The Panther Post

We wanted to send our appreciation for families who were able to join our Open House this week. We are excited to partner with each of you for the success of your child. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to your child's specific teacher or your child's Team Leader.

Next Friday is our annual Pantherfest event! Students will be able to stay after school to attend the event and further details will be sent separately through Parentsquare in the beginning of next week. Parent volunteers really help run this event - if you are able to help out, please reach out to our EHMS PTO.

Best,

Christina & Emily

Sun. Sept 7th - EHMS Back-to-School Yard Goats Baseball Game - EHMS PTO Event 7:00pm

Mon. Sept 8th - Board of Education Meeting, Town Hall, 6:30pm

Wed. Sept 10th - EHMS Open House for Parents/Guardians, 6:30pm

Thurs. Sept 18th - Picture Day - information below

Fri. Sept 19th - Pantherfest at 3:00 - more information will be shared in Parentsquare

On September 18th, students will be called by periods to go to the library to get their picture taken. There will be a retake day taking place on October 30th.

Grade 6 has just begun Unit 1 in Illustrative Math, where students are learning to find the area of polygons by decomposing, rearranging, and composing shapes. They are also beginning to use the terms base and height as they work on finding the area of parallelograms and triangles.

At EHMS, all students are learning how to check out books from their ELA classroom libraries using Booksource, an online platform that helps organize classroom collections. Students were excited to explore the wide range of titles available, from realistic fiction and historical fiction to informational texts and more. We encourage you to ask your child about what they’re currently reading and to reach out to their ELA teacher with any questions. All EHMS students are required to read 30 minutes per day and track the books they are reading using their ELA classroom tracking system.

In advisories on Wednesday, we introduced students to "EHMS Way" - Empathy, Honesty, Mindfulness, and Safety - focus areas for this school year that guide students in fostering a positive and supportive school environment. This year, our Positive Office Referrals will highlight and celebrate students who demonstrate these core values in their daily interactions. During Wednesday's lesson, we presented each core value and discussed what each looks like in various areas of the building.

FLEX Enrichment is officially underway! Students can now register for a variety of activities in areas such as PE, Art, Technology Education, and Family Consumer Science. Additionally, our Band and Chorus ensembles have kicked off their practice sessions.

8th graders kicked off our Eggs-ellent unit this week with an egg whisking competition. First one to "soft peaks" wins!!

Next week, we’re excited to participate in Start with Hello Week, a national initiative that promotes kindness, inclusion, and making new connections. Throughout the week, students will engage in fun and meaningful activities designed to help create a welcoming and inclusive school community planned by our Save Promise Club. Be sure to check out the visual schedule of events below to see what’s planned each day!

Today, Vinal Tech presented to our 8th graders during specials classes. Darbi Simon, one of the school's counselors, came to present information on programming. The presentation shared is attached below. If students would like an informational flyer, they are available in our Guidance Suite.

Each year the East Hampton Public Schools administers the i-Ready Diagnostic in Reading and Math in the fall, winter, and spring to monitor student growth and performance. The i-Ready Diagnostic is an adaptive assessment that adjusts its questions to suit your child’s needs. Each item a student receives is based on their answer to the previous question. For example, a series of correct answers will result in slightly harder questions, while a series of incorrect answers will yield slightly easier ones. The purpose of this is not to give your child a score or grade but to determine how to best support their learning. These results are reviewed as one data point amongst other assessments, observations, and data regarding student performance. The assessment is integrated into your child’s day as part of their academic learning and is paced to ensure that they work on the assessment in small chunks of time. The implementation of this assessment is completed in accordance with Connecticut State Department of Education guidelines. The Math i-Ready assessment will begin on Monday, September 15th in all homeroom classrooms. We will have testing for students in the morning followed by a FLEX period. Students then will follow their classes as a typical day. The i-Ready Diagnostic will provide results that help our team identify your child’s strengths and determine the next steps for instruction.

Math and Literacy Intervention Services

The East Hampton Public Schools uses assessment data to measure student growth and skill development in both math and literacy. Through these universal assessments, the reading and math department identifies students who may need additional tiers of support to demonstrate grade-level skill attainment. Once our fall assessments are completed, we will review student needs to determine changes to services or groupings of students. The reading and math departments communicate directly with families regarding any additional services.

What can I do to help?

To help prepare your child for the i-Ready Diagnostic, encourage them to:

• Get a good night’s sleep and eat a full breakfast the day of the assessment.

• Try their best on each question and try not to rush.

• Try not to worry about questions they do not know—remind them that it is expected they will only get about half of the questions correct.

• Be respectful of other students who take longer to finish

• Students should come to school with their wired earbuds and a fully charged Chromebook.

SEPT 15 - SEPT 19 (subject to change)

MONDAY, SEPT 15

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

Site: Girls Soccer at McGee MS

Site: Boys Soccer at Percival Field

Note: White uniforms

Cross Country practice 2:35-4 pm

TUESDAY, SEPT 16

Griswold MS (RH) cross country at EHMS.

Note: Boys run first

Soccer to report to the commons at dismissal.

