East Central

After a long hiatus, we're officially back in school. Some are online, some are face-to-face, and some have opted for a blend of the two. We worked diligently through the summer months to put together a re-entry plan that was both safe and flexible with regard to our students and families. And, we are now over a month in to school with no closures. Credit to our students, families, and staff for following these re-entry guidelines allowing students to stay in school...a place we all know they desire to be and need to be.

Over the summer, FCCLA although in the midst of the pandemic was able to compete virtually in National competition and again represented East Central and Southeast Indiana in fine fashion. Winners are listed under FCCLA below. We are so proud of their accomplishments.

In athletics, Fall sports through a very concentrated effort in coordination with Dearborn County Health Department are well underway. Both soccer teams have found success on the field; volleyball is strong again on the court; cross country brings back a wealth of experience on the boys side and has fielded a very competitive girls team this year as well, and football is off to another terrific start knocking off Lawrenceburg, perennial powerhouse Moeller, and local foe Frankilin County this past Friday. It's be great to have kids competing and fans in the stands at all of our fall sports contests. These events, like face-to-face school sessions, have been the normal we've all been seeking.

Fall Break is coming, but we ask that everyone recall that our school calendar changed as a part of the re-entry plan. In the expectation of a closure at some point this year, which some area schools are already experiencing, both fall break and spring break are no longer traditional vacation weeks. We are implementing elearning in an effort to make-up 10 school days so that in the event we must close for a period of time due to COVID, we have built in two weeks that would not have to be added to the end of the school year. So, please make sure students complete all assignments October 5th-October 9th.

Lastly, we will continue to do everything we can to keep children safe and IN SCHOOL this year. Thank you for all of your help and support in that effort.

WE ARE...EC!

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

Tom Black

Student Fees

Thank you to the Sunman Dearborn School Corporation Endowment for paying for all student book rental fees this year! We are very fortunate to have an endowment that gives directly back to our families! Parents are encouraged to ignore the “fees owed” in the Parent Portal of Power School. They are in the process of being removed.

October 14th - Testing Day

All sophomores will take the PSAT and juniors have the choice of taking the PSAT for National Merit Scholarship or the ASVAB on Wednesday, October 14th

2020-21 Advanced Placement Exams

Students enrolled in year-long AP courses have until October 2nd to register to take the AP exam. Exam dates can be found on The College Board’s website. Please see this letter explaining the registration process.

ISTEP+ Winter Retest will be given to those seniors that have not yet qualified for graduation either through a Graduation Pathway, ASVAB or ISTEP+ during the week of December 1 - December 4.

Dual Credit Information for Parents and Students

Did you know ECHS has 45 courses that students can earn college credit in. Last year East Central High School students earned over $900,000 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 STGEC checklist right here at ECHS. For fast facts of the STGEC click here or contact your child’s guidance counselor.

Class of 2023 & Beyond Graduation Pathway Requirement

For the first time in years, the class of 2023 and beyond will not have to “pass a test” to earn their high school diploma! Freshmen & Sophomores must 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 questions, please contact your child’s guidance counselor.

Guidance Department

The following counselors are assigned the following students:

A-G Mr. Wynn

H-O Mrs. Tupper

P-Z Mrs. Murdock

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. The pantry is available by appointment only: 812-576-4811 ext. 11302, Ask for Brenda Osman or email bosman@sunmandearborn.k12.in.us

Educationally,

Mrs. Rosfeld

jrosfeld@sunmandearborn.k12.in.us

The start of the school year has been a whirlwind of activity for the Guidance Department. We have been working diligently with each grade level and new enrollments to ensure that students are set up for a successful academic year. The ECHS Guidance Department is staffed by three counselors who 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: The Senior Parent Meeting will be on August 25th. A recorded link will be sent out on Twitter as well as placed on our website for parents to view at their convenience. A recording can be found in the Class of 2022 Google folder, which also houses pertinent information such as test optional colleges, and college application process for seniors for future reference. During the meeting, we introduced the options available to students after high school graduation along with other guidance. Counselors presented the same outlined material to senior English classes and shared information through S-DOA Instructional Coaches.

Seniors are asked to create their Parchment.com accounts, which enables them to electronically send their transcripts to colleges. Many representatives from colleges will be reaching out for virtual meetings with seniors throughout the semester.

Parchment: https://www.parchment.com/

Recorded Parent Meeting link: Senior Meeting 2021 (2020-08-26 at 06:42 GMT-7)

Juniors: The PSAT and ASVAB test will be available to the Juniors on October 26th during the school day. The PSAT is a practice test for the SAT and qualifier for the National Merit Scholarship. The ASVAB test option is a qualifier for students who need to qualify for the Graduation Pathway option for graduation. Counselors will discuss these options with the Juniors.

