Unami United
March
World War II Survivors Share Their Experiences
On February 28th, ninth grade students had the privilege and honor of hearing two World War II survivors from the Jewish War Veterans, Post 697 speak about two distinctly different experiences. Our assembly began with a rendition of taps and a salute to the flag. The president of Post 697, Jerry Goldstein, introduced the speakers and stressed to the students that they are the last generation that will be able to hear these firsthand oral histories from survivors of the Holocaust. This helped set the tone and tenor of respect that was pervasive throughout the presentation. Danny Goldsmith then shared his story as a child hidden in Belgium throughout the Holocaust. His story was one of hope, courage and survival, with his biggest message being respect and forgiveness. Bernie Lens, a 93 year old American war veteran, followed with his story and the experiences he had while liberating concentration camps. To close, students asked questions to the survivors that they had generated in their Social Studies classes. Students then took part in a reflection activity in their classes the next day. Below are some of the powerful lessons that Unami ninth grade students took away from this experience.
“I think the message was that anything is possible because Danny escaped the Nazi’s and hid for years, but was able to keep hope that he would be rescued.”
“I will apply their message to my own individual life by making sure to treat everybody I meet with respect. Humans are humans and we all have feelings, hopes and dreams.”
“I think their message was, one person’s actions does matter. One word of hate, one act of exclusion, if not stopped could lead to things like mass genocide. We need to learn to appreciate life and also learn to love, not hate. We can really do a lot with our lives, and it’s our choice of what exactly we are going to do with it.”
“Forgive those who hurt you, but learn from their mistakes not to hurt others.”
The Unami staff was extremely proud of our students as they displayed the utmost respect during the entire assembly. Thank you parents and guardians for allowing us to appreciate and see the wonderful job you are doing in raising your children to be polite and courteous. We are honored to share that responsibility with you here at Unami.
Unami Students Shine at National History Day Competition
Jennifer M. finished in 2nd place for her paper titled "China's one Child Policy: A Horrific Violation of Human Rights." Zijun X. also finished in 2nd place in the individual website category with his work titled "John Muir and the Duty to Protect the Environment." Nolan P., Lance G. and Kyle T. won 3rd place in the junior group website division with their project, "Jackie Robinson: A Game Changed On and Off the Field."
Two groups from Unami placed in the senior website division. Taylor M., Maria M. and Victoria H. finished in 3rd with their website "The Evolution of the Soviet Citizen's Persecution" and Kaylie B. and Lydia J. finished in 2nd with their website titled "Salem Witch Trials."
Carolyn P. won 3rd place with her performance on "Victor Hugo's Fight for Rights" and Joy Z. won 1st place with her documentary titled "Apartheid: A Segregated Society."
And finally, Richard S., Charlie H. and Josh M. finished in 2nd place with their exhibit on "The Federal Reserve."
Thank you to all the students for their hard work and for representing Unami this past weekend.
Unami Middle School-March is Youth Arts Month
The following students' work has been selected to be exhibited at the Doylestown Post Office Community Display:
8th grade artists: Madison A., Amanda M. Kaitlyn C., Kiley P., Madison K. and Nicole M.
7th grade artists: Nina K., Alyssa M., Lauren S., Casey W., Myles C., Alexa B., Paige F. and Cathy Z.
We are proud of the efforts of our 7th and 8th grade art students and are happy to share their talents and efforts with the community!
Mrs. Jones and Mrs. Daly
Student Council Hard At Work
Student Council continues to collect used shoes that still have some life left in them as part of the Shoebox Shoe Recycling Program. Collection boxes are available outside the main office year round. Shoes do not need to be in shoeboxes at all, and we can’t accept slippers, flip flops, winter boots, rollerblades or other specialty shoes. Not only are you helping the environment, Unami benefits from this program. Student Council donates the funds we receive to “green” projects around the school. We are currently donating to the Unami Plough and Trowel community gardening club to raise funds for an irrigation system.
The school wide talent show is on Friday, April 4th at 7 pm. All Unami students and their families are welcome to attend. Students are currently preparing their singing, magic, and comedy acts for the event. Please consider joining us for this event. We will be collecting donations at the door to help the Unami Plough and Trowel club raise funds for the irrigation system needed for the community garden.