Boys soccer practice 2:35-4:30 pm

Girls soccer practice 2:35-4:30 pm

WEDNESDAY, SEPT 17

William Johnston at East Hampton MS, 3:30 pm game.

Boys soccer at East Hampton Middle School

Note: dark uniforms

Girls soccer OFF

Cross Country practice 2:35-4 pm

THURSDAY, SEPT 18

Cross Country practice 2:35-4 pm

Soccer to report to the commons at dismissal.

Boys soccer practice 2:35-4:30 pm

Girls soccer practice 2:35-4:30 pm

FRIDAY, SEPT 19

PANTHER FEST 3 pm until 9 pm

Note: EH white uniforms, all other teams in dark uniforms.

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.

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.

Hello from the School Nurse at East Hampton Middle School!

First let me introduce myself. My name is Mary Gould, and I am excited to be joining you and your child on this journey for the 25-26 school year. As a school nurse, my primary role is to ensure the health and well-being of every student. I am here to address medical concerns, manage chronic conditions, provide first aid and promote a healthy and safe, school environment.

As a parent and now grandparent I am no stranger to how overwhelming the start of a new school year can be. There is a lot of information being shared, while also trying to make sure physical forms, immunizations and medication are up to date. Although this is a lengthy message, it is important to read through so that I can provide the safest possible care for your child. I have highlighted the important information below.

Communication: I am very pro-communication! Please call, email or send me a parentsquare regarding any health concerns or questions you may have. Many times email/parentsquare is best as I am most likely helping students in my office during the school day. You can also call me after hours and leave a voice mail with further information. Please make sure your emergency contact information is up to date!!

Call/parentsquare home:

• The student needs to be picked up from school

• Follow-up at home is required or recommended (ie doctor visit, continued observation at home, etc.)

• Any significant injury to the head, new marks on face

• Further communication is needed regarding student Health Office visit

Please note the above criteria are determined by a Registered Nurse Assessment.

If you would like to be called for any other reason, please communicate that to the Health Office specifically and your child’s chart will be updated.

Injuries:

Please let the Health Office know if your child has an injury, as it is beneficial in planning any accommodation your child may need, including extra passing time in the hallway, a PE excusal, help from a buddy, etc.

A student who needs to be excused from PE due to physical injury or has any other restrictions (ie. Related to concussion, stitches, broken bone, etc.) MUST have a doctor’s note.

To return to PE/Sports or regular classroom activities without restrictions the Health Office Requires a doctor’s note to clear the student.

Medications:

Every medication that is brought into school requires a “Medication Authorization” form to be signed by the student’s doctor and parent/guardian and the medication in original packaging with prescription label is to be brought in by a parent/guardian, not in the child’s backpack. No child may carry their own medications at the Elementary level. Please use a large ziplock bag for the medication plus the medication order and label the bag with your child’s name before dropping off. Any controlled medications will need to be counted and signed off with the RN and parent/guardian, so please allow for a few extra minutes at drop off.

Please note: COUGH DROPS count as medications and are not allowed in school. All over-the-counter medications also need a medication order from your provider.

Self-Carry:

Students may self-carry/ self-administer EPI pens and inhalers! If your child self carries you must submit a “Medication Authorization” form signed by the doctor and parent/guardian under the “self-carry” portion of the form.

Illness and Attendance: If your child is feeling unwell, please keep them home and notify the main office. If sent home from the Health Office, your child may return to school after 24 hours of being symptom free.

If your child is sent home for one episode of vomiting, they MAY return to school the next day if they did not have another episode of vomiting at home. Also, if they can keep food and fluids down and they do not have a fever.

Mandatory Screening: During the school year I will be conducting postural screenings for anyone who does not have one documented on a recent physical exam from the doctor. You will be notified of the screening ahead of time and can choose to opt out. Just send an email/parentsquare to let me know.

Health Records: All students in grade 6 must have an updated health assessment, including all required immunizations, submitted to the school prior to entering 7th grade.

All students playing sports must have a current physical record. Physicals are good for 13 months from the exam date.

If your child has any specific medical needs, such as allergies, asthma or other chronic conditions, please notify the Health Office as soon as possible.

Together we can ensure that your child has a safe, healthy and successful school year!

Thank you for your cooperation and support!

Mary Gould, BSN, RN-BC

East Hampton Middle School Nurse

(860)365-4060 ext.5

mgould@easthamptonct.org

Hello East Hampton Middle School!

I hope everyone had a wonderful summer. My name is Lindsay DeFrancisco and I am very excited to join you this year to provide behavioral health services through the School Based Health Center. I am a licensed clinical social worker and will be providing crisis intervention, individual, group and family therapy to those students in need. There is a referral process and I’d be happy to chat with anyone who has questions about our program. The easiest way for a parent to enroll their child is through this link:

https://www.sbhc1.com/

I can be reached at DeFranL@chc1.com if anyone was questions.

Lindsay DeFrancisco, LCSW

Behavioral Health Clinician

Community Health Center, Inc. - School Based Health Center

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