PTSA Newsletter 2008­09, Vol. 9, March 2009 President’s Letter Hard to believe that it is March already and that the only real snowfall we've gotten all win­
ter has been this month. In like a lion indeed! I am Kathy Moffett sure everyone is ready to em­
brace spring time. It is shaping up to be a busy month. I would like to thank everyone involved in making our annual Charity Basketball game such a success. It was really an exciting game with Tilden and the Firefighters close or tied until the bitter end. Our fearless fac­
ulty and staff beat the firefighters 51 to 48! Best of all the $1500 dollars raised will be going to good causes ­ half will go to the Montgomery County Public Safety Me­
morial Fund and the other to the Tilden Families in Need fund. This event would not have been possible without the support of everyone who attended and cheered our team on, our organizers (Beth Resnick, Lisa Fisher, Lisa Raemer), our players and volun­
teers. We were treated to a wonderful half­
time show by former Harlem globetrotter, Spinny Johnson. All in all it was an enter­
taining evening. The Gazette has a blurb on the event if you happened to see this week's edition (page A­10). Pick up some useful tips and join us in the discussion on "March 10th 7 p.m. in the me­
dia center. Light snacks and water provided as always followed by our usual PTSA meeting. April's meeting topic "The Challenges of Adolescence" will expand upon our March presentation. I hope to see you there! Tilden will be hosting it's 2nd annual Interna­
tional Night Friday evening March 13 from 7
­9 p.m. for what I am sure will be a very (Continued, page 3) From Principal Baker’s Desk Dear Tilden Community, It is difficult to believe that March is already here and the beginning of spring is clearly in sight. Thornton Wilder once wrote, “It is only in appearance Jennifer Baker that time is a river. It is rather a vast landscape and it is the eye of the be­
holder that moves. ” If the first part of the year is any indication, then I am certain that the last four months of the year will fly by scarcely giving us time to absorb all of the wonderful things that our children do, learn and achieve each day at school. As the summer rapidly approaches, and (Continued, page 2) March PTSA Meeting
Tuesday, March 10th, 7:00 p.m. Tilden Media Center “Setting Logical Limits With Tweens and Young Teens" computers regularly in schools on a rotating basis. Security cameras will be installed in vari­
Kathy Moffett 301­929­8828 [email protected] ous locations in the halls. PTSA Officers President Vice President Susan Verner 301­984­5942 [email protected] Vice President Melissa Keller 301­881­2837 [email protected] Treasurer Suzanne Fanaroff 301­231­5949
[email protected]
Secretary Kelly Ann Dorfman 301­717­4160
[email protected] MCCPTA Ted Feifer 301­468­5680 Delegate & [email protected] PTSA Special Needs Liaison MCCPTA Cate Hammaker 301­770­3048 Delegate [email protected] From Principal Baker’s Desk (Continued) believe me, I am not trying to rush the school year to a close, there are a few things worth mentioning that relate to the coming summer months. For instance, once again our summer school will be housed at North Bethesda Middle School. We truly appreciate their generous hospitality. The main office and guidance suites will remain at Tilden to service needs such as registra­
tion, transfers, and administrative issues. Although it may seem strange for our school to essentially be in two locations this summer it is truly for a good cause: facility improvements! This summer much needed work will continue on our HVAC system in our music wing and the gym. Replacing the heating system is not the only enhancement that Tilden will receive this year. Additionally: Our elevator near the main office will be completely replaced. We will receive all new computers and printers. The county replaces old 2 All of these projects will improve our facility and we welcome the “invasion” of many peo­
ple working on our behalf to make Tilden an even better place to learn. Speaking of technological advances, does your child have a Facebook or My Space account? Do they enter chat rooms and talk to strangers on the Internet? Do they watch You Tube vid­
eos or post items onto You Tube? What about text messaging, do they send messages con­
stantly to their friends? Do you know everyone with whom your child is communicating? What do you know about the topics just men­
tioned? Tilden would like to thank Mr. Her­
