LOG COLLEGE NEWS

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Log College News

Spring, 2014 HOME OF THE COLONIALS

IN THIS ISSUE

A Message from the Principal… A Message from the Principal 1

Happy Spring! It is hard to believe that the 3rd Marking Period is coming to an end. The staff and students have been hard at work preparing for the PSSA assessments. As we begin the 4th Marking Period, I am amazed at all of the remarkable accomplishments of the students at Log College Middle School. Please encourage your students to continue to do their academic best and maintain good attendance. Communication with your student’s teachers and Counselor is the key to their success, especially when “Spring fever” sets in. Once the warmer weather approaches, please review the school Dress Code guidelines in the student handbook with your student. Thank you in advance for your continued support and commitment to ensuring that our students are successful. Please feel free to contact me with questions and concerns at 215-441-6075 or [email protected]. Sincerely, Catherine Perkins

Upcoming Events April 2- Chick-fil-A Fundraiser 4- Spring Dance 7- Bucks County Reading Olympics 10- End of Marking Period 11- ½ Day In-Service/dismissal 11 AM 8-9- PSSA Writing- 8th Grade 16- Report Cards Distributed 18- Schools and Offices Closed 29-30 - PSSA Science- 8th Grade 30- Chick-fil-A Fundraiser

May 1-Student Recognition Breakfast 15-16 Algebra Keystone Exam 16- Interim Progress Report 26 Holiday TBD- LC Parent Orientation

Upcoming Events

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7A Science News

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Art Squad News

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Health & Physical Education News 3 Counselor’s Corner

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LCMS Music News

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8 A & 8B Grade Science News 6 World Language Competition 7 Math Counts

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News from the Health Room 7 S.T>A.C.

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Pennies for Patients

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Home & School Association

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June

Spelling Bee

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6- 8th Grade Dance 9- Spring Concert

Hoops for Heart

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Care to Share

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Black History Month

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Into the Woods Jr.

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MBIT Summer Exploration

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11- Field Day 12-Talent Show 16-Field day Rain Date 17- 8th Grade Breakfast TBD- 6th & 7th Grade Awards Assembly 19- 8th Grade Trip to Dorney Park 20- Last Day/ ½ Day

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made of marbles, which represented the neutrons and protons in an atom. A large chain reaction followed and students concluded the activity with nuclear clean up! Students left with a greater understanding of how a nuclear reaction occurs and the results of such a reaction when it is not contained.

Many exciting concepts have been explored during the third marking period here in 7A science. We have explored the periodic table of elements, compared and contrasted nuclear and chemical reactions and worked on balancing chemical equations. Students made brochures highlighting covalent and ionic bonds and used the periodic table to draw atom models with the correct amount of electrons! Finally, students were exposed to a Nuclear Fission demonstration! A ball bearing representing a neutron was fired into the nucleus of an atom. The atom was

Art Squad News

Earlier this school year, Mrs. Schenfelt's Art Squad at Log College Middle School, was asked to use their skills to decorate shopping bags for a nonprofit organization, in Doylestown, named "Fairy Godmothers Inc." During tutorial, students came to the art room and painted two hundred shopping bags! They were creatively made with

. Remember: You are where you want to be! ~Marjorie Pearson

abstract designs, glitter, and uplifting messages. These bags will be used to carry home prom dresses and accessories. For fourteen years, Fairy Godmothers Inc. has helped junior and senior high school girls whose financial situation would otherwise prevent them from attending their prom. All items are less than five years old and are donated. Most dresses are offered for $10 and accessories from $2$8. The Art Squad felt honored to be a part of making girls' dreams come true!

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From the world of Physical Education: On Aril 23rd the gym at Log College will be set up for the fitness circuit. The students will have 20 stations that challenge their strength, agility and endurance. Students that participate to the best of their ability in the circuit, will show improvement in their fitness levels and receive a very good grade. After 6 unit days, the gym will be rearranged into the everpopular Log College Obstacle Course. The students will be given several opportunities to conquer the course. The course has students going over, under, through, and around many obstacles. The course is challenging and fun. During the fitness unit (including the obstacle course), we will administer several fitness tests. These tests include the Pacer Endurance Test, sit ups, pull ups/chin ups/ bent arm hang, mile run, shuttle run and the sit and reach. We will be encouraging the students to do their best in all fitness testing. At the completion of our fitness unit, we will then be gearing up for the end of the year activities. In sixth grade, we will

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be playing speedball. The seventh graders will be participating in recreational game activities. The eighth graders will be doing lacrosse, canoeing, or flag football. Hopefully the weather works with us and we can get outside for the Spring season to accomplish these activities.

healthy, be fit and be a good person to yourself and others. Thanks for making our Physical Education program at Log a success!

