
East Central Middle School
ENEWSLETTER OCTOBER 2024
Preparing Learners for Tomorrow's Challenges
Principal Notes
With the first quarter wrapped up, we have a lot to be proud of at East Central Middle School (ECMS). We had 300+ students participating in clubs/athletics during this first quarter with a large amount of success from wins on the field/court to completing major philanthropic projects. Thank you to all of our students, teachers, coaches, and parents for your hard work and continued support of ECMS.
Students have been working through the first round of ILEARN checkpoints as we PILOT the new ILEARN format. Students will take three checkpoints throughout the school year leading up to the Summative test at the end of the year. I appreciate their hard work and focus throughout the process. We will continue to push students academically in the classroom and I am sure they will continue to rise to the occasion!
Finally, mark your calendars for the ECMS Drama production of Murder at the Malt Shop! on November 8-10. The students love to perform in front of a big crowd and they always put on a great show.
Upcoming Dates:
10/14-10/19 Red Ribbon Week
10/16 Early Release
10/17 Band Concert (6 PM)
10/21 Choir Concert (6 PM)
10/22 FCCLA VIP Dinner (6 PM)
11/8 - 11/10 Drama Production
11/13 Early Release
11/27 - 11/29 Thanksgiving Break
12/11 Early Release
12/20 End of first semester
12/23 - 1/3 Winter Break
Students of the Month
Congratulations to the following students on being nominated as our August & September Students of the Month:
August:
Maxwell Wilhlem was nominated by her 6th grade teachers. She puts forth 100% everyday and is always helpful to her peers around her.
Amelia Theising is a 7th grader recognized for being a hard worker. She is respectful and is always looking for a way to help anyone around her.
Marley Boone is the 8th grade nominee. She is both polite and empathetic. Her teachers say when those around her were out sick, she made sure they had all notes and missed assignments.
September:
Gerardo Montanez-Betancourt is the 6th grade Student of the Month. He is described as responsible and respectful. He comes to class ready to work and eager to learn.
Harper Hiltz is a standout 7th grader. She is polite and kind to teachers and students. She embodies the true definition of a hardworking student.
Brody Wegman is an exceptional 8th grader. He always participates in class and has interesting insights during conversation.
Guidance
Mr. Mersmann- A-K, EXT 12914, jwmersmann@sunmandearborn.k12.in.usj
Mrs. Watkins- L-Z, EXT 12915, rjwatkins@sunmandearborn.k12.in.us
Clubs
GET INVOLVED
Student Council
Student Council: In September, the student council helped host our Homecoming "Chillin and Grillin" event. Nearly half of our school attended! All proceeds benefit the students of East Central Middle School! Members are now beginning to prepare for the Veteran's Day assembly!
Yearbook
Photographers have been busy at sporting events and throughout the building capturing those special moments that we all want to remember. Yearbooks can be ordered online again this year at buytheyearbook.com.
FCCLA
FCCLA members worked hard at the bake sale and car wash in August to raise money for our chapter. We had our first chapter meeting on September 25th, where Connie Adelman from Project Linus helped the members make blankets for children in need. A group of 22 members and officers headed to the Indiana Fall Rally on September 26th and enjoyed various workshops, team building activities and completed a service project. Stay tuned for more awesomeness from these young leaders.
The Members of the Month for August and September were Annabelle Edmonds, Tyce Britton, Rachel Morton and Lorelai Young.
The Officers of the Month were Grace Kirchgassner and Caleb Kallmeyer.
Thank you for your dedication to our organization!
National Junior Honor Society (NJHS)
Thank you to everyone who participated in the September service project. We partnered with the North Dearborn Food Pantry to collect needed items. We collected over 1,500 pounds of items. If your student participated in the food drive, please remind him/her to fill out the service form on Classroom and log the hours on the Google Doc. Members will log their hours and turn the Google Doc in on May 16, 2025. Members need to earn 5 hours between August-May. Information for our next project will be given in our next virtual meeting (after fall break). Please reach out to Mrs. Mersmann if you have any questions remersmann@sunmandearborn.k12.in.us
Academic Team
6th and 7th grade tryouts will open October 14th and close the 17th. Our first meet is in November! We will have an all-call meeting on October 30th from 3-5!
