Arcola- The Magic In The Middle
Marking Period 1
So Much To Be Thankful For...
Wow, what a fast three months! Our building is solid in integrity and commitment and together we have worked through many challenges. I am very proud and grateful to be part of this strong community. This newsletter will provide you with a recap of the many accomplishments at Arcola. So sit back and enjoy the read!
OBOS
Our One-Book-One-School committee guided us through the book, Long Walk To Water. Every week we gathered in our flex groups, read together and participated in rich discussion. The purpose of this task was to bring a book to life and to help make connections for students to real life situations. This is part of character education, the way to teach our students on a social and emotional level. There were two wrap-up activities: we held a 5k run event that helped raise money for the Iron Giraffe Challenge (water well in South Sudan) and a school-wide water day so that students could put themselves in the shoes of the characters.
Veteran's Day Celebration
This event is a long standing tradition at Arcola. We held a school-wide assembly where we honored many local veterans and listened to the powerful words of Lieutenant Loughnane. We welcomed guests to the school and served a breakfast. Our eighth grade students participated in community service projects at the following locations: Arcola, Meadowood Retirement Community, North Penn Boys and Girls Club, Perkiomen Watershed, Millgrove Bird Sanctuary and The Variety Club. Teaching students about honor and respect through service was our goal for students on this very important day.
Senior Citizen Luncheon
Our National Junior Honor Society teams-up with Aramark Food Services, the orchestra and the choir to serve and entertain our special guests at Arcola. We provided outstanding music as well as a special showing at the planetarium. We then serve a traditional Thanksgiving meal. Special thanks to the adults who helped guide our students in a very noble day: Joan Craver, Lindsay Burke, Sharon Saul, Brian Leonard, Victoria Henry and Eddie McCaffrey.
Elections, And The Winners Are...
Our Student Congress is in full force this year and elections were held in November. Congratulations to Secretary Reese Koch and Co-Presidents Jack Winters and Sean Mahoney! We have partnered with our Home and School and held a back-to-school dance in September and are getting ready for another dance on December 1. Students have hosted spirit day contests and will be leading our pep rally on Friday, December 1. We will acknowledge all fall sports and highlight two students per team and two staff members for the first marking period.
Farewell
On Friday, December 1, we say a fond farewell to our assistant principal, Mr. Ryan Creeden. He has been at Arcola for 8 years and in the Methacton School District for 17 years. He has been a wonderful asset to our school and we wish him all the very best in his new endeavor at Perkiomen Valley West Middle School.
Parent Tips
Just a few things for parents to be aware of. As Middle School is a time of challenges and changes, your best defense is to be the best listener you can in all situations. Kids have much to say in many different ways, we just have to be alert and in tune. Have a pulse on where they are, who they are with and what they are doing. Let's face it, you are the adult and still in charge! Be aware and educate yourself on things such as social media, texting, snapchat, vaping. It takes all of us working together and communicating.
Technology Update
Working hard on Chromebooks and Google Classroom. This has been quite a transition for most of us, our students are fast and furious on technology. For more information please visit: https://sites.google.com/a/methacton.org/msd-1to1/