The Tohickon Golden Eagle
October 2019
FALL BEGINS!!!
Dear Tohickon Families,
The busy month of September has come to a close and the school year is well underway as we move into October. We had a great start to the school year as our students acclimated very well to their new schedules, teachers, and for our seventh graders, new surroundings. As we move into October, there are several important items to be aware of.
The district will no longer have a designated prescribed day for parent-teacher conferences at the middle schools. Typically, this conference day takes place during November. If your child’s teachers or you feel there is a need for a conference, the expectation is that the meeting will be set up as needed and as soon as possible, rather than waiting. In order to assure the success of our students, it is critically important for the school to develop a strong partnership with parents immediately and, with this in mind, we feel that this conference change will be beneficial to that end.
We will be conducting an ALICE (Intruder Lockdown Drill) on Monday, October 14. This will be the first of two lockdown drills we will have this year. Prior to the drill, teachers will review procedures with students. During the drill, students will work with their teacher to secure the their classrooms. Following the drill, an important debriefing period will take place where the scenario will be discussed and the reasons for the actions taken will be reviewed and reflected upon. Local law enforcement officials are expected to be present for the duration of the drill.
Dr. Mackensen’s lab night is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, October 15, between the hours of 3 and 8 PM in room 315. Lab night is a unique opportunity for parents to work with their child in a lab setting and to experience some of the activities that take place in our science classrooms. Dr. Mackensen facilitates this event each year in the fall and we are thankful that he is willing to devote his time for this family event.
The month of October will conclude with our Halloween Dance on October 25 and our annual Halloween Dress Up Contest on October 31. The dress up contest is always a fun event, where students’ costumes are judged on things like creativity, originality and funniest. The event takes place first thing in the morning and the winners are announced later in the day. This event is, of course, optional for students.
In closing, I would like to wish all of our families a safe and happy month! I have included a full calendar of events within this newsletter for your viewing, along with several other informational items. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the main office at 267-893-3300.
Sincerely,
Kevin Marton
Tohickon Principal
TOHICKON RECOGNIZES FIRST RESPONDERS ON SEPTEMBER 11
On Wednesday, September 11, 2019, students took an hour to remember the victims of September 11, 2001, the heroes from that day and the daily contributions of our local emergency responders. Representatives from our local police, fire, and EMS Departments attended a ceremony at Tohickon in our auditorium. It is always an honor to have an opportunity to recognize our local responders for all that they do!
IMPORTANT OCTOBER EVENTS
There are upcoming events of which students and parents should be aware. The events for the month of October are as follows:
October 4
Tohickon Spirit Day - Wear Maroon and Gold
October 8
Author Visit for 7th and 8th grade
October 9
No School for Students
October 10
Hispanic Heritage Month Assembly
October 14
Intruder Lockdown Drill (ALICE)
October 15
Dr. Mackensen's Lab Night (3-8 PM)
October 17
Parent Council Meeting (9-10:30 AM)
October 25
Halloween Dance
October 31
Halloween Contest (7:45-8 AM)
8th Grade Field Trip to CB East (Edgar Allan Poe Theatre Performance)
SEPTEMBER SCHOOL PICTURES
ALICE DRILL IN OCTOBER
As you know, Central Bucks has adopted a set of Federally endorsed protocols for an intruder on campus situation, known as ALICE. The acronym stands for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, and Evacuate.
Our first drill of the year will have students practicing how to secure a door and construct a barricade using items from their classroom. We will be conducting this "practice" drill on Monday, October 14, during an advisory period. We will be clear in our announcement that this is only a drill. We want to be sure that students have time to ask questions and debrief so we are providing time for this to occur.
TOHICKON HONORS VETERAN'S 100th BIRTHDAY
The ninth grade students, through their course of study, learn about World War II. During this learning process, the importance of community service and recognition of our veterans is emphasized.
Most recently, our 9th Grade Students wrote over 300 birthday cards to Mr. James South, a war veteran that recently turned 100 years old. Students learned about Mr. South through a news article and wanted to do something special for him.
We are thankful to our 9th Grade Social Studies Teachers, Mrs. Taylor Girardi, Mrs. Angela Parisi and Mr. Scott Felton, for helping to facilitate this process.
SUMMER READING REFLECTION
During the summer, students were required to complete a summer reading assignment. This assignment varied for each grade level. Students were able to choose their books and were expected to be able to discuss them upon return in September.
During the third week of September, the Tohickon Advisory Period was utilized for students to collaborate and reflect upon their summer reading. Students spent time discussing their opinions, the characters and the highlights of the books they read.
