The Panther Post

Good afternoon,

Our Panther Ambassadors organized National Youth Violence Prevention week. Throughout the week, the theme was to focus on building positive relationships with peers and staff. On Monday we took the opportunity to review some expectations with students holding grade level Town Halls. Our priority each day is to ensure the safety of all within our building. Our students are the eyes and ears of a school community. They may have interactions with peers both in and outside of school, but not always understand or know what to do with that information. There are times that students observe communications that are of concern and we want to develop skills for students to confidently seek out a trusted adult when that happens. We have several processes where students can report any issues whether they come to the main office or utilize our anonymous reporting system. We walked through those processes again with our students on Monday. Our number one priority is the safety and well-being of our students. If there is ever any concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to us.

As always, thank you for your continued support.

Christina & Emily

Mon., May 1st: Jazz Band

Tues., May 2nd: Bike Club, Bible Study, Homework Club

Wed., May 3rd: Art Club

Thur., May 4th: Panther Chefs, Bike Club

Mon., May 8-May 12: Teacher Appreciation Week

Wed., May 10th: Band/Chorus Concert at 6:30 EHHS

Fri., May 12th: Panther Prowl

Mon., May 29th: No School

As Spring and the end of the year approaches, we will reflect with our students on their growth both personally and academically. In the coming months, we will also measure student performance formally through the Smarter Balanced Assessment in Mathematics and English Language Arts.

Students have had regular exposure throughout the school year to the content and skills specific to grade level standards measured by the assessments, the critical-thinking and problem-solving skills embedded in the assessments, and the technology and assessment platform on which they will be assessed. Assessment schedules are structured to limit the amount of time students are assessed on any given day. Students are given all of the time they need to complete the assessment to their satisfaction. As a result, testing schedules are flexible and responsive to student needs.

Through our district assessments, we have been supporting students by cultivating a positive culture where students are encouraged to do their best and proudly show what they know. We will continue the same support as we prepare students for Smarter Balanced. The Smarter Balanced Assessments include the English Language Arts and Mathematics Computer Adaptive Tests and the Mathematics Performance Task. Students in grade 8 will also be administered the Next Generation Science Standards Test. The assessments will continue on Tuesday May 2nd with the Mathematics Computer Adaptive Test.

We anticipate that both the preparation for the assessment and the assessment schedule will help students feel comfortable and allow them to perform at their best. We encourage strong attendance during the testing days along with healthy habits, including appropriate rest and daily breakfast.

This assessment information is only one measure of our students and their impressive efforts this year. We consider multiple data points when considering student progress and planning for instruction. This is a critical tool for this ongoing work and we appreciate your partnership as we gather information about our students at the conclusion of such an incredible school year.

As always, please contact us if you have any questions regarding this process.

Each month Team Leaders will share an update on current happenings throughout the team. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to your child's Team Leader. Contact information is within each newsletter. Team Leaders should be sending April newsletters soon!

Below is access to team's April newsletters. Don't forget to check out Team Amethyst's newsletter. This is our specials and P.E. team. March newsletters should be sent soon by Team Leaders.

Enjoy!

We are so proud when our students exemplify our PBIS pillars. Below are two winners from this week! 6th graders Julian Gouthro and Skylar Ford!

One of our 8th graders, Madison McGlynn, held their raffle for their Capstone to raise funds for Cystic Fibrosis. The winner is pictured below who won concert tickets to Ed Sheeran! Congrats!

Last Saturday was Earth Day! Students in Mrs. Wosleger's class celebrated by helping to clean up the area around EHMS. The students did a fantastic job in taking pride for our building and community. Students also took time to think of ways they would pledge to help on Earth Day!

The Quarter 3 reading challenge winner is….TEAM EMERALD!

Mrs. Aiken, Netham Nakandala, and Raelyn Saucier accepted the trophy on GHEMES. Team Emerald read 75,875 pages during quarter 3! Congratulations!!

Panther Ambassadors celebrated National Youth Against Violence Week by creating opportunities for students to spend positive time together. Similar to a coffee house mic night, students held "Lemonade Houses" where students could share a poem, song or anything they would like. It was a great turn out this week during lunch waves! Below are some pictures!

East Hampton Middle School

YEARBOOKS ON SALE NOW!

Cost of Yearbook: $30

Cash or checks are accepted

Please make checks payable to: EHMS

Paper forms are available in the main office or send an email with your student's name and Homeroom to cbuchan@easthamptonct.org

NOTE: Students will receive their yearbooks on the last day of school.

There will be NO yearbook sales on the last day of school.

We are eager to announce in partnership with East Hampton Parks & Rec, the Prevention Partnership and our EHMS Student Council, that we will be holding a 6th & 7th grade dance on Friday May 12th! Please see the flyer below!

On Friday May 26th at 9:00, we will hold our annual Memorial Day Ceremony. We would love to invite any family member to our students who is a veteran so we can honor at this ceremony. If you have a veteran you would like to honor, please fill out the following google form.

