Bellringer Newsletter

Good morning. I hope everyone enjoyed this past weekend and is looking forward to Thanksgiving and the holiday season. 1st quarter Report Cards were mailed home to families at the end of last week. If you have any questions or concerns about your child's grades, please contact their individual teacher directly. Continue to check the Important Dates and Reminders section of the Bellringer Newsletter for a schedule of upcoming events. As always, if you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact me directly at everner@easthamptonct.org.

• November 15--EHHS Choral Concert--7:00
• November 16--American Math Competition (AMC)
• November 17--PTO-PPAG Meeting--5:30
• November 19--Student Council Blood Drive
• November 24--Early Release--EHHS
• November 25--28--Thanksgiving Recess
• December 3--5--EHHS Drama Production--A Christmas Carol
• December 4--Breakfast with Santa
• December 23--Early Dismissal
• December 24---January 2--Winter Recess
• January 3--Classes Resume
• January 12--Senior Capstone Expo
• January 17--No School--Martin Luther King Day
• January 13, 14, 18, and 19--Mid-Year Exams

This past Wednesday, Mr. Louis Carillo of VFW Post 5095 and the Department of CT State Surgeon spoke to EHHS students about the meaning, history, and importance of Veteran's Day. Mr. Carillo presented the VFW Post 5095 Teacher of the Year Award to EHHS' very own Mrs. Rachel Mansfield. He also recognized the winners of the Voice of Democracy Essay Award Winners:

1st Place--Bailey Olzacki

2nd Place: Serenity LaChance

3rd Place: Reilly Howard

Hello Families of East Hampton!

It’s almost Thanksgiving.

That means…turkey, stuffing and our 13th annual EHHS Project Graduation Family Photo Days!

It’s a great opportunity to get that long-overdue family portrait (or Head Shot), get your holiday cards and support Project Graduation.

We’re PET FRIENDLY so bring yours!

While you’re at it…bring the grandparents or invite your siblings to schedule the session after yours and get the cousins together with the grandparents for a photo? Be creative it’s a great opportunity to get the family together.

Each Session Includes:

• Multiple Poses
• Instant Proofing
  
• Free Retouching
  
• Custom Packages
  

We’ve added a few exciting new options:

· Background Replacement

· Green Screen Photo and Holiday Card Designs

· Green Screen Head Shots

This year we’re back at The East Hampton Library Community Room.

To schedule your Portrait Session online go to www.EHHSPG.com

As always, 100% of your $33 sitting fee goes directly to helping provide a safe drug and alcohol-free celebration for every graduate of East Hampton High School.

We look forward to seeing you!

Thanks for your support,

EHHS Project Graduation Committee

Questions?

Ask The Photographer

Rich Mardirosian
email – rich@theimagesource.com; call – 860-267-6620

Last week’s recap:

Boys Varsity Soccer defeated Innovation 6-0 in the 1st round of the CIAC Class S State Tournament and lost to Holy Cross 1-3 in overtime in the 2nd round of the CIAC Class S State Tournament. Their final season record is 8-7-2.

The Varsity Football Co-Op lost to Cromwell/Portland Co-Op 6-48. Their current season record is 5-3. They are scheduled to play at Canton/Granby Co-Op this Friday.

Junior Varsity Football did not play this week. They play next at Cromwell/Portland on Monday November 15th.

Varsity Volleyball defeated Windham Tech 3-0 in the 1st round of the CIAC Class S State Tournament and defeated Bolton 3-1 in the 2nd round of the CIAC Class S State Tournament and was defeated by Granby 0-3 in the ¼ finals of the CIAC Class S State Tournament. Their final season record is 14-7.

Winter Sports online registration is open on FamilyID.com

Follow all game results, highlights and athletic content on Twitter and Instagram at:

Twitter- BellringerSports @EHBellringers

Instagram: bellringer.athletics

For all athletic season schedules/results and CIAC tournament information go to ciacsports.com

All home volleyball matches can also be viewed on the NFHS network with a subscription.

