The Tohickon Golden Eagle
December 2020
THE HOLIDAY SEASON BEGINS
Dear Tohickon Families,
I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving break! The month of December has arrived and the year continues to move very quickly. As you are aware, most of the yearly events that typically occur in December have been cancelled this year due to the pandemic. This includes our winter dance and concerts. The holiday season is a special time and, while this year will be like no other, it is important to focus on the bright spots during these difficult times.
During these last few months, I have seen amazing things from our community, teachers, and students. The Tohickon Community has been incredibly supportive, helpful and sincere. All of us at Tohickon are very thankful for our families and their understanding as we have had to change and modify decisions frequently in response to the evolving pandemic. The teachers have exceeded all expectations in this difficult environment. They have redefined the way they teach, learned new technologies, balanced instruction between the school/home and have gone through extraordinary efforts to reach every student. Lastly, and very importantly, our Tohickon Students have been stellar! They have followed the health guidelines without question, worked exceptionally hard and remained positive. Throughout this difficult period, the presence of our students and our interactions with them have energized us, serving as reminders of why we chose to become educators.
During the next few weeks, as we approach the winter break, I would appreciate any help that you can provide in keeping your child(ren) focused on their academic work. The holidays, at times, can become a distraction for students and their progress in school, so any support you can provide along these lines is graciously welcomed.
In closing, I wish you a great month and happy holidays! If you have any questions and/or concerns, please contact the main office at 267-893-3300 or the guidance office at 267-893-3310.
Sincerely,
Mr. Marton, Tohickon Principal
NEW GRADING GUIDELINES AND PROCEDURES TO RETAKE SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENTS
There have been some changes to our grading guidelines, beginning in Marking Period 2. Moving forward, all gradebooks at the secondary level will be set up in a 90% Summative Assessments (assessments given at the end of a learning process such as test, quizzes, projects, culminating work, etc.)/ 10% Formative Assessments (assessments given during the process of learning and can include smaller quizzes, classwork assignments, homework assignments; etc.).
Additionally, all students at Tohickon Middle School (and in CBSD Secondary Schools) will have the opportunity to retake a summative assessment, regardless of the initial grade received. The score that is received on the retake (if higher) will replace the score on the original assessment. In order to be eligible to retake an assessment, a “relearning/reteaching process” will need to occur. During the “relearning process,” students will focus on those areas of the original assessment where mastery was not demonstrated. The process to retake a summative assessment for all classes at all grade levels is as follows:
FROM OUR GUIDANCE OFFICE
Preparing for 10th Grade
January 7, 2021 – VIRTUAL Curriculum Fairs at CB East and CB West – Details will be emailed closer to the event. The curriculum fair is an opportunity for parents and students to gain more information about the high schools and the courses available. We strongly recommend that 9th grade students and their parents plan to attend.
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We will begin PROGRAM PLANNING for next year in January 2021. Important dates will be listed by grade on the guidance website in January.
Tohickon Winter Clothing Sale
Order now to purchase Tohickon Clothing in time for the winter break! Sale ends this Saturday, 12/5.
Now is your chance to purchase a Tohickon hoodie, long sleeve t-shirt, scarf, blanket, hat, pajama pants, and sweatpants using the online site below!
All orders will be delivered to Tohickon before the holiday break and will be available for pickup.
Please visit, https://teeworxink.com/tohickon-winter-sale
Picture Day
Mark your calendar for Picture Day!
- Monday, December 14th for Hybrid 1 students during school hours
- Wednesday, December 16th from 2 - 6 PM virtual students (Click here to sign up for a time) Please sign up by December 12th. Pictures will be taken in the auditorium.
- Thursday, December 17th for Hybrid 2 students during school hours
In addition to the dates above, all families have the option to arrange for pictures at the studio. In studio appointments will be for picture purchases only. Call 215-345-1851 or email candcphotostudios@verizon.net to schedule an appointment. *If a student is photographed at the studio, pictures will not need to be taken a second time at school.
Please review the attached picture day options announcement which discusses ways to order your pictures online or physically printing out the order form.
