Good afternoon Panther Families,

Thank you to all who participated in the 12th Annual PJ Day for the Kids! CCMC has reached 100% town participation in Connecticut! Schools in all 169 towns are participating and a record amount of new schools and businesses have joined in this year as well. We are grateful to be able to stand with everyone statewide who has chosen to stand in solidarity with kids fighting cancer at Connecticut Children's, raising critical funds and awareness!

We hope all have a wonderful weekend!

Best,

Christina & Emily

• December 12th - Board of Education Meeting: EH Town Hall; Council Chambers
• December 13th - Town Meeting of Middle School Roof Replacement: Town Hall 6pm
• December 14th - EHMS PTO Meeting: LMC
• December 23rd - Early Dismissal for staff and students
• December 26th - January 3rd - Winter Recess

Each month Team Leaders will share an update on current happenings throughout the team. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to your child's Team Leader. Contact information is within each newsletter.

Below is access to team's November newsletters. Don't forget to check out Team Amethyst's newsletter. This is our specials and P.E. team. Team Leaders will be sending out their December newsletters through Parentsquare.

Enjoy!

We are so proud when our students exemplify our PBIS pillars. Highlighted is the student from this week! 8th Grader Abbie Dipace for showcasing Respect, Responsibility, and Compassion!

This week, East Hampton Middle School’s EarlyAct Club partnered with the Interact Club at the high school to participate in the ABC Women’s Center Holiday Drive. The club selected a large family, raised funds from students and the community, and then purchased gifts for all of the children. Finally, these selfless and joyful volunteers gathered together for a “wrapping party” where they brought in colorful paper and bows and wrapped each present for the family. As always, East Hampton Middle School is so very proud of the good work our students are doing within our community.

Students in Mrs. Searles' 7th Grade Math class are taking part in a Math Scavenger Hunt. Students are using their Order of Operations skills and Integer Rules to solve expressions.

The Student Council Committee is hosting a holiday ornament crafting activity. Come and craft a few holiday ornaments and listen to holiday music on December 12th immediately after school until 4pm in the art room. The cost to participate is $5 or more. Any proceeds will be used to host a fun experience or assembly at school. Tickets to the event are being sold in the Commons during Flex time.

We're so excited to be ramping up the Ski and Snowboarding Club! If you are interested in joining the Ski and Snowboarding Club please join the Ski and Snowboarding Club Group on Parent Square. All information will be posted on the group page. Thank you!

We will be running things just as we did last year.

• Family members Grades 2 and older will be able to join at the club rates!
• There will be no bus to and from the school; students and their families will be responsible for providing their own transportation. The school will leave it to parent/guardian discretion as to how their child and equipment (which cannot be stored at the school) get to and from the mountain each week.
• Arrive at the mountain at 3:15 PM, depart from the mountain at 7:30 PM

The dates we have booked are:

Thursday, 1/19

Thursday, 1/26

Thursday, 2/16

Thursday, 2/23

Pricing per person for the 4 passes varies depending on which package you choose:

Lift Ticket $140

Lift and Lesson $192

Lift and Rental Equipment $212

Lift, Lesson and Rental Equipment $252

While there are no refunds for missed days, Mount Southington will let you trade your lift ticket in for a different day later this season or the following one.

Registration/Sign-up instructions coming soon, so stay tuned!

We are excited to be holding auditions next Wednesday, December 14th, for the cast of Guys and Dolls. (Call backs will be on December 16th if needed) Auditions will be in the music room directly after school. Students can use the office phone to call home when done.

The show will run March 17th-19th! If your child is not comfortable in an acting role, we also looking for students to help with the crew! More information to come!!!

Just a reminder that we continue to run Homework Club. Students can join at any point. Facilitated by a staff member, students who are interested can stay after school until 4:00 to have a quiet, structured space to work on school work. There will be times that we collaborate with the high school and students from Interact come to help assist students. The next Homework Club session is Tuesday, December 13th and the club will run every other Tuesday after that. If you are interested in your child participating, please complete the following google form. If there are any questions, please contact our main office.

