The Tohickon Golden Eagle
October 2015
Great Beginnings!
Dear Tohickon Families,
We begin each year by introducing Tohickon's four pillars to students at our opening grade level assemblies. The four pillars are academics, co-curricular activities, community service and citizenship. We emphasize the importance of relationships and how positive, daily interactions with friends and adults can have a tremendous impact on the culture of our school and community as a whole.
The Tohickon Back-to-School Nights took place on September 9th, 10th and 16th. The turnout for each night was fantastic! Mr. Dudley and I met with seventh grade parents during the evening of September 9th to introduce our leadership team and guidance department. During this opening meeting, we shared the Tohickon philosophy, along with some basic expectations for our new students. We asked parents to help us in reiterating the "four pillars" with their sons and daughters and we emphasized our dedication in maintaining a safe, comfortable and welcoming environment at Tohickon.
Tohickon Middle School opened its doors for the first time in September of 2002, approximately one year after the tragedy of September 11, 2001. One of the first events established was the Emergency Personnel Recognition Assembly, which was designed to remember the victims of 9/11 and to honor our local emergency responders and the sacrifices that they make for all of us on a daily basis. On September 11, 2015, we held our annual Emergency Personnel Recognition Assembly. During this assembly, each one of our 1048 students proceeded from their classrooms to our auditorium in complete and absolute silence. In the auditorium, members of our local police, fire and EMS teams awaited the students' arrival. During the assembly, we remembered the events of 9/11, recognized the contributions of our local responders and concluded with thanking them for all that they do for us.
The month of September came to a close with The Travis Manion Assembly and our opening T5 Activities. The focus of these events was to promote the importance of character, teamwork, respect and responsibility. These are common themes at Tohickon, which we emphasize every day.
The month of October has arrived! Tohickon will be hosting many unique events, such as Family Movie Night, Celebrate Education Week, Dr. Mackensen's Lab Night and the Pedals for Progress Bike Drive. Mr. Dudley and I are greatly looking forward to guiding your sons and daughters through the 2015-2016 School Year. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have a concern or a question, as we are committed to making sure that your child's Tohickon experience is the best it can possibly be.
Sincerely,
Mr. Kevin Marton, Principal
Integrity, Honesty and Service emphasized at The Travis Manion Assembly
Tohickon welcomed Tony Kalams of the Travis Manion Foundation as a guest speaker on September 22nd. Mr. Kalams addressed all three grade levels, emphasizing the Manion Foundation's principle belief that character does matter. Highlighted in the presentation was the story of Travis Manion, as well as stories about children displaying integrity, honesty and service. Mr. Kalams linked the presentation to Tohickon's T5 student advocacy program, calling on Tohickon's students to perform acts of service for their friends, school and community. Following the presentation, Mr. Kalams left bracelets for all Tohickon's students with the inspirational slogan, "If not me, then who..."
TOM THELEN
FALL HAS ARRIVED...UPCOMING EVENTS
The month of October has arrived. There are several upcoming events that students and parents should be aware of. The events for the month of October are as follows:
October 9th
Family Movie Night at Tohickon
October 12th through 16th
Celebrate Education Week - Parents are invited to attend classes and team activities during the week
October 13th
Lab Night at Tohickon - Dr. Mackensen will host this event from 3:00 to 8:00 PM in room 315
October 14th
Pink-Out Day to Fight Cancer
October 15th
Parent Council Meeting 9:00 AM in the Tohickon Library
October 16th
Tohickon Welcome Back Dance 7:30-9:30 PM
October 28th
Drug Awareness Assembly for Grade 9 presented by Matthew Weintraub, Bucks County District Attorney
October 29th
Apple Crunch Day - Health Awareness
TEAM HAPPENINGS!
Team Summit had a great start to the school year! The students seem eager to learn and have been adjusting well to middle school. We would like to remind parents to check our Team Summit website on a weekly basis. Team activities, events, and other important information can be found at the location. Here is the link to our website: http://www.cbsd.org/Page/736.
Team Summit has had a few spirit days since the beginning of the year. As a building, staff and students showed spirit dressing in red, white and blue, for our 9/11 assembly.
On September 18, we all donned our NEON clothing. For this particular spirit day, students that participated, wrote their name on a piece of paper in homeroom. All names went into a basket. In between the class periods, Mrs. Bellavance and Mrs. Reese called three to four names from the basket, and those students won a prize, such as fruit snacks or Cheeze-Its. Stay tuned for more spirit days! Visit our website!
TEAM DISCOVERY - GRADE 7
Team Discovery seventh graders will be hosting the 12th Annual Used Bike Drive on Saturday, October 24th! Working in conjunction with the non-profit group Pedals for Progress, students will collect used bicycles that will be shipped to people in need from around the globe, where they will be used as a primary means of transportation. By donating any child or adult bicycle in “repairable condition,” you will be helping individuals get to work, to the market, to medical care, and even to school. By donating, you are also helping to keep usable bikes out of landfills; it is truly a win-win model charity. If you do not have a bike to donate but would like to help, monetary donations are always welcome to help cover shipping costs. A $10 donation is required with each bike. To learn more about Pedals for Progress, visit www.p4p.org, or for more information about our drive email Ms. McMahon at kmcmahon@cbsd.org. Please help spread the word to “recycle your bicycle” on Saturday, October 24th, from 12:00-3:00 PM, right here at Tohickon Middle School!
