The Tohickon Golden Eagle
April 2015
The 2015 Tohickon Musical - A Huge Success!
Dear Tohickon Families,
Once Upon A Mattress G2K was a huge success! The musical was held during the evenings of March 12th, 13th and 14th, with a matinee held on the afternoon of March 14th. The story line, acting, singing, dancing and overall coordination were fantastic! One of the things that made this year so special was the cohesive, family like atmosphere that was apparent with the students and staff. Mr. Dengler, the Musical Director, deserves a lot of credit for creating a positive, vibrant working environment.
The development of the Spring Musical requires a large committment on the part of staff and students. The amount of work that goes into this production is often not realized and understood by those that are not part of the show. Students begin rehearsals as early as November and continue through March. Proper coordination is critical to the musical's success. In addition to Mr. Dengler, several other key managers are needed to put a production together. There is a need for supervisors in the areas of choregraphy, acting, stage set up, construction, lighting/sound, props, costumes, management of ticket sales and refreshments. In light of everything that has to go into making the musical a success, I would like to recognize the following people for their hard work and effort: Mr. Paul Dengler (Musical Director), Ms. Moira Calhoun (Acting/Stage Director), Mrs. Lisa Welch (Production Manager), Ms. Sarah McGahey (Assistant Director), Mr. Bill Senavaitis (Sound and Lighting Supervisor), Mr. Greg Striano (Stage Crew), Mr. Bruce Good (Construction), Mr. Steve Eakins (Construction), Mrs. Bridget Fox (Props) and Mrs. Patricia Eberle (Costume Designer). These individuals deserve recognition for all that they have done for our students.
The Spring Musical would not have been a success without the hard work and dedication of our students. The level of excitement and enthusiasm that our student actors brought to the stage was infectious. They could not wait to perform and it showed during the presentation. This year was unique in that the environment fostered a highly collaborative, team centered approach. I am extremely proud of these students and their accomplishments with this production!
Please join me in thanking our participating staff members and our students for an outstanding show!
Sincerely,
Mr. Kevin Marton, Principal
April Showers Bring May Flowers
The month of April will bring us nicer weather along with several important events at Tohickon. For your planning purposes, all events are listed chronologically below.
April 1
Ninth grade students will travel to Washington, DC. The students will have an opportunity to tour several significant sites in our nation's capital. We are hoping for good weather.
April 3 through 6
NO SCHOOL - Spring Recess
April 8
Reading Olympics 4:30-9:00 PM
April 9
NJHS Induction Ceremony 7:00 PM
April 10
Ninth Grade Group Picture
April 14 through 16
The Tohickon Talent Show Tryouts will take place after school in the Tohickon Auditorium.
April 14 through 17
The English/Language Arts section of the PSSA Assessment will be given to seventh and eighth grade students.
April 21 and 22
The Relay for Life Chaperone Training will take place at 7:00 PM in the Tohickon Auditorium. Parents can choose to attend either night.
April 21 through 23
The Math section of the PSSA Assessment will be given to seventh and eighth grade students.
April 23
Parent Council Meeting 9:00 AM
April 28 and 29
The Science section of the PSSA Assessment will be given to seventh and eighth grade students.
May 1
The American Red Cross Blood Drive will take place in the Tohickon Cafeteria between the hours of 3:00 and 8:00 PM.
Important PSSA Information
The PSSA testing period will begin on April 14th and continue over the next three weeks. During this time period, please encourage your sons and daughters to eat well and get a good night's sleep. The testing itself will take place during the morning hours, between 7:30 and 11:30 AM on the designated days.
Important Information about Cell Phones/Electronic Devices during the PSSA
Students are not permitted to have their cell phone on their person or in their belongings near them during PSSA testing. All cell phones/electronic devices should be kept in the student's locker during the testing period. This rule is mandated by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Possession of a cell phone during the testing period can result in fines "of no less than $750 up to $30,000 for a single violation." PDE asks each parent/guardian to "please speak with your child and let him or her know that the possession and/or use of a cell phone or other electronic device during the administration of the PSSA or Keystone Exams will result in certain consequences. Electronic devices include cell phones, smartphones, E-readers, Nooks, Kindles, iPads, tablets, camera-ready devices, and any other electronic device..." In order to make sure students do not have their phones on them or with them during testing, the Tohickon Staff will be reminding them several times, including immediately before the test is administered. Students will be given an opportunity to put their devices away at this time.
If you have any questions about the test and/or procedures, please contact Ginny Mee in the guidance office at 267-893-3310.