Juniors should take the SAT and/or ACT this year for admittance into the classic four-year college. Many colleges are still Test Optional due to Covid, but it is still recommended that Juniors test in case testing optional requirements change. 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. Up to date registration information for the SAT and ACT is available at the following sites:

SAT: College Board - SAT, AP, College Search and Admission Tools

ACT: https://www.act.org/

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

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.

Thank you,

Rhonda Murdock, MSW, L.S.W

812-576-4811 ext. 11912

**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).

TRADITIONAL 4-YEAR COLLEGE IS NOT FOR EVERYONE!
Over 2 million Hoosier adults need additional skills to compete in the 21st Century Workforce. To help more Hoosiers gain these skills, Indiana has created a new financial aid opportunity for working-age adults: the Workforce Ready Grant.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The Workforce Ready Grant pays the tuition and mandatory fees for eligible high-value certificate programs at Ivy Tech Community College, Vincennes University or other approved providers. The grant is available for two (2) years and covers up to the number of credits required by the qualifying program. The grant does not cover courses that do not directly apply to the student’s certificate program. Program-specific fees and equipment are not covered.

QUALIFYING PROGRAMS

The qualifying high-value certificate programs were selected based on employer demand, wages, job placements and program completion rate. These programs are aligned with Indiana’s highest demand sectors:

• Advanced Manufacturing
• Building & Construction
• Health Sciences
• IT & Business Services
• Transportation & Logistics

PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

To qualify for the grant, students must:

• Be age 18 years or older
• Be an Indiana resident and U.S. citizen or (eligible non-citizen)
• Have a high school diploma (or equivalent) but less then a college degree
• Enroll in a qualifying program at an eligible training provider
• File the FAFSA**
• Enroll full-time (typically four courses) if you are a Dependent Student**
• Enroll at least half-time (typically two courses) if you are an Independent Student**
• Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress**
• Meet any other minimum criteria established by the Commission

**Credit-Bearing programs only

HOW TO APPLY

• Visit the Next LevelJobs.org to connect with an eligible training provider
• Submit a complete and corrected FAFSA (please allow 5-7 business days for processing).
  • Applicants do no need to meet the April 15th deadline for state financial aid
  • The Workforce Ready Grant is not limited by family income

Welcome, Mr. Sliger to the EC Business Department! Mr. Sliger graduated from Rushville Consolidated High School in 2013. From there, he played college football at Anderson University, and graduated from IU East with a Bachelors in Business Administration. He also obtained his Masters degree in Accounting from Indiana Wesleyan University. In his spare time he coaches high school football, is involved in Young Life, and enjoys fishing, hunting, and being outdoors. Mr. Sliger says, “I am really excited to join this community, and look forward to my first year being a Trojan!”

The Trojan Exchange is back for another year of providing spirit wear to the East Central community while giving students hands-on experience in running a business. We just completed our Back to School sale and will be featuring new merchandise very soon. We will be present at all home football games and many other sporting events throughout the school year. The Trojan Exchange is run by students in our Business Management classes. We have 37 students involved this year. Students are recruited into departments by the returning managers and officers. The students make decisions every day regarding the operation of the store and do all of the things a business does in its daily operations. Our students from last year and this year have done a great job of operating the Trojan Exchange successfully.

Welcome back, East Central! The English department is so excited to begin a new school year in-person. When asked their thoughts about the 2020-2021 school year, these English teachers had great things to say:

“Hope springs eternal…”--Alexander Pope

--Mrs. Jansing (English 9 & Algebra I)

“I am very excited to be back in my classroom with my students. I missed them very much and I can definitely tell they missed being here too.”

--Mrs. Stanley (English 11 & Yearbook)

“I’m just happy to be here. Hope I can help the ball club...I just want to give it my best shot, and the good Lord willing, things will work out.”--Kevin Costner, Bull Durham

--Mrs. Tucker (English 9 & Honors English 9)

“I love being back to school. Seeing the students every day allows me the opportunity to build relationships with them.”

--Mr. Meiners (English 9 & 10)

“I am very relieved to be back in school and not doing e-learning again. So far so good!”

--Mrs. Beckner (English 10)

“I am very thankful to be back in the classroom with students!”

--Mrs. Cecil (English 9 & 10)

"I am so glad to be back after the longest Spring Break ever. I really missed my second home."