Drama Club
The ECMS Drama Club has started rehearsals for our first murder mystery, Murder at the Malt Shop! This play, set in a 1950s diner, has all of your classic murder mystery drama! Come see "Who Dunnit?" on November 8th and 9th at 7pm and November 10th at 3pm! Tickets can be purchased at the door!
FFA
Nine East Central FFA members competed in the Area One Livestock Skillathon Career Development on Wednesday, September 4. The event was held at South Ripley High School. In this event, an FFA member tests their knowledge on beef cattle, swine, sheep and meat-type goats. Events include breed, retail meat cut, feed ingredient, and livestock equipment identification. They also complete an industry quiz and a quality assurance exam. The top team for East Central Middle School placed 4th out of 9 teams, and consisted of Gwenever Mcconnaughey, Jack Rosenberger, and Owen Shumate. Jack Rosenberger was the top individual for EC, placing 4th out of 26 contestants.
Thirteen members of the East Central FFA Chapter competed in the Indiana 4-H/FFA State Horticulture Career Development Event on Saturday September 21st at Purdue University. There were a total of 43 teams from throughout Indiana that participated in the event. Each FFA member had to complete several components to complete the competition. Members completed a plant identification practicum where they had to identify ornamental trees and shrubs, flowering and indoor plants, fruits, and vegetables. They also had to complete a general knowledge exam and a plant quality grading practicum where they ranked specimens in a class from best to worst. East Central had a junior team of middle school FFA members. The East Central FFA Junior team placed 7th out of 11 teams. This team included Leah Weber, Owen Shumate, Gwenevere Mcconnaughey, and Megan Lutz. Nora Wingate also competed as an individual. The top placing junior individual was Leah Weber, who placed 11th out of 49 junior competitors.
Sixteen members of the East Central FFA Chapter competed in the Area 1 Soils Evaluation Career Development Event on Wednesday, September 25th at the Southeast Purdue Agricultural Center in Butlerville, Indiana. Teams had to use knowledge of soils to evaluate the physical characteristics of a total of four sites. Two sites were evaluated on their agricultural capabilities and the other two were evaluated on their ability to be used as a site for residential homes. East Central’s top middle school team placed 4th. Team members included Caitlyn Lostutter, Ian Hill, Megan Lutz, and Caylee Minges. East Central’s second middle school team placed 5th, and consisted of Danielle Powers, Chase Schutte, Nolan Stenger, and Landon Smith. Other middle school members that competed as individuals include Leah Weber and Nolan McDaniel. The top placing junior individual was Caitlyn Lostutter, who placed 6th out of 22 contestants.
East Central FFA Website:
https://sites.google.com/sunmandearborn.k12.in.us/eastcentralffa/home
ECMS Mealworm Farm
In March 2024, Mr. Snider received notice the East Central Middle School Agriculture and FFA Program was selected as a recipient of the 2024 National FFA - Lilly Endowment Classroom Enhancement Grant for $10,000 and the 2024 National FFA - Lilly Endowment Professional Development Grant for $3,000. From the National FFA - Lilly Endowment Classroom Enhancement Grant for $10,000, the East Central Middle School Mealworm Farm was established. Today, we are offering our students new opportunities in career exploration in fields like business, education, production, and research. The ECMS Mealworm Farm is making a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premiere leadership, personal growth, and career success through agricultural education. We aim to strengthen the Sunman Dearborn Community agriculture by providing our students with the skills needed to build healthy, local communities, a strong nation, and a sustainable world. This farm is overseen completely by our Animal Sciences course students, alongside middle school students when needed.
We are offering mealworm products at great and affordable rates. Each order is hand picked and processed by our students. Products include live or dehydrated mealworms and frass (aka poop!). Mealworm frass is a natural insect plant fertilizer. In fact, according to The National Library of Medicine, "Frass is increasingly available due to the growing popularity of insect farms, and it could constitute a promising and environmentally friendly alternative to conventional fertilizers in the near future."
We are selling mealworm products are Sunman Dearborn Community School's Early Release Days. Our fist sale date was September 18th, 2024. Animal Science students quickly realized that we had more orders that we could prepare. Students had to learn how to problem solve to correct this situation. Animal Science students stayed after school to run this agribusiness and ensure customer satisfaction. Our next date to pickup will be Wednesday October 16th, from 2 - 5:30 pm.
