Pennbrook Middle School
Friday, March 13, 2015
“E” Day
Cycle 20
School Day 119/Remaining Days 58
Don’t forget that tickets for Dakota, Pennbrook’s spring musical, will be on sale this week at lunches. The cost is $8. The show is tonight Friday, and Saturday at 7:30. Featuring the talents of more than 100 Pennbrook students, Dakota is an original production created by Pennbrook teachers for Pennbrook students.
And, this just in, tickets for Dakota WILL be available at the door. Again, you CAN purchase tickets for all three shows at the door, starting at 7:00. The sooner you buy, the better your seats, so get them at lunch or get here early and buy them at the door.
Hey 7th and 8th graders! If you have read at least three books from the following list, you are eligible to vote in this year’s PYRC Award competition. All you have to do is go to the library and fill out a ballot choosing your favorite title and give the ballot to Mrs. Cassel. Your vote will counted along with others from students state-wide! You’ll also get a small surprise for your participation. So check the list, finish those books, and get to the IMC so your vote will count!
Author / TitleBlakemore, Megan Frazer / The Water Castle
Cooper, Susan / Ghost Hawk
Fradin, Judith Bloom and
Dennis BrindellFradin / Stolen into Slavery: The True Story of Solomon Northup, Free Black Man
Grabenstein, Chris / Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library
Gratz, Alan / Prisoner B-3087
Green, Tim / Force Out
Hayles, Marsha / Breathing Room
Hunt, Lynda Mullaly / One for the Murphys
Korman, Gordon / Ungifted
Messner, Kate / Wake up Missing
Paulsen, Gary & Jim Paulsen / Road Trip
Rusch, Elizabeth / Eruption!: Volcanoes and the Science of Saving Lives
Sloan, Holly Goldberg / Counting by 7s
Stout, Glenn / From Hardships to Championships
Timberlake, Amy / One Came Home
Attention 9th graders: return your permission slips and payment for the Washington DC trip to your homeroom teacher. This is an amazing trip and we want all 9th graders to go. See Ms. McTamney in room 26 with any questions or concerns. The deadline for the trip is March 20, 2015.
TODAY is spirit day!Wear GREEN and earn Red & Blue Day points!
This Saturday, March 14th,Pennfield is holding a Pi Day Community Event. This event is being sponsored by their National Junior Honor Society students with the proceeds going towards CHOP. Please click on the following link for more information:PF PI Day
The next meetings of the Pennbrook Baking Club will be: Tuesday, March 17thand Thursday, March 19th after school in Rm 50. We will be baking and packaging for the Basketball Classic.
School physicals and scoliosis rechecks will be done in the nurse’s office on Wednesday, March 18th from 8:00AM to approximately 9:30AM. Please refrain from sending students to the nurse during that time except those students who are considered an emergency or need medications.
Can you sing, dance, play an instrument, twirl a stick, do a gymnastic routine, ride a pogo stick, do the Karate Kid crane kick (there is no defense for it), or do you have other amazing talents? Auditions for the talent show are coming soon.In fact, auditions for this year’s incredible Talent Show will be Tuesday, March 17th. Please see Dr. Ward, Mr. McGowan, or Mr. Schindele to sign up and for more information.
Hey Gladers! WICKED thinks you’ve become too complacent in the hallways and classrooms of the Pennbrook maze. So…they’re releasing another round of Grievers! Be on the lookout as you travel; there might be a Griever where you least expect it. Anyone who finds a Griever and can correctly answer the question on the back should see Mrs. Cassel in The Glade (that’s the IMC). Your Glader will be added to the map of the maze and you will earn an “Escape from Homework” pass!
Tickets for the Freshman Farewell Dance will be on sale for $12 from April 13thto 17th. Each ninth grader is permitted to bring one guest. If your guest attends a school other than Pennbrook, you must pick up a guest form and have it filled out BEFORE you buy your dance tickets in April. See Miss Seiler or Miss Pearcey for more details.
Volunteer Corps needs help with running the concession stand at the play this weekend. We especially need volunteers for Saturday evening’s performance.Please sign up in the Guidance Office.
The new date for the Basketball Classic will be Friday, March 20th from 7PM-10PM. Tickets will be sold next week during all lunches.
Current 8th and 9th Grade Boys interested in High School Fall Soccer: Soccer will start some "open" nights in the Spring plus the Summer League. The details are still being worked out, butnewcomerscan call Coach Paul Duddy athome #215-368-0720.
Earth Day is fast approaching. The Enact/Green Team club is selling Earth Day T-shirts. If you are interested see Mrs. Gregory in room 78. The shirts are $7 each.
We are looking for more poetry and short story submissions for Pennbrook’s publication, Penn to Paper. In addition, for those of you looking to join clubs this season, literary magazine is the place to be. We would like to recruit some more people to help us publish works of writing. If you’re interested, please see Mrs. Sinkinson in room 15 or Mrs. Mermelstein in room 16 for more details.