THE TOHICKON SOCIAL STUDIES DEPARTMENT HONORS VETERANS
The Social Studies Department proudly honored Veterans Day by highlighting the experiences of 8 local veterans, most of which are members of the Doylestown VFW Post 175. The veterans were featured in an interview-style video which recounted their stories from the Korean War, Vietnam War, Persian Gulf War, and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. After learning about each veteran’s experience, lessons learned, and message about Veterans Day, students then sent an individual thank you message to the Veterans. Students heard meaningful messages about service, patriotism, community outreach, and history from our local heroes. The Social Studies department is grateful to the service members and veterans who contributed to the video and for the dedication in which they have served our country.
To access the videos, please click here: https://www.wevideo.com/view/1913453658
CAN MY CHILD GO TO SCHOOL TODAY?
HYBRID STUDENTS ARE EXPECTED TO ATTEND SCHOOL ON THEIR DESIGNATED DAYS
Students that are signed up for the Hybrid are expected to be in school on their designated days. If a student is sick, but still able to participate virtually, we can still give them credit for the day IF their parents inform Ms. Meadows in the attendance office. Ms. Meadows email is dmeadows@cbsd.org.
The Next Parent Council Meeting is in January
We typically do not have a Parent Council Meeting in December due to the holidays. We will be holding our next Parent Council Meeting on Thursday, January 21, beginning at 9:00 AM. The meeting will be virtual and, for those that would like to attend, we will be sending out registration information at the beginning of that week. As always, we will have a featured presentation, followed by a period for questions and discussion. We hope to see you there!
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.
AFTER SCHOOL CLUB INFORMATION
Diversity Club - Sponsored by Mrs. Fox (brifox@cbsd.org)
Garden Club - Sponsored by Mr. Neely (jneely@cbsd.org)
Meditation Club - Sponsored by Mrs. Fox (brifox@cbsd.org)
Robotics Club - Sponsored by Mr. Arno (aarno@cbsd.org)
Science Fair Club - Sponsored by Mr. Hall (khall@cbsd.org)
Virtual Art Club - Sponsored by Mrs. Thomas (dthomas@cbsd.org)
Join the Science Fair Club!
Calling all highly-motivated science students! The Science Fair Club is starting! Science Fair gives kids the opportunity to participate in real science. Students will develop a question they are interested in, research information related to their question, design and perform an experiment, analyze data and draw conclusions. Then the student will develop a video presentation and/or display showing what they have accomplished. Students will then submit their project to the 2021 Bucks County Science Research Competition in late February. All Science Fair Club meetings will be virtual this year. There is a fee to participate in science fair (last year $20). Students can email Mr. Hall at khall@cbsd.org if they are interested. Parents can also email if they have any questions. For more information visit the Bucks County Science Research Competition website at https://sites.google.com/site/bcsrchome/home
HOW TO CREATE A CANVAS PAIR LINK SO THAT YOU HAVE ACCESS TO YOUR CHILD
How to create a CANVAS pair link so that you have access to your child’s courses (Your student needs to be with you with their laptop on and open to Canvas to get the link): https://www.cbsd.org/cms/lib/PA01916442/Centricity/domain/35/canvas%20materials/Parent%20Accounts.pdf
This link includes a description and link to all of the CBSD district software that a parent would typically use:
https://www.cbsd.org/cms/lib/PA01916442/Centricity/Domain/35/CB%20Parent%20Toolbox%2019-20.pdf
Parent sign-in to Canvas can be found here:
District webpage for all thing related to educational technology (FAQs, helpdesk, etc.):
From the Nurse's Office
The Cold and Flu season has officially begun along with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, so please be extra vigilant about wearing your masks and social distancing. Washing hands or using hand sanitizer frequently is the most effective way to prevent the spread of germs. No children should be in school with symptoms that mimic a cold since they are similar to COVID-19. Reach out to your physician with any concerns related to illness and remember children should be fever free for 24 hours, without medication, to be in school. 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 to keep their health records up to date.
Please be mindful of the updated travel restrictions as you make plans around the upcoming holiday season. Pennsylvania requires a 14-day quarantine period for any travel outside of the state and CBSD does not accept a negative COVID test in lieu of quarantining.
We wish you and your family a Happy, Healthy and Enjoyable Holiday Season!
Sincerely,
Sheila Kelly CSN, Maureen Burke, RN, Deneen Dry, LPN and Kathy Simons LPN
Tohickon Middle School
Email: kmarton@cbsd.org
Website: cbsd.org
Location: 5051 Old Easton Road, Doylestown, PA
Phone: 267-893-3300