East Central

We continue to move forward successfully in so many ways here at EC. From the on-going building project to a very successful in-person start. Things feel almost normal around here again. And, that is our mission this year...to keep things as normal as possible and to share our appreciation for this place and this community. After the last 16 months, it is clear how thankful we should be for these kids, this school, and this community. In spite of all we've faced EC continues to shine in academics, athletics, and the arts.

In Academics students finished the last quarter of last year with 397 Exemplary Honor Roll students (all As) and 685 total Honor Roll students (all As or all As/Bs) which makes up over 55% of our student population!

In athletics Fall Sports are off and running with girls golf having started their respective season and all others starting their contest seasons this week. We're excited to open this football season at Lawrenceburg where our Trojan Exchange students through a large tee-shirt sale and a philanthropic spirit will be sharing a large donation with the family of Brady Gabbard, a Lawrenceburg student/athlete who recently lost his battle with cancer. Thanks to Don Stonefield, Athletic Director, and all of our fall coaches for a successful summer in spite of all the construction. Facilities look amazing. And, the new facilities are nearing completion. The high school gym should be back online before out first home volleyball game, and the new pool is set to open this coming spring. Trojan Media Productions plans to continue to bring the action to us through live streams and quality commentating. Covid gave us many challenges, but TMP remained a light in the darkness all of last year, and we're really looking forward to what they can do this year!

Again, it's been a great start. Students and staff would agree...the normal we're feeling right now...feels pretty good. Our aim is to keep that positive feeling going.

WE ARE...EC!

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

Respectfully,

Tom Black

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.

Student Fees & Registration

Parents, please check PowerSchool for fees updates. All outstanding fees for East Central High School have been entered into PowerSchool to include the 2021-2022 Technology Fee and Chromebook Protection Plan. The Sunman-Dearborn Foundation Endowment Gift keeps book bills to $25 for the Technology Fee or $50 if you elected to purchase the Chromebook Protection Plan. Now also posted to PowerSchool are any outstanding fees for 2020-2021 including Missing Textbooks and Chromebook Damage. If you paid the 2021-2022 fees your PowerSchool account should have a zero balance. If your account shows a balance due there may be an outstanding amount from the 2020-2021 school year. If you have an outstanding balance you will be receiving an email soon with the amount due. If you have not registered your child yet, please do so as soon as possible https://powerschool.sunmandearborn.k12.in.us/public/home.html If you should have any questions, please contact Mr. Swinney, Assistant Principal.

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?

Dual Credit Information for Parents and Students

Did you know ECHS has over 50 courses that students can earn college credit in. Last year East Central High School students earned over $1,000,000 in college credit from Ivy Tech and Indiana University. Students and families can save the cost of an entire year of college by completing this Indiana College Core (formerly known as the STGEC) checklist right here at ECHS. For fast facts of the Indiana College Core click here or contact your child’s guidance counselor.

Dual Credit Registration and Knowledge Assessment Qualification

All students taking a dual credit course this year must complete the Knowledge Assessment test in their MyIvy account. Students must score a 70 or better to qualify (earn) for the dual college credit. The deadline for students to register for their dual credit course in DualEnroll is September 15. Please ensure your student has completed the necessary steps.

Resources for Dual Credit Students

DualEnroll Student Guide: Application – https://youtu.be/u2HNoiL2TaY

DualEnroll Student Guide: Registration – https://youtu.be/ydDLGRhoHd4

MyIvy Student Guide: MyIvy account setup using DualEnroll.com – https://youtu.be/Ol6KLek3aSI

MyIvy Student Guide: Accessing Knowledge Assessment – https://youtu.be/lD-Xzw3zmOk

DualEnroll Student Guide: Dropping a class – https://youtu.be/9sEIe87NIro

Advanced Placement Exam Registration

Students are in the process of registering for their AP exams in their classes. The AP exam registration deadline is September 7. 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 to Mrs. Colegate in the front office.

Class of 2023 & Beyond - Graduation Pathways

For the first time in years, students will not have to “pass a test” to earn their high school diploma! Students will now complete what is known as “Graduation Pathways” to graduate high school in the state of Indiana. We are very fortunate at ECHS to be able to offer over 20 pathways for students to choose from. For More information click Indiana Graduation Pathways and the SAT test.