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Do you like baseball? Please join us for Unami’s 2nd annual night at the ballgame on Saturday, April 12th. Tickets are still available for the Iron Pigs game at Coca-Cola Stadium in Allentown. More information can be found on the Unami web page.
UNAMI NIGHT AT THE IRON PIGS GAME!
**Bonus**
One of our students will be throwing out the first pitch.
Unami Beautification-Thank You Student Council
Congratulations Science Olympiad Students
On Wednesday, March 5th the Unami Science Olympiad team made up of twenty 7th, 8th and 9th grade students competed at the Southeast Regional Science Olympiad Competition at Neumann University in Delaware County. The students on the team competed in 20 of 23 events covering all areas of science and engineering and entered two teams in two different trial events. They competed against 27 middle schools from across southeastern Pennsylvania and finished in 10th place overall as a team and earned 8 event medals. Winning medals in their events were:
• Richard S. and William R. with a 1st place in Solar System
• Joy Z. and Victoria S. with a 2nd place in Anatomy
• Nolan P. and Riley R. with a 3rd place in Write It, Do It
• Brian D. and William R. with a 3rd place in Meteorology
• Richard S. with a 3rd place in Shock Value
• Joy Z. and Ben K. with a 4th place in Crime Busters AND in two trial events
• Madie G., Kyle F., Denise Y. and Victoria S.earned a 1st place in the event “Bag of Bones”
• AND, Denise Y., Victoria S., Madie G. and Joshua Y. earned a 2nd place in the event “Picture This”
Congratulations to the entire team for their efforts at the regional competition.
7th Grade Students Skype with National WWII Museum
Students Celebrate Pi Day
Middle School Jazz Festival
Unami's First Energy Expo
PECO Energy Audit
8th Grade Orion Visits Washington, D.C.
Join Us For A Game!
Unami Trowel & Plow
The winter is behind us, the ground has started to thaw, and now it is time to begin preparing for our second planting season. Unami Trowel and Plow is a student gardening club dedicated to building community, while serving our local community. Students plant, maintain, and harvest raised vegetable beds. All of the produce is donated to the New Britain Baptist Food Pantry.
Last year was our inaugural year and we were very successful. We were able to donate over 100 bags of salad mix along with numerous beets, carrots, tomatoes, fennel, eggplant, peppers, watermelon, and snow peas. We were also blessed with numerous donations. 84 Lumber gave us the wood to build the beds. Sparks Topsoil and Blueberry Hill Landscaping donated topsoil. Home Depot built us a small shed to store our watering supplies, and numerous families donated their time to tend the beds over the summer months.
This year we are setting a goal of constructing four more beds, bringing our total to fourteen. We are going to work on developing a “green” watering system and increase student participation. We are also working on ways to sustain this program for years to come. We are again working with Delaware Valley College. We will be traveling to their green houses on Wednesday March 26th to start seeds. We will also work with Bonnie Olliver, a master gardener from the Penn State Extension. She has been able to get donations of seeds and also educates us on how to properly maintain our beds. She is already planning a presentation proper thinning. Yeah, may not sound super exciting to many, but it is an area we felt we needed to develop based upon our reflections of the previous season. We want to make sure we give our plants enough room to grow to their full potential.
Future meetings will be announced via the Unami Scroll and the morning announcements. We have a lot to do to get the beds ready for planting. We are also accepting donations of topsoil, soil conditioners, gardening tools, or anything else that you believe will help us to build community within our school, while supporting our local community. We are excited about this season. Watch us grow!
Environmental Service Learning
Unami Wrestling
The Unami Wrestling Team finished the season with a number of successes. Two varsity wrestlers placed third in the league and one finished fourth. Two of these wrestlers were in their first year of wrestling. Also, two JV wrestlers finished third in the league.
STRINGS POP CONCERT AT UNAMI
For the third year, Unami hosted a Strings Pops Concert for the South cluster. Select string groups from the two elementary schools that feed Unami (Butler and Millcreek), and CB South/West Chamber Strings, and our String Ensemble and Ninth Grade Orchestra performed various Pop repertoire, ranging from folk music, dance music,to jazz to rock to today’s popular Toxic by Britney Spears.
