Green Lane Gazette
May 2024
Important Dates
- 5/3 - Senior Breakfast
- 5/3 - Senior Prom 7-11pm
- 5/10 - Progress Reports
- 5/14 - Algebra 1 Keystone
- 5/15 - Literature Keystone
- 5/16 - Biology Keystone
- 5/17 - Keystone Make-ups
- 5/27 - Memorial Day - No School
- 5/28 - 10th and 11th Trip to Hershey Park
- 5/28 - 5/30 - Senior Trip
- 5/29 - SWPBIS Fundraiser at Philly SkatePlex 6:30-9 pm
From our Nurse
If your student has a change to their medical history, please contact Kelly McNeil at 267-599-2171 to discuss.
Students entering 11th grade for 24-25: Pennsylvania requires students to receive a physical exam. Physical forms are available here for download. Physicals should be within the past 12 months and should be received in September 2024 to be used for 11th grade requirement. If you are unable to obtain a physical for your student, we can schedule a physical with our school physician. If you have any questions, please contact Kelly McNeil at 267-599-2171 or Kelly.McNeil@bristoltwpsd.org.
Students entering 12th grade for 24-25: Pennsylvania requires that students entering into 12th grade have received a second dose of their MCV4 vaccine. This dose is administered after a student's 16th birthday. If you do not have health insurance, you can schedule an appointment with the Bucks County Department of Health by calling 267-580-3510. Updated immunization records showing completion of the second dose of MCV4 should be received in the health office no later than September 9, 2024 to avoid school exclusion. Please call at Kelly McNeil 267-599-2171 or Kelly.McNeil@bristoltwpsd.org if you have any questions.
Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP):
BTSD Medication Dispensing Policy and Procedures can be reviewed here.
STOMP Out Bullying HelpChat Line
STOMP Out Bullying HelpChat Line
This HelpChat Line is a free and confidential online chat that helps youths ages 13-24 with issues around bullying and cyberbullying; as well as providing support to youths who may be at risk of suicide.
Click here to learn more about the HelpChat line:
As we help our current seniors navigate the college acceptance process, the end of the year is a busy time for the guidance department as we prepare for the 2024-2025 school year. We want to remind parents and students that we regularly post scholarship opportunities in the Canvas Tiger Strong Hub. Course verification letters for the upcoming school year have been sent out to all underclass students, so please take the time to discuss them with your child if you haven't already done so.
Mr. Gushue’s Classes:
CSP
Students wrapped up their unit on cybersecurity, culminating in investigating how a fish tank could lead to criminals stealing your data.
CSA
Students completed their unit on the class structure by using one of their previous games (WordSolver) to build a new program based on the game of Nim.
FOE
Students are currently designing a model train using onShape.
Ms. Hassey’s Classes:
In the Business Management class, students are working on creating Wix Websites for their business plans and learning about the complexities of management, uncovering the various levels of management, along with their corresponding duties and responsibilities. This engaging curriculum equips students with essential knowledge and skills vital for future leadership roles in the business world.
Intro to Business
Students learn how businesses and the economy work together, and understanding different types of ownership, students get important knowledge and skills to handle business challenges well. This helps them make smart choices, start their own businesses if they want to, and help the economy grow in the future.
Mr. Mergard’s classes
Business Management students are currently working on a Virtual Business Simulation where they learn how to run their Hotel. Students learn about the Laws of Supply and Demand, Room Pricing, Customer Service, Competition, the Importance of Social Media Feedback, and many other important concepts.
APRIL - Mr. Mergard
Mr. Mergard’s Sports and Entertainment Marketing Students are in the process of planning and organizing their very own Music Festival. Students must plan the entertainment, scout out venues, acquire sponsorships, calculate Cost/Revenue/Profit, and design a flier to promote their Music Festival.
Mr. DILIEGRO CLASSES:
Civil Engineering/Architecture: The students have taken topographical survey shots of the courtyards, and soccer fields to create cross-sections and contours.
