IN THIS OFFICE...

All juniors will take the District ACT on Tuesday, March 10th at East High. 10th and 12th grade students can also take the ACT on March 10th at the Career Academy free of charge. There are only 50 spots available so sign up as soon as possible with Ms. Liechti in the office. The deadline to sign up is Friday, January 23rd. Contact your School Counselor or Mrs. Hoch at the Career Academy if you have any questions.

Mark your calendars!

If you have CNA class on your schedule for 2nd semester, and you would still like to take that class, there is a MANDATORY orientation meeting today - Friday, December 12 from 1:30 to 2:30 in the East High Media Center. You must know or bring your social security number to that meeting. You will need it to fill out information for a background check.

If you are unable to attend the meeting, you can complete orientation at West:

• Friday, January 9, 1:30 to 2:30 @ West High Classroom TBD

If you have decided to not take CNA next semester, contact your school counselor to get that dropped from your schedule. Any other questions, please contact Mrs. Hoch.

Juniors who are interested in attending Boys State or Girls State this next summer should see Ms. Liechti in the main office for an application. The American Legion is looking to sponsor one boy and one girl to attend this summer. Once a completed application is turned in, you will be scheduled for an interview on January 13th with members of the American Legion. Please pick up an application by next Friday (December 19th).

A list of food pantries, shelters, health resources, support services, and other organizations is available on the District website (Community Resources in Sioux City). Please share this information with anyone who may benefit from these resources.

Siouxland is a caring and compassionate community. If you are in a position to help, we encourage you to contact local organizations to ask about ways you can support other Siouxland families, whether through a financial gift or by donating non-perishable canned food.

Thank you for supporting one another.

Here at East High, the safety of our students and staff is always our top priority. That’s why we’re launching the “Stop the Prop” campaign. This initiative reminds everyone that propping open exterior doors, or holding them for unknown individuals, creates a serious security risk.

A secure building is our first line of defense, and it only works if we all participate. An unpropped door ensures that every person entering our building is doing so through a monitored entrance.

You Can Help!

This week, and every week, we challenge you to be vigilant.

• For Staff: Please never prop exterior doors and redirect unfamiliar visitors to the main office.
• For Students: Let doors close behind you and don’t hold them for people you don’t know.
• For Everyone: If you see a propped door, close it. If you see something, say something.

Ready to take action?

Your simple choice to “Stop the Prop” makes our entire school safer. Let's all be safety leaders!

• Now through December 15th at any Sioux City or Seargeant Bluff Dairy Queen location!
• 50 cents from each blizzard is donated back to us at no additional cost to you.

Several Seniors have missed the December 5th deadline to order their caps and gowns. If you have not ordered yet, you need to get this done immediately. Only online orders will be accepted from this point forward. Late fees may apply. Order here: Herff Jones. Scroll all the way to the bottom under the Grad Gear and Apparel tab to find just the cap and gown.

Using an older sibling's cap and gown?

All you need to purchase is a new tassel. They are available in the office for $10.

If a student does not plan on participating in the graduation ceremony, they must notify the office with a parent/guardian signature on the Opt-Out form below ASAP. Thank you!

The 100th edition of the East High yearbook is now on sale at www.yearbookforever.com. Prices are set at $60.00 until March 1 for this 176-page anniversary edition. Celebrate East High and purchase your centennial copy today!

~ also ~

New this year: All students should receive a calendar invite through their school email for any upcoming visits. Accepting the invite will save it to your calendar and send you a reminder notification closer to the visit date. You will be asked to sign in when you arrive in the media center. If you do not sign in, your attendance will not be updated.

College and University: (Library/Homeroom)

Military: (Commons/Lunch) (You must be 17)

• Army National Guard ~ Wednesday, December 17th, 2025

Career: (Location/Time varies - See below)

All off-campus college and university visits will need to be approved by an administrator prior to a student's absence. Students will need to complete the top portion of the College Verification Sheet, which can be picked up in the office or printed from the attachment below. Students can turn in their completed sheet to Ms. Liechti at the counseling desk in the main office. If the student is in good standing, the sheet will be signed by an administrator and delivered back to the student. It may take an administrator up to 24 hours to sign the form, so please plan ahead. Parents/Guardians will still need to call the Attendance Office to notify us of their student's intended absence. Students will take the signed sheet with them to their college visit and have a college representative complete the bottom portion of the sheet AND attach a business card or college office-generated visit verification letter. The next time the student returns to school, they will need to turn in the completed form to the attendance desk. Students are allowed up to 3 college visits per semester!

