
East Central
eNewsletter November 2018
Notes from the Principal
With the holiday season now upon us, several groups are continuing with that philanthropic-spirit I've already become accustomed to here at EC. From Student Council, to AOK (Acts of Kindness Club), to FCCLA, to Children in Need, to our food pantry, students and staff are finding ways to benefit our families and community.
Common Assessments and Finals will round out the last two weeks of first semester. Students and staff continue to work diligently to meet the level of quality and success that is so ingrained here at EC. In November, we were ONCE AGAIN recognized as an "A" school in the state of Indiana marking seven straight years of excellence at East Central...something we should all be proud of.
In the arts, EC students recently took part in the Xavier University Art Show hosting 33 high schools and over 100 works/pieces in the tri-county area. In the end, only 8 winners were selected; three of the 8 were EC's own Katie Priebe, Kaylee Beal, and Karamia Kranzley!
In athletics, all winter sports are underway. The aqua-Trojans are off to great starts with both boys and girls teams dominating every school they've faced to date. Boys basketball is undefeated as well knocking off Jennings County over Thanksgiving weekend. Girls basketball is winning as well remaining undefeated in conference thus far and owning the Harrison rivalry this week in convincing fashion 60-34. We look forward to continued success in wrestling as well easily overcoming conference foe Franklin County. They travel to the Harrison 6-Way on Saturday, December 1st.
FCCLA continues to shine winning on multiple fronts at regional competition in Louisville. Congratulations to all competitors and specifically to these winners. Katelyn Osman placed 3rd in the Culinary Math Challenge. Maria Deddens placed 1st in Interviewing Skills. Britney Dole placed 1st in the Fashion and Textiles Challenge. And, Emily Taylor placed 1st the Science in FACS Challenge. Additionally, our FACS Knowledge Bowl team of Alli Beard, Molly Graham, Eva Grimm, Hayley Lewis, and Hannah Weiler placed 1st out of 25 teams and will compete at the National FCCLA Conference in Anaheim, California in July!
In November, our SEL activities addressed Safe Passage Inc. and the ever growing incidents of domestic violence around the country. We'll be touching on "social awareness" and the "spirit of giving" in December. If any are interested in seeing state recommendations for SEL goals, here are some links https://casel.org/core-competencies/ and https://www.doe.in.gov/student-services/student-assistance/best-practiceresearch-based-prevention-and-intervention.
EC Student Council continues its campaign for Riley Hospital with a number of activities planned second semester including a volleyball tournament much like the dodgeball one previously held as well as a Riley night later in the spring. We so appreciate all StuCo does to support others both here and around the state.
In this season of thankfulness, I am consistently reminded of all of the things EC does from students to staff for which we should be thankful. This, truly, is a great place to be.
“No leader is worth his salt who won’t set up the chairs.” Peter Drucker
Tom Black
Notes from Guidance
College and Scholarship Information:
November and December are important months for college applications. Email reminders are continually sent to students to encourage them to review deadlines and submit applications, request transcripts from Parchment.com and send test scores. Guidance is available to assist and review applications for students that would like this done with them.
FAFSA:
October 1st was the date that the 2019-2020 FAFSA applications were made available at fafsa.gov. Students and parents have until April 15, 2019 to complete this for the Indiana state deadline. There was a Financial Aid program presented by InvestED in October which reviewed the steps to completing the FAFSA. The power point from this presentation is available on the school website under the Guidance- Resource and Documents.
Scheduling:
Believe it or not we are already in the process of preparing for scheduling for 2019-2020 school year. Class meetings for scheduling will take place on January 15th during the school day and on January 16th at 6:30 pm in the Performing Arts Center we will hold the Parent Meeting for scheduling. We will also meet with each of the students individually after they complete their registrations to make sure that they are on track with the diploma that they are pursuing.
As always the East Central Guidance Department is available to meet with students and parents as needed. Do not hesitate to contact your student’s guidance counselor.
Rhonda Murdock, MSW, L.S.W
812-576-4811 ext. 11912
NEED HOMEWORK HELP?
