needles
· Felt
Thank you
Family and Consumer Science
Science News
Science is wrapping up the year in 8th grade with a study of heredity and genetics- so don’t be surprised when your student asks you about if you have a widow’s peak, mid-digit finger hair, or about free or attached earlobes!! The rockets have been launched in 7th grade- Newton’s Laws are the big topic of discussion in classes now- why things move- or don’t!! In 6th grade, space science will wrap up with the long awaited Lander project! Students will be gather materials to help their lander survive a fall from Klinger!
Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA)
In February 2016, Klinger Middle School’s FBLA Club competed in the Pennsylvania State Middle School FBLA Competitive Events. Students select an event that interests them and they complete a 45 minute online objective test within their respective category. Our school had two students that were recognized for placing in the Pennsylvania FBLA Competitive Events Program.
- Cailean Cavanaugh- 1st Place (State Winner) in Business Computations
- Cailin Zoltak- 2nd Place (State Runner-Up) in FBLA Creed/Code of Ethics/Pledge
Congratulations to Cailean and Cailin for their achievement and to the entire FBLA Club for representing Klinger Middle School within the State Competition!
If you are interested in joining the FBLA Club, visit Mr. Marchetti’s teacher page for information in the Fall.
Have a wonderful summer vacation!
Mr. Marchetti
6B News
6th Grade Science is studying what humans can learn from space and how humans explore space. As we wrap up this unit on space exploration, students will be designing and creating a lander-rover system. They will construct their landers from household, recyclable materials and we will go outside to test the landers to see if they can protect the rover (raw egg).The 6B social studies classes have been studying the development and culture of ancient Rome. During this unit we will learn about rise and fall of Rome. Recently the 6B students showed off their creative side by creating modern god/goddesses/heroes. The students are noticing patterns among civilizations which is helping them to analyze, compare, and make connections between ancient and modern societies.
Ms. Rauchut's class is almost finished reading Surviving The Applewhites by Stephanie Tolan. The students are really enjoying reading this book and all of the activities that went along with it. We will continue to work on grammar and end the year with a project. Please keep reading over the summer and feel free to write a story and drop it off to Ms. Rauchut in September!
The end of the year has been super busy for Mrs. Barrett’s students in reading class. The students are reading,
Rain Reign
and loving the interaction between Rose, a girl with Asperger’s Syndrome, and her alcoholic father who was abused as a child. Her dog, Rain, and her obsession with homonyms calm her through her personal storms. The students will culminate the book with a wonderful project comparing the characters from all the books we read as a class this year. All students are encouraged to read over the summer. One great tip for book selection is to read other books by the same author of books you have already enjoyed. The stories will be different, but min many cases the styles are the same. In 6B math we just finished up our unit on proportions and we began discussing similar figures and indirect measurement. We completed a project where the students found the unit prices of store bought items and found the "best deal" for similar items. Over the next few weeks we will be exploring integers, and we will be finishing out the year with functions and Equations. In advanced math we finished discussing Inequality equations and we will be moving into probability. The students have been working extremely hard completing some really difficult math. It has been a great year in advanced math, we got to explore a lot of great things in this course.
6A News
In Ms. Laverty’s reading class, students have chosen literature circle groups and are reading Cracker Jackson by Betsy Byars or Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix. Each student completes a different task each day (signpost spotter, summarizer, predictor, discussion director, psychologist, plot twister or connector). Then all group members share what they have written, in order to make deeper connections with the novels. The year has certainly flown by for math this year. As we wind down, we are working with ratios and proportions, integers, and probability among other topics. Heading into summer, it is always a good idea to keep on top of basic math facts and reviewing math topics we learned throughout the year as 7
th
grade approaches. There are always great sites to be found to practice math topics, and some are included on my website if you are interested. Mrs. Silenzi’s class is almost finished reading Surviving The Applewhites by Stephanie Tolan. The students are really enjoying reading this book and all of the activities that go along with it. We will continue to work on grammar and end the year with a project. Please keep reading over the summer and feel free to write a story and drop it off to Mrs. Silenzi in September! We are studying the Roman Empire and starting to investigate the city of Pompeii and the disaster that occurred there in Ancient times. Students will be creating their own civilization as a culminating project for the Unit. The science classes are wrapping up the year with a unit titled Exploring Space. They will complete this unit with a lab where they have to design and create a lander that will protect a “rover” (raw egg) when landing on a surface. They will incorporate math, science and engineering skills to create these. Each group will begin their design with a shoebox!