Important note: Students do not need to fill out a College Verification Sheet to attend visits that occur in the EHS media center or lunchroom (listed above), or for visits that occur with a class or a group, such as TRIO or TAP.

The Greater Omaha Council Bluffs Area Council on Youth Leadership is currently requesting applications for the Class of 2027 "Youth Salute". To qualify, a student must: (1) be a high school junior (senior class of 2027), (2) Have a cumulative 3.0 G.P.A. or higher through their sophomore year and (3) Have held TWO LEADERSHIP ROLES to which their peers or an adult leader chose within the past two years in school, religious, or community sponsored organizations.

All juniors who qualify should go online at www.greateromaha.youthsalute.com to apply. If you are unsure of your grade point average, check with your guidance counselor. All application forms must be completed and returned by December 21, 2025. We encourage all eligible students to participate.

<<<< Students will be saluted in a photographic banner in their high school.

This year, the Greater Omaha-Council Bluffs Area Council on Youth Leadership, will sponsor the annual “Youth Salute” in cooperation with the National Council on Youth Leadership. The Purpose of this Program is to honor high school juniors in your community who maintain a high scholastic average and have demonstrated leadership ability. The “Youth Salute” has been an approved program by the National Association of Secondary School Principals for over 40 years.

Click here to apply: Youth Salute Application Class Of 2027

Class of 2026 "Youth Salute" Recipient

Sioux City, Iowa

Mount Berry

Rome, GA

Washington, DC

Des Moines, IA

Ames, IA

Hixson Scholarship

Multiple Locations

Mankato, MN

7 Campus Locations

Sioux City, IA

Multiple Locations

4 Locations in Nebraska: Norfolk, O'Neill, South Sioux City, and West Point

Lincoln, NE

Vermillion, SD

Wayne, NE

The WSC Language and Literature Scholarship deadline is fast approaching. The application is due February 1st, 2026. You can apply here: Language and Literature Scholarships.

For more information about the Language and Literature programs, please visit: Department of Language and Literature.

The College Now office uses their college text service to provide information to students. This will include add/drop dates, reminders, and advising information. Students have the option to opt out if they do not want to updates/reminders.

To help College Now students that are having technical issues, we have set up the College Now help line. Students can call or text the number below for any technical issues that they are having instead of contacting the college IT office. Students are also able to contact our office through email at college.now@witcc.edu.

712-317-3303 (Text or Call)

If you are taking classes at WIT remember that you follow the WIT calendar. If EHS does not have school but WIT does; you are still required to attend the on Campus courses.

Students signed up for online courses please make sure that you are logged in and attending your classes as required by your instructor.

If you are unable to get to a website that you normally have access to, please restart your computer. A restart is different than a shut down and will not have the same outcome. Please click on the Windows icon (start menu) in the lower left corner of your screen, choose the Power option and restart. When your system finishes the reboot, log in and attempt to access the website. If you have access you're done! If you do not have access, please restart again. If this does not work, please provide a screenshot of the error on your help desk ticket. Thanks!

Students can access Xello through Clever or by going to https://xello.world.

After logging into Xello, at the top of your screen, click "Explore" or "Plans" and from the drop-down menu click "scholarships" which will bring up a list of local scholarships for students in the Siouxland area and as well as some national scholarships. You can sort them by due dates and click on each one for more info and links to websites or applications. You can also click the heart to Save them to your Xello account under "Plans" and then "COLLEGE PLANNING". Filling out your Xello Profile with your information will help the algorithim match you with scholarships you are eligible for. Each scholarship has eligibility requirements.

School-added scholarships should be in deadline order and listed at the top of the list of scholarships. National and matched scholarships should be listed in deadline order and will be found on the list after all the school-added scholarships -- This means there will be scholarships with earlier due dates listed after school-added scholarships with later due dates. Make sure you scroll through all of them.

