The Panther Post

Good afternoon,

Please note that the second quarter ends on Friday, January 23rd. Beginning Monday, January 26th, students will move into their third specials rotation. Additionally, sixth-grade students will begin their second-semester Exploratory World Language course.

As always, if you have any questions on your child's progress, please don't hesitate to reach out to any of your child's teachers. In addition, just a reminder there is no school on Monday January 19th. We will see our students back on Tuesday.

Best,

Christina & Emily

Mon. Jan. 12th - Board of Education Meeting, Town Hall, 6:30

Mon. Jan. 19th - MLK Day - No school

Tues. Jan. 20th - 23rd - Spirit Week

Wed. Jan. 21st - 8th Grade Parent Meeting at EHHS - more information in Smore - brining your child is encouraged!

Fri. Jan. 23rd - End of Quarter 2; PBIS Assembly

Mon. Jan. 26th - Students transition to Quarter 3 specials

Sun. Jan 25th - Volleyball Registration Closes

Mon. Jan 26th -Board of Education Meeting, Town Hall, 6:30

Spanish C students participated in a speaking activity. Students had to ask each other several open-ended questions and write each other's answers. The challenge for students was to be able to come up with their own original answers. In this activity, students used the near future and a variety of vocabulary previously learned. This activity was conducted entirely in Spanish. Students enjoyed working with one another throughout the activity.

7th grade scientists are exploring the role of chemical reactions in our metabolisms. To investigate how nutrient molecules are broken down during digestion, they’re experimenting with an enzyme and chemical indicators to identify the presence of complex carbohydrates and glucose in samples of crackers, rice, and taco shells. This activity builds on the inquiry skills and processes, and reinforces how using the scientific method gives us reliable results.

This week, East Hampton Middle School hosted its third annual Scripps Spelling Bee final round. Congratulations to all of our 6th, 7th & 8th grade finalists (pictured below), and a special congratulations to our school champion, Pranud Anthony! Pranud will advance to compete in the Connecticut State Spelling Bee this March in West Hartford.

Our seventh graders are currently working through Unit 4, which emphasizes proportional relationships, percent applications, and strengthening reasoning skills with ratios and rates. Students are engaging in rich, problem‑based lessons that invite them to explore real‑world scenarios, collaborate with classmates, and communicate their thinking using diagrams, tables, and equations.

As we reached the halfway point of the school year, we took the opportunity to review expectations with students through grade-level Town Hall meetings. These gatherings reinforced that we are a community working together to create a positive, safe, and respectful school environment- one that supports learning, cooperation, and compassion.

During the Town Halls, we revisited the pillars of the EHMS Way: Empathy, Honesty, Mindfulness, and Safety. We emphasized that emotional and physical safety for all members of our school community is an expectation and a shared responsibility. Students reviewed what emotional and physical safety look like in practice and discussed our school-wide expectations.

We also reviewed our reporting system, reiterating that our goal is always student growth. We recognize that students at this age will make mistakes, and we are committed to guiding them through reflection and helping them understand how their actions and words impact others.

A PDF of the presentation is provided below for your reference.

Below are students who received Positive Office Referrals for their behaviors that have exemplified our PBIS pillars of Empathy, Honesty, Mindfulness and Safety. Students were able to choose a reward from our menu of options like eating outside with friends! Great job to our Panthers!

Positive Office Referrals

Quinn Gould, Sarah Evans, Liam Twiss, Isabella Kiernan, Chanuk Kulatunga, Joseph Ploszay, Kenzy Lumbra, Sophia Vargas Mendez, Trevor Ushchak, Brooke Hawes, Taylor Karabetsos

Homework Club provides the opportunity for students to have structured space to work on assignments. A staff member is there to support if needed. If you have any questions, you can reach out to your child's Team Leader or call our office with any questions.

Below are details of our meeting times and start dates.

• Days: Wednesdays

• Time: 2:35pm-4:00pm

• Location: EHMS Library

To sign your child up, please fill out the linked google form.

Volleyball Registration deadline Sunday, Jan 25th.

Reminder: dismissal forms (found under links in Parentsquare) should be submitted 24 hours in advance.

For all parents and spectators who plan on attending a game. If our bus lines are not dismissed, parents/spectators will be asked to wait outside until the gym is cleared. All games start at 3:30 pm, unless Beman at 4 pm.

No food, drinks or beverages allowed in our gym!

Jan 19 - Jan 23 (subject to change)

MONDAY, JAN 19

No Athletics, just cheer!

Cheer Exhibition at East Hampton HS-Coach provided families with further information on parentsquare.

TUESDAY, JAN 20

East Hampton boys basketball at RHAM MS, 2:20 dismissal, 2:30 bus, 3:30 pm game.