Any girl in 8th – 11th grade interested in high school fall soccer is welcome to attend weight training sessions at the high school from 4-5 every Tuesday and Thursday. If you have any questions, please contact Coach Dehner at .
Attention Student Council Freshman Dance Committee members, we will be meeting in room 62 during lunch study every C day. Please see Miss Pearcey or Miss Seiler for a pass.
Replacement ID’s can now be made by Mrs. Lancia in Guidance for $3.00. Stop by during Lunch Study.
Math Support is available every morning at 7:40AM in room 52. Don’t forget to bring your math book! The math center will be in room 89 during lunch study. All students are welcome. Passes will be given by your homeroom teacher.
Sports
Middle School Spring Sports will start
March 17, 2015
Sports played in the Spring are:
7,8,9 Baseball,
7,8,9 Softball, 7,8 Track,
and 7,8,9 Girl's Lacrosse
For sports information/questions, please call 215-853-1603 or email Mrs.
McConaghy at
IMPORTANT INFORMATION:
To schedule an appointment with Mr. Galante, please call 215-853-1600 or email Mrs. Garifalos at
Dropping Items Off for Students:Students will be paged to come and pick up items ONLY at the following times:
1.End of Period 2 (9:45)
2.During Lunch Study (11:20-11:53)
3.End of Period 7 (2:10)
Also, as per Mr. Galante, no student can be called out of class to pick up an item. Students who are expecting items to be dropped off, are encouraged to stop by Mrs. Behrens’ desk between periods.
Student Absences: All absences should be made by a phone call, note, email or fax. If you have reported the absence to attendance by anyone of these means, you DO NOT have to notify the school in any other way. If your student arrives late, they must present an excuse for tardiness at the attendance office. If a phone call, email, note or fax is not received by the attendance office, the absence will be unexcused.
Email:
(please note that you must have the underscore _ before the PBAttendance when emailing)
Fax: 215-699-0151 Attn: Attendance Office
Call: Mrs. Bowers at 215-853-1602 or the main office at 215-699-9287
Days Absent:When a student is absent for three or more days a request can be made for missed assignments through Mrs. Behrens or Mrs. Bowers by emailingYou can also check your student’s teacher’s web page on Pennbrook’s website. Most teachers post their assignments on a regular basis.
Vacation:If going on vacation during the school year please make sure to send a note at leastone week in advance to the Attendance Office. If your absence will exceed ten school days, you will need to contact Mrs. Amy Keller, Registrar, at 215-368-0400 to make an appointment to re-register before returning to school.
Student Pickup: For questions or information on picking up your child during the school day, please call 215-853-1601 or email Mrs. Behrens at
Lunch Accounts:Remember to put money into your child’s lunch account. It is very easy with the new program: and follow the on-screen instructions to create an account. There is also a toll free number (1-866-821-0306) that families can call to make payments and check their student’s account, if they do not have access to the internet. There is a charge of 4.75% each time a deposit is made through MyPaymentsPlus. Please note these fees do not go to NPSD, but is the cost of online transactions with MyPaymentsPlus. Families can benefit by this system because it allows you to: make payments using a credit card, debit card or check; check account balances online and via a toll free phone number; auto-pay a student’s account when it reaches a low balance; receive notifications when a student’s account balance is low; view a student account balance 24/7; monitor student purchases to what they are purchasing; inform the cafeteria staff about your child’s food allergies which will enable a computerized reminder system to prompt cashiers to review the student’s purchase for possible reactions.
Visitors:All visitors to Pennbrook are required to show their NPSD staff ID or a driver’s license at our reception desk. If you are coming to an IEP, Team or Teacher meeting or to volunteer, you must show your license and register with our new security system.
Student Illness/Nurse:Students should not be using cell phones to call home when they are ill. Students need to visit the Nurse and the Nurse should contact the parents to come and pick up their student. Please remind your children regarding this rule.
Id Cards are available from Mrs. Lancia in the Guidance Office for $3.00.
Late Bus: North Penn School District runs a late bus every Tuesday and Thursday. Students are picked up from Pennbrook at 5:15PM.
Bus Pass Reminder:In order to ride home with a friend on a different bus, a student must get a bus pass from the main office. Each student must have a note from a parent authorizing the bus pass and must include the names of all students involved, the date and a parent’s signature. If a note is forgotten, only then, can an email be sent in its place by no later than 10:00AM of that day. The email address is . Verbals over the phone are not acceptable. Also, all requests must be made by the end of Lunch Study; which is 11:53. Bus Passes will not be given out after this time. NO bus passes on early dismissal days per Transportation Department.
INFORMATION CHANGES:If the home address, home/cell phone number or guardianship of your child changes, please contact the Guidance Secretary, Mrs. Lancia at or call 215-853-1610.