Our December 14th meeting has been cancelled, but we invite you to join us at our first meeting of 2023: Wednesday, January 11th at 5:30pm.

We will discuss plans for the new year and welcome your ideas! Wishing everyone a safe and very happy holiday season!

The East Hampton Public Schools is proud to introduce School Based Health Centers in each of our schools. Soon, enrolled students will be able to receive behavioral health services during the school day. The School-Based Health Care (SBHC) staff are licensed health care providers, who are able to deliver behavioral health services to students during the school day. They work in conjunction with the student’s primary care providers to support their social, emotional, and behavioral health care needs. SBHC is proud to serve over 17,000 students throughout Connecticut. If you are interested in School-Based Health Care for your child, please visit SBCH2.com for enrollment information and forms.

On Tuesday December 6th, Mr. Verner, Principal of East Hampton High School, along with EHHS staff held a welcome orientation for our 8th grade families. Families had the opportunity to hear important information from the department heads of several academic areas as well as East Hampton High School students. The presentation included information that will be helpful as your child selects courses for next year. A bit different than middle school, our process of course selection begins months before your child arrives in the fall. In mid-January, high school administration and school counselors will meet with your child at the middle school to explain the scheduling process and discuss elective courses. The middle school staff will make academic course recommendations for your child. Once we return from winter recess, we will be sharing more details regarding course recommendations.

Below is the presentation shared by Mr. Verner on Tuesday night.

A reminder that effective December 1, 2022 all meals will be fully paid, unless your children qualify for free or reduced school meals. We greatly thank you for your patience with any issues in trying to add funds into your child's account. If you have any questions, please reach out to Jen Bove at jbove@easthamptonct.org or Christina Amaral at camaral@easthamptonct.org.

Frequently asked questions for your reference:

How do we pay for our school meals?

Students will pay for their breakfast and lunch using their Meal Magic lunch account. If you have not yet set up a Meal Magic account, or you need to add funds to your students’ accounts, please go to our website at https://www.easthamptonps.org/page/nutritional-services-and-school-lunch, click on Meal Magic Family Payment Portal and follow the instructions.

How do we qualify for free or reduced price meals?

If you think that you may qualify for free or reduced price meals, please go to our website at https://www.easthamptonps.org/page/nutritional-services-and-school-lunch to fill out a free and reduced lunch application. Please note that the income level required for eligibility for SNAP (formerly food stamps) was raised as of October 1st, so some families who previously did not qualify for SNAP may now qualify. Any students who receive SNAP benefits are automatically eligible for free school meals, so please visit our website and click on the + sign beside Applying for Free and Reduced Meals to learn more about applying for SNAP.

How much will meals cost on December 1?

School Breakfast = $2.25 at all schools.

Memorial Lunch = $3.50

Center Lunch = $3.50

Middle School Lunch = $3.75

High School Lunch = $4.00 ($4.50 for full Salad Bar)

Every school lunch includes lean protein, a whole grain, a selection of both fruits and

vegetables, and a low fat milk

Effectively immediately, the following email addresses can be used by parents to report and document their approval of an absence:

Memorial_Attendance@easthamptonct.org

Center_Attendance@easthamptonct.org

EHMS_Attendance@easthamptonct.org

EHHS_Attendance@easthamptonct.org

If you have successfully emailed the school, you will receive an autoreply that notifies you that the absence communication has been received and recorded. This process is effective for your child for the first 9 absences. After your student has more than 9 absences, additional documentation or communication is required to excuse the absence. However, please continue to use the email designated for your child's school to continue to notify the school that your child will be absent. You may call your child’s school at any time to report an absence but please make sure to follow up a phone call with a note or email to the attendance email.

Message from Nurse Hafele:

We are working on creating a collage of pets for the health office. Please send in a picture of your pet to add to our wall! Any and all pets welcome! Please hand in to Mrs. Hafele.

