Harbor Creek Junior High School Volume 4, Number 8

Harbor Creek Junior High School 6375 Buffalo Road Harborcreek, PA 16421 814-897-2100, x1233 J H OWLER

UNIOR HIG March, 2019

Counselor’s Corner ....................... 1 Junior High Events ........................ 2 Science Olympiad ......................... 3 PSSA Dates & Reminders .............. 4 Health/P.E. with Mr. Broadhead .. 5 JH Athletics ................................... 6 Mathematics with Mrs. Cox ......... 6 Safety with Trooper Schick ........... 7 Parent-Child Paint Night ............... 8 Middle Years ................................. 9

- - From Mr. Krahe’s Desk - -

Spring may finally have arrived here in HC!! To see evidence of that here in the township, just take a drive or walk around, people are getting out in their yards, walking, or just out enjoying some (chilly) sunshine.

To see evidence of the new spring season here in school, just take a walk around the building. Students are knee-deep in brand new concepts and learning activities and making that final push into our Quarter 4 and the end of the school year. A definite sign of spring is the arrival of our PSSA testing materials from the PA Department of Education. Those arrived about a week ago and we are getting prepared for our annual state assessments. We have finished the testing schedule and all of the finite details to hopefully put our students in the best possible frame of reference for nothing but success on their PSSA’s. The testing schedule will start before Easter break and conclude during that first week of May. For specific calendar dates, check out the testing reminders later on in this newsletter. Another sure sign of spring is the variety of extra-curricular activities our students take part in outside the classroom. Here in the JH, girls’ volleyball is offered to both 7th and 8th graders in the spring. Also offered as club/recreational sports are the soccer, track and field, baseball and softball. Many of these choices may lead to future interests or teams for our students during high school. Regardless, no matter what day of the week it is, there is always some sort of sport for the JH students in the spring. Enjoy the sunshine and warmer temperatures, as well as though those inevitable April showers. However, one must always remember that they will lead to some beautiful May flowers and some almost-summer type of activities. As always, if you have any questions, please contact me at 814-897-2100, x1233.

Andrew Krahe, Principal - - Counselor’s Corner – Mrs. Danch - - What does April bring besides showers??? PSSA testing of course! PSSA’s will begin on April 15th, resume on April 29th, and be completed by May 3rd. Students will be tested on English/Language Arts, Math, and Science (8th grade only). Teachers and staff have been preparing our students throughout the year on what to expect and test taking strategies. We have

March, 2019 JUNIOR HIGH HOWLER - - Counselor’s Corner – cont. - - encouraged our students to try their best and make sure to get enough sleep and fuel up with nutritious food throughout these weeks. Our students have always done well in the past and we expect students this school year will do the same. Due to a sad and unfortunate situation that we had occur here within our Junior High family, at the end of February/beginning of March, grief has been on the minds and hearts of both students and faculty alike. I wanted to remind all parents and students about The Highmark Caring Place and its dedication to making a difference in the lives of grieving children. It is the mission of the Highmark Caring Place to raise awareness of the needs of those grieving, provide programs to address those needs, and to equip the community to support those who have experienced the death of a loved one. For more information, you can contact the local Erie office at 1-866-212-4673 or visit www.highmarkcaringplace.com to learn more about this helpful organization. Our annual 6th grade visit will occur this year on May 9th. This year, we have decided to invite all 6th grade students from each elementary school to visit on the same day. A group of current 7th graders will be chosen to help facilitate these days by acting as tour guides and showing off how well they have transitioned to the junior high school. Students from different clubs and activities will be on hand to give more information about fun and exciting things that happen here! Our JH Multimedia Productions class has been working hard to produce a “Life in the Junior High” Video that all students and faculty will view when they’re here. The elementary students always enjoy visiting and seeing some familiar faces on these days. Look for more information coming soon! Enjoy the upcoming Easter break from 4/19 through 4/23 with family, friends, and nice spring weather! - - Junior High Events - -

April 15 – 18 PSSA – ELA April 19 – 23 No School April 24 – 26 PSSA – ELA April 29 – May 3 PSSA – Math & Science May 6 – May 10 PSSA – Make-Ups May 6 Midterm of Quarter 4 May 9 Grade 6 Classes Visit the JH May 14 Spring Choral Concert May 17 Spring Fling Dance May 23 Spring Band Concert May 27 No School May 31 NJHS Induction Ceremony June 4 7th Grade Awards Assembly June 5 8th Grade Promotion Ceremony June 6 JH Field Day & Last Student Day

