Good afternoon,

Emily and I would like to take a moment to express our gratitude for the incredible partnership we share with you. This time of year offers a wonderful opportunity to pause, reflect, and cherish the moments with those who matter most. Whether you’re celebrating traditions, traveling, or simply enjoying the quiet moments at home, we hope your days are filled with joy, warmth, and laughter. We look forward to welcoming our students back refreshed and ready to continue learning and growing together.

We will see you in the new year!

Best,

Christina & Emily

Mon. Dec. 23rd - Wed. Jan. 1st - No School for Winter Recess

Thurs. Jan 2nd - Back to school!

Mon. Jan 13th - Board of Education Meeting, Town Hall at 6:30pm

Tues. Jan 21st - EHMS PTO Meeting, LMC at 5:30pm

Mon. Jan 27th - Board of Education Meeting, Town Hall at 6:30pm

The Winter Band and Chorus Concert will be held on Tuesday, January 14, 2025 at 6:30pm. The concert will be held in the East Hampton High School Auditorium. Students should plan to arrive between 6pm and 6:15pm. Concert attire is black and white with a splash of blue. In case of poor weather, the snow date is Thursday, January 16th at 6:30pm. Please reach out to Mrs. LaBrec and Mr. Shilansky in ParentSquare if you have any questions.

We look forward to sharing our music with you!

We had so much fun during this week's Spirit Week! Currently, the 7th grade is in 3rd place with 182 points, the 6th grade is in 2nd place with 212 points, and the 8th grade is in 1st place with 230 points!
Below are some pictures of the week!

The EHHS Music Department came to visit our 8th graders this week. Students from EHHS Jazz Band and Voices came to perform some holiday tunes and talk about the opportunities students have to participate in band, chorus or some of the music electives at the high school. More information regarding your child's transition to the high school will be provided in January.

The EHHS Music Department also shared with students that they are planning a trip to Disney World in April 2026! Current 8th grade students who join a musical group at the high school next year are eligible to attend the trip. An initial deposit will be required later this school year in mid-May to secure a spot. Please keep an eye on messages from EHHS Music over the next few months if you are interested as students will not be able to join the trip next September. Students who are in Concert Band, Jazz Ensemble, Concert Choir, or Voices are eligible to go on the Disney trip.

Eighth-grade students have completed their unit on linear relationships, exploring various ways to represent them. They used tables, equations, and graphs to illustrate linear patterns and understand the connections between different representations. They worked with lines that have negative slopes, examining how values change in relation to each other. They also studied vertical intercepts, recognizing how lines cross the y-axis. Additionally, students analyzed horizontal and vertical lines, exploring their unique properties, such as slopes of zero or being undefined. This comprehensive approach helped students develop a deeper understanding of linear relationships.

EHMS held its second annual Scripps Spelling Bee this week, with the first round organized by grade level. Two finalists from each grade will advance to the school-wide competition at the end of January. Congratulations to our winners - Grace Holman, Thomas Kokus, Pranud Anthony, Brooke Hawes, Avery Guild and Julian Gouthro - and a big thank you to all the students who participated!

Band students gave a warm welcome to our students this morning playing holiday music!

A big thank you to our EHMS PTO for providing staff with a cozy hot chocolate cart this week!

Below are a few photos from the cupcake competition held during our Family Consumer Science classes this week.

Our therapy poodles that regularly come to visit EHMS brought a special surprise this week. Poodle puppies visited us!

In December our student council officers were elected! Congratulations to Brooke Bellemare, Allie DiPace, and Taylor Karabestos. The club has been working diligently to raise money for the homeless community in Middletown. During the month of January, students will be selling Valentine's throughout lunch waves. Students will be able to purchase cards for $1 and write a special message. Our student council will be delivering the Valentines to homerooms on February 13th!

