The Panther Post

Good afternoon,

We hope all our students have had a wonderful transition to their 26-27 School Year. Please don't hesitate if you have any questions or would like to discuss your child's progress to reach out to your child's teacher or Grade-Level Team Leader.

Grade 6 Team Leader

trepoli@easthamptonct.org

Grade 7 Team Leader

cbrzozowski@easthamptonct.org

Grade 8 Team Leader

mberube@easthamptonct.org

We hope you will join us at our Open House Event for parents that will take place on Wednesday September 16th at 6:30pm. Our doors will open at 6:30 and you will start in your child's homeroom classroom.

Best,

Christina & Emily

Fri. Sept 4th - Mon. Sept 7th - Labor Day Weekend No School

Fri. Sept 4th - EHMS Back-to-School Yard Goats Baseball Game - EHMS PTO Event: More info to come

Wed. Sept 9th - Picture Day for Students!

Mon. Sept 14th - Board of Education Meeting, Town Hall, 6:30pm

Wed. Sept 16th - EHMS Open House for Parents/Guardians, 6:30pm

Fri. Sept 18th - Pantherfest

There are still tickets available to join our East Hampton Middle School PTO Family Night at the Yard Goats tomorrow Friday September 4th - gates open at 5:30 and game at 7:10!

We wanted to take a moment and welcome some of our new teachers to EHMS! Each provided a short bio and picture to share.

My name is Amy Zupan, and I am a brand-new Special Education teacher at the middle school. In spite of being brand-new here, I have been an English teacher for 12 years. My favorite part of being a teacher throughout all of these years has been working with students– we make learning fun! Outside of school, I spend time chasing my two little boys who are 2 and 4 years old. My two littles have taught me so much about thinking and learning, and they have expanded my heart more than I thought! I hope that I extend this refreshed perspective to support my students and collaborate with parents here at EHMS!

I am excited to be part of the East Hampton Middle School community! I joined EHMS at the end of last year and have absolutely enjoyed getting to know the students and staff. I am especially excited to work with the sixth-grade team and support students both within the classroom and in resource settings. I believe every student has unique strengths, and I enjoy helping students build confidence and reach their goals. When I am not at EHMS, I love spending time with my husband and daughters, especially enjoying time together at the beach. I am looking forward to another great year at EHMS!

My happy place is in my garden, where among the perennials I grow milkweed for the monarchs. As I pull weeds I am followed by our pet chickens looking for dislodged insects to gobble up. My son and I enjoy visits to zoos and natural areas, and watching all the Star Wars and Star Trek offerings. Before joining the Middle School staff I taught at Center, Memorial, and The Learning Center. Prior to settling in Connecticut I taught in New York, Virginia and Maryland. I came to Connecticut to earn my MFA in sculpture. I am a member of the East Hampton Lions. If you visit the Haddam Neck fair on Friday, stop by the French fry trailer and say Hi or wave!

The ELA department at EHMS kicked off the year by focusing on community, collaboration, and critical thinking. During the first week, students jumped into hands-on team-building activities designed to strengthen their problem-solving skills and foster a supportive environment. To set the tone for a successful year, classes worked together to establish clear expectations for small-group collaboration and crafted a classroom contract centered on understanding and respecting different perspectives.

The Math Department was excited to welcome students back this week! We kicked off the year with fun math games and icebreakers that encouraged collaboration and helped build a strong math community. Students also began developing resilience by learning that mistakes are opportunities to grow as they worked through challenges together, building confidence and persistence as mathematicians.

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.

Sept 7-Sept 11 (subject to change)

MONDAY, SEPT 7

No Athletics!

Procedure will be as follows. Each day unless Cross Country has an away meet!

Boys/Girls Soccer players will drop their soccer bags off in the boys and girls locker rooms in the morning. Please make sure you are not blocking any walk paths or doors. Locker rooms will be locked during the day.

Cross Country: At dismissal, all those in Cross-Country will head down to the locker rooms, change if needed, fill your water bottles, walk on sidewalk/path and head over to the gate area. Your school bags will be put up against the fence area. Returning runners will help guide. With your water bottle in hand, warm up lap around the soccer field and then head to the finish line.

Boys and Girls Soccer: At dismissal, all those in soccer will head to the commons area. DO NOT CHANGE! Once you report to the commons, you will be asked to sit down at specific tables. Coaches will take attendance and then walk teams down to the locker rooms once Cross Country has cleared out (approx 5 minutes).

TUESDAY, SEPT 8

Cross Country 2:35 until 4 pm

Girls Soccer 2:35 until 4:30 pm

Boys Soccer 2:35 until 4:30 pm

Note: Boys Soccer Player/Parent and Coaches Meeting at 5:30 pm. Coach Mercaldi will send out link over the weekend. This meeting is mandatory for all players and we strongly suggest a parent/guardian attend.

WEDNESDAY, SEPT 9

Cross Country 2:35 until 4 pm

Girls Soccer 2:35 until 4:30 pm

Boys Soccer 2:35 until 4:30 pm

THURSDAY, SEPT 10

East Hampton Cross Country at Berlin, 2:20 dismissal, 2:30 bus. (Girls run first)

Site: Pistol Creek

Girls Soccer 2:35 until 4:30 pm

Boys Soccer 2:35 until 4:30 pm

FRIDAY, SEPT 11

Cross Country 2:35 until 4 pm

Girls Soccer 2:35 until 4:30 pm

Boys Soccer 2:35 until 4:30 pm

Use the link below to place your order.

Panther Fest T-shirt Pre-Order

We wanted to take the opportunity to share our Student Nutrition and Physical Activity Policy - EHPS Policy #6142.101. In this policy, the section on Celebrations states:

East Hampton Public Schools recognize the importance of celebrations and special events. Class celebrations for birthdays, holidays, and other events will feature fun activities, with outdoor, movement, or creative activities specifically encouraged. Celebrations may also feature special meals or snacks that are prepared in a peanut free and tree nut free facility, are pre-packaged, and are approved by the school nurse at least 48 hours in advance. In addition, the East Hampton Public Schools will provide to parents a list of snack foods that meet the Smart Snack standards. These celebration meals or snacks may be eaten outside or in the classroom [FR11]. Students are permitted to bring in their own meals and snacks for their own consumption, but due to concerns about food safety and food allergies, food may not be shared between students unless otherwise approved by administration. Due to food allergy concerns, homemade baked goods will not be permitted to be shared, and store bought foods must clearly be labeled for nurse review and approval/non-approval.

Please Click Here: https://portal.ct.gov/sde/nutrition/list-of-acceptable-foods-and-beverages#ListAcceptableFoodsBeverages

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