East Central

As October comes to a close and November begins, we have much to be thankful for here at EC.

Students and staff continue to work diligently to maintain the highest levels of achievement. Considering well more than one half of our student body was Exemplary Honor Roll or Honor Roll in the first quarter speaks volumes regarding that effort.

In athletics, winter sports are just getting underway with the girls basketball scrimmage this past Saturday. Fall sports went well with three cross-country runners, Emilee Wedding, Rachel Campbell, and Michael Schwebach advancing to Semi-state. Football reached #1 in the state rankings two weeks ago and continued their undefeated streak winning games over Silver Creek and Greenwood in the first two weekends of the playoffs. They took their show on the road to Moorseville this past Friday for a shot at another sectional title and fell in the final minutes to a really tough Pioneer squad. Thank you for a great season...staying undefeated through 11 weeks!

Our Fall musical on October 20th was a sensation. This is Halloween was a success with wonderful performances and outstanding lighting and costumes. Mrs. Tanner and her team never fail to impress.

EC Student Council's For The Kids (FTK) events for Cincinnati Children's Hospital begin in November with a dodgeball tournament the week of November 14th and 15th with all proceeds benefiting the kids of Cincinnati Children's. StuCo has many exciting events planned throughout the year so keep your eyes open for ways to enjoy the fun and contribute for a great cause.

Lastly, as the year continues we will keep striving...

• to make connections,
• to provide the best opportunities for our students,
• and perhaps most importantly, to offer a safe and secure school environment where your child/student can grow and thrive as an academic and as a person.

We wish you a happy thanksgiving season! There, truly, is so much to be thankful for...

WE ARE...EC!

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

Respectfully,

Tom Black

Important Test Dates

ISTEP+ Winter Retest will be given to those juniors and seniors that have not yet passed their GQE November 25-27 (Math) and December 2-5 (ELA) . ISTEP+ Bootcamp is held every Tuesday and Thursday (3:00-4:00 pm) students who would like to remediate prior to retesting.

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 will be open November 18 and 25 (4:00 PM until 5:30 PM). Please enter through Door #8, located in between the middle and high school.

The pantry is also open by appointment by calling 812-576-4811 ext. 11302, Ask for Brenda Osman.

SAT & ACT Information

If you are planning to attend a four-year college, you should plan on registering for the ACT and SAT soon. To prepare well for these tests, we recommend taking rigorous classes, doing well in your academic coursework, and taking advantage of free SAT/ACT prep materials (online and in the Guidance Office).

Don't forget to check out the Admissions webpage of colleges you are interested in attending. You can find a "Freshman Profile" that will give you more information about the GPA, academic rigor, community service, and test scores required for admission.

You can click on the following links to learn more about taking the ACT/SAT:

ACT Information

When should I take the SAT?

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 & Graduation Pathways

For the first time in years, the class of 2023 will not have to “pass a test” to earn their high school diploma! Freshmen 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.

Educationally,

Mrs. Rosfeld

jrosfeld@sunmandearborn.k12.in.us

Rhonda Murdock - rmurdock@sunmandearborn.k12.in.us

PSAT, ASVAB and Accuplacer testing have been completed this month. Students are diligently working on second quarter grades and support is continuously available through teachers and National Honor Society students on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3-4 p.m. in the Library. Listed below is an overview of tasks that each grade should be focused on completing.

Over the past several years, members of our ECHS school community have graciously stepped up to help our LOCAL families in need during the Christmas season. We will continue this tradition again this year! If you are in need of assistance, or would like to sponsor a child/family, please contact Mrs. Stanley (kastanley@sunmandearborn.k12.in.us), Mrs. Tiemann (amtiemann@sunmandearborn.k12.in.us), or Mrs. Tupper (latupper@sunmandearborn.k12.in.us).

Key items per grade:

Seniors: We hope you attended Financial Aid night this month! Remember, the FAFSA is now open until the April 15th deadline for Indiana. The Ivy Tech Lawrenceburg campus is available on November 13th for students and parents who would like individual assistance completing the FAFSA. The following link is should be used to schedule appointment times: https://link.ivytech.edu/ECHSFA19. This link was emailed to the students and tweeted out for parents.

Seniors are also allowed to have two college visit days to explore or finalize colleges of choice. Deadlines are quickly approaching for college applications and guidance counselors are always available to assist as needed.

