ECHS

Even with the unfortunate storms early in January slowing the start of second semester, EC has kept things active and fiery these last few weeks in winter sports, EC Dance, choral ISSMA, FFA, etc.

In FFA, we have two advancing to State Competition in Proficiencies, Tyler Stenger and Ashtyn Galey. Congratulations!

In Athletics, winter sports claimed 3 EIAC titles and 1 sectional title so far. Wrestlers head to regional with a chance at another title having just won their 7th straight sectional. Girls basketball and girls swimming and diving enter their sectional weekend with boys basketball going into their final stretch of the regular season currently atop the EIAC standings. We are confident winter sports will continue their many successes in the coming weeks through their respective IHSAA tournament series and look forward to spring sports which are right around the corner. A big thank you to Kevin Moore, Athletic Director, and all of our winter and spring coaches. We are...EC!

In the arts, the "Newsies" will be performed on March 14th, 15th, and 16th. ISSMA circuits have begun with 31 qualifying for state in choral this past weekend, and our instrumentalists and group will be competing in the coming weeks.

In academics, 2nd 9-weeks Honor Roll numbers are as follows: 32% of all EC students attained straight As with over 58% earning all As and Bs. Also, our spring accountability exams, SATs, are right around the corner. Math and ELA teachers have spent additional efforts utilizing SAT bell-ringers on a regular basis and this year's juniors all took the test-prep course last year as sophomores, so we're looking for a strong showing come March 5th in SE Indiana and across the state. In athletics, the arts, and academia, our students and school continue to achieve right along with the best students/schools in Indiana.

WE ARE...EC!

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

GRADES

First semester grades are now available in the Parent PowerSchool Portal. We encourage you to review them with your student. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact your student’s teacher.

LEADERSHIP IN LAW - Summer internship

The Dearborn County Courthouse is gearing up for the next round of the Leadership and Law program this summer! It will be June 9-13, 2025. The program is sponsored each year by Prosecutor Lynn Deddens and Judge Sally McLaughlin at the Dearborn County Courthouse. Students entering their 10-12th year are invited to apply for this program.

This is a one-week intensive program that allows students to participate in a curriculum that provides insight into careers as an attorney, judge, law enforcement officer, and in government. During the week, students will experience real court in action, firsthand experience with crime scene technology and conclude the week with a mock trial.

Applications were emailed to students and are also available in the front office. They are due by March 19 to the front office (Before students leave for Spring Break).

CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION - Career Exploration
In January, students participated in career exploration trips to Polycraft Products and TP Mechanical, where they learned about various career paths and apprenticeship programs. During these visits, they toured the facilities and gained insight into the services and products these companies offer.
In February, students will have the opportunity to visit Denier Electric to learn about their “helper program” and four-year apprenticeship program. Students are encouraged to check their email for upcoming CTE career exploration opportunities.

AP EXAMS

The 2025 AP Exams will take place over two weeks in May: May 5–9 and May 12–16. Early or alternative testing outside the official College Board schedule is not allowed under any circumstances. For specific exam dates, please click here.

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

Scheduling process for the 2025-26 school year is underway.

• During the month of January/February guidance counselors have begun meeting with students individually to discuss registration, diploma types, ICC and pathway requirements.

• Late April/May: Target date to release 2025-26 schedules to students. Last day to change schedules for 2025-26 will be May 28th.

Key items per grade:

Seniors

The FAFSA is available at FAFSA.gov The FAFSA 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.

Ivy Tech is offering College Goal Sunday: one on one help with the FAFSA for both students and parents on Feb. 23rd at 2-4 pm Ivy Tech Lawrenceburg Riverfront Campus 50 Walnut St. Please consider attending to have live access to a financial aid expert.

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 14th 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 15th 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. More information will be provided as the March date approaches.

Sophomores and Freshman: Scheduling will be completed by the end of January for the following year with changes accepted until the end of the year. 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.

Southeastern Career Center: Videos can be viewed at https://www.sccusa.org/. The application is due no later than March 1st. However, if students want to ensure their first choice of programming, they need to turn in their application as soon as possible.

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.

Stay Connected to East Central Athletics:

Facebook: East Central HS Athletics

X: @ECTrojanSports

The bracket for Sectional 14 is out. Trojans drew Franklin Community on Friday, February 7th at 6:00 pm.

​Congrats to this year’s EC Hall of Fame inductees. From L to R: Mandi (McQueen) Durden, Joey Hollstegge, and Scott Schwarz.