RHAM girls basketball at East Hampton MS, 3:30 pm game

Monitors: Head Mike Ast Trish

Cheer Leading attending game

WEDNESDAY, JAN 21

Boys Basketball 2:35 until 4:30 pm

Girls Study Hall 2:35 until 4:15 pm in room 21

Girls Basketball 4:30 until 6 pm

Cheer Leading 2:35 until 4:30 pm

THURSDAY, JAN 22

East Hampton boys basketball at McGee MS (Berlin) 2:20 dismissal, 2:30 bus, 3:30 pm game.

McGee girls basketball at East Hampton MS, 3:30 pm game.

Monitors: Head Mike Ast Jon

No Cheer Leading

FRIDAY, JAN 23

East Hampton girls basketball at Cromwell MS, 2:20 dismissal, 2:30 bus, 3:30 pm game.

Note: No JV game, Varsity only!

Boys Basketball 2:35 until 4:30 pm

Cheer Leading 2:35 until 4:30 pm

SATURDAY, JAN 23

Cheer Competition at Killingly HS-Coach provided families with further information via parentsquare.

📅 Mark Your Calendars!
All EHMS PTO meetings are held in the Middle School Library at 5:30 PM.
🗓️ Upcoming Meeting Dates:

• February 3
• March 3
• April 7
• April 29
• May 14
• June 2

✨ All parents and guardians are welcome — join us to stay involved and help make a difference at EHMS!

Per the East Hampton Board of Education’s Attendance Policy and Connecticut statute, parents and guardians may only approve the first 9 absences of the school year with a parent note. Absences 10 and above can only be excused with further documentation and under specific circumstances.

Just a reminder that when we do not hear from a parent, then our attendance line will send out a call that your child is absent. Even if your child is sent home by the nurse the day before, we still need a call or notice each day your child is out.

In addition, if a student has four unexcused absences in one month or 10 unexcused absences in a year they are classified as truant. If a child misses 18 or more days in a school year – excused or unexcused absences – the student is classified as chronically absent.

A phone call is appreciated, but only an email to our attendance inbox or written note can officially excuse absence 1 through 9. Below is our attendance email:

Note: Between the school name and the word Attendance is a underscore ( _ )

EHMS_Attendance@easthamptonct.org

If a student has four unexcused absences in one month or 10 unexcused absences in a year they are classified as truant. If a child misses 18 or more days in a school year – excused or unexcused absences – the student is classified as chronically absent.

Did you know?

Community Health Care, Inc. is a part of the East Hampton Middle School success team!

Enrollment is open NOW for mental health services through the School-Based Health Center. Our licensed clinical social worker can support youth by addressing issues such as anxiety, depression, trauma, peer conflict, family conflict, grief and loss, emotional regulation, increasing school engagement and other childhood challenges.

Click here: https://www.sbhc1.com/enroll/

Why choose SBHC?

Convenient same day appointment

Removes barriers to care such as lack of transportation

Decreases time away from the classroom which improves academic success

Improves student's achievement by taking care of behavioral health needs that can make learning difficult

For more information, email DeFranL@ch1.com

Board of Education Statement on School Safety: The East Hampton Board of Education is committed to a safe and secure learning environment that honors and celebrates the diversity of our students, our community, and our nation. The Board of Education in partnership with the school community will not tolerate any threat of violence in the schools or any hate speech that targets any race, religion, sexual orientation, or disability. Each student is held to the highest standards of responsible decision making within a culture that is expected to foster compassion, caring, and empathy.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statement of the East Hampton Public Schools: The school community of East Hampton is committed to the mission of honoring and celebrating the diversity of our students, our community, and our nation. We strive to guide our students to conscious, deliberate, individual and collective actions that cultivate the respect of all races, religions, and social backgrounds. Our school community endeavors to produce graduates who are equipped with a greater understanding of the concepts of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Nondiscrimination Statement of the East Hampton Public Schools: The East Hampton Board of Education, in compliance with federal and state law, affirms its policy of equal educational opportunity for all students and equal employment opportunity for all persons. It is the policy of the District to promote nondiscrimination and an environment free of harassment regardless of an individual’s race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, national origin, ancestry, disability (including but not limited to, intellectual disability, past or present history of mental disorder, physical disability, or learning disability), genetic information, marital status, or age or because of the race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, national origin, ancestry, disability, genetic information, marital status, or age of any persons with whom the individual associates. The District shall provide to all students without discrimination, course offerings, counseling, assistance, employment, athletics, and extracurricular activities. The District shall provide equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The District shall make reasonable accommodations for identified physical and mental impairments that constitute disabilities, consistent with federal and state statutes and regulations.

Email: camaral@easthamptonct.org
Website: https://www.easthamptonps.org/o/ehms
Location: 19 Childs Road, East Hampton, CT, USA
Phone: (860) 365 4060