Our biggest news this week centers around Open House.
Our annual Open House is coming up next week and will be held on Thursday, September 12 from 6:00-7:30 p.m. This year we are putting a little twist on the evening. Our plan is to make it a true Open House and to welcome families into East Middle School. We want to welcome you into the building and allow you to walk around and meet the staff at your leisure. We will have informative meetings in the cafeteria for parents as well. If your child's last name begins with the letters A-L, please report to the cafeteria at 6:00. Building Principal, Ted Younglas and Assistant Principal, Siasia Dyer will be there to talk with families about the day to day routines of East Middle School. At 6:45, families with the last name M-Z will come to the cafeteria for their presentation. The remainder of the time, families will have the opportunity to walk around the building. Teachers will be in their classrooms, and they are excited to introduce themselves to you!
In order to help with congestion in the hallways and classrooms, we ask that you please do not bring your student with you. This is an adult only event.
We are looking forward to meeting you at Open House, and we look forward to working with all of you throughout the school year.
With construction going on throughout the year, we have had to make a few adjustments to how students enter the building. If you drop off your student in the morning, students will enter through door 5. This is the doorway that is near the gym. Door 5 will be open from 7:55 - 8:15 each morning. For safety reasons, this door will lock at 8:15. If you drop your student off after 8:15, we ask that they enter the building through door 26.
Door 26 would also be the door that you would come to if you needed to pick your child up early from school. The main office has been moved to just inside door 26 during the construction. We apologize for the inconvenience. As I tell staff and students, the short term inconvenience will pay off when we have a beautiful new addition next year!
We are in need of 3 more moms and 2 additional dads in order to go to camp this year. Please consider joining us by becoming a chaperone. If you are interested, please read over expectations and sign up using SignUpGenius (click here). Camp is currently full. If your child is interested in going to camp, please email Mrs. Formosa (melanie.formosa@pccsk12.com) immediately so that she can add you to the waitlist. If you have already signed up your child for camp, this is a reminder that the health form, permission slip, and $260 fee are all due by Friday, September 13. Forms and links can all be found on East's website under the 6th Grade Camp tab (click here) If you have any camp questions, please contact Mrs. Formosa at melanie.formosa@pccsk12.com
East National Junior Honor Society is open to all 7th and 8th graders who maintain a 3.5 or higher GPA. Here is some information on the organization and important dates.
Any questions, please email the advisories Mrs. Svoboda and Mr. Lembesis.
We're excited to announce enrollment for our middle school FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) robotics team! This program offers a fantastic opportunity for students to dive into STEM, develop crucial skills, and have fun.
What students will learn:
• Robotics and programming basics
• Introduction to Hands-on Engineering and problem-solving skills
• Teamwork and communication
No prior experience necessary!
We also need parent volunteers to serve as coaches. No technical background required – just enthusiasm and commitment.
To enroll your child or volunteer as a coach, please complete our online form: https://tinyurl.com/EastROBO25
Welcome to a new season for the East Science Olympiad. Last year was a fantastic year for the East Science Olympiad team. The East Rockets were State Champions, came in first in the regional competition, 1st in the state competition and we were in the top 20 in Nationals. We would like to continue this momentum into the new season. If you are interested in participating in this year's Science Olympiad competition please fill in the application available at the link below.
https://tinyurl.com/ESO2024-25
If you have any questions please send an email to eastscienceolympiad@pccsk12.com
Given the added stress of construction, I feel that end of the day pickup has gone fairly well. That being said, we still have some families that are parking in the parking lot and waiting for their child to come to them. I am asking that we please DO NOT do this! It is far too dangerous for students to try to run out into the parking lot to meet you.
Additionally, please do not drive down the alley between East and the Transportation Department. Some people are using this to try to "cut the line" out of East. This alley is only to be used by our buses. All families should drive around the outer loop of the parking lot and pick up near the gym. Thank you for your help with this. Our children are too precious to put them in danger to save a few minutes in the pickup line.
As you may know, we have launched the East Middle School Parent-Teacher Council (EPTC) Rocket Booster Fundraiser, which runs through September 30, 2024.
The Rocket Booster Fundraiser is a convenient way for families to help the EPTC raise funds to enhance the educational experience of our students and the teachers who support them. In the spirit of a no-hassle fundraiser, there is nothing to sell or deliver; we are simply relying upon the generosity of the East Middle School community. We will also be sending a donation form home with your students. Please go to bit.ly/rocketbooster2024 to donate today via credit card (no PayPal account required) or print a form to donate via cash or check on the Rocket Booster website. We will also be sending flyers home with students this week and you may return any cash or check donations to the East Middle School office.
The Rocket Booster is a vital source of funds for our students and teachers and all the money raised will go to serving their needs. We have set a goal of $15,000 to help our Rockets reach new heights. While any donation is greatly appreciated, we will meet our goal if we receive $30 to $40 from each family. We understand that not all families are in a position to donate, so we appreciate your help in supporting us by spreading the word to others.
Prior donations to the Rocket Booster have provided vital support to East Middle School in the following ways:
- Stage Curtains in the Cafetorium
- Teacher Grants
- Science Lab Dishwasher
- Choir Trip Scholarship
- Wednesday Wonders
- Washington, DC Trip Medical Staff
- and much more!
For those parents on Facebook, there is a page run by East parents to help share information about events at East Middle School. This is a terrific way for us to provide you with timely information and a great way for families to ask and answer questions. This is a closed group for East parents only. We encourage you to join and stay informed!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1549186582024591
East also now has an Instagram page (eastmiddleschoolpccs) and X ,formerly Twitter (east_pccs). These are newer accounts, so I will be adding to them throughout the school year.
The East Parent Teacher Council (EPTC) has a new, streamlined website. Please visit https://sites.google.com/eastmsptc.org/eptc/home to view the new site. It is full of useful information, as well as volunteer opportunities for families. Email rockets@eastmsptc.org if you would like more information, or if you would like to find out about ways you could help.
The next EPTC meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, September 18 at 6:00. This meeting will be held in the Dunning Room at the Plymouth Public Library. We welcome any and all parents to attend!