Thanks to the the Steering Committee for their work. A special thanks to Ashley Andres, Jill Bingham, Don Stonefield, & Dave Deddens for their help!

Molly Masterson signed a letter of intent to play volleyball at the University of Cincinnati Clermont

Molly started playing volleyball in the seventh grade. She played club volleyball in addition to playing on school teams throughout middle school and high school. Molly stated “Playing volleyball at the college level has always been a dream of mine because it combines my love for the sport with my desire to grow as both an athlete and an individual.” Competing at a collegiate level will challenge athletes to push their limits, improve their skills and give them the opportunity to work with a higher performing team. Molly is eager for that opportunity, she wants to bring her dedication, resilience and her strong teamwork skills to the court while also representing UC with pride.

Academically, UC’s programs align perfectly with Molly’s dream of becoming a physical therapist. Their strong emphasis on hands on learning and great resources will ensure that Molly is well prepared for her future career. Molly said she chose UC because it felt like the perfect fit and she knows she will have every opportunity to reach her academic and athletic goals. She stated “UC holds a special place in my heart as many of my family members have also attended there. I fell in love with the campus and the welcoming atmosphere. Additionally, the volleyball program stood out as an ideal fit for me, offering a balance of competitiveness and support. I believe it will truly feel like a home away from home.”

Molly is an honor roll student with a 3.772 GPA. She is a member of the National Honor Society. She is also a member of the Cincinnati Volleyball Club. She won club MVP at the 2024 Asics Junior National Volleyball Tournament in Chicago. In 2022, she was awarded the Trojan Award which is given to an individual for outstanding performance on and off the court, to a true leader on the team.

Molly plans to become a Physical Therapist.

Congratulations Molly! We look forward to seeing where you go in academics and athletics!

The 2025 Ivy Tech commencement ceremony is May 9th at 6:00 pm at the Lawrenceburg Event Center. Seniors completing any certificate, technical certificate (ICC), or associate degree by July 31st are invited to attend.

Students need to click HERE to RSVP and order their cap and gown..

The deadline to RSVP and order is March 31st.

Who they are: These are a group of students at East Central High School who do the behind the scenes work for the Trojan Exchange. They help by making shirt designs, talking to teachers, and much more. The managers are split between two class periods so we have a total of 10 Brooklyn Stath, Leah Toney, Sam Lyness, Eli Selhorst, John Dixon, and Brenden Griffin. For operations managers, we have Brooklyn Stath, Anna Black, and Meredith Sizemore. Next for marketing managers, we have Brenden Griffin and Eli Selhorst. For finance managers, we have Sam Lyness and Soraya Leurck. Finally we have technology managers who are Leah Toney and Bree Cleary.

What they do: The Trojan Exchange offers many positions as a junior and senior. The managers are a group of students that support the officers. Each manager has their own position and works with their officer one on one. This past month the managers have been assisting the officers by hosting a capture the flag tournament at the school. The managers also accompanied the officers to sell Tackle Cancer Shirts at the football game.

Where we are located: We are based out of the Trojan Exchange store in East Central High School. We use our store cart to come to all of the home football games, and sometimes other sports games. The Trojan Exchange also holds events around the school.

Our Why: The managers play a key role in the Trojan Exchange. They help the officers and learn how to operate a business. This month the managers did a lot of the behind the scenes work. For example, they put up flyers around the school promoting the capture the flag Tournament along with working the tournament. The Trojan Exchange wants to highlight the managers for putting all their hard work and dedication into our student led business.

THANK YOU!!!

Upcoming Cornhole Tournament- Save The Date!

Get ready to show off your skills! Our 5th Annual Trojan Exchange Cornhole Tournament is happening on April 27th at 1:00 PM at ECHS in the fieldhouse. Whether you're a seasoned pro or just in it for the fun, it's a chance to compete with great company, win prizes, eat good food and support senior scholarships! Sign up now to secure your spot!

Sign up for the tournament here:https://forms.gle/5wr8sKrfCbYgCbsd9 Or see any Trojan Exchange student for details!

We’re excited to announce two new items available for sale! Whether you're looking to upgrade your wardrobe or show off your school spirit, now's the time to grab your gear. Shop here: https://www.trojanexchange.com/shop

2024-2025 Yearbooks are now on sale! Reserve your copy today by going to www.yearbookforever.com, search ECHS, and select "Buy a Yearbook". There is a "Ship to Home" option available if you would like to have your yearbook delivered directly to your home. The deadline to order is April 30th, 2025.