The Ninth Grade Orchestra performed Temptations’ My Girl, with Samantha Hong as a vocal soloist. The String Ensemble played a contemporary composer Soon Hee Newbold’s Rockin’Jammin’ Swingin’. The five school groups ended the evening with a grand finale of the Chicken Dance!
The String Ensemble traveled to Upper Dublin High School to participate in their second annual String Orchestra Festival Adjudication (SOFA) where they received professional feedback from judges, and had a rating for their performance. There are many neighboring districts involved in this two day event.
Additional performances from our usual Winter and Spring concerts keep the Orchestra members motivated in learning new repertoire, in a short time frame.
Varsity Girls' Basketball
The varsity girls basketball team played their best basketball towards the end of the season. While the team dealt with numerous injuries in November and early December, they were really able to come together as a unit when it mattered most. During the regular season, the team finished 6-4. While all 6 wins were in convincing fashion, none of the 4 losses were by more than 8 points. It was a testament to the consistent effort the girls put in every day and their toughness of the court. The highlight of the season was a two point win against Holicong in the semi-finals of the district tournament. While our Unami girls came out in the first couple minutes to take an early lead, the strong, undefeated Holicong team fought back. For most of the game, the teams went back and forth executing on offense and playing tough defense. With some clutch foul shooting and smart decisions, the Lady Warriors held on for the win.
February Boomerang Award--Asset #26 Caring
Congratulations to February Boomerang recipients Nicole D. Emily S. Jisoo K. and Jonathan R. These students exemplify this month's asset--young person who cares about others. They place a high value on helping other people and think about ways of helping and is motivated to initiate kind and thoughtful acts.
March Boomerang Asset--#38 Self-Esteem
Young person demonstrates a confidence that promotes positive behaviors and relationships. He/she is proud to be the person that they are, and they serve as a role model to others because of their healthy self-confidence.
Please take a moment to complete a Boomerang Nomination form for a Unami student who demonstrates Caring.
PSSA Important Information
PSSA Writing Assessment will be the week of April 7. The Science PSSA assessment begins the week of April 28. For additional information , please click this link for more information.
We appreciate your understanding and cooperation during this time and we respectfully request that routine doctor/dentist/ortho appointments not be scheduled during the exam periods. If a student has started a test, he/she may not go back at another time to finish that section. The student must finish once started or will not receive creditfor any items not answered. Students who arrive to school after 7:55 A.M. on testing days will not start an exam that day. They will be scheduled to make up the exam on another day.
If you have any questions regarding the PSSA exam, please call Mrs. Houpert.
YEARBOOK PREORDER TIME IS HERE!!!
We are excited to announce that we will be accepting advanced orders for the 2013-14 Unami yearbook starting now and continuing until APRIL 17th. The preorder price is only $21.00! After April 17th, no orders will be accepted until the day the yearbooks arrive. If you or your child waits until the day of yearbook distribution, the cost becomes $25.00 and is on a first come, first served basis until supplies run out. So if you want to be sure your child receives our amazing yearbook this year and has all of his or her memories preserved forever, please send in your preorders now!
If you would like to include a PARENT MESSAGE to your student(s), you can send an extra $4 along with the message you’d like printed in the yearbook EXACTLY as you’d like it to appear.
Please place your order in an envelope with your child’s name, resource teacher’s name, and grade clearly labeled. Checks can be made out to UNAMI MIDDLE SCHOOL. Cash is also accepted. The envelopes can be turned in to the yearbook bin in the front office.
