Middle School
Message
Monthly Newsletter of
Wissahickon Middle School
November 2016
New Interact Club Forms at WMS
WMS Mixes It Up at Lunch
The Interact Club is off and running at the Middle School. An
impressive 40+ students from 6th, 7th and 8th grade attended the
first scheduled meeting. The student group jumped in feet first
into the first service project. The students’ enthusiasm to help
others impressed our Rotary sponsors. We are in the middle of
our first service project, where students are collecting classroom
supplies for WAC Cares Homework Club in Ambler. The
Homework Club is an after-school program that assists children
in 1st through 6th grade. Interact members have been getting the
word out about the school supply drive through announcements,
commercials and posters. Collection boxes have been strategically
placed throughout the Middle School to collect items needed
for the program, such as calculators, picture books, short novels,
rulers, whiteboards, markers and erasers. The members of our
Interact Club are looking forward to a great year, filled with many
service projects that helps show “Wiss Cares.”
Pringles Chip Challenge
This year, for the first time, our 7th grade Science Department
had students participate in the Pringles Chip Challenge. A team
of students designed and tested a container for shipping a single
Pringles potato chip, via Wissahickon School District Inter-Office
mail. Upon arrival the packages were evaluated and scored. The
goal was to design the package that had the smallest volume/
mass and protected the chip, so that it arrived at its destination
undamaged.
We had many undamaged chips arrive back to WMS, showing
our 7th grade students that their package design proved to be
successful.
WMS participated in National Mix It Up at Lunch
Day on October 25th. Students were randomly
assigned to a lunch table to allow them to get
to know other students. The theme was music,
and each table was named after a different band/
musical artist. DJ Landis played the latest music
hits throughout all lunches. Each table was
given a list of “would you rather” questions to
help spark conversations. Raffle prizes were
awarded to students who were actively engaged in
conversations. Overall, we received very positive
feedback about the event. Special thanks to the
Friends of Rachel group for their hard work on this
project!
WMS Hosts Blood Drive
WMS is hosting a Blood Drive on Thursday,
November 22nd, from 2-7 p.m. Demand for blood
is high during the holiday season. It truly is a gift
that costs nothing! Please consider donating.
http://www.redcrossblood.org
Sponsor Code: wissahickonm
Students & Athletes
of the Month
Our two Students of the
Month were Sasha Jason,
8th Grade Pride and Tre
Stubbs, 6th Grade Hawks.
Sasha and Tre were
selected based on their
positive contributions
to WMS, strong interest
in learning, involvement
in school/community
programs and great
character and citizenship.
Our two Student
Athletes of the Month
were Allison Wood,
Field Hockey and Julian
Memis, Soccer. Allison
and Julian were selected
based on their displays
of good sportsmanship,
respect, “team before
self ” mentality,
commitment and
demonstration of outstanding character, in addition to
their athletic skill levels.
Please join us in recognizing these four students’
positive contributions to the Wissahickon Middle
School’s learning community. Photos of these four
students are currently on display in the Atrium hallway.
Staff Spotlight: Kelly Broadbent
Birthday? July 6th
Years at WMS? 2 months, and before
that I attended Temple University
Favorite food? No favorites
Family? My mom is a Secretary for
Thomas Fitzwater Elementary School
in Upper Dublin School District
Favorite song? I like all kinds of music!
Favorite book? The Kite Runner
Favorite team? Philadelphia Flyers!!!
Interesting facts? I spent 1 year in Austria teaching
English. I also lived 1 year in Germany and I have
visited 20 different countries! I ran Cross Country and
Track for Temple University.
Hobbies? I like to travel, run and learn different
languages.
College: Temple University, Graduated 2015
Emergency Planning: Keeping Students Safe
Emergency preparedness drills are a necessary means to
prepare our students for a wide variety of possible emergencies
(fire, earthquake, severe weather, interior/exterior threats,
and more). Conducting these state-mandated drills allows
us to examine and improve our responses to specific types of
emergencies and maximize student safety while reducing their
risk of injury.
To date this year, we have run the following drills: monthly
fire drill (our October drill was observed and evaluated by
the Fire Marshal), bus evacuation drills, the “Great Northeast
Shake Out” drill for earthquake preparedness, and an Interior
Threat Lockdown drill this past Friday (observed and evaluated
by an officer from the Lower Gwynedd Police Department
and an officer from the Upper Dublin Police Department).
During each of these coordinated and supervised drills,
WSD employees and outside personnel work collaboratively
to educate our students and have them practice exiting the
building safely or employing a shelter-in-place strategy where
necessary.
