Toms River High School East

Dear Families,

What an enjoyable week at the Home of the Raiders! We celebrated Homecoming in style this year, and I could not have been more happy for our kids! We held our Freshmen Lunch Academies Tuesday through Thursday (see below) to great success. Our Sophomore and Junior level students took the PSATs at East on Wednesday while our Freshmen and Seniors participated in lessons on Apartheid and Fitness in the cafeteria and gym, respectively. On Thursday, we held our Fire Pit/Food Trucks event and Friday we celebrated Homecoming with a Pep Rally and Dance!

Lunchtime Academies!

At this week's Lunch Academy, our freshman participated in a survey designed to gauge their current level of "connectedness" to HSE. They had an opportunity to weigh in on potential topics to be discussed at future Lunch Academy meetings. We encouraged all freshmen to browse the lists of clubs and sports teams and identify at least 3 organizations in which they already participate or would like to participate in the current school year.

Fire Pits and Food Trucks!

What a beautiful evening! Special thank you to Mrs. Rankin, Mrs. Fazzini, Mrs. Koenigstein and Mrs. Hatton for their work to gather the fire pits, organize the food trucks, and purchase supplies to make this evening so special! We were happy to provide our kids and community family members an evening to enjoy Raider Pride! Special Thank you to B & M Tree Service for donating all of the wood for the event and the East Dover Fire Department for their safety support throughout the evening! We eventually hope to hold our Fall Pep Rally at this event and to welcome back all of our Raider alumni in a fun and festive manner!

In need of tress service? Contact Mark DeGrandis at (Mark also provided HSE with the beautiful trees when you enter the property by the East sign):

http://bandmtreeservicenj.com/

Homecoming

Homecoming this year was conducted in a slightly different arrangement resulting from the potential inclement weather concerns. Our Dance was moved to Friday evening and our game Saturday afternoon. Special thank you to all of our students and staff for making the quick adjustment to make both events a success. I really enjoyed having the Dance on the field in the evening, something we have never done before. The kids looked wonderful and they really seemed to have a good time!

Congratulations to our Homecoming Queen Nicole Rosas and King Jake Bedford for their win Friday evening! Both students are leaders in our various school organizations and are kind, empathetic, and academically oriented students! I am very happy for you Nicole and Jake! You both represent East with pride!

Raider Excellence!

Congratulations to Aidan Michaels and Marco Ferreira as they both placed in the top for the State competition of Skills USA and were subsequently ranked 9th overall in the Nation for Web Design and Development. They competed as Toms River High School East and OCVTS students. We are so very proud of you Aidan and Marco!

Veteran's Essay Contest Winners!

The Toms River Veterans Commission is proud to announce that two High School East student essays were selected as the First and Second Place prize winners in the high school category in the 2021 Veterans Day Essay Contest!

1st Place: Shannon Briles, Grade 10, High School East

2nd Place: Madolyn Hay, Grade 10, High School East

Shanon and Madolyn, along with their families are invited to attend the Toms River Township Council Meeting on Tuesday evening, October 26, 2021 at 6:00 pm at Town Hall At the meeting, Shanon and Madolyn will be presented with a certificate and a $100 gift card. Our students will also be invited to march in the Veterans Day parade on Thursday, November 11, 2021.

Kindness Awards!

Congratulations to Mrs. Christie Urgola for being recognized for a Raider Kindness Award. Mrs. Urgola stepped up to support a staff member in need during the PSAT testing window. Thank you Ms. Urgola for being a positive reflection of our school community!

Congratulations to Antonino Scala and Anthony Encarnacion for also being recognized for a Raider Kindness Award for going out of their way comfort a student in need at the Homecoming Dance. Antonino and Anthony invited the student to sit with them at their table and to provide friendship! Thank you both for being positive reflections of our school community!

Spirit Week!

Raiders showed their pride this week and dressed in Crazy Socks Tuesday, Pink Out Wednesday, Tie-Dye Thursday, and Class Colors on Friday! Looking good!

Looking to Add Your Value to East?

We are looking for parent support to help move our school forward! On October 27, 2021, we are offering a parent workshop at 6:00 pm in the Cafeteria to identify student goals and outcomes after having been a part of our school for the past 4 years. Essentially, we want to clearly articulate what students should be able to think, do, and say in preparation for college and careers. We will also begin the discussion on how we can raise school expectations for personal success! Light refreshments will be served!