Principles of Engineering:
The students are working on Truss design, building, and testing. Students are also working on Kinematics / Projectile motion.
Engineering Design & Development -
The students are continuing the work on converting student lockers to Display shelves.
Mrs. Cundari’s Classes
Introduction to Engineering Design -
Students sustainability and human design and had the design chairs for famous people.
Fundamentals of Engineering -
Students are preparing for a 3 hour professional certification test. They have just finished their articulated design challenge and will have the opportunity to have their designs 3D printed.
Computer Integrated Engineering -
Students are working on coding a robot arm. They are in the simulation process but will soon be able to apply their simulations to a real automated arm.
Digital Electronics -
All the hard work is paying off as the circuit development they have been working on is culminating with a circuit that will display their own birthday on a seven segment displays.
Mrs. Cundari and Ms. Hassey
Women on Engineering club -
The girls worked hard to build robots and code the controls so we could show the district what we are doing at the Armstrong STEAM night. Ms. Hassey and I are so proud of what they have accomplished and how well they presented their work to the families of our district.
English 9: Students are preparing to read the novel Night, by Elie Weisel. While reading Night, the students will closely examine the symbolism in the novel, while also reading some nonfiction texts regarding World War II. There will also be a continued focus on utilizing the R.A.C.E.S. strategy for writing constructed responses.
English 10: Students are continuing in the unit focused on symbolism, delving into its relationship with the theme of a story, and the applications of symbolism outside of the English classroom. Students then will move into a poetry unit, with an emphasis on the use of figurative language. Students will also be examining numerous reading and writing strategies in preparation for the Keystone Exams.
English 11: Students are continuing to examine literature from the time period surrounding the Civil War, such as “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” by Ambrose Pierce and “The Lowest Animal” by Mark Twain. Students will then be either completing an independent reading project or begin reading The Crucible, by Arthur Miller.
English 12: Students are finishing an examination of the time period known as “The Restoration” (the 18th century) the British Romantic period. Students will then move to closing out their high school experience by using their writing skills to articulate their plans for life after graduation while reading authors that focus on issues of adulthood, identity, war, and taking one’s place in the world.
Driver Education
Driver Education students have successfully finished the steering, signaling, and parking unit. We also learned about the importance of tire pressure. The students took tire pressure on a number of student and faculty members' cars. We are now beginning our “Ready to buy a car” project. The students will go through the entire process of purchasing a vehicle.
Adapted PE
Mr. Sicilia and the Adaptive PE class have dedicated their focus to various motor skills, finding particular success with relay races that have captured the students' enthusiasm. Badminton and basketball have also been enjoyable activities incorporated into the curriculum. We're looking forward to more warm weather ahead. Outside we will work on kicking, throwing and catching. The students enjoy walking, soccer, frisbee and football!!! Of course the students enjoy swimming on Mondays with Mr. Bachman.
Physical Education
Spirit Night was a HUGE SUCCESS!!! The students and faculty enjoyed a great night of competing in various activities. PE students are starting to venture outdoors. Please ensure they come prepared with appropriate clothing for outdoor activities. Classes will head outside when the temperature is 50 degrees or higher. Additionally, please note that Pacer days are scheduled for Thursdays.
Health and Wellness
In Health and Wellness, students are presently embarking on our comprehensive sexual education unit. Students are learning about male/female reproduction and childbirth.
The Keystone exams have arrived again. On May 14th, Truman will administer the Algebra 1 Keystone exam. Many students have been preparing all year for this test; this is their opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge. We encourage them to give their best effort on this exam.
This year, the Truman Math Department bids farewell to longtime math teacher, Marie Althouse. Marie began her career at Truman in 1993, and she has been a mainstay of the high school math program since then. Ms. Althouse prides herself on being an advocate for every student, and many of those students can attribute their success specifically to her interest in them. Whether she was teaching Calculus, Algebra 1A, or any other course in between, Ms. Althouse has been an asset to the district in every role. In addition to her teaching duties, Ms. Althouse spent a number of years as head coach of Truman’s field hockey team. While her enthusiasm for teaching (as well as her boisterous laugh) will be missed by her colleagues in the Math Department, none of them will begrudge her the well-earned opportunity to spend more time with her five grandchildren. And if we need her, we can always track her down at one of the many local pool leagues she competes in.