If students would like to highlight their capstones in the Panther Post, students can email flyers to Mrs. Amaral! Below are some who have shared their flyers and looking for support.

Another 8th grader, Dolan Krasnitski, held his Capstone Project this week. Unified sports is a way for all students of all abilities to have fun together doing sport activities. Dolan loved the experience in past years and wanted to bring that opportunity to the middle school. He held his program after school on Wednesday and it was a huge success! Look to see more about his project at our upcoming Capstone Convention on May 24th!

The Nutmeg Game Show is coming! From now until the end of May, we will be running a fun reading initiative that will culminate with grade-level “Nutmeg Game Show” assemblies on June 6!

What Students Will Do:

• Read as many of the 3 Nutmeg titles selected for their grade level as they can. All books can be checked out in the LMC.
• Submit questions about the book(s) via Google Form linked on the library website here (These questions maybe used during the game show!)
• Form teams of 3-4 students to participate in a preliminary round within their ELA classroom in mid-May
• Winning teams from each ELA class will go on to complete at grade-level assemblies the end of May/June
• The winning team from each grade level will get to pick 1 friend to join them to watch a movie in the LMC during the last week of June…movie snacks will be provided!

With the start of spring comes planning for all our end of the year events. We have been honored with the opportunity to see your child grow over the last three years. Each student has become an integral part of our Panther community and has evolved into an individual with interests, passions, and goals. We look forward to partnering with you as we open the doors to your child’s high school experience and all the opportunities that await while celebrating and closing the door to all they have accomplished over the last three years at EHMS.

We are planning a culminating event for our 8th graders. On Thursday June 8th at 1:00, we will hold our 2nd annual 8th grade Step-Up ceremony in our gymnasium. We will continue to celebrate our students that evening (June 8th) with our 8th Grade Formal that will be held at EHMS from 7pm to 9pm. We encourage all families to come for pictures starting at 6:30pm. The next day, our students will be attending their 8th grade High Meadow class field trip on Friday June 9th. More specifics to these events will be communicated out, but we wanted to provide you the dates to save in your calendars! If there are any questions, please feel free to reach out to administration or our 8th grade co-advisors; Mrs. Donovan and Mrs. Mercaldi.

Our first event that will take place will be our students showcasing all their hard work around their Capstone projects. Our 8th Grade Capstone Convention will be held on Wednesday May 24th at EHMS from 6pm to 8pm.

We are happy to celebrate National School Library Month with our students! From pre-k through 12th grade, the libraries at Memorial, Center, E.H.M.S., and E.H.H.S. support academic growth, foster a sense of community, and inspire a love of reading. Please enjoy these pictures that show a sampling of the many great activities that happen in our school libraries throughout the year. Happy reading, everyone!

The PANTHER PROWL is coming to EHMS!
THE MOST FUN, INCLUSIVE AND HUGEST FUNDRAISER OF THE YEAR
SO EASY FOR PARENTS - NOTHING TO BUY - JUST REGISTER, SHARE, PLEDGE

The EHMS PTO is partnering with the PE department to create a great opportunity for ALL students to have fun with healthy activities outdoors while raising funds for EHMS through pledges. The Panther Prowl will take place during the school day on Friday, May 12th. Think of it as a stepped-up version of a Jog-a-thon or a mini field day and you’ll get the idea!

Funds raised during past Panther Prowls have gone to support:
• “Good Morning EHMS” technology
• PE equipment
• Internet safety program for students and parents
• Field trips
• Library books
• Teacher mini-grants and more!

This year, we are hoping to raise funds to begin making improvements to the lighting and sound systems for plays and productions in the Commons, purchase outdoor play/PE equipment, install new benches in front of our school and to continue awarding mini-grants and funding student activities.

Please help us reach our goal of raising $10,000 for our school!


Did we mention the RAFFLES AND PRIZES??!!

After the pledge period ends, students will be entered into raffles for great prizes at various total pledge levels, starting at just $25. The top fundraising student will be awarded a special free time activity with friends during the school day! The top fundraising homeroom will also be rewarded with a class breakfast.

Students raising $300 or more in pledges will be entered into a raffle for a pair of Apple AirPods Pro!

MANY other great prizes will be raffled at various pledge levels, including:

Hydro Flasks, Pura Vida bracelet packs, EHMS hoodies, EHMS flannel PJ pants, Yard Goats tickets, LED flying disc frisbee, color-changing Bluetooth speaker alarm clock, portable ping pong set, Smart LED strip lights, photo clips string lights, Squishmallows, Carhartt cap, spiritwear gift certificates, EHMS string bags, local arcade Pinshack gift cards and DQ and Chatham Creamery gift cards.

Throughout the pledge drive, the "top fundraising homeroom" will be announced by students on Good Morning EHMS so that everyone can enjoy some friendly competition! We will also encourage students to exhibit school spirit by wearing school or team colors for the event on May 12th.

