Bellringer Newsletter

Good morning. As we are nearing the end of October, there are a little over two weeks left in the 1st Academic Quarter. Please take some time in the next few days and review your child's progress prior to the end of the quarter on November 1. East Hampton High School continues to be a busy place as we are in the midst of Fall Sports, Field Trips, and Fall Concerts. Please 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.

• October 20-- College Funding/Financial Aid Night 6:30
• October 20--EHHS PTO/PPAG Meeting 5:30
• October 22--Bus Driver Appreciation Day
• October 23--Shoreline Conference Cross Country Championship Meet
• October 27--EHHS Choral Concert--7:00
• October 28--EHHS Band Concert 7:30
• November 1--End of 1st Quarter
• November 2--No School--Election Day--Professional Development
• November 3--2nd Quarter begins
• November 3--EHHS Project Graduation Meeting--6:30--LMC
• November 5---Fall Chill Out Dance
• November 10--EHHS Veteran's Day Celebration
• November 11--Veteran's Day--NO SCHOOL
• November 24--Early Release--EHHS
• November 25--28--Thanksgiving Recess
• December 23--Early Dismissal
• December 24---January 2--Winter Recess
• January 3--Classes Resume
• January 17--No School--Martin Luther King Day
• January 13, 14, 18, and 19--Mid-Year Exams

Last week’s recap:

Girls Varsity Soccer defeated Valley Regional 2-0 at home and lost to The Morgan School 0-5 at home. Their current season record is 4-6-2. They are scheduled to play this week at Portland on Monday and home vs Bacon Academy on Thursday in their final regular season game.

Boys Varsity Soccer lost on the road at Valley Regional 1-3 and at The Morgan School 0-1. Their season record is 5-5-1. They play this week at home vs Portland on Tuesday.

Boys Junior Varsity Soccer defeated Valley Regional at home 5-2 and The Morgan School at home 7-1. Their current season record is 6-1-1. They are not scheduled to play any games this week.

The Varsity Football Co-Op was on their bye week. Their season record remains at 5-0. They are scheduled to play at The Morgan School on Friday.

Junior Varsity Football was on their bye week. They play next at home vs The Morgan School on Saturday.

Junior Varsity Volleyball defeated Portland at home 3-0 and lost to H-K at home 1-2. Their current season record is 8-5. They play this week at Lyme-Old Lyme on Monday, at Valley Regional on Wednesday and at home vs The Morgan School on Friday.

Varsity Volleyball defeated Cromwell on the road 3-0 and was defeated by H-K at home 2-3. Their current season record is 10-3. They are scheduled to play this week at Lyme-Old Lyme on Monday, at Valley Regional on Wednesday and home vs The Morgan School on Friday.

Cross Country results from last week:

Shoreline Conference Mega Meet

Boys finished 3rd, Aiden Palen was the team’s top finisher in 3rd place.

Girls finished 2nd, Kaylee Gravel was the overall race winner.

The team is scheduled to run on Saturday in the Shoreline Conference Championships here at East Hampton.

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.

We are in week #5 of Individual Senior Meetings - students should check their Google Calendar.

PLEASE NOTE DATE & VENUE CHANGE: This year’s College Funding/Financial Aid Night has been moved to October 20th and will now be through zoom - parents that would like to attend need to register in advance.

Please see attached flyer, and below is the zoom link for families to register. Please take a minute and please double-check first before sending it to ensure everything is as you planned.

Register in advance for this meeting:
https://financialguide.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJctcuGupzsuGNbT8rkBS1JT2AnUX2AzqU2T

Passcode: College

We genuinely hope that this workshop will help families be more cofortable completing their FAFSAs. Senior families are strongly encouraged to create an account- as FAFSA become available last week - October 1st - 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 next two weeks:

State University of New York at New Paltz Mon October 18, 2021@ 7:45 AM

St. John's University-New York Mon October 18, 2021 @10:43 AM

University of New Haven Mon October 18, 2021@12:47 PM

Curry College Tue October 19, 2021@10:07 AM

Univ. of New Hampshire-Main Campus Tue October 19, 221@1:23 PM

Southern Connecticut State University Thu October 21, 2021 10:07 AM

Saint Anselm College Matt Raymond Fri October 22, 2021@8:30 AM

Central Connecticut State University Fri October 22, 2021 @10:07 AM

Bentley University Mon October 25, 202 @12:47 PM

Lincoln Technical Institute-East Windsor Tue October 26, 2021@ 10:07 AM

Keene State College Tue October 26, 2021 1:23 PM

Johnson & Wales University-Providence Wed October 27, 2021 @ 8:31 AM

University of Hartford Thu October 28, 2021 @ 8:31 AM

University of Rhode Island Thu October 28, 2021 @1:23 PM

Eastern Connecticut State University Fri October 29, 2021 @8:30 AM

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

From Superintendent Paul K. Smith:

Recently news sources have reported on an October social media challenge, particularly TIK TOK, encouraging students to engage in inappropriate contact with teachers and school staff including slapping the staff member on the backside and posting a video of the occurrence.

We are encouraging all adults in our school community including parents to speak to our students about the consequences of such actions. In every case, the school administration will contact the East Hampton Police Department for the arrest of any student involved in the action. In addition, school consequences for any student engaging in such behavior, videoing the behavior, or posting the behavior on a social media account will include discipline for sexual harassment/assault resulting in suspension and/or expulsion.

Thank you for working together to make sure that the negative aspects of social media do not influence our positive school environment.

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

JOIN THE EHHS SPORTS BOOSTERS

Hartford Athletic Game

Friday, October 22, 2021

7 pm

Dillon Stadium, Hartford CT

Cost: $17.99

Link for tickets: https://fevo.me/ehhssports

Contact: Courtney at 860-759-9324 or courtneyandbruce98@gmail.com

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.)

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, November 3 @ 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.