East Central

It's been a great start through the first quarter. Report cards will not be sent home unless you request it through our Main Office. Grades will be available through your PS parent portal on Wednesday, 10/20. Although COVID remains part of our daily routines lack thereof. School this year continues to feel normal in so many ways. That remains our mission this year...to keep things as normal as possible.

In Academics, the return to normal classroom settings and collaborative activities have positively influenced teaching and learning through this first quarter. Whatever learning losses may have occurred during the spring of 2020 and through last year are quickly being addressed by teachers and students who are again fully engaged in the instructional process. It has been, and continues to be, our mission to be the BEST school in southeast Indiana. With that, our 1st quarter Honor Roll numbers are in. 56% of our students have all As and Bs, and 24% have straight As. We're very proud of these levels of achievement.

In Athletics, Fall Sports found great success from start to finish. Both girls and boys soccer along with football and volleyball were EIAC champions. Boys and girls soccer also both won their respective sectionals with the girls moving on to the round of the elite 8 before bowing out of the state tournament. Cross country advanced both teams to the IHSAA regional where our girls placed 3rd overall advancing again to the semi-state. Our boys finished 7th but advanced two individuals to the semi-state. Football currently ranked 3rd in the state will face Greenwood in the first round of sectional this coming Friday. A big thank you to Don Stonefield, Athletic Director, and all of our fall coaches for a successful return to normal...crowds and competition. It's been a fun fall sports season so far!

In the arts, our Marching Trojans recently competed in ISSMA state contest and received a Gold rating advancing them to the state competition this coming Saturday at Franklin Central High School. Congratulations and good luck!

EC and our surrounding communities remain steadfast in our support of, Cpl Kelsee Lainhart, one of the service members severely injured in the blast at Kabul airport this fall. She continues her journey toward recovery in Chicago. Please continue your support with wishes and positives thoughts and prayers. Again, thank you to Kelsee for her service and sacrifice.

We are so proud of Kelsee and stand with her on her journey to recovery. This is why Sunman Dearborn and our surrounding communities are so special. When it's about one of us, it's about all of us!

WE ARE...EC!

“No leader is worth his salt who won’t set up the chairs.” Peter Drucker

Respectfully,

Tom Black

Lily Crouse

East Central High School is proud to introduce Lillian “Lily” Crouse as September’s Student of the Month. Lily is a senior at ECHS and is tied for the #1 rank in her class of 298 students. She boasts an impressive 4.309 GPA and has been named a National Merit Semi-Finalist! Lily has been an ECHS Women’s Soccer athlete for 4 years, President of the EcoClub, President of Spanish Club, Secretary of National Honor Society, a member of FCCLA and Academic Team and is a recipient of the prestigious ECHS Academic Jacket.

Outside of the classroom you can find Lily giving back to our community. If not serving through FCCLA, she is volunteering at her soccer club and local facilities to help train and coach youth soccer players. She has volunteered at Masolw’s Army in Cincinnati and is also working on several community based recycling projects.

Lily enjoys playing soccer and snowboarding in her free time as well as hanging out with friends or her dog. She plans to attend college and major in Biomedical Engineering. She is unsure where at this time but is considering Purdue and Rose Hulman. Lily would like to thank her parents, Tina and Richard Crouse, for their support and guidance. She said, “They have always pushed me to be my best and opened up many opportunities for me that I could not have achieved alone. I strive to make them proud everyday.”

Lily’s advice for underclassmen is to get involved at school. She mentioned that she wasted so much time as a freshman and sophomore not joining clubs and lacking school spirit. Getting involved and having school spirit make your high school experience so much more fun!

Paige Lyness

East Central High School is proud to introduce Paige Lyness as September’s Student of the Month. Paige is a senior at ECHS and is tied for the #1 rank in her class of 298 students. Paige maintains an impressive 4.309 GPA and has recently been named a National Merit Semi-Finalist! Paige has been actively involved in FCCLA, Academic Team, Student Ambassadors, Prom Committee, Fellowship of Christian Athletes and is a recipient of the prestigious ECHS Academic Jacket.

