ECHS

This summer has been busy from summer athletics, to FFA leadership retreats, FCCLA National Conference (Josie Wolf and Macy Lyness finished 2nd in the Nation!), Finding Nemo Jr, and marching band preparations for the 25-26 school year. Our 4th quarter Honor Roll numbers were outstanding with 56% of our student body earning all As and Bs and 32% earning all As! That success coupled with everyone's efforts over the summer bring a continuing expectation for success this fall and throughout the school year. EC remains a school...family in which we can all take great pride. Our mission continues to be guided by the same principles I came here with eight years ago…to make connections, to provide the best opportunities for our students, and perhaps most importantly, to offer a safe and secure school environment where your child/student can grow and thrive as an academic and as a person.

It is essential as we continue the great work East Central has become known for that we keep our focus on consistent and clear communication between students, staff, and community regarding mission, vision, successes, hopes, and desires. We must also continue our attention on best-practices and alignment across content areas to ensure continued academic success and even moreso, student growth and improvement. Please know how thankful I am to be here with your student(s), this staff, and this community. I take great pride in those words we utter so frequently and hope you do as well...WE ARE...

And, finally, thank you to all of you for your patience and flexibility during the on-going improvements to our campus and facilities...again, more examples of offering our kids the best opportunities possible.

IMPORTANT DATES

No School - 9/12

Early Release - 9/17

Homecoming - 9/22-9/26

End of 1st 9-weeks - 10/4

Fall Break - 10/6-10/10

PSAT - 10/22

WE ARE...EC!

Student Registration:

Thank you to the Sunman Dearborn School Corporation Endowment for paying for all student book rental fees this year! Once again this year, students are only charged a $25 Chromebook fee. We are very fortunate to have an endowment that gives directly back to our families!
If you have not registered your child yet, please do so as soon as possible https://powerschool.sunmandearborn.k12.in.us/public/home.html If you have any questions, please contact Mr. Tucker, Assistant Principal.

WE ARE…

• 304 Freshmen

• 308 Sophomores

• 299 Juniors

• 318 Seniors

Curriculum

We are incredibly proud to announce that the 2025-26 course inventory has more than 200 course opportunities for students. This includes more than 71 dual credit courses with over 225 available college credits, 10 Advanced Placement courses and 17 Graduation Pathways for students to choose from.

Advanced Placement Exam Registration

Students are currently registering for their AP exams in their respective classes. The AP exam registration deadline is October 4. The state will cover the costs for Math, Science, Computer Science and ELA exams. All other exams are $99 and payment is due by November 15. (Checks payable to East Central High School). Please give to Mrs. Colegate in the front office.

Dual Credit Information for Parents and Students

Did you know ECHS has over 71 courses that students can earn college credit in. Last year East Central High School students earned over $1,000,000 in college credit from Ivy Tech, Vincennes and Ball State. Students and families can save the cost of an entire year of college by completing this Indiana College Core checklist right here at ECHS. For fast facts of the Indiana College Core click here or contact your child’s guidance counselor.

Dual Credit Registration and Knowledge Assessment Qualification

All students taking a dual credit course this year must complete the Knowledge Assessment test in their MyIvy account. Students must score a 70 or better to qualify (earn) for the dual college credit.

The deadline for students to register for their dual credit course in DualEnroll is September 11. Please ensure your student has completed the necessary steps. It is the student's responsibility to register for the Ivy Tech dual credit course through the Ivy Tech online portal. If you have any questions, please contact your child’s teacher.

NEW Parent & Family Hub - Indiana Learning Lab
Last year, the Indiana Department of Education launched a new feature in the Indiana Learning Lab: The Parent & Family Support Hub! The Indiana Learning Lab, first launched in 2021 to support our educators, has now grown to more than 44,000 users. As student and educator needs evolve, the Learning Lab is evolving as well. The new Parent and Family Hub was launched as a way to support parents and families of students in early learning through grade 12. The platform will feature vetted websites, videos, workshops, and other content focused on literacy and STEM instruction, in particular.

Class of 2023 & Beyond - Graduation Pathways

Students no longer have to “pass a test” to earn their high school diploma! Students will now complete what is known as “Graduation Pathways” to graduate high school in the state of Indiana. We are very fortunate at ECHS to be able to offer 17 pathways for students to choose from.