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

The start of the 2021-22 school year has been a whirlwind of activity for the Guidance Department. We have been diligently working with each grade level and new enrollments to ensure that students are set up for a successful academic year. ECHS Guidance department is staffed by three counselors that cover students assigned by the following alphabet:

Mr. Brad Wynn- A-G

Mrs. Lisa Tupper- H-O

Mrs. Murdock- P-Z

Key items per grade:

Seniors: Our Senior Parent Meeting will be held on August 25th at 6:30PM in the Performing Arts Center. We will introduce the options available to students after high school graduation along with other pertinent information. Counselors presented the same outlined material to senior English classes. Seniors also created their Parchment accounts which enables them to electronically send their transcripts to colleges. Many representatives from local and regional colleges and universities will be visiting ECHS in the next several weeks. Students will have the opportunity to meet these college representatives and have personal conversations about their application process.

Juniors: Juniors should take the SAT and/or ACT this year for admittance into the classic four-year college. Securing a good test score by the end of the junior year will allow the college application process to start smoothly at the beginning of senior year. Upon completion of the PSAT as sophomores, all students reviewed how to prep for the SAT/ACT using Khan Academy. Registration information for the SAT and ACT, as well as local and national college fairs is here:

Sophomore and Freshman: These students should focus on their grades to build a strong transcript which will enable the most opportunities to them. Sophomores will take the PSAT on October 26th.

Rhonda Murdock

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

Ivy Tech College Connection Coach

To support high school students and help them explore future career and college opportunities, Ivy Tech is providing a College Connection Coach dedicated to East Central students. Wendi Karle started working with students in late February and will be on site each Wednesday in the Guidance Suite as the College Connection Coach. As a graduate of East Central, and with a background in secondary education, as well as college and career development, she is invested in helping students achieve success. She can be reached at wkarle@sunmandearborn.k12.in.us or wkarle@ivytech.edu.

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 the Library

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

ECHS Landscape & Horticulture Students Complete National FFA Living to Serve Grant

When you visit East Central High School, and you enter the building at the Performing

Arts Center entrance or the east entrance you will notice new landscaping that was completed by East Central High School Horticultural Science and Landscape Management students as a part of a $3000 National FFA Organization Living to Serve Grant that the FFA chapter received in the fall semester of 2020. This is part of an ongoing project called EC Re-Leaf, and was done without any costs to the school. EC Re-Leaf promotes the use of native plants in the landscape. The Landscape Management students began the project by removing old juniper shrubs from the existing planting beds with help from the Sunman-Dearborn maintenance staff and workers from Maxwell Construction. An initial design was drawn up, and plants were ordered from Natorp’s in Mason, Ohio. Plants were delivered in September to complete the landscape beds at the Performing Arts Center entrance, and in May to complete the project at the east entrance. Students correctly planted the shrubs and perennials, and also mulched the areas. Landscape Management and Horticultural Science students will provide continual care and maintenance to the plantings from now on. The plants consist of 86 native, deciduous shrubs, and 96 native perennials which included flowering plants and native clump-forming grasses. The shrubs were planted by the Landscape Management students, and the perennials were planted by the Horticultural Science students. All of the plants will provide not only an attractive landscape, but also food and habitat for bird species, pollen and nectar for pollinators, and will give visitors to the high school a chance to see how native plants can be used in the landscape. This area will also have signage to identify the plants, and will have barriers to keep guests and students from walking through the beds.

This planting is a welcome addition to the high school, and provided students in the

ECHS agriculture program and FFA chapter another practical, real world experience.

Questions about the project can be directed to:

Roy Johnson- Agriculture Instructor & FFA Advisor

Email- rjohnson@sunmandearborn.k12.in.us

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

Welcome Saranda Posey to the EC Business Department! Ms. Posey graduated from Harrison High School in 2013. From there she attended Xavier University and graduated with a Bachelors degree in Accounting. She also obtained her Masters degree in Business Administration from the University of the Cumberlands. Since graduating she has worked as a Cost Accountant for five years, but recently decided to start teaching accounting and business to students.

In her spare time she enjoys playing sand volleyball, playing guitar, and spending time with family and friends. She is a fanatic for all things Disney and Harry Potter.

Ms. Posey says, “I am so excited to join the EC family and look forward to getting to know more of you in the community this year.”

Principles of Engineering students demonstrating types of Levers and their uses. This is just one of the many activities involved in the study of Simple Machines and Mechanical Advantage.