While Paige has maintained excellence in the classroom earning IASP Rising Star recognition, she has also excelled in FCCLA with Gold Medals in multiple State and National competitions. She currently serves as the Indiana FCCLA State President. Through her involvement in FCCLA, she has been able to serve her community through a plethora of philanthropic activities. She also volunteers at her church and is a member of Young Life.

Paige enjoys spending time with her family/friends, reading, and traveling in her spare time.

She plans to attend either Indiana University or The University of Cincinnati to earn a degree in Business Analytics. She would like to thank her parents, Sondra and Greg Lyness, for shaping her into the person she is today. Paige notes, “They’ve instilled such strong morals and always push me to be the best I can be, but also understand when I need a break. They are so supportive of me in everything I do, and I wouldn’t be the person I am without them.”

Paige gives simple advice for underclassmen...get involved! Getting involved in extracurriculars is a great way to make new friendships while also developing life-long skills. Some of her best memories come from extracurriculars!

Sunman-Dearborn Community Schools is pleased to announce that the USDA has extended the nationwide waiver due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic allowing ALL students regardless of
socioeconomic status, to receive FREE meals at school. According to the USDA, this program will continue through the 2021-22 school year.

Grade Reports

Students resumed classes on October 18th, the first day of Quarter Two. Please take time to check your child’s final Quarter One grades in your Parent Portal account as ECHS does not print and mail home report cards. Semester grades are calculated by:

Q1 = 42.5%

Q2 = 42.5%

Final Exam = 15%

Khan Academy & Schoolhouse.world
The Indiana Department of Education announced a new partnership with Schoolhouse.world to support students in grades 8-12 with free tutoring for SAT preparation, math courses and Advanced Placement (AP) courses.
In addition to resources through Schoolhouse.world, Khan Academy and College Board offer free SAT practice resources. This free resource comes as all Indiana high school juniors prepare to take the SAT this spring. Students can visit Official SAT Practice on Khan Academy – a personalized online program that helps students practice for the SAT with thousands of sample questions, instant feedback, video lessons and full-length practice tests. Nationwide, more than 10 million students have signed up for free SAT practice through Khan Academy. To learn more about these learning resources, and to sign up for a tutoring session, visit www.schoolhouse.world or www.khanacademy.org.

National Honor Society Tutoring

Every Tuesday and Thursday after school until 4pm in Room #114 (Mrs. Ketcham’s Room).

Extended School Day Program

Students are invited to participate in a free, extended school day program at East Central High School. This extended day opportunity has been created in order to address any learning loss that may have occurred due to the pandemic. The program will run from October through May of the current school year, two days per week, for one hour beyond the regular school hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays. More details will be coming soon!

Advanced Placement Exam Registration

Students have registered for their AP exams in their classes. The state will cover the costs for Math, Science, Computer Science and ELA exams. All other exams are $96 and due by November 15, 2021 (Checks payable to East Central High School). Please give payment to Mrs. Colegate in the front office.

SAT & ACT Information
If you are planning to attend a four-year college, you should plan on registering for the ACT and SAT soon. To prepare well for these tests, we recommend taking rigorous classes, doing well in your academic coursework, and taking advantage of free SAT/ACT prep materials (online and in the Guidance Office).

ACT Local Test Dates

SAT Local Test Dates

Don't forget to check out the Admissions webpage of any college you are interested in attending. You can find a "Freshman Profile" that will give you more information about the GPA, academic rigor, community service, and test scores required for admission.

You can click on the following links to learn more about taking the ACT/SAT:
ACT Information

When should I take the SAT?

Indiana CTE Career Guide Now Available Online

The Indiana Office of Career Technical Education (CTE) and the Governor’s Workforce Cabinet are excited to announce that the Indiana CTE Career Guide is now available online. The Career Guide provides valuable information about Indiana CTE including sections on the benefits of CTE, Work-Based Learning, Graduation Pathways, Next Level Programs of Study, and Career Clusters.

About Next Level Jobs

Next Level Jobs provides free training for Hoosiers and reimbursements for Indiana employers for training employees in high-demand fields. Next Level Jobs is part of Governor Holcomb’s Next Level Indiana agenda to continue the positive momentum of our state. Under his leadership, with support from the General Assembly, Indiana is taking the state’s workforce to the next level with a focus on the high-priority industries and in-demand, high-paying jobs driving Indiana’s 21st Century economy forward.