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. Please contact Mrs. Osman, 812-576-4811 ext. 11302, for additional information.

U.S. Service Academy Days are coming up soon! The first event will be at North Decatur Jr/Sr High School on Saturday, September 20th This event is for middle school/high school students and parents who are interested in learning more about the five U.S. Service Academies – the United States Military Academy at West Point, the United States Naval Academy, the United States Air Force Academy, the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and the United States Merchant Marine Academy – all of which offer a free college education to those interested in serving our country.

ECHS Guidance Department

The school year is quickly progressing and classes are continuing to work on specific items of completion. Listed below is an overview of tasks that each grade should be focused on completing.

Seniors and Juniors will attend the College and Career Fair during school hours on Sept. 3rd. This is an opportunity to meet with companies that are looking for applicants, Military representatives and college representatives.

Key items per grade:

Seniors:

Parents are encouraged to join the Senior Class of 2026 Google Classroom with the code: xqc7eaxk. Graduation details, scholarship, and important senior information will be emailed to students and posted to this classroom for future reference and access.

Senior Parent Night was held on August 20th. Trojanmediaproductions.com has a streamed option that is available for viewing.

ECHS will be holding our Financial Aid Night on October 15th from 6:30- 8:00 pm in the Performing Arts Center. We will have our representative from INvested who will do an overview on how to complete the parent and student sections of the FAFSA. At this event we will also have staff from INvestED here to help parents and students complete the FAFSA. We highly encourage all parents and seniors to attend. If you can not attend the presentation, it will be live streamed on trojanmediaproductions.com and available to view at a later date if needed.

Seniors are also allowed to have two college visit days to explore or finalize colleges of choice. Fall break also serves as a great opportunity to visit colleges that are still in session without missing classes at ECHS. Several college representatives have met with seniors who have voiced interest and more are scheduled to arrive.

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 degree in just 11 months and prepares them to transfer to a four-year college to earn their bachelor's degree. Contact Wendi Karle at wkarle@sunmandearborn.k12.in.us for more information.

Juniors:

The PSAT (10/22) digital test will be available to the Juniors during the school day. The PSAT is a practice test for the SAT and a qualifier for the National Merit Scholarship.

SAT School Day: The Digital SAT is a required test for all Juniors in the state of Indiana. The SAT will be given during the school day on March 4th. 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.

Sophomore and Freshman:

These students should focus on their grades to build a strong transcript which will enable the most opportunities for them. Sophomores will take the digital PSAT on October 22nd during the school year.

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.

Dual Credit:

Students need to register for dual credit in DualEnroll.com and complete any required knowledge assessments by September 17th in order to receive college credit.

Dual Enrollment: (Courses students take independently)

The Fall 2 session begins October 27th. See Mrs. Karle by October 21 to register.

Save the Date:

Ivy Tech Commencement is May 8th at 6:00pm at the Lawrenceburg Event Center.

Who we are: We are a group of students at East Central High School working towards building school spirit through merchandise, events, and more. Our 2025-2026 officers are:

CEO- Leah Toney

CFO- Sam Lyness

CTO- Eli Sehlhorst

CMO- Brooklyn Stath

COO- Luke Farmer

What we do: Trojan Exchange is a group of students studying business. There are quite a few different positions that each person can be in. It is broken down into four categories, each category has its own manager and its own officer. The four categories consist of Operations, Technology, Finance, and Marketing.

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 home games. Come see us when we are there! The Trojan Exchange also holds events around the school.

Our why: The Trojan Exchange was formed to help teach students how to run a business using hands-on experience. Our goal is to raise money for senior scholarships, and help them excel in their careers in the future.Every purchase you make or every event you support goes towards helping us reach that goal! Thank you to our customers for your continued support!

Check out our new merch → https://www.trojanexchange.com/

Check back next month for new events and exciting new apparel!

Last year's yearbooks will be in at the end of September-mid October. If you have any questions email Ms. Stanley at kastanley@sunmandearborn.k12.in.us.

2025-2026 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. SALE: use coupon code FALL25 to receive $5.00 off your yearbook order now-the end of September. The deadline to order is April 30th, 2026.

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, 2026.