Seniors who are undecided about what to study after high school are encouraged to connect with Ivy Tech Community College’s Associate Accelerated Program (ASAP). This program helps high school graduates earn an Associate’s Degree in just 11 months and prepares them to transfer to a four-year college to earn their Bachelor's Degree. Contact Heather Gard at hgard3@ivytech.edu for more information.

Juniors:

PSAT and ASVAB tests were administered on October 16th during the school day. Students who have not passed ISTEP+ were scheduled to take the ASVAB which may qualify them to graduate with the Graduation Pathways option. Once scores are returned, results and preparation materials will be reviewed with the students.

SAT, ACT, College Fair information

Sophomores and Freshman: Students should be focusing on grades and career/college exploration. Once sophomore PSAT scores are received, results will be reviewed in the classroom along with additional supports for SAT/ACT test prep.

As always 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.

As always 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.

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

Roy Johnson - rjohnson@sunmandearborn.k12.in.us

The East Central FFA Chapter had 14 members compete in the Area 1 Soils Career Development Event on Tuesday, October 1st in Vevay, Indiana. There was a total of 32 teams from the area that participated in the event. Teams had to use knowledge of soils to judge two home sites and two agriculture sites. East Central’s top senior team placed 6th with the team of Heath Doll, Madison Shumate, Amelia Hartman, and Maria Hartman. Our top junior team placed 4th with the team of John Kathman, Lloyd Darringer, and Isaac Hartman. Heath Doll was our top placing senior individual placing 15th overall. Lloyd Darringer was our top placing junior individual placing 11th. The senior team has the opportunity to compete at state. Other individuals who competed include: Madison McAdams, Jacob Kuhn, Alex Newport, Troy Shumate, Erica Kathman, Bradley Kolb, and Adrien King. Congratulations to all members that competed!

Tina Waechter - twaechter@sunmandearborn.k12.in.us

Advertisement Remakes

Advertisements are easy to create, right? Students found out that it’s a lot harder than what they anticipated. Our dual-credit Information Technology and Graphic Design courses were tasked with re-making ads using only Microsoft Word and Microsoft Publisher. It was a very difficult task, but the students applied layering concepts, graphic editing, shapes, font design, and many other advanced features in both programs to be able to complete the projects. Advanced levels of patience was even practiced as they worked through them. The kids did a fabulous job! After finishing, the students voted on the top remakes for each class. The top picks are featured below and they earned extra credit for their hard work.

Graphic Design & Layout

Students in this course learn graphic design and layout through Microsoft Publisher, Photoshop and other various programs. Congratulations Luke Jackson (the overall winner), Zoe Koelling, and Alyssa Thomas.

Information Technology - Ivy Tech CINS

Students in this course are preparing for their industry level Microsoft Word Certifications in the first part of November. Throughout this year, students will have the opportunity to become certified in Microsoft Word, Excel, Access and PowerPoint. So, this challenging project fit right in. After finishing, the students voted on the top remakes for each class. The top picks are below and they earned extra credit for their hard work.

Congratulations Grace Lyness, Pete Ralles (not pictured - ADT), Caine Gindling, and Lyida Smith!

Follow us: @TrojanExchange or visit us @ https://www.trojanexchange.com

Tom Boyd - tboyd@sunmandearborn.k12.in.us

Senior Engineering Students Begin Capstone Project

Mr. Boyd’s senior engineering students are currently collecting data to be used for their senior capstone project. Using Google Forms, each team of students created a short survey to gather needed information for their individual projects. Once the data has been received and compiled, students will write their concise problem statement which explains exactly what the problem is and identifies who says this problem exists. Please contribute to their research by answering these short 5-7 question surveys. Thank you.

Restaurant Table Cleanliness Survey

Vehicle Detailing Survey

Shower Product Survey

Earbud Problem Survey

Tendinitis Survey

84 Lumber Donates Building Materials

EC graduate and 84 Lumber Assistant Manager, Mr. Robbie Hacker, oversees the delivery of nearly $1,000 worth of building materials donated to support the construction, manufacturing and engineering courses in the EC Engineering and Technology Department. Mr. Kennedy is shown accepting the donated materials from 84 Lumber. Thank you Mr. Hacker and 84 Lumber!

Shelly Anderson - sanderson@sunmandearborn.k12.in.us

Here are a few things happening in the English department.

In English 9, students in Mrs. Stanley’s class are studying Of Mice and Men and learning about characterization and imagery.