--Mrs. Ketcham (Honors English 12, English 9, AP Lit)

“Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get.”--Forrest Gump

Mrs. Rose (English 11 & Honors English 11)

“I really missed being around students, and I'm so glad everybody seems to be following the rules to help us stay healthy in school as long as possible.”

--Mrs. Jackson (Honors English 10 & AP Lang)

Finally, let’s meet the newest member of the English department:

Mrs. Jackson graduated from South Dearborn in 1994, and then attended Indiana University and NKU for her undergrad degree in English. Later she earned her Master's in English from Morehead State and her teaching certification from Indiana Wesleyan. She taught composition at Ivy Tech and Devry for 4 years, then spent 10 years teaching at South Dearborn. She has two children, Mia (12) and Xavier (6), and enjoys traveling, hiking, and performing in community theater productions. Her favorite subject in school was actually science, she loves dogs, and truly enjoys being a teacher!

Brenda Osman bosman@sunmandearborn.k12.in.us

Intro to Fashion and Textiles

The students in the Intro to Fashion and Textiles classes are currently learning how to sew. They have learned about the sewing equipment, the parts of the sewing machine, how to thread the sewing machine and wind a bobbin. Then we moved onto sewing a seam, where students made hair scrunchies and pin cushions. We are currently learning how to make masks which many have completed and they are wearing them to school. We are very proud of our students’ progress. They are doing a great job! Our next project will be making PJ pants with pockets.

Child Development

The Child Development Students have been studying the stages of prenatal development. They are currently researching genetic and environmental factors that contribute to changes to the embryo or fetus during development and how that affects the baby’s growth and development. The students will be creating google slides presentations about different types of birth defects.

Education Professions

Our cadet teachers are currently investigating the career as a teacher by researching and completing the Teaching Career Investigation Project where they determined the occupational outlook of the career of teaching, interviewed a teacher, researched 3 potential colleges and identified how they have worked with children in the past. In addition, students have interviewed a teacher to ask more specific questions about the field of education. Through this project the students have learned key points of information about a career of a teacher.

The East Central FCCLA is off to a great start this year. We held our annual ice cream social in mid August and over 75 students joined us in the ECHS Cafeteria. FCCLA will hold their next meeting on Tuesday, September 15th from 3-4 p.m. in the Sewing lab. All students are welcome to join FCCLA! Dues are FREE this year, due to COVID 19. Please pick up a membership form from Mrs. Osman, Ms. McConnell or Mrs. Bonilla.

Congratulations to the following FCCLA Members who competed virtually this summer at the National FCCLA Conference:

24 East Central FCCLA Members and 3 East Central Advisers attended the 75th FCCLA National Conference from July 7-9th.

Theme of the conference “Your Story, Our Story”.

Speaker: Dr. Julia Garcia, Keynote Speaker--”Never let anyone silence the story inside of you”

East Central FCCLA Members--11 Gold Medals-8 Silver Medals- 5 Bronze Medals

Members

• Maria Deddens, Lydia Trabel and Natalie Klei - Public Policy Adovate -Gold
• Katelynn Osman - Focus on Children - Silver
• Maddie Zurweller - Chapter Service Display - Silver
• Hannah Middleton - Teach and Train - Silver
• Becca Tupper and Bella Woodyard - Chapter Service Portfolio - Silver
• Hayley Lewis - Chapter Service Portfolio - Gold
• Paige Lyness, Sophie Allen, and Emma Wilhelm - National Programs in Action - Gold
• Bianca Fliehman and Makayla Miles - Entrepreneurship Project - Bronze
• Madison Miller and Lacey Kelly - Promote and Publicize - Silver
• Josie Volpenhein, Megan Sierra and Mia Klem - National Programs in Action - Bronze
• Lara Moster and Olivia Stenger - Chapter Service Project Display - Gold
• Belle Karle - Career Investigation - Silver
• Madi Adams and Michelle Batta - Interpersonal Communications - Gold

Adviser Awards-

Ms. Ashley McConnell-received the Master Adviser Award

Mrs. Brenda Osman-will be inducted into the the 75th FCCLA Hall of Fame

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

The teachers in the art department have missed our students and are grateful to have

such awesome students and staff as we navigated this challenging situation together.

Everyone has shown positivity and respect for one another. One of the rewards as a

teacher is seeing the students light up when they learn something new! Below are a few

things that the students are learning.

One of the assignments that drawing students have been learning is the concept of

foreshortening. Creating an optical illusion that makes an object appear closer or a

distance shorter than it is. This drawing concept creates a sense of depth in a drawing.

