April 2025 Newsletter

Please note the following important dates in April:

• Friday, April 11: Volleyball Assembly
• Friday, April 11 (7 PM - 9 PM): Student Council Dance/Fun Night
• Monday, April 14: Spring pictures
• Thursday, April 17 - Monday, April 21: Spring break - no school
• Wednesday, April 23 - Thursday, May 1: PSSA testing
• Tuesday, April 29 (7 PM): Orchestra concert @ LAHS

Students in Mrs. Boyer’s Geometry class ended a unit on Trigonometry with a hands-on lab. They made their own inclinometers out of paper towel tubes which they used to measure angles of elevation and depression. They then used trig ratios to calculate the heights of objects like the school building, light posts, trees and bleachers. Next, Professor Alomir Favero from Bucknell came to talk to the students about Civil Engineering and the types of math he uses in his job, including geometry and trigonometry. He then demonstrated how to use an actual Abney level (inclinometer) to measure some of the same objects the students measured so they could compare their results. Students then had the opportunity to use the Abney level themselves.

Mrs. Snyder's 6th grade gifted class put their knowledge of ancient China to the test with a fun and engaging breakout box activity. They worked collaboratively in teams, using their critical thinking and problem-solving skills to decipher clues, solve puzzles, and unlock the "secrets" of ancient China. This hands-on experience allowed them to demonstrate their understanding of the historical concepts they have been exploring in a dynamic and interactive way.

Our library was set up as a 'Beatnik Cafe', complete with hot chocolate and snacks, for 6th grade students to perform a poem they wrote in Mr. Haussener and Mrs. Smith's ELA classes. Mrs. Pauling had the perfect environment created for this engaging classroom activity!

Mrs. Havill’s and Ms. Olszewski’s students had a community-based outing in downtown Lewisburg. Our students visited Pi Pizza, where they practiced ordering off a menu, calculated the cost of a meal, and interviewed the store owner. Of course, the most exciting part of the visit was making pizzas!

Our third marking period clubs are wrapping up, and we loved the creativity, collaboration, and fun students experienced over the past few months! As we head into the fourth marking period, we’re excited to kick off a new round of clubs—this time with more outdoor options to take advantage of the warmer weather.

Students in 6th grade social studies and gifted classes have been working to perfect their business ideas for the Dream-Learn-Pitch competition. Students shared their pitches to a panel of judges at DHEMS, with the top two teams advancing to participate in the Husky Dog Pound competition at Bloomsburg University. Congratulations to Fetcher (Talia Garthwaite, Grey Motto, Tanner Wilhelm) and Dress Up (Brayden Cromley, Ava McBryan, Blake Showers) for advancing to the Husky Dog Pound!

These six students, along with Mr. West, Mrs. Rossi, and Ms. Lucero, visited Bloomsburg Univeristy last week, pitching their ideas in front of judges and hundreds of other participants. Competing against other middle school and high school students, our students represented DHEMS well! Way to go!

Congratulations to our March students of the month. These students are selected by the faculty for consistently following school expectations of being Respectful, Accountable, Prepared and Safe.

6th Grade: Ayden Ramirez, Quorra Reser

7th Grade: Henry Kerber, Samantha Strieby

8th Grade: Davalyn Bowers, Judah Creeger

Related Arts: Patrick Fleck, Avery Lloyd

This week, students at DHEMS began using a new digital hall pass system called Securly Pass. Instead of using paper passes, students use their Chromebooks to create and manage passes when they need to leave class—for the bathroom, nurse, office, water fountain, or other approved places.

Why We’re Using Securly Pass

📱 Digital & Easy
No more paper passes—everything is done on students' Chromebooks.

🛡️ Safer Hallways
Teachers and staff can quickly see who’s out of class and where they are supposed to be.

⏱️ Saves Time
No waiting for a teacher to write a pass—get moving faster.

✅ Fair for Everyone
Everyone follows the same process, so it’s clear and consistent.

📊 Track Your Time
Students and staff are able to see how much time they are spending out of class—helpful for staying on top of learning.

PSSA and Keystone testing is right around the corner! All middle school students will take the ELA and Math PSSA. Only 8th grade students will take the science PSSA. Students in certain 7th and 8th grade math classes will take the Keystone Algebra exam. Dates for testing are as follows:

• April 23 - April 25: ELA testing
• April 28 - April 29: Mathematics testing
• April 30 - May 1: Science testing (8th grade only)

• May 20 - May 21: Keystone Algebra testing
  

As we prepare for state testing, please review the attached parent letters from the Pennsylvania Department of Education. The FAQ contains helpful information regarding the assessments, and the electronic device letter is provided as well.

Please encourage your child to come to school set up for success by getting a good night's rest and eating breakfast. As a reminder, breakfast in the cafeteria is free for all students every day. Students are welcome to eat breakfast here!

As a reminder, educational travel requests cannot be permitted during state testing windows. Please ensure educational travel is planned outside of state testing windows.

If you have any questions about PSSA or Keystone testing, please email Mr. Sokalzuk at sokalzuk_m@dragon.k12.pa.us.

We encourage staff and students to join us in our Spirit Week beginning on Monday, April 7, leading to our Volleyball Assembly on Friday, April 11. Please see the attached flyer for the daily themes.

The Pennsylvania State Police invite children and adults with special needs or disabilities and Special Olympic participants, along with their immediate family to join us for a free law enforcement based “Sunny Day Camp.” This is a fun filled, interactive learning day with law enforcement for ages 6 and up (no age limit). Please view the attached flyer for more information.

Sun Area Technical Institute is once again offering summer programming in many of their programs. The programs engage students in four days of learning about careers of interest and completing hands-on activities to further their interest and skills in the program of choice. Please see the attached flyer for more information. Please see the second attachment for important information regarding changes to the registration process. Early registration opens on April 1 at 7:00 PM and closes on April 7 at 11:59 PM.

We had an unforgettable visit from Thula Sizwe, a musical group from South Africa who share their love of song, dance, and culture. The group performed for our entire student body and staff during a school-wide assembly, and also performed alongside our middle school and high school choir members in a community performance. Thanks to Mrs. Tiede for organizing this visit and to the Green Dragon Foundation for providing financial support for this experience! Please visit our DHEMS Facebook page for videos of this amazing performance!

Trooper Sara Barrett of the PA State Police recently visited 6th grade classes to teach students about internet safety. In a world of social media, online games, and 1:1 devices, it's more important than ever to give our students the knowledge and tools to be safe and smart online! Trooper Barrett shared a helpful resource for families to use to promote internet safety at home. Please open the attachment to access this resource.

DHEMS is participating in the Weis4School program, where you can earn money for DHEMS simply by linking your club card to the middle school. Please click here and follow the steps to link your club card to DHEMS. Please note: we are listed as D H Eichhorn Middle School (we will not show up if you search Donald...). You can also type 87592 and DHEMS will show up as an option. Thank you for your support!

Click here to access previous newsletters:

• August 2024
  
• September 2024
• October 2024
• November 2024
• December 2024
• January 2025
• February 2025
• March 2025

Website: dhems.lasd.us
Location: 2057 Washington Avenue, Lewisburg, PA, USA
Phone: 570-522-3213
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DonaldEichhornMS/