The Tohickon Golden Eagle
January 2020
2020-2021 PROGRAM PLANNING BEGINS
Dear Tohickon Families,
Happy New Year!!! During the month of January, the 2020-2021 Program Planning process begins. The planning period begins with grade nine in January, followed by grades seven and eight later in the month into February. As we move through this process, we will make every effort to keep our families updated during each step. The information in this newsletter serves as an outline of what to expect over the next several weeks.
Ninth Grade Program Planning begins with a kickoff assembly on Wednesday, January 8, in school with our guidance counselors. During this assembly, the high school planning process will be shared with students. On Thursday, January 9, CB East and CB West will be holding open houses, beginning at 6:30 PM. This is a very important event that all should attend! Lastly, our counselors will be meeting with all of our ninth-grade students throughout the month to assist them in the registration process.
The seventh-grade program planning assembly will kick off during an assembly on January 29. During this assembly, the eighth-grade program will be shared. There are some changes as students move from grade seven to eight. One of the key changes is that most students will be taking a world language, Spanish or French. The process for selecting a language will be shared with students at the opening assembly so, if your child is a seventh-grade student, it is a good idea to begin having a conversation with them about what world language they would prefer to take.
Students moving into grade nine will have their kick-off assembly on Thursday, January 30. Key changes as students move from grade eight to nine include the ability to take a variety of different electives in areas of interest. This process will be thoroughly explained to students during the January 30 assembly and they will have until February 4 to decide what they’d like to take. Again, please spend some time discussing these options with your child. All of the course descriptions can be found in the 2020-2021 Program Planning Catalog.
The program planning process will come and go quickly, so it is imperative for all of our families to keep a close eye out for any email blasts and/or important calendar dates. If you have any questions about this process or specifics, please reach out to our guidance office at 267-893-3300. We will do whatever we can to make the next several weeks as smooth as possible.
Have a fantastic month!
Sincerely,
Kevin Marton
Tohickon Principal
There are upcoming events of which students and parents should be aware. The events for the month of January are as follows:
January 8
- 9th Grade Program Planning Assembly for Students during School Day
January 9
- Open Houses for Grade 9 Students at CB East and West beginning at 6:30 PM
January 16
- Parent Council Meeting in Library beginning at 9 AM
January 20
- MLK Birthday - Schools Closed
January 23
- Community Connections Meeting cancelled. The meeting has been moved to February 3, beginning at 6PM in the Tohickon Library.
January 29
- 7th Grade Program Planning Assembly for Students during School Day
January 30
- 8th Grade Program Planning Assembly for Students during School Day
January 31
- End of Second Marking Period
- Half Day for Students
- Open Mic Night - 7-10 PM in Tohickon Auditorium
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR CHORAL AND INSTRUMENTAL STUDENTS!!!
Congratulations to all of our performing musical students for the incredible presentations in December!!! The winter choral and instrumental concerts were among the best ever. The dedication, talent and passion for what our students do is amazing. Our musical directors, Mrs. Heine, Mr. Dengler and Mrs. Pak, worked extremely hard from the opening days in September to prepare our students for these phenomenal shows. A special thanks for all of their hard work and dedication! Thank you to all for a successful musical season!
A SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR PARENTS FOR STAFF WINTER TREATS
On Thursday, December 19, our parents organized a wonderful, special day for our staff where coffee, cookies, cocoa and a variety of other treats were prepared for our staff. The Tohickon Staff is so thankful for these kind, thoughtful events organized by our parents. We are especially thankful for Mrs. Bauer and Mrs. Figus! In addition to organizing the treats, they were present for the entire day to make sure that our staff had everything they needed. These are special events and extremely appreciated!!!
DR. FOWLIN PRESENTS TO TOHICKON STUDENTS ON DECEMBER 18
Dr. Mykee Fowlin presented to our eighth and ninth grade students on Wednesday, December 18. In his one-man presentation, ‘You Don’t Know Me Until You Know Me’, Dr. Fowlin took the audience on an experiential journey.
Dr. Fowlin states “We are capable of transforming the world, for the good, but this work starts from within; it is the process of turning our hurt into self-reflection, healing, and then action. It is our simple, but intentional, behaviors where significant change takes place. The gesture of us smiling, acknowledging the existence of another, is as powerful as any other deed done in the world. Let us be like the oyster, turning our pain into something more valuable, but never forgetting the final piece in this transition. The value of the pearl takes place when someone else receives it, not if the oyster keeps it.”
This assembly, as it has been in the past, was incredibly impactful and moving. We are thankful to have had the opportunity to host Dr. Fowlin at Tohickon.
INC CLASSES SHOW OFF THEIR CREATIVITY WITH ARCADE GAME DESIGNS
During the past several weeks, Ms. Lewis and Mrs. Donohoe's 7th Grade InC Classes were engaged in the process of planning, designing and constructing arcade games out of cardboard boxes. Several special guests presented to students during this time period including, but not limited to, engineers and design specialists. The students were intently focused and motivated to create the best product possible.
SEVENTH GRADE STUDENTS VISIT MCCARTER THEATRE TO SEE "A CHRISTMAS CAROL"
On December 17, the seventh grade went on a trip to McCarter Theater in Princeton, NJ, to see "A Christmas Carol." The story and important literary aspects are taught in the seventh grade ELA Classes.
IMPORTANT SOCIAL MEDIA MESSAGE FOR PARENTS
The frequency of disturbing social media activity has been increasing across our schools and unfortunately, is impacting the school environment more and more.
The new challenge we are facing involves anonymous apps such as “Sendit,” “Yolo,” etc. (Please see below for a full list). These apps have been used in some cases to harass, intimidate and even threaten individual students. The anonymity of the apps prevents the receiver from being able to identify the sender, which makes it very difficult for the authorities (police, school) to identify the offender. In most cases, these apps are used outside of school however, they often end up having an impact on the school environment.
It is imperative for the school and families to work together to protect our students. The safety of our students is always our number one priority. Therefore, we are asking for your help in closely monitoring your son's and/or daughter’s electronic devices, specifically for the inappropriate use of these anonymous apps.
DECEMBER PICTURES
PARENT COUNCIL MEETING
The next Tohickon Parent Council Meeting will be held on Thursday, January 16 at 9:00 AM in the Tohickon Library. We hope to see you there!
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. Thompson (athompson@cbsd.org)
- Dance Club - Sponsored by Mrs. Heath (sheath@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 Ms. Dobrowolski (ndobrowolski@cbsd.org)
- Garden Club - Sponsored by Mr. 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 - Sponsored by Mrs. Bellavance (abellavance@cbsd.org)
- Music Enrichment for Strings (MES) - Sponsored by Mrs. Pak (hpak@cbsd.org)
- NOVA - Community Service Club - Sponsored by Mrs. Furfari (sfurfari@cbsd.org)
- Running Club - Sponsored by Ms. Meadows (dmeadows@cbsd.org)
- Sewing Club - Sponsored by Mrs. Furfari (sfurfari@cbsd.org)
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 pertain 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 (agirardi@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
Cold and Flu season has officially kicked into high gear! Remember to wash hands frequently and cough into your arm to prevent the spread of germs. Children should be fever free for 24 hours to be in school. The health office does not have cold medication at school so these should be given at home. Your child may carry a personal supply of cough drops but no other medication may be administered without a physician order. Please advise the nurse’s office with any new medical condition your child develops in order to keep health records up to date.
We wish you and your family a Happy and Healthy New Year!
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.
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