We will continue to provide our make-up swim / gym classes until the year ends. These classes have been very helpful for those students that have forgotten their gym clothes or missed a class, providing all students a chance to improve their grades. We have also been very pleased and impressed with the students that come to makeup sessions just because they like the challenge.

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From the world of Health: At this point in the year, all 6th and 7th graders have completed or are completing their health classes. Please ask your child about what they covered in class. They probably have some notes they can share with you. All Health grades are averaged into the Physical Education grade on their report cards. Some 8th graders are currently in health and their grade for health will also be included in the physical education grade. As the weather becomes nice we encourage all our classes to work hard and enjoy their time together. Our 8th grade groups are coming to the end of their short time at Log. Be happy, be

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Mr. Rogers – [email protected] Mrs. Pfeiffer – [email protected] Mr. Weisensale [email protected]

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Counselor’s Corner Guidance Department: A-Team Counselor: Brian Sayre

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emotional intelligence with our children on a daily basis. It is important that we are modeling positive emotional feedback. Once children reach adulthood, their emotional intelligent quotient is in place.

B-Team Counselor: Robin Boger

Recent research has shown a direct correlation between emotional intelligence (EQ) and general intelligence (IQ). If a child’s emotional intelligence goes up, so does the child’s intellectual intelligence. If young people learn to manage their emotions appropriately than their emotional skills will increase and subsequently they perform intellectually better. It is critically important that young people are able to calm or soothe themselves. It is also imperative that children learn to be empathetic and sensitive. The ability to handle these emotions will become lifelong skills that will assist your child in understanding feelings and how they work. Helping your child learn new emotional skills will allow your child to develop a high emotional intelligence (EQ). We teach and model

Emotional Intelligence is being aware of what your feelings are and learning how to use them to make smart decisions and choices. It is the ability to control impulses and learning to delay gratification. It is also essential to learn positive conflict resolution skills. Children should be motivated to view things from an optimistic perspective even when there are setbacks in life. Respect for others and understanding how other people are feeling are important components to increasing one’s emotional intelligence quotient. Encouraging your child to get along with others and to be a good leader also helps develop strong character traits. IQs are measured by an intelligence test and are determined through genetics. Whereas one is not born with an EQ, an EQ is taught at home, in school and throughout our lives through the interactions we have with others.

1. Build your child’s selfesteem. It is hard to show respect to others when you do not feel good about yourself. 2. Encourage your children to be sensitive to others feelings. 3. Remind your child not to name call or tease others. 4. Praise your child when they are being kind to others. 5. Treat your children with respect. 6. Acknowledge your child when they being respectful to others. 7. Let your child attempt to resolve age appropriate issues on his/her own. 8. Children should use “Imessages” to state how they are feeling in a respectful way, they should steer clear of “you-messages” because they are interpreted as blaming or criticizing statements. 9. Adults should use “Imessages and not “youmessages” for the same reasons that were stated in #9 above. 10. Teach your child that hitting, pushing or other violent actions are never appropriate ways to solve a problem.

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Log College Music Students Shine at Local Festivals Bucks County Music Educators Association All-County Festival Congratulations to the following 7th and 8th grade students who were selected to participate in the 2014 Bucks County Music Educators Association All-County Music Festival. These students participated in a three day festival at Pennridge Middle School on February 20-21 that culminated in a concert on Saturday March 22nd.

Band Jessica Betz- 8th grade William Gottschall- 8th grade Ashley Hartingh- 8th grade Luke Mullany- 8th grade Nicole Reh- 8th grade Alexis Takashima- 8th grade Julianna Rato- 7th grade Colin Reale- 7th grade Ben Sedlacsik- 7th grade Andrew Sedlacsik- 7th grade Sarah Starr- 7th grade

Choir Megan Knorr- 8th grade Keenan Beveridge- 7th grade Victoria Buterbaugh- 7th grade Steven Rimdzius- 7th grade

Bucks County Music Educators Association All-County Festival Congratulations to the following 6th grade band students who were selected to participate in the 2014 Pennsylvania Music Educators Association District 11 Band Festival. These students were selected by their music teacher to represent Log College in a band of over 100, 5th and 6th grade students from across Bucks and Montgomery counties. The one day festival concluded with a concert on March 6th at Colonial Elementary School.