The following student-athletes were recognized as All-Shoreline Conference selections:

Boys’ Soccer

Paul Pignatella- 1st Team

Drew DiStefano- Honorable Mention

Herminio Viveiros- Honorable Mention

Brennan Johnson- Honorable Mention

Girls’ Soccer

Sydney Blyler- 2nd Team

Brianne Miller- Honorable Mention

Maddie Crumb- Honorable Mention

Volleyball

Jordan Murphy- 1st Team

Jenna Murphy- 2nd Team

Chelsea Woods- 2nd Team

Julia Borrelli- Honorable Mention

Cross Country

Aiden Palen- 1st Team

Nathan Ireland- 2nd Team

Katie Ireland- 1st Team

Annin Daley- 2nd Team

Savannah Garcia- 2nd Team

The Cheerleading Team will be selling Holiday Wreath's. Please click on the link below for more information.

https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.cognitoforms.com/GozziTreeWreathFarm/EastHamptonCheerHolidayBalsamWreathSale2021__;!!NT4GcUJTZV9haA!8wwnMsTrvn3J4TCmA5AEQ79Mvo5VDTdfMejWbRWNT9qft_9z18PD81kXtUzarGw5VA$

Thank you for your support of the EHHS Cheerleaders.

It’s time to pre-order your 2021-2022 East Hampton High School Yearbook! The Yearbook Club has been hard at work making sure this year’s book captures all the wonderful activities and happenings around school that we have missed out on with the past two turbulent years. By purchasing a yearbook, you will also have a way to remember both your friends and teachers without masks!

Parents! We are also beginning our Parent Ad sales which allow you to purchase an ⅛, ¼, ½, or full-page advertisement in the yearbook to dedicate to your student. This is a great way to help support Yearbook Club in funding our professional pictures year after year and keeping our hardcover, full-color yearbook at a reasonable cost. Parent Ads are a great way to memorialize family pictures and notes to your students for years to come as well!

Pre-orders and Parent Ads for the 2021-2022 EHHS Yearbook may only be purchased through www.balfour.com. Please see the attached resources below to help you go through the steps of placing an order for a yearbook, an advertisement, or both!

Resources:
Yearbook Pre-Order and Parent Ad Steps
AdBuilder Demo Video

The EHHS Interact Club participated in the 12th Turkey Plunge on Saturday, November 13, 2021.

The Turkey Plunge has become an annual tradition in East Hampton where folks of all ages come together take a “dip” into the chilly November waters of Lake Pocotopaug; all in support of the East Hampton Food Bank. Last year because of the kind-hardheartedness of over 100 plungers and our plunge sponsors, corporate sponsors, in-kind donors, volunteers and supporters, and through the generosity of Liberty Bank and our local Rotary Club, we were able to raise over $30,000.

Please consider “freezin’ for a reason” by being part of this worthwhile event whether it’s being a plunger or sponsoring your favorite plunge - everyone can take part in this fun-filled East Hampton event. Or, if you would like to support the Interact Club members who are plunging, please click on this link and make a donation. https://easthamptonct.rotary7980gives.org/f986f3/38f2c9/Team/Details

There’s a great selection of high school Nutmeg Award nominees this year. Teens across the state have until April to read any of the ten nominees and vote for their favorite. EHHS has had strong participation in recent years. Copies can be found in the school library, or use this padlet to access digital versions from the public library: https://padlet.com/ktietjen1/gll9p3hho1466px

Speaking of which… Bellringer Book Club’s first pick for this school year is Solo by Kwame Alexander. This novel in verse is a Nutmeg nominee. It follows the journey of Blade as he struggles to forge his own path under the shadow of his famous rock-star father. See Mrs. Tietjen if you’d like a copy. Discussion will take place during xblock in late November. All are welcome.

English classes created “found poetry” as they explored library book options for their quarter 2 independent reading. Using a page from a library book, student poets studied word choice, imagery, and mood. They then created their own poetry based on the author’s prose. Thanks to Mr. Holloway, Mrs. Balda, Ms. Keegan, and Mrs. Riggio for collaborating on this project with their classes!

