ECHS

Quarter 3 Honor Roll numbers were strong again which is a testament to all of the hard work from our students and staff. 27% of EC students earned all As and 53% earned all As and Bs.

Students will receive schedules in early May giving them time to meet with counselors the last month of school to make any necessary adjustments.

Band, Choir, Spanish Club, and FFA all traveled extensively this spring from Disney to destinations across Europe. Kids had unforgettable learning opportunities thanks to our amazing staff and respective sponsors.

Additionally, our Marching Trojans continue to be the longest running high school band in the Reds annual Opening Day parade.

Spring sports are in the midst of some terrific seasons. Several records have already fallen in Track and Field with IHSAA tournament series right around the corner. We’re looking for a very successful finish in sports in what has already been a fantastic year for EC athletes.

In the arts, Percussion qualified for WGI in Dayton after a strong finish at the IPA State Championships at ISU. Band hosts their annual concert and awards on Thursday May 14th, and our annual spring art show and choral concert will take place Sunday, May 17th so mark your calendars.

Graduation season is upon us. We’re looking forward to our traditional senior walk at the elementary schools followed by the senior picnic and commencement practice on Friday, May 22nd…always a fun day for students and staff. The school year is quickly coming to a close. Please reinforce our message to you student(s)...finish strong!

The Academic Awards Program is next Tuesday, May 5 at 6:30pm in the Performing Arts Center. Students and parents have been notified if they are receiving an award.

The Senior Scholarship Awards Program is on Wednesday, May 13 at 6:30pm in the Performing Arts Center. Students and parents are in the process of being notified if they are receiving an award.

REMINDER - Ivy Tch’s Graduation Ceremony is Friday, May 8 at 6:00pm at the Lawrenceburg Event Center.

The Southeastern Career Center Graduation will be held on May 14, 6:00pm at South Ripley High School. Students are asked to wear their school-issued cap and gown at the ceremony.

2026-27 Schedules - Students will receive their 2026-27 course schedule in early May. Students will have until the last day of this school year to request changes. Students will not be able to change their schedule after that date.

Attention Students & Parents - Find your Chromebook AC adapter now so you can turn it in with your Chromebook at the end of the school year! If you are unable to find your adapter you need to visit the Drop Zone to let them know about your missing charger. You will be billed $35 for missing equipment, which is not covered under the Chromebook Protection Plan. Drop Zone will issue you a new AC adapter so you have a charger to return at the end of the year. Please take care of your chargers now before school is out!

The scheduling process for the 2025-26 school year is underway.

● During the month of January/February guidance counselors have begun meeting with students individually to discuss registration, diploma types, ICC and pathway requirements.

● Late April/May: Target date to release 2025-26 schedules to students. The last day to change schedules for 2025-26 will be May 28th.

Key items per grade:

Seniors:

Scholarship applications are continuously sent to students in their school email and placed in the Class of 2026 google classroom for access. Please encourage them to read through all information as some applications are only for EC students. The students that are selected for scholarships are invited to attend the Senior Scholarship Awards program on May 13th at 6:30pm in the Performing Arts Center. Again they will receive an invitation at the beginning of May up until the date of the event if they are selected as a winner for a scholarship from a local sponsor.

Underclassmen:

Biology ILearn testing for students enrolled in Biology will begin on April 15th and will take place in Biology classrooms. This is an accountability test for all Indiana students enrolled in Biology and students are encouraged to try their best.

AP Testing: AP testing will take place during the school day from May 5/4-5/11 for students that have signed up for testing. Most courses are now dual credit so many students are not required to take AP tests as they have in the past. As always we are available to meet with students individually to support academic and emotional needs. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions or concerns.

The Varsity baseball team continued to stay hot (5-game winning streak) and remain tied atop the EIAC standings. HERE is a link to their player stats through 10 games.

The Varsity softball team split last week's EIAC matchup with Connersville with a home win and a road loss. They are trailing in the conference standings with 2 losses but many games left to play.

The Boys & Girls Track & Field team had some individual winners at Wednesday's Lakota West invitational. In the event, Senior Trevor Perkins broke the long-standing 200m sprint School Record. Great job to our winners of their events and relays.

In boys golf, the Trojan Varsity and JV brought home wins against Connersville and Rushville Friday evening. Junior Ryan Fisher was the medalist in the Varsity match and for the 2nd time this season, shooting a (39).

The girls tennis team split a pair of conference matches last week with a road win at Franklin County and a road loss at Greensburg. Girls have a busy week this week!

Trojan Exchange has been hard at work this year, overseeing daily operations, generating funds through in-store sales, and setting up a cart at sporting events to support scholarships for our 2026 officers and managers. They are especially grateful for the incredible support and success of their recent Cornhole Tournament, which played a big role in helping them reach their goals. Thank you to everyone who participated and supported their efforts!

