The Tohickon Golden Eagle
November 2022
THE FIRST MARKING PERIOD ENDS
Dear Tohickon Families,
The first marking period is set to conclude on Friday, November 4. The first quarter of the school year has been an extremely busy one. We have had a great start to the year at Tohickon and are hoping to continue that trend as we move into the second marking period and holiday season. As this time period draws to a close, please take some time to review your child’s grades on Infinite Campus to make sure that all assignments have been completed and turned in.
The month of November, while short due to the Thanksgiving Break, still includes various activities that you should be aware of. Important upcoming events include Picture Retake Day (November 10), Veterans’ Reflection Day (November 11), Celebrate Education Week (November 14-18), Parent Council Meeting (November 17) and an in-school 20th Anniversary Kickoff Event (November 18). All of these things will take place in the three weeks before Thanksgiving Break.
The second marking period begins on November 7 and concludes on January 27. Due to the holidays, there are a lot of interruptions during this time period. As a result, we encourage our students to remain focused in school, while they enjoy the holiday season. Generally speaking, the second marking includes some very special events such as our holiday concerts, holiday dance and various other festivities.
The holidays are an exciting time for many, as we look forward to enjoying time with family and friends. However, it can be a challenging time for students to maintain their focus in school as a result of the frequent breaks. With this in mind, I am asking parents to help us with your child(ren) in maintaining focus in school as we go through this time period. Additionally, we realize that the holidays can be a difficult time period for some and we ask that you communicate with our guidance department if there is any information that you feel would be helpful to us in meeting the needs of your child(ren).
On behalf of the staff at Tohickon Middle School, I wish you a wonderful month! If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us in the main office at 267-893-3300.
Sincerely,
Mr. Marton, Tohickon Principal
IMPORTANT DATES FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER
November 4
- End of First Marking Period/Early Dismissal 10:45 AM
November 8
- NO SCHOOL - Election Day
November 10
- Picture Retake Day - During School
November 11
- MBIT Presentation/Veterans Day Reflection
November 14-18
- Celebrate Education Week
November 15
- Veterans Day Living History Reflection
November 17
- Parent Council Meeting in Library at 9:00 AM
November 18
- Schoolwide 20th Anniversary Kickoff Event
November 23
- NO SCHOOL - Professional Development
November 24-25
- NO SCHOOL - Thanksgiving Break
RX Fundraising
If you have not registered yet, please help Tohickon raise funds by registering below:
support.rxfundraising.com/TohickonMS
Thank you for taking a minute to register!
ATTENDANCE
PARENTS/GUARDIANS ARE ENCOURAGED TO NOTIFY THE SCHOOL OF ANY ABSENCE, LATENESS OR EARLY DISMISSALS THROUGH THE PARENT PORTAL. Excused absences include illness, death in the immediate family, inclement weather that would jeopardize the safety of the student, religious holidays, home emergencies directly related to the student, health care of the student which cannot be arranged outside of school hours, and educational trips or family travel under the conditions outlined as per the School Board Policy. Please use the parent portal rather than send your child with a written absentee notice. If an absence has not been entered through the parent portal or call has not been received within one week of the absence, it will remain marked as unexcused. We strongly encourage submitting a doctor note to (dmeadows@cbsd.org) if your child has missed three or more days of school or has missed school due to a scheduled appointment.
Lateness:
A student is considered late if they are not in their seat in first period by the second bell at 7:30 AM. Students must report to the office (with a note from their parent/guardian explaining their lateness) to receive a late pass in order to gain admittance to class. Such reasons as missing the bus, oversleeping, etc. are not valid excuses for lateness. On the third unexcused tardy, an administrative conference will be arranged. If the problem persists, stronger measures may be taken. Late time may be accumulated and count toward unlawful absences from school.
November Parent Council Meeting
We will be holding our monthly Parent Council Meeting on Thursday, November 17, beginning at 9:00 AM. The meeting this month will be held in the Tohickon Library. As always, we will have a featured presentation, followed by a period for questions and discussion. We hope to see you there!
Student Council Cabinet Members
Judge Gambardella is pictured above swearing in the Student Council Cabinet Members for this school year. Members from left to right are Aarav, Ryan, Carter, Maegan, and Julia. Congratulations on being elected this year! Special thanks to Judge Gambardella for making this so special for our students.
Replacement Pen/Charger for Laptop
Have you purchased a replacement pen or charger for your student? Pease have your student bring a copy of the receipt to the main office. If you need to order a replacement, please go to mypaymentsplus.com
First Responder Recognition Ceremony
Tohickon held a First Responder Recognition Ceremony on October 21st. Baskets with gift cards were presented in appreciation as a thank you for all that they do. Thank you to our Social Studies Department for collecting all of the gift cards and to all of the families/staff members that contributed!