Are you looking for a way to promote your business? Look no further and purchase a Business Ad in the 2025-2026 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

The Trojan Cafe is off to a great start! It didn’t take long for the students to get back into the swing of things. Cafe workers are learning valuable job skills such as greeting customers, taking orders, preparing drinks, and making change. Nutrition classes are working hard, making treats to sell, and learning food safety and cleanliness.

The East Central Student Council has been busy kicking off the school year with energy and purpose! Over the summer, our student body executives (Tyler Stenger, president; Paige Hotze, vice president; JP Davidson, secretary; Taliana Wilson, treasurer) participated in leadership training to strengthen their skills and prepare to guide our council. In early August, they led a full day of team-building and leadership activities, inspiring members with the message that one spark can light a flame一and together, they are the sparks that will ignite the school spirit at EC.

Already this year, Student Council has bonded while creating the beautiful new mural in the atrium and welcoming incoming freshmen at Orientation. They planned a beautiful Senior Sunrise and visited Logan Supermart for an ice cream social. Next up, we’re thrilled to host our Homecoming Dance on Saturday, September 27 from 7-10 PM in the fieldhouse. Stay tuned for more exciting events一this year is sure to be magical!

East Central FCCLA Chapters Win Big at the 2025 FCCLA National Leadership Conference

Orlando, Florida, July 2025 – The 2025 FCCLA National Leadership Conference (NLC) took place in Orlando, Florida, from July 5 – July 9th, drawing more than 10,600 students, educators, and guests from across the nation. This gathering provided a valuable platform for attendees to expand their leadership skills, sharpen their talents, explore career pathways, and listen to inspiring speakers.

The Indiana FCCLA State Officers, including two state officers from East Central High School including Abby Cross, Indiana FCCLA State President and Macy Lyness Vice President of Development led the state delegation at general sessions. They also served as voting delegates. Lastly, they attended state officer training to meet state officers from across the country.

The highly anticipated Students Taking Action with Recognition (STAR) Events were at the heart of the conference. Over 5,500 FCCLA Members competed in these events, where they were recognized for their proficiency and achievement in chapter and individual projects, leadership skills, and career preparation. The collaboration between youth and adults in managing the events and evaluating participants allowed students to develop real-world skills and gain valuable insights.

STAR Events are pivotal in supporting student development by enhancing their classroom experience and guiding them toward successful career pathways. With more than 36 events to choose from, participants had the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge, skills, and abilities by actively addressing essential issues concerning families, careers, or communities. By researching the topic and implementing projects to advocate for positive change, students acquired valuable skills and industry insights needed to thrive in the 21st century.

We are thrilled to share that proudly members of both the East Central Middle School competed at the FCCLA National Leadership Conference in Orlando, Florida. Gracelynn Holland and Annabelle Edmonds competed in the Chapter Service Display Level 1 STAR Event and achieved a remarkable gold medal and placed 3rd in the Nation in recognition of their outstanding performance. Grace Kirchgassner and Gwenevere McConnaughey participated in the Interpersonal Communication Level 1 and received a Silver Medal and placed in the top 10 of the event. Tristyn Ankenman, Elizabeth Scholle and Juliette Stevens earned a gold medal in Chapter Service Project Display, Level 1. Rachel Morton received a Silver medal in Chapter Service Portfolio Level 1. In the National Programs in Action Level 1, receiving a bronze medal was Gabriella Stevens. Achieving a silver medal in Repurpose and Redesign is Allison Weiler. Addison Quillen also competed in the FCCLA Knowledge Test and Demonstration Skill Event Job Interviewing at the National Level.

