East Central

In academics, the school day SAT will be this month, March 5th, which counts for school accountability in Indiana. All juniors take the exam as a potential graduation qualifier. Scores can also be used for college entrance. We have finished 2nd among all schools in Southeastern Indiana every year since it's inclusion as the State exam a few years ago. The class of 2025 is aiming for first! We're providing several incentives for their effort and success.

In athletics, winter sports have concluded with two EIAC team championships, sectional and regional titles, and three State qualifiers in boys and girls swim and dive. Spring sports are upon us, and we're looking forward to continued successes!

Finally, in the arts, the spring ISSMA solo and ensemble circuit has concluded and both choir and band experienced great success! Our spring drama presentation, The Adams Family will host three performances this month, March 15th & 16th @ 7:00PM and March 17 @ 3:00PM.

We continue to celebrate East Central High School turning 50 in August and all class of 1974 graduates!

IMPORTANT DATES

School Day SAT - March 5

Spring Break - March 21-March 29

E-Learning/Eclipse - April 8

WE ARE...EC!

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

Respectfully,

Tom Black

• If you have not completed online registration here is the link to the portal. ALL families must complete online registration for all students each school year. https://powerschool.sunmandearborn.k12.in.us/
• If you have not yet uploaded a proof of residence document per new Indiana Code, please do so through your PowerSchool portal as soon as you are able.

Thank you!

ECHS Administration

East Central High School is excited to announce Jorjia Ferguson as student of the month. Her parents are Thereasa and Brent Ferguson. Jorjia holds a strong 4.105 grade point average, is a National Honor Society member and recipient of the Academic Jacket as a junior for upholding a 4.0 and above GPA for five consecutive semesters. Jorjia represented EC as a 2023 Queen Candidate at the Versailles Pumpkin Show in September. At ECHS she has been a member of Varsity Track and Field for four years and Cross Country for two years. She was selected by administration to represent ECHS as a Student Advisory Committee (SAC) member for the Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA). According to Tom Black, ECHS Principal, “Jorgia has been an outstanding student academically and a standout athlete since her freshman year. She leads by example and through her actions. This is evident in her role as (SAC) member her junior and senior years. She planned and led leadership and team building activities for student-athletes all over the state of Indiana in the fall, spring, and summer. She helped start Unified Track and increased EC participation at leadership conferences as part of her two SAC goals these past two years. Jorjia is a role model for our EC students and high school students across the state.”

Outside of school Jorjia has been a food pantry volunteer and participates in the Women's Small

Group at ARS Cafe. In her spare time she enjoys running, reading and shopping. She is undecided about the college she will attend, but is currently weighing her options with the opportunity to run track. She plans to major in microbiology.

Jorjia would like to thank her family, “for always showing up and supporting me. Their

unconditional love has made me everything I am and let me love others the same way they love

me.” Her advice to other students is to, “Enjoy school, school can be fun and time flies when

you are having fun!”

East Central High School proudly announces Zachary Lyness as Student of the Month. Zach is the son of Jeff and Pam Lyness. With a most impressive 4.323 GPA, he is a member of National Honor Society and has received the prestigious Academic Letter Jacket as a Junior for sustaining above a 4.0 grade point average for five semesters. At ECHS Zach is a member of Varsity Soccer, Fellowship of Christian Athletes Leader, Fishing Club and was a freshman basketball superstar.

He twice received All Deanery Catholic Youth Organization First Team Basketball honors. Zach has been awarded the Presidential Scholarship at Purdue University where he will attend in the fall to study Civil Engineering.

Mr. Joe Lamb, AP Chemistry teacher and soccer coach has this to say about Zach as an athlete

and student. “Zach Lyness has been an absolute pleasure to know over the last four years in my

capacity as coach and teacher. Zach always competes hard on the field and is willing to do

anything to help the team. In class he is quick to show understanding of content, which is

reflected in his high academic performance. His detailed responses on classwork, quizzes, labs,

and exams not only shows that he gets chemistry, but has no problem applying it to complex

and unique situations. I'm excited to see what Zach does moving forward with college.”

Zach is a Capernaum Buddy, a ministry of Young Life introducing individuals aged 14 to 22 with

mental and physical disabilities the “chance to experience fun and adventure, to develop

fulfilling friendships and to challenge their limits while building self-esteem through club, camp

and other exciting activities”. He has also been a referee for Upward Basketball serving

students from kindergarten through grade 6. Fishing, hunting and rock collecting are some of

the hobbies Zach enjoys outside of school.

Zach thanks his parents, ‘because they pushed me to be better in school and in life.” His advice

to other students is, “to turn work in on time and take it easy.”