For more information or to place how an order, please visit our new Middle School Mealworm Farm Website:
https://sites.google.com/sunmandearborn.k12.in.us/ecms-middle-school-mealworms/home?authuser=0
D.C. Trip (8th Grade Only)
2025 NY/DC Parent Meeting for 7th Grade on November 13th at 6:00 PM in ECMS Cafeteria.
Unity Club
Unity Club had a great turnout at their first meeting last month. We look forward to seeing all members again on October 14th! All are welcome!
Art Club
The Art Club will meet on the following dates semester 1: October 21, November 18, and December 9.
Your Education Is What YOU Make It.
Math
6th Grade Math
Over the last month, the 6th grade General Math classes have been working on integers, absolute value, and the coordinate plane. They have now moved into working with decimal numbers (+, -, x, /). The students have been doing a great job as they move on from remainders to long division and decimals.
In 6th grade Advanced Math classes, students started out the year working with Integers, and learning the rules of negatives and positives. They then started working with Rational Numbers. Now, they are working on Proportional Relationships and getting ready to head into solving percent problems.
7th Grade Math
The 7th grade General Math students have been working vigorously to master the Number Sense standards in Quarter 1. Students have gotten accustomed to norms and expectations of 7th grade math. Students have learned how to use prime factor trees for prime factorizations and also have been working on finding perfect squares. Students are starting to show great strength in working with negative and positive numbers, along with using operations to solve math problems. We are excited to watch this group grow as we move throughout the year. Students will be moving on to Algebra Standards in Quarter 2, where students will learn how algebra can be used in the real world.
In 7th grade Advanced Math, students are reviewing their knowledge of properties of operations and are developing an understanding of the real number system to build fluency with determining if numbers are rational or irrational, finding roots of perfect squares and cubes, converting rational numbers between decimal and fraction forms, and estimating roots of numbers. In addition, students are learning the properties of exponents to write and evaluate expressions involving powers and exponents. Students are doing a great job of grasping new concepts!
8th Grade Math
In 8th Grade General Math classes, students have been working on converting rational numbers and approximating irrational numbers as well as ordering them on a number line. Students have developed an understanding of the importance of 8th grade math as it is the backbone of high school algebra. Students have learned the different laws of exponents. The students appear to be catching on quickly to these new concepts. Students have been working hard individually and with partners to increase their understanding of writing and solving algebraic equations and inequalities with variables on both sides and how to write them using given real-life scenarios.
In 8th Grade Algebra 1 classes, students have been working hard simplifying radicals with non-perfect squares. They have been solving real-world word problems using linear equations and inequalities, including variables on both sides of the equal signs. They have been explaining and writing about the process used to solve the equations. In addition, students have been doing an awesome job of solving linear equations and formulas for a specified variable. Their hard work on solving equations and word problems really shows!
Mrs. Mullalley's ALEKS Wall of Fame is already filling up! Congratulations to 8th graders, Liam Riley, Grant Foley and Silas Crimmel for completing their ALEKS Math Algebra I Course! They have moved on to the Algebra 2 Course. There are several other middle school students who are very close to being finished with their current course as well. Keep up the hard work!
Social Studies
6th Grade
Sixth graders are immersing themselves in European History. We started with the Ancient Greeks and then moved on to the Roman Empire. The students were very fascinated with the history and culture of the two ancient civilizations. We are currently learning about the Middle Ages, including feudalism, the Bubonic Plague, the Crusades, and the Renaissance. We will continue with more European history after fall break.
7th Grade
In seventh grade we started out working on our map skills. Classes were grouped into teams of three and each day students worked on a map skill and competed against one another in our FLIGHT competition where they had to navigate across an imaginary continent. We then covered landforms, weather, climate, and resources. Next classes will explore economics and compete in our stock market challenge.
8th Grade
Eighth grade classes covered early explorers and colonization as well as the French and Indian War. Right now we are covering the lead up to the Revolutionary War including the taxation policies and the Boston Tea Party and Boston Massacre.
