I wish all of our mothers a Happy Mother's Day! It is the day we show our appreciation for all the wonderful things our mothers do for our families and their influence on society! I hope you had a wonderful day even though the weather was terrible!

Coach Frank’s storied career at HSE began in 1978. He worked as an assistant to Coach Sarluka until 1984, when he became our Head Coach. He immediately began to instill a winning mindset, teaching his athletes to set individual and team goals and helped them to develop strategies to accomplish their intended outcomes. Within three short years, Coach Frank led HSE to our first of many team championships, winning the South Jersey Sectional Title in 1987.

Coach Frank continued to encourage his athletes to always give 100% to the task at hand – focusing on the process rather than the outcomes. This mentality cultivated a mindset of excellence – pursuing your best each and every day with integrity. I asked him how he developed this culture, he indicated it began with his pride in his school, love for children, and insatiable desire to help others succeed. He hired the best assistants over the years, people who shared similar philosophies and had value to offer the program – people like Dan Dietrich, John Bisciotti, Kevin Cohen, and Ed Kenny.

When I arrived at East in 1998, the team’s culture had already been established. Winning records, athletes who demonstrated character, and of course, a large following at every game! Over time, coach’s system began to take shape, where his teams have won the Ocean County Tournament 8 times; A-South championships 9 times (6 in a row); South Jersey Sectional championships – 4 times, and the overall Group IV State championships in 2001. Coach Frank was subsequently recognized as the Ocean County Coach of the Year 6 times, Shore Conference Coach of the Year in 2008 and the New Jersey Coach of the Year in 2001. Coach Frank received the highest honors when he was inducted into the Shore Conference, Ocean County College, New Jersey Coaches, Hudson County, and the New Jersey Scholastic Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame to compliment his sustained success.

I asked him what he missed most about coaching…the kids. He enjoyed the family feel at home night games, watching little ones play behind the back stand knowing in a few years time they would be playing for him. Best advice he would give kids today…enjoy the simplicity of the game. Have fun! His most memorable moment, lifting the State Championship trophy in 2001 when we beat North Bergan for the title.

Coach, I think it goes without saying you made a difference in this world through a game. You taught your athletes valuable life lessons on how to be men, overcome obstacles, and compete with integrity. Thank you for all of the years of service you have provided our school community. Tonight’s dedication signifies our community’s belief and appreciation for your life’s accomplishments. Thank you for all you did and continue to do for East. You are a proud reflection of our incredible school. The ceremony link is highlighted below:

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOofe3zLNYw
  

I am proud to announce that HSE continues to move forward. Although we have a favorable rating comparing East to our peer group, I think we have plenty of room to grow. We are going to continue our focus on instilling leadership skills through enriched opportunities for our students in our preparation for college and careers. Our goal is to create a culture of excellence (doing your best every day towards a goal with integrity) in all of our students and staff so that school stakeholders come to school every day with the intent to learn and grow!

Link: Best High Schools in the Nation

Congratulations to Lizzy Gillen and Emily Ketcham for their personal accomplishments this weekend on our lacrosse team. Lizzie scored her 100th goal of her career and Emily recorded her 400th career save! What an achievement having accomplished this milestone in only three seasons (missed one season due to covid)!

Congratulations to senior Nicole Rosas for being the recipient of the "Unsung Hero" Student Recognition Award from the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office. An "unsung hero" is a person who does great deeds, but receives little or not recognition for them. This award represents the recognition they deserve. This person has overcome obstacles, persevered in the face of great challenges or improved academically. Congratulations, Nicole, you certainly demonstrate Raider Excellence and we are so proud of you!

Our teachers have endured a rather challenging road the past few years resulting from covid education. Subsequently, there have been personal and professional impacts on their lives during this process. But, remarkably, many of them have come out better for it! Our teachers have learned more about themselves, what they do well, what they need to improve upon, and that they are capable of overcoming obstacles! I am so proud of them and am thankful for the resilience and commitment they have shown to make a difference in this world! Our teachers should be proud of themselves! I asked them to take the time this week to reflect on their accomplishments during Teacher Appreciation Week! They may never get the satisfaction from others, but what matters most is that they are aware and that they are surrounded by colleagues and friends who truly appreciate the value they bring to East every day! Thank you teachers for keeping your expectations high while finding alternative methods to reach your children!

We purchased breakfast for them on Monday. Our PTO provided pizza on Wednesday and our Student Council provided a free Kona Ice Cone on Thursday to show our appreciation!

Mr. Mike Corsi (Earle), Mr. Dave Eareckson (Matrix New World), Mr. Kyle Kopacz (Whitestone Associates), and Mr. Doug Grysko (Dynamic Engineering) were present last week to speak to our STEAM students on career paths in engineering. Students learned about specific degrees, the projects our speakers have worked on, and importance of an internship in the field.

Check out Mr. Tom Frazzitta's out-of-the-box lesson with his students in the Media Center! Mr. Frazzitta had his students use our mobile partitions as "white boards" for a quiz review on exponent computations. Mrs. Harz has set up the Media Center as a learning hub for lessons using the mobile partitions, long tables and high top tables for group work, and our Flex Lounge which can be transformed as needed! Great job Mr. Frazzitta and Mrs. Harz.