Emphasized strategies and practices for each drill are listed
below:
• Fire Drill – safe evacuation of building and accounting for
all students and staff
• Bus Evacuation Drill - safe evacuation of bus and
accounting for all students and staff
• Earthquake Drill – Drop, Cover, Hold On. Stay clear of
possible falling items.
• Severe Weather Drill- move away from windows and
doorways. Depending on various types of sever weather,
students may move to a specific floor in the building.
• Lockout Drill (Exterior Threat) – lock doors, limit visibility,
lights off, shades down, account for students
• Lockdown Drill (Interior Threat) - lock doors, limit
visibility, lights off, shades up, account for students
WMS planned drills for the remainder of the 2016-2017 school
year are:
• Fire Drills – Monthly
• Bus Evacuation Drill (2nd) – March 2017
• Interior Lockdown Drill (2nd) – February 2017
• Exterior Lockout Drill – January 2017
• Shelter-In-Place/Severe Weather Drill – March 2017
Watch Principal Beth Bauer’s Video Blog!
Mrs. Bauer shares information about extra-curricular activities
and the upcoming American Education Week visitation and
Parent Teacher conferences.
VIEW BLOG
Staff Spotlight: Jim Kelly
Birthday? February 4th
Years at WMS? 2 months and 4 years at
Stony Creek before that
Favorite food? Chicken Parmesan
Family? My wife’s name is Kelly Kelly. We
have a 17-month old son, named Ty, and
a dog named Baley. My brother teaches at
Upper Merion and I am also a twin. My
sister is a teacher at Hatboro-Horsham.
Favorite song? Anything country
Favorite book? Anything by Dan Brown
Favorite team? Eagles!!
Interesting facts? I coach football at WHS. I am moving. I love
spending time with my family and am currently pursuing a masters in
Educational Leadership. I spent one year at the middle school in the
past so this is like a homecoming for me!
Hobbies? I enjoy Fantasy Football, maintaining my lawn, reading
(currently reading books about motivation and leadership). I like to
work out!
WMS Students Attend Minefare
On October 15th and 16th many enthusiasts of the popular game
Minecraft attended a convention called Minefaire. It was held at the
Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, PA and it was deemed
by Guinness World Records to be the record breaker of the largest
convention around a single game with well over 12,000 attendees over
the two days. While several of our students attended the event with
their families, 11 WMS students, 2 WHS students and one teacher
served as Ambassadors at the event in the Learning Lab space. These
students volunteered their time and expertise to teach children and
many adults all that they know about Minecraft and the learning that
can occur within the game. Kudos to these students as they really
lived the WissCares ideals! Applause go to WMS students Victoria
Bewley, Jonathan Burton, Lillian Havner, Cyrus Intravaia, William
Lee, Griffin Lynch, Kevin Lynch, Bryan Meidt, Angelina Pacheco,
Sarah Steinberg, Matthew Winkowski, WHS students Amanda Siskind
and Joseph St. Jules, and Instructional Technology Specialist Dianne
Krause who co-organized the learning lab space and worked closely
with all the student and adult Ambassadors. It was an amazing event!
Students to Vote in Mock
Election
WMS Students Participate in Mock Election
On November 1, all WMS students will
participate in the National Mock Election in
their Social Studies classes. The National Mock
Election provides students the opportunity to
cast their votes for candidates in both the federal
and state elections. They may also vote on the
issues they care about. WMS students will be
casting votes for congressional districts 7 or
13 based on their home address. As described
on the website, “This program builds on the
36-year history of the National Mock Election,
the leading program in student voting. More
than 50 million young voters have participated
while learning about the importance of using
their own voice to share their perspectives on
important issues at http://nationalmockelection.
org/. Discussions in class will address the
Electoral College system, the party system in the
United States, and state and federal candidates.
Through the organization’s website, students
will be provided online ballots featuring
multimedia candidate and ballot issue profiles
for this activity. Students will be able to hear
directly from each candidate (video) as well as
the leading arguments "for" and "against" the
ballot issues before casting their vote. All WMS
students will have the opportunity to vote, and
after the votes are tabulated, the results will be
released to the school.
Enjoy Gaming and Raising
Money!
WMS is raising money for The Children’s
Hospital of Philadelphia, and they’re doing it all
through the power of gaming!
