The Panther Post
Week of December 1, 2025
Principal's Message
Good afternoon,
We hope everyone had a wonderful week! We have many exciting highlights to share from the past few weeks. As we move into the remaining weeks before break, we look forward to more learning, celebrations, and positive moments together.
Best,
Christina & Emily
8th Grade Parents
Just a reminder - Wednesday, January 21st at 6pm, EHHS Principal Mr. Eric Verner invites all 8th grade parents to the East Hampton High School Auditorium, to review the course selection process students completed, how to view selected courses on PowerSchool, and how to request a change to a recommended class.
SAVE THE DATES!
Mon. Dec 8th - Board of Education Meeting, Town Hall, 6:30
Mon. Dec 8th - Dec 12th - SAVE Promise Week
Wed. Dec 10th - Band, Chorus & Jazz Band Concert, 6:30 at EHHS
Fri. Dec 12th - PJ for CCMC
Tues. Dec 23rd - Early Release for Winter Recess - Students dismissed at 12:30
EHMS Band, Jazz Band & Chorus Concert
Wednesday, December 10th at 6:30pm
Snow Date Friday, December 12th
More information sent through Parentsquare
SAVE Promise Club
Tuesday December 9th, we are asking all students to wear GREEN to support. Homerooms will tally participation towards our PBIS grade-level points!
PJ Day for Kids!
On Friday, December 12, EHMS will be holding a PJ Day in support of Children battling childhood Cancer. Please consider bringing in a donation and wearing PJs to champion the cause. Use this link if you would prefer to make an online donation!
EHMS is excited to raise money for Connecticut Children’s and get our town on the PJ Day map! We look forward to joining with hundreds of schools, businesses and individuals across the state to honor patients who must wear their pajamas for days, weeks, or longer while fighting cancer or other serious illnesses.
We hope you will consider making a donation in honor of the young patients who turn to Connecticut Children's for hope.
Positive Office Referrals
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!
7th Grader
Troy Butler
8th Graders
Natalie Maxwell, Josslyn Marrero, Evelyn Fielding, Juliana Aresco, Richard Claude, Nick Dudek & Clara Foulis
The numbers are in: EHMS students proudly logged and read an incredible 592 books in Quarter 1!
Leading the way were Mrs. Aiken’s students, who read an outstanding 176 books, earning them the Reading Trophy for Quarter 2. The trophy will remain in their classroom until the end of Quarter 2, when we tally the next round of totals.
Keep reading, EHMS!
During the first quarter of Family Consumer Science, our 7th graders collaborated with Memorial Kindergarten students, who designed their own monster drawings. As part of our sewing unit, students used their growing sewing skills to transform those drawings into charming soft toys for the Kindergarteners to take home. A group of 7th graders was randomly selected and able to deliver the creations to students at Memorial just in time to bring home for Thanksgiving recess.
Before the break, we also held a Student Council Spirit Week! Monday was PJ Day and Tuesday was Students Dress Like Teachers/Teachers Like Student Day! Below are some pictures!
Capstone Kick Off!
This week we held our Capstone Kick Off Town Hall for students. 8th graders got a brief overview of Capstone and the expectations across the year. 8th grade families, please refer to the Parentsquare sent out to review our handbook and sign our consent google form. Our Capstone Convention is open to the community, and look forward to seeing everyone there. We encourage families, even if not in 8th grade, to attend our convention so you can see the projects developed by our students. Each year we are blown away by their innovation!
This year's Capstone Convention will take place on May 28th at 5:30pm throughout the building.
EHMS Athletics
DEC 8 - DEC 12 (subject to change)
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 - thank you for your attention to this. Students who will be staying after school to attend a game, must have parent permission to stay after ahead of time.
MONDAY, DEC 8
Boys Basketball 2:35 until 4:30 pm
Girls Study hall 2:35-4:15 pm in room 21
Girls Basketball 4:30 until 6 pm
Cheer Leading 2:35 until 4:30 pm
TUESDAY, DEC 9
East Hampton boys basketball at Griswold MS (Rocky Hill), 2:20 dismissal, 2:30 bus, 3:30 pm game.
Griswold MS girls basketball at East Hampton MS, 3:30 pm game.
No Cheer Leading
WEDNESDAY, DEC 10
Boys Basketball 2:35 until 4:30 pm
Girls Study hall 2:35-4:15 pm in room 21
Girls Basketball 4:30 until 6 pm
Cheer Leading 2:35 until 4:30 pm
THURSDAY, DEC 11
East Hampton girls basketball at McGee MS (Berlin), 2:20 dismissal, 2:30 bus, 3:30 pm game.
McGee boys basketball at East Hampton MS, 3:30 pm game.
Cheer Leading attending game
FRIDAY, DEC 12
Boys Basketball 2:35 until 4:30 pm
Girls Study hall 2:35-4:15 pm in room 21
Girls Basketball 4:30 until 6 pm
No Cheer Leading
EHMS PTO
Thank you to everyone who made our EHMS PTO Bingo night such a success! Thank you for coming to support!
📅 Mark Your Calendars!
All EHMS PTO meetings are held in the Middle School Library at 5:30 PM.
🗓️ Upcoming Meeting Dates:
- December 11
- January 15
- 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!
Attendance Reminder
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.
Take a Virtual Visit to our Library Media Center
December Breakfast
December Lunch
Helpful Resources & Community Happenings!
Wait Until 8th
East Hampton Middle School Website
Internet Safety Concepts
School Based Health Center
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
School Safety Statement
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.
Contact
Email: camaral@easthamptonct.org
Website: https://www.easthamptonps.org/o/ehms
Location: 19 Childs Road, East Hampton, CT, USA
Phone: (860) 365 4060