Hominid Happenings in Grade Nine
Ninth grade students are currently learning about Paleontology, hominids and human evolution. Students have been investigating and evaluating evolutionary relationships by examining skulls of living and extinct human relatives. In doing so, lab teams analyze important morphological features and determine their importance in predicting evolutionary relationships. The culminating goal of this comprehensive investigation is to create a phylogenic tree (family tree) based on their data and observations.
Student Achievements for the Month of March
Tohickon students are involved in many educational endeavors that extend beyond the doors of the school. In the month of March, the following students received recognitions and awards for participating in educationally related programs outside of Tohickon:
- John C., Jessica H., Mary Kate P. and Allison M. auditioned and were selected to participate in the BCMEA Choral Festival, which was held on March 6th.
- Sophia M. and Timothy W. auditioned and were selected to perform in The Conservatory's Sounds of Excellence Concert, which was held on March 28th, at the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia.
- Matthew C. and Danielle H. won awards/recognition at the Bucks County Science Research Competition (BCSRC), which was held at Delaware Valley College, on March 11th.
- Claire C. submitted an essay contest titled "How Does Your Music Class Prepare You For Life?" and won. Claire's essay was only one of ten chosen from a field of several thousand entries across the whole United States. Claire's name and essay will be featured on the magazine website and the Tohickon Orchestra Program will be the recipient of $1000.00 in music products contributed by their sponsor companies.
Please join us in congratulating these students. These are all very admirable accomplishments.
Community Service - Relay for Life Update
Tohickon is moving closer towards the big day! Here’s a list of Relay activities happening this month:
April 14
Bank morning in computer lab 113 before homeroom
April 15
Relay for Life days at Unos in Warrington - Noon-10:00 PM
April 21
Relay Spirit day/Chaperone schedule due/Bank morning in computer lab 113 before HR
- All survivor/caregiver registrations are due
April 21 & 22
Auditorium: 7:00 PM meeting for all chaperones (attend the date of your choice)
- Luminary orders for names appearing in slideshow are due
If you have any questions, please contact relay@cbsd.org. Thanks for your support!
"RECYCLE FOR RELAY" FUNDRAISER IS BACK! PARENTS AND COMMUNITY, BRING US YOUR PAPER!
We are very excited to announce that Suburban Waste Services has reinstituted the program that pays Tohickon Middle School monthly for high-grade recyclable paper! (The "PaperRetriever" program was discontinued by Abitibi Corporation during the 2013/2014 school year.) They also announced last week a CONTEST that gives us three different ways to win a $500 prize based on APRIL'S paper tonnage.
We are redoubling our efforts in the classroom to capture every recyclable scrap of paper possible in our bins. Beyond that, what has had a huge impact in the past is when parent and community members have brought trunk-loads of recyclable paper to our bins in the back of the school, while in the area, or simply while picking up or dropping off students. In the past, we have had monthly checks as high as $80 due to pay rates which may increase per ton when monthly yields exceed a target number.
We look forward to renewing the tradition each May of writing a check from our PaperRetriever fundraising to Relay for Life for the full amount of the year's earnings. Although we get a late start this year, we are excited about the possibility of winning one of the $500 prizes for our April performance!
Tohickon has always been committed to recycling in accordance with township ordinances and Earth-friendly practices. Now, we ask our parents and community members to heap your high-grade recyclable paper into our green and yellow bins behind the school, in the loading dock area, so that we can partner to fight cancer too! See the accompanying PaperRetriever flyer specifically created for Tohickon. You will find details about the contest and about what kind of paper we need. We look forward to your support!
Dr. Mackensen, Tohickon Recycling Coordinator
HELP OUR PLANET, AND FIGHT CANCER! RECYCLE FOR RELAY!
Social Media Awareness
Parent Council Meeting Reminder
Wellness Update
Recently, Mrs. Fox, teachers and students met with a Del Val student, studying agriculture to begin the planning stages of our garden. Many students have volunteered to be a part of the Gardening Club this year and the teachers will be planning to use it for Botany Units, in Science classes. The DelVal representative provided us with a wealth of knowledge and will be working with our groups of students and teachers throughout the early stages of the garden’s growth.
In addition, DelVal’s annual Pride and Polish Day will be held on Saturday, April 11th. The event was initially developed for students to band together and volunteer time sprucing up the college’s campus. In previous years, this has been such a success, with so many student volunteers, that they decided to expand out into the community. This year, we have been fortunate enough to have a group of their students volunteer to come to Tohickon, for a little spring cleaning! Together, we will be grooming, mulching and cleaning up the Tohickon campus to make it look its best for upcoming events, including the Relay for Life.