AFTER SCHOOL CLUB OFFERINGS AT TOHICKON
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. Throughout the year, Tohickon expects to be running the following clubs:
- Art Club - Sponsored by Mrs. Bongiorno (abongiorno@cbsd.org)
- Debate Club - Sponsored by Mrs. Showaker (nshowaker@cbsd.org)
- Diversity Club - Sponsored by Mrs. Fox (brifox@cbsd.org)
- Environmental Club - Sponsored by Mrs. Showaker (nshowaker@cbsd.org)
- Fitness Club - Sponsored by Mrs. Dobrowolski (ndobrowolski@cbsd.org)
- Garden Club - Sponsored by Jim Neely (jneely@cbsd.org)
- Magic: The Gathering Club - Sponsored by Mr. Geller (zgeller@cbsd.org)
- Math Club and Math Counts Team- Sponsored by Mrs. Bellavance and Mrs. Rissing (abellavance@cbsd.org)
- Morning Math Help Club - Mrs. Bellavance (abellavance@cbsd.org)
- NOVA - Community Service Club - Sponsored by Mrs. Furfari (sfurfari@cbsd.org)
- Sewing Club - Sponsored by Mrs. Furfari (sfurfari@cbsd.org)
The number of clubs may increase as the year progresses. We will continue to keep you updated in our monthly newsletters, listing all active clubs. 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.
MESSAGE FROM THE ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT
Welcome to Tohickon Athletics! Students that are interested in participating in sports must visit the Tohickon Athletics Webpage to find directions on how to register. Students cannot participate until the physical is complete and uploaded to FamilyID.
All 9th grade sports will be held at the high schools. Students can register for 9th grade sports by visiting the athletics website of the high school they will be attending:
Any questions about 7th or 8th grade sports can be directed to the Tohickon Athletic Director, Ken Hall. khall@cbsd.org Questions about 9th grade sports can be directed to the high school Athletic Directors.
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!
2019-2020 LEADERS OF TOHICKON MIDDLE SCHOOL
Throughout the year, feel free to contact these team members, should you have any questions that pertains to their area of specialization. The team, subject area and specialized leaders are as follows:
2019-2020 Teams and Team Leaders
- Team Infinity 7A (Grade 7) - Mrs. Kelli McMahon (kmcmahon@cbsd.org)
- Team Summit 7B (Grade 7) - Mrs. Jennifer Reese (jereese@cbsd.org)
- Team Odyssey 8A (Grade 8) - Mrs. Andrea Bellavance (abellavance@cbsd.org)
- Team Expedition 8B (Grade 8) - Mr. Zachary Sibel (zsibel@cbsd.org)
- Freshman Team - Mr. Michael Weir (mweir@cbsd.org) & Ms. Alison Lewis (alewis@cbsd.org)
*
2019-2020 Subject Area Coordinators
- English - Mrs. Amy Fry-Daly (afry@cbsd.org)
- Math - Mrs. Andrea Bellavance (abellavance@cbsd.org)
- Science - Mr. Jarred Levenson (jlevenson@cbsd.org)
- Social Studies - Mrs. Taylor Girardi (tgirardi@cbsd.org)
- Special Education Facilitator - Mrs. Kelly Zagwoski (kzagwoski@cbsd.org)
2019-2020 Specialized Area Leaders
- Director of Athletics – Mr. Ken Hall (khall@cbsd.org)
- Building Technology Coordinator - Mrs. Bridget Fox (brifox@cbsd.org)
- Building Technology Coach - Mr. Matthew Powell (mpowell@cbsd.org)
- Head School Nurse - Mrs. Sheila Kelly (shkelly@cbsd.org)
IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM THE HEALTH OFFICE
We hope you and your child are off to a good start this school year!
This is a reminder for all parents to go online and complete the Student Emergency Form through the parent portal, if you have not already done so. It must be completed every school year. This will take approximately 5-10 minutes of your time and it is recommended you do this through a laptop or desktop computer. You can update demographics, health conditions, emergency contacts and may give permission for the administration of an analgesic (Ibuprofen or Acetaminophen) while your child is in school. Once you have completed the forms you will receive an email confirmation from the district. If you do not receive an email confirmation it was received then there is a good chance you did not hit submit at the end, so please log back on to confirm.
Also, your child may bring their own personal supply of cough drops to school. They do not need to be kept in the health office.
Wake up too late for Breakfast? No Worries…Breakfast items are available for purchase on the cart each morning when you come in school from the bus.
The Free/Reduced lunch applications need to be completed by October 15th, 2019 for the new school year. Breakfast is included when you qualify for the lunch program.
