The Tohickon Golden Eagle
January 2017
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
Dear Tohickon Families,
Happy New Year! I hope that you had a fantastic holiday break, enjoying time with family and friends. It is hard to believe that the month of January has arrived. As we begin the new year, there are a few important items to be aware of.
Program Planning begins for Ninth Grade Students in January. There will be an assembly held for students on January 5th, that will provide them will important information on the process. During the month, high school counselors from CB East and CB West will be at Tohickon to meet with each student. Very importantly, the High School Curriculum Fairs will be held on January 12th (snow date January 19th) beginning at 6:30 PM.
The preparation for the Spring Musical will be in full swing. Students involved in the musical will have daily after school practice sessions along with a few Saturday rehearsals. As always, we look forward to the great performances put on by our students.
The second marking period ends on January 25th. This also marks the halfway point of the 2016-2017 school year. These three weeks in January are usually very busy ones for students as they are finishing up assignments and projects prior to the conclusion of the semester.
Lastly, seventh grade students will attend an assembly on January 30th for their Program Planning Process. During this assembly, students will be introduced to World Language options and learn more about academic vs. advanced classes.
On behalf of the staff at Tohickon, I would like to wish you all the best as we move into the new year! If you should have any questions regarding the information above, please do not hesitate to contact the main office at 267-893-3300.
Sincerely,
Kevin Marton, Principal
THE NEW YEAR HAS ARRIVED!!!
There are several upcoming events that students and parents should be aware of. The events for the month of January are as follows:
January 4th
Dr. Davidheiser, Assistant Superintendent, to present data on Middle School Schedule Survey to Parents 7:00 PM
January 5th
9th Grade Students to attend a Program Planning Assembly
MBIT Open House 7:00 - 9:00 PM
January 6th
MBIT will present to 9th Grade Students
January 12th
Curriculum Fairs at all three Central Bucks' High Schools 6:30 PM
January 16th
MLK Day - No School for Students
January 18th
9th Grade Students interested in MBIT will participate in a tour
January 19th
Parent Council Meeting 9:00 AM
January 25th
Early Dismissal 10:45 AM
End of the Second Marking Period and First Semester
January 30th
7th Grade Students will attend a Program Planning Assembly
Important Information
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.
PARENT COUNCIL MEETING REMINDER
TEAM HAPPENINGS!
TEAM SUMMIT and TEAM DISCOVERY - GRADE 7
Both seventh grade teams took field trips this month to see a live performance of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Students all read a version of the classic story in their English class. Team Summit traveled to the Walnut Street Theater in Philadelphia, while Team Discovery saw the play at the Hedgerow Theater in Rose Valley, PA. The students enjoyed the festive atmosphere and seeing the characters come to life on stage. On December 22nd, the entire seventh grade viewed Disney’s newest version of A Christmas Carol starring Jim Carrey. Following the film, students were asked to analyze the three versions of the classic tale, comparing and contrasting the text, the play, and the movie. Seeing the different forms of the story helps the students better understand the challenging text of the novel.
Team Discovery and the seventh grade has also showed their generosity once again this past month by raising money for one of our own seventh grade students, Emeric, who was injured in a car accident in November and continues to recover at home. The team and the grade have rallied in support of their classmate and friend. We “capped” off the week long collection with a Holiday Headgear Spirit Day to celebrate this season of giving and Emeric’s recovery.
TEAM ODYSSEY - GRADE 8
On Team Odyssey there are many exciting things happening in your child’s classes this month!
In Science, students are investigating the relationship between the Sun, Earth, and the Moon. They have built simple refracting telescopes, mapped our orbit around the sun and listened to a presentation by Mr. Hall in an inflatable planetarium where students discovered the constellations in the night sky. See if they can find the Polaris (our North Star) on a clear night!
In Social Studies class, students are ending the year watching a series of videos about the Revolutionary War. Students are comparing and contrasting the British and colonial armies, determining who should win this war. Most students come to realize that the British army had most of the things necessary to win the war, but not the drive or determination that the colonists had in achieving independence.
This week the students in Mrs. Moran’s English classes are busily working on the final assessments for their recent novels. Those who read Life As We Knew It and The Dead and the Gone are comparing the characters and events in their novel to the characters and events in a non-fiction article and writing an essay on their findings. The students who read Tuesdays With Morrie interviewed an adult about life and are now transcribing the questions and answers to a PowerPoint and drawing conclusions about their findings.
Algebra 1 and Algebra 1A classes have been hard at work the whole month of December! Our Algebra 1 classes have done some tremendous work mastering systems of linear equations and inequalities while Algebra 1A students come to class every day eager to learn about functions!