Again, no preorders will be taken after April 17th, so get your orders in ASAP! J Yearbook Advisor, Ms. Kazatsky
YOUNG ENGINEER'S NIGHT
We cordially invite you to attend the First Annual Central Bucks School District “Young Engineers’ Night!” This event will take place on April 3rd, 2014 from 6:00 – 8:00 pm at CB High School EAST. This night is geared toward our middle and elementary school students, so this will be a “hands-on” experience. Students will be exposed to technology such as CO2 cars, laser cutting, propeller powered vehicles, Styro Gliders and they will have an opportunity to explore a state of the art TV studio. Interested students can make a Young Engineers’ badge in the Manufacturing Races exhibit, and if he or she is able to collect all 6 stickers they will be awarded a certificate classifying them as a “Certified Young Engineer.“
Relay for Life
Central Bucks Middle Schools’ Relay for Life began in 2004 as a way to get young people involved in the fight against cancer and to serve as a customized alternative to local overnight events. For the past 10 years students have banded together to form teams, organize fundraisers, and dedicate hours of hard work to achieve their goals. Central Bucks students exceeded a $2 million cumulative ten-year total last year, helping fund cancer research and a myriad of support programs for cancer patients and their families. Working together with the American Cancer Society these students inspire others to honor, remember, and fight back for those who have been touched by the disease.
Important Information and Dates:
February 25th--Student Registration Ends
April 22nd--Chaperone Registrations & Schedules Due
Student registration ends Tuesday, Feb 25th.
April 22nd & April 23rd @ 7pm--Chaperone Meetings for Parents (Tohickon Auditorium)
May 12th--$50 Per Person Fundraising Total Due
Saturday, May 17, 2014, 09:00 AM
Tohickon Middle School, Plumstead, PA, United States
Program Planning
The Program Planning process for course selection for the 2014-15 school year continues.
9th Grade – Course verification sheets will be going home for parent signature March 4th to be returned to HR teacher by March 7th..
8th Grade – Course verification sheets will be going home for parent signature March 5th to be returned to HR teacher by March 12th.
7th Grade – Course verification sheets went home with students last week. Please review the verification sheet carefully with your child and write any changes directly on the sheet. Verification sheets were due back to the Guidance Office on February 19.
Fundraise for Unami While You Shop
If you use the following vendors, please think about supporting UMS while you shop:
- If you shop at Target and have a Target Red Card, you can register your card for Target's Take Charge of Education program so that Unami receives a percentage of your spending.
- Giant Food Store has an A+ School Rewards program through their clip-less coupon card. Note, each year you need to reselect Unami so that your shopping benefits UMS.
- Use this link to connect to Amazon to shop and Unami can earn as much as 15% of what you purchase!
- Clip and send in Box Tops to the attention of NJHS; or, shop at the Box Top Market Place where you will find vendors such as Best Buy, KMart, Justice and more.
- If you like to shop online, check out the eScrip Online Mall. When you sign up for an account, selecting Unami earns money for our school.
Important Upcoming Events
April 2nd--8th Grade Orion Trip to Washington, D.C.
April 4th--Early Dismissal @ 10:45AM
April 4th--Talent Show @ 7PM
April 7th--Reading Olympics @ Log College 5:30PM
April 10th--9th Grade Trip to New York City
April 12th--Iron Pigs Game
April 17th--Parent Council 9AM (Library)
April 17th--French Fashion Show 4:30 PM (Auditorium)
April 22nd--7th Grade Trip to Disney's "Bears"
April 25th--6th Graders Visit Unami
April 25th--Spring Dance 7PM
For more details, please visit the Unami Website.
Calendar Revisions
On March 11 the Central Bucks School District School Board voted for the following changes to the 2013-2014 school calendar:
April 3 - Now a Full Day of School.
April 4 - Early Dismissal - 10:45 A.M.
April 10 - End of 3rd Marking Period
April 17 - Now Full Day of School for Secondary Students; Elementary - Early Dismissal
April 23 - Report Cards Distributed
June 20 - Last Day of School; High School Graduations; Early Dismissal - 10:45 A.M.
Click here for the updated one-page calendar.
Summer Programs
Plan for Excitement this Summer
The Central Bucks Community School offers a terrific variety of camps and activities through its Summer Fun Program. Visit the Community School's webpage to find information regarding classes in music, art, driver education, writing, SAT prep, and more. Registration begins April 4. Register early as some classes have limited enrollment.
Follow @ CBSDInfo on Twitter
Follow Central Bucks School District @CBSDInfo for up-to-the-minute notifications of school delays, closures and emergencies
Unami Middle School
Email: cbsdunami@cbsd.org
Website: cbsd.org/unamims
Location: 160 S. Moyer Road, Chalfont, PA
Phone: 267-893-3400