**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).
Notes from Mrs. Rosfeld; Curriculum and Testing
ECHS Parents and Students,
Although we do not have fall parent-teacher conferences at the high school level, we would like to ensure you know how to get help for your child. As the end of the 1st Semester draws near, we want to make sure you know the academic success resources available to ECHS students:
1. Student-Teacher Communication:
If your child has questions or is not understanding class material, please encourage discussions with the classroom teacher. A follow-up email from you to the teacher is always appreciated! This ensures that a conversation between the child and teacher is happening.
2. Parent-Teacher Communication:
We want your child to be successful in school! If you have any questions about a class, please do not hesitate to reach out to the teacher. If you are emailing a teacher, it is also helpful to cc your child's school counselor. Teachers can give you specific insights related to your child (i.e. organization, helpful study techniques, web resources, etc.). Teacher and Counselor email addresses are available on the school website and also on pages 17-19 of the student handbook: http://echs.sunmandearborn.k12.in.us/.
Power School: Updated grades are viewable via the the parent portal of Power School. Checking specific grades will help you understand how the final grade is being calculated. If you need your Power School information, please contact the office at 812-576-4811 x11915.
3. Extra Assistance Before or After School:
Students should check with their teachers if they feel extra assistance is needed. Teachers arrive daily at 7:30 and could possibly help before or after school.
National Honor Society Tutoring is set up in the ECHS Library every Tuesday and Thursday from 3-4 p.m. No reservation is required.
If students have a study hall, students can ask their counselor to set up peer tutoring 2-3 days a week during that time. In addition, our study hall monitor, Mrs. Krummen is willing to do "Grade Checks" with students.
4. Online Resources:
Each subject has specific tools and resources available to students. Each course has a Google Classroom set up by the teacher. If you would like access, you may reach out to the classroom teacher. In addition, students report high success with the use of KhanAcademy.org (completely free online educational videos in all core classes) and AskRose.org (offers free homework help in math and science).
Education is a team effort! Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or concerns.
Educationally,
Mrs. Rosfeld
Celebrating our own...
Ag
East Central Landscape Management Students Complete Skid Steer Training
On Tuesday November 27, 17 ECHS Landscape Management students traveled to Bobcat Enterprises in Cincinnati, Ohio to complete the Bobcat skid steer certification program. Students received classroom instruction in the morning covering topics in operational and safety procedures of the skid steer. After completion of a certification test students ventured outside, and each participant operated a skid steer. They learned proper techniques for raising, lowering and leveling the bucket as well as how to successfully load the bucket and drop material. This was a great, hands-on learning opportunity for the students.
EC FFA Competes in Forestry CDE
On November 29th, 15 members from the East Central FFA Chapter competed in the Area 1 Forestry Career Development Event at South Ripley High School. Contestants had to use their skills in forestry to complete an exam and identify different species of trees by their leaves, seeds, and wood samples. East Central’s top ranking team placed 4th. That team consisted of Madison Shumate, Amelia Hartman, Alex Dudley, and Heath Doll. The 4th place Senior FFA team will compete at the state contest on December 8th. The junior team that competed placed 3rd. The junior team consisted of Lydia Kidd, Bradley Kolb, and Evan Kuhn. Congratulations to everyone that competed.
Photo
Back row (Left to Right): Maria Hartman, Madison McAdams, Heath Doll, Ross Altum, Madison Shumate
Front Row (Left to Right): Grace Kraus, Rachel Kraus, Amelia Hartman, Alex Dudley
Business
The East Central Business Department would like to feature Mrs. Hutzel's, Preparation for College and Career classes in this month's newsletter. Her students have been learning the ins-and-outs of landing a job. During the past several weeks, these young people have learned how to create a dynamic resume, secure positive references, and dress for success. Once completed, the students put their resume, references and professional look to the test by participating in mock interviews. Shown in the pictures are Mrs. Hutzel’s 2nd and 5th period classes. It was evident to all who participated these students were proud of themselves and their accomplishments.