FACS
It’s been busy in the FACS room as 6th graders completed their pin cushions and pillows during the sewing unit. The 7th and 8th graders learned about budgeting and comparison shopping before they completed their Dream Bedroom project. As we finish up the first nine weeks, 6th graders are cooking using their communication, math and teamwork skills while 7th and 8th graders are sewing their bookmarks and aprons.
Science
6th Grade Science - Mr. Johnson & Mrs. Lecher
In 6th grade, we are wrapping up the 1st quarter with a common assessment this week. We will continue working with energy that travels in waves as we begin the 2nd quarter. We will be doing a sound wave lab and electromagnetic waves stations to explore how light and sound are similar and very different.
7th Grade Science
Mrs. Knueven
First quarter we learned about metric measurements by having a Metric Olympic Competition with a medal ceremony! We then moved into Kinetic and Potential Energy. Students worked hard to determine the effect that mass and speed have on energy by working problems mathematically and graphing to show the relationships. Currently we are learning about heat transfer. The project used to show understanding is the insulator students need to build out of common items. We will test them to see who has the most efficient design.
Mrs. Radcliffe
We have been working on Newton's Laws of Motion and how they apply to everyday life. Some projects we have applied them to are the marshmallow catapult, the 30 foot egg drop, and currently are working on our Rube Goldberg projects. The survival rate of each class varied, but the overall winning class, to reduce the impact of the egg, was Period 6 with 91%. The farthest shot marshmallow was 7th period, which went 22 feet. Students will be finishing up their Rube Goldberg projects this week. The goal is to have 10 chain reactions to complete a simple task.
8th Grade Science - Mrs. Bertke
The first topics of study were Engineeringing Design & Scientific Inquiry. After learning about the steps of each of these methods students did labs to put these processes in practice. Students constructed airplanes from 3 different types of papers to see which one would fly the farthest. Matthew Ingle & Jackson McClains' cardstock paper was the record holder with a distance of 21.23 meters. The second lab was to use the Engineering Design process to develop an eco-friendly t-shirt. The t-shirts had very creative graphics and interesting slogans. Chemistry standards were covered next. Students learned how matter is described and classified. They completed a messing with mixtures lab where they measured the components of trial mix and observed different solutions. The structure of Atoms is the final area of study. We used the Atoms Family in Matterville as an analogy of the subatomic particles in an atom.
8th Grade Science - Mr. Dawley
This first quarter Mr. Dawley's class started out learning all about the metric system, Using that knowledge to perform several labs with triple beam balances, weighing household items and pennies, nickels and dimes. Also we learned how to use graduated cylinders, reading them in metric units. We are now learning all about atoms, their structures and how they build all matter. . Why can't you believe anything atoms say? ... Because they make up everything. - Dad-teacher joke. Next quarter will be jam-packed with more fun. Till then...
English
6th Grade Reading - Mrs. Stroh
We have had a great start to the year in Reading! Students are learning how to use “Text Evidence” to “Infer”, and different ways to define vocabulary terms using “Context Clues.” We have switched roles several times and the students have become the teacher. They score different “RACE” writing responses during this activity. This is always such a fun activity. I always look forward to seeing which students are the strictest when grading the RACE responses. It is going to be a great semester with this fantastic group of kids!!
6th Grade ELA - Mrs. Andres & Miss Packer
6th grade has been moving and grooving this quarter as the students are learning that writers are readers and readers are writers!
Many writing skills have been covered thus far: The 6 Traits of Writing, The 5 step writing process, the strategies of how to write a personal narrative and how to write and incorporate a variety of sentences in writing. Learning to write is not easy. It takes time, practice and a great understanding of language overall. With that being said, be on the lookout for your child's personal narrative piece coming home. Most enjoyed and wrote well articulating in writing about a special time in his/her life.
In addition to writing, the students have been studying a wonderful piece of literature, Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper. The students have been taught how to cite evidence using RACE to support answers, how to infer what is being said and how to understand the theme that the author is trying to portray.
On an exciting note and a fantastic way to end our quarter, Mrs. Draper herself virtually visited the 6th grade on Wednesday, 10-2! It was an incredible experience for the students to hear from a successful, award winning author. A great time was had by all!