bert Lin, a Tilden parent, for offering his valu­
able time to both our parents and children last month. His presentations have enlightened all of us and will certainly help to make our chil­
dren a bit wiser as they navigate the Internet and search the World Wide Web. Last month we also had one of our favorite family events here at school. The charity bas­
ketball game was a great success. We raised $1,500 for two wonderful charities. A special thank you to all of the committee chairs, Beth Resnick, Lisa Kaeser and Lisa Fisher for all of their hard work on the event. Also, a huge thank you also goes to Captain Foster and the other fire fighters who dedicated their valuable time to our school. I truly appreciate all that went into making the evening a good time for all. Family events are a great way for us to spend time with the kids at school in a relaxed setting. Stay tuned for future evenings of fun and games. As I mentioned above, the school year is mov­
ing along at a rapid pace and spring break is (Continued page 4) Student Service Learning (SSL) Tips Give a Little Time...Make a Big Difference Students expand citizenship skills. Spring break is coming (April 6­13) ...make a plan now to serve and learn! All SSL requires advance approval. At the website www.mcpsssl.org select an organization tagged, "Approved SSL MCPS" and an opportunity tagged, "MCPS SSL Approved" OR submit MCPS Form 560­50, Request for SSL Preapproval for organizations and opportuni­
ties not tagged as approved. Preparation, Action, and Reflection are phases of SSL that set it apart from volunteering and community service. Check out this link to see important aspects of each. http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/ssl/three_phases.shtm Middle school students who have documented 75 hours by May 1, 2009 will receive the Superintendent's SSL Award. Students who have completed 150 SSL hours or 225 hours by May 1 of a middle school year will also receive the Su­
perintendent's SSL Award. One SSL hour for every hour of service outside of the in­
structional day. (Max 8 in 24 hours). President’s Letter (Continued) tasty, educational and fun experience. In an­
ticipation of the tremendous turnout like we enjoyed last year the space reserved for the event has been expanded so there should be more elbow room this year. It's not too late to volunteer to help out at this event ­ please contact Eva Winer at ev­
[email protected] or see the flyer on Tilden's website. The MSA's are fast approaching. The testing schedule has been posted on the website and is also printed on page 4. Please try to en­
sure that your child is well­rested that week so they can achieve their best! Reminder Families whose financial status has changed can apply for free or reduced meals for their children any time during the school year. Also, please remember that the Tilden cafeteria serves breakfast every morning, and the breakfast is included in the free/reduced meal plan. 3 MSA Testing Schedule Monday, March 16 Reading Grade 6 Tuesday, March 17 Reading Grade 6 Wednesday, March 18 Reading Grade 7 and 8 Thursday, March 19 Reading Grade 7 and 8 Friday, March 20 Math Grade 6 Tuesday, March 24 Math Grade 7 and 8 Wednesday, March 25 Math Grade 7 and 8 Monday, March 23 Math Grade 6 Make Your Shopping Dollars Count for Tilden The 2008­2009 Giant Food's A+ Bonus Bucks program runs through April 2, 2009. The pro­
gram requires that you re­designate your choice of school each year. You can enroll online at www.giantfood.com/aplus Tilden’s ID # is 00732 Safeway Club Card for Education program run by E­Scrip requires yearly renewal. Earn up to 3% of your monthly Safeway purchases for Tilden and the money is automatically deposited into the school’s account. Log on to www.escrip.com to renew or enroll. Tilden’s ID # is 6632921. Harris Teeter’s Together in Education Program will donate 5% of a customer’s Private Label purchases once an account number is linked to their Harris Teeter VIC card. To link your card, simply tell the cashier (during check­out) that you want Tilden’s account number (7621) linked to your Harris Teeter VIC card or log onto www.harristeeter.com and click on the link in the Together in Education Section. If you have any questions, contact Shari Campbell at [email protected] or 301­231­5346. From Principal Baker’s Desk Target’s Take Charge of Education Program continues year round and donates 1% of RED­
card (Target Visa and Target credit card) pur­