The EC StuCo would like to thank all those who helped at Snowball 2024. It was a great event attended by nearly half of ECHS. In all, there were over 500 students in attendance, and the proceeds, after costs, will provide a solid foundation for our May 10th, 4theKids of Children's Hospital! (Do you need pictures?)

EC StuCo will host a spring Hoxworth Blood Drive on March 15th. Sign up today to help save lives!

EC StuCo will provide senior yard signs again this year for the community to enjoy! Seniors will pick up their signs during the last 15 minutes of school on March 15th. ICE students will receive their signs from Mrs. Osman, and any senior not in attendance at EC may pick up a sign in guidance. After the 15th, signs will need to be picked up in room 112.

IVYT 111 Student Success is a one credit hour course required to start an Associate Degree. It is being offered in a 4-day virtual format during spring break, March 25-28. This is normally an 8 week online course, so this is a great opportunity to knock it out with an instructor in a matter of days. This section is only for local high school students in grades 9-12 and there's no cost to you! Please contact Mrs. Karle if you have questions or would like to sign up!

Wendi Karle

College Connection Coach

East Central Guidance Suite, G103

812-576-4811 Ext. 11910

Attention Seniors!! Ivy Tech graduation information will be coming in a few weeks directly to your Ivy Tech email. All students completing a certificate, technical certificate (ICC), or associate degree will be invited. Until then, Save the Date for May 10th!

Our February Career Exploration Opportunity was TP Mechanical in Cincinnati. TP Mechanical specializes in fabrication for HVAC, Plumbing, and Fire Protection Systems.
TP Mechanical offers an Apprenticeship Program that is sanctioned by the State of Ohio, operating through Columbus State Community College. The program is offered free of charge to all who qualify and are accepted. Along with going to school two nights a week for 4 years (classes held in Cincinnati at the home office in Forest Park), apprentices are employed and work in our fabrication shop and out in the field on job sites, gaining the knowledge and skills they then apply in class. At the completion of 4 years in the classroom, the Apprentices will have enough On the Job Training (OJT’s) hours to qualify to take the state licensure journeyman exam. Applications for the Apprenticeship Program are accepted in the Spring (late May for 2024).

Mr. Brad Wynn: A-G

Mrs. Lisa Tupper: H-O

Mrs. Murdock: P-Z

• May: Target date to release 2024-2025 schedules to students. Last day to change schedules for 2024-2025 will be May 23rd.

Spring Break is an excellent time to consider college visits and job shadowing opportunities without impacting attendance. Students can contact colleges to schedule visits directly with admissions.

Key items per grade:

The FAFSA FAFSA.gov has an April 15th deadline for Indiana Students. Students should follow up with counselors with admission issues or concerns and they will assist with contacting colleges with questions particular to the students’ needs.

Students should be receiving information from colleges on admission decisions. If a student is Waitlisted/Deferred please have the student follow up with their counselor. We can assist them with the required process. Counselors do not have access to admissions decisions and have to rely on information from the students. Students should also follow all deadlines for housing and accepting admission with the college of their choice.

Scholarship applications are continuously sent to students in their school email. Please encourage them to read through all information as some applications are only for EC students. The students that are selected for scholarships are invited to attend the Senior Scholarship Awards program on May 8th at 6:30pm in the Performing Arts Center. Again they will receive an invitation at the beginning of May up until the date of the event if they are selected as a winner for a scholarship from a local sponsor.

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.

National Honor Society will hold the recognition night for the Seniors and Juniors on April 17th at 6:30 pm in the Performing Arts Center. Students will receive an invitation if they are expected to attend from the NHS sponsor: Mrs. Ketcham.

Juniors:

SAT School Day: The SAT School Day test for all juniors in the state of Indiana will be given during the school day on March 5th, 2024. This test is free and used by the state for school accountability. The benefit of the test is that students will be able to use this score report for college applications. Students should bring the following to testing on March 5th: fully charged Chromebook, Chromebook charger, calculator and pencil.

East Central College and Career Fair is scheduled for April 17th at 6pm-8pm in the Cafeteria. This is a great opportunity for Juniors to meet with College Representatives and Career representatives that attend. This is scheduled on the same evening as the National Honor Society Induction ceremony that is set for April 17th at 6:30 pm in the Performing Arts. Juniors that are being inducted will receive an invitation to attend that ceremony.

Sophomores and Freshman:

Scheduling was completed in January for the 2024-2025 school year with changes accepted until the end of the 2023-2024 school year. Students should be focusing on grades and career/college exploration.