To apply for the Next Level Jobs Workforce Ready Grant, individuals can go to www.NextLevelJobs.org and complete a quick survey that gathers information about their needs and interests. Once submitted, individuals are contacted by an education or training provider within their desired program. This direct and individualized outreach ensures that people are connected to the best programs and resources to suit their unique needs.

Trojan Food Pantry

Did you know that ECHS has a Food Pantry? It is available to all families that are in need of food as long as they have a student in Sunman Dearborn Schools. There are no additional requirements. Please contact Mrs. Osman, 812-576-4811 ext. 11302, for additional information.

Educationally,

Mrs. Rosfeld

jrosfeld@sunmandearborn.k12.in.us

PSAT, and ASVAB testing have been completed this month. Students are diligently working on second quarter grades and support is continuously available through teachers and National Honor Society students on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3-4 p.m. in room 114.

Key items per grade:

Seniors: We hope you attended Financial Aid night this month! Remember, the FAFSA is now open until the April 15th deadline for Indiana. A recording of the INvestED presentation is available at https://www.trojanmediaproductions.com.

Seniors are also allowed to have two college visit days to explore or finalize colleges of choice. Deadlines are quickly approaching for college applications and guidance counselors are always available to assist as needed.

Seniors who are undecided about what to study after high school are encouraged to connect with Ivy Tech Community College’s Associate Accelerated Program (ASAP). This program helps high school graduates earn an Associate’s Degree in just 11 months and prepares them to transfer to a four-year college to earn their Bachelor's Degree. Contact Wendi Karle at wkarle@sunmandearborn.k12.in.us for more information.

Juniors: The ASVAB test was offered on Sept. 22nd during the school day. Students will be given their results on 10/21 during the interpretation session. Another ASVAB will be offered for students who may need it on April 6th.

PSAT will be offered on Oct. 26th. Juniors will be taking the PSAT to offer more practice for the SAT which they are required to take in March. The PSAT is also a National Merit Scholarship qualifier for Juniors only.

SAT School Day: New required test for all juniors in the state of Indiana beginning with the class of 2023 is the SAT that will be given during the school day on March 2, 2022. This test is free and used by the state for school accountability. The benefit of the test is that students will be able to use this score report for college applications. More information will be provided as the March date approaches.

Sophomores and Freshman: Students should be focusing on grades and career/college exploration. Sophomores will take the PSAT on October 26h during the school year.

Once sophomore PSAT scores are received, results will be reviewed in the classroom along with additional support for SAT/ACT test prep.

As always we are available to meet with students individually to support academic and emotional needs. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions or concerns.

Rhonda Murdock

Director of Guidance
rmurdock@sunmandearborn.k12.in.us

IVY TECH NEWS

Ivy Tech College Connection Coach

For students working on achieving the Indiana College Core and needing to pick up courses, Ivy Tech has three eight-week sessions left throughout the year. These are online, virtual, in-person, or blended classes; students choose whatever works best. As an East Central High School student, there is a full scholarship for these courses, and books are free through the spring sessions.

Here are the upcoming sessions:

January 19-March 15

March 23-May 17

June 6-July 30 (Yes, you can still earn your ICC with summer courses)!

Contact Wendi Karle for more information. wkarle@sunmandearborn.k12.in.is.

Save Time, Save Money, Get a Degree

The Associate Accelerated Program (ASAP) is an 11-month program, which is student focused and designed to support, encourage, and mentor students throughout their first year of college. This program is great for students who prefer smaller class sizes and who prefer to be on a first name basis with their professors. ASAP works with students to build confidence before transferring to a 4-year university to get their bachelor’s degree or going into the workforce. Applications are now being accepted for the next cohort. If you are interested in applying to ASAP, joining one of our information sessions, or would like a tour of Ivy Tech’s campus, email Heather Gard at hgard3@ivytech.edu.

**National Honor Society Tutoring in Room#114

Every Tuesday and Thursday 3pm-4pm.

