Bellringer Newsletter
April 1, 2024
Principal's Message
Good morning. It's hard to believe that today marks the beginning of the 4th Academic Quarter of the school year. Report cards will be sent out at the end of the week and April Vacation is next week. Please continue to check the Important Dates and Reminders section of the Bellringer Newsletter for a schedule of upcoming events. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me directly at everner@easthamptonct.org.
Eversource Careers and Student Programs
On Wednesday, March 27, representatives from Eversource were at EHHS to meet with students and discuss Career Opportunities. Please take a moment to view the information below if your student is interested in a career with Eversource. We look forward to our continued partnership with Eversource and EHHS.
The Wizard of Oz
SAVE THE DATE
Graduation for the Class of 2024 will be held on Friday, June 14, 2024 at 6:00 p.m. with a Rain Date of Saturday, June 15, 2024 at 10:00 a.m.
SAVE THE DATE 2024-25 School Year
Fall Sports for the 2024-25 School Year begin on August 19, 2024.
Important Dates and Reminders
- April 2--No School (EHHS ONLY) CT Presidential Primary
- April 4--EHHS Senior Capstone Expo (4:00--5:30)
- April 6--EHHS Bellringer Invitational Track Meet
- April 8--April 12---April Vacation
- April 18---21--Music Department Trip to Virginia Beach
- April 23--NGSS Testing---11th Grade Students
- April 25---NHS Induction Ceremony-5:30
- May 16--EHHS Academic Awards Ceremony--6:00
- May 18--EHHS Jr.--Sr. Prom--Farmington Club
- May 21--NHS Talent Show--6:30
- May 24--Early Dismissal--Professional Development
- May 27--Memorial Day--No School
- May 31--Senior Class Trip---Six Flags
- May 31--Sophomore Class Trip--Holiday Hill
EHHS Student Spotlight
Seniors, Abby Daley, and Riley Flatley ran the Red Cross Blood drive at EHHS. This allowed students and staff to donate blood, which benefits our community as a whole. They collected 20 pints of blood, had 40 people volunteer, raffled off prizes, and raised $180 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Societies.
Student of the Month
Makayla Wolf is very passionate about her capstone project, which involved shadowing in her younger brother's kindergarten class and learning about how teachers help students who have ADHD. What a great way to show both active learning and compassion for helping others!
Student Council News
The East Hampton Student Council's 2nd annual “Drive & Drop” Donation collection, held March 16th was a great success. This year all items collected were donated to Protectors of Animals. Not only did the students fill a jeep, but they also raised $100.00 from a raffle held during lunch waves at school. Pictured left to right; Neha Sidana, Kate Grenier, Holly Pugo, Taylor Ryan, Cameron Fraser, Sam Kearney and Delaney Russell. Front; Will Faber.
Athletic Department Update
Varsity Baseball opens their season today at home vs Valley Regional/Westbrook Co-Op. They are scheduled to play on Wednesday at Cromwell and on Friday at North Branford. Their current record is 0-0.
Junior Varsity Baseball has not played yet. They are scheduled to play at home vs Cromwell on Thursday and at home vs North Branford on Saturday. Their current season record is 0-0.
Varsity Softball opens their season today vs Valley Regional. They are scheduled to play at Cromwell on Wednesday and at North Branford on Friday. Their current season record is 0-0.
Varsity Golf has not played yet. They are scheduled to play at home on Thursday vs Manchester. Their current season record is 0-0.
Varsity Boys Tennis opens their season today at home vs Lyme-Old Lyme. They are scheduled to play at home on Wednesday vs Westbrook. Their current season record is 0-0.
Varsity Girls Tennis opens their season today at Lyme-Old Lyme. They are scheduled to play at Westbrook on Wednesday and at home vs Portland on Friday. Their current season record is 0-0.
Varsity Girls Lacrosse Co-op lost at Waterford 1-15 on Saturday. They are scheduled to play at home (Bacon Academy) on Thursday vs Wheeler. Their current season record is 0-1.
Varsity Boys Track is scheduled to compete at home on Saturday in the Bellringer invitational.
Varsity Girls Track is scheduled to compete at home on Saturday in the Bellringer Invitational.
All athletic schedules, directions and results may be found at ciac.fpsports.org.