Celebrate your senior and their success by purchasing an Ad for Grad. Ad for Grads are available to purchase online at www.yearbookforever.com. Search for ECHS, select "Buy a Personal Ad", and design your senior's Ad for Grad today! Deadline to order is April 30th, 2025.

Are you looking for a way to promote your business? Look no further and purchase a Business Ad in the 2024-2025 Yearbook! Buying a Business Ad is a great way to get your business's name out into the community and it also helps lower the prices of yearbooks for students. Go to www.yearbookforever.com, search ECHS, and select "Buy a Business Ad".

Do you have images you would like to submit and possibly have featured in the 2024-2025 Yearbook? You can use Yearbook Snap to upload your own images for potential use in the yearbook. Go to www.yearbookforever.com, search for ECHS, and select "Yearbook Snap". The access code to upload is: Trojans

We are excited to announce that we are now open periods 1,2,3,5,6.

We have a variety of coffee and non coffee drinks and we have added flavors for our tea refreshers and lemonade. We now have: raspberry, peach, strawberry, mango, pineapple, blue raspberry, and watermelon.

Each customer receives a Trojan Cafe loyalty card. After 9 purchases you will receive the 10th purchase free of charge. Come see us!!!

ECHS Student Council went Around the World for this year’s Snowball theme. Over 300 students were in attendance on a cold Saturday night and enjoyed picturesque scenes from around the world for photo ops. Crowned royalty included Hailey Riehle and Colin Kozelichki for princess and prince as well as Chloe Weber and Connor Eckstein for queen and king. All proceeds will be donated to the local Shriners Children’s Hospital at the end of the year. A huge thank you to all faculty and students for their participation. You meant the world to many Shriner's children with your participation!

The FCCLA State Officers Team consisting of four students from East Central High School met on January 23-25th to finalize plans for the Indiana FCCLA State Conference February 26-28th at the Horizon Convention Center in Muncie Indiana. The four state officers from East Central High School are Layla Craig, Indiana 1st Vice President, Kayla Craig, Vice President of Community Service, Chloe Offenbacker, Vice President of Membership and Abby Cross, Vice President of Membership. They have done an outstanding job representing East Central FCCLA this year.

The East Central High School held their Annual Middle School Girls’ Night on January 9th where students participated in sessions about confidence, building friendships, and transitioning to high school. They also made crafts and enjoyed interacting with the High School FCCLA Members.

On January 21st, members made homemade dog treats for the PAWS of Dearborn County for the FCCLA STAR Event Project of Macy Lyness and Josie Wolf.

Rehearsals for the ECHS production of Newsies are in full sail! Come support our talented students while we put on this amazing show!

On Saturday January 18th, 2 East Central FFA members competed in the Indiana FFA State Welding CDE at the J. Everett Light Career Center on the campus of North Central High School in Indianapolis. Contestant scores were compiled by completing a general knowledge exam and the hands-on portion consisted of students completing several welds using the shielded metal and gas metal arc welding processes. These items were then scored by judges.

East Central was represented in the advanced division by senior Wyatt Smith and junior Troy Randolph. They placed 30th overall out of 49 teams from around the state.

Picture L To R: Wyatt Smith, Troy Randolph

DO YOU KNOW SOMEONE THAT COULD USE AN ACCESSIBLE RAISED GARDEN BED?

(St. Leon, IN) – The East Central FFA chapter has been awarded a $3,000 Yearlong Living to Serve Grant. The nationwide program provides grant money to local FFA chapters to support yearlong service-learning projects that address needs related to community safety; environmental responsibility; hunger, health and nutrition; and community engagement.

EC was the only FFA chapter in Indiana to receive a yearlong grant.

East Central FFA plans to help address accessibility to gardening by building 30 handicapped accessible raised garden beds (pictured) and distribute them to local community gardens and persons or families who have the need for one.

Many elderly people also have physical limitations that prevent them from traditional gardening.

By completing this grant project members of the community will be able to increase physical activity and improve healthy habits to promote physical and mental well-being while gardening.

FFA members will build all raised beds in the East Central High School agriculture shop.

“For the aging and disabled people in our community, these accessible raised garden beds allow them to easily continue on with a long lasting hobby or to venture into a new one. In making these raised beds, East Central FFA members are able to learn new skills and feel accomplished in that they are doing something for the community,” said East Central FFA Chapter President Isabelle Leurck.

East Central FFA will work with Shyra Tedesco, director and co-founder of the Southeast Indiana (SEI) Community Gardens to find locations for the raised beds.

