PTSA Newsletter
2008-09, Vol. 9, January 2009
family bowling night is in the works for late
January/early February - more details will
follow via the listserv and website as soon as
we have a firm date.
President’s Letter
Hi, everyone!
Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a chance to relax and
recharge over the holiday break.
From Principal Baker’s Desk
Dear Tilden Community,
Kathy Moffett
Now, admit it, your resolution was to start
going to PTA meetings, right? Perfect – because we have a great speaker from P.E.P.
lined up for our first meeting of 2009. Our
topic this month is ―Helping Kids Take Responsibility for School Stuff‖ and it is scheduled for Tuesday, January 13th. As always,
our meetings are held in the Tilden Media
Center starting at 7 pm. All are welcome.
We are heading into the New Year with
some great news – we exceeded our fundraising goal of $3500 with over $4000 in contributions from the Tilden community. Many,
many, thanks to those who were able to contribute this year. Keep reading - you should
see their names listed in this newsletter.
Principal Baker informs me that the Tilden
teachers and staff have begun practicing for
the annual Charity Basketball game. This
year it is Tilden versus area firefighters. The
proceeds of the event will be split between
the firefighters and the Tilden Families in
Need fund. The PTSA will be selling pizza
and we will also have a 50/50 raffle. Save
the date – Friday, February 27th.
Let’s all get together and go bowling! A
Happy New Year to everyone! I
hope you were all able to get
some well-deserved rest and
quality family time over the winter break. It is hard to believe
that 2009 is already here and the Jennifer Baker
2nd quarter of the 2008-2009 school year is
rapidly coming to a close. Believe it or not,
even though second semester has yet to begin, we are already planning for the next
school year. Soon your children will be receiving the new course bulletin and registering for classes. The counselors will be visiting all classes to speak about course options.
Our current 8th grade students will hear from
the Walter Johnson counselors about the registration process and the many choices for
(Continued, page 2)
January PTSA Meeting
Tuesday, Jan. 13th, 7:00 p.m.
Tilden Media Center
“Helping Your Kids
Take Responsibility
for School Stuff”
PTSA Officers
President
Kathy Moffett
301-929-8828
[email protected]
Vice President Susan Verner
301-984-5942
[email protected]
Vice President Melissa Keller
301-881-2837
[email protected]
Treasurer
Secretary
Suzanne Fanaroff
301-231-5949
[email protected]
Kelly Ann Dorfman 301-717-4160
[email protected]
MCCPTA
Ted Feifer
Delegate &
PTSA Special Needs Liaison
MCCPTA
Delegate
301-468-5680
[email protected]
Cate Hammaker
301-770-3048
[email protected]
From Principal Baker’s Desk
(Continued)
classes offered at the high school level.
Parents who would like more information
on courses should plan on joining us on
Thursday, January 29, 2009 at 7 p.m. This
evening is designed for parents/guardians
of our current 6th and 7th grade students and
our incoming 6th grade students. The evening is always informative and packed with
the necessary information to help families
determine the best schedule for the upcoming year. We hope to see you there.
As our 2nd quarter comes to a close midterm exams will begin with a review day
on January 15th. The schedule is posted on
our website and does reflect changes due to
the January 20th holiday for the inauguration ceremony. Now is a great time for students to review and hone their test taking
skills and study habits. There is a very
helpful resource on the Tilden website.
Just click on ―Student Sites‖ and scroll
down to the bottom of ―Other Resources‖.
The ―Study Skills‖ website contains a
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wealth of information. Additionally, the Maryland School Assessment (MSA), which will
take place beginning the week of March 16th,
has many practice materials on their website:
http://www.mdk12.org/. Once on the website
go to ―Assessments‖ and click on ―Maryland
School Assessments‖. You will find complete
tests that were given to students in 2007 under
―What does the MSA test?‖
Parents often ask me how they can help their
kids at home. A great way to support your kids
and the school is to help children understand
that although they may not see the immediate
relevance of standardized test scores, exams
and grades, they are used in many ways by
schools including future course placements,
high school graduation, and college admission.
