The Tohickon Golden Eagle
June 2020
THE FINAL WEEKS
Dear Tohickon Families,
The last few months have been extremely challenging for all of us. As we move through the final days of school, it is frustrating to our staff that we have been unable to wish our students well as the year comes to a close. In addition to all of the academic planning and efforts of our teachers to provide an effective distance learning program, there have been countless meetings behind the scenes on how we can end the year in a positive way. During the next few weeks, we have planned a series of events that we hope will provide some joy and closure to what has been a difficult year.
On Friday, June 5th, we are planning the special fly over event (rain date June 8th). On this day, between the hours of Noon and 1PM, we have arranged for a fly over with a special message from our Tohickon Staff. On the day of flight, students and families will receive a “real time” link between 11:30 and 11:45 AM. This link will guide our families on where to look. I hope that you will have an opportunity to step outside for a few minutes to witness this special event.
There will be special presentations for Grade 7 and Grade 8 during the week of June 8. The seventh grade presentation will take place on Tuesday, June 9 and the eighth grade presentation will take place on June 11. These events will occur in place of The Morning Show. Students and families will be sent a link to these presentations at 8:45 AM on the day they are scheduled.
The Ninth Grade Closing Ceremonies will be shared with students and families on June 15. The link to access the ceremony will be sent to families at 8:45 AM. The closing ceremony presentation, which is the special event held at the end of every year, will involve two parts. The first segment will be an overview, where Mr. Murtha and I will announce all of the award winners and special recognitions for the 2019-2020 School Year. This will also include the student given the honor of addressing the assembly. Following this segment, students and families will be directed to a webpage where parents/families can access individual teacher speeches for many of our award winners. I wish all of our Freshman the best of luck as they move on to CB East and CB West!
All of these events have been meticulously planned to recognize our students and to provide some joy and comfort during these difficult times. I know that I speak for the entire Tohickon Staff when I say that we miss our students, we miss our families and we miss our school. I am hopeful that we will be able to get back to normal in the fall. Until that time, I wish all of our students and families a safe, healthy and happy summer!
Sincerely,
Kevin Marton
Tohickon Principal
JUNE CALENDAR OF EVENTS
June 4
- Final Morning Show and Advisory Lesson.
June 5
- Tohickon Fly Over - Noon until 1PM. Students and families will receive a link to track the plane between 11:30 and 11:45 AM.
June 9
- Seventh Grade Presentation - Students and families will receive a link at 8:45 AM.
June 11
- Eighth Grade Presentation - Students and families will receive a link at 8:45 AM.
- Seventh Grade Student Drop Off/Retrieval - 1PM to 4PM.
- Final Day of Distance Learning.
- Yearbooks will be mailed out to students.
June 12
- Eighth Grade Student Drop Off/Retrieval - 9AM until Noon.
- Ninth Grade Student Drop Off/Retrieval - 1PM until 4PM.
June 15
- Ninth Grade Closing Ceremony Presentation - Students and families will receive a link at 8:45 AM.
Artists from Mrs. Panitch, Mrs. Thomas, and Mrs. Thompson’s art classes have been hard at work. These students have kept their creative juices flowing by working to design original artworks, right from their homes. Creations utilize inspiration from artists like Andy Goldsworthy, Roy Lichtenstein, and Michael Albert. Tohickon artists grew in their knowledge of color theory and other design elements. We at Tohickon celebrate ALL of our artists, as they work to develop their techniques and abilities! Here is the video format.
Message From the Seventh Grade Teams
As the year winds down, the seventh grade teachers would like to thank all the students and parents for their patience, effort, and diligence throughout distance learning. Every year, we see it as our goal to help foster independence and responsibility in our seventh graders as they adjust to middle school; but this year, with distance learning, we asked them to be extraordinarily independent. For the last two months, these 12 and 13-year-olds have managed eight classes in a virtual setting and it is quite an amazing feat they are accomplishing! We are very grateful for the day to day support parents have provided in our absence and for the support you have provided to us throughout the year.