The Business Department has added a new teacher to its staff. On Monday, November 26, 2018, Mr. Zachary Noble joined the East Central High School Business Department as a long-term sub. He will be teaching Introduction to Accounting, Advanced Accounting, Computer Applications and Preparation for College & Careers. Mr. Noble is part of the ECHS Alumni, and has a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics, from the University of Cincinnati. We are all very excited about Mr. Noble joining our staff. Please join us in sending out a warm welcome to this new business teacher.
The Trojan Exchange will be selling apparel at many of the home girls and boys basketball games. Please stop by and visit their booth. They have many new items, and apparel that will keep you warm during this blustery winter.
Engineering/PLTW
PLTW Principles of Engineering students built and demonstrated to the first year engineering students their Rube Goldberg devices. Their devices were required to accomplish several tasks using only the six types of simple machines: the inclined plane, the wedge, the screw, the lever, the wheel and axle, and the pulley. Each team then calculated the mechanical advantage achieved with their device. A simple machine uses a single applied force to do work against a single load force. Ignoring friction losses, the work done on the load is equal to the work done by the applied force. The machine can increase the amount of the output force, at the cost of a proportional decrease in the distance moved by the load. The ratio of the output to the applied force is called the mechanical advantage.
English
English Teachers Take on Houston
Several English teachers attended the National Council of Teachers of English National Convention in Houston, Texas November 15-17. Kati Stanley, Marcie Trossman, and Jennifer Tucker, in addition to learning some great new ideas to use in their English classes, were there to support fellow English teacher, Susan Ketcham, as she presented her work on primary sources. The four hour workshop “Using Primary Sources to Create Inquiry in the English Classroom” is the culminating project of Mrs. Ketcham’s time spent as an Educational Advisory Committee member for the Digital Public Library of America. “It has been a great honor these past three years to work on such an awesome project with amazing teachers from across the United States. It has allowed me to travel to Boston to work with the other committee members on three separate occasions. Being able to learn from AP U.S. History teachers, English professors, and district librarians from large cities has fueled my passion for teaching. Presenting at the NCTE for the second time in three years is one of the highlights of my career,” Ketcham states. All of these East Central teachers are looking forward to sharing what they learned during this awesome experience with the rest of their department.
Et, tu? Sophomores?
After studying Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, the sophomore class was to attend the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company’s production of Julius Caesar in the Performing Arts Center at East Central High School on Friday, November 16. However, Mother Nature had a different plan. While an ice storm might have stopped the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company from performing at East Central, the show doesn’t stop for our students. English 10 classes will continue to use what they learned from reading the play as they research a controversial topic, write a paper, and debate their topic with a peer. Thus ending the first semester of 2018.
Student Ambassadors Have Something to Say
ECHS Student Ambassadors, a group of select juniors and seniors, worked with Safe Passages to create a public service announcement about teen dating violence. In addition to creating the video, the student ambassadors designed a curriculum to accompany the video. In homerooms on November 14, every student at East Central viewed the PSA and discussed the topic of teen dating violence. This was definitely a worthwhile topic as it can affect anyone at anytime. You can view the video here. In December, the Student Ambassadors will visit the North Dearborn Public Library to discuss ways to encourage teens to utilize all the library has to offer. This market research will result in a commercial for the library, created by our very own ambassadors, to be aired in Spring 2019.
FACS - Culinary
Ashley McConnell amcconnell@sunmandearnborn.k12.in.us
Intro to Culinary Arts classes are currently learning about cooking methods. Students have learned the 3 main ways heat is transferred to food and the effects heat has on food. They also are learning specifically about each cooking method. In the foods lab students prepared Spaghetti with Meat Sauce, practicing using the cooking methods they are learning about. We also celebrated the spirit of Thanksgiving through making Pumpkin Pie with homemade pie crust and Pumpkin Spice Bars!
Nutrition & Wellness classes are currently learning about nutrients and how our bodies use these nutrients through the process of digestion. Students learned the importance of eating breakfast to prepare them for the day and also so their bodies are able to get these vital nutrients. We've made a few breakfast foods labs to learn about this topic including: Breakfast Strata, French Toast, & Breakfast Burritos. For Thanksgiving the students made Melt in Your Mouth Pumpkin Cookies with a Browned Butter Frosting! Next we will be moving on to learn about the MyPlate dietary guidelines.