By encouraging students to consistently do
their homework, develop great study habits
and to use the resources mentioned above, parents will be sending an important message to
their children. Developing a strong work ethic
and study skills early is a huge advantage in
reaching greater success in the future. Learning how to study for big exams and standardized tests will help with students’ confidence
levels and generate positive academic results.
Sir Francis Bacon once claimed, ―Knowledge
is Power.‖ In middle school our primary job is
to empower students with the necessary knowledge to become confident and competent learners. Hopefully, in the process, they will be excited about school, what they are learning and
look forward to coming to Tilden each day.
Please remember, as you help your children
plan for next year’s classes and a successful 2nd
semester, that we are your partners and are always willing to help families in many different
ways. I wish all of our families a fabulous
2009!
Student Service Learning (SSL) Tips
Give a Little Time...Make a Big Difference
High quality student service learning PROMOTES EFFECTIVE CITIZENSHIP.
Make a resolution to address real community need through involvement with pre approved organizations and opportunities.
Service learning activities may involve advocacy action. Advocacy activities may include letter writing,
public presentations, and involvement in community
events to promote one's views on issues of interest.
Advocacy action, like all other SSL actions must be
supervised by representatives from nonprofit, tax exempt organizations.
All activities for which SSL hours are awarded must be
secular (non-religious) in nature. Service-learning activities sponsored by religious organizations must address real need beyond their membership in the broader
community.
SSL requires preparation, action and reflection phases....it's all about service and
learning.
All SSL activities must be documented using MCPS Form 560-51, Student Service
Learning Activity Verification. These forms are found on line at www. mcpsssl.org.
Follow the timelines!!!
See Ms. Stasko in room A 138 if you have any questions.
Mark Your Calendars . . .
All 8th Grade parents are invited to attend the
Kick-off Meeting of the 2009 Tilden 8th Grade
Promotion Ceremony Committee. Meet in the
Tilden Staff Lounge on Friday, January 30th
at 9:30 a.m. To review the ―list‖ of what
needs to be done at the end of the
year for 8th graders, and decide
who will take the lead on the different items. Come and help us
plan a great, memorable night for
our kids!
* * * *
Tilden’s Annual 8th Grade Career Day will
be Friday, April 17th, 7:45 - 11:30 a.m. If you
would like to be a speaker or volunteer to
help plan this event, please contact Pam
Marquez, [email protected],
301-581-0570.
* * * *
In February, Tilden will host an evening discussion forum for 8th graders who have applied to the APEX Program at WJ, the Math
-Science-Computer Science Magnet at
Montgomery Blair, the Richard Montgomery International Baccalaureate Magnet and/
or the Poolesville Global Ecology House.
Contact Susan Berkowitz
([email protected]) for more
information and stay tuned for further
details.
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Annual Fundraising Campaign a Big Success!
