The Tohickon Golden Eagle
December 2015
Dear Tohickon Families,
We are now in the midst of the holiday season. This is a busy time of year for us, with concerts, dances and community service activities. The month of November featured three significant events, the annual Veteran's Day Breakfast, the Wall of Honor Presentation and a presentation to our students on Anxiety, which was done through our T5 Program.
The Veteran's Day Breakfast took place on the morning of November 11th, in the Tohickon Library. This was our biggest Veteran's breakfast yet! This event has evolved into a wonderful opportunity to recognize our veterans and for them to share some incredible stories. Students and relatives were in attendance to share in the experience of this special occasion. The emotion and gratitude expressed by our veterans was very moving. Mr. Forney, the Social Studies Coordinator, and the Tohickon Social Studies Department deserve a special thanks for organizing this event.
The Veteran's Day Wall of Honor Presentation took place during the evening of November 11th. There were hundreds of visitors in attendance throughout the evening. In preparation for this event, our ninth grade students lined our hallways with pictures of veterans that are related to Tohickon students and staff. This was a tremendous undertaking that took several weeks for our students to put together. The ninth grade students involved with this event deserve a special thanks as well!
Lastly, on November 23rd, students from Temple University's Clinical Psychology Program were here to present to our students on the topic of Anxiety. The program took place in the morning and lasted for about one hour. During the presentation, strategies for recognizing anxiety were shared along with techniques on how to manage it. On November 24th, teachers met with students for a follow up session as part of our T5 Program. During this time period, the students had opportunities to debrief and discuss the strategies shared during the assembly with their teacher and peers.
The month of December is a busy one, with many different kinds of activities. All of the important events and activities are listed below. Please feel free to contact the main office at 267-893-3300 if you have any questions. In closing, I wish you and your family a happy and joyful holiday season!
Sincerely,
Mr. Kevin Marton, Principal
There are several upcoming events that students and parents should be aware of. The events for the month of December are as follows:
December 8th
Winter Choral Concert 7:00 PM
December 11th
Winter Dance 7:30 - 9:30 PM
December 15th
Winter Instrumental Concert 7:00 PM
December 16th
Team Summit Field Trip - A Christmas Carol
December 18th
Team Discovery Field Trip - A Christmas Carol
December 24th through January 1st
No School - Winter Recess
Parent Council Meeting Reminder
TEAM HAPPENINGS!
TEAM SUMMIT - GRADE 7
Team Summit had a successful turn out with their community service project this month. We collected items for a group called Operation Eternal Gratitude (OEG) which is a military support group that collects items to send to troops overseas. Besides collecting items, our students wrote letters to service men and woman. All the English classes spent a day drafting letters, and writing notes to the people in our military. We delivered a car load of donations to CB South last week. Thank you for all of your donations!!
TEAM DISCOVERY - GRADE 7
Each year Tohickon provides Thanksgiving baskets for people in the area who might struggle to afford putting together their own Thanksgiving celebration. For the ninth year in a row, Team Discovery has tried to expand our role with our annual Turkey Bowl competition. In addition to creating the baskets for local families, Team Discovery homerooms collected as many extra non-perishables and dollars as they could, in an effort to help beyond the Thanksgiving dinner table. The extra goods collected were set up like a pantry for the families to “shop” from. The extra dollars collected went towards food store gift cards that were placed in all of the baskets that will help the families purchase fresh food items like milk, butter, and eggs. Mr. Bui's homeroom collected the most and were crowned the champions! Our team goal was to collect 1,000 items/dollars throughout the drive, and that number was surpassed with a collection total of almost 1,500! The generosity of the students and parents has been overwhelming and inspiring and we can’t say thank you enough!
“No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another.” – Charles Dickens
What is the main ingredient in a middle school equation for fun? Hydrochloric Acid of course!! During their chemistry unit, eighth grade science teachers have been busy demonstrating experiments of epic proportions!
We've had explosions, flaming gummy bears, dissolving pennies, and the creation of toothpaste fit for an elephant. With safety goggles in place, students learned how cool chemistry can be! Up next...the incredible Human Body!
It’s hard to believe that we have already finished one marking period and are heading into the holiday months. This school year is off to a smooth start, and we are really enjoying working with our students this year. Here is a quick recap of some of things going on in ninth grade.
In social studies, we just wrapped up our study of WWI and will be heading into the Roaring 20s. As is customary, students participated in our annual trench warfare activity, in which they recreated the charge through “No Man’s Land." No life-threatening injuries were reported.
English classes are studying the elements of fiction, with an emphasis on theme, through the reading and analysis of To Kill a Mockingbird and Inherit the Wind. Projects can be seen, lining the ninth-grade hallway.
Students got off to a rocky start (pun intended) in science with their Geology Unit, which covered rocks and minerals, volcanoes, and plate tectonics. Next, they will dive into their unit on Oceanography.
Remember that ninth-grade students will start the course selection process for tenth grade at the beginning of January. Students will attend an assembly during which guidance staff will explain the process, and classroom teachers will talk to students about their placements for next year.