chases made at Target and Target.com and 1/2% of Target Visa purchases made elsewhere, to the school of your choice. The ID# for Tilden Mid­
dle School is 58230. To register, log onto www.target.com , go to the bottom of the page, click on “Community,” then “Education”, then “Take Charge of Education.” 4 (Continued) almost here. This year, spring break occurs from Saturday, April 4, 2009 through Mon­
day, April 13, 2009. I know that our stu­
dents, staff and parents/guardians all look­
ing forward to some rest and relaxation. I would like to remind families that any ab­
sences beyond the break dates will need to be approved in advance. Please send your notes to Ms. Terry Smith. Milton Berle once said, “Laughter is an instant vaca­
tion”. I wish all of our Tilden families a restful spring vacation filled with laughter. Complicated processes can be under­
stood better when transformed into a chart, graphic organizer, diagram, or timeline. Use your senses to create images in your writing by describing how something sounds, looks, smells, feels, or tastes. Don’t overdo it with too many details in the same sentence. Replace weak verbs with stronger verbs such as sauntered, strolled, ambled, staggered, marched, strode, or moseyed A monthly feature for information, strategies, and/or tips that will help your child enhance his/her literacy skills. Gross Yet Interesting Books for Reluctant Readers Flush: The Scoop on Poop throughout the Ages by Charise, Mericle Harper, Little Brown 2007 You Wouldn’t Want to be an Aztec Sacrifice! Gruesome Things you’d Rather Not Know by Fiona MacDonald, Watts 2001 Oh Yuck! The Encyclopedia of Everything Nasty by Joy Masoff, Workman 2000 Some books are to be tasted; others swallowed; and some to be chewed and digested. ~ Francis Bacon It’s Disgusting and We Ate It! True Food Facts from Around the World and Throughout His­
tory by James Solheim, Aladdin 2001 Reading/Writing: Creating Images Successful readers use their senses to experi­
ence the text. To see if your child is creating images in his/her mind while reading, chal­
lenge him/her to act out portions of the text.
Student Transfer Season Montgomery County parents who wish to re­
quest a Change of School Assignment (COSA) for their children from their home school may begin that process during the upcoming trans­
fer season, February 1 through April 1, 2009. Generally speaking, students are expected to attend their home school. However, assign­
ment 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 PURA BELPRÉ AWARD Named after the first Latina librarian at the New York Public Library, this award is presented to a Latino/Latina writer and illustrator whose work best portrays, af­
firms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in an outstanding work of lit­
erature for children and youth. American Library Association middle to high school, except when affected by boundary changes; A documented hardship situation; or A student is selected for an exempt program. The Change of School Assignment Infor­
mation Booklet describes the process and provides useful information and is avail­
able in English and Spanish. COSA forms are available in schools and online at www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/
info/transfer.shtm. 5 Department Updates Family and Consumer Sciences (FACS) The sixth grade students have gotten off to a great start this semester. We just completed the vegetable fajita lab — who knew vegetables could taste so good! This is a great dish to make at home for the family. This week we will make vegetable fried rice. As the semester progresses the students will be preparing, pita pizza, appetizers, fruit fondue and many other tasty recipes. The seventh grade class recently completed the homemade dessert lab and chicken fajita lab. This class will be preparing vegetable fried rice as well and soon be getting into more difficult recipes. The eighth graders just completed the yeast and quick bread unit and are now moving into more meal preparation. This week is stir fry. The groups put together a combination of vegetables, shrimp, steak or chicken with an array of tasty sauces to create a wonderful meal! Soon the seventh and eighth grade stu­
dents will be introduced to basic budgeting and personal finance as our "Get Ready to Take Charge of Your Finances" unit begins! SGA­Student Government Association The SGA has been quite busy attending county meetings and heading up fundraisers. The stu­
