Join Patton Pride for RFOS

Consider joining the "Patton Pride" team for Run for Our Sons! Visit the Race website and click JOIN A TEAM on the right. The 2015 Unionville Run For Our Sons, to benefit Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy in honor of Elliott and Henry Johnson, will take place on Saturday, April 18, 2015 here at Patton Middle School. Race time is 9 AM and registration begins at 8 AM. This is a GREAT event for a great cause and Patton has always been a tremendous supporter of this important event! Register by April 4 and the cost is just $20 – visit the Run for Our Sons website for more information.

Patton Hosts Choral Fest!

On March 17, 2015 Charles F. Patton Middle School hosted the District 12 Pennsylvania Music Educator's 7th/8th Grade Chorus Fest. This event involved over 100 of the best student singers from local schools in the area. The students gathered at Unionville High School for a fun and full day of singing with the esteemed guest conductor, Dr. Rollo Dilworth. The day cumulated in an outstanding concert for family and friends in the evening. Ms. Young Leahy and Mrs. Yvette Stratton, Patton Middle School music teachers, hosted this event. It involved months of planning, preparing and hard work. The outcome was an extremely rewarding musical experience for many students in our district and beyond!

Pen Recycling!

Pen recycling is back -- for good! The Earth Club has made containers for each classroom.  Used pens and markers will be collected and sent to a company that pays us for the materials, then recycles the plastic. This is good for the school and the environment!  Students are welcome to bring used-up pens and markers from home.  Please don't add to our landfills when we have this opportunity! Look for the containers around the school!

Heritage Day 2015

The Patton Counseling Department organized our third annual Heritage Day last Friday, March, 20. The program was presented to the 6th grade class by the 7th and 8th grade students who agreed to volunteer their time. The students created displays to showcase their heritage to the 6th graders. The 6th graders were also treated to a Heritage Day Fashion Show put on by students and staff! Check out the Patton Photos page for some images from this awesome day.

Patton Changing The World!

Another great day for Patton Pride! On March 21, over 120 students, teachers, and parents gathered here at Patton and walked approximately 3 miles, carrying gallon jugs of water to raise money for our partner H2O for Life. Not only was it a great day for school spirit, but we blew away our goal.  We started with a goal of $2500. Hit that. Then, we upped our fundraising goal to $5000. Hit that. As of today, the students here at Patton have raised $7405 - completely funding a well at a school in Uganda, and funding a water filtration/hydration system at a school in the Dominican Republic!! On behalf of Ms. Basilio, Mr. Little, and Ms. Lear, thank you 8th graders for making us so proud.  You have changed the world!! Visit the Patton Photos page to check out images from this great event as well as this awesome video created by Emily Lewis and Bri Wilkey! Read more about the Walk For Water event in the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Unionville Times!

Agilent Science Club Canceled

The Agilent After School Science Club activity scheduled for March 19, 2015 at the high school is canceled. No make-up date will be scheduled. There will not be any more club activities this school year.

Patton Nationally Recognized!

The Patton Gardens, the brainchild of Patton FCS teachers Kim Hisler and Betsy Ballard, is an innovative program, a unique part of our middle school curriculum and NOW receiving national recognition! Kim and Betsy will be traveling to Nashville with two of our Board members to receive the Magna Award from the National School Board Association (NSBA) - this honor that also comes with a $5,000 award! Read more about this prestigious award here.

Science Research Competition

The Middle School had six students receive awards at the Chester County Science Research Competition! Matthew Farr - Honorable Mention Bio-Chemistry, Emma McGovern - Honorable Mention Chemistry, Julie Griswold - 3rd Place Chemistry and special award for Chemistry, Will Knipe - 1st Place - Computer Science - will continue on to Delaware Valley Science Research Competition, Hunter Courtney - 2nd Place MicroBiology - will continue on to Delaware Valley Science Research Competition, Evan Wang - 2nd Place Physics - will continue on to Delaware Valley Science Research Competition.

PMEA Chorus Fest

This Tuesday, 14 Patton students will be representing our school District in the 2015 PMEA District Chorus Fest.  We will be hosting 17 other schools at Unionville High School for a full day Fest culminating with an evening concert at 7pm for all family and guests. Congratulations to Richard Childs, Madelyn Bowling, Erin Pysher , Emily Lewis, Brie Wilkey, Bailey Denmark, Anna Ehlers, Janet McCann, Dennis Nicholson, Parik  Radhakrishnan, Zack Cannon, Kenneth Kim, Thomas McClure, Linyun Wang!

After School Pickup

Attention Parents! If you are picking up students following after-school school sports, please do so in the back parking lot by the cafeteria. If you are picking up students in the front parking lot following other after-school activities, please do not park your car in the lane  (or "chute") that runs directly in front of the school. This is where the Activity Bus picks up students and this lane must be clear. Thank you!

7th Grader Published!

Congratulation to 7th grader Kenny Sammut whose article "Silver 3 Cents First Introduced in 1851" was published in the Jan. 27th edition of Numismatic News:  Coin News, the leading coin news resource for coin collecting enthusiasts around the world.  Kenny submitted the article after completing it for a non-fiction writing assignment. Way to go Kenny!

YMCA Sports at Patton!

Patton Middle School and the YMCA are joining together to offer an after school flag football and basketball program here at Patton - just for Patton Middle School students! The program will run Tuesdays and Thursdays after school from April 7 until May 14. To register, call the Kennett YMCA at 610-444-9622 or visit the Kennett YMCA website. The cost is just $60 for the six week program. You may also  click here for an informational flyer.