**Do you have a study hall? Talk to your counselor about peer-to-peer tutoring during study hall.

**Talk to your teachers. Teachers arrive daily at 7:30am and could possibly help you before or after school.

**KhanAcademy.org Completely free online educational videos in all core classes.

**AskRose.org / (877) ASK-ROSE 24/7 homework help (Ran by the students of Rose Hulman Institute of Technology, Terre Haute, IN).

Roy Johnson - rjohnson@sunmandearborn.k12.in.us

Our Natural Resources Management students recently completed creating Leopold Benches as an end to their "History in Conservation" unit. Aldo Leopold was an important conservationist who is known as the father of wildlife ecology and developed the idea known as "land ethic" which calls for an ethical relationship between our natural world and humans. Our students each created individual benches that are used to observe wildlife based on Leopold designs. During this unit we emphasized safety in the shop as well as working together to learn how to use different tools and several students developed new skills they had not previously acquired. This was a great project to start off a new school year.

Krista Hutzel - khutzel@sunmandearborn.k12.in.us

Mr. Miller’s Admin and Office Management Class and his Principles of Business Management Class continue to learn in a “real-life” environment as they operate our school spirit wear store known as The Trojan Exchange. The students in the Admin and Office Management Class are in their second year of work in the store and are the officers and managers of the various departments such as marketing, operations, technology and finance. The students in the Principles of Business Management Class are in their first year working with us. Each of these students has a job within one of our departments. We have a group of officers who set policy and oversee all operations. We have a group of managers who are in charge of the day-to-day activities of the business. Our first year students do a great job of making sure the daily tasks from our leaders are done at a high enough level for us to accomplish our mission and vision. We want to provide quality spirit wear to all of our parents, students and community at a reasonable price. Our vision is to be the best school spirit shop in southeastern Indiana. Our vision is also to be profitable enough to provide money for scholarships for outstanding students in our Business Department and our Business Academy. We will be beginning our annual holiday sale in early November. This is a great opportunity to purchase the perfect gift for your favorite ECHS fans.

Mr. Miller’s Introduction to Business Class is also working with real-life situations. The students in this class have each started their own simulated business that they will be operating throughout the school year. Students are involved in planning, marketing, operating and evaluating their business every day. Their goals are to serve their customers as well as possible and to maintain a profitable business. One of the goals of the class is to have students experience the same things a business operator would experience daily in running the business. Students have done everything from interviewing and hiring workers to creating a business plan.

Susan Ketcham - sketcham@sunmandearborn.k12.in.us

When the mornings are crisp and the leaves are glowing with colorful golds, scarlets, and tangerines, I know that Fall has arrived and with it, a new nine-week grading period. Let’s look back at some of the highlights from Quarter 1.

English 9 studied some classic short stories from Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado” to Richard Connell’s “The Most Dangerous Game.” Having learned about plot structure, theme, irony, and literary devices, our freshmen class is ready to tackle Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird..

English 10 began the year with Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, learning about the importance of persuasive techniques. With a little bit of background on ethos, pathos, and logos, our sophomore class is ready to start argumentative writing and debates. We also would like to welcome our new English 10 teacher, Mrs. Goodpaster, who comes to us from Madison Consolidated Schools.

English 11 is prepping for the SAT all year with weekly vocabulary practice. Quarter 1 ended with The Crucible and our juniors are ready to start “The Fall of the House of Usher” by Poe and then will study U.S. historical documents.

English 12 began the year at the very beginning of British Literature, Beowulf. While learning about Anglo-Saxon traditions, our seniors performed boasts and enjoyed a mead hall storytelling experience. They concluded the unit with the 2nd annual Beowulf Olympics. In Honors English 12, students have been preparing for college applications. Having written their admissions essays, they are in the final phases of completing the Common Application. We can’t wait to see where they end up after graduation!

AP Lang & Lit are working hard to prepare for the AP Exam in May. While still in high school, these sophomores, juniors and seniors are taking on college-level courses and succeeding. AP Lit enjoyed analyzing A Thousand Splendid Suns, Frankenstein, and are now exploring poetry. ACP English and ACP speech are halfway done with the semester and ready to earn college credit from Indiana University. It’s not easy, but it’s worth it.