Update from the Math Department
From the Math Department:
Does your son or daughter need extra math help? If so, the Math department has two excellent options for your child.
· Every day before school, from 7:00 to 7:20 AM, there is early morning math help with Mr. Ellmaker in room 118. There is no appointment necessary. Students from any math class can receive extra help with homework or review for a quiz or a test.
· The Math department also offers peer-tutoring every Monday during Resource, in room 128, with Mrs. Campbell. The peer tutors are ninth grade National Junior Honor Society members who can help your child with any math homework or concept. If your child is interested in attending peer-tutoring please have him or her ask their math teacher for a pass to attend.
This month in Math Club our students put on their engineering hats and took part in a building challenge. The students worked in teams to construct a freestanding pipe-cleaner tower that was not only the tallest but could hold the most paper clips. The teams were given thirty minutes to complete their tower and had various building constraints that needed to be followed. Overall, this was a fun activity and experience for our students.
If your son or daughter is interested in Math Club, please encourage them to join us. Our December meetings are on Thursday 12/3 and Thursday 12/17 from 2:30 to 3:30 PM.
Ninth Grade English
Combining a poetry lesson and a motif of gratitude, ninth graders ventured outside on an Indian Summer day. The weather was warm and sunny, and Tohickon’s tree-lined grounds were the perfect setting for inspiration. After noting details of sensory images and collecting small objects to place in their journals, students settled in the pavilion to write their Indian Summer poems.
Share Good News About Tohickon Students!
Community Service Update
During the month of November, each homeroom was charged with the task of collecting enough food items for a full Thanksgiving dinner. In the spirit of the holiday, homerooms even decorated their collection boxes and baskets. Over twenty full meals were collected and distributed to members of the Plumstead community.
In addition, November 17th was World Prematurity Day. Tohickon staff and students, with the encouragement of Mrs. Pellegrino, wore purple to show their support of this cause. Throughout the winter, Tohickon students have the opportunity to make blankets for “Helping Hearts”. These blankets are given to premature babies at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Information on how to participate can be found by visiting Mr. Pustay’s teacher website and clicking on the “Community Service” link.
Message from the Athletic Department
The fall sports season came to an end in November with all of our teams experiencing positive growth and success. Several members of the boys and girls tennis teams placed in the district tennis championships during their two day end-of-season tournament. In addition, the 8th grade field hockey and fall soccer teams made it to the finals of their district championship tournaments. Finally, the 8th grade football team captured the district championship with a victory over Lenape in the 4th annual CB Bowl. Congratulations to all students who participated in fall sports for your hard work and efforts this season!
Wrestling and girls basketball have started their seasons. Boys basketball will begin after the winter break, with tryouts beginning the week of January 11th. Information regarding boys basketball tryouts can be found on the Tohickon Athletics website under the “7th and 8th Grade Sports” tab. In addition, all game and competition schedules can be found under “Tohickon Athletics Calendar” tab.
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.
Tohickon Wellness Update
Last month, we were able to partner Got Milk Day with Bucks County’s Random Act of Kindness Day (RAKD), on November 19th. The Wellness Committee provided free samples of fresh milk to students, at lunch, and an announcement was made that explained what RAKD stands for. Some of Abby’s friends, who are now Tohickon students, helped to sort and distribute stickers to each student in homeroom. RAKD was taken on as a district-wide initiative this year. Hopefully, we can continue it for many years to come.
December is a short month, with the upcoming holidays. There are also a couple of field trips in there too! Did you know that Aramark makes convenient breakfasts and snack packs available for students on days of trips. Hot breakfast is also served from their breakfast cart everyday as students enter the building. Try one out the next time you’re short on time!
From the Nurse's Office
General Information:
Because head injuries and concussions may impact your child’s ability to learn, please contact the school nurse and your child’s guidance counselor if your child is injured. Physician documentation to guide the transition back to school post head injury is necessary. Please contact school staff so we can review the CBSD concussion protocol with you and your child prior to him/her returning to school.
Parents should provide a physician note if students require crutches, wheelchairs, elevator keys, physical education excuses, or other accommodations while in school. Students should stop by the nurse’s office upon return to school. Please know that we want to support your child as he/she recuperates.
Your child is measured for height and weight yearly as mandated by the Pennsylvania School Health program. Height, weight, age, and gender were used to determine his/her Body Mass Index (BMI) and percentile. This screening process will start in November and continue into the Spring Semester. Each student is given a pass to come to the nurse and is screened privately. Your child’s height, weight and BMI results will be available on the Parent Portal. If you do not have access to a computer and would like a paper copy sent home, please call your school nurse with this request. In addition, during this visit your child will have their vision assessed. If your child does not pass the vision screening, a referral will be mailed home.
To view the CB Cares Backpack Newsflash please click the link below:
Tohickon Middle School
Email: kmarton@cbsd.org
Website: cbsd.org
Location: 5051 Old Easton Road, Doylestown, PA
Phone: 267-893-3300