Erika Daubert Ryan Huck Josiah Johnson Steven Mower Laura Orzehoski Danielle Scott Kelley Spellman Chloe Vella

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8A students are finishing up the Diversity of Living Things Unit and will be starting a mini-unit on Motion and Forces. We will end the year with our Environment and Ecology Unit. While studying viruses, bacteria, and protists, each student was responsible for completing a Cereal Box Project. The project, a mini-research project- required each student to study a disease and obtain specific information about the disease. Students used the information they acquired and used it to create a “disease cereal”. Each cereal needed a name that reflected the disease and also a catchy slogan. Completed boxes included a picture of the pathogen responsible for the disease; facts such as mortality rate, incubation period, country of origin, and treatment options; at least five “fun facts” about the disease; and, of course, some type of puzzle or game on the back of the box. Creative juices flowed and students created informational boxes such as “Malaria Munchies”, “Small Pops”, and “Common Cold Crunch”. Students recently worked in small groups to complete a plant dissection activity. For the activity, students dissected flowers that were generously donated by Produce Junction in Hatboro. Students used a magnifier and their textbook to identify the parts of the plant involved in reproduction. Groups then created a poster by mounting their plant and identifying various parts such as the pistil, sepal, ovary, and stamen. The completed poster including a description of what role each part plays in the process of reproduction. As we move onto our Motion and Forces Unit, students will be learning about Newton’s Laws of Motion, momentum, speed, acceleration, gravity, and buoyancy. We will be completing a variety of hands-on activities as we move through the various topics. Students will utilize the laws of motion to design a roller coaster, demonstrate their understanding of momentum using our unique “cat”a-pults, and experience the laws of buoyancy by launching Cartesian divers. Throughout the unit we will discuss how motion and forces impact us in everything we do. Looking forward towards the remainder of the year, students will be taking the Science PSSA on April 29th and 30th and their science final in mid-June.

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Our 8B student scientists have been studying the Plantae Kingdom, under the Eukaryote Domain. (Ask your 8th grade scientist what Eukaryote means!) Plants exist in a wide variety of forms, including some with vascular systems to move water and nutrients throughout the plant. Students learned that some plants produce flowers and fruit (angiosperm), and some do not (gymnosperm). Our student scientists also learned to identify the main points in their textbook reading. This is one example of students sharpening their ability to “read to learn.” They are previewing Lessons before reading, identifying main ideas and details, and identifying vocabulary words and their meanings. We also sharpened our group discussion skills, waiting our turn, listening to classmates, and staying on topic. Students engaged in a lengthy conversation about plants’ role in medicine and how protecting earth’s forests can have real-world consequences. Finally, students were able to dissect fresh, cut flowers, donated by Produce Junction (thank you!) and create informational mini-posters. Students illustrated and wrote on the poster to identify a flowers’ sexual reproductive parts and explain how flowers reproduce. In April, students will begin discovering Forces and Motion, including gravity, acceleration, inertia, and Newton’s Laws of Motion. These lessons will include some hands-on activities with Hot Wheels, sports equipment, and other everyday objects. Consequently, following directions will take on extra importance in the classroom. This spring will also see the return of mini-lessons during Tutorial to allow students to obtain new skills, such as reading charts and tables, using a microscope, and designing a scientific research experiment, which we began last fall.

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Congratulations to Log College’s MathCounts Team for their participation in the MathCounts Bucks/Valley Forge Regional Chapter Competition at William Tennent High School in February. The four mathletes pictured below spent an entire Saturday competing against other middle schools in the region. Team Log tied for first in the day’s structural design contest, where the goal was to work together to build the tallest freestanding tower using straws, paperclips, string, and tape. These four students showed an incredible display of teamwork throughout the day. Great job, team! On February 26th 2014, 8th grade middle school students who currently take Spanish and German participated in the Bucks County World Language Competition at William Tennent High School. The students went up against districts from all over Bucks County, such as Central Bucks and Council Rock to name a few. The 8th graders had the chance to experience the World Language competition, which consisted of a series of questions focusing on vocabulary, grammar, culture, and spelling from levels 1 & 2. Although the 8th graders only know about a half a year of Spanish, they were able to answer questions and had the opportunity to speak in the target language. Log College received the Red Ribbon during the awards ceremony! Special thanks to Mr. Graff, Ms. Cruz and Mrs. Pettigrew for organizing the teams. Way to go LCMS, we are so proud of our students!