Mrs. Tucker’s class finished the unit by completing a primary source digital breakout.

In English 10, students are in the early stages of discussing research and citations to prepare for their upcoming research/debate unit in Mr. Meiners’ classes. Mrs. Beckner’s classes learning persuasive techniques for their argumentative essays. Finally, Mrs. Anderson’s Honors English 10 are in the midst of The Book Thief.

In English 11, Mrs. Rose’s classes are finishing up The Crucible just in time for Halloween. In Honors English 11, Mrs. Beckner’s classes analyzed the foundational documents of the Revolutionary War then researched the founding fathers and had a Hamilton-style rap battle, using rhetorical devices to sway their audience.

Mrs. Anderson’s AP Language & Composition classes, did a radio play version of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” and wrote their own Declarations of Independence.

In English 12, students are wrapping up Macbeth and beginning Beowulf. Students in Mrs. Ketcham’s Honors English 12 analyzed the medieval ages by studying The Canterbury Tales and retelling the pilgrims’ tales through discussion, writing, and presentations.

AP Literature & Composition is using the spooky season to analyze Frankenstein. On Halloween, they created their own monsters and wrote a letter to their monster, considering the moral responsibility of having created “life.”

Finally, in ACP Speech, students are writing and giving transformational speeches, and ACP English students are in the midst of studying a unit called “Obedience to Authority.”

Brenda Osman bosman@sunmandearborn.k12.in.us

Intro to Fashion and Textiles:

The Introduction to Fashion and Textiles are finishing up their Pajama Pants this week. They have learned some important aspects of sewing including pattern layout, sewing a ⅝” seam, pressing, making a casing and hemming. With the completion of this project, FCCLA will be sponsoring a Drowsy Driving Fashion Show on Wednesday, Nov. 20th at 5:15 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center at East Central. These students will be showcasing their new pair of pants.

Child Development:

The Child Development students have been practicing their infant care skills by caring for our Real Care Babies through the night or on a weekend. Students learn to take care of an infant’s demands such as feeding, burping, rocking or changing the diaper.

Fashion and Textile Careers:

The Fashion and Textile Careers Students are busy completing their Entrepreneurship Project and putting their business plan into action. We have new businesses like B’s Keys and J.M. Hair Scrunchies. They are busy producing products following their business plan. Their items will be on sale during lunch and on social media.

Education Professions 2:

The Education Professions 2 students volunteered at the Crayons 2 Computers Free Teacher Store in Cincinnati, OH on October 23rd. The students spent 2 hours sorting school supplies and counting paper that will be cut into shapes for teachers to use with students. The students enjoyed the experience as a way to give back to their future profession.

FCCLA:

FCCLA has had a very busy month. On Oct. 15th the Annual FCCLA/FFA Hayride was held at the home of Amelia Hartman. Members of both groups enjoyed a grill out of hamburgers and hot dogs and then a chilly evening of riding around Morris on hay wagons. It was a crisp evening for a fun hayride! The week of October 21-25th, we held our Annual FCCLA Rush Week where officers and members recruited members all week long. We increased our membership by 15 more members this week! An officer read a special announcement each day about FCCLA. We also did fun things during lunch including answering FCCLA trivia. Members also received Free Cookies on Wednesday during lunch. On Friday all members received an awesome Pasta Lunch with salad and breadsticks. We had an amazing week!

On Oct. 24th, over 25 FCCLA members went to the North Dearborn Village and served them a home cooked dinner of Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup and dessert of Warm Apple Crisp with Ice Cream or Brownies alamode. We also made them door decorations and took them to all of the residents. They assisted the residents with carving of pumpkins. A fun time was had by everyone!

Lydia Trabel, Maria Deddens and Mrs. Osman traveled to Northern Minnesota from Oct. 27th-Oct. 29th for Project Ignition Teen Driver Safety Training. This was a national training where students and teachers from all over the country came together to learn about how to plan their upcoming Teen Driving Safety Initiatives.

On the Road to Learning FCCLA Project about School Bus Safety was created by Josie Volpenhein, Mia Klem and Megan Sierra and was taught to Kindergarten Students at North Dearborn Elementary and Bright Elementary. The Kindergarten students were reminded of school bus safety rules, read a story about school bus safety, made a craft and received a t-shirt that was sponsored by State Farm Insurance-Danette Volpenhein, Dearborn County Sheriff’s Dept., Los Primos, and Casey’s Outdoor Solutions. Also thank you to Dr. Jackson and Mr. Pete Watkins for assisting with their project.