7th Grade Reading - Mrs. Mersmann
Hello, parents and guardians. Reading is a semester class; I have enjoyed getting to know your student. Together with support from home, I am optimistic that these students will excel beyond my expectations. To start off the semester, students explored central idea in nonfiction articles. Finding the central idea requires supporting evidence, and students searched diligently to find the best (strongest) text evidence to back up their answers. To reinforce the students' understanding of these skills, we will use the RACES method for constructing short responses and the UNPACK method. Your student should be able to craft a 6+ sentence response to any prompt with ease. I am proud of the work and progress students have made in understanding the state standards thus far. To support your child's learning at home, please encourage them to read a variety of reading materials. Please reach out to Mrs. Mersmann if you have any questions remersmann@sunmandearborn.k12.in.us
7th Grade ELA—Miss Rogers and Mrs. Sohns
Our 7th-grade ELA students have enjoyed various short stories as we learned about the elements that make up a story. Two stories in particular created quite a buzz, “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe and “Lamb to the Slaughter” by Roald Dahl. The students also engaged in a day of learning about the weird and fascinating life of Edgar Allan Poe before reading “The Cask of Amontillado.”
We have continued to have weekly vocabulary lists and grammar practice in addition to working with story elements. Most recently we have been learning Greek and Latin roots - the building blocks of countless words we use every day. Our grammar practice has been focused on identifying nouns, subjects, and verbs.
The end of the first quarter is quickly approaching. The reading goal deadline for the 1st quarter will be Monday, September 30th. This year, 7th-grade ELA classes are trying out a new reading program. It differs from the AR program that we’ve used in a lot of exciting ways. Whooo’s Reading allows students to log ALL reading. We’re no longer restricted to certain books. Students still have a reading goal, but it is based on the number of pages read, rather than points earned from quizzes. Students will still have a short quiz after reading a book, but they look very different. Whooo’s Reading quizzes have around 3 short answer questions. The majority of the reading goal grade will come from meeting the required number of pages read. ALL pages count! Did your students read a chapter in their science book? It counts! Did they read a magazine in the waiting room at the dentist? It counts! Students should log ALL reading each day, but they can choose to do it once per week. We’re so excited to have a program that gives our students the freedom to read ANY material they choose!
8th Grade ELA - Mrs. Bevis and Mr. Wagner
Welcome to eighth-grade language arts! We will be studying literary text analysis of both fiction and nonfiction as well as vocabulary, Greek/Latin roots and affixes, composition, poetry, and grammar. In addition to this content, students should be reading books of their own choice and should be bringing those books to class daily. Fiction has been the focus of first quarter, and short stories have been used to complete plot diagrams. Google Classroom is up and running, so please feel free to utilize it to see daily agendas and assignments. Remember, however, that PowerSchool is the resource used for grading. If you need help accessing PowerSchool, please contact the office. We are looking forward to a great year! If you have any questions, please contact us! Email: jlbevis@sunmandearborn.k12.in.us or spwagner@sunmandearborn.k12.in.us
8th Grade Advanced ELA - Mr. Wagner
Salutations! 8th Grade Advanced ELA contains a myriad of topics we must cover in a relatively short amount of time; therefore, after NWEA testing, we will hit the ground running. Particular emphasis will be placed on reading appropriate Lexile-leveled stories, developing a personal writing style, and enhancing our vocabularies. Fiction has been emphasized this quarter as we learn about the interconnectedness of setting, conflict, characters, and plot. Please check in with your child from time to time to see if they are staying on top of their assignments. As always, feel free to contact me with any questions you may have. Email: spwagner@sunmandearborn.k12.in.us
8th Grade Honors ELA - Mr. Wagner
Greetings! I am very much looking forward to working with such a bright group of young individuals this year. After completing our Fall NWEA test, we will be diving headfirst into the many intricacies of ELA. Your child may have already mentioned that this course is specifically designed to be rigorous; we will strive daily to enhance our comprehension, composition, and analytical skills. This year we will also be focusing on SAT/ACT vocabulary words and spend time working on presentation techniques. Fiction has been emphasized this quarter as we learn about the interconnectedness of setting, conflict, characters, and plot. Please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have. Email: spwagner@sunmandearborn.k12.in.us
Engineering
6th Grade Engineering students learned Autodesk Inventor (3D Modeling Software) and West Point Bridge Designer (Bridge Design Software) that Mechanical and Civil Engineers would use...They made multiple models and freestyled/practiced in Autodesk Inventor and had a contest with the other 6th graders to see who could design the least expensive working bridge in West Point Bridge Designer. Students also learned about the Design Process and the steps you go through to solve problems...they put this to the test designing a paper bridge using only one piece of printer paper and no adhesives (tape, glue, staples, etc..) The longest bridge in both 6th grade classes set the curve.
