Sending warm holiday wishes to all our Panther families! May your winter break be filled with joy and relaxation. We can't wait to reunite with everyone in the upcoming year!

Fri. Dec 22nd - Early Release - Students dismissed at 12:35

Mon. Dec 25th - Jan 1st - Winter Recess Begins

Tues. Jan 2nd - Classes resume!

Team newsletters have been updated! Enjoy our latest editions from our teams including Unified Arts!

EAST HAMPTON MS ATHLETICS SCHEDULE JAN 1 - JAN 5 (subject to change)

MONDAY, JAN 1

No School! Happy New Year!

TUESDAY, JAN 2

Girls basketball 2:35 until 4:30 pm

Boys study hall 2:35 until 4:15 pm

Boys basketball 4:15 until 6 pm

Cheer leading 2:35 until 4:30 pm

WEDNESDAY, JAN 3

Girls basketball 2:35 until 4:30 pm

Boys study hall 2:35 until 4:15 pm

Boys basketball 4:15 until 6 pm

Cheer leading 2:35 until 4:30 pm

THURSDAY, JAN 4

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

McGee boys basketball at EHMS, 3:30 pm game.

Note: team picture before game!

Cheer attending game

FRIDAY, JAN 5

Girls basketball 2:35 until 4:30 pm

Boys study hall 2:35 until 4:15 pm

Boys basketball 4:15 until 6 pm

No Cheer leading

Boys and Girls volleyball registration is now open on familyid.com for students in grades 7th and 8th.

Registration is limited for girls volleyball to the first 60 registered and there only 9 spots left. Registration closes January 28th. Registration for girls will close after 60.

Algebra students participated in an escape room this week during Math class. Students worked collaboratively to solve the puzzle that involved Pythagorean Theorem and Solving Equations.

Students in French C put together a mini market authentic learning experience. Students acted as both vendors and clients and used their French to order their food and serve it. Students had an opportunity to try new meats, cheeses, desserts and breads they might not have otherwise tried before. Madame Michalak appreciates all of the parent support in helping put this together!

8th grade students worked this week on outlining a comparative essay. The outline compares and contrasts the themes, symbolism, and Dystopian elements of two Dystopian texts. Students referred back to their notes and analysis of their Dystopian novels and short stories to pull evidence to support their claims.

The Grade 8 Spelling Bee took place this week and we have 2 winners: Jason Hurt and Cailan Hall! These two winners will join the winners from grade 6 an grade 7 to participate in the final round in late January. Grade 6 and 7 will have their Spelling Bees the first week of January. Congratulations, Cailan and Jason!

PBIS winners were able to participate in their reward and paint each other's nails with Mrs. Asklar!

Band & Chorus students welcomed our Panthers to school today with some holiday music!

Chorus students did some caroling this week and visited us in the office! What a performance!

Mrs. Amaral & Mrs. Asklar surprised teachers with a warm cup of hot chocolate!

Looking for a way to give back? Want to help make the world a better place? Then please join the EarlyAct Club at any of our upcoming events and opportunities to spread compassion! ALL are welcome and no previous club experience is required. Check out our rolling monthly agenda to see where you can help us to make a difference!

East Hampton Public Library is running a teen winter reading challenge now through the end of February, for grades 6-12! Cards will be provided to each ELA teacher. If your child is interested, have them ask their ELA teacher!

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.

Please welcome our new Nutrition Director, Kate Caselli. Kate, a local resident with two students enrolled in our elementary schools, is excited to continue the progress in our school cafeterias. She brings experience from leading the nearby Regional Schools at RHAM and additional years in managing prestigious commercial restaurant operations. If you have any questions about meals in our cafeterias, please reach out to Kate at kcaselli@easthamptonct.org.

School breakfast is a great way for students to start their school day and its FREE to everyone!

Please review your student(s)’s available balance for any lunch purchases at our secure “e-Funds for Schools” portal: https://payments.efundsforschools.com/v3/districts/56523 Funds should be added on an as needed basis to ensure the account balance covers all purchases.

Communications to families about your meal account come directly from the payment portal. Please be alert to these emails and remove from your “junk” status the following addresses:

easthampton@mealmagic.cloud

easthampton@Familyportal.cloud

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.

Access to the East Hampton attendance policy is available HERE

More recently, I have been seeing many students in the Health Office with complaints of fatigue and not getting a good night’s sleep. Generally, most teens need 8-10 hours of sleep, but it is common for much less. Sleep is important to maintaining mood, relationships, and the ability to pay attention. Because of this, I thought it would be a good idea to share a few things that can be done during the day to aid in a good night’s sleep. Below are some tips to help.

1) Be active during the day – physical activity can help improve mood and decrease stress.

2) Avoid caffeine near bedtime – Caffeine is a stimulant and teens should be avoiding it anyways, but it is a good reminder for adults!

3) Say goodnight to electronics – allow your brain to rest. Turn off all electronics about an hour before bedtime.

4) Keep a sleep routine – going to bed the same time every night or sticking with a routine of reading, meditation, or listening to music before bed helps to aid in relaxation before sleep.

5) Expect a good night’s sleep – stress can affect sleep. Instead of worrying that you won’t get enough sleep, tell yourself that you will!

These are great tips for those of all ages, but it is a good reminder that teens are working hard mentally and physically. Sleep is so important and sometimes your students need some help to remember that. A good night’s sleep will help your student be more focused, productive, and willing to participate in school activities. Sleep well!

Regards,

Nurse Krystle

Krystle Hafele, BSN,RN

School Nurse

East Hampton Middle School

Office: 860-365-4060

Fax: 860-365-4064

Khafele@easthamptonct.org

If your child is having any Chromebook or technology issues please click on the link below to do some troubleshooting: EHMS TroubleShooting Tips

If the troubleshooting doesn't work click on the link below to submit an IT work ticket:

Chromebook Trouble Ticket

Please encourage your child to take pride and care in their device. Below is a video to review the proper care of Chromebooks with your child.

We understand that often families are seeking assistance in supporting their children through outside counseling or therapy. We are proud to have partnered with School Based Health in order to be able to provide those services within the school. Megan Donnelly is our School Based Health Center Counselor here at East Hampton Middle School who is here 5 days a week. More information is below include a link to their website. Feel free to call the main office if you would like to speak with Megan.

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