The grant program provided over $176,590 to FFA chapters in 29 states. The 2024-2025 FFA Yearlong Living to Serve Grants are sponsored by Cargill and Tractor Supply Company. For more information about the 2024-25 Living to Serve Grants, visit FFA.org/livingtoserve.

The National FFA Organization is a school-based national youth leadership development organization of more than 1,027,200 student members as part of 9,235 local FFA chapters in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

If you know someone that could benefit from a raised garden bed, please contact Roy Johnson at East Central High School.

Phone- 812-576-4811 ext. 11122

Email- rjohnson@sunmandearborn.k12.in.us

The art department is really excited upon receiving some new equipment for the art department! A new color printer that will be an essential tool to Mr. Shun’s Photoshop classes. The new printer can now handle various paper types and sizes, produce a wide spectrum of color, and deliver high resolution printing that does justice to the original artwork.

In addition to the color printer, the art department received two new potter’s wheels. The new potter’s wheels will improve the quality of the student’s classroom experience in Ceramics I and II. When using the pottery wheels, the students learn specific techniques and processes like how to throw on the wheel, and then they can get more creative with adding texture, and lines, and changing the shape, while the wheel is spinning. Below, Colin Harrill had the honor of trying out the new potter’s wheel. Colin made a chip/dip platter on the potter’s wheel. Colin plans to glaze it in the Bengal’s colors and give it to his mom.

The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards has grown to be the nation’s longest, most prestigious recognition initiative for the visual arts and writing. This competition has inspired bold ideas in creative teens throughout the country. Maggie Brown, a senior, received the highest award called the Gold Key. Over 3400 entries of photography, drawing, and painting were received and only 200 students received this award. There will be a regional art show/ reception for the Gold and Silver Key winners at the Cincinnati Art Academy on Friday, February 7. This recognition is for the recipients of southern Ohio, northern Kentucky, and southeastern Indiana.

Maggie’s drawings will be in New York City for the next round for consideration of national awards and scholarship money this March. Her artwork will be published in an annual publication of award-winning student artwork. Maggie is an ECHS senior and upon graduating, is pursuing her art degree at Uthe niversity of Cincinnati DAAP Program.

Upcoming Pep Band Dates

Mark your calendars! East Central Bands will have their basketball alumni night at the Boys vs. Harrison game on Saturday, January 25. If you are an alumni of our band, please come out and play with us! We are meeting in the band room at 6pm.

NKU Tri-State Honor Band

Congratulations to our students who participated in the NKU Tri-State Honor Band. They spent two days of rehearsal at NKU, and concluded with a fabulous concert on January 19.

Southeastern Indiana Honor Band

Congratulations to 19 of our band students for being accepted into the SEI Honor Band this year. East Central is very excited to host this year! Our concert will be held in the PAC at 7:00pm on Monday, February 24.

East Central Indoor Percussion

East Central Indoor Percussion has begun! We are very excited to premiere their show “Folklore” at their first competition at Franklin Central High School on February 15th.

East Central Winter Guard

The Winter Guard season has begun! We are very excited to premiere our show “Golden Hour” at our first competition this Saturday, January 25th at 1:42pm at Lakota West High School. We are very excited to be performing in the Tri-State Marching Arts competition circuit this year.

Guided by Mrs. Hutzel, students in Computer Science 2 are diving deep into a captivating aspect of their curriculum—exploring professionalism in coding with a focus on gaming. This year, they're immersing themselves in the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC), gaining valuable insights into the structured processes used by professionals to create and release the apps and games we all interact with daily. As part of their hands-on experience, each student is designing, developing, testing, and deploying their own version of The World’s Hardest Game, embracing the challenge and enjoying the learning process every step of the way!

Pictured: Noah Ledbetter and Gaige Grossman

This past Saturday, February 1st, our choir department took 55 events to District Solo and Ensemble hosted at ECMS. All of our students stepped up to help set up, work, or and break down this event, making a smooth, successful day.

Seniors Aubrey Mullins, Emily Hagen, Alison Griffin and Morgen Vendler holding up their Gold Medals from their solos.

Senior Chloe Stewart and Junior Cailyn Hess wearing their medals that they earned from their Solos and Ensembles

This quarter the Engineering students here at EC have been working on a number of different projects and activities. Introduction to Engineering and Design (IED) students have been learning how to create drawings using AutoCAD software. They started with basic shapes and objects and are currently working on Section view and Multiview drawings. They have also been working on designing and 3D printing logos of their choice to learn how the 3D printing process works, and I’ve seen some pretty good designs so far.

