pv happenings - Northside Middle School

PV HAPPENINGS
What’s Happening in the Perkiomen Valley School District
April 2014
Slicing Out Some Time for Pi Day
Students across the district found unique ways
to mark Pi Day (3/14). At
Perkiomen Valley Middle
School West, sixth-grade
students observed with
food, crafts and activities
that celebrated all things
circular. Fifth-grade students at Evergreen Elementary School tried to
reach the Pi Wall of Fame
by reciting the digits of
pi. Aaron Fry topped the
contest with 280 digits,
followed by Zach Alderfer with 256, and Anthony Eskander with 101. At Schwenksville
Elementary School, students brought in pies, enjoyed a rap video and completed a pi
memorization contest. Ethan Ferraro won that contest with 87 digits.
PVMS West Drumming Up Support for Phys Ed
The drumming continues at Perkiomen Valley Middle School West.
In its third year, the Drums Alive program combines aerobic movements with rhythm. Instead of beating on drums, students hit large
exercise balls with drumsticks. The beauty of Drums Alive is that
anyone can do it.
tion improved to the point where she could stand, she began
banging on exercise balls. Ekins feels drumming has biological
benefits and can improve one’s mood while relieving stress. Drumming is believed to help individuals to focus, increase attention,
and listen; it may strengthen team-building skills as well.
Drums Alive founder, Carrie Ekins, began drumming on boxes after
suffering a hip injury. She needed something to keep her motivated and moving while she recuperated in her wheelchair, so she
began drumming on boxes, and she quickly found that drumming
made her feel better both physically and mentally. As her condi-
West students pound or click their drumsticks while dancing
around the balls or performing exercises, such as squats, lunges,
and jumping jacks. These movements engage core muscles; they
also improve balance and coordination. Cheers to physical education teacher, Mrs. Dotty Sabol, for continuing this exciting program.
Corps of Discovery
Visits PVMS West
Perkiomen Valley Middle School West eighth-grade social studies students were
treated to a performance by historical interpreters, Doug Thomas and Steve
Edenbo, who portrayed Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. The performers
shared the Corps of Discovery's exciting stories and hard-won lessons of leadership and inspiration, and encouraged a lot of student participation. Afterward, the
actors fielded questions from the enthusiastic audience. Thanks to social studies
teachers Mrs. Amy Costigan and Mr. Sean Murphy for their efforts to bring the
American history curriculum to life.
Jazz Greats Visit West
Jazz legends Denis DiBlasio and George Rabbai
visited Perkiomen Valley Middle School West on
March 12 for a performance with students. Mr. DiBlasio, a baritone saxophone and flute artist, directs the jazz program at Rowan University in New
Jersey. He is also the Executive Director of The
Maynard Ferguson Institute of Jazz at Rowan. With
nine recordings of his own along with published
texts, arrangements, and compositions, Mr. DiBlasio is known throughout the world. Mr. Rabbai
is Adjunct Professor of Jazz Trumpet and Improvisation at Rowan University. Mr. Rabbai became
nationally recognized when he joined the Woody
Herman Orchestra, touring as a jazz soloist and
recording on the Concord and Toshiba EMI labels.
The jazz greats performed with the Perkiomen
Valley Jazz Bands under the direction of Dawn
King Krown, David C. Overholtzer, and Paul DiRenzo; they were accompanied by David Kenney, Jr.,
Timothy Wolfe, Jr., and Bill Avayou. Prior to the
concert, Mr. DiBlasio and Mr. Rabbai led jazz clinics for the two middle school jazz bands as well as
the high school jazz band. Special thanks to the
event sponsors: the PVSD Foundation, the PVHS
Music Boosters, the Manieri Family, and Lincoln
Investment Planning, Inc.