Hispanic Heritage Month
September 15 - October 15 was Hispanic Heritage Month. World Language classrooms participated in various activities to learn about and appreciate the cultures of the languages they are learning. Spanish 1 classes exercised to Zumba; the fitness craze created by Beto Perez from Colombia. French students also joined in for a Zumba workout song in French. Spanish 2 classes learned how to salsa dance. Artwork by Mexican artist, Frida Kahlo, decorated the hallways as students entered the buildings, along with flags and papel picado. On their way to homeroom, students could hear Latin rhythms by Marc Anthony, Don Omar, Shakira, and others throughout the hallways every morning. In their classrooms, students explored various famous Spanish-speakers of their choice during independent projects. (Photos below)
Astronomy Club
“Astronomers learned about three major circumpolar constellations including Ursa Major (the big dipper), Ursa Minor (the little dipper), and Draco. They learned about the unique stars in each constellation and then built the constellations. The different colored beads represent the color of the unique and important star in the constellation.” (Photos below)
Red Ribbon Week by Spartan Young Marines
Red Ribbon Week is in memory of "Kiki" Camarena, a drug enforcement officer who was killed in the line of duty. Each year the last week of October we celebrate Red Ribbon Week in his honor and encourage our peers to live a drug free life. Susan Suber says, "as a Young Marine I feel it is important to encourage my peers to lead a healthy, drug free lifestyle. And as a former Tohickon Golden Eagle I am proud to hang ribbons for Red Ribbon Week." (Susan Suber pictured below)
TOHICKON ART CLUB
Mrs. Hallman-DiCicco & Mrs. Thomas held their first art club meeting, and they celebrated being perfectly imperfect by creating tiny perfectly imperfect pumpkins. Stay tuned to see our unique palettes of color! (Photos below)
Share Good News About Tohickon Students!
Tohickon Students achieve amazing things and make a difference in school and in the community. Share your story about the accomplishments and good work of a Tohickon student with Mr. Marton at kmarton@cbsd.org so that he may highlight this good news in an upcoming edition of the Tohickon Golden Eagle online newsletter.
BUS DELAYS
Thank you for your patience with the many bus delays that we've experienced this year. You can access daily bus delay information by clicking here.
National Junior Honor Society
The National Junior Honor Society is an organization that recognizes and encourages academic achievement along with characteristics essential to citizens in a democracy, such as scholarship, service, leadership, character, and citizenship. Below is a brief outline of the application process for Tohickon’s chapter of NJHS:
- Current 8th and 9th grade students who meet the academic requirement of a rolling GPA of 3.5 or higher will be invited to apply in early March. Eligible students will receive an application via email. Additionally, an application will be mailed home to the parent(s)/guardian(s) of the student.
- Students will have approximately 2-3 weeks to complete the application.
- A faculty council will then review the applications. The final decision for membership will be made by the faculty council and acceptance letters will be mailed home in early April.
- As active members, students will be given opportunities to share their talents and skills with the school and community.
Other Important Information:
- Current members (9th grade students who were inducted in Spring 2022) do not need to reapply; therefore, they will not receive an application.
- The Induction ceremony will be held Wednesday, May 17th, 2023.
- If you have any questions about the National Junior Honor Society, please email Mr. Saska at dsaska@cbsd.org
STUDENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT
- Mrs. Judy Jacob (jujacob@cbsd.org) - Secretary 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.
- Mrs. Kaitlin Wolfinger (kwolfinger@cbsd.org) - Social Worker
Discussion Groups are running through November. We have groups offered on Stress Management, Friendship and Family Support. If your child is interested and wants to join, please have them stop by to chat!
MBIT Information: A MBIT Presentation will be offered in school on Friday, November 11th for all ninth-grade students. MBIT will share information about the various programs offered. Details about a Tour and Field Trip will follow soon. Below is their flyer regarding their Open House and you can also visit their website www.mbit.org.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION FROM THE ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT
Registration is now open for 7th and 8th graders interested in Cheerleading, Wrestling and Boys Basketball. Girls Basketball has already begun. Registration is completed online. Directions can be found at: Sports Registration Directions. Registration deadline is November 11th for Wrestling and Cheerleading and January 6th for Boys Basketball. We are looking forward to many students participating in winter sports this year. Please encourage your child to get involved. Reach out to Athletic Director Ken Hall at khall@cbsd.org with questions.
From the Health Office
We are getting into the colder weather, which also means the start of cold and flu season. Please remind your children to wash their hands often since we know that is the best way to stop the spread of germs. Encourage your child to carry water bottles throughout the day and keep with them in class to stay hydrated. Keep your child/children home with severe cold symptoms and/or a fever above 100.3 degrees. When in doubt please reach out to your health care provider for guidance.
Physician notes are required for absences of three consecutive days or more.
If your child needs medication, please administer it at home as the health office does not have any cold medication. Your child may carry their own personal supply of cough drops but absolutely no other medication is permitted without a physician’s order.
Students needing the use of the elevator are required to have a physician’s note on file. If a parent requests the use of elevator for their child in writing it will be honored while waiting for the required physician note (two days). We will send home a contract for parent review and signature. Friends are not allowed to accompany students on the elevator.
REMINDER: There is FREE BREAKFAST AVAILABLE TO ALL STUDENTS in the cafeteria when they come into school each morning.
If you know anyone in our school community who needs help, please reach out to the health office (267-893-3315) or email Sheila Kelly, Certified School Nurse at shkelly@cbsd.org
Tohickon Middle School
Email: kmarton@cbsd.org
Website: cbsd.org
Location: 5051 Old Easton Road, Doylestown, PA
Phone: 267-893-3300