8th Grade has Spirit!
Fun and exciting things are happening on the second floor at Tohickon Middle School! Every Friday, students are welcome to join their teachers in a spirit day. So far we have had Red, White, and Blue Day, Crazy Sock Day, and Eagles Spirit Day. At the beginning of each week a new spirit day sign will be posted in the hallway on the second floor located across from the student bathrooms. Every student who joins in the fun of participating in a spirit day will be entered in a drawing to win prizes throughout the school year. Remind your child to look for signs for upcoming spirit days which will include Tie-Dye Day, Twin Day, Relay for Life Day and many, many more! What a great way to celebrate a Friday!
A big thank you from the ninth-grade team to the parents who attended Back-to-School Night. We enjoyed meeting you and sharing our vision for the 2015-2016 school year with you.
Remember that ninth grade is included in your child’s college transcript. Since most students will apply to and/or hear from at least one college by December of their senior year, colleges are evaluating applicants on their performance in 9th, 10th, and 11th grades. This puts even more importance on ninth-grade achievement.
We are working hard to get your child off to a good start in his or her high-school career. Each of us is dedicated to helping our students succeed. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us.
All Central Bucks School District Volunteers
Volunteers must have their clearances on file with the CBSD Human Resources Department prior to starting volunteer work. The new Pennsylvania State mandate does allow until July 1, 2016 to obtain background checks. However, in the best interest of the safety and security of our students, we are asking volunteers to comply with submitting background checks prior to volunteering in the 2015-2016 school year.
Click link to learn more: http://www.cbsd.org/site/default.aspx?PageID=355
If you have already submitted paperwork you do not need to take any further action at this time.
This online process is ONLY for those who have not submitted clearances/certifications as of October 1, 2015.
Celebrate Education Week
Celebrate Education Week will be held beginning on Monday, October 12th. Parents are invited to visit their child’s classroom during this week and attend team activities. Please look for information from your child’s academic team for specific activities, times and dates as Celebrate Education Week approaches.
Tohickon Athletic Update
September was a busy month for Tohickon Athletics. Over 200 seventh and eighth graders are participating in fall sports this year, which include fall soccer, field hockey, tennis, cheerleading and football. New to middle school athletics this year is the Family ID registration system. As the school year continues, parents and guardians are reminded to register their children on Family ID if they are participating in a sport. The Family ID link can be found on the Tohickon Athletics page.
Tohickon Wellness Update
Over the summer the Tohickon Garden donated vegetables to a local food pantry. During the first weeks of school we are enjoying a bountiful harvest! The garden club members are busy harvesting tomatoes, green beans, carrots, beets, turnips, kale, and herbs. The students in Family Consumer Science class are enjoying using the “home grown” vegetables as part of the curriculum. Many have commented on how great the vegetables look and taste! Students from science classes are visiting the garden for hands on botany lessons. Fall is for planting and yes we are planting cool weather crops and crops that will be used in our community service soup kitchen.
Community Service Update
During the month of September, Tohickon students had the opportunity to volunteer their time to help prepare for the Emergency Personnel Recognition Assembly. Thirty students stayed after school to decorate and organize gift baskets, make signs and write letters of appreciation for our first responders. In October, students will have the opportunity to help publicize our third annual Family Movie Night. At Family Movie Night, we will be showing the children’s movie, Hotel Transylvania. Family Movie Night will be Friday, October 9th, starting at 7:00 PM in the auditorium. Families are encouraged to attend. The cost of admission is one non-perishable food item per person. Donations and concession sales will be donated to the Doylestown Food Pantry. If students are interesting in participating in community service, they should see Mr. Pustay or Mrs. Furfari. More info is available Mr. Pustay’s teacher page.
Dr. Mackensen's Autumn Lab Night
From the Nurse's Office
As we enter the colder months, please encourage your sons and/or daughters to wash their hands frequently in order to help prevent the spread of viruses.
Free and Reduced Lunch Applications must be returned by October 14th.
Seventh grade students are reminded to turn in their dental exams to the nurse's office.
Guidance Department
Guidance Office: 267-893-3310
Mrs. Schute will be working with those students with last names from A-Hi.
Mr. Stryker will be working with those students with last names from Ho-R.
Mr. Striano will be working with those students with last names from S-Z.
How to Make Changes to Student Information
Please note the following procedures for submitting address changes and/or changes to mailing addresses, guardian(s) or other household information. This information is also available on the Central Bucks School District Website - www.cbsd.org.
Any changes to the current information we have on file (you can view the census information through the Parent Portal) should also be noted on the Census Verification form that your child brought home the first week of school.
Change of Address
All student address changes within Central Bucks must be validated at the Central Registration office by appointment only. We can not make changes at the middle school.