Fall Sport for the 2024-25 School Year begin on August 19, 2024.
LMC News
March is Women’s History Month
Students helped to create a thematic display near the main entrance of the library to recognize Women’s History Month. It features a variety of fiction and non-fiction books and a recently-completed community puzzle that was assembled over the last few weeks by students in the library.
World History Research
Mrs. Tietjen collaborated with world history teachers to help integrate research and information literacy skills into their curriculum. Students applied tips and strategies to locate and analyze information and develop strong thesis statements.
Civics: Database Introduction
Civics students visited the library for an introduction to using the Gale: Opposing Viewpoints in Context database. They actively explored the database to learn how it is different from the regular internet and which tools can help them save, share, and cite their information as they begin their research papers.
EHHS Bellringer Spirit Wear
Bellringer Sideline Store. The store is available 24/7 and ships directly to you.
Please see the link below to grab your Bellringer gear.
https://sideline.bsnsports.com/schools/connecticut/easthampton/east-hampton-high-school
School Counseling News
SOPHOMORE CAREER FAIR
On Thursday, April 25th, all sophomore students are invited to attend the Middlesex Chamber of Commerce Career Fair held at Wesleyan University. Students will have the opportunity to interact with over 100 career representative, and select students will be given the opportunity to participate in a mock interview.
This opportunity is free of charge, student must submit a permission slip by Friday, April 5th in order to attend. Permission slips are being sent to students are parents via ParentSquare on Monday, April 1st. Paper copies will be available in the guidance office on Wednesday, April 3rd.
Please contact your school counselor with any questions.
WESLEYAN HIGH SCHOOL SCHOLARS PROGRAM
The Wesleyan University HSSP offers outstanding high school juniors and seniors (for the spring semester; seniors for the fall semester) the opportunity to take one Wesleyan University course per semester for credit, tuition-free. The program enables qualified students to pursue advanced coursework not available at their high school and experience the intellectual rigors and stimulating dialogue that commonly take place in Wesleyan classrooms and is trademark of a Wesleyan liberal arts education. Students who apply to the program are expected to provide their own transportation to and from Wesleyan University and fulfill all requirements of the Wesleyan course they are enrolled in.
To apply, students should have previously completed demanding coursework (AP, IB, Dual Enrollment, or maximum rigor offered by their high school) and have performed at a high level. The Fall semester program is open to rising seniors and the Spring program is open to high school juniors and seniors.
Students wishing to peruse Wesleyan’s full course listing for 2024-2025 can do so here. Double-click on any subject of interest and select “Fall” for a list of related courses being offered during the Fall 2024 semester. Students are asked to carefully consider both the rigor and time constraints of their high school schedule (including extracurricular activities) and apply only if they will be able to attend all Wesleyan classes (including classes that may fall during their high school vacations) and devote the time necessary to complete their Wesleyan course.
We invite interested students to apply for this unique experience by the end of day Tuesday, April 23rd, 2024. In addition to providing basic student and high school counselor contact information, the application requires a short (250 word or less) statement of interest by the student as well the student’s most recent high school transcript and most recent quarterly or term grades. Students may apply and submit their application electronically here.
Decisions will be sent during the 4th week in April by email to the student who applied (with copy to their high school counselor). Students who have been admitted to the program will receive additional information regarding course selection and enrollment at that time.
Please see your school counselor with any questions, and inform your school counselor if you intend on applying for this program so they can submit a transcript on your behalf.
NAVAL ACADEMY SUMMER SEMINAR & SUMMER STEM PROGRAM:
The Naval Academy Summer Seminar offers an opportunity for rising high school seniors to experience the USNA for one week. Participants learn about life at the Academy, where academics, athletics, and professional training play equally important roles in developing our nation's future leaders. The Summer STEM Program is a great catalyst to initiate the pursuit of a future in science and engineering, open to rising 9th graders, rising 10th graders, and rising 11th graders. Summer STEM is an opportunity for participants to create, build, and explore in world-class lab facilities, working alongside USNA’s distinguished faculty and Midshipmen.