PVMS West’s Jazz Band Wins
Accolades in Music Festivals
Congratulations to the Perkiomen Valley Middle School West Jazz Band for
its superior performance at the Quakertown Middle School Jazz Festival on
March 7. In addition to receiving the
top rating of superior, the band was
recognized with the Outstanding Saxophone Section award. Isaac Stolpe
(seen at right) won a best soloist award
for his trumpet performances on “Top
Dog” and “Old Devil Moon.” Previously, in competition on March 1 at Boyertown, the band was rated
“outstanding.” The Boyertown Jazz Festival also acknowledged the band with
the Best Rhythm Section and Best Saxophone Section awards. Eighth-grade drummer Aaron Pignone received a solo award for his drum performance on “Crab Legs.” Bravo,
West Jazz Band! Director Dawn King Krown is very proud of the band’s
progress and musicianship. She commented, “Hard work and dedication really do pay off!”
PVMS West Students
Research Individuals’
Stories as Part of
Black History Month
In February, the autistic support and life skills classrooms learned about four very important individuals
for Black History Month: Harriet Tubman, Martin Luther King Jr., George Washington Carver, and Rosa
Parks. Students researched each individual, finding out
facts such as their birthdays, birth places, and their
contributions to history. Seen at right are the students
displaying their posters.
PVMS West Eighth-Graders Learn “High School 101”
Perkiomen Valley High School seniors visited
with Perkiomen Valley Middle School West
eighth-graders on Feb. 25-26. During panel
discussions, West’s students had the opportunity to ask questions about the high school
that they’ll be attending in a few short
months. The eighth-graders wanted to know
about hallway protocol, lunch seating, and
class workloads. They also inquired about
sports and extra-curricular opportunities.
West students reported that the sessions
were very helpful, giving them plenty of information that they’ll be able to use for their
transition from middle school to high
school. Thanks to West counselors, Mrs. Lee
Militello and Mr. William Montgomery, and
the high school counselors for organizing
these valuable meetings.
Schwenksville School Store
Offers Learning Opportunities
for Students on Both Sides
of the Counter
The school store is a great learning opportunity at
Schwenksville Elementary School. From learning how
to be a consumer or retailer to practicing math and
communication skills, the school store presents a variety of hands-on experiences for students. A special
thank you goes to the following parent volunteers for
helping out with our school store: Mrs. Trina Parke,
Dr. Jennifer DuPré, Mrs. Kristen Kerwin, and Mrs.
Kathryn Chesshire. Pictured shopping at Schwenksville’s school store are: Quinn Boettinger, Jacob
Raudabaugh, Laura Corbett, and Jacob Replogle.
Going for the Green
Schwenksville Elementary School participated in “Go for the Greens” on St.
Patrick’s Day this year. Students and staff were encouraged to wear green,
bring a healthy green snack, and pack something healthy and green in their
lunch. This was a fun opportunity to remind everyone to enjoy fruits and
vegetables as part of a healthy lifestyle. Pictured at top left are Trace
Scavetti and Liam Mpofu. On the right is Maggie Schaeffer. At middle left
are Mary Kate Bricker and Isabella Haddad. In the small picture at center
are Samuel Viveros and Gweneth Decastro.
Warming
Up Over a
Lesson of
Hot Cocoa
Mrs. Jessica Cutter,
Speech Therapist at
Schwenksville Elementary
School, recently completed a fun learning activity with students from
Mrs. Megan Yakupcin’s class. Students wrote a short paragraph about a
winter favorite, hot chocolate, and created a 3-D picture of a cup of hot
chocolate. The activity covered sequencing and following directions
along with using descriptive words in their writing. Of course, once they
were finished, everyone enjoyed a cup of hot chocolate. Pictured above
are Lucas Cassel and Alanna Stover. At right are Steven Haberman and
Andrick Fernandez.
Students Pay for Addition of 200
Books to Schwenksville’s Library
Students at Schwenksville Elementary School helped raise money for a charity
called “All for Books” during their book fair. Students brought in change raising
over $2,000! In addition, the book fair raised funds to purchase over 200 new
books for the school library. Students found lots of books to enjoy at Schwenksville’s Book Fair Fiesta! Pictured at top left are: Aubrey Miller, Abigail Chesshire,
Karen Shelton, Alyssa Prince, Lily Smith, Macayla Cappel, and Melody Calles. In
photo at left are Noah Waldman, William Troegler, and Dylan Smith. Above are
students showing off the success of Schwenksville’s book fair Josephine Yaroch,
Garvey Wolk, Curran Chubb, Natalie Klobusicky, and Wade Detweiler (front row)
and Lorenzo DelaCruz, Austin DeFreitas, Breighan Burke, and Mason Doyle (back
row).