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

Director of Guidance
rmurdock@sunmandearborn.k12.in.us

Ivy Tech College Connection Coach

For students working on achieving the Indiana College Core and their Associates Degrees and needing to pick up courses, Ivy Tech has multiple eight-week sessions throughout the school year. These are online, virtual, in-person, or blended classes; students choose whatever works best. As an East Central High School student, there is potentially a full scholarship for these courses and books may be free.

Contact Wendi Karle for more information. wkarle@sunmandearborn.k12.in.is.

Save Time, Save Money, Get a Degree

The Associate Accelerated Program (ASAP) is an 11-month program, which is student focused and designed to support, encourage, and mentor students throughout their first year of college. This program is great for students who prefer smaller class sizes and who prefer to be on a first name basis with their professors. ASAP works with students to build confidence before transferring to a 4-year university to get their bachelor’s degree or going into the workforce. Applications are now being accepted for the next cohort. If you are interested in applying to ASAP, joining one of our information sessions, or would like a tour of Ivy Tech’s campus, email Heather Gard at hgard3@ivytech.edu.

**National Honor Society Tutoring in Room#114

Every Wednesday 3pm-5pm.

**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).

Students in Agricultural Structures, Fabrication and Design are currently making some fun welding projects. Students had the opportunity to make kindling splitters out of 1/2" rebar and 1/4" flat bar stock. Each student followed a plan to cut out the rebar, and weld it together correctly. Students are able to take the project home upon completion. They are also making horseshoe butterflies to be used as garden ornaments. Horseshoes were donated to the agriculture department, and students use 4 horseshoes, rebar and masonry nails to make the butterfly. These items will be available for sale to the general public.

Students in Horticultural Science are currently starting plants from seed for the 2024 spring plant sale. Parsley, basil, dill, coneflower, daisy, spinach, cabbage and other seeds have been started in the month of February. As seeds germinate and mature they will be transplanted into planting containers for the sale.

Students in Principles of Agriculture are currently in a Natural Resources unit. As a part of the wildlife conservation portion of the unit, students are making Eastern Bluebird houses out of cedar. Students will be able to take the birdhouses home.

Krista Hutzel - khutzel@sunmandearborn.k12.in.us

Computer Science 2: Exploring Coding Professionalism with a Gaming Focus!

Under the guidance of Mrs. Hutzel, students in Computer Science 2 have dedicated themselves to a thrilling segment of their curriculum: delving into the realm of professionalism in coding with a special emphasis on gaming. Currently, they are immersing themselves in the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC), gaining insights into the rigorous processes employed by industry professionals to craft and deliver the apps and games that shape their daily experiences. As part of their hands-on learning experience, all Computer Science 2 students are actively engaged in researching, designing, developing, testing, and deploying their own iterations of 'The World’s Hardest Game,' all the while enjoying the journey immensely!

BPA Update

We are excited to announce our Business Professionals of America fundraiser! Tell a friend & join us on March 16 for a 1 hour-guided Yoga class. If you have any questions, please let us know!

Register at:

https://docs.google.com/.../1FAIpQLSdMO7Q5hh7EJt.../viewform

Pay $15 at the door or on the Trojan Exchange:

https://www.trojanexchange.com/prod.../yoga-admission-ticket

EXCITING NEWS!

The Trojan Exchange Cornhole Tournament is back! Our 4th Annual Trojan Toss will be on April 21st @ 1 pm in the fieldhouse parking lot. The event is open to the community! We will have delicious food, fun games and lots of prizes! Click the link below to register today! We hope to see you there!

Cornhole Registration

Coming Soon…

Be on the lookout for our Spring Sale in March. New designs and merchandise will be available for purchase, these will be pre-orders only, see a Trojan Exchange student for ordering in March!

website https://www.trojanexchange.com/

Brenda Osman bosman@sunmandearborn.k12.in.us

Adv. Nutrition and Wellness 2

Students in Adv. Nutrition and Wellness 2 are learning about eating healthy on a budget. We are exploring tips and tricks for shopping for nutritious foods and putting together healthy meals. We have made a variety of cheap, nutritious foods including tostadas. We are preparing to start our Fruits and Vegetables March Madness Tournament so they are also researching a variety of produce and their benefits.

Advanced Child Development

The students in Advanced Child Development just completed their unit on intellectual development. At the end of the unit, the students participated in a toy lab and analyzed toys to determine how they help a child intellectually. The students really enjoyed this lab.