March, 2019 JUNIOR HIGH HOWLER - - Science Olympiad with Mrs. Russell - -

On

March 5th students from the Junior High Science Olympiad team competed at the Northwest Regional Competition held at Penn State Erie. Students competed in 20 events ranging from engineering to forensic science

to meteorology. Our team placed 7th out of 15 schools and brought home individual medals in 8 events – 4th place in Road Scholar, Fossils, and Elastic Launched Glider; 3rd place in Write It, Do It, Game On, Potions & Poisons, and Heredity; and 2nd place in Anatomy & Physiology. Congratulations to team members Kami Alfieri, Abigail Nguyen, Eva Reilly, Rachel Holmes, Trista Maloney, Bella Infantino, Cole Marshall, Jessie Wilson, Emma Smith, Cat Burkett, Joe Vining-Cipalla, Boden Gushie, and Sam Parente.

March, 2019 JUNIOR HIGH HOWLER

• ELA Week: April 15th – 18th and 24th – 26th • Math & Science Week: April 29th – May 3rd • PSSA Make-Up Week: May 6th – May 10th • Keystone Algebra 1: May 16th – May 17th

- - PSSA Testing Dates & Reminders - - Here are some reminders for our testing days in April and May:

• Get plenty of rest throughout the testing window/week

• Eat a nutritious breakfast each and everyday • Stay relaxed and try your best with each test • Take your time and do not rush through the tests

- - Health 7 with Mr. Broadhead - - The 7th grade health classes have spent the 3rd quarter exploring our body systems. Systems we have studied include the skeletal, muscular, nervous digestive, excretory, and our endocrine system. The photos show students eating chocolate and drinking water upside down to demonstrate and help the students gain a better understanding for what peristalsis is in reference to our digestive system. (Peristalsis is the wavelike contraction of muscle that moves food through our digestive system). Pictured above is Brandon Demay drinking water upside down, as the students explored what “peristalsis” is and how it moves food through our digestive system. Once we have completed the systems we will then turn our focus to communicable diseases. The students will learn about common diseases, our body’s defenses to germs, vaccines and how they work, and we will wrap up the disease unit exploring common STD’s and at the main symptoms are if an individual contracts an STD. We will wrap up the year by gaining knowledge on the topics of alcohol, tobacco, vaping, and illicit drugs. I will place an emphasis on the risks of vaping and the opioid crisis.

March, 2019 JUNIOR HIGH HOWLER - - P.E. 7 with Mr. Broadhead - - In 7th grade physical education class, we spent two days per week learning swimming strokes and diving/deep water skills. We also had game days and cardiovascular days where we focused on doing activities that got the students heart rate elevated into their target heart rate zone so they could strengthen muscles and burn calories. When we are in the gymnasium in the 4th quarter, the students will take part in individual, partner, as well as team games. They also will complete exercise station workouts that will focus on them working all of the different muscle groups in their body. We will wrap up the school year by taking the post presidential fitness challenge. This is a challenging test and is comprised of sit ups, sit and reach, shuttle run, pushups, pull ups, flex arm hang, and the mile run. Those students who reach the national or presidential on each test will receive a certificate of achievement at the end of the year award ceremony. Pictured here are Mr. Broadhead’s 5th Period students enjoying “fun Friday” in pool class.

- - Stay Connected & Stay Informed - -

HC Website: www.hcsd.iu5.org JH on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HCJH.Huskies JH on Twitter: twitter.com/@HCJuniorHigh JH on Instagram: Search hcjuniorhigh

Be sure to follow student grades through eSchoolPlus! Visit our HCSD webpage for login information to the Home Access Center (HAC)

March, 2019 JUNIOR HIGH HOWLER If your child plays a spring sport, be sure to check the HCSD webpage for the latest team schedules and postponements. If you have any questions, contact our athletic director, Mrs. Yount or her administrative assistant, Mrs. Garfield, at (814) 897-2100, ext. 1241.

- - Mathematics with Mrs. Cox - -

There’s a lot happening in the Junior High’s Room 220! Last week we celebrated Pi Day (the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter). The estimated value of Pi is 3.14 so of course we had to celebrate on March 14th. Students rotated through stations discovering Pi and learning more about it.