ProStart 1 & 2 have been learning about Food Safety through the ServSafe Certification training. Students spent 4 intense weeks completing their training and took the ServSafe certification test at the end of the training. The ServSafe certification is a Food Safety training program designed to teach people in the restaurant industry the importance of keeping food safe. This is a national curriculum & certification written and used by the National Restaurant Association (NRA). In most states each restaurant is required to have at least 1 person working who has this certification.
John Lake attended the FCCLA Cluster Meeting in Louisville, KY where he competed in the Culinary Knife Skills demonstration event! We are very proud of John for all his efforts & accomplishments!
Students also completed their Pumpkin Roll/Pie fundraiser. Thank you to all who supported us here in the FACS department! It's very appreciated Money raised is used to take students to the state FCCLA/ProStart culinary competition!
FACS
Brenda Osman bosman@sunmandearborn.k12.in.us
Intro to Fashion and Textiles:
The Intro to Fashion and Textiles Students held the first annual Drowsy Driving Fashion Show on November 4, 2018 to share their first sewing construction project of pajama pants and to bring awareness to the problem of drowsy driving. The students shared many facts at the fashion show involving drowsy driving. For example, according to the National Sleep Foundation, there are at least 71,000 injuries each year from drowsy driving. During the fashion show, Ms. Lynn Deddens, the Dearborn County Prosecutor also shared many statistics involving car accidents in Dearborn County. Also Mrs. Danette Volpenhein, from State Farm Insurance shared how drowsy driving can affect your insurance costs. The students also encouraged everyone to buckle up when in a motor vehicle.
The Intro to Fashion and Textiles Students are currently learning how to keep their apparel looking its best by laundering, removing stains and drying correctly. They had the opportunity to learn to remove stains of chocolate, ink, cosmetics, lipstick, dirt, and ketchup.
Child Development:
The Child Development students are currently sewing their Child Development quilts together. They have also practiced the skill of hand embroidery while designing their quilt. The students should finish their quilts next week.
Child Development
Driving Drowsy Fashion Show
Intro to Fashion and Textiles
FCCLA
FCCLA
East Central/Sunman Dearborn Middle School chapter of Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) participated in a weekend leadership conference November 9-10th held in Louisville, Kentucky.
Attendees participated in a weekend of trainings and sessions that challenged, informed, and motivated members and their advisers to become leaders through FCCLA. Along with more than 1800 other members and chapter advisers, East Central's FCCLA chapter advisers, Brenda Osman, Ashley McConnell, and Sunman Dearborn Middle School adviser, Tammy Neltner. The students that attended the conference were Molly Graham, Hannah Weiler, Alli Beard, Hayley Lewis, Eva Grimm, Madison Miller, Lydia Trabel, John Lake, Maria Deddens, Maddie Zurweller, Josie Volpenhein, Katelynn Osman, Natalie Klei, Lacey Kelly, Natalie Douthit, Emily Taylor, Camryn Randolph, Jocelyn Hylton, Chassidy Stewart, Jenna Stewart, Britney Dole, Katie Baier, Becca Tupper and Colin Turner .
The theme of this year’s conference was “Believe in Yourself” and attendees were challenged to gain new ideas from the workshops, grow from their participation in the competitive events, and leave the meeting with the ability to “Believe in Yourself” and prepared for your future. These youth leaders also networked through meeting with other leaders and developed their leadership skills. In addition, chapter members learned more about future career and college options and they found ways to inspire others.
The keynote speaker was Michelle Poler who empowers future leaders to live with courage, find their authenticity, and embrace their growth paths. She was born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela, to a family of Holocaust survivors, Michelle was accustomed to living with fear. But when she moved to New York to pursue a master’s degree in branding at the School of Visual Arts, Michelle quickly realized that NYC was not for the fearful. In an effort to rewrite her definition of fear, Michelle completed a project where she faced 100 fears in 100 days. The closing session speaker was Blake Fly. Blake uses live music, storytelling, and appropriate humor to provide students with the keys to unlock their full potential in ways to inspire their peers to do the same. Blake shows students how to access all of the opportunities available to them and provides tools to immediately implement these examples. Through these speakers, students and advisers were empowered to come back to their local communities and to share the concept to “Believe in Yourself” by helping others and making a difference.