7th/8th Grade Engineering learned/reviewed Autodesk Inventor and West Point Bridge Designer. Students modeled parts of a Toy Car in Autodesk Inventor and assembled them into a Car. Students also had a contest to see who could model the least expensive working bridge in West Point Bridge Designer. The least expensive bridge in the class set the curve.
Advanced Engineering students modeled and 3D printed a Drink Coaster using Autodesk Inventor (3D modeling software) and MakerBot (3D printing software). Students also had a contest to see who could build the least expensive working bridge in West Point Bridge Designer. The least expensive bridge in the class set the curve. Student teams designed a bridge in West Point Bridge Designer, hand sketched a template, built and tested a prototype out of Balsa Wood. This Advanced Engineering class smashed the previous class average for weight held by almost 40 lbs with a class average of 81.2 lbs. There were bridges that held 110 lbs, 97 lbs, and 89 lbs....all seven teams bridges held over 50 lbs each.
Band
INpact Band
On August 9th and 10th, several students from ECMS and ECHS performed at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis as part of the 2024 INpact Band! These students were selected from a pool of over 1000 applicants based on their musical ability and leadership skills. In addition to giving an outstanding performance, students also took part in leadership and team building activities, watched world class drum corps performances, and spent time at Monument Circle and Military Park. Congratulations to Brayden Klump, Gwenevere McConnaughey, Reiss Rexin, Matthew Tallman, Abbey Tully, and Owen Wallace!
East Central Marching Trojans
The East Central Marching Trojans have been busy this fall, performing at a number of competitions sponsored by the Indiana State School Music Association (ISSMA) and the Mid-States Band Association (MSBA). On August 24th, they earned a Gold Rating at the ISSMA Summer Showcase hosted by Kokomo High School. Congratulations to 8th grade members Pearl Brasier, Haidyn Barnes, Abigail Haller, Evie Hornberger, Brayden Klump, Dylan Kruse, Ashlyn Ritter, Ryder Steinbacher, Annika Stine, and Maia Williams.
Honor Band
7th and 8th grade students from ECMS have been selected to participate in the 2024 All-Region Honor Band sponsored by the Indiana Bandmasters Association. The Honor Band is composed of the most outstanding 7th-9th grade band students in south-central Indiana, who are selected based on an application and a recommendation from their director. Congratulations to Ashton Bruns, Harper Hiltz, Nadalie May, Gwenevere McConnaughey, Danielle Powers, and Owen Wallace for being selected! They will give a performance on November 17th at 4 p.m. at Greensburg Community High School.
Fall Concert
Please join us for an evening of music on Thursday, October 17th at 6:30 p.m. in the ECHS Performing Arts Center! This concert will include performances by the Intermediate Band (periods 6 & 8) and the Advanced Band (period 7). As always, admission is FREE! We hope to see you there!
Choir
The ECMS Choir Department has just finished our Fall Fundraiser. Thank you to everyone that supported the choirs this year! We had a record fundraiser and every class met their fundraising goal! All money will go towards our field trip to the Kings Island Festival of Music in May and the show choir costumes. Thank you again for your support!
The Fall Choir Concert will be on Monday, October 21st. The 6th Grade Concert (1st Period and 2nd Period) will be at 6pm and the 7th/8th Grade Concert (4th, 7th and 8th Period) will be at 7pm. Come enjoy a variety of music from all of the choirs, including some Fall/Halloween selections! The concert is free to attend and open to the public! All of the choirs have been working very hard since the beginning of the school year to prepare for the concert.
Creative Dramatics
The Creative Dramatics class has focused on learning about the parts of the stage and acting in a group setting during Quarter 1. We took a special tour of the PAC with Spencer Powell and saw all of the behind the scenes rooms that make the PAC functional. This is always one of the students' favorite memories from Creative Dramatics! We are wrapping up Quarter 1 with our third Group Scene performances and learning about Improv. The students love testing out their Improv skills!