Applications for both the Naval Academy’s Summer Seminar and Summer STEM program close on April 15th. If you or your students have any questions regarding the Naval Academy Summer Program, please contact the Academy directly at (410) 293-1858. Students interested in applying for one of these programs can do so at THIS WEBSITE
UA LOCAL 777 PLUMBING, PIPEFITTING AND HVAC APPRENTICESHIP APPLICATION
On April 25, 2024 from 8:30am until 2:00pm, students interested in applying for an apprenticeship program with UA Local 777 can do so in-person at the UA 777 JATC Training Center located at 450 Murdock Avenue in Meriden. Students interested in an apprenticeship must complete the following steps.
- Complete and sign apprenticeship application in person at Local 777's training facility.
- Supply unofficial high school and/or GED transcript and diploma by an assigned date.
- Attend a mandatory information session at assigned date and time.
- Appear for an interview when notified with high school transcript or GED test results.
Please call (203) 686-0700 extension 102 or 101 with questions.
"How To" Life Skills Advisory
On Wednesday, March 13th, both staff and students at EHHS led “How To” Adult Life Skills activities that were attended by the student body as part of the school Advisory Program. Over 20 activities were held and students were able to choose what adult skills appealed most to them. They ranged from cooking, tying neckties, resume writing, interviewing basics, writing thank you notes, and calculating the value of college debt. The student-led activity was a workshop on Polish language and culture done in conjunction with the Spanish club as part of World Language Week. The students found it beneficial and had a great time!
School Nutrition Announcements
School Nutrition Announcements
If you have any questions about meals in our cafeterias, please reach out to Kate at kcaselli@easthamptonct.org.
Important reminders:
School breakfast is a great way for students to start their school day and its FREE to everyone!
Please review your student(s)’s available balance for any lunch purchases at our secure “e-Funds for Schools” portal: https://payments.efundsforschools.com/v3/districts/56523 Funds should be added on an as needed basis to ensure the account balance covers all purchases.
Communications to families about your meal account come directly from the payment portal. Please be alert to these emails and remove from your “junk” status the following addresses:
Project Graduation
EHHS Project Graduation, what we do and who we are.
Thanks
Cyndi Buchan
Chair, EHHS Project Graduation
EHHS After School LMC
Profile of the Graduate Digital Portfolios
The Profile of the Graduate Portfolio process has begun for the classes of 2025, 2026, and, 2027. Students are developing a Google Site that they will use over the course of their high school career to provide students an opportunity to demonstrate their growth and development of the five attributes in the East Hampton Public Schools: compassion, innovation, perseverance, collaboration, and active learning. This portfolio will display various achievements, projects, and activities over the course of the high school experience that will show attainment of skills, broadening of horizons, and pursuit of passions. Students will reflect on experiences, strengths, and abilities to confidently approach challenges. During XBlock students used a template developed by the Portfolio Committee, wrote a brief autobiography and are crafting their paragraphs explaining their understanding of the core values. By the end of the school year, students will have written about each of the values and uploaded examples of their work. Ultimately, this work will become part of their Senior Capstone beginning with the Class of 2025.
SBHC----School Based Health Care at EHHS
The East Hampton Public Schools is proud to introduce School Based Health Centers in each of our schools. Soon, enrolled students will be able to receive behavioral health services during the school day. The School-Based Health Care (SBHC) staff are licensed health care providers, who are able to deliver behavioral health services to students during the school day. They work in conjunction with the student’s primary care providers to support their social, emotional, and behavioral health care needs. SBHC is proud to serve over 17,000 students throughout Connecticut.
Happy New Year! Did you resolve to be more on top of your and your child’s health this year? Here’s an easy solution: Sign your child up for School-Based Health Care. Your child’s school works with Community Health Center, Inc.’s School-Based Health Care program to provide health services to your child during the school day. This means they won’t miss as much class and you don’t need to miss work to support their health care needs. Learn more about the services offered at your child’s school and enroll today at SBHC1.com!
Student Drop-Off and Pick-Up
Attendance Updates
Please review the EHHS Attendance Policy and Student Handbook as they contain important information.
Per the East Hampton Board of Education’s Attendance Policy and Connecticut statute, parents and guardians may only approve the first 9 absences of the school year with a parent note. Absences 10 and above can only be excused with further documentation and under specific circumstances.
In addition, if a student has four unexcused absences in one month or 10 unexcused absences in a year they are classified as truant. If a child misses 18 or more days in a school year – excused or unexcused absences – the student is classified as chronically absent.