Finally, our wellness theme for March was “Go for the Greens.” On Thursday, March 26th, many faculty members came together to promote healthy eating habits, by giving out free ‘create-your-own’ side salads at each grade’s lunch. Available toppings included carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, broccoli, cheese and peppers. It was a great success!
Annual American Red Cross Blood Drive at Tohickon Middle School on May 1st
Tohickon Middle School has partnered with the American Red Cross to participate in our annual blood drive. Please consider being a blood donor or recruiting people to donate blood on Friday, May 1st from 3pm to 8pm in Tohickon's cafeteria. Our school goal is to have at least 50 donors come to Tohickon on May 1st and donate for this wonderful cause. Please consider helping and sign up today.
Drive Details:
Site: Tohickon Middle School
Date: Friday, May 1st
Time: 3:00 - 8:00 PM
Coordinator Name: Bridget Pustay (Tohickon) and Nancy Taylor (Red Cross)
Coordinator Phone Number: 267-893-3300 and 215-687-8796
To make an appointment, go to www.redcrossblood.org and click "donate blood". Enter the sponsor code: tohickon.
The need for blood is constant and only volunteer donors can fulfill that need for patients in our community. Nationwide, someone needs a unit of blood every 2 to 3 seconds and most of us will need blood in our lifetime.
Thank you for supporting the American Red Cross blood program!
From the Nurse's Office
School Health Information for Students Transitioning to Tohickon Next Year
Welcome to the Tohickon School Community! There are many ways in which schools are similar, but I’d like to take this opportunity to share some important information that may help the transition to the 2015-2016 school year.
Elementary school health records are transferred to Middle School, but I encourage parents of students with medical concerns to contact the certified school nurse at 267-893-3315 to answer any questions regarding the management of your child’s condition while attending Tohickon. Medical Action Plans will be given to your child by the elementary school nurse in late spring. I encourage you/your physician to complete and return these plans in September.
Pennsylvania law mandates that all seventh grade students need a dental exam. This exam can be dated any time after September 1, 2014 and due October 15, 2015. The form is available from your elementary school nurse or on the CBSD website. Please feel free to send the complete dental form to Tohickon prior to September.
Pennsylvania law mandates that all students have the following immunizations for seventh grade entry: TDAP and meningitis. If the parent portal does not reflect that your child is in compliance, please contact your physician and send an update to the elementary school nurse or Tohickon school nursing office during the summer.
Because passes are needed for any student leaving the classroom, students who have chronic health conditions (migraine, asthma, sever allergy, IBS etc.) are encouraged to ask the nursing staff for a permanent “gold nurses’ pass”. This pass ensures immediate access to the nursing staff. In most cases the pass is valid for the school year.
In order for our nursing staff to administer medication (over the counter or prescribed), a written physician order and parent signature is needed. For your convenience the Medication Dispensing From is available on the district website. Please consider contacting your physician over the summer for necessary orders.
Because our campus is so large and students are involved in after school activities when nursing staff may not be available, I encourage you to consider the following information. State law and our school board policy permit students to carry emergency medications like inhalers and epinephrine on their person for emergency use with the following criteria:
- The school nurse has the appropriately signed medication order
- The physician documents: “student should be permitted to self-carry and self-administer for emergency”
- The student passes a competency check
The transition to an earlier start time can be challenging to adolescent who take a daily medication and occasionally rush out of the house. It can also be challenging for busy parents. As a service to you and your child, with the appropriate medication order in our office, parents can leave a few doses of a daily med in the nurse office for “forgotten doses”. Our nurse would call you to verify the medication dose was missed and then administer.
Please submit all PIAA sports physicals directly to the athletic department. This physical is not part of your child’s school health record.
In closing, please feel to contact if our nursing staff can be of help to you and your child. Communication between home and school helps promote a healthy, safe and secure learning environment for your child.
Becoming Ill During the School Day
If a student becomes ill during the school day, the decision to excuse the student for the day is at the discretion of the school nurse. As a trained medical professional, this is one of the school nurse's responsibilities. Students should not be calling or texting parents/guardians to pick them up. If a student becomes ill, they must see the school nurse prior to being excused for the day. If this procedure is not followed, the student risks the possibility of an unlawful absence.
Colleen Fox, Certified School Nurse, cfox@cbsd.org or 267-893-3315.
CBSD now has a facebook page - click below to view:
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