Trojan Exchange is wrapping up the year with final sales to help complete scholarship funding for our 2026 officers and managers. Every purchase helps us reach our goal! Shop the link for end of year sales: https://www.trojanexchange.com/shop

TWO DAYS LEFT TO ORDER! Deadline for Ads for Grads and the 2025-2026 Yearbook is April 30th! To order go to www.yearbookforever.com and search for East Central High School. DO NOT WAIT!

March and April have been an exciting and proud time for East Central High School Student Council, as our members stepped into leadership roles beyond our school community. A total of 24 delegates attended the Indiana Association of Student Councils (IASC) Representative Assembly, where they actively participated in caucusing, networking, and the election of state and district leaders. This experience allowed our students to collaborate with peers from across Indiana while strengthening their leadership skills and representing ECHS with pride.

We are especially proud to celebrate several outstanding accomplishments from our council. Reagan Whitehead was elected to serve a two-year term as a Southeast Indiana District Representative, a testament to her leadership and dedication. Brooklyn Botts was also elected as the IASC High School Division Vice President, an incredible honor that reflects her commitment to student leadership at the state level. In addition, our very own advisor, Susan Ketcham, was recognized for her hard work and passion by being named Rookie Adviser of the Year, an achievement that speaks volumes about the strength of our program.

FCCLA-The East Central High School FCCLA chapter is closing out a successful year with several exciting upcoming events and opportunities for student recognition and leadership.

The annual FCCLA Parent/Member Banquet will be held on April 22nd in the ECHS Cafeteria. This special evening will celebrate the accomplishments of FCCLA members throughout the year, recognize outstanding achievements, and officially install the newly elected chapter officers.

Looking ahead, the chapter is also preparing for its annual FCCLA Purse Bingo and Raffle fundraiser on May 6th. This popular community event helps support student leadership development and provides funding for members attending state and national conferences.

This summer, 24 East Central High School FCCLA members will travel to Washington, D.C., from July 5–10 to attend the FCCLA National Leadership Conference. While there, students will compete in STAR Events (Students Taking Action with Recognition), showcasing their skills in Family and Consumer Sciences while representing their school and community on a national stage.

East Central FCCLA continues to empower students to develop leadership, career readiness, and service skills through meaningful experiences and opportunities.

The drama department presented the musical “The Descendants" Thursday March 14th, Friday, March 15th and Saturday March 16th at 7:00p. The students did a great job and gave some fantastic performances.

The EC FFA Wildlife Habitat CDE team of Cambryn Botts, Jared Enda, Ayden Schebler and Parker Simpson placed first in the South Region of the Indiana FFA Wildlife Habitat contest last Saturday April 11. Parker Simpson was the top individual for EC placing 2nd overall. The team will compete at the state contest on Saturday May 9 at Purdue.

The EC FFA Livestock Judging Team of Tug Hornberger, Acelynn Retzki, Landon Smith and Tyler Stenger placed 4th out of 32 teams at the Southeast Region Livestock Evaluation CDE on Tuesday April 14. Acelynn Retzki placed 11th overall out of 128 competitors. This team qualified for the state competition on Saturday May 2 at Lebanon.

Nursery/Landscape CDE

Would the Nursery/Landscape team please come to the stage? The purpose of the Nursery/Landscape CDE is to promote career interest and develop practical career skills in all aspects of the landscape industry to produce, utilize, and maintain landscape plants, as well as production and landscaping products, equipment and services including landscape design.

The following FFA members represented East Central at the state contest on Saturday, April 25 at Southmont High School in Crawfordsville, Indiana.

Team 1 consisted of:

Noah Long

Hunter Scholle

Parker Simpson

Tyler Stenger

Placed 1st to win the state championship

Team 2 consisted of:

Jacob Boehringer

Jared Enda

Gus Loschiavo

Haydn Nix

Placed 2nd

Team 3 consisted of:

Emma Guck

Adam Pflum

Savannah Weber

Placed 8th

Parker Simpson placed 1st overall out of 43 total competitors, while Tyler Stenger 2nd, Jared Enda 5th and Haydn Nix 6th. This is East Central’s 10th state title in the Nursery/Landscape CDE. The state winning team will have the opportunity to compete in the National CDE this October in Indianapolis. Please join me in congratulating these members.

Owen Shumate will recognize the members of the Poultry Evaluation Team.

Congrats to these FFA members.

Visual Art: Digital Design

Shun Kurumado

Are you interested in being certified in Photoshop? Next school year, EC Art Department will start providing students with an opportunity to take a test to be certified in the program! You may obtain the Certiport Certification in Photoshop.