Brenda Osman bosman@sunmandearborn.k12.in.us

Child Development

The students in Advanced Child Development Class are beginning to experience parenthood by caring for the Real Care Baby Simulators. This allows students to understand the responsibilities and demands of an infant. They have to figure out how to meet the needs of the Real Care Baby by feeding, burping, rocking or changing the diaper. They also need to make sure that the Real Care Baby is not neglected and they must respond within two minutes. Other infant care skills are also reinforced including car seat usage, changing clothes and supporting the head and neck.

Intro to Fashion and Textiles

The Intro to Fashion and Textiles students are finishing up their Pajama pants. They have learned to use a pattern, read instructions, sew curves, put in pockets, create a waistband and hem pants to create their own pair of pajama pants. Our next project will be sewing a bucket hat. This will reinforce sewing curves with a small seam allowance. This project was at the request of the students’ interest.

Education Professions

Members of the Education Professions class have been studying how schools are governed and financed. Through this topic, Mrs. Kelly Roth, Director of Students Services shared her roles at Sunman Dearborn Schools with the students in the Education Professions class.

The East Central FCCLA continues to reach out and help the community as much as possible. September has been a very busy month! We sent cards to Cpl. Kelsee Lainhart as a service project. On September 16th, FCCLA held their annual Eat Dinner with Your Family Night and over 125 members and their family attended and enjoyed a meal of Lasagna, Breadsticks, Green Beans, Tossed Salad, and cake. The wonderful meal was prepared by the East Central Culinary Class. The East Central FCCLA also participated in the Homecoming parade. The members had a great time participating in the parade and distributing candy to the parade watchers! On October 1st, FCCLA and FFA held their first annual tailgating event before a football game. On Oct. 5th, we also held our second Walking Club event at the St. Leon Park. This club is part of the Fuel up to Play 60 Program. All students are encouraged to participate in FCCLA. There are no dues. Just complete a membership form and come to the activities that you are interested in.

Melissa Gulasy - mgulasy@sunmandearborn.k12.in.us

New kiln will fire up the art class! This fall, ECHS art department has a new kiln with capabilities that is WiFi programmable, faster, and energy efficient. The new kiln is larger than the old one and allows more student projects to be fired at one time. The old kiln is still installed with the anticipation to experiment with glassware in second semester Ceramics Class. Below is Ethan Littleton, Olivia Arnold, Parker Flemming, Jalyn Sears, and Emma Williams.

Digital Design: Photoshop

Shun Kurumado

There are many tools in Photoshop that are very complex to use. However, there are also many tools that are fairly easy to use, and those basic tools can help you create beautiful artwork!

In the Digital Design: Photoshop classes, students have worked on a few projects since the beginning of the semester. Here are some examples of the projects they worked on. Do you see the images below: the initials composed of many small shapes? The students learned about the selection tools and the layers as well as color schemes and custom fonts. Do you see the travel postcards you may see in tourist sites? All the visual elements used for this project were arranged in a way that shows well designed layout & composition. They will learn more complex tools of Photshop throughout the course, and I am excited to see their progress!

Matt Lyon - mslyon@sunmandearborn.k12.in.us

This month, Spanish students celebrated and learned about Hispanic Heritage Month. Spanish II students did research about a given country and later shared it with the class. Spanish IV students researched a famous Hispanic person that has made a great contribution to the culture of the USA and also shared it with the class and Spanish V researched inspirational quotes of famous Spanish people. We also made art projects that allude to the celebration. Spanish II made “Amates”, which are folk-art paintings that are painted on the bark of a tree (see pictures). Spanish IV and V did an imitation of a “Mola” which is a textile from Panamá (see pictures). The Spanish students have enjoyed a fun and exciting month. Stay tuned for our next adventure celebrating and learning about Day Of the Dead.

Ann Bovard - aebovard@sunmandearborn.k12.in.us

And your wager will be…..? Math can be a little monotonous without activities! The math department would like to share how they use activities to help their students understand the lesson!