The FCCLA/LifeSmarts Knowledge Bowl is a three-level, team competition that challenges students' knowledge of all aspects of personal finance, consumer rights and responsibilities, technology, health and safety, the environment, and FCCLA knowledge. Members participated in both online and on-site levels of competition. East Central FACS Knowledge Bowl team of Molly Graham, Hannah Weiler, Alli Beard, Hayley Lewis and Eva Grimm placed 1st out of 25 teams and will move onto the final round of competition at the National FCCLA Conference in Anaheim, California next July.
Skill demonstration events were also held at the conference, featuring students participating in a wide variety of competitive activities. Events included several oratory and FCCLA-specific knowledge competitions, demonstrations of college and career-ready skills in Family and Consumer Sciences, and exhibitions of culinary skills. Congratulations to the following East Central/Sunman Dearborn FCCLA members who competed at the National Cluster Meeting. In the FCCLA Culinary Math Challenge Event, Occupational Division, Katelynn Osman received 3rd place. Receiving 1st place in the FCCLA Interviewing Skills Event, Junior Division is Maria Deddens. In the FCCLA Fashion and Textiles Challenge Event, Occupational Division is Britney Dole received 1st place. Emily Taylor received 1st place in the Occupational Division of Science in FACS Challenge Event. Congratulations to all of the FCCLA members who participated!
The East Central FCCLA & FFA members worked together to assist with the P.U.F.F. (People Uniting for Furry Friends) Project on November 27th. Members worked together to make homemade dog treats, dog blankets and dog toys. Both organizations are collecting items for both dogs and cats that will be donated to the Ripley County Animal Shelter and to Dearborn County PAWS. If you would like to donate to this great cause please contact Mrs. Osman, Ms. McConnell or Mr. Johnson for details.
Fine Arts
Melissa Gulasy - mgulasy@sunmandearborn.k12.in.us
Two words come to mind when talking about the students in the art department; hard-working and dedicated. They put so much time and effort into their artwork, and it all pays off. A special congratulations goes out to Ysa Fox, Ashley Miller, Karamia Kranzley, and Katie Priebe for being finalists in the Xavier University Art Show, which showcases over 500 works of art from over 33 high schools in the states of Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky. The reception on November 2nd exhibited 104 final entries. At the reception, Xavier University’s Art Department gave out 8 awards to the best pieces in the show. Katie Priebe, Kaylee Beal, and Karamia Kranzley were selected as winners.
Foreign Language
Oh la, la: National French Week, Storytelling, and a Trip to Québec City!
Lauren White
Bonjour! My name is Madame White and I am the French teacher at East Central High School. I teach levels one through four and we have a fabulous time in all my classes! I am passionate about teaching and my students. They are the reason I do what I do and I try to be the best for them. My classroom looks a little different from others. I don’t use a textbook; instead, I use a student-centered teaching method. My students are the stars of my classes. I talk about them and they learn how to talk about themselves. I’m a firm believer that the more input they receive (listening and reading), the more output they’ll achieve (speaking and writing). This is a newer method, but it has been proven to further students’ proficiency levels through their language-learning journey. I am excited to use this method and so far, my students love the way they learn!
With this method, I tell a myriad of stories in French. A lot of the time, my students help me create the stories by choosing the characters and their plots. There are a few times where I come up with the stories myself. I also perform these fantastic stories. I love being able to make the stories understandable through my actions and word walls. A story that one of my classes came up with was about a bee whose honey was getting eaten by a bear. The bee talks to an owl about his problem and the owl suggests taking the bear to a local river to fish for salmon. The bee does this and the bear ends up preferring the salmon to the honey. It is a great story that I have told in all my classes. I even used it as a reading assessment with my level two’s! The best part about these stories? The students begin commenting, “Wow. I really understood what she was saying! I understood the story!” It’s great to hear these comments because I know my students are learning a new language which can be quite difficult. I am proud of how much they’re understanding and can’t wait to see how much more they learn this year!