We were sad to miss our annual spring field trip to the Philadelphia Zoo, but the zoo does have a great website with plenty of options for a virtual visit! Feel free to explore using this link: https://philadelphiazoo.org/learn/
A few updates and reminders for the last weeks of school:
· Please continue to check Infinite Campus regularly for grades and missing work
· Any items donated for the Hope Lodge are being stored until next year when we hope to hold another drive and deliver the items
· Funds raised for Hope Lodge through our snack sale were diverted to the CB Farmers Market
· Keep an eye out for a Seventh Grade End of Year Video on the Morning Show the last week of school
Seventh Grade—Find it Fridays!
Seventh grade students had the opportunity to participate in a virtual scavenger hunt on two Fridays in May. An email was sent to students on Thursday that explained the event. On Friday, a list was sent to all 7th graders with 10-15 items they needed to find in their house. Students were required to send in a selfie with all the items. You can see some of the items in the pictures. The first student from each seventh-grade team that sent a picture with all of the necessary items would be the winners. Winners received a pizza later in the day that was sent to their house. YUM! Congratulations to the winners:
Week 1--Zoey Riley-Summit and Hannah Unrath-Infinity
Week 2—Mae Mahoney-Summit and Leila Murray-Infinity
Team Odyssey
Hello, Team Odyssey Students! Your teachers have missed you tremendously during this time of distance learning. In case you did not know, we even wrote a new book in honor of our time at home during this pandemic called “Oh The Places You’ll Go…Or Won’t Go.” To watch our message, please go here: https://www.wevideo.com/view/1688959092 On a more serious note, we are really impressed with how you rose to the occasion and showed resiliency during this difficult time. You should all be proud of your accomplishments and efforts during distance learning, as well as during your 8th grade year. To celebrate the end of our school year, Team Odyssey will be sharing an End of Year Awards Video. More information about this will be communicated via email the week of June 8th.
We hope you have a wonderful summer where you rest and recharge for the upcoming 2020-2021 school year. We have truly enjoyed being your teachers this year and are looking forward to seeing you in the fall. You are a special group of students who work hard, are fun to be around, and are caring and compassionate. We know you will be successful in ninth grade and beyond. Please come back and visit us!
Happy Summer!
Mrs. Bellavance, Mr. Bartosiewicz, Mrs. Donohoe, Mr. Hall, Ms. Levesque, Mr. Neely, Mrs. Zagwoski
A Farewell to the Freshman Class:
We would like to thank you for your patience and perseverance. It is the relationships we built in the classrooms and in the hallways that allowed for a smooth transition from in-person to online. Obviously, this is not how we wanted to say our goodbyes to you. There was so much to look forward to, yes, but there are also so many things to celebrate.
We watched you study and collaborate with your peers, cheer for one another at sporting events, simulate trades in social studies, score that game-winning goal, receive a solo in the concert, articulate a meaningful experience in English class, answer a trivia question about your teachers, eat pretzels and socialize, ace that science quiz, present at the technology showcase, create art and music, laugh at lunch, figure out that math problem, perform in the musical—we watched you grow as students and as people.
Thank you for a great year. We wish you well as you move on to East or West in the fall. You will always have a home here. WE are Tohickon.
We will miss you,
Mr. Collins, Ms. Dobrowolski, Mr. Ellmaker, Sra. Falconi, Mr. Felton, Mrs. Fry-Daly, Mrs. Fugate, Ms. Fuller, Mrs. Girardi, Sra. Heath, Ms. Jones, Mrs. Landis-Saylor, Ms. Lewis, Mrs. Parisi, Mrs. Pellegrino, Mrs. Ramey, Mdme. Rive, Ms. Sufrin, Mr. Weir, & Mrs. Welch
From the Math Department
Hello Tohickon! It's that time of year again…time to collect your math textbooks. Please bring your math textbook to Tohickon when you come to retrieve your personal items on June 11th or 12th. If your math textbook is in your locker at school, do not worry. It will be collected from your locker for you. If your math textbook was a consumable workbook, you do not need to turn it in. If you have any questions, please email your math teacher.