On November 5th and 6th, some WMS staff
members will stream 24 hours of video game
content during Extra Life, an event designed
to raise money for Children’s Miracle Network
Hospitals. They’ll be traveling through outer
space, playing some classic arcade games, and
playing both competitively and cooperatively
while raising money for CHOP. If it’s anything
like last year, expect thrills, chills, and plenty
of crazy fun! Donations can be made online
via MySchoolBucks, and more information
is available at http://tinyurl.com/ELWMS16.
WMS thanks you for your support!
WMS Sports Wrap Up
The Wissahickon Middle School has had another successful
Fall Sports Season. We had approximately 289 students
participate in boys’ and girls’ soccer, field hockey, football,
cheerleading, cross country, tennis, and volleyball. We were
fortunate to have minimal cancellations due to weather this
fall season. In the following article, we will provide you with a
recap and some highlights to the season for each sport. Please
keep in mind that this information was up-to-date at the time
the article was submitted.
Boys Soccer
Coach Jason White manages the 8th grade team. The 8th
grade team had 22 members. The team is currently undefeated
with 5 wins and 0 losses. The highlight thus far was a big
victory over rival, Colonial.
Coach Scott Landis manages the 7th grade team. The team has
23 players. They are currently undefeated with 5 wins and 0
loses. They have scored 21 goals against their opponents and
only allowed 4 goals in 5 games. They have 5 remaining games
in the season. Coach Landis is looking forward to coaching
the boys in 8th grade and watching them continue to develop
their skills.
have had strong goal tending by Libby Kunzier & Emma
Clayborne. We have been working hard, improving with
each game, and are looking forward to implementing our
developing skills in our last 4 match ups.
Coach Jen Kleiman manages the 7th grade team. The 7th
grade team is currently undefeated with 5 wins and zero
loses. Despite numerous injuries, especially to the team’s
starting defenders, they have been productive on both the
offensive and defensive sides of the field. The whole team
works hard, plays hungry, and gives each game 110%.
This already great group of soccer players is only going to
get better with time. They have four remaining games left
and they are looking forward to more “Ws” against the
toughest competitors in the league!
Field Hockey
Coach Ericka Leslie coaches the 8th grade team. The 8th
grade team is halfway through a strong season with 2
wins, 2 loses, and 1 tie. The team consists of 21 student
athletes. Goalkeeper Allison Wood has played well in
her first season with the team, allowing only 2 goals.
Co-captain Kendal Williams leads the team in scoring
with three games remaining.
Coach Sue Brown coaches the 7th grade team and has
been working with the 7th grade team. The 7th grade
team is playing well with 1 win, 2 loses, and 2 ties. The
team consists of 23 student athletes. Goalkeepers Jill
Pileggi and Juliana Thomas are both working hard. They
have only allowed 2 goals this season. Olivia Brown leads
the team in scoring.
Thanks to the players for their time, dedication, and good
luck with the rest of the season!
Girls Soccer
Coach Kara Lehman manages the 8th grade team. The 8th
grade girls’ soccer team has gone 1-2-1 this season with goals
scored by: Julia Ronca, Quinn Gaffey & Crystal Suin. They
The above picture are the winners of the longest drive,
fastest dribbler, fastest sprinter, and the highest number of
aerial dribbles.
Sports Update continued
Girls Tennis
Coach Carolyn Shaner is the manager the Girls Tennis team. The GIRLS
TENNIS TEAM has enjoyed another winning season. The team is a
combined seventh and eighth grade squad which features two singles
positions and the remainder are doubles positions. Varsity placements
are determined through ladder competition early in the season. The
overall team record is 10 – 1 presently and they will finish league
competition on Oct. 21st.
The MCAA league tournament will take place on Oct. 26th at Abington
Junior High. Varsity Team members will compete for medals against
other players in their respective positions. Seeding is determined
according to win/loss league records in each position. No-Ad scoring is
used and eight game pro sets are played in all rounds.
Those varsity players who qualified for the tournament are: Ella Chang
(1st singles), Hannah Wang (2nd singles), Clara Labick/Olivia Welsh
(1st doubles), Lauren Kooman/Lily Solomon (2nd doubles), Ella
Sanders/Christina O’Farrell (3rd doubles) and Sarah Zhang/Lily Martin
(alternates).
Elected team captains Olivia Welsh and Clara Labick have done a fine
job assisting Coach Shaner by organizing ‘sister’ pairings, speaking
confidently at home matches, leading team cheers and setting a good
example for teammates with their consistent dedication. Many people
have commented on the team’s great sportsmanship, knowledge of the
rules and clever strategies. They have represented WMS with stellar
academics and consistent integrity on the court.