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

One of my favorite days of the year is the first day of school. Walking into Target and strolling down the aisles neatly stocked with crayons, paper, pencils, folders, pens, markers, and desk organizers, I am overcome with a sense of nostalgia. There is just something magical about the clean slate of a new school year.

The summer was a time for us to rejuvenate our love for our profession, and we are very excited to get to know each of our students, helping them grow as learners. We decided it would be fun to share how each of us spent our time away from school.

Mrs. Stanley (English 11 & Yearbook)

This summer I spent a lot of time relaxing and enjoying time with my family. With last year being so hectic and stressful, I put relaxation and fun on my priority list for the summer. My husband and I went on our 10 year anniversary trip to Cabo and had an amazing time. I also took my girls to Anna Maria Island in Florida for some much needed fun in the sun. It was a great summer and I am excited to be back in school this year.

Mrs. Tucker

(Honors English 9 & English 9)

I spent ten days in Romania with my husband who is working on a building project there. This picture was taken at the Salina Turda (Salt Mine) in Turda, Romania. I also spent a week at Camp Chautauqua as a camp leader. These three ladies were in my group and were VERY good at paintball.

Mrs. Cecil (English 9 & Language Lab)

I spent my summer break doing fun things around the tri-state area with my kids. We went to the Cincinnati Zoo, a Reds game, several playgrounds and parks, berry patches, and more! We also took a family trip to the beach.

Mr. Meiners

(English 9, English 10 & Film Lit)

My family and I spent a lot of time hiking this summer. We hiked local trails and stopped for a few picnics. Our favorite trip was to Clifty Falls in Madison, Indiana. The falls were beautiful and we had ice cream afterwards!

Mrs. Pieczonka (English 12)

We took a family vacation to Cancun Mexico.

Mrs. Trossman

(ACP English, ACP Speech, & English 12)

This summer I was able to spend time with my family, and we took family pictures for the first time in several years. Together we enjoyed a family vacation to St. Augustine, Florida. We enjoyed beach time, and my kids drank from the Fountain of Youth. We also experienced Hurricane Elsa, which was more windy and rainy than scary. Also this summer, I took a graduate course in the Plays of Shakespeare, and though I liked the course, it was not as much fun as the beach. I am very excited to return to EC for our new school year.

Mrs. Beckner (English 10)

We spent this summer making some home improvements and just hanging out with family. The big project of the summer was finishing the basement so the kids now have their own space to hangout and play. Other than that, we went to Owen and Gus' baseball games, went swimming, took walks and bike rides, played with cousins, and stayed up late every night! No exciting vacations this year because traveling with a baby is just too much work to actually be a vacation, but maybe next year.

Mrs. Rose-Ronnebaum

(English 11 & Honors English 11)

This summer, I had the opportunity to spend a long weekend in the Bahamas AND two weeks on Anna Maria Island. I read and listened to many books, cooked interesting food dishes, and enjoyed my Goldendoodle puppy, Leo. Looking forward to American Literature and the new SAT Hot Words vocab list re-energized the lessons in my curriculum, but I wasn't exactly ready to come back from my sandy beach dream life!

Mrs. Jackson

(AP LANG/ADV. ENG. 111 & Honors English 10)

This summer, I was as lazy as could be, enjoying time by the pool with my kids. We also had fun in Orlando and Cleveland, checking out all of the parks, zoos, and museums. I visited Sleeping Bear Dunes in Michigan for the first time where I hiked and admired the lovely views.

Mrs. Ketcham

(AP Lit, Honors English 12, & Honors English 10)

I used my summer to spend time with both my boys. Alex was home from Rose Hulman doing a virtual internship with Wolverine Trading. Jackson was back and forth between Muncie and home since he was swimming for Ball State. My husband and I visited the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC. Finally, I helped my brother propose to his girlfriend & my sister prepare for her upcoming wedding in October.

Brenda Osman bosman@sunmandearborn.k12.in.us

Introduction to Fashion & Textiles-Students in the Introduction to Fashion and Textiles are learning about the sewing notions that are essential to sewing. They will also be introduced to the sewing machines this week and learn how to thread and wind a bobbin. The students are excited to begin using the sewing machine and make their first garment.

Education Professions-Education Professions is a dual college credit program where students “shadow” a teacher for a year and are utilized as a “cadet teacher” throughout our district. They are placed based on the students’ interest in the field of education. We have cadet teachers in each of our schools assisting in a classroom to give them real-world experience.

