ECA News: The Inside Scoop

This week brought some downtime for students with ECA classes, but it’s been busy here on campus! Soft Skills Review Day was a fantastic opportunity for teachers to discuss student progress so far this year–and there has been so much incredible growth already! We were excited to see our parents/guardians for conferences these last few days of the week. It is so valuable to bring the “home team” and the “school team” together; thanks to all our families for being engaged so strongly for our students!

Last Monday, students in Ms. Fountain’s CLICK class took part in their first on-campus CLICK day, focused on Safety and Security. Representatives from EMU’s Department of Public Safety provided information about how to stay safe (and stay out of trouble) on campus, and the folks from the TItle IX office conducted awareness training about sexual assault and harassment. Next week, ECA teachers will be discussing safety plans and practicing safety drills in each classroom so that students are aware of what to do in case of an emergency on campus. Please alert your student’s teachers, CORE Advisor, and counselor if your student requires support as we conduct these drills.

Next week, ECA classes will be the only classes taking place on EMU’s campus, as the University is on their fall break. It is one of the very few times in the school year where the high school and college calendars do not align. Don’t be confused–while next week is time for students in EMU classes to have a little break, ECA high school classes are in session!

I look forward to seeing a lot of parents/guardians at next week’s ECA Pi meeting - 6pm in the King Hall Multicultural Lounge! We’ll be working on fundraising and convening additional committees to start planning the next few events, including Final Exam Goodie Bags, Adult’s Night Out, and Teacher Appreciation activities.

~Dr. Fischer

Character Quote of the Week

ECA students at Monday's CLICK event, and over the weekend taking part in a YCS football game - football player Joshua Webster and marching band musician Mackenzie Dunsmore!

If you did not have your school picture taken THIS SEMESTER -- or would like to retake your picture -- our makeup/retake picture day is Monday, October 27, from 10:00am – 4:00pm in King Hall's MC Lounge. Drop in anytime during these hours (it literally takes 2 minutes!) and get your picture taken.

PLEASE NOTE: ALL ECA students must have their pictures taken! Families do not have to purchase pictures, but students MUST get their photos updated, as this is a MANDATORY activity for CLICK.

All students will receive a QR Code Card at the time pictures are taken, which is needed if students want to order printed photos or other items. If you have questions about ordering pictures, please contact SchoolPictures.com at 734-677-3400.

The ECA Student Leaders invite all ECA students to attend our annual Veterans Day Celebration! The Veterans Day Celebration will feature a guest speaker, a fun Kahoot (win an Amazon gift card or Pizza Thursday card!), and a short, informative presentation. Join us on Friday, November 7th, from 1:00pm - 2:10pm in Pray Harrold 201 to help celebrate our veterans! This event is a part of Core Connections Day - more details will be shared soon.

In preparation for our Veterans Day Celebration, we would like your help in honoring ECA's Family of Veterans.

• Do you have a VETERAN in your family or circle of friends? Share your Veteran photos!
• Please complete this form to submit a picture(s) for the slideshow.
• All submissions are DUE by Friday, October 31st.

Please email Mrs. Jackson (jackson@earlycollegealliance.info) if you have any questions. Thank you in advance!

PARENTS & GUARDIANS: Our Student Leaders are requesting some items to be donated to make the event a success for all of the students. Please sign up for an item or two! You may drop items off in the Main Office (221 King Hall) with Mrs. Jackson or send them with your student. The sign-up for Harvest Hangout donations can be found HERE, and donations can go toward your parent commitment. Please email Mrs. Jackson with any questions. Thanks in advance for your help!

Need community service hours for CLICK? Please consider donating NEW socks of all sizes to help members of our community in need via SOS Community Services! The sock donation drive runs from October 1st - 31st.

Be sure to bring socks to Mrs. Jackson BEFORE you put your socks in the decorated bin by the MC Lounge to get a raffle ticket (5 or more pairs). Every FIVE pairs donated earns an entry for a FREE Pizza Thursday Card. Take a picture of you/and your donated items and upload to Innerview for community service hours (contact Ms. Fountain or Ms. Squirewell with Innerview questions).