The Math Department wishes you and your family a safe and joyful summer. Good luck to our 9th grade students at the high school. We know you will make us Tohickon Proud! 7th and 8th graders - we look forward to seeing you in the fall!
Happy Summer!
Mrs. Bellavance, Mr. Bartosiewicz, Mrs. Campbell, Mr. Ellmaker, Ms. Fuller, Ms. Jones, Mrs. Landis-Saylor, Mrs. Kennedy, Mrs. Rissing
The five Central Bucks Middle Schools got together on the evening of May 27 for a district-wide Reading Olympics Kahoot competition. Reading Olympics is a celebration of reading that usually culminates in a county-wide, quiz-style competition that was cancelled this year. The five middle school librarians replicated the competition with an online game that the students participated in to gain points for their schools. Tohickon usually does great at the competition and the online game was no different. Tohickon had three of the top five scores including Mila in fifth place, Yoel in third place and Alegria in first place! Congratulations to all of the Reading Olympic students.
TOHICKON'S INDEPENDENT READING INITIATIVE CONTINUES THROUGH THE SUMMER MONTHS
As we approach the end of our distance learning time and move into the summer, all students are reminded of the importance of continuing self-selected, free choice reading. Our school-wide, independent reading platform provides students with personal choices for reading.
Our goal is to have students reading on a regular basis throughout the summer months because they choose to do so. When students are interested and engaged in a book, reading becomes a meaningful part of their lives. For this reason, we encourage students to choose books that interest them. We also encourage all students to keep a list of the books that they read through the summer months. When school begins in the fall, the entire Tohickon school community will be engaged in book discussions and activities.
Please consider being involved in conversations with your child about the books they choose. When family plays an active role in their child’s reading choices, students can witness firsthand the role reading can play in their lives.
Let the baking begin! Mrs. Reese and Mrs. McMahon (7th Grade) challenged Ms. Lewis and Mrs. Girardi (9th Grade) to compete in a baking competition styled off of the show “Nailed It.” Their inspiration was a turtle shaped pull-apart cake. Each teacher had 90 minutes to recreate the turtle cake and document the process. The cakes will be judged by Mr. Marton, Mr. Murtha and Mrs. Fox. The results and winner will be broadcast on The Tohickon Morning Show! Stay tuned.
Tohickon Athletics
It was disappointing for our athletes and coaches that the Spring sports program was cancelled this year. Our coaches were committed to the players and wanted to provide them with an outlet during the stay-at-home period. Coaches communicated with players on a weekly basis giving them things to do to improve their skills. Workouts were assigned with the hope that athletes would stay engaged in their sports by exercising and practicing on their own. There are many questions yet to be answered about Fall sports. Our athletics website at https://tohickonathletics.com/ will be updated as information becomes available. Parents that want to get a jump start on getting their children ready for sports can get the physical and PIAA paperwork filled out this summer. A physical with completion of PIAA Sections 5 and 6 dated after June 1, 2020 will get them ready for any and all sports they want to play in the 2020-2021 school year. Make sure all parts of the two forms are filled in and signed by the doctor, parents and students. As always, if you have any questions about Tohickon Athletics please email the Athletic Director, Mr. Hall, at khall@cbsd.org. Students planning to play sports in 9th grade should check the websites from the high school they plan to attend for sports information: CB East Athletics, CB West Athletics.
TOHICKON ONLINE STORE
If you're interested in ordering official Tohickon MS gear, there is an online store for the 2019-2020 school year! The apparel isn't just for athletics - anyone can order Tohickon gear from this site! To shop, click here!
IMPORTANT INFORMATION FROM THE NURSE’S OFFICE
Congratulations to all 9th graders and we wish you the best of luck as you move on to high school! Although it was not an ideal way to end your time at Tohickon, we hope you remember us with fondness and know you will be missed.