The FCCLA Middle School Fall Rally was held on October 29th and Katelynn Osman, Indiana State President and Natalie Douthit, Indiana Vice President of STAR Events led over 70 middle school students in youth sessions on We Buckle Up, STAR Events, Being a Leader and Fuel Up to Play 60. Katelynn was interviewed during this meeting by the Indianapolis Colts for Fuel Up to Play 60. A special thank you to Ms. Ashley McConnell for taking the officers to the training.

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

Painting I

Students had the opportunity to experiment how science and art come together with a demonstration on Pour Painting with guest artist and EC graduate, Shelby Legrand. This painting style incorporates using acrylic paint, Flowtrol, and Silicone. This type of artwork looks like you are looking under a microscope of “cells”. The final touch is adding heat by using a torch to expand the silicone in the paint and making the “cells” larger. Below is the work of Marta Garrido Polop. Marta is a foreign exchange student from Spain.

AP Drawing

Students have been working on their Sustained Investigation Portfolio where they communicate a theme or narrative. Students are to create contextual clues in a series of 15 works of art about their topic.

Below is the work of Isabelle Watson and Jayna Pennington. Isabelle’s topic is about the negative effects of social media in today’s society. Jayna’s artwork is a still life symbolizing her passion for Japanese culture. Jayna was able to travel to Japan this past summer and she wanted to portray this in her artwork.

Matt Lyon - mlyon@sunmandearborn.k12.in.us

¡Feliz día de los muertos!

This time of year marks the celebration of the Day of the Dead. This is a holiday primarily observed in Mexico on the first and second of November. People remember their loved ones who have passed on by creating “ofrendas”. They believe that the souls of these loved ones return to be with their families on these dates. Spanish III students had the opportunity to create an ofrenda for a relative or someone famous who had passed away. They had to present these to the class and explain the meaning of the items placed on the ofrendas. Many students were able to learn about family members whom they had never met. One class learned that a student was the great grand niece of Cary Grant. Sadly, Mr. Lyon was the only one who knew who that was.

Juanita Reinshagen - jreinshagen@sunmandearborn.k12.in.us

Donna Tanner - dtanner@sunmandearborn.k12.in.us

The choir department presented their fall concert on Sunday, October 20th. The Concert, Show, Women’s and newly formed group, Tonal Eclipse did an outstanding job!

Mark Foster mfoster@sunmandearborn.k12.in.us

From our new Health teacher - Denny Walter

This is my first year actually teaching at East Central, but I have been a part of the high school since the spring semester of 2000. In that year I did my student teaching and was also the JV baseball coach. I eventually took a job teaching health at Elder High School but remained on staff here as a baseball coach. In 2004 I took a position at Sunman Dearborn middle school teaching math and health and eventually the PLTW courses. I also started coaching middle school girls basketball that same year, which I did for the next 13 seasons. In 2010 I stopped coaching baseball and started working for the athletic department supervising athletic events, which I still do today. In 2016 I did leave Sunman Dearborn schools and accepted a position teaching history at Franklin County High School, which I did for three years before returning this fall. I’m so happy and excited to be back and look forward to a great year here at East Central High School.

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

Mr. Lawrence's Chemistry I students identify an unknown chemical based off the color released when heated during their Flame Test Lab. Students are using the relationship between frequency, wavelength, speed of light, Planck’s constant, and energy to determine which colors have the highest energies.

Mr. Maluvac's Biology 2 students are dissecting fetal pigs to discover the complexities of their internal organs and structural anatomy.

Mrs. Burkhard's Zoology students study wolf behavior while interacting with them during the Wolf Creek Habitat field trip.

Steve Lewis - slewis@sunmandearborn.k12.in.us

In Mr. Stonefield's Economic classes, they started the Indiana stock market competition. The competition began this past month and will last until November 29th (10 weeks). Currently, there are 2,341 teams throughout the state competing including 70 from ECHS. The teams are a little halfway into the competition and currently there are 3 teams from ECHS ranked in the top 50 in the state!

Julie Ernst - jernst@sunmandearborn.k12.in.us

Don Stonefield - dstonefield@sunmandearborn.k12.in.us

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/

Students and parents, download the REMIND app and text @weareec to number 81010 for messages and alerts from the high school. (This is NOT for school closings and delays.)

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