Good afternoon,

As we move further into flu season, we wanted to share an important resource from our health office. It includes helpful guidelines on preventing the spread of germs, as well as recommendations for monitoring your child's health. Keeping our community safe and healthy is a shared effort, so we appreciate your attention to these best practices. If you have any questions or need further guidance, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

In addition, we want to bring to your attention a social media trend that is returning involving students crushing Smarties candy into a fine dust and inhaling it into their lungs or snorting the dust up their nose. While this may seem harmless, there are significant safety concerns associated with this behavior, including potential risks to respiratory health.

As trends like these circulate online, we encourage you to have proactive conversations with your children about the dangers of imitating risky behaviors they see on social media. Open discussions about online influences and making safe choices can help ensure their well-being. Mimicking the act of smoking or taking drugs is against school policy and will result in disciplinary consequences.

Please remind your child that their health and safety are our top priority. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to reach out to your child’s guidance counselor or administration.

Best,

Christina & Emily

Mon. Jan 27th - Board of Education Meeting, Town Hall at 6:30pm

Wed. Feb 12th - EHMS PTO Meeting 5:30

Fri. Feb 14th - No School Teacher Professional Development

Mon. Feb 17th - Feb 18th - No School

As a culminating activity or their argument writing unit, seventh-grade students are creating PSA (public service announcement) posters to express their opinions on topics that matter to them. Some are advocating for later school start times, while others are highlighting the benefits of using social media. Their goal is to persuade others by presenting compelling reasons and supporting evidence.

On Wednesday during Advisory FLEX, Homeroom Teachers distributed t-shirts to students. The EHMS PTO generously donated a free t-shirt to each student in the school. The shirt is specific to their team color. This color will continue to be their team color for the time they are at the middle school. Please keep this shirt for spirit events this school year as well as next year. Each year as part of our PBIS program, students in each grade compete with one another to earn points. The team with the most points at the end of the year will earn a full-day fun event sponsored by the PTO.

Students should plan to wear their team shirts on Thursday, February 13 for our PBIS Pep Rally. We will be following a special schedule that day to accommodate our afternoon PBIS Pep Rally. The following is the way students can earn points for their team that day:

• 1 point for every student that wears their shirt

• 1 point for any student with additional team-colored spirit wear (ex: headband, socks, face paint, pom poms, etc.)

• 5 additional points for homerooms with 100% participation

• 10 additional points for homerooms with 100% participation including the homeroom teacher

Below are students who have received Positive Office Referrals for their behaviors that have exemplified our PBIS pillars of Respect, Responsibility, Compassion and Pride. Students were able to choose a reward from our menu of options like eating outside with friends or prizes that we have. Great job!

6th Graders

Autumn Hatcher

7th Graders

Luca Serra, Daniella Garcia, Sara Maalouf, Whimsy Brand, Evelyn Fielding, Alexa Colwell, Annie Amarel, Sophia Tomlin, Emily Stiles, Trevor Philbrick

8th Graders

Jimmy Marino, Gianna Zadroga, Aiden Hatcher

7th graders have been having a blast with lunch bunch. Keri Blanda from the East Hampton Public Library, comes to facilitate an optional library lunch bunch. We have been talking about how the authors of the books we are reading describe locations and help us visualize where the story takes place. We drew maps to display along with clues to the stories. They are displayed in the library for all students to check out!

Students participating in Project Oceanology last week worked in pairs to investigate squid and make observations about their adaptations for survival in the wild, as well as experiment with different density layers of water. Students worked in small teams to rank items, based on their importance, in a mock Lost at Sea activity and compare them to the official Coast Guard Ranking. Our partnering school came to EHMS to complete these activities together.

February is Heart Health Month, a time to raise awareness about cardiovascular health and encourage healthy habits for students, families, and staff. A strong heart leads to a healthier life, and small changes can make a big difference!

Here’s how we can focus on heart health this month:
✔️ Stay Active – Encourage kids to participate in physical activities daily. Walking, dancing, and sports all help keep hearts strong!
✔️ Eat Heart-Healthy Foods – Include more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins in meals.
✔️ Practice Stress Management – Deep breathing, mindfulness, and good sleep help reduce stress and support heart health.
✔️ Drink More Water – Staying hydrated is essential for overall well-being.
✔️ Spread Kindness – A happy heart is a healthy heart. Let’s encourage kindness and gratitude in our school and at home!

