PANTHER BEAT

Perry Hall Middle School PTSA

May 2007

PTSA Web site: www.perryhallmiddleschoolptsa.org

PTSA Board Members

2006-07

President:

Terri Smith

410.256.5482

1st VP:

Teri Bibeault

410.592.2693

2nd VP:

Sharon Rogowski

410.256.3776

Treasurer:

John Wisniewski

410.529.7134

Rec. Secretary:

Bonni Wittstadt

410.529.5232

Corr. Secretary:

Kathy Case

410.256.2902

Editor:

Barb Hurn

410.529.0577

Gavin1234@comcast.net

In this issue:

• The Stars Come Out May

4th • Needed: Parents Willing

to Listen to Wonderful Music!

• It’s Voting Time for Perry

Hall Middle’s 2007-2008 PTSA Officers!

• Free Asthma Screenings

Are Coming in May • Our Children Insert

• President Bush Gives

Ports a Highway Post • Audit Committee Mem-

bers Needed • PTA National Convention

• and much more

A Message From the President In 1984, National PTA established Teacher

Appreciation Week - the first full week in

May - to honor the dedicated men and

women who lend their passion and skills to

educating our children. This year, Teacher

Appreciation Week is May 6th through

12th. I hope everyone will take

the time to express their per-

sonal appreciation to our great

teachers right here at Perry Hall

Middle School.

Our Teacher Appreciation commit-

tee, with the aid of some students,

held a wonderful luncheon for our

teachers and staff on April 5th. Not

an easy feat to provide lunch and

entertainment for over 120 faculty,

but I understand it was great.

We are very lucky to have such wonderful

teachers, faculty and staff. Their support

goes above and beyond the classroom. Not

only can we count on our teachers to pro-

vide an excellent education for our chil-

dren, but the PTSA relies on our teachers

to promote PTSA and activities, distribute

PTSA information, encourage student par-

ticipation, and volunteer and participate in

many of our events.

The “T” in PTSA stands for

“Teacher” and they are a very

important part of our organi-

zation. I want to thank our faculty

representatives currently serving

on our board: Ms. Toni Carr, Ms.

Jackie Nelson-Becker, Ms. Karen

Hosler, and our administrative rep-

resentative, Mr. Allen Zink…and

the faculty members that joined our

local unit PTSA. This year we had

76 faculty and staff join earning

PHMS PTSA a Maryland PTA

Membership Achievement Award for 2006-

2007.

Thank you PHMS faculty and staff…you’re

awesome!

The Stars Come Out May 4th! Like good family entertainment? Come to

the PTSA Star Search Talent Show on May

4th at 7:00 p.m. An evening of singing,

dancing, and music for only $5.00 in ad-

vance and $7.00 at the door. Tickets we be

sold during lunch.

Needed: Parents Willing to Listen to Wonderful Music! Each year at the Winter and Spring

Concerts the Sunshine Committee is

looking for volunteers to help with

their projects. Recently, they have

donated more than $1500.00 to the

Johns Hopkins Pediatric Burn Unit

during the concerts. You need only

give one night or one concert series.

If you can help, please contact Diane

Gaither 410.529.4623 or Terri Smith

410.256.5482.

PAGE 2 PANTHER BEAT MAY 2007

It’s Voting Time for Perry Hall Middle’s 2007-2008 PTSA Officers!

On Tuesday, May 15th, 2007 at 6:45pm, the PHMS PTSA will elect its new slate of officers, by voice vote (if no fur-

ther nominations are made from the floor), for the 2007-2008 school year. We will be having a very brief General

PTSA Meeting to elect the new officers, which will occur prior to the Spring Concert. If nominations are made from

the floor, all cardholding PTSA members will be eligible to vote. The following nominations have been made and

are listed as follows.

PTSA President – Terri Smith

1st Vice President – Teri Bibeault

2nd Vice President – Sharon Rogowski

Treasurer – Dawn Puliti

Recording Secretary – Bonni Wittstadt

Corresponding Secretary – Kathy Case

Submitted by The 2006/2007 Nominating Committee:

Glenda Gilbert, Mariann Richardson (Chair), Sharon Rogowski

Free Asthma Screenings Are Coming in May During May, adults and children with

breathing problems can find out if

they have asthma during the 11th

Annual Nationwide Asthma Screening

Program, sponsored by the American

College of Allergy, Asthma and Immu-

nology (ACAAI). In addition to identi-

fying people who might be at risk for

asthma, the screening program allows

those who already know they have

asthma to talk with an allergist about

their disease and learn how to keep

symptoms under control.

Allergists, working with community

physicians and allied health profes-

sionals, will conduct the free asthma

screenings at shopping malls, civic

centers, health fairs and other accessi-

ble locations throughout the country.

The screening program will also focus

on increasing awareness of asthma in

children under age 5.