TEAM TRAILBLAZER - GRADE 8
Here you can see Team Trailblazer students exploring the wonders of astronomy in the Spectroscope lab. They are attempting to identify different gases that are included in stars. The students had to use “bar codes” that they identified the previous day to figure out newly named stars. Watch out NASA, you have some competition!
TEAM EXPEDITION - GRADE 8
Students dressed up in their best ugly sweaters during the holiday season. Some even went to great lengths to make their own! Showcasing creativity and craftsmanship.
Students walking by the library a few weeks ago may have noticed a giant gray inflated orb the size of an entire classroom! Stargazer extraordinaire, Mr. Hall, took over eighth grade science classes for three days in order to give a presentation in the portable planetarium. In the pitch black, students discovered how to navigate their way around the night sky. With the stars projected overhead and 360 degrees around, they learned about constellations, seasons, and the movements of the Earth within our celestial neighborhood.
NINTH GRADE TEAM
Taking Stock in Ninth Grade
Ninth-grade students are currently participating in an online stock contest as part of their 1920s unit in social studies. Each student was given $100,000 (Sorry, it’s not real) to invest in any company of their choice. Anxiously keeping track of the rise and fall of their stocks, students are then ranked by their gains or losses in the market.
Science classes had the opportunity meet Nihad Kaiseruddin, a chemical engineer from PDC machines in Warminster, Pa. Ms. Kaiseruddin explained to students the engineering design of the hydrogen fuel cell compressor her company develops, showed students the engine components of the Hyundai Tucson prototype car, and did a test drive of the vehicle around the school parking lot. Her presentation was a great opportunity for students to hear from a local engineer working to solve real life problems and to view the latest in automotive technology.
In English, students are writing their theme essays for To Kill a Mockingbird and Lord of the Flies. In addition, students are busy reading independently and are sharing their insights with their peers. There have been several excellent book talks, so far, and we are looking forward to many more after the break.
COMMUNITY SERVICE UPDATE
Community Service has been very busy since September and we continue to plan for the coming months. Our Winter Coat Drive will continue till the end of January, any new or gently used coats are needed. Boxes have been placed on the first floor for easy drop off. Also, in January we have several dates for our Tohickon Soup Kitchen which takes place here at Tohickon and benefits our local community. The dates in January are Wednesday the 11th, Thursday the 26th and the remaining two dates are Tuesday, February 7th and Thursday, February 23rd. This activity takes place here at Tohickon from 2:30 to 5:00 and is limited to 25 students who sign up outside the FCS rooms. In addition, we have our year long, every other Monday volunteer opportunity at the NOVA Thrift Store on route 313. Additional information for all Community Service Activities can be found on the Tohickon site under Parent/Student tab.
ATHLETICS UPDATE
The boys' basketball season is set to begin early in January. Seventh and eighth graders interested in trying out must have sections 5 and 6 of the PIAA physical form completed and signed by a certified medical examiner and turned-in at Tohickon's office. If a student participated in a fall sport, then he just needs the PIAA recertification form signed by a parent or guardian. All forms are available on the Tohickon athletic's website. In addition, each family must register for basketball on FamilyID. Tohickon’s FamilyID link can be found on the school’s athletics website.
Boys basketball tryout information is available online as well.
AFTER SCHOOL CLUB INFORMATION
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.
FROM THE GUIDANCE DEPARTMENT
What is MBIT? Is MBIT for me?
January 5, 2017 - OPEN HOUSE for students and parents at MBIT - Middle Bucks Institute of Technology – 7PM – 9PM. For more information, go to the MBIT website: www.mbit.org (Snow date January 12)
January 6, 2017 - All 9th grade students will attend a presentation from Middle Bucks Institute of Technology that will give our 9th graders an overview of the courses and pre-professional programs available for high school students.
Preparing for 10th Grade
January 12, 2017 - Curriculum Fairs at CB East and CB West – 6:30 PM – The curriculum fair is an opportunity for parents and students to gain more information about the high schools and the courses available. We strongly recommend that 9th grade students and their parents plan to attend (snow date January 19).
January 18, 2017 – 9th Grade Visit to MBIT – 9th grade students interested in seeing MBIT in action and learning more about the programs should sign up for the trip in the guidance office and obtain a permission slip. Students will travel by school bus to MBIT.
We will begin PROGRAM PLANNING for next year in January 2017. See important dates listed by grade on the guidance website in January.
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 trouble shooting 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