Access to the East Hampton attendance policy is available HERE
It is also necessary for a student to be present at least half of the school day for the student to be recorded as present. When a student arrives after the mid-day point or leaves before it, the day cannot be counted for that student. Building principals will share the specific times in their communications with families.
A student is considered to be “in attendance” if present at his/her assigned school, or an activity.
sponsored by the school (e.g., field trip), for at least half of the regular school day.
At East Hampton High School, half of the regular school day arrives at 10:55 a.m. This means that if a student arrives after 10:55, even with a note, the student will be marked Tardy Absent. If a student dismisses prior to 10:55 and does not return to school, the student will be marked Early Dismissal Absent. Please contact the school with any questions regarding our attendance policies.
To increase the ease of reporting an absence and documenting parent approval of the absence for a student’s first 9 absences, the East Hampton Public Schools has created email addresses that parents can use to contact their student’s school and report an absence. Effectively immediately, the following email addresses can be used by parents to report and document their approval of an absence:
EHHS_Attendance@easthamptonct.org
If you have successfully emailed the school, you will receive an autoreply that notifies you that the absence communication has been received and recorded. This process is effective for your student’s first 9 absences. After your student has more than 9 absences, additional documentation or communication will be required to excuse the absence. Please use the email to continue to notify the school that your child will not attend. You may call your child’s school at any time to report an absence, as well.
TIP LINE
EHHS Bellringer Spirit Wear
We are excited to launch our new Bellringer Sideline Store! The store is available 24/7 and ships directly to you!!!
Please see the link below to grab your Bellringer gear
https://sideline.bsnsports.com/schools/connecticut/easthampton/east-hampton-high-school
Reminder of policy regarding the use of Police Dogs
As a reminder to members of our school community, Board Policy #5145.122 allows the schools to work with the East Hampton Police Department to protect the health and safety of students and staff by conducting sweeps of school property by trained sniffing dogs. Please review the policy and procedures below. Our goal is to ensure that the East Hampton Schools are free of illegal substances. Annually, we provide notice of this policy to our school community. Should a sweep be conducted, parents and the Board of Education will be notified upon completion.
Use of Dogs to Sweep School Property
The Board permits the administration to invite law enforcement agencies to sweep school property with dogs trained for the purpose of detecting the presence of illegal substances, when necessary to protect the health and safety of students, employees or property or to detect the presence of illegal substances or contraband, including alcohol and/or drugs. The use of trained canine sniffing dogs and their associated law enforcement personnel is for the purpose of “alerting” on property only, and is subject to the following:
1. Parents and students shall be notified of this policy through its inclusion in the student/ parent handbook and the Superintendent and Principal or their designees, shall explain the policies and procedures followed in sweeps and searches to students and staff on an annual basis. Once notification has been given to parents and students through the handbook and assembly respectively, the school district will have met its obligation to advertise the sweep and search policy and associated procedure. Additional notices need not be given and actual times or dates of planned sweeps need not be released in advance.
2. The Superintendent or designee shall authorize the sweep. Immediately prior to the sweep, an announcement will be made for students and staff to ‘stay put’ in their classrooms while the sweep is taking place. Representatives from school administration shall accompany dogs and handlers while on school premises.
3. The Board shall be informed by the Superintendent of Schools that a sweep has taken place.
4. Parents shall be informed through the school’s mass communication system by the Superintendent of Schools that a sweep has taken place.
5. All school property which students have access to during the day, such as lockers, classrooms, parking areas and storage areas may be swept.
6. Individuals shall not be subjected to a search by dogs.
a. Dogs shall not be used in rooms occupied by persons except for demonstration purposes. The handler and representative from school administration will always be present with the dogs
b. When used for demonstration purposes, the dog may not sniff any student and/or staff.
7. Only the dog’s official handler will determine what constitutes an alert by the dog. If the dog alerts on a particular item or place, that locker or vehicle will be identified for later search. Upon completion of the sweep, the school administration will then search the identified property in the presence of a witness.
8. Searches that disclose evidence of misconduct shall result in disciplinary consequences in accordance with Board policy and may also result in referral to law enforcement agencies.