Art
Computer Art students are learning the Adobe Photoshop program. They are currently applying the tools and skills that they are learning to create a personalized magazine cover. They are also helping to create work for display in the cafeteria napkin dispensers.
6th grade students are finishing canvas paintings in the style of artist Romero Britto. They are learning to mix paint and show unity in a work of art. They will be glazing their pottery as well. When that is complete they will work on an abstract work of art.
7/8th students have completed numerous projects so far including a pencil drawing, box sculpture in the style of artist Louise Nevelson, and a multi-media cultural mask. Each student created an individual box sculpture and they were compiled to make one group piece. These were displayed in the cafeteria and the library for all to enjoy.
Physical Education
The ECMS staff would like to congratulate Shelbie Lewis (Girls PE Teacher) and her husband Zack on their beautiful baby girl Rylie!! Mrs. Lewis will be returning to the classroom after Fall Break. With that being said, we would like thank Mrs. Tracy Meyer for filling Mrs. Lewis's long term sub position. Tracy is no stranger to Sunman Dearborn Community Schools as she has spent 32 years here teaching Physical Education and Special Education. Coach Disbro, Mr Riehle, and the students appreciate the amazing job she has done filling in for Mrs. Lewis this first quarter.
The students have spent most of this dry, hot Fall participating in outdoor activities like, flag football, ultimate frisbee, softball, track, and soccer. As we move into the second nine weeks students can expect to go outside early on, but will finish the quarter with indoor activities that will include: fitness testing, basketball, line soccer, flickerball, table tennis, and many more activities. Please dress accordingly.
Athletics
8th Grade Football
The 8th grade football team finished the regular season with an 8-1 record. As the season progressed, injuries began to mount, but the Trojans rallied around each other and accepted the challenges head on. The coaching staff was particularly proud of the way our student athletes supported, motivated, and encouraged each other through difficult circumstances throughout the season. Most players were able to develop at multiple positions this year, which will better prepare them for their roles at the High School level. East Central High School will certainly benefit when the current Middle School classes are able to make contributions in the coming years.
7th Grade Football
The 7th-grade football team finished their season with a 9-1 record. It was great experience with a total of 52 boys on the team who worked hard and showed great teamwork throughout the season.
It was great to see how well the boys came together and continued to progress as the season went on. Two of the standout victories this year were against Harrison and Columbus Middle School, which were significant wins for the team.
One of the most impressive aspects of this season was how the boys set goals for themselves at the beginning of the year and then worked tirelessly to achieve them. It was amazing to see their dedication and determination pay off in such a successful season.
Boys and g\Girls Cross Country
Cross Country wrapped up their season at the EIAC Conference meet on Monday -with girls coming in 3rd place and boys 4th place. Cooper Middendorf placed 3rd in the boys varsity race and
Avery King (7th place) Taylor King(8th place), Peyton King (9th place) and Charleigh Bennett (10th place) in the girls varsity race. Fantastic season for ECMS Cross Country!
Tennis
In their first season, the boys tennis team proved to be very competetive with a season record of 5-1.
7th and 8th grade Volleyball
The 7th and 8th garde volleyball teams had a successful season. While the 7th grade went 11-5, the 8th grade was 11-4. Allof the girls work ethic and upbeat personalities made for a very enjoyable and memorable season. 8th grade improved immensely on transitioning and getting three touches. 7th grade worked in their passing and learning how to come together as a team.
Girls Basketball
Attention girls and parents/guardians, the girls basketball program holds a fall league for current 6th, 7th, and 8th graders. Games are on Saturday mornings, starting Oct. 26th and ending Nov. 30th. There will be some practice opportunities also on several Mondays and Wednesdays within that time frame as well. If you would like to register, please contact Varsity Head Coach, Kevin Moore at coachmoore23@gmail.com
Chad Swinney
Email: crswinney@sunmandearborn.k12.in.us
Website: ecms.sunmandearborn.k12.in.us
Location: 8356 Schuman Rd, St Leon, IN, USA
Phone: 812-576-3500
Facebook: facebook.com/ECMSTROJANS
Twitter: @EastCentral_MS