Other art news, students in ceramics were excited to complete their first project of a sculptural mug or cup. These examples just came out from the kiln and they are ready to start glazing their projects.

Below: Josh Euson is demonstrating optical illusion.

Below: Alexis Brennan and Maggie Hoog

As we get back into the swing of things and assess where each student stands after summer break, my Spanish 3 students are creating a video to introduce themselves in Spanish. Rather than talk about themselves during the video though, they create a persona and introduce themselves as that character. While grading these videos, I have been impressed by the creativity of my students. Many students really become the character with the use of costumes and props. Many videos demonstrate editing skills that far surpass my own. I was also impressed by the resourcefulness and tenacity of my students who struggled to find solutions while working on a project with which they may not have felt very comfortable. I love projects where students can show their creativity. My students seem to enjoy them more, and I definitely enjoy watching and grading them. I wish I could post some of my favorite videos, but I don’t think my students would ever forgive me.

Welcome back to the 2020-2021 school year!! We’re glad to see all those smiling faces back in the building! We hope it stays that way too! The Math Department hopes everyone has a great year! (We’re off to a good start!)

In the math department, we have all the favorites returning: Mr. Bentley (Algebra I and Algebra II), Mrs. Bovard (Algebra II, Pre-Calculus/Trigonometry, AP Calculus), Mrs. Donohue (Math 10, Probability & Statistics, and Lab), Mr. Loveless (Algebra I and Lab), Mr. Harris (Algebra I and Algebra II), Mrs. Noeth (Algebra II and Geometry), Ms. Jansing (Algebra I), Mrs. Rowland (Algebra I and Math 10), Mr. Moorman (Pre-Calculus/Trig, Pre-Cal/Trig Honors, AP Statistics) Mr. McDaniel (Geometry, Geometry Honors, and Advanced Math) and Mrs. Reinshagen (Algebra II Honors, Geometry, and Trigonometry).

We also would like to say “THANK YOU” to all the teacher assistants in our department. They are greatly appreciated by the teachers and students alike. They work hard to help our students build their confidence and to be successful in ALL their classes.

In closing, WELCOME BACK and stay tuned to future issues to learn about all the “good stuff” going on in the math department.

Choir News

We are so excited to be back together and making music! The students have been hard at work preparing for their concert on October 18th. It has been interesting adjusting to the masks and face shields, but everyone is getting used to it and handling it like pros.

Drama News

The drama club has started the school year off strong. We will be presenting our fall production of Young Sherlock Holmes with a double cast. The Sherlock cast will present the play on September 25th at 7:00p and Saturday, September 26th at 3:00p. The Watson cast will perform on Saturday, September 26th at 7:00p and Sunday, September 27th at 3:00p. There will be reduced capacity seating, so tickets will be available to families and friends only first. If there are tickets still available we will let ECHS teachers and students know.

PE classes kicked off the year with some great outdoor weather. Students are enjoying some quality instruction in track, tennis, flag football, and softball. They are learning how to pace themselves, serve, strike a moving object with competency, and follow the rules while encouraging others. They have also enjoyed some cardio workouts and strength training. The students are exhibiting outstanding sportsmanship and competitiveness. Let the games continue!

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

Students in Mr. Lamb’s class will be able to identify unknown compounds based on physical and chemical properties of ionic and covalent bonds.

Mrs. Hoffman's Chemistry I students learned about atoms, ions, and Lewis structures in September. They learned how these come together to make ionic or molecular compounds. They also spent a little time on subatomic particles and nuclear decay.

In Mrs. Gilmour’s, Mr. Maluvac’s, and Mr. Medlock's Biology I classes, students recently finished learning the basics of the Science of Chemistry and are now moving on to learn about the basic structures inside of cells called organelles.

In Physics Mr. Oehlman’s physics classes recently finished learning about Dynamics of and are presently working on vectors in preparation to discuss projectile motion.

In Earth and Space Science, Mrs. Carleton classes are discussing Geology and the specific types of rocks and minerals that make up the Earth’s crust.

In Mr. Stonefield's Economics class, students are wrapping up Unit 1: fundamentals of economics this week. Next week, students will begin a "Tour a Nation's Economy" project by creating a Google Tour. Later in the month, students will begin the 10-week stock market competition against various schools across the state of Indiana.

New in Mr. Owen's class this year, students may now take American History for college credit from Ivy Tech. Approximately 160 juniors have enrolled, and are currently learning about Primary Source Document analysis and the construction or argumentative essays.

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