The following East Central High School members competed in STAR Events. Macy Lyness and Josie Wolf competed in the Chapter Service Portfolio Level 2 STAR Event and attained an outstanding gold medal and 2nd in the Nation for their project. In the Baking and Pastry Event, Tatum Johnson earned a silver medal. Receiving silver medals were Elizabeth Littleton and Payton Boone in the Chapter Service Display Event, Level 2. Savannah Campbell and Isabella Nichols earned a Gold Medal in the Chapter Service Portfolio Level 3 Event. Layla Craig and Kayla Craig were in the Top 10 Finalists and received a Gold Medal in the Chapter Service Display Level 3 Event. Elle Jankovsky received a gold medal in the Focus on Children Level 3 Event. Courtney Lewis and Lexi Babb earned a Gold Medal in Focus on Children Level 2 STAR Event. In the Chapter Service Display Level 2 Event was Aislyn Ankenman and she received a Silver Medal. Savannah Clary and Novalee Fultz received a gold medal. Adalynn Greer, Chloe Hensley and Hailey Rack competed in Professional Presentation STAR Event and received a Gold Medal. In the Leadership STAR Event, receiving a Silver Medal was Abby Cross. In the Interpersonal Communication Event, receiving a Silver Medal were Kendra Earnshaw and Audrey Rouse. Mackenzie Beever received a Silver medal in the Fashion Design Level 3 Event. In the Fashion Design Level 2 Event, Emmarie Nowlin received a Silver Medal. The students’ projects exemplify their dedication, creativity, and commitment to making a positive impact on the lives of others. Their accomplishment at the national level is a testament to their hard work, teamwork, and unwavering passion.

The East Central FCCLA was accompanied by Chapter Advisers, Brenda Osman, Ashley McConnell, Tammy Neltner and Josie Bonilla. The chaperones/parents that attended were Lea Henson, Ashley Clary, Peg Lyness, Melissa Wolf, Emily Eppert, Staci Edmonds, Tama Stevens, Kim Lewis, Korry Johnson, Sarah McConnaughey, Katey Holland, Chris Holland,and Andrew Beever.

About FCCLA:

Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) is a dynamic and effective student-led nation-based organization supporting youth on their journey to become the leaders of tomorrow and helping them address important personal, family, work, and societal issues through Family and Consumer Sciences education. FCCLA has over 257,000 members and more than 5,500 chapters across the nation.

The Ultimate Leadership Experience is unique among youth organizations because its programs are planned and run by members. It is the only career and technical intracurricular student organization with a central focus on careers that support families. Participation in national FCCLA programs and chapter activities aids members in becoming strong leaders in their families, careers, and communities. For more information on FCCLA, please contact at FCCLA Chapter Adviser, Brenda Osman at bosman@sunmandearborn.k12.in.us

East Central FFA Completes National FFA Living To Serve Grant

(St. Leon, IN)

In August 2024, The East Central FFA Chapter was awarded a $3000 National FFA Living to Serve Grant. This 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.

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

East Central FFA addressed accessibility to gardening for people with mobility issues or other disabilities by building accessible raised garden beds. After being built in April and May 2025, 15 beds were distributed to Southeastern Indiana Community Gardens, The Civic Garden Center in Cincinnati, and Gorman Heritage Farm in Evendale, Ohio. Five beds were provided to local citizens that expressed the need to have one to be able to further their garden activities at home.

FFA members built the garden beds in the East Central Agriculture Shop. Wyatt Smith, Evan Kramer, Seth Strobl, Riley Shumate, Jake Lutz and Austin Makrancy were the primary members involved with this project. They did all of the work from cutting out all lumber, bed and leg assembly, installing a landscape fabric liner, and signage on the beds. A huge thank you goes to FFA parent and EC FFA Alumni member Jeremy Smith for providing the truck and trailer to deliver 10 of the beds to Southeast Indiana Community Gardens in May. East Central FFA worke with Shyra Tedesco, director and co-founder of the Southeast Indiana (SEI) Community Gardens to find locations for the raised beds.

By completing this project members of the community are able to increase their physical activity and improve healthy lifestyle habits that promote physical and mental well-being while gardening.

“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.

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

East Central FFA plans to continue this project, and will be building additional beds during the 2025-2026 school year. 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

Fine Arts

The art department wants to congratulate Devin Fox (sophomore) whose artwork was selected by the U.S. Congresswoman Erin Houchin in May of last year as the overall winner in a national competition. Zoey Parr (2025 graduate) was selected as the runner up! Their artwork will be on display in the Capitol Building in DC with other winners across the U.S.

In Mrs. Gulasy's digital photography class, students are learning about the exposure triangle. Comparing the effects of different aperture, ISO, and shutter speed settings, students had the opportunity to break out into groups, take a series of photos in different aperture settings, and observe how the focal length changes with each setting.