Medications in the health office were recently returned along with new Action Plans for the 2020-2021 school year. Others Action Plans were sent via mail so please keep an eye out for them. These are for children with chronic medical conditions and if you received an action plan, please have it completed and returned prior to the start of the new school year. If your child is moving on to high school, please forward them to the appropriate school and to the Attention of the School Nurse. ALL medication requires a Medication Dispensing Form completed and signed by YOU and YOUR physician.
Information for Incoming 7th graders
All 7th graders are required to have a Pennsylvania state mandated dental exam. Please forward the completed dental exam form to the nurse’s office. The exam may be any date after September 1, 2019. Also, 7th graders are required to have a Tdap and meningitis vaccination PRIOR to the first day of school on August 31, 2020. There will be a 5-day grace period before your child will be excluded if he/she is non-compliant.
You may check the parent portal to see if your child is missing any of the required immunizations. Please feel free to send any of the required paperwork by email to the school nurse, Sheila Kelly shkelly@cbsd.org, or reach out with any questions.
Pat yourselves on the back for making it through the school year and we hope you have a happy, safe and healthy summer!
GUIDANCE DEPARTMENT
**Course Failure/Summer School Placement**
Summer School Information
Summer school information is available on the Guidance page of the Tohickon website.
A reminder to 8th grade parents: According to School Board Policy #215, “Students shall be promoted from grade 8 to grade 9 if they have passed all of the one-credit courses.” Students in eighth grade who fail any one-credit course must repeat the course(s) during the summer. According to the policy, students failing Spanish 1, Algebra 1A and Algebra 1B will be able to repeat the class in their ninth-grade year.
Moving/Withdrawing?
Will your son or daughter will be withdrawing from Tohickon or transferring to another Central Bucks school? If yes, please email Mrs. Mee at gmee@cbsd.org before the end of the school year so that school and health records can be forwarded to their new school.
A reminder to Parents, the Guidance Counselors are available for support and consultation. If your student is struggling to deal with the impact of the Coronavirus, or is having difficulty with any of the typical developmental issues of adolescence, please encourage them to reach out to Mrs. Schute or Mr. Stryker via email.
Guidance Office: 267-893-3310
- Mrs. Diane Schute (dschute@cbsd.org) will be working with those students with last names from A-Le.
- Mr. Joseph Stryker (jstryker@cbsd.org) will be working with those students with last names from Lf-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 under Central Registration - https://www.cbsd.org/domain/76.
All student address changes within Central Bucks must be validated by the Central Registration office. We cannot make address changes at the middle school.
Student Change of Address Procedures:
1. Click here to download the Change of Address Form or (when schools reopen) obtain the form during normal business hours, 8am to 4:30 pm Monday through Friday, at the Educational Services Center located at 16 Welden Drive, Doylestown PA 18901.
2. Complete the form and e-mail to CENTRAL_REGISTRATION@CBSD.ORG with the following required documentation (these documents may be scanned and emailed to the address above):
Property Deed or Current Rental Lease
AND
Two of the following:
Current Utility Bill, Cable Bill or Internet Bill
Current Credit Card Bill
Current Bank Statement
Current Mortgage Statement
Current Vehicle Registration
Property Tax Bill
Your student’s records will be updated to reflect the new address upon receipt of the required documentation. Transportation will be notified, please note that transportation may take up to 48 hours to update your new bus stop.
Any changes to the current information we have on file for parent/guardian email addresses, phone numbers and emergency contacts can be changed through the Parent Portal.
Change in Household Membership:
All student household membership additions, deletions or changes must be documented on the Household Membership Change form available on the website - https://www.cbsd.org/Page/319. This would include the following:
· Parent/Guardian changes
· Sibling changes
· Mailing changes.
Student Household Membership Change Procedures
Download the Household Membership Change form or obtain the form from the school your student currently attends (once they reopen). 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
Tohickon Middle School
Email: kmarton@cbsd.org
Website: cbsd.org/tohickon
Location: 5051 Old Easton Road, Doylestown, PA, USA
Phone: 267-893-3300
Twitter: @CBTohickonMS