We will update school-added scholarships as they come in. If a link doesn't bring you to this year's scholarship, keep checking back, as the application may not be available yet.

Deadlines are quickly approaching. Do not wait until the last minute. A few minutes of your time now can save you a lot of money later. If you have any questions, please visit your Counselor. A little time spent now will return great dividends for your future.

Other Scholarship Opportunity Websites:

www.fastweb.com

https://www.anthonyoneal.com/resources/

https://scholarshipowl.com/

https://www.iowacollegeaid.gov/ScholarshipsAndGrants

Going Merry - Browse Scholarships

Scholarships are not just for Seniors! Scholarships are available for underclassmen of all grades as well. Check out Xello to see what is offered for your grade level.

Seniors - Do you need assistance with completing your FAFSA? Jessa Grosenheider, Student Success Advisor for ICAN is available to help. She can schedule a virtual or an in person meeting at WITCC.

Three ways to schedule:

1. Go to www.ICANsucceed.org, click schedule an appointment, click schedule now and under All Providers find Sioux City, Jessa Grosenheider and schedule your appointment from there.
2. Email her at jgrosenheider@ICANsucceed.org
3. Call her at (515) 402.4211

The 2026-27 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form is now open at fafsa.gov.

Completing the FAFSA form is a key to accessing federal, state, and institutional financial aid (grants, loans, and work-study) that can help cover the cost of college or career training. We strongly encourage all students to complete the form as soon as possible.

✅ Start your FAFSA form now: FAFSA.gov

📅 The earlier you apply, the more opportunities you may unlock to better your chances of maximizing aid. Don't miss out -- file today!

Students requesting transcripts will have different methods depending on the nature of their request:

• EHS Graduates and Former Students:

• Order from Parchment (They can access from the student tab on district website).

• Current Students Needing Unofficial Transcripts:

• Check with your counselor or anyone in the main office.

• Current Students Needing Official Transcripts for Scholarships, Taxes, Etc. (includes everything except sent to college/university):

• Order from Parchment

• Current Seniors Needing their Official Transcripts sent to a College/University:

• You will need to go through Xello. (see below)

Students can access Xello in one of two ways:

• through their Clever account

• going to https://xello.world

  Xello is engaging college and career readiness software that unlocks every student’s potential by opening their eyes to future possibilities and equipping them with the self-knowledge, skills and confidence to build actionable plans for future success.

  
  

Xello uses Single Sign On (SSO), so log-in info should be the same info you use to log-in to your school computer. Once in Xello:

1. Click on the "Plans" tab at the top, then "College Applications".
2. If you haven't done so already, you'll need to add a college/university to your account. Click "New application" next to the Application Tracker heading and search for the college/university of your choice. There are a couple of questions it will ask before you can save it to your account. Once it is added, it will be listed below that Application Tracker heading, and you will then need to click on that college/university to open it. Students can add as many colleges/universities as they want.
3. Once you click on the college/university, you'll be able to click on "Request" on the Transcript tab under Application checklist.
4. Select the transcript type and then click "Send Request".
5. The registrar will then see the request and send it right to the college/university through Xello.

SILVER CORD – A Service-Based Student Organization here at East High.

Students MUST document all service activities on the Silver Cord Award Form provided by East High – one form for each site or project, signed by a supervisor at the site. (A note confirming the students’ service signed by the supervisor at the project is also acceptable. It must be attached to the Silver Cord Form). Forms can be submitted to Mrs. Benson at East High School at any time during the year. For sophomores and juniors: if you don’t turn in forms by the end of the school year, you may submit them at any time during the following fall. There is no specific deadline for underclassmen to submit forms, although it is best to turn them in as soon as they are completed.