Did you know socks can reduce the risk of infection, prevent frostbite, and foster good hygiene? We appreciate your donations and support! ~Student Leaders

Red Cards were sent via US Mail to students with EMU (college) courses last week. Red Cards verify your enrollment in your EMU courses, and meeting this requirement is an extremely important responsibility. You must get your cards signed between October 1 and October 22. If you did not receive the mailing, there will be plenty of extra sheets that you can pick up anytime, right outside Mrs. Jackson’s office (221 King Hall). Red cards are DUE TO CORE ADVISORS NO LATER THAN NOON ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER 22.

The next ECA Pi meeting is Thursday, October 16th, from 6-7:30 pm in King Hall’s MC Lounge, across from the main office (room 221). Refreshments will be served!

We are giving away a Glass Card (a discount card worth $100) during this meeting! To be entered into the giveaway, all you need to do is show up!

It’s not too late! Join the ECA Parents & Guardian Facebook Group for this school year! CLICK HERE to join - you must answer both questions, and the password this year is "Tenacity". For more information about ECA PI, please email eca.pi.emu@gmail.com.

Academy, Returning Academy, and First-Year Students

Greetings students,

I hope you have enjoyed your week off and have been re-energized!!

Just a few reminders:

• During this month of October, we’d like to recognize the following events: National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and National Bullying Prevention Month. For those students who wish to participate, we will honor Breast Cancer Awareness on Monday, October 20th by wearing pink. We will honor Bullying Prevention on Wednesday, October 22nd by wearing orange to promote kindness, acceptance, and inclusion.

• Please make sure you are reading the weekly Monday morning announcement, I send through Canvas. It details important and relevant information for all my students.

• There are no CLICK Days until November 21st and 24th and the only CLICK assignment you can work on is the Educational and Community Engagement.

• During this downtime, you should be trying to get your semester meeting with me completed. Look for my availability in the weekly Monday morning email as well as how to make an appointment with me.

Local Mental Health Resources

Should you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to stop by my office, 327 King, or email me at fountain@earlycollegealliance.info.

Juniors, Seniors, and Scholars

I hope your semester is going well…remember your “Why”!

If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact me at squirewell@earlycollegealliance.info

Michigan Child Protection Registry

The Michigan Child Protection Registry is a do-not-contact service that families can easily sign up for at www.ProtectMIChild.com in order to keep their children safe while on their devices at school and at home. This is a free Registry offered through the State of Michigan that stops adult advertisements from reaching our kids through e-mail, text, Snapchat, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Discord, Twitch and TikTok. This Registry is an excellent resource for making sure our kids aren’t being served ads for alcohol, tobacco/vaping, online gambling, pornography or marijuana.

Halloween Costume Swap on Sunday, October 19th at the Ann Arbor District Library’s downtown facility from 11 AM to noon. Come pick up a new-to-you costume for this year. Gently used and clean costumes can be dropped off at any library location through October 14th. You do not need to drop off a costume to pick one up at the swap. More information here.

Congressional App Challenges for middle school and high school students

Pleas CLICK HERE for more information.

Career Technical Education Proposal: Vote on or by November 4, 2025

On November 4, 2025, voters residing within the Washtenaw Intermediate School District’s service area will be asked to consider a 1 mill tax that would support the expansion of Career Technical Education (CTE) learning experiences from preschool through high school graduation.

CTE helps students understand why they learn what they learn from PreK-12, and it opens doors to college, careers and beyond.

If a CTE millage is approved by voters in November, students in preschool, elementary, middle and high school would benefit from new programs and expansion of existing programs. Washtenaw County’s CTE framework would span from PreK-12, with age-appropriate experiences that build on each other as students grow and learn. Learn more by CLICKING HERE.

WMBK 3rd Annual Gala Dinner

Come join us for a night of unity and celebration at the WMBK 3rd Annual Gala Dinner!

Washtenaw My Brother's Keeper (WMBK) is dedicated to empowering multiple generations to build community by using innovative means to change narratives, practices and policies; resulting in improved outcomes for young men and boys of color in Washtenaw County.