Also announcing his departure from education this year is Michael LaPalombara. Mike, too, began his career at Truman in 1993, and he has embraced a variety of roles in his time here. No matter the topic, Mike is eager to share his love of math with willing students. His knowledge and versatility made him the logical choice to step into the role of AP Statistics instructor a few years ago when the position was vacated mid-year. “Mr. L” spent his early years in the district coaching football, wrestling, and track before venturing over to rival Pennsbury High School to help build a strong football program there. When the opportunity to become head football coach at Truman arrived, Mike stepped into the position and guided the Tigers to the 2018 SOL Championship. Truman’s Math Department will miss his sense of humor and endless supply of blue shirts, but we understand his desire to enjoy the simpler things in life, like watching soccer and long-distance bicycling.
In Biology, the classes are closing out the last unit of the year and will be spending the next couple of weeks preparing for our Keystone Exam on May 16th. After Keystone exams, biology students will perform frog dissections.
In Sport and Exercise Physiology, students learned about how the cardiovascular system changes in response to exercise. They looked at heart rate, stroke volume, and cardiac output. Students conducted a lab where they examined their own heart rate and how it responds to exercise.
In Honors Bio 2 - Students studied the Fungi kingdom. Students conducted a research paper on a species of their choice. They studied the ecology, evolution, genetics, and commercial impact of various species of fungi. Later in the unit we dissected different species of mushroom and examined them under the microscopes
In Honors Chemistry, students finished a long experiment on stoichiometry and chemical equations. They are now studying chemical bonding.
All AP science classes are preparing for their AP exams in May.
Students in Ms. Currie's classes traveled to Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty and NYC on Wednesday. They enjoyed visiting some of the most iconic sites in the country, including the 9/11 Memorial site and 1 World Trade. Several made the 10-story climb to get a view of NY at the base of the Statue of Liberty.
Mr. Kotofsky’s American Pop Culture classes took a field trip to explore Columbus Flea Market in New Jersey to enjoy some great food and to seek out examples of items that represent our rich American popular cultural heritage.
Ms. Egan’s Civics classes did a “build a community” project where they had to plan where to put homes and businesses, etc. AP Gov created their own political cartoons based on political ideologies.
9th Grade Western Civilizations classes learned about the period between the World Wars examining topics which included the rise of Fascism, the birth of the Soviet Union, the Great Depression, and the causes of WW2.
11th grade Civics and Government classes completed a unit on the principles of economics.
Ms. Wright's Honors Civics class ran mock presidential elections, exploring the importance of campaign funding and public opinion in election season. All her civics classes also explored the relationship between poverty, education, food insecurity, and other community issues that impact everyday American life.
Hola, Ciao, and Hello! As always, please feel free to contact your child’s teacher with any questions or concerns.
Classroom Corner
Italiano
Signorina Lezi and Signor Gleeson are having their level 3 and 4 classes write children’s stories in Italian. They will be sent to Scuola Marco Polo, “a non-profit school for children established in 2000 created in response to the need of Italian citizens and residents in the Tri-State area (PA, NJ, and DE) to pass on the Italian culture and language to their families and kids.” Those students will vote on their favorite story and award a prize.
ELD
Many of our ELD students will be taking the Keystone exams in Biology, Literature, and Algebra. Our staff continues to support these students in preparation for these state assessments.
Español
All of our Spanish classes will be celebrating Mexican history and culture in a variety of ways in honor of cinco de mayo.
Señorita Broggi arranged for some students to experience Hispanic food and culture in real life by embarking on a field trip to El Primo Plaza in Bensalem.
Truman Contact Information
267-599-2210
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Twitter: @TrumanTigerBTSD