Our Physical Education Department will be sharing tips, activities, and resources throughout the month to support heart health for our students and staff. Stay tuned for upcoming events and ways to get involved!

We are starting off by asking students to join us in the movement challenge to keep our hearts healthy and strong! PE & Homeroom Teachers will provide students with the attached document for students to track their movement each week. We will keep track of our progress and the winning homerooms with the most movement in the month will receive a prize along with PBIS points for their grade-level. Below is a pdf of the tracking sheet for students.

Feb 10 - Feb 14 (subject to change)

MONDAY, FEB 10

Girls Volleyball 2:35 until 4:15 pm

Boys Volleyball optional study hall (rm 29) 2:35 until 4:00 pm

Boys Volleyball 4:15 until 5:30 pm

TUESDAY, FEB 11

East Hampton girls volleyball (Teams: Panthers/Pride) at Cromwell MS, 2:20 dismissal, 2:30 bus.

Cromwell boys volleyball at East Hampton MS

WEDNESDAY, FEB 12

East Hampton girls (Teams: Pace/Producers) volleyball at Griswold MS (Rocky Hill) 2:20 dismissal, 2:30 bus.

Griswold boys volleyball at East Hampton MS

THURSDAY, FEB 13

Girls Volleyball 2:35 until 4:15 pm

Boys Volleyball optional study hall (rm 29) 2:35 until 4:00 pm

Boys Volleyball 4:15 until 5:30 pm

FRIDAY, FEB 14

No School/No Athletics!

During the month of March the school nurse will be conducting a postural screening program for grade 7 female students and grade 8 male students. This postural screening program is required by the State of Connecticut. The purpose of this program is to recognize the signs of spinal curvature at its earliest stages so that the need for treatment can be determined.
If students already have documentation of a current postural screening by their doctor, they will not be reassessed.

Specifically, scoliosis is a sideways curvature of the spine. In its early years, it is painless and develops gradually, especially during the years of rapid adolescent growth. Kyphosis, sometimes called round back, is an exaggerated forward bend of the spine and is often confused with poor posture. Many cases of curvature of the spine are mild and require only on-going observation by a doctor after first diagnosis. Others get progressively more severe as the child grows and require active treatment. Early treatment can prevent the development of a severe deformity which can affect a person’s appearance and health.

The postural screenings will be done by the school nurse. The procedure for examination is a simple one, requiring less than one minute. Students are asked to remove their shirt in privacy and then, with their back facing the nurse, lean over to touch their toes. (Girls are encouraged to wear bras or swimsuit tops. They will be reminded prior to the screening). The nurse will then assess the spine for any type of curvature. If a spinal abnormality is suspected, the parents will be notified of the findings and will be asked to seek further evaluation from their own physician.

You may choose to OPT OUT. Just send an email (listed below) to let the nurse know.

If you have any questions concerning the postural screening, please contact the school nurse.
Thank you!
Melanie King RN, BSN
East Hampton Middle School Nurse
mking@easthamptonct.org
860-365-4060 Ext 5

SAVE THE DATE!

EHMS PTO will be hosting a Comedy Night on Saturday March 29th at Rule of 3! We hope to see everyone there.

Throughout the month of February, there will be multiple opportunities for your child to learn about East Hampton High School and receive support in scheduling. On Tuesday, February 11th, members of the EHHS Counseling Team will introduce themselves to our 8th graders and provide a brief overview of the scheduling process and courses available. Your child will meet the guidance counselor they will be assigned to next year. Next, our 8th graders will visit the high school on February 12 & 13th where they will get a tour of the building, learn about the classes and electives available for them and be introduced to the graduation requirements. During Specials classes on February 24th - February 25th, students will be assisted with selecting classes on PowerSchool with the support of our guidance counselors and the East Hampton High School guidance team. Further information will be sent through Parentsquare.

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.

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.

Happy New Year! Did you resolve to be more on top of your and your child’s health this year? Here’s an easy solution: Sign your child up for School-Based Health Care. Your child’s school works with Community Health Center, Inc.’s School-Based Health Care program to provide health services to your child during the school day. This means they won’t miss as much class and you don’t need to miss work to support their health care needs. Learn more about the services offered at your child’s school and enroll today at SBHC1.com!

The attached bulletins below were developed through a collaborative effort among the Department of Children and Families, the Department Mental Health and Addiction Services, the Office of Child Advocate, the Department of Public Health, the State Department of Education, and the Governor's Office. The content includes information on suicide, helpful tips to support people of all ages, and where to go for additional support and resources.

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