Pam Donohue uses white boards and groups to help her see who is understanding and who may be struggling. She writes the problem on the board, the students get in their groups to work out the problem, write it on the white board and hold it up. The students are told if they have the right answer or not. If it is wrong, the group has to try again!

Digital Activities have come a long way from just a few years ago. One of the reasons Pam Donohue likes to use these activities is because they help the students self check their work. One such activity is a digital escape room. Students will have about four problems to solve with a code number for the answers. Once they get all the answers correct and use the correct code, students may move to the “next room”. The students really stay engaged and work hard at getting the correct answer so they can move on!

Ann Bovard uses expert groups that will go to the board and show the class how to solve a problem they have been working on. At the beginning of class, students will put numbers of homework problems they could not solve. Students will then pick a problem to show their classmates how to work the problem out correctly. Students may choose a partner to help them explain to the class.

Below are pictures showing classes participating in the activities. The students really enjoy the activities and it’s always good to see smiles and hear laughter when working in math class!!

Donna Tanner - dtanner@sunmandearborn.k12.in.us

Drama News

The drama department will begin auditions for their play, A Christmas Carol, beginning Tuesday, Sept 14th and will run through Thursday Sept. 16th. Auditions will be held in the chorus room. Any student who has questions can email Mrs. Tanner at

The production will be November 19th, 20th and 21st. dtanner@sunmandearborn.k12.in.us

Choir News

The choir department is in full swing and excited to be performing again. The students are working to prepare for their fall concert on Sunday, Oct.24th, at 3:00p

Band News

East Central Marching Trojans receive Gold Rating at ISSMA Scholastic Prelims on Oct. 9th. Qualified to compete at State on Oct. 23rd.

Mark Foster mfoster@sunmandearborn.k12.in.us

Guest speakers from Safe Passage came to Mr. Walter’s health classes on 4 separate occasions throughout the month of September and October. They discussed with the classes topics such as healthy relationships, relationship abuse and violence. Students were informed of the different forms of abuse that can occur in relationships and how to become a positive bystander if they witness any of these types of abuse.

Tim Maluvac - tmaluvac@sunmandearborn.k12.in.us

The Science Department is active in various virtual and hands-on activities. In Biology, students are discussing the various types of passive and active transport processes that take place in nature.

The Chemistry I classes are taking part in labs that demonstrate how the types of bonds a molecule has can alter how it reacts to various stimuli.

In Chem II/App-Chem -- students demonstrated how to separate specific substances out of solution to begin the process of identifying the contents in the material. They separated out the dyes of M&M's and Skittles for possible analysis.

In Botany and Zoology students are working to identify types of trees using a tree guide and information provided by the Agricultural Department at Purdue University.

In Physics the students are learning about projectile motion and the concepts of mechanical energy and how it relates to the laws of conservation of energy. These concepts will be put to use in November when they will be designing and building an apparatus to test out their hypotheses.

Steve Lewis - slewis@sunmandearborn.k12.in.us

In Mr. Lewis' Intro to American Politics class, students completed their Options Project which allowed them to choose an important political action to analyze and complete. The choices included analyzing a pending Supreme Court case as well as taking on the role of a campaign manager guiding a presidential candidate to victory in the Electoral College.

All of Mr. Owen's class have begun research for their Semester Final Projects, which involves analysis and comparison of primary sources. In the American History course, students are beginning their study of the development of the Emerging Republic in the early 1800's. The European History class is examining the English Civil war and the rise of Absolutist Monarchies.

Don Stonefield - dstonefield@sunmandearborn.k12.in.us

For all sports related news, schedules, updates, etc. click on the following link or contact EC Athletics at 812-576-4811 ext 11932

https://ectrojansathletics.com/

For student athletes interested in eligibility-forms, physicals, transfers, etc. click on the following link or contact EC Athletics at 812-576-4811 ext 11932

https://sunmandearborn-in.finalforms.com/

Email: tblack@sunmandearborn.k12.in.us
Website: https://echs.sunmandearborn.k12.in.us/
Location: 1 Trojan Place, Suite A St. Leon, IN 47012
Phone: 8125764811
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sunmandearborn.k12.in.us/
Twitter: @EastCentralHS