Now that Winter is upon us and the germs are starting to get a little too comfortable, let’s review the below guidelines.
Consider keeping your child at home for an extra day of rest and observation if he or she has any of the following symptoms:

• Very stuffy or runny nose and/or cough
• Mild sore throat (no fever, no known exposure to strep)
• Mild headache and/or stomachache
• Fatigue

Definitely keep your child at home for treatment and observation if he or she has any of these symptoms:

• Fever (greater than 100 degrees. May return to school after 24 hours of no fever WITHOUT fever reducing medications)
• Vomiting (Even once. Must wait 24 hours after last vomit episode to return to school)
• Diarrhea (Must wait 24 hours after last episode to return to school)
• Chills
• General malaise or feelings of fatigue, discomfort, weakness, and/or muscle aches
• Frequent congested, wet, or croupy cough
• Lots of nasal congestion with frequent blowing of nose

To help prevent the flu and other colds, please remind your child(ren) about good hygiene habits:

• Wash hands frequently
• Do not touch eyes, nose, or mouth
• Cover mouth and nose when sneezing/coughing and then wash hands
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick

Helpful resources:
Please contact your child’s pediatrician first. If unable to be seen, here is a list of
local walk in/urgent care locations if unable to be seen by pediatrician:
CVS Minute Clinic, East Hampton 866-389-2727
ProHealth Extended Hours, Glastonbury 657-5940
Middlesex Health Urgent Care, Middletown 860-358-4170
Colchester Urgent Care 860-531-9749

If at any point you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to me at khafele@easthamptonct.org or call the school office at 860-365-4060.

Thank you!

Mrs. Hafele

EAST HAMPTON MS ATHLETICS SCHEDULE DEC 12 -DEC 16 (subject to change)

MONDAY, DEC 12

East Hampton boys basketball at Griswold MS (Rocky Hill), 2:20 dismissal, 2:30 bus, 3:30 pm game.

Griswold MS girls basketball at EHMS, 3:30 pm game. Note: team picture!

Cheer leading attending game

TUESDAY, DEC 13

Girls basketball practice 2:35 until 4:30 pm

Boys optional study hall 2:35 until 4:15 pm

Boys basketball practice 4:30 until 6 pm (arrive at 4:15 pm)

Cheer practice 2:35 until 4:30 pm

WEDNESDAY, DEC 14

Girls basketball practice 2:35 until 4:30 pm

Boys optional study hall 2:35 until 4:15 pm

Boys basketball practice 4:30 until 6 pm (arrive at 4:15 pm)

No Cheer Leading

THURSDAY, DEC 15

Girls basketball practice 2:35 until 4:30 pm

Boys optional study hall 2:35 until 4:15 pm

Boys basketball practice 4:30 until 6 pm (arrive at 4:15 pm)

Cheer practice 2:35 until 4:30 pm

FRIDAY, DEC 16

East Hampton MS at Hale Ray MS, 4:20 pm bus.

Boys basketball game at 5:30 pm-No JV game (coaches will give JV's more information)

Girls basketball game at 7:00 pm-No JV game (coaches will give JV's more information)

Note: there is a door fee

Note: No cheer leading

If your child is having any Chromebook or technology issues please click on the link below to do some troubleshooting: EHMS TroubleShooting Tips

If the troubleshooting doesn't work click on the link below to submit an IT work ticket:

Chromebook Trouble Ticket

Please encourage your child to take pride and care in their device. Below is a video to review the proper care of Chromebooks with your child.

The East Hampton Board of Education and the school community as a whole promote a secure and productive school climate, conducive to teaching and learning that is free from threat, harassment, any type of bullying behavior, and teen dating violence. Therefore it shall be the policy of the Board that bullying and/or teen dating violence committed against a student by another student is prohibited. The Board believes that a school environment in which students feel safe, supported, engaged and helpfully challenged is optimal for learning and healthy development. The Board seeks an environment in which students and adults feel socially, emotionally, intellectually and physically safe; an environment that is free of harassment, intimidation, teen dating violence and bullying. Our website provides links to various policies and reporting forms including our Safe School Climate Plan. Hard copies are also available in our main office. If at any point you have any concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to building administration for further assistance.

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