Below are students who have received Positive Office Referrals for their behaviors that have exemplified our PBIS pillars of Respect, Responsibility, Compassion and Pride. Students were able to choose a reward from our menu of options like eating outside with friends or prizes that we have. Pictured down below is last week's winner who chose to play games with friends. Great job! Some of the students rewarded are pictured below:

6th Graders

Mason Poitras, Lukas Vai, Kaydel Cardona, Troy Butler

7th Graders

Brayden Landry

8th Graders

Tamzin Lemire

Jan 2-3 (subject to change)

MONDAY, JAN 2

Girls basketball 2:35 until 4:30 pm

Boys basketball study hall 2:35 until 4:15 pm in room 29

Boys basketball 4:30 until 6 pm

Cheer practice 2;35 until 4:30 pm

TUESDAY, JAN 3

Girls basketball 2:35 until 4:30 pm

Boys basketball study hall 2:35 until 4:15 pm in room 29

Boys basketball 4:30 until 6 pm

No Cheer practice

Just a reminder, boys and girls volleyball registration is now open. Deadline is Monday, Jan 27th. Registration for girls volleyball will remain open until the first 60 register, then that will close (at 49 girls right now). Boys will remain open until Jan 27th.

You can register on Arbitersports.com

Few questions I receive before registration

1. Can you sign up for ski club and volleyball? Answer: Yes, but you will make sure to communicate this with the coaches.

2. When are practices? Answer: Girls practice after school from 2:35 until 4:30 pm. Boys have an optional study hall from 2:35 until 4:00 pm and practice from 4:15 until 5:30 pm. Monday-Fri, only when school is in session.

3. How long is the season? Answer: Tentatively scheduled to start Monday, Feb 3 and ends by Feb 28.

4. Can I play volleyball and the school play? Answer: No, it’s very difficult to attend play practice and volleyball practices.

5. Does my daughter or son need a physical in order to participate? Answer: Yes, everyone needs an updated physical within a 13 month period.

6. If there is a varsity and jv team? Answer: Yes, one court is varsity and the other court is jv.

7. What time do games start? Answer: There is no set start time as there is for other sports, approximately 3:15 - 3:35 pm.

If you have any other further questions, please let me know.

Coach Mercaldi

mmercaldi@easthamptonct.org

Please see the attached communication from our School Nurse, Melanie King, on helpful guidelines for families as we approach the cold and flu season.

Per the East Hampton Board of Education’s Attendance Policy and Connecticut statute, parents and guardians may only approve the first 9 absences of the school year with a parent note. Absences 10 and above can only be excused with further documentation and under specific circumstances.

In addition, if a student has four unexcused absences in one month or 10 unexcused absences in a year they are classified as truant. If a child misses 18 or more days in a school year – excused or unexcused absences – the student is classified as chronically absent.

A phone call is appreciated, but only an email to our attendance inbox or written note can officially excuse absence 1 through 9. Below is our attendance email:

Note: Between the school name and the word Attendance is a underscore ( _ )

EHMS_Attendance@easthamptonct.org

If a student has four unexcused absences in one month or 10 unexcused absences in a year they are classified as truant. If a child misses 18 or more days in a school year – excused or unexcused absences – the student is classified as chronically absent.

The East Hampton Board of Education and the school community as a whole promote a secure and productive school climate, conducive to teaching and learning that is free from threat, harassment, any type of bullying behavior, and teen dating violence. Therefore it shall be the policy of the Board that bullying and/or teen dating violence committed against a student by another student is prohibited. The Board believes that a school environment in which students feel safe, supported, engaged and helpfully challenged is optimal for learning and healthy development. The Board seeks an environment in which students and adults feel socially, emotionally, intellectually and physically safe; an environment that is free of harassment, intimidation, teen dating violence and bullying. Our website provides links to various policies and reporting forms including our Safe School Climate Plan. Hard copies are also available in our main office. If at any point you have any concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to building administration for further assistance.

Happy New Year! Did you resolve to be more on top of your and your child’s health this year? Here’s an easy solution: Sign your child up for School-Based Health Care. Your child’s school works with Community Health Center, Inc.’s School-Based Health Care program to provide health services to your child during the school day. This means they won’t miss as much class and you don’t need to miss work to support their health care needs. Learn more about the services offered at your child’s school and enroll today at SBHC1.com!

The attached bulletins below were developed through a collaborative effort among the Department of Children and Families, the Department Mental Health and Addiction Services, the Office of Child Advocate, the Department of Public Health, the State Department of Education, and the Governor's Office. The content includes information on suicide, helpful tips to support people of all ages, and where to go for additional support and resources.

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