Schwenksville Students Selected for Strings Fest
Outstanding Citizens
Honored at Schwenksville
Two fifth-grade students at Schwenksville Elementary School were honored as
“Outstanding Citizens” for the second
trimester. Mrs. Shirley Mason, a representative from the Collegeville Community Club, presented Olivia Dupré and
Tristan Ryan with a framed certificate
and gift certificate for a local book store.
Congratulations to
four Schwenksville
Elementary School
students for being
selected to perform
at the PMEA District
11 Elementary String
Fest held at Upper
Dublin High School
in February. More
than 150 students
from 14 different
school districts attended the festival. These students
have practiced many
hours to become
fine young musicians and it was an honor for them to be selected. They are: Victoria McFarland,
Ethan Lonesky, Lauren Foley, and Brianna Reim.
Buddy Bench Installed at Schwenksville
Have you heard of the Buddy Bench?
The Buddy Bench is an idea first started
here in Pennsylvania by a young child
in York who had seen the idea in a brochure for a German school.
The Buddy Bench is a tool aimed at
promoting inclusion and peer support
on the playground. It is not to be used
just for general seating. Children sit on
the bench when they are feeling upset
and are in need of peer support. When
other children see someone sitting on
the bench, they are to invite the child
to join in their activities, sit with the
child, or strike up a friendly conversation.
Fourth-grader Kaitlyn Hilburt recently approach Schwenksville’s school
counselor, Stacia Hang, with the idea to have a Buddy Bench. Kaitlyn
and her family raised $150 toward the purchase of the bench and
Schwenksville’s Home and School Association generously agreed to
fund the rest of the cost to order and install a Buddy Bench on the playground! School secretary, Mrs. Charlene Greco, researched to find a
quality bench suitable for this purpose.
Pictured above are district maintenance employees, Mr. Tony Miles and
Mr. Buddy Wharton, installing the bench. At right are Mrs. Stacia Hang,
Mrs. Charlene Greco, and Kaitlyn Hilburt.
Schwenksville Celebrates Reading, Dr. Seuss-Style
Dr. Seuss’s birthday and Read Across America were celebrated the week of March 3 at
Schwenksville Elementary. Spirit days included wearing red and white, foxy socks, crazy hats, Grinchy green, and dressing as one’s favorite Dr. Seuss character. Classrooms
also decorated their doorways with a Dr. Seuss theme. At the end of the week, older
grades paired up with younger grades to read to each other. Students also ‘snatched’
teachers to come and visit their classrooms to read. Seen at left, Mrs. Ame Tanski is
“snatched” by Emma George and Matthew Ryba. In the middle, Jackson Boettinger
pins the hat on the cat – along with K’halyl Ramsey and Dominik Brzozowski. At top
right, Mr. Josh Brecht is “snatched” by Sasha MacMullen and Samantha Klimek. At right
are reading buddies Blaine Zandier and Brady Holman.
Students Have Their Day in Court at Skippack
Court was in session last month at Skippack Elementary School.
Fifth-graders spent many weeks using their deductive reasoning and critical thinking skills to solve the “Felix Mystery Festival” crime. The students were diligent as they analyzed and
evaluated all the evidence. As a culmination project, they decided to hold a trial and present the story of “Who Done It” to a
jury of their peers.
Students participating included: Megan Fried, Ella Brant, Dominic Miceli, Anna Marie Bonner, Maggie McGovern, Caroline
Hickey, Philip Wagner, Devon Ott, and Chad Benz.
Wacky Wednesday Enthusiasts
Janice Knorr’s kindergarten classes celebrated Wacky Wednesday
recently at Skippack
Elementary School.