Volleyball
Coach Marlene Singer manages
the 8th grade team. The team had
14 athletes on their team. They
currently have 2 wins and 4 loses
on their season with three matches
remaining.
Sisters Win 1st for Cubes in Space Award
WMS 6th and 8th grade sisters Dagmar
and Diamante Daniel were 1st place
award winners for the 2016 Cubes
In Space™ Program . Dagmar and
Diamante’s project was selected as the
best overall design out of about 500
experiments from 22 countries. Their
experiment measured intraocular
pressure in astronauts' eyes during the
initial phase of rocket flights. The girls’ experiment was sent into space on a rocket
from NASA Wallops Facility. Dagmar and Diamante spoke to some 7th and 8th
graders last month to inspire Cubes in Space submissions for the upcoming year.
You can see more on their website, http://www.flyingcubes.weebly.com.
Coach Antoinette Perrotta
manages the 7th grade team. The
team had 15 athletes on their team.
They currently have one win and
3 losses. They have two remaining
matches before they end their
season.
The 7th and 8th grade volleyball
teams have grown tremendously
since the first day of tryouts. They
have worked hard on building
their basic skills, positioning, and
communication on the court. The
teams are excited to end their
seasons strong.
Sports Update continued
Boys and Girls Cross Country
Coach Jason Bialka and Coach Angela Farlow coach the
boys’ and girls’ cross country team. The team consisted of
41 boys and girls. A highlight of the season was the team’s
top finishes at the Arcola Invitational on Friday, October 14.
In the boys’ relay event, Wissahickon finished 3rd out of 31
relay teams. The boys on this relay team were Colin Cahill,
Adam Grossberg, and Zac Dallal. The Wissahickon girls’
relay team won their relay taking 1st out of 26 relay teams
at the Arcola Invitational. The girls on this relay team were
Lindsey Frenia, Mari Klein, and Leah Dubin. The girls are
in the picture below. The girls team has a dual meet record
of 3-1 and the boys are 2-2. Both teams will be participating
in the Germantown Invitational on Wednesday, October 26
which will have top competition from around the area.
Cheerleading
Our Wissahickon Middle School has a cheerleading
squad that consists of 14 7th and 8th grade students. The
squad is managed by Coach Alyssa Godown. The captains
of the squad are Jazzy Smalls and Khaiyani Rowe and
they are the leaders of the cheers. The cheerleading squad
attends home sporting competitions to provide support
to student athletes and spirit at these contests. They play
an integral part to our school community whether it is
during a victory or a defeat. They will continue to attend
sporting events throughout the winter sports season.
A big thank you goes out to Coach Godown and the
cheerleaders for the spirit they demonstrate throughout
our sport seasons. They are really looking forward to
performing a special dance they have been working very
hard on at future competitions and a school wide pep
rally.
7th and 8th Grade Girls Basketball
Football
The WMS football
team currently has
approximately 60
players on the team
and is improving
daily. The team
has had 3 tough
“A” game losses in
the beginning of
the season against
some of the league’s
top teams. The B
team has been able
to win their first
two games against
very good competition. The team will conclude their season
with a night game on Monday, Nov. 7 at the Wissahickon
High School stadium vs. Colonial Middle School. The
team has adopted to “get better every day”. The team begins
each practice with the personal and team challenge to “walk
off the field as a better player and teammate”. The team is
coached by Steve Ebert, Brian Evers, Steve Moggs, and Kevin
D’Annunzio.
Tryouts will begin on Wednesday, November 2, Thursday,
November 3, and Friday, November 4. Any interested
7th or 8th grade student should turn in the proper PIAA
paperwork. Any student with questions should see Coach
Ericka Leslie or Mr. B in Guidance. The teams will begin
their seasons on Thursday, November 17 at Abington.
WMS General Sports Information
Wrestling will be starting up at the end of November/
beginning of December. Also, boys’ basketball tryouts
will occur prior to the winter break. Please check the
daily WMS announcements on the WMS news page.
Please get your PIAA paperwork in immediately. This
paperwork and instructions are listed on the WMS
Athletics page. Please see Mr. Baldassano in guidance
with any questions or if you need assistance with the
completion of a physical evaluation by a medical doctor.
Please complete paperwork and see him now before it is
too late.
Any student interested in attending a home girls’
basketball game, boys’ basketball game, or a wrestling
match, stop into the main office or guidance for a Student
Winter Season Pass. We would love to have students to
come out, support, and cheer their peers on during these
competitions.