Girls’ Volleyball 3/26/19 North East 4:00 PM 3/28/19 @ Corry 4:00 PM 4/2/19 @ Girard 4:00 PM 4/4/19 Iroquois 4:00 PM 4/9/19 @ Seneca 4:00 PM 4/11/19 @ General McLane 4:00 PM 4/12/19 7VB @ GM Tourney TBA 4/13/19 8VB @ GM Tourney TBA 4/15/19 @ Erie School District 4:00 PM 4/16/19 Fort LeBoeuf 4:00 PM 4/18/19 @ Northwestern 4:00 PM 4/23/19 Fairview 4:00 PM 4/25/19 @ North East 4:00 PM 4/30/19 Corry 4:00 PM 5/2/19 Girard 4:00 PM 5/7/19 @ Iroquois 4:00 PM 5/9/19 Seneca 4:00 PM 5/10/19 7VB @ FLB Tourney TBA 5/11/19 8VB @ FLB Tourney TBA

March, 2019 JUNIOR HIGH HOWLER - - Mathematics with Mrs. Cox – cont. - - Earlier this year all students in the junior high were invited to participate in the school Mathcounts competition. The top scoring individuals can advance to the local competition. Bryce Vogel, Dylan Chwatek, Aidan Day, Vidyan Sarvesh and Jessie Wilson qualified. Harbor Creek Junior High competed at Gannon University on February 23rd. Bryce, Aidan, Vidyan and Jessie represented our school and came in 5th place out 19 schools. I am very proud of them. We started our “10 week countdown to PSSA” competition. One day each week we practice material from random sections in preparation for the PSSA and to help students master the material so that they will be successful in math this year and next. Ask the students about it, some of them are very competitive. Those students taking Algebra 1 this year should mark their calendars. The Algebra 1 Keystone exam is scheduled for May 16th and 17th. Finally, I want to express my appreciation for my students this year. They are a great group of students and I look forward to seeing them every day. - - Safety Presentation with Trooper Schick - - At the end of March, the JH partnered with the PA State Police’s Community Relations Officer, Trooper Schick, for a presentation on internet safety, social media, sexting, and good decision making. Students and faculty viewed the 45 minute presentation in the auditorium on March 28th. Trooper Schick has offered this presentation at several surrounding middle schools in northwestern Pennsylvania. She reviewed the laws surrounding decisions made by our students with their cell phones, wireless devices, and online. Social media continues to be a top concern for the Harbor Cree School District and our community as a whole.

PARENT-CHILD PAINT NIGHT

WHEN: Wednesday, April 10th

From 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

WHERE: Harbor Creek High School Cafeteria

COST: $5 per person (cash only)

Sign-up in the Jr. High Office and secure your spot by April 9th.

Children must be accompanied by an adult. Appropriate for children 5th grade through 12th grade.

Sponsored by: Coalition Pathways and is an Anti-Drug activity. Say NO to Drugs – Just Paint.

You may bring a snack to eat and drink with you. Cookies and Juice provided. Space is limited to the first 40 people.

Questions: Contact Mrs. Walk at

897-2100 ext. 1238 or by Email: dwalk@hcsd.iu5.org

© 2019 Resources for Educators, a division of CCH Incorporated

April 2019

Reading for pleasure on a regular basis will boost your tween’s vocabulary and general knowledge, and it may improve his test scores, too. Get him on board with these strategies.

Find a good fi tFalling in love with

reading may simply bea matter of finding the right books. Suggest that your middle grader try the first book in a popu-lar series—if he enjoys it, he may be eager to read the next one. Also, he can get lists of books similar to those he likes by googling the title plus the term “read-alikes.”

Read with friendsOffer to drive your child to meet

friends at the library. They might browse the shelves for fiction or nonfiction based on their own interests, then find a spot to settle in and read side by side. Or perhaps they’ll all get copies of the same book to

Year-end planning As the school year winds down, your child’s sched-

ule will fill up with exams, projects, and events. To stay on top of every-thing, she might write obligations on a wall calendar. Or she could use an electronic calendar and share it with you so you’re in the loop.

Acne advice A good skin-care routine helps pre-vent or reduce acne. Encourage your middle grader to wash his face with a cleanser twice a day. Tell him not to pop pimples, since that could cause scarring. If the problem persists, con-sider taking him to a dermatologist.

Sixty-second challenges For a quick, fun way to connect with your tween, have family members cre-ate challenges you can do in a minute or less! For example, set a timer and race to see who can stack the most plastic cups one-handed. Or compete to be the first to wriggle a cookie from your forehead to your mouth.