Thank you to all the 7th grade parents/guardians who have sent in the missing Immunization records & dental forms and to all the 6 th grade parents/guardians who have sent in the physicals. The state of Pennsylvania has issued the following mandates in order for your child to attend school.  6th Grade-Physical Exam (should have required shots for 7th Grade)  7th Grade1.

Tdap & Meningitis Immunizations (your child may be excluded from school if not immunized)

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Dental Exam

All private medical examinations, immunization records and private Dental forms should be returned to the School Nurse as soon as possible. Your Doctor may also fax them to the Nurse’s Office. Forms can be uploaded from the Centennial School District website: (www.centennialsd.org/Page/154 ) If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact me. Thank you for your cooperation in this very important matter.

Mrs. Anne Curtin, RN, BSN Certified School Nurse Log College Middle School Monday, Tuesday & Friday 215-441-6075 ext. 14025

215-441-6073 (FAX)

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Straight Talk About Cancer Support Group (STAC) During the 2013-2014 school year, the Guidance Department at Log College MS have invited Christina Wise from the Gilda’s Club of Delaware Valley to co-facilitate a support group once a month here at Log College with Robin Boger, School Counselor during the tutorial period to work with students who have cancer in their life. These groups are designed by cancer support professionals to help teens begin to talk with each other about cancer. This support group will provide important social and emotional support to students who are dealing with a loved one who has been diagnosed with cancer. The group’s goals are to normalize the cancer experience, to provide teens with coping skills, and to offer opportunities for interaction with a larger cancer support community. These support groups and presentations are designed to provide basic, accurate information about cancer and help teens feel more comfortable talking about cancer. All information shared in the group is kept confidential.

Students may enter this group anytime during the school year. If you are interested in obtaining a permission slip to allow your child to participate in the STAC Gilda Club Support Club, please email Mrs. Boger at [email protected] or go on the Log College Middle School Guidance website and click onto the Gilda’s Club icon for more information.

Student Council, with a great deal of support from the Log College Cheerleading Squad, sponsored this schoolwide fundraiser to raise money for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. This fundraiser took place over a three week period and encouraged students to collect spare change to support the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s mission to cure leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma, and Hodgkin’s disease and to improve the quality of life of patients and their families. Pennies for Patients gave students the opportunity to raise funds for blood research and services for patients. This cause has special relevance for children and their families as leukemia causes more deaths than any other cancer among children under the age of 20. By collecting funds, students learned quickly that every penny can make a big difference. Once again, Log College students, faculty, and staff have demonstrated the great desire to help others. In just three weeks, from March 4th – March 21st, we raised over $1600. Team totals will be announced at the Pep Rally on April 3rd. Raffle Basket winners will also be announced at the Pep Rally. Thank you to all who participated in this fundraiser. Student Council would like to thank Mrs. Derby, Mrs. Farley, Mrs. Marra, and Mrs. Stanfield for their gift basket donations. We would also like to thank Miss Chase, Mrs. Miller, and Mrs. Quillen for all of their help collecting donations.

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We would like to invite all parents to attend our Home & School monthly meetings. Our next meeting will be on April 1st (no joke!) around 7:00pm at William Tennent High School (room to be determined). The meeting will end around 8:00pm. You will have the opportunity to hear about upcoming events which may concern your child and parent participation is always greatly appreciated! Alert to current 6th & 7th Grade parents: Our H&S meeting is held at William Tennent High School this month because our meeting will follow the District’s Middle School Parent Forum (6:00pm). If you want input/to ask questions re the reorganization of the 7th and 8th grade teams, effective Fall 2014, this is your opportunity! Log College Middle School will have its first Spring Dance on April 4th. This dance is open to all Log students. There will be a DJ and snacks, courtesy of the H&S. Permission slips may be downloaded from Log’s website. Students will hand in their permission slips during their lunches on April 2nd, 3rd, and 4th and get a wristband. Wristbands must be worn for admittance to the Dance. 