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

In Advanced Painting class, students created a Batik painting, which is a "resist" process for making designs on fabric. The students used wax to prevent dye from penetrating the cloth, leaving "blank" areas in the dyed fabric. The process, wax resist then dye, was repeated over and over to create complex multicolored designs. Students also made their batik paintings especially unique due to how certain wax blends will "crackle" during handling, allowing lines of color to come through on resisted areas. Painting students used cotton fabric and the students could either take their finished fabric paintings and stitch them into a pillow or frame up their Batik painting.

Students in Advanced Photography class have been learning about low key photography. The students objectives were to create photography that eliminates all distractions from the background to highlight the subject. The students set up a black background and reduced unwanted light sources in the photography studio. In addition, the students learned about adjusting their camera settings to a low light room with their ISO, aperture, and shutter speed settings.

AP Drawing has been working diligently to finish their portfolio due the first week of May. This year’s AP Drawing students that are working to receive college credit are Leah Kubitz, Zoey Parr, Kierstin Toler, Kyla Gilbreath, and Giana Nero. These students have been working for two years to complete their portfolio of 20 artworks. The students submit 5 quality artworks with 15 works of art that demonstrate a concentration or theme.

mslyon@sunmandearnborn.k12.in.us

This month, students in Spanish III researched various artists from Spanish speaking countries. Part of the assignment was to recreate a painting of their choosing with themselves as the subject. Students had a lot of fun showing their artistic sides while learning about these artists.

Second semester of Precalculus is all about trigonometry. Students will learn what the trig functions are, how to use them in real life and how to graph them. They will use the unit circle daily to evaluate trig functions and identify solutions. The past two weeks, students have been working hard verifying identities. Mr. Moorman and Mrs. Bovard’s classes have been working together to prepare for their upcoming unit test.

Choir News

The choir department competed at the ISSMA State solo and ensemble contest on Saturday, February 17th. The students did a wonderful job, bringing home 8 gold with distinction, 14 gold and 4 silver ratings.

Band News

Southeastern Indiana Honor Band--Congratulations to our 16 students who auditioned and were accepted into the SEI Honor Band. South Dearborn High School hosted this year, and 9 neighboring schools sent their top instrumental students to participate in this band. We are excited to announce that East Central High School will be hosting this Honor Band event next year.

ISSMA State Solo/Ensemble: Congratulations to our band members who went to ISSMA State Solo/Ensemble competition on Saturday!

Andrew Stangl on euphonium, Jacob Eppinghoff on marimba, and Ayden Ketchem on the bari saxophone received Gold with Distinction honors.

The Brass Quintet (Jacob Doll, Konnor Eckstein, Ayden Ketchem, Ava Murray, and Andrew Stangl) and Jacob Doll (trombone solo) received gold ratings. Ayden Ketchem received gold on all six instrument solos he took to ISSMA (flute, clarinet, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, bari saxophone, and bassoon). Congrats to Alex Harnist (flute) and Layla Ulrich (clarinet) on their silver ratings.

**SPECIAL** congratulations to Jacob Eppinghoff on his perfect score on marimba.

East Central Winter Guard: Congratulations to EC Winter Guard for kicking off their first season! They performed their show "The Curse" at Fairfield High School and Bellbrook High School. Mark your calendars for their next competition at Centerville High School Sunday, March 10.

East Central Indoor Percussion: Congratulations to EC Indoor Percussion for a very strong start to their season! They have had two competitions so far, first at Northview High School and the second at Plainfield High School performing their show "Methods of Movement." They received FIRST place at the Northview High School! They look forward to adding the third movement to their show and taking it to WGI Indy Regional Competitions held Saturday and Sunday, March 2-3.

Drama News

Addams Family, March 15 and 16 @ 7PM and March 17 @ 3PM

Rhonda Beck - rbeck@sunmandearborn.k12.in.us

Looking for some awesome officiating classes to add to your schedule? Check These Out!

The IHSAA Class currently has 14 students who have completed 67 module based courses. These courses Include: Basketball, Soccer, Football, Baseball, Wrestling, Volleyball, Flag Football, Track/Cross Country, Softball, and NFHS. That’s an average of 4.8 courses per student!

Four students have already started using their certifications officiating youth games. Show me the money $$$! Pictured below are Joel Richter (basketball), Brayden Rouse (basketball & softball), Instructor Don Stonefield, Cory Helms and Brock Reifenberger (basketball).

The Athletic Training Class has been busy “treating” facial, throat and thorax injuries. They have also been studying spinal injuries and have been practicing spine boarding. While helmets and shoulder pads make it much more difficult, the students enjoy this chapter.

Freshmen PE Classes recently added pickleball in their rotation. We have some highly skilled players. Congratulations to all of the tournament winners. The guys had a little fun with Rock-Paper-Scissors for some class bonding. Very competitive!