Service hours earned during the summer after the academic year which ends on May 31, may be applied toward EITHER the prior or following school year-students choice. (For example, the summer after the sophomore year can apply toward either the sophomore or junior 40-hour requirement or divided between the two as needed). FRESHMAN should show that they served hours after June 1st and complete 40 hours through the end of their sophomore year. It is recommended that all summer projects be pre-approved in writing by Mr. Dreessen to make sure they are acceptable. Pre-approval forms are available in the Office (or on the Documentation page) and should be submitted 2 weeks before final exams. Summer service that complies with the Silver Cord Criteria will be accepted even if students were not able to submit pre-approval forms. Students should pick up blank Silver Cord Award forms before the end of school to use for documenting summer service. Please keep completed forms until you return to East in the fall. The Silver Cord Advisor will be responsible for keeping students' Silver Cord files.

Students will need 120 service hours to earn their silver cord. If you have any questions, please stop by Mrs. Benson’s desk in the main office.

Miss Kuhlmann would appreciate some volunteers to help with organizing food, for Food for Thought at EHS. Please reach out to her if you would be able to help her out.

Her email is kuhlmac@live.siouxcityschools.com or she can be found in room 136.

Special Needs Christmas Party on Saturday, December 13, from 4:00–8:00 PM

Grace United Methodist Church and is seeking volunteers to help serve food.

Contact: Maria Hernandez at 261-891-0327.

Saturday, December 13th from 10:00am- 3:00pm.

We have divided the day into shifts: 10:00am-12:30pm and 12:30pm-3:00pm. It is advised to arrive a few minutes before your scheduled shift to allow time to park and get settled at your station.

We are looking for several volunteers to man a few of our activity tables. We will have a “Nerf Gun Shooting Range” which will need 2-4 volunteers per shift and a “Snowman Scavenger Hunt” which will need 1-2 volunteers per shift. If we have more students interested in volunteering after these spots are full, we can take a few extras to float around the stations and provide a break for the volunteers there.

The stations are both outside so volunteers will need to dress for the weather but will be welcome to take breaks in the building.

Please let me know if you have any further questions. Thank you for your time and have a great day!

Shelby Campbell

Volunteer Coordinator ~ Woodbury County Conservation

E-mail: scampbell@woodburyparks.org

Phone: 712-258-0838

Address: 4500 Sioux River Road, Sioux City, IA 51109

Online: www.woodburyparks.org

• Litter Dash is an event during Earth Day week to collect trash in and around the community. Great chance for student groups and sports team to head out and help beautify the community by picking up litter around the school. https://www.sioux-city.org/government/departments-a-f/environmental-services/litter-dash/www-sioux-city-org-litterdash
• The Spring Re-Event that is located at the Citizen’s Convenience Center (CCC) at 5800 28th Street on April 25th from 9am – Noon. This is a recycling event and volunteers would help remove items like TV’s, batteries, and small appliances from cars and place in bins for recycling. https://www.sioux-city.org/government/departments-a-f/re-event

Arah Montagne | Ph: 712-279-6349

TRIO – Talent Search is a college preparation program through Briar Cliff. The goal of the program is to provide students in grades 6–12 with support, motivation and encouragement toward educational advancement and pursuit of post-secondary educational programs. This goal is reached by providing small groups and individual assistance in various service areas.

Who is eligible?

• Students in grades 6 – 12, whose parents haven’t graduated from a four-year college OR meets the U.S. Department of Education income guidelines.
• Who has an academic or physical disability.

Students who qualify for this program at EHS will meet with an advisor once a month. They will discuss and assist students with their FAFSA, applying for college (if they have free/reduced lunch or are in Talent Search, application fees can be deferred), take students to visit college campuses (this doesn't count against the junior or senior as an absence from school), career planning, assistance with scholarships and preparing for the ACT.

If you are interested in learning more about this program, students can visit with Jenny Hamman the EHS advisor in the Media Center on Monday, Tuesday, or Thursdays or with their guidance counselor.

If you are interested in signing up, please pickup an application from Ms. Hamman in the library, or Ms. Liechti in the main office. Completed applications can be turned in to the same place you picked it up.

Website: https://east-high.siouxcityschools.org/

Twitter: @_EHS_Counseling
Location: 3200 South Cypress Street, Sioux City, IA, USA

Counseling Secretary: Nicole Liechti

Email: liechtn@live.siouxcityschools.com
Phone: (712) 274-4009