We're excited for year 3! It's that time of year again to get fly and share some good vibes, food and celebrate the accomplishments of WMBK! Individual tickets are less than $60 or purchase an entire table at a discounted rate. Get your tickets today! BUY MY WMBK GALA TICKETS

Dexter:

Dexter Home District Families - please CLICK HERE for updates! Dexter District does not provide "shareable" e-blasts. So, your ECA District Liaison will be copying and pasting snippets with links and more details for you -- and sharing them to a Dexter-ECA google doc (accessible and updated throughout the year).

Manchester:

Senior Cap & Gown Information has been sent out. Seniors, please check your email or school portal. If you do not have access please contact the school at (734) 428-7333.

Senior Composite Pictures will take place on Thursday, October 30th. Seniors must schedule an appointment in advance.

Saline:

Meet the Superintendent: Fall Edition -- Our new Superintendent, Dr. Rachel Kowalski is hosting events to meet families and community members this fall. These upcoming events are designed to create space for open conversation, thoughtful questions, and celebrating the pride we share in Saline Area Schools. Please consider attending an upcoming event:

Trunk or Treat — October 22 | 6:30 PM | Downtown Saline

Tailgate with the Team — October 24 | 5:30–7:00 PM | Hornet Stadium

Saline Senior Dates/Deadlines

AAPS - Skyline:

HERE is a link to Skyline's weekly newsletter, where you will find a lot of info about building-level things that ECA students don't need to worry about--but also information about:

• Ordering Skyline yearbooks
• Athletics
• Senior Parent Meeting
• Homecoming - which is this coming week!

AAPS - Pioneer:

ECA-Pioneer students who need a Pioneer Student ID: click on the link for the High5 ID. If you are in the Pioneer database, put in your student ID and take a selfie. This will get you a Pioneer virtual ID and allow you to attend the athletic events for free. If you have any questions, please contact Ms. Anglin at 734-994-2120

If students will be absent, tardy, or need to leave campus early, the following procedure must be followed:

• Parents/Guardians should notify the Attendance Office (attendance@earlycollegealliance.info, 734-487-7882) that the student will be absent, tardy, or picked up early, along with the reason.
• If the student is absent/late/leaving early, they should contact their teachers.
• If the student is waiting to be picked up, they must wear a mask (if sick), and they must be in King Hall where an ECA adult can see them.
• If the student leaves early, they MUST come to the main office FIRST and sign out each time they leave campus early!

Again, if your student will be absent for all or part of the day, parents/guardians must notify the ECA Attendance Office (734-487-7882) or attendance@earlycollegealliance.info so that the absence may be documented.

Students, remember to turn in your fully punched pizza cards for a chance to win a FREE pizza punch card! Please note that pizza is on a first-come, first-served basis. If a student does not get pizza, they can see Mrs. Dace in King 122 for options from the food pantry.

Please email Mrs. Jackson (jackson@earlycollegealliance.info) if you have any questions.

This semester, the Holman Success Center has tutors available to support BIO 110, BIO 120, BIO 251, BIO 252, and BIO 301 through in-person and online drop-in sessions, as well as individual appointments via Starfish. Schedules and additional details are available on our Drop-in Tutoring website.

The program connects students with passionate peers who share their own learning experiences and strategies. Peer-to-peer learning helps students strengthen their understanding of course material, build effective study habits, and develop skills to become independent learners.

Students who need ECA ID cards: All ECA students need to have an ECA ID card. You can have a new ECA ID each year–but you don’t have to get a new one if your old one is working (the picture is clear & the magnetic stripe is functional). If you did NOT get an ECA ID card, or if you need a new one for this year, there are two ways to get this handled:

1. Email your E-ID number and headshots to EagleOneCard@emich.edu. The photo requirements are as follows:

• Background Solid White

• Similar to a passport book photo

• Color Only

• Minimal facial expressions or a natural smile with both eyes open

• Centered with full face in frame

• Cropped just above the head to the collarbone

• Taken within the last six months to reflect current appearance

• Saved as a .JPG file type

Photo should not

• Include hats, sunglasses, headphones or clothing obscuring the face

• Noticeable background shadows or glare

• Be too close/selfies