Parents, we are asking for your help in kicking off this great event by registering your student at the website below. Please share with friends and family - every pledge counts! Check back often to track your student's individual and classroom progress.

THANK YOU for helping to achieve our "reach for the stars" goal of $10,000! If you have any questions, please let us know at ptoehms@gmail.com

REGISTRATION STEPS:
Register your child by visiting:
https://www.getmovinfundhub.com/event-webpage/6435ab27e0256

• The School Identifier is: 6435ab27ddfe7
• If you do not already have a login at FundHub, you must register as a parent first. Enter your student's name and choose their homeroom teacher from the dropdown box. On the Parent Dashboard, click the green box to add your student to the event.
• If you already have an account at FundHub from a past event, log in and go to the Parent Dashboard, scroll down to see your student's profile, click the blue button at the bottom of the page to "Add to New School." Enter the School Identifier 6435ab27ddfe7 then choose your child's homeroom teacher from the dropdown box. The other fields will populate automatically.
• Use the student fundraising webpage to promote online donations through email and social media.
• Check with your employer. Some companies will match donations to a non-profit organization (we can provide our tax ID and a donation letter if needed).
• If you prefer to send cash or a check in to school, please make checks out to EHMS PTO and include your student's name and homeroom teacher so that we can keep track of your student's total pledges.
• If you want to learn more about how to use the website features, click on Video Tutorial at the top of the Parent Dashboard for some great helpful info!

SOME OF THE AWESOME PRIZES!!!

A reminder that the following email addresses can be used by parents to report and document their approval of an absence:

Memorial_Attendance@easthamptonct.org

Center_Attendance@easthamptonct.org

EHMS_Attendance@easthamptonct.org

EHHS_Attendance@easthamptonct.org

If you have successfully emailed the school, you will receive an autoreply that notifies you that the absence communication has been received and recorded. This process is effective for your child for the first 9 absences. After your student has more than 9 absences, additional documentation or communication is required to excuse the absence. However, please continue to use the email designated for your child's school to continue to notify the school that your child will be absent. You may call your child’s school at any time to report an absence but please make sure to follow up a phone call with a note or email to the attendance email.

The Health Office is still looking for students to bring in pictures of their pets! Unfortunately, the bulletin board that we were hoping to fill with cute pictures of animals from home, is looking quite empty. We would love to see all pets and I am especially excited about those reptiles! So, please, if you remember have your student bring in pictures to add to our space. All animals welcome!

Also, just a friendly reminder to have your child bring lip balm with them to school, if needed. This year has been tough for those lips!

Nutrition is so important for growth and development. Please be sure that your student is bringing enough snacks for themselves and remind them to eat breakfast and lunch. As a reminder, the school offers breakfast and lunch, free of charge for all families.

Is anyone else having Spring Fever?! If we aren’t going to be getting snow, then bring on Spring!

If at any point you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to me at khafele@easthamptonct.org or call the school office at 860-365-4060.

Thank you!

Mrs. Hafele

EAST HAMPTON MS ATHLETICS SCHEDULE MAY 1 - MAY 5 (subject to change)

MONDAY, MAY 1

Baseball 2:35 until 5 pm

Softball 2:35 until 5 pm

TUESDAY, MAY 2

East Hampton baseball/softball at Beman MS (Middletown), 2:20 dismissal, 2:30 bus, 3:45 pm game.

Note: Pat Kidney Fields

WEDNESDAY, MAY 3

Baseball 2:35 until 5 pm

Softball 2:35 until 5 pm

THURSDAY, MAY 4

Cromwell MS baseball/softball at East Hampton MS, 3:30 pm game.

Note: Team pictures, please inform practice players. Not required to stay after picture.

FRIDAY, MAY 5

Baseball 2:35 until 5 pm

Softball 2:35 until 5 pm

If your child is having any Chromebook or technology issues please click on the link below to do some troubleshooting: EHMS TroubleShooting Tips

If the troubleshooting doesn't work click on the link below to submit an IT work ticket:

Chromebook Trouble Ticket

Please encourage your child to take pride and care in their device. Below is a video to review the proper care of Chromebooks with your child.

Board of Education Statement on School Safety:

The East Hampton Board of Education is committed to a safe and secure learning environment that honors and celebrates the diversity of our students, our community, and our nation. The Board of Education in partnership with the school community will not tolerate any threat of violence in the schools or any hate speech that targets any race, religion, sexual orientation, or disability. Each student is held to the highest standards of responsible decision making within a culture that is expected to foster compassion, caring, and empathy.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statement of the East Hampton Public Schools:

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.

Nondiscrimination Statement of the East Hampton Public Schools:

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.

Email: camaral@easthamptonct.org
Website: https://www.easthamptonps.org/o/ehms
Location: 19 Childs Road, East Hampton, CT, USA
Phone: (860) 365 4060