Another project starting off the year is creating their own photography website as a platform to exhibit their photography and assignments throughout the year. This website allows students to critically evaluate their work and the work of others.

Below are 2025-2026 Digital Photography classes

Visual Arts: Digital Design

Shun Kurumado

Have you ever used Photoshop before? That is not a simple program, and there are so many tools that make you confused. Every year, in my Digital Design classes, I am amazed by how fast and well students learn the program.

While I have already seen some talented students, for most of the students, it is their first time to use the program. So far, they have worked on simple tasks such as how to select an object, how to change the size of an image and how to use the type tool. As they learn more, they will be able to create artwork that expresses their ideas and shows their personality. I am excited to see their progress this semester!

Students in Intro to 2D Art have reviewed the following Elements of Art; Line, Space and Shape. Along with this they learned about creating balance through contrast, positive and negative space, and lights and darks as used in a Japanese Art form known as Notan. They were encouraged to combine all of these to create visually interesting and unique patterns in their artwork.

The EC Business Department is proud to highlight our Information Tech Support classes, also known as the DropZone. In just four short weeks, these 21 hardworking students have processed and repaired over 200 tech tickets, ensuring Chromebooks stay up and running so learning is never interrupted. Beyond troubleshooting and repairs, students are gaining valuable experience in the daily operations of a tech support center while sharpening their customer service skills. Their dedication and professionalism are making a big impact across the building, and we look forward to seeing their continued growth this year.

Students pictured: Period 5: Branten Rehn, Luke Colyer, Jadon Floyd, Carson Roberts

Throughout the past month in my engineering classes, the students have been carrying out a number of different types of projects/assignments. Recently, the Engineering Essentials class finished Designing, Building, and Testing Cardstock “Skimmers”. The Students had to use their knowledge of Multi-view Drawings and Measurement to create the “Skimmers” and then we tested/launched them to see how they did. After launching them, many of the students had to make adjustments to the skimmers to maximize the distance they could travel. The winning skimmer traveled 69 feet. I have a couple examples posted below.

The Civil Engineering class has spent the majority of the last few weeks working on their Foam Board Model Houses. The students had to choose a house style, and then created detailed sketches of a house that resembled their house style. Then they were able to start the building process. Many of the students have decided to create their walls on Inventor and then laser

engrave them.

The Aerospace class has carried out a number of different projects including creating a class timeline of the most important aerospace/aeronautical achievements, Learning how to calculate Air Temperature, Pressure, and Density at various altitudes, as well as how to calculate the lift and drag of an aircraft. Along with that, they have been practicing on the X-Plane simulator software, to help them prepare for their “Cross Country” Solo flight. Where they will have to successfully fly a Cessna 172 from one airport to another.

Ms. Stanley's English 11 classes are wrapping up the Native American Myth Unit. Their unit review project was to partner up and create their very own Origin Myth. Each group was given a book and even had to create their own illustrations. Their objectives were:

• Introduction: Establish the world before the creation (if applicable) and introduce key characters (gods, animals, forces of nature).
  

• Conflict/Challenge: A problem or obstacle that must be overcome for creation to happen.
  

• Resolution: The solution to the problem and the result of creation (for example, the creation of the first human or animal, or a natural feature like a river or mountain).

• Conclusion: The lasting impact or lesson learned from the myth.

Ms. Stanley's English 9 classes are coming to the end of the Short Story Unit. Students read multiple short stories such as The Gift of the Magi, The Interlopers, The Necklace, and The Most Dangerous Game. Students had to identify the different elements of the plot, annotate, and cite textual evidence in the stories to complete their assignments.

Students in Ms. Huber’s English 9 classes are currently reading a variety of short stories, including “The Sniper,” “The Gift of the Magi,” and “The Most Dangerous Game.” They will be starting Of Mice and Men soon.

Advanced Fashion and Textiles Classes- The Advanced Fashion are currently studying natural and man made fibers. They are learning about their characteristics, performance and how they are created. We will begin our first sewing construction project next week.

Advanced Child Development-As a class we discussed why it is important to study child development. We reminisced about our own childhoods and shared some memories each of us had. At the end of the unit, after the quiz, students fingerpainted to reflect on their youth. We have also learned about prenatal development.