We are in week #9 of Individual Senior Meetings - students should check their Google Calendar.

We genuinely hope that all senior families are starting move alone in their FAFSA - at this time all familes are strongly encouraged to create an account - click here for a direct link to the FAFSA site to create and/or log in https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa

College visits are back and in person!!!

All visitors are required to show proof of their vaccine and/or a negative covid test from the past 7 days.

Sign Ups are in Naviance - Please remember that you are responsible for all work that you may miss in ALL classes.

The morning of your visit please come pick your pass in the school counseling office.

See below for the visits scheduled for the last scheduled visit at this time:

Keene State College Wed November 17, 2021 @ 1:23 PM

Please take a moment to read this important announcement regarding changes to the Counseling Caseloads for 2021-2022 School Year.

Distributions are listed below-

• Class of 2022 (Seniors) will remain with your counselors for next year- completing your four years with Mrs. Catlin (A-K) or Ms. Malcolm (L-Z).

• For ALL other students Classes of 2023 and beyond your counselor will stay with you for your entire high school journey.

• Mrs. Sullivan will have students A-D in grades 9-11

• Mrs. Catlin will have students E- M in grades 9-11

• Ms. Malcolm will have students N– Z in grades 9-11

For any junior or senior student's that might be interested in being a Senate Page:

The Office of U.S. Senator Christopher Murphy was just approved a slot to sponsor a Senate Page for the 2022 Spring Semester. The deadline is rather immediate, however, we hope that the program’s return will generate excitement and submissions over the weekend. Please take a look at the details below and reach out should you have any questions.

Senate Page Program
The Senate Page Program offers a unique opportunity for high school juniors to learn in depth how Congress works. Page responsibilities largely consist of delivering correspondence, preparing the Senate chamber for sessions, and delivering bills and amendments to Senate staff. In addition to their work in the Senate, pages attend early morning classes in the fully accredited Page School. Pages live in the Senate Page Dormitory, located just a short walk away from the U.S. Capitol and are paid a small stipend. Deductions from the stipend are taken for taxes, a meal plan, and residence fees. The program takes place this Spring Semester: mid-January to mid-June

Requirements:

• Pages must be 16 or 17 years of age during their employment and in their junior year of high school.
• Pages must be U.S. citizens or subject to agreements of the Department of State and have a social security number

· Pages must have a 3.0 minimum GPA
· No student may stay in the program if his/ her average falls below a “C” in any class. This important to ensure pages have a smooth transition to the Page School and a successful semester academically.

• Pages must have a certificate of immunization and be covered by health insurance. If a page does not have health insurance, they will be required to enroll in the Federal Employee health insurance program.

· Students must have all required vaccinations (This includes receiving both Covid-19 vaccine doses at least 2 weeks prior to January 10th)

• Senate pages are sponsored by a U.S. Senator.

How to Apply:
All page applications must be received by Friday, November 19th at 6pm ET.
Please send the following items to Page_Program@murphy.senate.gov with the subject line “PAGE APPLICATION: Your name” Current resume

• Current academic transcript
• One letter of recommendation
• 250 word essay on your favorite President and why

Selection Process:

• Please note that Senator Murphy is not guaranteed a page slot each session making this opportunity rather rare. There are typically about 30 pages slots for 100 senators. If Senator Murphy is selected to appoint a page, the page program predetermines whether he must select a male or female page in order to have equal numbers and opportunities for young men and women. Our office will reach out after reviewing all applications.

Here is a story of Senator Murphy’s most recent Page, Jayvon, who was a fantastic member of the Page program from Waterbury. The U.S. Senate Page Program is a prestigious program that allows high school students from across the country to spend a semester living and working in Washington, D.C. Pages play an important role in the day-to-day operations of the U.S. Senate, witness historic debates on the Senate floor, and meet respected national leaders, all while continuing their high school education.