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

Students in the science department continue to pursue high levels of academic achievement and rigor through a variety of hands-on activities and complex subject matter. Here is a rundown of what is currently being taught!

Chemistry I students are practicing performing stoichiometric calculations between grams, moles, atoms, and molecules.

Biology I students discussing Population Genetics and those factors that affect the types of organisms living in a specific environment.

Principles of Biomedical Science students are modeling and learning how diseases are spread and how infections can be prevented by using appropriate preventative measures.

Human Body Systems students learning about healthcare fields in regard to emergency services.

Medical Intervention students are comparing and contrasting necessary degree pathways for giving diagnostic inquiries by associating 6 different devices and their pathways.

Earth Science students are building and constructing towers from balsa wood to test for structural integrity during an earthquake simulation.

Physics students are currently learning about heat, thermodynamics, and changes in energy necessary to complete temperature and phase changes in certain materials.

Integrated Chemistry/Physics students have completed four units involving several Chemistry fundamentals, from basic periodic table information, naming compounds and balancing formulas.

Zoology students are currently studying mollusks and analyzing their structure and behavior.

Chemistry II students are studying changes in energy when solutions are made. Students will be focusing on solution calculations in regard to concentrations of solutions, and performing spectroscopy experiments to determine unknown concentration of solutions.

AP Chemistry students are studying thermodynamic favorability of reactions through the analysis of enthalpy, entropy, and Gibbs free energy. Students recently calculated Gibbs free energy to determine the spontaneity of a reaction through lab analysis of chemical reactions.

Anatomy students are studying the central nervous system. Here they are dissecting sheep brains to identify the structures and functions of various parts of the mammalian brain.

Biology II students are discussing Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration. They were responsible for identifying the overall cycles of each metabolic pathway and all reactants and products that are present in each reaction.

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

In Mr. Lewis' ACP Intro to American Politics classes, the students participated in a class discussion over Supreme Court cases and scenarios about symbolic speech. Students made great observations and salient arguments about the First Amendment and what it really means. In World History class, students will be given their Age of Exploration Project in which the students research an explorer from the Late Middle Ages.

In Mr. Reynolds' Geography and History of the World classes, they have spent the last 3 weeks learning about both WW1 and WW2 as part of our Europe Unit.

In Mr. Owen's American History course, we are studying the impact of the First World War on American society, as well as the emerging technologies of the 1920s and the causes and consequences of the Great Depression. We are also examining design and architecture movements from the period. Students are conducting their own research for the semester Final Project - A Ranking of American Presidents.

In AP European History, we are discussing the two World Wars, as well as the rise of Totalitarianism in Russia and Germany during the early 20th century. Students are working on their Final Projects (ask them about this!).

Also, ask your students about these two local Art Deco masterpieces, both constructed in 1931 and recognized as leading examples of the design aesthetic.

Internship program

Did you know some East Central students participate in an internship program? As part of their preparation for entering the workforce after graduation these students work during the school day under the supervision of school staff to learn new skills and independence in the workplace. We currently have East Central students interning at Skyline Chili, BP, and Harrison Trail Health Campus. We are excited to announce we are currently developing a partnership with the ARS Cafe & Meeting House.

Phone #: (812) 576-4811 ext. 11916

For all sports related news, schedules, updates, please visit the following locations:
Website: www.ectrojansathletics.com

Facebook: East Central HS Athletics

Twitter: @ECTrojanSports

Become an Official

The IHSAA is continually looking to for licensed officials. If you or someone you know is interested

please visit: https://www.ihsaa.org/become-official

Winter Sports Wraps Up:

The girls and boys swim seasons wrapped up this month. There were team and individual accomplishments that are noteworthy.

* Both teams were EIAC champs

* Bree Cleary and Audrey Bumgardner were both state qualifiers this season! Audrey was also a Sectional champion in the 50 Free.

* Henry Strotman was a state qualifier on the boys side.

The wrestling team finished as Sectional and Regional Team Champions in another banner season!

* Brayden Rouse was a Regional champ

Boys Basketball is in the mix of their Sectional play, hosted here at East Central. They have had a nice season and one to build on! Hopefully it leads to a Sectional Championship!

We have had some great crowds this season!

Girls Basketball went through a rebuilding season for the first time in 14 years. While it wasn't a banner year like in many previous seasons, it was a great building platform for the future with so many young and talented kids getting experience. The Varsity team finished with the 5th best defensive average in 4A.

Spring sports are getting ready to get underway in March! Exciting times ahead!

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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