FCCLA

Chapter-FCCLA introductory day was held in all HS FCS Classes on Thursday, August 14th where officers shared with students the activities, service projects and travel opportunities with all FCS Students. Students also participated in the STEP 1 Activity where they learned the basics of FCCLA. They also learned the FCCLA Mission. Students were encouraged to come to the Ice Cream Social.

The East Central FCCLA held their annual Ice Cream Social on August 19th in the ECHS Cafeteria. Members enjoyed lots of ice cream with toppings and fun icebreakers so students could get to know each other. The officer team was introduced and they shared many events and service projects that FCCLA participates in throughout the year.

On August 16th, East Central FCCLA helped the FCN Bank, Sunman Branch with their annual shred day. This event helps cut down on identity theft with all these important documents being shred rather than just thrown away.

Lauren White

August 2025

La Rentrée: The Start of a New School Year

It’s already the start of another school year?! How exciting! French students have already started their French proficiency journeys and what a start it has been!

French 1 and 2 students have been learning about how we acquire a second language while practicing their French! Students played "Dictée ou dessiner" (dictate or draw) with mini-white boards. One partner read the sentence on the screen while the other either wrote or drew the sentence. Madame White is impressed with her Frenchies and how much they've acquired so far! (Pics below)

French 3 and 4 students are building their vocabulary skills by creating class characters. So far the classes have created 8 new French characters and later, will write stories to go along with them. (Pics below)

It’s been an amazing start to the school year with much joy and excitement each day in class! Madame White can’t wait to see how much growth her students show in their French skills this school year! Bonne rentrée tout le monde!

The Physical Education/Health Department is super excited to welcome back all of our students! We are geared up and ready to embrace a year full of fun, hard work, and growth.

The cooler weather has been a gift for holding classes outside. PE kicked off the year with track, softball, and tennis units. The students did an outstanding job on their first mile times. We are looking forward to seeing their progress throughout the year.

Mr. Sipe’s Strength and Conditioning classes are filled with 1st, 2nd and 3rd year students, many of whom are student-athletes. They will be spending four days a week in the weight room and one day working on speed and agility. The students are off to a great start.

Congratulations to Gabby Karle and Brayeden Reis being the lifters of the month. Gabby competes in cross country and track, while Brayeden is a member of the baseball team. Keep up the great work!

Mrs. Hoffman’s Chemistry I Update:

Our Chemistry I students are off to a great start this year! We began by learning element symbols and names to get familiar with the periodic table. From there, students explored a short history of the atom and investigated the important experiments and models that helped scientists develop what we know today.

Students can now identify protons, neutrons, and electrons using symbol and hyphen notation. They also learned about isotopes and practiced calculating weighted average mass. After studying Bohr’s 2-D model of the atom, we are now moving into the exciting world of the 3-D quantum mechanical model.

Mr. Drees Earth-Space and Biology Update:

Earth and Space

Students have been learning about the differences, spheres of study. Students have been looking into the biosphere, hydrosphere, Geosphere, and the atmosphere.

Biology

Students have been looking into the scientific method. Students were asked to look into phenomena and use the scientific method to investigate these phenomena. Students then learned the structure and functions of a compound microscope by looking at the printed letter E under a microscope.

Mr. Maluvac’s Biology I, Biology II, and Physiology and Anatomy:

Biology I

In Biology I, students have been looking into the scientific method. Students were asked to look into phenomena and use the scientific method to investigate these phenomena. Students then learned the structure and functions of a compound microscope by looking at the printed letter E under a microscope, along with protists that can be found in pond water taken from local ponds, streams, or rivers.

Biology II

In Biology II, students discuss the functions of life while reviewing and expanding their knowledge in Chemistry. They will discuss chemical processes along with a more in-depth investigation of organic chemistry.

Physiology and Anatomy

In Physiology and Anatomy, students are busy learning the language of anatomy and physiology. They are specifically learning the technical names of the body regions, body cavities, and the basic chemical processes that occur in organisms.

Mr. Koons Dual Credit Political Science class has been working to create Children’s Books that simplify the Bill of Rights for Elementary school students. Each Student Created a Working Title, Researched and simplified the first 10 amendments, as well as created illustrations to help young children better understand their rights.