November 5th through the 9th was National French Week. Each day a fun French fact was presented to the school. Did you know that French is the fifth most spoken language in the world? French is so important universally and I am glad that I was able to celebrate this week by sharing French culture and songs with my students! Ask your local Frenchie what songs they heard that week!
During Spring break 2020 (next school year), I will be taking a trip to Québec City with a group of students! I am so thrilled for this opportunity as it will open many doors to my students and help them experience French culture and language in real life.
Math
The Math Department sincerely hopes that everyone had a safe and happy Thanksgiving! We are thankful for our EC family, friends, and community.
As promised, this month we are showcasing Mrs. Noeth and Mr. McDaniel.
Mrs. Noeth is one of our Algebra II and Geometry teachers. About 20 years ago Mrs. Noeth came to East Central from Western Hills High School in Cincinnati. She has three children who are all graduates of East Central. Mrs. Noeth works hard to help her students understand by using many different activities and incorporating technology into her classroom. She always stays after school to give students the opportunity to meet for extra help. Mrs. Noeth always strives for her students to be successful!
Mr. McDaniel teaches Geometry, Geometry Honors, and Advanced Math. He loves to make math fun by joking around with his students and applying those mathematical concepts to all sorts of ideas. McD (as he is quite often referred to) has a great relationship with his students! His door is always open to help his students and students in other classes. All they have to do is ask!
Stay tuned for next month!
Music
Congratulations to the drama department on their outstanding performances of A Murderous Night At the Musuem. We are excited to announce the spring musical will be High School Musical. Performance dates are March. 15th- 17th Auditions will be Monday, Dec. 10th 3:10-4:30p. Dec.11th, 3:10-4:30p and Thursday, Dec. 13th, 3:10-5:00P. Please email Mrs. Tanner, dtanner@sunmandearborn.k12.in.us with questions.
The choral department will present their Christmas Concert on Sunday, Dec. 2nd at 3:00p. Concert, Women’s and Show choir will be performing a variety of your favorite holiday songs with a visit from the Grinch and Santa Claus! Admission is free.
Chelsey Thompson - crthonpson@sunmandearborn.k12.in.us
The Marching Trojans wrapped up a stellar season by hosting their inaugural Community Appreciation Showcase and appearing LIVE on Indianapolis' FOX 59 morning newscast! Thank you, EC community for making our year of The Phoenix one to remember! Check out their year in review here: Marching Trojans 2018!
ECHS Dept. of Bands Holiday Spectacular! Monday, December 17th @ 6:30pm! $5 adults: $2 students! Featuring music by ALL ECHS Dept. of Bands musicians! Selections from the Polar Express, Nightmare Before Christmas, classical holiday favorites, and swingin' jazz grooves! We hope to see you there!
PE/Health
Fred Boger fboger@sunmandearborn.k12.in.us
All EC health classes had the opportunity to hear information from Dearborn County Narcotics Detective, Mr. Carl Pieczonka on Tuesday November 20th.
Science
Tim Maluvac - tmaluvac@sunmandearborn.k12.in.us
AP Chemistry Chromatography lab
Mr. Crabill's students were finding out what colors from inks and dyes are more polar than other colors. They calculated out the Rf value for each color by measuring the distances the colors and the solvent traveled.
Chemistry Flame test lab
Mr. Lawrence's students heated up metal ions causing electrons to jump to an excited state. When electrons returned to the ground state they released energy in different colors. Students observed the different colors and related them to the amount of energy released.
Social Studies
This month in the Social Studies department, World History and Civilization classes discussed the Roman Empire. Students learned about the development of the Roman empire, as well as, the fall of the Roman Empire. In U.S. History classes, students learned about the U.S. Civil War and the issues surrounding the fallout of this tumultuous time in American History. Also this month, the ACP American Politics class covered the importance of the U.S. Supreme Court on our governmental system and the impact of judicial review on American laws and policy.
Athletics
Tom Black
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