The East Central FCCLA has had an exciting and busy summer! First off, Maria Deddens was elected National First Vice President at the 2021 FCCLA Hybrid National Leadership Conference in Nashville, TN. Also Paige Lyness was named the Indiana FCCLA State President! In addition, Lara Moster, Indiana Vice President of Development received the Pre-Pac Certification in Personal and Family Finance at the National Leadership Conference.

FCCLA National 1st Vice President, Maria Deddens and Adviser, Brenda Osman traveled to Reston, Virginia for the 2021 National Executive Council Meeting from August 6-10th. At the meeting, they were trained in leadership development and board policies and procedures. They also had the opportunity to meet and work with their fellow members and advisers that were elected to the council.

Maria Deddens and Paige Lyness also presented at the August School Board meeting about all of the work they have been doing to promote and lead FCCLA.

The East Central FCCLA Officers have been very busy this month! They have assisted with ECHS Open House, worked at the Indiana State Fair in the Dairy Bar and hosted their annual ice cream social to kick off the school year with the theme “Building Leadership in FCCLA”. We would like to encourage all students to consider joining FCCLA and our next meeting is Tuesday, September 7th from 3-4 pm in the Fashion Lab-room 146.

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

The art department is truly excited to welcome back all of our students! We have been busy planning and creating new learning experiences to educate and empower our students.

If you want a place where you can practice the arts and hone in on your artistic skills from watercolor painting to ceramics, then art club is the place for you. Students can explore their unique talents and explore new avenues of enrichment and expression. Ms. Mueller is the art club sponsor. All meetings are held in room 103 on Thursdays from 3 to 4 pm. The first meeting will be held August 19.

In other art news, Digital Photography is a yearlong introduction to the digital camera as an art-making tool designed for students at the beginning level. Students are given opportunities to extend their knowledge and skills in the field of photography and the use of Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom. This week, students have been busy creating their own blog sites as a place to exhibit their photography and portfolios. The blog will be updated monthly and students will continue commenting on each other's work throughout the year. This yearlong project is meant for students to reflect on their learning, write over a long period of time, and write for an audience. As they look over their previous posts, they will see their ideas and thoughts grow and develop. Below is the 2021-2022 Digital Photography Class.

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

The math department is proud to report a very successful AP test year for 2020-21. In May, students from Mr. Moorman’s AP Statistics class and Mrs. Bovard’s AP Calculus AB and BC classes took Advanced Placement(AP) tests. These tests are made by the College Board and given across the world. If a student passes the test with a 3 or higher, 5 being the highest, then they will receive college credit from most colleges globally. East Central had 30 students take the AP Statistics test, with an impressive 22 earning a 3 or higher. Globally 57.9% earned a 3 or higher, EC had 73.3% earn a 3 or higher. We had 8 students take the AP Calculus AB test and 1 student take the AP Calculus BC test. The number of students taking the Calculus tests was lower this past year than in the past due to many students choosing to take the course for dual credit. Out of the 9 students, 8 scored a 3 or higher. Our students scored higher than the state average and the global average. We are very proud of our kids for working so hard and dedicating so much of their time to practicing and studying. Pictured are this years seniors who all scored a 3 or higher on the stats or calculus tests last year as juniors.

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

ECHS Drama News

The drama department will have their first information meeting on August 23rd from 3:10-4:00p in the choir room. Any student who is interested in auditioning for our fall play, A Christmas Carol, but cannot attend the meeting, can email Mrs. Tanner at dtanner@sunmandearborn.k12.in.us

Choir News

We are excited to be back in school and ready to have a great year of singing and performing.

Our Women’s, Concert and Show choir have had a great start to the year.

Mark Foster mfoster@sunmandearborn.k12.in.us

All the Physical Education classes are off and running to start the school year. Mrs. Beck’s girls freshman classes are currently conducting their track and field unit. Mr. Foster’s boys freshman classes are playing softball to start the year on the new turf softball field. Finally, Mr. Sipe’s weight lifting classes have started their workout programs. It has been a great start to the school year for the Physical Education Department.

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

Students in Human Body Systems were able to look at characteristics of the human body that give human their physical characteristics and model different parts of the face.

Students in Principles of Biomedical Science were able to break a crime scene down and investigate how a crime scene investigator would sketch a crime scene and how they would replicate blood spatter.

Students in Biology were able to compare independent and dependent variables within a experiment that they collected data for and then graphed.

Students in Chemistry were able to model a timeline of how the atom has changed overtime and how the changes were discovered.

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