dents are currently preparing to elect a new Student Member of The Board. They will be attending meetings and narrowing down the choice to two High School students. This is a wonderful learning experience in the field of elections and government! Our current fundraiser is called Pennies for Pa­
tients. Each first period class competes to see 6 who can bring in the most change to bene­
fit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. The winning class gets a pizza party! Good luck to all the first period classes. The SGA is open to all students and every­
one is encouraged and welcome to partici­
pate. Creative Communications The Creative Communications students have been working hard on their individual newspaper projects. All the articles written have been eye catching and very informa­
tive. Be sure to read these interesting pa­
pers within the next few weeks as they are sent home. We are all looking forward to fourth quarter when the students begin making their personal memory books. Physical Education Spring is here! Stu­
dents and teachers alike are getting a lit­
tle stir crazy being closed up in the gym for the winter. We are looking forward to our next outdoor units. Very soon, we will be starting foot­
ball, track, tennis, lacrosse, and soft­
ball. We also have an outdoor elective unit to be determined in the next marking pe­
riod. We hope the students are looking for­
ward to the nice weather as much as we are! Don’t forget to remind them to keep a sweatshirt and pants in their PE lockers, to be prepared for the windy weather that so often comes along in March and April. The physical education department would like to recognize the February Students of the Month. Once again, we are proud to select our top students to receive this award. There are so many students that (Continued page 8) Tilden Wins Narrow Victory at Charity Basketball Game A huge thank you to Beth Resnick, Tilden teachers and staff, the Firefighters, and everyone who helped out with this event! It was an exciting game with Tilden tied with the Fire­
fighters until the last minute. The final score Tilden 51 ­
Firefighters 48. Over $1500.00 dollars were raised for the Montgomery County Public Safety Memorial and the Tilden Families in Need Fund. 7 News from the Health Room Physical Education (Continued) The Centers for Disease Control is reporting qualify each month, that it is a difficult task to wide spread flu activity in Maryland. School narrow it down to just a few from our health rooms are seeing more students with classes. Keep that in mind as you read this complaints of fever, upper respiratory com­
list. Congratulations are in order for: plaints, vomiting, stomach aches and some school absentee rates are higher than usual ­­ Jaehong Ahn Bao Vy Ngo as they do each year during “flu” season. Nick Alvarez Noah Pasquinelli Shiri Bendelac Rafeh Qureshi It is not too late to get a flu shot! Last year flu Jake Ditchek Philip Resnick peaked in mid March. It looks like it is doing Ana Gomerez Calvin Riddell the same this year. To find a clinic where the Arielle Hartz Jessie Schneider flu vaccine is available, contact Elizabeth Sammy Holden Tai Tovak Trotta, RN, at Sammy Liang Rachel Wilcove [email protected]. Kyle Lopez Yotam Yaniz Owen Murphy YiZhen Zhang Hand washing is the most important means of preventing the spread of infections. Cough into your arm; cover your nose and mouth when coughing/sneezing. Do not sharing eat­
ing utensils or beverage containers. Most childhood illnesses are over soon and no cause for worry. But, if the symptoms are se­
vere or persist for more than 24 hours, you should contact your private source of medical care. 8 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 attend­
ing we need your support so that we can provide the transportation, food, t­shirts, 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 contri­
bution 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] Stacy Benjamin, [email protected] Committee Chairperson Fundraiser Co­Chairperson Terri Romani, [email protected] Fundraiser Co­Chairperson ________________________________________________________________________________ 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 Return this form, with your check to WJHS Prom Breakfast After Prom Breakfast Committee Walter Johnson High School 6400 Rock Spring Drive Bethesda, MD 20814 Name(s) ____________________________________________Donation Amount ______________ Address _________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ Feeder School ___________________________________________________________ 9