Worth quoting“It is spring again. The earth is like a child that knows poems by heart.” Rainer Maria Rilke

Just for fun

Q: Why should you be quiet at a bowling alley?

A: So you can hear a pin drop.

On a roll with reading

read at home. When they finish, they could meet up to discuss their thoughts about the book.

Family story hourIf you think your tween has outgrown

listening to you read to him, think again! In fact, children of all ages benefit from being read to. Offer to read the first chapter or two of a book out loud. Then, leave the book where he’ll find it. He just may get hooked and read the rest on his own.

ShortStops

Raise an appreciative child Tweens don’t always realize how much

their parents and others do for them. Help your child feel and express appreciation, and ward off a sense of entitlement, with these ideas:

■ Teach your tween to be grateful for things she might consider no big deal. Maybe you wait in the car every week during her music lesson, or a friend’s mom drives her to a birthday party. Encourage her to think about the effort involved (“It was nice of Mrs. Lake to go out of her way to pick you up”) and to say thank you.

■ Explain that you provide for your middle grader’s needs, but set an expectation that she’ll save or work for wants, like a skateboard or video game. Suggest that she do odd jobs, such as babysitting or washing cars, to earn money.

Harbor Creek Junior High School

© 2019 Resources for Educators, a division of CCH Incorporated

To provide busy parents with practical ideas that promote school success, parent involvement,

and more effective parenting.

Resources for Educators,a division of CCH Incorporated

128 N. Royal Avenue • Front Royal, VA 22630800-394-5052 • rfecustomer@wolterskluwer.com

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O U R P U R P O S E

Middle Years April 2019 • Page 2

calm down or to remind herself to listen quietly. A turtle might think about how good it feels when prob-lems are solved, then make an effort to discuss the situa-tion. A deer could admit, “I don’t know what to say,” and agree to talk after she thinks things over.

3. Encourage your child to practice new responses until they feel natural. Discuss how conflicts work out when she responds one way vs. another—what seems to get the best results?

Design a logo Ask your child to imagine he’s start-

ing his own company. What logo would send the right message to his audience? By designing one, he’ll practice creative thinking and build communication skills. Here’s how.

First, encourage him to think criti-cally about logos on websites, food pack-aging, and clothing. For instance, why

does the Amazon logo have an arrow that

goes from A to Z? Then, have

your middle grader research what people associate with

certain colors, shapes, and fonts. For example, yellow is often considered cheerful, and squares are thought to hint at trust and stability. Different fonts can convey everything from fun to elegance.

Now your tween could use what he learned to design his logo. For a tech sup-port company, he might choose yellow, a square, and a futuristic-looking font to suggest that he’s cheerful and that custom-ers can trust him to solve their technology problems.

Conflict resolution: Find your path

When your child has a disagreement with a friend or sibling, she can actually use the experience to improve her relationship. How? By handling the situation the right way. Suggest these steps.

1. Ask your tween to think about how she nor-mally reacts to a conflict. Is she a “hippo” who charges into an argument, a “turtle” who with-draws from clashes, or a “deer” who freezes when a squabble puts her in the spotlight?

2. Once your middle grader knows her usual response, she can adjust as needed. A hippo may need to walk away to

I recently started researching my family’s

genealogy. When I mentioned this to my daughter, Evelyn, she wanted to help out. It turned out to be an interesting history and geography les-son for her—and for me.

I knew about our Span-ish heritage, but after talking to my parents and digging a little deeper online, Evelyn and I discovered that we also had ancestors from England and

Mental health ed ■Q My son’s school started putting mental health lessons into health class. Why is this necessary?

■A The school wants to keep stu-

dents safe and healthy—physically

and mentally. That’s why they’re trying

to help children recognize and deal

with mental health problems like depression and suicidal thoughts.

Ask your son what he’s studying in health class, just as you would with any

subject. For example, he may be learning about symptoms of depression or how

to ask for help if he has suicidal thoughts. Let him know he can come to you if he

feels down or thinks about harming himself.

If you’d like to find out more, talk to your son’s health teacher, school coun-

selor, or administrator about the curriculum they use and how you can support

him at home.

Learning about heritage France. On one genealogy site, she searched for old census records that traced some relatives all the way back to the mid-1700s. Then we looked at maps to see where they lived.

Evelyn has decided to make a family tree for an upcoming social studies project. She needs to know where the other half of her family came from, so she’s going to do genealogy research on her mom’s side of the family next.

Parent to

Parent

Q&A