As part of the screening, adults will

complete a 20-question Life Quality

(LQ) Test developed by ACAAI for the

program. Children under age 15 will

take a special test called the Kids’

Asthma Check. Another version of the

Check is available for parents of chil-

dren up to age 8 to complete on their

child’s behalf. Participants also will

take a lung function test and meet

with an allergist to determine if they

should seek a thorough examination

and diagnosis.

For a list of asthma screening loca-

tions and dates or to take online ver-

sions of the LQ Test and Kids’ Asthma

Check, visit the ACAAI Web site,

www.acaai.org, and click on Member

Information. Screening locations and

dates are now available at this site.

Reprinted with permission from “The

PTA Parent, April 10, 2007,” National

PTA Web site, www.pta.org.

Article Deadline for the June/

Summer issue of the Panther Beat

is May 23, 2007. This will be the

final newsletter of this school year.

Our next PTSA Board of Directors

meeting will be on Tuesday, May 8,

2007 at 7:00 p.m. in the meeting

room..

MAY 2007 PANTHER BEAT PAGE 3

PTSA Student Recognition Awards, March 2007

PTSA Student Recognition Awards are given to Perry Hall Middle School students who have

shown outstanding achievements or efforts. Each month teachers are asked to nominate students

for this award. This month 83 students received a “red bag” award. Congratulations!

Akilah Alleyne

Tabitha Alvarez

Jezron Basbas

Sarah Bateman

Matthew Biscoe

Jordan Bowser

Dean Brooks

Catherine Butt

Brendan Callinan

Joey Carlineo

C.J. Coleman

Anna Davis

Brittany Deitrich

Allan Droter

J.P. Duic

Amanda Einsel

Brad Faulhaber

Ashley Folck

Jay Foltz

Tony Forcellese

Renee Forsythe

Benjamin Gabrielson

Justin Gallardo

Vickie Gluszcz

Danielle Goldsmith

Farheen Iqbal

Kelly Jenkins

Helena Joo

Shannon Joyce

Katilin Kane

Jordan Koenigsberg

Michael Koogle

Angela Kraus

Dominic LaViola

Jackie Ledwell

Nick Liberto

Diane Loegering

Zoe Martin

Ryan Maxwell

Kasey Mayfield

Erica Metheny

Elsie Mo

Paula Muturi

Ashley Nachodsky

Jon Nelson

Greg Noplos

Denise Nugyen

Jonna Nunez

Beth Olson

Ambra Palushi

Jenna Paul

Woodrow Perdue

Miguel Perzan

Michael Phair

Jacob Poetzel

Taylor Powell

Markie Powers

Christine Priddy

Giustino Puliti

Chris Quintanilla

Zachary Rakowski

Kia Richmond

Kevin Roberts

Shykea Robinson

Adam Rutherford

Rachel Sayler

Sam Schaffer

Jessica Settan

Leroy Sharpe

Stacey Smith

Morgan Strzegowski

Hyun Suh

Conrad Sullivan

Myranda Taplette

Laura Tenbus

Nirajan Thapa

Anthony Thomas

Kenya Torsell

Erin Tyszko

Chad Uttenreither

Amanda Weber

Aaron Wilkinson

Kate Wisniewski

GREAT JOB!

Sharpening Children’s Math Skills Over the lazy days of summer, students can forget much

of what they worked so hard to learn during the school

year. Parents can minimize this summer learning loss by

making sure their children continue to use what they’ve

learned. The following activities, suggested by faculty at

Lesley University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, can help

children practice and strengthen their math and problem-

solving skills over the summer.

⇒ Track the temperature and humidity

over the summer; plot it on a chart.

⇒ When doing home improvement projects,

have your child assist with taking meas-

urements and computing amounts of ma-

terial needed.

⇒ Challenge your child to determine the cost of gasoline

for a weekend trip.

⇒ Have your child keep a chart of how much time he or

she spends reading, watching television, doing

chores, and playing. Your child can then determine

what fraction of the day or week he or she spends on

each activity.

Reprinted with permission from the National

PTA Magazine, Our Children, “Sharpening

Children’s Math Skills,” Volume 32, April/May

2007. Page 25

PAGE 4 PANTHER BEAT MAY 2007

President Bush Gives Ports a Highway Post James Ports has been appointed deputy administrator of

the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration by

President Bush.

Ports, a Republican former delegate from Perry Hall,

previously served as deputy secretary of the Maryland

Department of Transportation under Governor Robert

Ehrlich. Prior to that, he served 12 years in the House of

Delegates representing the 8th District including Perry

Hall, Parkville and Overlea.

In his new role, Ports will be responsible for directing

and managing many of the agency’s programs as well as

day-to-day operations and activities. (Bryan P. Sears)

Jim Ports currently serves on PHMS PTSA Board as

Legislative Action Committee Chair.

Reprinted with permission from North East Booster,

April 9, 2007 Copyright © Patuxent

Publishing Company, 2007

Audit Committee Members Needed In accordance with the Bylaws, we need three volunteers

to review the financial records of Perry Hall Middle School

PTSA for the year ending June 30, 2007. No experience is

necessary. Volunteers will need to spend between 2-4

hours over the summer to certify the accuracy of the books

and records of the treasurer.