Patton Students at WCA

Ms. Morgan, Ms. Garvin, and Mrs. Hamilton’s students had a community field trip to Westtown Children's Academy (WCA) at the Longwood location. WCA was collecting used shoes for a local family. The family is adopting a little boy from China. His name is Owen and he has Spina Bifida. The company they are working with has offered to cover $5,000 of their adoption expenses if they can donate 10,000 pairs of shoes. All three locations of Westtown Children’s Academy collected over 2,000 pairs of shoes. The Kennett Square location collected 1,168 pairs of shoes.

The students assisted the Westtown Children’s Academy and the local family by sorting, counting, and bagging the shoes on Tuesday, March 3, 2015. It was great that the field trip was able to support our community and our students at the same time. 

After working the students had lunch at Fox’s Pizza Den in Kennett Square. The students practiced functional skills and social skills with their peers throughout the day in various settings. The students’ pizza was paid for by the Patton School Store profits. The students work so hard manning the store every Friday afternoon.

Jamie Wyeth Trip

Unfortunately due to last week's snow storm the trip to meet Jamie Wyeth was postponed. Don't worry Mrs. Ferron and Mrs. Schultz are working on making other arrangements. We will contact all the students involved as soon as new plans have been confirmed.

Walk For Water

At Charles F Patton Middle School, 8th Graders who study Geography learn about the critical value of water, as not only an important natural resource, but as vital to country development.  Many students read "A Long Walk to Water", by Linda Sue Park, and felt compelled to do something.  As a number of students said, "It is not OK that kids around the world don't have clean water." There was a palpable sense of urgency and commitment to raise awareness within our community about the global water crisis, and to raise money to fund the building of a well.

Through a partnership with H2O for Life, the 8th graders at Patton Middle School are truly engaged global citizens. They reviewed available projects, and elected to support the building of a well at the Agama Primary School in Uganda.  The major fundraiser will be a Walk for Water, to be held on Saturday, March 21, 2015, here at Patton.  Students will walk 5 kilometers, the average distance children in Uganda walk to get water, and will carry gallon jugs of water to raise awareness and show support.  We have set an audacious goal of $2500, especially given that it is our first year, but we are energized by the challenge and opportunity that lies before us!  Please go to www.h2oforlifeschools.org to join our team and start your fundraising today!

Science Research Competition

Congratulations go out to the following students who represented Patton Middle School at the Chester County Science Research competition on Tuesday, March 3, 2015: Hunter Courtney, Evan Wang, Callaway Nutter, Peter Cona, Christian Nitz, Julia McDonnell, Taylor Lindsay, Madison McGovern, Katelyn McGovern, Emma McGovern, William Knipe, Kriti Gupta, Matthew Farr, Julie Griswold and Viraj Joshi.

Patton MATHCOUNTS Competitors

Congratulations go out to the following students who represented Patton Middle School at the Chester County 6th Grade Math Counts competition on Saturday, March 7, 2015: Addison Liu, Lily Yang, Lilly Cole, Kaeli Kaymak-Loveless, Naman Razdan, Daniel Sage, Soumil Zachariah, Spencer Guest and Manav Gundecha. Addison Liu had the 3rd highest score and finished up in 4th place overall and Naman Razdan had the eighth highest score and finished in ninth place overall.  Great job by all!

Annie Community Preview Day

Boy and girl scouts galore, many came to enjoy the wonderful community preview day that the cast and crew of Annie put on Saturday, February 28th. The event accomplished exactly what was hoped, succeeded in making many parents and children happy and satisfied--and eager to come back for the show. There was a sneak-peak of the show with the showing of a few scenes which was the first time the cast performed for a live audience. Afterwards, the children rotated from the Friendships Necklaces with Annie, Grace and Ms. Hannigan to the Stage Crew station to the Snack with the Servants station--just to name a few.

It was clear how much the children enjoyed playing Musical Chairs with Mr.Warbucks, Lily and Rooster and getting served like royalty from the servants. The participants really got a feel for the world of Annie and the characters. They got to meet devious Lily, kind-hearted Grace and sweet Annie. They hung out with the orphans and Ms. Hannigan, herself. They watched as Rooster stole a bucket from the orphans and a policeman ran to arrest him--and one boy even tackled Rooster to the ground. It was a day full of laughter, excitement and enthusiasm for everyone. 

“It’s was so exciting to see so many people from the community at the event! The cast and crew worked hard to give everyone a little taste of our show.The little ones looked so involved in scrubbing the floors with the orphans and making necklaces with Annie! It is so spectacular to know that the community is just as thrilled to see the show as we are to put it on!” said Emily Lewis who brilliantly portrays Ms. Hannigan. 

The day didn’t just center on interacting with the cast. There was a Costume and Makeup station, an Acting/Improv station, a Choreography station and a Stage Crew and Sound/Lighting Station. The children got a behind-the-scenes look at Annie--how quick the crew has to set up the stage, how the spotlight works and even took turns pulling the curtain. 

“I had a great time working with the kids and teaching them what being on crew is all about. I think it was a really nice experience, for both the cast and crew of Annie Jr, and for the kids who came to the preview.” said one of the stage managers, Divyan Jain.

“All of the kids were so interested in what we had to say about theatre. I hope they’re even half as excited as I am for the show!” said Noa, Patton’s amazing Annie. 

Come see the production of Annie Jr. from our talented cast and crew on March 5th and 6th at 7:00 PM and March 7th at 2:00 PM and 7:00 PM. Tickets are only five dollars and can either be purchased at www.showtix4u.com or a limited number at the door. It’s a show you won’t soon forget!

Story by Fumi Noda

Pictures by Anna Ehlers