Students and staff
dressed in backwards,
mismatched clothing
and sported wacky hairstyles. The children
wrote wacky stories and
found wacky things in
the classroom. Everyone had fun! The Wacky Wednesday kids are Danny Neiderer, Alex
Stone, Charlie Pavlow, Izzie Martin, and Nate Oliver.
USA Pride on Display at Skippack
Skippack Elementary
School showed its
support for the athletes competing in
the Olympics by celebrating with a red,
white and blue spirit
day! Third-grade
students Hunter
Taggart, Sarah Piermani, Brandon
Novabilski and Madison Booz showcase
their USA pride!
Skippack Students Send
Caring Cards to Patients
Skippack Elementary School students in Mrs. Janice
Knorr’s afternoon kindergarten class made cheerful
get-well cards for residents at the Rose Garden rehab/nursing home to demonstrate caring during
the month of February. Students pictured are: Logan Salvato, Annabell Howarth, Ana Toy, Mabel
Shiffer,Cooper Marston, Alyvia Giordani, and Hannah Liples.
Quiz Show Prepares Skippack Students for PSSA
Skippack Elementary School’s fifth-grade math
class witnessed first-hand that learning can be fun
as they competed in their own version of “Are You
Smarter Than a Fifth-Grader?” Principal Ryan Stanson-Marsh and Physical Education teacher Mrs. Suzanne Ciuba tested their knowledge as well. The
contest was part of the school’s preparation for
PSSA testing.
Evergreen
Students Sing
at Phantoms
Game
The Evergreen Elementary School Fifth-Grade Chorus had the
privilege to perform on Feb. 22 at the Wells Fargo Center in
Philadelphia. The 105-member chorus sang "God Bless America" at the start of the Phantoms game in front of 14,000
fans. The students had a great time singing and watching
themselves on the Jumbotron!
Student Artists Honored
Perkiomen Valley students received honors in the annual Greater Federation of Women’s Clubs annual art contest. Please see
below for a list of students, and see page 12 for additional winners.
STUDENT ART – DIVISION 1 – GRADES 1-3 (Skippack)
 1st place – Julia Minder, 1st grade – Oil Pastel - President
Teddy Roosevelt
 2nd place – Sienna Miller, 2nd grade – Tempera Paint – Assateague Island scene
 3rd place – Faith Palubinski, 2nd grade – Tempera Paint –
Assateague Island scene
STUDENT ART – DIVISION 2 – GRADES 4-6 (Skippack)
 1st place – Courtney Keef, 5th grade - Tempera Paint –
Husky & shadow in Glacier Bay, Alaska
 2nd place – Natalie Monzo, 4th grade – Ink & Watercolor –
Sea turtle in Everglades
 3rd place – Kate Shrift, 4th grade – Ink & Watercolor – Flamingo in Everglades
YOUTH PHOTOGRAPHY – DIVISION 3 – GRADES 6-8 – LIVING THINGS, COLOR (East Middle School)
 1st place – Sana Kewalramani, 8th grade – Closeup of color-
Scientific
Display at
Skippack
Skippack Elementary
School first-graders enjoyed an hour-long assembly when the Franklin Institute Traveling
Science Show came to
visit. Students Evelyn
Zavasky, Cianna Hernandez and Ryan King were
pulled from the audience to be assistants as
the presenter demonstrated how hot air rises!

ful bug on thistle
2nd place – Helena Clauhs, 8th grade – Brother & sister
laughing
YOUTH PHOTOGRAPHY – DIVISION 4 – GRADES 6-8 – STILL
LIFE, COLOR (East Middle School)
 1st place – Miranda Bottura, 8th grade – Swirling sparkling
paintbrush bristles
 2nd place – Ethan Rapp, 8th grade – closeup of old trunk
latch with railroad ticket
Evergreen Students Step Back in
Time By Reading Historical Fiction
Students in Jennifer Cochran’s fourth-grade class at Evergreen Elementary
School stepped back in time to explore history through historical fiction
novels. Each student gave a presentation on the book and shared his or her
project.