The PTSA would like to thank the many Tilden families who responded to our direct appeal and made donations to the PTSA in December. We set a goal this year
to raise $3,500 through this appeal. So far, because of the generosity in the Tilden
community, we have raised $4,690! Many thanks to the following individuals and
families for their generous support of Tilden Middle School:
Greg & Lori Spak
The Cirillo Family
The Verner Family
Karen & John Burgett
David & Debby Orsak
Jessica & Greg Vistnes
The Silverman Family
Judy Kassis
& Scott Stibitz
Barbara & Andrew Ship
Steve Berry
The Marquez Family
Cheryl & Andy New
Karyn & Leiv Blad
Nancy &
Mike Jacobson
The Ditchek Family
Susan Zengerle
Cheryl &
Guillermo Lopez
The Lichtenstein Family
Joseph &
Susan Wyderko
The Christakos Family
Rise B. Guber
Connie Jacobson
David &
Tzila Pozezynski
Juliet Wolff
The Mangold Family
Karina Sanchez
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Janice &
Jonathan Schneider
Nam Rahman
Hagit Shatkay
The Dorfman Family
Tara Cameron-Bloomer
Laurie Goldberg
Mark Raffeld
The Schapiro Family
David & Kathy Moffett
David & Kathy Naimon
Patricia Caulfield
& Dennis Dunlavey
Susan Berkowitz
Nancy & Jim Crenca
Jo Brecher
& Michael Peck
Glenn & Rose Guiao
Donna St. George
& Jim Haner
Candice Mason
Deedee Jacobsohn
Todd & Melissa Keller
Lisa Smith
Ellen & Martin Paul
Jodi & Mark Shulimson
Hannah Sachs
Hemamalini Sitaraman
Barbara &
Richard Clarke
Nelly Bermudez
Tony &
Elena Estevez Risco
Vladislav Berezovskiy
The Lange Family
The Keating Family
Joan & Brad Bass
Karen & Alberto Belt
The Resnick Family
Mandi & Doug Mader
Suzanne &
Michael Fanaroff
KC & Jennifer Chartrand
Valerie Bukharin
Mayya Revzina
Claire T. Driscoll
Nurani Illahi
Martha Cox
Ellen Jennings
Dr. Shari W. Campbell
Bob & Renee Dougherty
Marju & Rafael Casellas
Xiaomeng Cheng
Anelia Horvath
Annie Scalet
Norman & Rachel Barth
Sviatlana Svirydava
The Gilman Family
— Melissa Keller
and Susan Verner
Annual Appeal Co-Chairs
and PTSA Vice Presidents
Donate Your Used Books to the WJ Book Sale
Donate used books now through February 27 to the Walter Johnson High School 5th
Annual Used Book Sale, to be held Saturday March 7 from 9 a.m.
- 2 p.m. Drop off boxed items at the WJHS Main Office weekdays
from 7a.m. - 7p.m., at 6400 Rock Spring Drive in Bethesda.
Books of all reading levels accepted as well as music CDs, movies, and audio books. Not accepted are software, games, textbooks, manuals, encyclopedias, or magazines. Donations are tax
deductible. Email [email protected] with questions.
Make Your Shopping Dollars
Count for Tilden
Giant Food's A+ Bonus Bucks The program
requires that you re-designate your choice of
school each year. All you have to do is log on to
www.giantfood.com/aplus and re-designate Tilden Middle School (ID #00732) as your school
of choice or dial 1-877-366-2668 to designate
over the phone.
Safeway Club Card for Education
Run by E-Scrip, this program also requires
yearly renewal. Earn up to 3% of your monthly
Safeway purchases for Tilden and the money is
automatically deposited into the schools account.
Log on to www.escrip.com to renew or enroll.
Tilden’s ID # is 6632921.
Target’s Take Charge of Education
Continues year round and donates 1% of
Upcoming events
Jan. 9
Tilden School Dance
Jan. 20 No School — Inauguration Day
Jan. 29 Articulation meeting for parents
th
Jan. 30 9:30 a.m., Staff Lounge, 8 grade
promotion ceremony planning
meeting
Feb. 27 Charity Basketball Game
REDcard (Target Visa and Target credit
card) purchases made at Target and Target.com and 1/2% of Target Visa purchases
made elsewhere,
to the school of your choice. Checks are
mailed to the school twice a year, in March
and September.
The ID# for Tilden Middle School is
58230. To register, log onto
www.target.com , click on ―community‖ at
the bottom of the page, then ―Education‖
then ―Take Charge of Education‖.
Math update
Math B
We are wrapping up the
end of Unit 2, and are currently studying
one and two step equations, as well as
one and two step inequalities. Please
stress that showing work is essential in
this unit. Don’t forget to check Edline
regularly!
Parents, please make sure that your son/
daughter has a compass and protractor. They need this for our next
unit. Also, please check if your son/
daughter has all their necessary supplies
and that their notebook is organized.