The Purpose of an Audit

• To certify the accuracy of the books and records of the

financial officer, and

• To assure the membership that the association’s re-

sources/funds are being managed in a businesslike

manner within the regulations established for their

use.

If you can volunteer your time in this way, please contact

Terri Smith, hawsmith@comast.net or 410.256.5482.

Thank you for your consideration.

National Convention Need new ideas? - Extra volunteers? - More Energy?

You need national convention!

DISCOVER PTA—St. Louis,

Missouri

Thursday, June 28 - Sunday,

July 1, 2007

Cervantes Convention Center

at America’s Center St Louis, Missouri

You’re Invited!

Join us and discover how to increase membership, hone

your leadership skills, or find no-hassle fund

raising ideas. Interact with PTA members

from all over the country; explore new pro-

grams, products, and exhibits; and raise

your voice on important issues affecting

PTA and all children.

Reprinted with permission from the Na-

tional PTA Web site, www.pta.org “National

Convention”, April 2007.

Attention Volunteers Please remember to log your volunteer hours in the

binders in the main lobby of the school. It is very im-

portant that the school get credit for all of your hard

work. Your time is submitted to Baltimore County and

our school gets recognition, so please take a moment to

add up your hours. If you can not get to the school,

please e-mail your hours to me.

Thank you for all of your time and cooperation.

Terri Sierakowski

Volunteer Coordinator

terri.siera@verizon.net

will be holding a BASKET BINGO on Friday, May 11 at

the Parkville American Legion Hall (2301 Putty Hill Ave-

nue). Doors will open at 6:00 p.m. and the games will be-

gin at 7:00 p.m. Food will be available from Chick-Fil-A.

There will be 20 games of bingo. Tickets are on sale now

for only $12.00 if purchased in advance, and $15.00 at

the door, if available.

To purchase your tickets, please call Sharon at

410.529.7115 or mail your ticket request and check made

out to Seven Oaks Elementary PTA to:

Basket Bingo

Seven Oaks Elementary School PTA

9220 Seven Courts Drive

Baltimore, MD 21236

Seven Oaks Elementary PTA

MAY 2007 PANTHER BEAT PAGE 5

PAGE 6 PANTHER BEAT MAY 2007

MAY 2007 PANTHER BEAT PAGE 7

4300 Ebenezer Road Perry Hall, Maryland 21236 Phone: 410.887.5100 Fax: 410.887.5152 Web site: www.perryhallmiddleschoolptsa.org

PTSA Mission

The mission of the PTSA is threefold:

• To support and speak on behalf of children and youth in our

schools, in the community, and before governmental bodies and other organizations that make decisions affecting children; and

• To assist parents in developing the skills they need to raise and

protect their children; and

• To encourage parent and public involvement in the public schools

of this nation.

The Purpose of the PTSA

• To promote the welfare of the children and youth in home,

school, community, and place of worship.

• To raise the standards of home life.

• To secure adequate laws for the care and protection of children

and youth.

• To bring into closer relation the home and the school, that par-

ents and teachers may cooperate intelligently in the education of children and youth.

• To develop between educators and the general public such united

efforts as will secure for all children and youth the highest advan-tages in physical, mental, social, and spiritual education.

We’re on the Web Www.perryhallmiddleschoolptsa.org

PTSA Calendar of Dates to Remember

May 2007

Friday, May 4 - Star Search Talent

Show, 7:00 p.m.

Tuesday, May 8 - PTSA Board of

Directors Meeting, 7:00 p.m. in the

meeting room

Friday, May11 - PTA Council of

Baltimore County Awards Ceremony,

7:30 p.m. at Parkville Middle School

Friday, May 11 - Market Day order

forms due back to school

Saturday, May 12 - Nurse’s Day

Monday, May 14 - Spring Concert

Tuesday, May 15 - Spring Concert

Tuesday, May 15 - PTSA General

Membership meeting at 6:45 p.m.

(just prior to the Spring Concert) in

the PHMS meeting room.

Tuesday, May 15 - Market Day

Internet orders due by 12:00 noon

Wednesday, May 16 - Spring Con-

cert

Thursday, May 17 - Spring Concert

Monday, May 21 - Market Day

Pick-up, 6:30 - 8:00 p.m.

Wednesday, May 23 - Panther Beat

Article submission deadline

Monday, May 28 - Memorial Day

Observed - Schools and Offices

Closed

June 2007

Tuesday, June 5 - PTSA Board of

Directors meeting, 7:00 p.m. in the

meeting room

Tuesday, June 5 - Market Day or-

der forms due back to school

Thursday, June 7 - Market Day

Internet orders due

Wednesday, June 13 - Market Day

Pick-up, 6:30 - 8:00 p.m.

PAGE 8 PANTHER BEAT MAY 2007