If you are in need of a new winter coat this year please contact the health office for details.
Notice for all 7th Grade students.
The Pennsylvania State Mandated Dentals are due by October 15, 2019. This is a requirement for all current 7th grade students. The dental exam may be dated any time after September 1, 2018. Please send in to the attention of the school nurse.
Please feel free to call the health office at 267-893-3315 or email the school nurse, Sheila Kelly @ shkelly@cbsd.org with any questions.
HOW TO GET INFORMATION AT TOHICKON MIDDLE SCHOOL
Communication
We pride ourselves on communication at Tohickon! There are a number of ways we communicate with our parents. They are as follows:
Monthly Newsletter - The newsletter typically comes out via email on the first of each month, running from August through June. The newsletter is designed to be informational and substantive. There is always a chronology of upcoming events listed. All present and past Tohickon newsletters can be found on the Tohickon website.
School Website - The Tohickon website is a great place to find important information. The most recent newsletter and daily announcement links are always located on the front page. All information pertinent to parents and students can be found in the "Parent/Student" section of the website.
E-Mail Blasts - Email blasts at Tohickon are used when an important message needs to be sent to parents quickly. PLEASE do not delete these messages, as they are most likely very important.
Twitter - Messages and pictures are sent to the community frequently to highlight unique events happening in school. Follow us on Twitter @CBTohickonMS
Parent Council Meetings - These are great opportunities to hear what is going on and to provide feedback to Mr. Marton and Mr. Murtha. The Tohickon Administration values your opinion and wants to hear your thoughts on given topics. Parent Council Meetings are held on the 3rd Thursday of each month, and meeting dates are as follows: September 19th, October 17th, November 21st, January 16th, February 20th, March 19th, April 16th, May (Teacher Appreciation Activities). All meetings are held in the Tohickon Library. The meetings begin promptly at 9:00 AM and usually conclude between 10:00 and 10:30 AM. There is no meeting in December or June and the May meeting is traditionally reserved for the Teacher Appreciation Luncheon.
Teacher Websites/Canvas - All teachers are expected to maintain an updated school website/ Canvas homepage. These sites are useful for finding out what is going on in class, tracking assignments, etc.
Parent Portal - All grading and assignment information can be accessed using the Parent Portal. If you are having any trouble accessing your child's information, please contact the guidance department at 267-893-3310.
ATTENDANCE
Students are expected to be in school daily, unless they have an excused absence (i.e. illness). If your child will not be able to attend school, parents need to email tohickonattendance@cbsd.org. Email is strongly preferred but if you are unable to email the school, please call the school attendance line at 267-893-3305. PLEASE DO NOT SEND WRITTEN NOTES UNLESS IT IS FROM A PHYSICIAN. Students must be in school before 10:30 AM in order to get credit for the day.
Students will not be allowed to participate in any after-school activities if they are not here before 10:30 AM and/or they do not complete a half a day of school. If a student needs to leave before 2:30 PM, they should bring a note to the front office in the morning. Once a note is provided, they will be given a yellow pass, which allows them to leave their class at the designated time.
HOW CAN I REACH MY CHILD DURING THE SCHOOL DAY?
GUIDANCE DEPARTMENT
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 - www.cbsd.org.
All student address changes within Central Bucks must be validated at the Central Registration office by appointment only. We cannot make changes at the middle school.
Any changes to the current information we have on file can be changed through the Parent Portal.
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 (267-893-2111) or email (CentralRegistration@cbsd.org) Central Registration for an appointment.
- 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.
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
- 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
CHIP (Children’s Health Insurance Program)
CHIP is short for the Children's Health Insurance Program, Pennsylvania's program to provide health insurance to uninsured children and teens who are not eligible for or enrolled in Medical Assistance.
CHIP is brought to you by leading health insurance companies. You'll have a choice of major insurance companies with networks of physicians, specialists, and care facilities near you. Your kids may even be able to keep visiting the same doctors they see today.
Click here to find out more information & to apply!
HOW TO SUPPORT TOHICKON
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, and Amazon.com. We also collect Boxtops for Education, and recycle paper and clothing. Check out the details below. It is 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 (Began on September 6th, 2019)
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 $6,000 from this school rewards program last year.
Box Tops for Education
Our Box Tops for Education submission is due at the end of the month, so Tohickon Middle School is holding a Box-Tops Collection Challenge. The Advisory class with the highest value of box tops collected by Monday, October 21st will win a breakfast treat for the entire group. Please send box tops to school in a clear plastic bag or envelope with your child’s name, grade, and advisory classroom number on it, by October 21st. Thank you for supporting our school!
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 escript” 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
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