“A Certiport Adobe Certified Professional in Photoshop certification validates that you possess industry-recognized, job-ready skills in photo editing, manipulation, and digital design. It serves as formal proof of expertise, which can enhance your resume and career prospects.” (Google)

In order to get an opportunity to take the exam, you are required to take 2 semesters of Digital Design courses. In these classes, you will learn varied techniques in Photoshop (and in addition, Illustrator) that have you create a variety of artwork from logo designs to paintings. In the second semester, you will have the opportunity to prepare for the test and to take the exam at EC.

If you are interested in it, please feel free to contact me: skurumado@sunmandearborn.k12.in.us

ECHS Art Show highlights the creativity, dedication, and artistic growth of our students throughout the school year. This exhibition features a diverse collection of artworks from students across all grade levels, showcasing a wide range of media including drawing, painting, ceramics, printmaking, photography and digital design.

Each piece on display reflects not only the development of technical skills, but also the unique voice and perspective of the artist. Throughout the year, students explored elements of art and principles of design while experimenting with new materials and techniques. From observational drawings to imaginative compositions, these works demonstrate both creativity and critical thinking.

We are proud of the effort and growth our students have shown and are excited to share their accomplishments with you. Thank you for supporting the arts and helping us celebrate a successful and inspiring year. Below is the information for this year’s art show.

The Southeastern Indiana Art Guild (SIAG) Gallery in Aurora, Indiana, showcased talented local students’ artwork in its recent exhibit. The gallery featured artwork from students aged 10-18 with awards presented on March 14. Below are the winners from our very talented ECHS students.

Jazz Ensemble at ISSMA Contest

Congratulations to the East Central Jazz Ensemble on earning a gold rating going Group 2 level at contest. Special congratulations to soloists Brandon Hutchins, Annika Stine, Jorja Taylor, and Layla Ulrich for receiving an “outstanding soloists” ribbon.

Reds Opening Day Parade

The East Central Marching Trojans continued the tradition of playing in the Reds Opening Day Parade on March 26. They were featured on the 812!

Disney Trip 2026

The Marching Trojans and Choir had a wonderful trip to Disney World March 29-April 2.

Students were able to visit all four parks and had a blast. Thank you to our fabulous chaperones who took such great care of students on this trip. ❤🖤

Both choir and band students participated in some wonderful "Soundtrack Sessions." Students worked with a guest clinician to enhance sight-reading skills/musicianship and learned about the process to record in a studio in order to prepare a soundtrack for a movie. 🎤🎶🎧

East Central Indoor Percussion

ECIP had a wonderful season. They held their 2026 Indoor Showcase at EC on Monday, April.13. They were finalists at the WGI (World Championships) held in Dayton, OH April 16th and 17th.

Concert Band at ISSMA Contest

Congratulations to the EC Concert Band for going to ISSMA Contest this past Saturday as group 2. They received a gold rating, and a near perfect score on the sight reading portion. Special thank you to our guest clinicians Dr. Nikk Pilato (Director of Bands at NKU) and Mrs. Stefani Bedel (Milan High School) for coming in to work with our band.

This gold secures the EC Band Program their SECOND year in a row to earn the ISSMA All Music Award.

Upcoming Dates

Spring Concert in EC PAC May 14th at 7:00pm (major band awards also given at this concert)

HS Graduation June 7

Fundraiser–Apparel

🎺👕 Gear Up for Next Year & Support ECHS Band Program! 🎶

It’s time to dress for success and tune up for next season with our ECHS Band Clothing Fundraiser! Every item you purchase helps hit the right note—$5 from each item goes directly to the ECHS Band Program to support all of our student musicians and future opportunities.

Stock up on Trojan gear, fresh styles, and school spirit while helping our band program head into another great year!

🛍️ Shop here: https://www.claraanndesigns.com/trojans-spring-fundraiser

Thank you for helping us wear our pride and fund our future!

Students in Mrs. Hutzel’s Principles of Computing class are bringing their coding skills to life in an exciting, hands-on way. After spending much of the year learning the fundamentals of Python, students are now applying their knowledge by programming Finch 2.0 robots. This interactive experience allows them to see their code in action as the robots move, respond, and complete tasks based on their instructions. By combining problem-solving, creativity, and real-time feedback, the Finch robots are helping students deepen their understanding of programming while making the learning process engaging and dynamic.

The choir and band department traveled to Disney World in Orlando Florida to participate in workshops sponsored through Disney Imagination Campus. The students were able to work with phenomenal educators and experience live recording sessions.

The choir department will present their Spring Concert On Sunday, May 17th at 3:00 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center.

Students in Introduction to Transportation are finishing up their boat builds for the year. In a short while they will be testing to see if all their hard work has paid off and the boats actually float. If they succeed then the yearly competition, “The EC Regatta” will begin. Teams of four will navigate their boats through an obstacle course and eventually have an all out boat race.