Evergreen Honors Outstanding Students
The most recent winners of the Collegeville Women’s Club Award at Evergreen Elementary School are Sarah Calsam and Anthony Eskander. Mrs.
Shirley Mason visited recently to present the students with a plaque and a gift
certificate to the Towne Book Center.
“Cruisin’ Not Boozin” Comes to PVHS
The sophomore class at Perkiomen Valley High School had the opportunity to view
the “Cruisin’ Not Boozin” presentation, which is sponsored by Bryn Mawr Rehabilitation Hospital. The program features presenters who have made unfortunate decisions
that have altered the courses of their lives, and the goal is to impress upon students
how dangerous distracted driving can be. This year’s sophomore class heard from
Daniel Perrino and his father, David. Daniel got into a car accident at the age of 16
after driving while intoxicated. While he beat death, he faces challenges each day due
to severe traumatic brain injury and other permanent disabilities. Mr. Perrino spoke to
the students about how poor decisions can affect not only the person making them,
but those who care for the person. The two talked with students and emphasized the
importance of talking with parents, and shared their story in an effort to prevent others from experiencing what they have experienced.
Math Club Students Score Well in AMC Contest
Students at Perkiomen Valley High School participated in
the annual American Mathematics Competitions 10/12. The
AMC 10/12 are contests sponsored by The Mathematical
Association of America; offered to schools in the United
States and Canada, as well as many abroad.
John Glodek, Yashveer Singh and Raymond Friend were the
top three finishers in the AMC 12. The top three finishers in
the AMC 10 were Aaron Yeiser, Maxwell Lin and William Ye.
William and Maxwell are both seventh-graders.
The AMC 10 is a 25-question, 75-minute multiple choice
exam in secondary school mathematics. The AMC 10 competition tests students’ ability to understand and solve with
algebra and geometry concepts. The AMC 12 is the same
length, but contains problems to be understood and solved
with pre-calculus concepts. The goal of the AMC 10/12 is to
spark interest and talent in mathematics through the excite- Seen above, from left to right, are Mrs. Tonya Rice, Raymond
ment of solving thought-provoking problems in a timed
Friend, John Glodek, Yashveer Singh and Mrs. Sherri Verbeke. Seen
multiple-choice format.
in picture at top left are Mrs. Rice, Maxwell Lin, Aaron Yeiser and
Mrs. Verbeke. Not pictured is William Ye.
Perkiomen Valley Students
Place Highly in Art Contest
Perkiomen Valley students received awards in the
annual Collegeville Women’s Club art contest. From
left to right, are first-place winner Bridget
Bochnowicz; second-place winner Heather Jackson;
and third-place winner Annie Gama. These three
represent grades 10-12. Continuing across, are first
-place winner Sophia Guerra; second-place winner
Megan Bachinsky; and third-place winner Sierra
Dankanich. These final three represent grades 7-9.
First-place winners Bridget and Sophia moved on to
the Southeastern district finals, where they both
won third place in their divisions.
PVHS to Present
“Once On This Island”
Perkiomen Valley High School will present
“Once On This Island” April 4-6. Click here
for ticket and performance information!
Japanese Exchange Students Visit PVHS
For the past 37 years, Perkiomen Valley
High School has hosted students from Kamakura Jogakuin Junior-Senior High School, a
private girls’ school in Kamakura, Japan. This
year marks the 18th visit to PV. Thirteen
girls and their English teacher, Ms. Yukiko
Tsukihara, visited from March 9 through
March 31. They participated in classroom
discussions on cultural differences covering
school life, college admittance, family life,
food, holidays, landscape, the Japanese tea
ceremony, language, as well as co-curricular
and sports activities.
The Japanese students attended classes at
the high school. During their time here they
shared Japanese customs, celebrations, and
language; and demonstrated calligraphy,
origami, and some basic Japanese games.