Questions:
Please email us at Page_Program@murphy.senate.gov or call Senator Murphy’s Hartford Office at (860) 549-8463 with any questions. If you have more specific and immediate inquiries, please contact Trayvonn Diaz | Outreach Assistant U.S. Senator Chris Murphy
Office: 860-549-8463
Cell: 860-951-6468

The East Hampton Arts & Culture Commission is accepting applications from East Hampton High School Juniors and Seniors for a $250 grant to support an annual East Hampton High School Capstone Project.

The grant will help support one student's proposed Capstone Project, a multifaceted assignment that serves as a culminating academic and intellectual experience for students. Capstone projects may take a wide variety of forms including a long-term investigative project that culminates in a final product, presentation, or performance.

Applicants for the EHACC Capstone Grant will be invited to present his/her Capstone Project idea to commission members during an agreed upon commission meeting. Deadline to apply is Feb. 1.

Applications are available at www.artsforeasthamptonct.org and can be submitted to arts@easthamtponct.org or can be mailed/dropped off at the town manager's office at the East Hampton Town Hall.

Recently we have been having some issues with student dismissals from school and in particular, being dismissed due to illness without first going to the nurse. 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 asking for parents’ to help in adhering to are.

• 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

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

10-221 Boards of education to prescribe rules.

New Jersey v T.L.O., 53 U.S.L.W. 4083 (1985)

54-33n Search of school lockers and property

Policy adopted: March 15, 2016

From the Superintendent:

We are asking parents to contact the school Principal every time there is a positive case of COVID-19. This is not meant to bypass the Chatham Health Department, but hearing directly from parents as to the timing of symptoms and date of testing determines the nature of contact tracing.

Also, please monitor symptoms of COVID-19. As the weather changes, please do not assume that symptoms are due to allergies or a cold. Please keep children home and get them tested in order to prevent the education of other students from being impacted by cautionary quarantining.

Keeping students home if not feeling well is essential given the spread of the delta variant in students. School contact tracing is not necessary if the positive case has been out of school 48 hours prior to symptoms or prior to testing if asymptomatic. For example, if a student has symptoms on a Monday and does not come to school and gets test results on Tuesday, no school contact tracing is necessary as the student did not have contact within a 48-hour window prior to the onset of symptoms. (Keep in mind, there could be contact tracing necessary for other town or family social activities.)

Testing

When students are tested for COVID, we prefer PCR or Rapid Molecular Tests. Schools can not accept at home test result to allow a student to return to school.

Masks are required (per the Governor's Executive Order) to be worn at all times at EHHS unless students are actively eating and drinking, outside on a mask break, or have been given specific permission by a staff member to remove their masks.

Please make sure that you check your child’s masks to make sure that they are cleaned regularly and are appropriate for use in schools. The school is glad to supply student masks in regular and child size for those who need a mask for a day. Please note that neck gaiters are allowed as a mask, but if they are thin, they should be doubled up. Bandanas are not allowed as a mask.

As a reminder, our daily focus at EHHS is on teaching and learning as well as the safety and well being of all members of the EHHS Community. If students are not wearing masks appropriately, our staff will work to correct and enforce student mask wearing. Should there be continued issues regarding mask wearing and non-compliance to teacher directions, students may be referred to the office for potential disciplinary action up to and including suspension.

Our Next meeting is Wednesday, December 1 @ 630p in the EHHS library.

website: https://ehhsprojectgraduation.com/ (add this to your starred or favorites)

facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/EHHSProjectGraduation/ (like our page)

AMAZON Ordering - https://smile.amazon.com/gp/chpf/homepage?orig=%2F choose EHHS Project Graduation. An easy way for us to earn money.

1. We are a fundraising group raising funds to provide a drug and alcohol free party for our new graduates every year.

2. We are an all volunteer group.

3. Most of us who have been attending meetings consistently are graduating in the spring, so we need your help to maintain this for classes to come.

Cyndi Buchan

President EHHS Project Graduation

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.

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.