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A monthly feature for information,
strategies, and/or tips that will help your
child enhance his/her literacy skills.
Content Area Reading Clues
Textbooks are full of clues that help readers
understand important ideas in chapters. Does
your child use these?
Headlines and Subheadings can be
turned into questions that your child can
answer as he/she reads.
Bold, italic, and colored type draw attention to important vocabulary needed to
understand a topic.
Photos, illustrations, and graphs contain
details that further explain new ideas.
Lists and definitions highlight important
facts and terms.
Media for Learning
Modern Day Heroes
Introduce your child to modern-day heroes
through video and audio clips at this website:
http://www.achievement.org/
Student Transfer Season Begins
Montgomery County parents who wish to request a Change of School Assignment (COSA)
for their children from their home school may
begin that process during the upcoming transfer season, February 1 through April 1, 2009.
Generally speaking, students are expected to
attend their home school. However, assignment changes from one school to another are
permitted under certain limited circumstances,
including
An older sibling attends the requested
school;
A continuation in a feeder pattern from
middle to high school, except when affected by boundary changes;
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Pink and Say – This award-winning picture
book by Patricia Polacco tells the story of an
escaped slave who decides to take home a
wounded Civil War soldier. Remember that
picture books are great ways to introduce
students to content learning.
All the President’s Men - This PG movie
tells the story of two Washington Post reporters who broke the Watergate scandal in
President Nixon’s reelection campaign and
highlights character issues and moral
choices.
— Adapted from Character Connection
TV Alternatives
Complete a jigsaw puzzle
Build a model (car, airplane,
etc.)
Write a letter to a relative
Play a board game
Shoot some hoops
Walk to the store for snack
A documented hardship situation;
or
A student is selected for an exempt
program.
The Change of School Assignment Information Booklet describes the process and
provides useful information and is available in English and Spanish.
Beginning the first week of February,
COSA forms will be available in schools
and online at
www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/info/
transfer.shtm.
Walter Johnson High School
After Prom Breakfast Committee
6400 Rock Spring Drive
Bethesda, MD 20814
Walter Johnson After Prom Breakfast 2009
Dear Walter Johnson High School Cluster Community,
The Walter Johnson High School PTSA will host its Annual WJ After Prom Breakfast on
May 16, 2009 immediately following the Prom. This parent and teacher chaperoned event which is held
at WJ provides a safe venue for WJ seniors and their guests to extend the fun of the Prom all night and
into the early morning hours. It is free of charge to all WJ seniors and their guests regardless of whether
they attend the Prom. Last year’s event was attended by a majority of the seniors.
PLEASE JOIN US IN SUPPORTING THIS IMPORTANT EVENT. Since it is free to those attending we need your support so that we can provide the transportation, food, t-shirts, entertainment and
prizes that are necessary to make this an appealing and memorable event for our seniors. This event is
funded entirely by contributions.
Each and every donation, no matter how large or small, is critical to the success of this important event.
If you can make a donation, please complete the form below and return it with your check. Your contribution to the Walter Johnson High School Prom Breakfast is greatly appreciated.
We sincerely hope that you can assist us with a donation to make this event a success. Thank you for
your support. If you have questions, please contact:
Shirley Johnson, [email protected]
Committee Chairperson
Stacy Benjamin, [email protected]
Fundraiser Co-Chairperson
Terri Romani, [email protected]
Fundraiser Co-Chairperson
________________________________________________________________________________
Yes, I would like to support the WJ After Prom Breakfast, which provides a safe venue for WJ
seniors and their guests after the prom.
Please make check payable to
WJHS Prom Breakfast
Return this form, with your check to
After Prom Breakfast Committee
Walter Johnson High School
6400 Rock Spring Drive
Bethesda, MD 20814
Name(s) ____________________________________________Donation Amount ______________
Address _________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Feeder School ___________________________________________________________
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