On February 28th, 2014, the Log College Middle School student body participated in a school-wide spelling Bee held in the school library. Sponsored by Scripps with awards generously provided by the LCMS Home and School, the bee this year was televised to the entire school under the expert supervision of the broadcasting club, whose artistic and creative presentation was simply phenomenal! With Mr. Noel McManus pulling off a superlative Emcee, the talent was so great this year that the moderators needed to delve deeply into the Approved Words List packet!! The bee was nail-bitingly close. After an exciting final round, 7th grade student Haley Lyons was triumphant over equally commendable 8th grader Phillip Belotserkovsky, who finished in second place this year – even more admirable knowing that Phillip was an alternate who didn’t even know he was going to be in the Bee until the morning of the event! Haley will represent Log College Middle School in the Bucks County Regional Final for the Scripps National Spelling Bee later this month.

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Log College Middle School’s seventh grade teams hosted multiple activities as part of the American Heart Association’s “Hoops for Heart” event this February. “Hoops for Heart” has been hosted by the AHA over the past 20 years, impacting numerous lives along the way. This was Log College’s 16th year participating. What’s great about “Hoops” is that the event allows teachers and students to raise funds for heart disease research and education, learn about heart disease prevention, and have fun while participating! In an effort to raise funds and awareness for this organization, the faculty and students at Log took part in Hat Day and Dress Down Day. Any money collected in exchange for the opportunity to wear a hat or dress down, along with individual student fundraising, was donated to this life-changing cause. In total, Log’s seventh grade raised approximately $300.00 for “Hoops for Heart!” The culminating event was held on two separate days in February where our fantastic seventh graders took part in basketball shootout and dribbling contests. Spirits were high as the students had a terrific time playing and cheering each other on. Much was learned—including some valuable, heart-healthy habits—and seventh graders certainly made an impact on the community around them. .

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Sometimes things just work…they simply fall into place, and end up being so much more than imagined. That’s what happened during Log’s Care to Share Celebration on the 12th of March—a simple celebration of reading turned powerful. Log College Middle School community celebrated Read Across America (a national celebration of reading in honor of Dr. Seuss’s birthday) with a spectacular show of camaraderie among teachers and students, during our first annual Care to Share Celebration. This school-wide activity included rousing discussion, a PowerPoint presentation, and a guest reader. Each classroom teacher read and discussed his/her favorite piece(s) of literature with students. With much delight, students, in turn, shared their favorite books and authors. Finally, teachers were given access to a pre-recorded video (shot and edited by Log’s broadcast crew) in which one of our teachers, Mr. Leiby, read his favorite childhood story, one he currently shares with his young sons. These activities embodied and elicited the love of reading. In travelling from room to room, the positive energy was palpable as teachers and students were engaged in meaningful, high-energy conversations. Undoubtedly, through sharing unforgettable characters and twisting plots, connections among students and faculty were being made. A celebration so simple, yet profound. Reaction from teachers and students makes it clear that they are looking forward to subsequent Care to Share Celebrations—

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On February 25th, Log College opened its door once again for an outstanding live performance by Key Arts Productions to help celebrate Black History Month. This year’s program, “Let Freedom Sing”, was an engaging multimedia concert experience which explained how music can move and motivate people to action. The archival film footage, musical performance, and commentary, gave insight to the stories behind the songs, and the historic context surrounding unforgettable freedom songs that propelled the American Civil Rights Movement. Log College students learned about the power of the songs that protesters sang on picket lines, in mass meetings, in police wagons, and in jail cells, as they fought for justice and equality. Historical film footage and narratives took our students on an unforgettable journey through the music of composers Marvin Gaye, Bob Dylan, The Staple Singers, Curtis Mayfield, and many others social activists who provided a soundtrack for a revolution.

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On March 14th and 15th the cast and crew of Log College’s Musical, Into the Woods, Jr. presented two evenings of flawless performances to a packed house. The depth of talent across all three grades in both the cast and crew was quite remarkable for such a challenging show. In addition, several audience members commented on how professional and top notch the cast and crew were during the performances. There were even comments on how the set rivaled Broadway! The cast members demonstrated tremendous growth over the weeks leading up to the show, in both our experienced and inexperienced actors. There is no doubt that several of our Log College stars will see their names in lights in the near future! A big thank you goes out to all the teachers, administration and parents who made the show such a big success from behind the scenes.

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