Legal Reference: Connecticut General Statutes
Policy adopted: March 15, 2016
New Jersey v T.L.O., 53 U.S.L.W. 4083 (1985)
Student Attendance and Dismissal Reminders
Students who are being dismissed due to illness, MUST FIRST see the School Nurse. Additionally, we ask that parents familiarize themselves with our attendance policy which is in the EHHS Student Handbook. Some of the main policies/procedures that we are mut be followed are listed below:
- EARLY DISMISSALS: A written request (no phone calls) from a parent or guardian must be presented to the main office before school begins so student may obtain an early dismissal slip. Students will wait in the main office for their parent/guardian to call the office and we will send your child out to meet you after they sign-out.
- NURSE DISMISSALS: In case of illness during school, dismissal will be arranged through the school nurse, or in her absence, through the office. Students feeling ill should report directly to the nurse's office. Students should not be texting or calling home when not feeling well.
Please note that having a parent’s written request before the start of the day allows the students name to appear on the Daily Attendance sheet so their teachers will be aware that they may not be in class on that day. This also eliminates the office staff from calling in and disrupting a classroom to dismiss the student. We do realize that there may be occasions when you may need to unexpectedly pick your child up early. In those cases we will call the student down when the parent/guardian arrives to the school.
Students that are dismissed from school will not be allowed to return without appropriate documentation from their visit/provider. In the event that doucmentation is not available, a parent will be required to sign their student into the main office upon return.
Safety and Security Enhancements
- Dropping off on items--the table to drop off items for students has been moved inside the first set of doors. Parents will be able to drop items of for students, but will no longer be admitted to the main lobby.
- Appointments--for security reasons, parents and visitors who are requesting to meet with a teacher or administration should call in advance to ensure that the requested party is available to meet rather than show up unannounced.
- Effective immediately, there is an anonymous tip line to enhance a safe environment in our schools. Students, parents, and community members have access to the front page of the website to report self-concerns, mental health concerns of a friend, or concerns of violence. https://www.easthamptonps.org/
Board of Education Statement on School Safety
The East Hampton Board of Education is committed to a safe and secure learning environment that honors and celebrates the diversity of our students, our community, and our nation. The Board of Education in partnership with the school community will not tolerate any threat of violence in the schools or any hate speech that targets any race, religion, sexual orientation, or disability. Each student is held to the highest standards of responsible decision making within a culture that is expected to foster compassion, caring, and empathy.
Message to the EHHS Community regarding THC
Parents are asked to join our schools and speak to children about marijuana edibles. While legal for purchase by adults in CT, please note that the psychoactive ingredient, THC, is still considered a controlled substance in school.
We have had recent incidents at the High School of students consuming THC gummy candies - with and without knowing what they contain.
The school district treats consumption and distribution of a controlled substance very seriously. Students who ingest or bring gummies to school will face consequences up to and including 10-days of suspension. Those who distribute gummies on school grounds will face consequences up to and including expulsion from school.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statement of the East Hampton Public Schools
The school community of East Hampton is committed to the mission of honoring and celebrating the diversity of our students, our community, and our nation. We strive to guide our students to conscious, deliberate, individual and collective actions that cultivate the respect of all races, religions, and social backgrounds. Our school community endeavors to produce graduates who are equipped with a greater understanding of the concepts of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Nondiscrimination Statement of the East Hampton Public Schools
The East Hampton Board of Education, in compliance with federal and state law, affirms its policy of equal educational opportunity for all students and equal employment opportunity for all persons. It is the policy of the District to promote nondiscrimination and an environment free of harassment regardless of an individual’s race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, national origin, ancestry, disability (including but not limited to, intellectual disability, past or present history of mental disorder, physical disability, or learning disability), genetic information, marital status, or age or because of the race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, national origin, ancestry, disability, genetic information, marital status, or age of any persons with whom the individual associates. The District shall provide to all students without discrimination, course offerings, counseling, assistance, employment, athletics, and extracurricular activities. The District shall provide equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The District shall make reasonable accommodations for identified physical and mental impairments that constitute disabilities, consistent with federal and state statutes and regulations.
East Hampton High School
Email: everner@easthamptonct.org
Website: www.easthamptonps.org
Location: 15 North Maple Street, East Hampton, CT, USA
Phone: 860-365-4030
Twitter: @EH_CTPrincipal