Student Change of Address Procedures:
Download the Change of Student Address Within Central Bucks form or obtain the form from the school your student currently attends.
Call or email Central Registration for an appointment. Central Registration 267-893-2111. CentralRegistration@cbsd.org
Complete the form and bring it to your scheduled appointment along with the following REQUIRED documentation: Property Deed/Agreement of Sale (follow up with deed) OR Current Lease Agreement AND one of the following: current utility bill, current tax bill/receipt, current bank statement. Your student’s records will be updated to reflect the new address upon receipt of the required documentation.
Change in Household Membership
All student household membership additions, deletions or changes must be documented on the Household Membership Change form. This would include the following: Parent/Guardian changes, Sibling changes and Mailing changes.
Student Household Membership Change Procedures
Download the Household Membership Change form or obtain the form from the school your student currently attends. Complete the form and return to your student’s school or mail it to the address below:
Central Bucks School District
Educational Services Center
Central Registration
16 Welden Drive
Doylestown, PA 18901
If you have any questions, please call Central Registration (267-893-2111)
or email your questions to CentralRegistration@cbsd.org
To view the CB Cares Backpack Newsflash please click the link below:
Just by doing your routine shopping, you can help Tohickon in our efforts to raise money for special programs and various items to support our school and students. Tohickon has registered in fundraising programs sponsored by Giant Market, eScrip.com, Target and Amazon.com. We also collect Boxtops for Education, and recycle newspaper, printer cartridges and clothing. Check out the details below. It’s easy to do, and a wonderful way to support our school! Thank you, in advance, for your participation in these programs!
GIANT A+ School Rewards Program
Tohickon Middle School has the opportunity to earn cash through Giant A+ School Rewards Program. All you have to do is: Log on to giantfoodstores.com/aplus to register online OR dial 1-888-448-4642 to register your card over the phone. After you register your card, each shopping trip at Giant using your BONUSCARD earns CASH for our school! Each month, the amount of CASH awarded will be updated on the Giant website. Attending to this simple process makes a HUGE difference to our school. We need your support. Please be sure to register your card to benefit Tohickon Middle School using ID #05868. Thanks to our Tohickon families, we raised $5,500 from this school rewards program last year.
Target
We’ve covered grocery shopping, how about something different? Just register your Target credit card or Target Visa card, and Tohickon will earn one percent of your purchases made at Target and one-half percent of Target Visa purchases made elsewhere. Go to www.target.com/tcoe and click on “Have a REDcard - find a school” and enter Tohickon - our ID # is 118247. Don’t have a Target credit card? You can apply online at the same site!
eScrip.com
Just register online at www.escrip.com. Tohickon’s Group ID # is 150239570. You can split your donation among several different schools or organizations, so if you’re already registered with another group, consider adding Tohickon! While you’re logged onto the www.escrip.com site, you may want to consider registering your debit and/or credit card so that Tohickon will benefit from purchases made with those cards at retailers like Office Max, Eddie Bauer, Barnes and Noble, and Payless Shoes. Choose “my escrip” from the menu at the top of the screen, log in with your password, go to “Account Administration,” and select “Credit and Debit Cards.” Be sure to check out the complete list of participating merchants and contribution rates.
Amazon.com
An easy way to support Tohickon’s programs is just a few clicks away! If you purchase anything through Amazon.com, our school can earn up to 15%! To ensure Tohickon receives credit for purchases, you will have to access the link on the Tohickon website under "School Links" then click “Support Tohickon.” Once you’ve done that, shop as you normally would. It’s that easy!
Box Tops for Education
Tohickon continues to collect Box Tops for Education. Box Tops coupons are found on a large variety of products. Please clip the coupons from participating products and send them to the school. All coupons can be turned in to homeroom teachers. Talk to your family and friends and ask them to clip Box Tops coupons also. All money raised from this continuous collection will supplement club and activity programs, including volunteer activities. For more information on Box Tops for Education go to www.boxtops4education.com.
Paper Retriever/Project WRAP
Did you know that every person in the United States throws away about two pounds of paper per day? Did you also know that Tohickon Middle School earns money every month for recycling paper in the green and yellow paper retriever bin? What can you do to help? Tohickon Middle School wants your paper! Please help us by depositing your household paper in the paper retriever bin every week. If 200 families put their paper in the paper retriever bin each week, our school would collect more than 2,800 pounds or 1.4 tons of paper per week. Deposit your school paper, office paper, magazines, newspapers, catalogs, junk mail and envelopes in the paper retriever recycling bin every week. Our school and the environment thank you! As the weather changes and you find yourself cleaning out your summer clothes and preparing for winter, please remember that we have a clothing “drop-off” right next to our paper retriever bin. Both bins are located in the back of Tohickon. They not only provide you with one stop “drop-off,” they provide the building with some additional funds.
Tohickon Middle School
Email: kmarton@cbsd.org
Website: cbsd.org
Location: 5051 Old Easton Road, Doylestown, PA
Phone: 267-893-3300