PV students and teachers also provided
special lessons for the Japanese students to
learn slang, physics, field hockey and lacrosse, German, and to work with ELL students. Field trips were also taken to Lancaster County, Philadelphia, and Washington,
D.C. to gain a greater understanding of the
English language and American culture
from an East coast perspective.
Host families opened their homes to make
this three-week visit possible. Many thanks
are extended to the families of Robert Pollock, Aekta Bhatt, Tucker Spencer-Wallace,
Rose Lapiska, Rachel and Krista Oscapinski,
Samantha Dingley, Matthew Drehobl, Annie
Gama, Maria LaSpina, Lillian Swei, Kaitlynn
Supplee, Madisen Young, Tiffany Goodman,
Mrs. Lisa Windbiel, and Mrs. Judy Riley. This
hospitality will be returned when 10 PVHS
students and two teachers visit Japan in the
summer of 2014.
Program coordinator Mrs. Wendy Elser said
the students often form life-long friendships during the visit. “At first the Japanese
girls are apprehensive to use
their English
speaking skills,
but it doesn’t
take long for
them to break
out of their
shells and quickly find that there
are many commonalities
amongst teens,”
she said. “By the time the three weeks are
over, many of the Japanese girls are not
ready to go home. They truly come to like
our system of education and the American
lifestyle.”
PVMS East Art Show Delights
Perkiomen Valley Middle School East students expressed themselves through a variety of media at the annual Art Show held on March 13. Seen here are some of the students with their work. Clockwise, from left, are Andrew DiSanto, Luke Gilronan, artwork by Sarah Grosick, Noah Shaheen, Kira Jucewicz, and artwork by Jacob Sturm.
PVMS East Students Compete
in Forensics Tournament
Nine Perkiomen Valley Middle School East students traveled to Arch Bishop Ryan High School in Northeast Philladelphia to compete in a Philadelphia Catholic Junior
Forensic League tournament. Coached by Gary Heidt,
five students participated in Student Congress and four
participated in Impromptu Speaking. Corryn Monaco
won second place in Impromptu, Brian Fehr took fourth
place and Isaac Budner took fifth. In Student Congress,
Victor Butoi placed fourth. Seen here, from left to right
are Angelica Santiago, Corryn Monaco, Victor Butoi, Noah
Shaheen, Brian Fehr, and Ryan Dao. In the back are Eric
Londer and Connor Letterio, and in front is Isaac Budner.
South Students Campaign to Save Sumatran Tigers
Elizabeth Mosteller’s gifted support students at South Elementary School are
working on a project in affiliation with the Philadelphia Zoo where they have
researched and participated in a positive persuasive campaign to help save
Sumatran tigers, which are critically endangered as a result of palm oil harvesting and production. Students are learning how they can use their powers
to positively affect change. To do this, they researched and wrote letters to a
business asking for more responsible use of palm oil in their products. They
also designed posters and flyers to distribute at South. To reach further, they
created a short video to post to YouTube. Families were asked to view it and
click ‘like’ as part of our quantitative data collection to measure the scope
and reach of their campaign.
Students used a variety of technological tools during this project. They used
Skype to talk with a Philadelphia zookeeper about their project, and presented their information using PowerPoint.
South Students
Get Celebrity
Treatment at
Breakfast
You know what they say:
Breakfast is the most important meal of day.
To encourage students to
eat breakfast at South Elementary School, “celebrities”
have been seen visiting during breakfast!
Diners have been greeted by characters such as Bat Woman, Crayola crayons,
Fancy Nancy, Minions from “Despicable Me,” Waldo, a juggler, PA State
Troopers, and the Perkiomen Fire Company! Pictures are continued on the
next page.
South Students Show Their Colorful “Seuss” Sides
South Elementary School celebrated “Read Across America” Day in March. The celebration is timed to coincide with the birthday
of children’s author Dr. Seuss. Seen at left is Mrs. Katrina McKenna’s afternoon kindergarten class, wearing their “Cat in the Hat”
hats. In the middle is librarian Jennifer Derstine with Ines Altemose. At right is Mrs. Cherie Custer’s kindergarten class, also
dressed up for the occasion.