Civil Engineering students are putting the finishing touches on their Habitat for Humanity House projects. The students had to go through the complete process of designing, modeling, and completing multiple calculations for a house that had to meet all of the criteria for a Habitat for Humanity house. The houses are looking great, and they are learning a lot throughout the process.

Aerospace students have also been working on a number of different projects throughout his 3rd quarter. They have been working on model rockets, learning about NTSB reports, and are currently working on a Mars survival mission.

Engineering Essentials students just started working on a Drag Car Project using Vex and coding with Vex V5 software. They recently learned how to program and how Gear ratios work and are now getting to apply that knowledge by putting together a drag car that can travel 32 ft. as fast as possible.

Dr. Rose’s English classes participated in Stanley Cup Redemption Day! Students created journals for the second semester with the theme of the Stanley Cup which will present their best written work which also serves as their final exam. Writing is such an essential skill for students, so classes are bringing it back to the basics and breaking out the pen and paper for a comprehensive summary of their individual thoughts and reflections. They designed the cups and were given stickers to enhance the look.

Advanced Fashion: The Advanced Fashion Students are learning about using color as an element of design by creating a quilt block. This quilt block will be turned into a pillow so that students learn how to combine colors to create something visually appealing. They also have learned how to use a rotary cutter, mat and ruler to do some accurate measuring.

Advanced Child Development: The Advanced Child Development Students are learning about infant physical development. We are currently studying nutritional needs of an infant and basic infant care skills. Students will have an opportunity to share their skills with the class.

French 3 student, Carter Melton, was accepted into the Indiana University Honors Program in Foreign Languages for Summer 2025 and will study abroad in Saumur, France for four weeks (location description below). We are so proud of his accomplishments and are excited for all the opportunities this program will open up for him! Félicitations!!

This month, the math department would like to recognize many of our gifted students. Our math program has grown tremendously over the years! Excelling students in more rigorous math courses have been asked on multiple occasions to tutor students with their math homework and other assignments. As teachers, we rely on our students to help each other out and they never let us down! Tutoring has helped not only students who are struggling in certain areas of math, but also our high ability students in gaining confidence in their abilities. It also helps reinforce the foundation of their math skills while bridging the gap between students of all math levels. With how often we push our students to perform well in their classes, we also encourage them to get out of their comfort zone. Tutoring is not an easy task or something that all students can handle, but I feel that our math program has helped shape these gifted students into very bright and young educators. Collaborating with peers in calculus and precalculus helps them communicate, breaking down the problem when necessary in order to help others understand the concepts. The more the students are asked to work with each other, the better their communication skills become as well as their confidence in the material.

Mr. Stonefield’s IHSAA Class is on fire! With a growing number of students taking advantage of this awesome opportunity, our youth sports community will definitely be feeling a positive impact. The class consists of 13 young men: Braden Becknell, Tyler Cook, Jake Gagnon, Peyton Hofer, Brennan Lewis, Luke Nagel, Ryan Ott, Joel Richter, Jake Schnell, Cole Sebastain, Aaron Sears, Gabe Tully and Wyatt Metcalf.

The students have earned 42 licenses so far. They include the following: Football (12), Basketball (10), Soccer (10), Baseball (4), Flag Football (4), Softball (1), Volleyball (1). Other licenses being offered include: Track/Cross-Country, Wrestling, Swim & Dive, Field Hockey, and La Crosse. Don’t miss out on this great opportunity. Get signed up now for next school year.

Pictured below, the Freshmen PE classes have been busy playing multiple indoor sports. There were a lot of tournaments, and some very excited winners!

In Mr. Maluvac's Physiology and Anatomy class the students are investigation the various muscles of the human body and learning how muscles control the movements of the body.

Seen here in Mr. Maluvac's Biology II class, the students are taking part in a Fetal Pig Lab. They are studying the specific structures and the various functions of organs in a vertebrate's body.

In Biology I students are discussing the works of Charles Darwin and the details of his theory of Natural Selection.

In Mr. Owen's AP European History Class, we are discussing the Industrial Revolution and its effects in Britain during the 1800s. We are also examining the concept of Architecture as a reflection of cultural trends. Ask your student about this example of an actual cathedral in Covington, Kentucky!

In our Ivy Tech American History course, we are finishing up our examination of the American Gilded Age, and will soon be discussing the era of American Imperial expansion and World War One. Ask your student about this example of World War I Era Anti-German hysteria in Covington Kentucky!