Gunner Ketcham is throwing chips, working on one of his end of the year projects. Students in Mr. Kennedy’s Introduction to Construction getting knowledge on Lathe Turning by creating small Lathe Containers. It is a small, round container with a lid completed entirely on the Woodturning Lathes.

The Introduction to Engineering and Design Class has been learning how to use dial calipers by measuring Automoblox Cars. They will then be applying this to their Reverse Engineering Projects, where they will be taking apart, modeling on Inventor, and redesigning a pen or mechanical pencil.

Check out what’s happening in the English hallway!

ENGLISH 9

• Ms. Huber’s students are reading Ender's Game and analyzing leadership, conflict, and character development.

• Dr. Rose’s English 9 students are exploring Romeo and Juliet while connecting Shakespeare’s language to modern-day idioms.

• Students in Mrs. Tucker’s Honors English 9 classes are preparing for an incredible odyssey by studying vocabulary from The Odyssey and building teamwork through Quizlet Live relay competitions.

• Ms. Stanley's classes just finished up their Unsolved Mystery Research Presentations where they were put in groups and challenged to find the 10 most interesting facts about an Unsolved Mystery of their choosing. Next up they will be diving into Greek Mythology and reading The Odyssey by Homer.

ENGLISH 10

• English 10 students in Mr. Meiners’ and Mrs. Cecil’s classes are studying Arthurian legend, medieval culture, and the impact of King Arthur on British history through a capstone research project.

• Ms. Jackson’s Honors English 10 students are reading Night and examining themes of survival, dehumanization, and bearing witness, while Mrs. Trossman’s Honors English 10 classes are reading The Martian and planning Mars colonization missions.

ENGLISH 11

• In Dr. Rose’s English 11, students are diving into The Great Gatsby while studying the culture and history of the 1920s.

• In Ms. Stanley's English 11 classes they just finished up their How To Cooking Project where students were asked to pick a recipe, design a recipe card displaying the ingredients necessary, provide step by step instructions on how to cook the recipe, and then create a 3 minute video of themselves preparing their recipe of choice at home. Next up they will be diving into the novel The Hunger Games and learning about utopian societies vs dystopian societies.

ENGLISH 12

• Mrs. Ketcham’s Honors English 12 students are reading 1984 and participating in an interactive simulation exploring propaganda, surveillance, and power.

• Mr. Whalbring’s English 12 students recently completed a mystery research project and are now studying Oliver Twist and Victorian literature.

COLLEGE-LEVEL COURSES

• AP Literature students are finishing A Thousand Splendid Suns in preparation for the AP Exam.

• Students in ENG 215 are writing argumentative, causal, and research-based essays.

• COMM 101 students delivering informative speeches before beginning advocacy speeches.

Advanced Fashion and Textiles: The Advanced Fashion Students just finished sewing through an assembly line process 34 purses for the Sew Powerful organization and the purses will be sent to Zambia so that students can attend school. The supplies were provided by a grant from the Dearborn County Retired Teachers. The class is now working on their spring apparel including sundresses and camp shirts. Students are sewing darts, making straps and much more. Please watch our East Central High School FCCLA Facebook page for the finished apparel.

Advanced Child Development-The students in Advanced Child Development are operating a Playschool for 3 to 5 year old children during the month of April on Tuesdays and Thursdays. We have 12 students signed up for our playschool. This experience allowed the high school students to practice skills used to teach preschool. They had 4 thematic weeks that were carried out including Jungle, Under the Sea, Prince/Princess, and careers. The high school students are doing a great job planning and implementing their lesson plans each day! We will hold graduation on Thursday, April 30th. Thank you to all of the parents who brought their children to our playschool.

Intro to Fashion and Textiles: The Intro Fashion Students just finished reviewing clothing care and repair. They practiced skills such as sewing on a button, hand sewing small rips, removing stains, sorting laundry and so much more. They also learned about the impact of fast fashion on the environment and explored ways to reduce textile waste. They are currently finishing up some upcycling projects as a way to utilize clothing care and repair skills in an impactful way.

Advanced Nutrition and Wellness: Nutrition students are exploring a variety of fruits and vegetables through a March Madness Bracket activity. Students started out by researching some of the more uncommon produce items on the bracket. Then students had the opportunity to practice safe knife skills and even some new cooking methods in order to prepare samples of all of the items on our bracket. After sampling the fruits and vegetables students used Google Forms to vote for their favorites. We are starting round two of our bracket activity which involves students finding healthy recipes that feature the winners of the first round and then sampling and voting once again.

This past Spring Break, Mrs. Robbins and Mr. Lyon took a group of students and parents on an unforgettable journey through Europe. Their trip began in Milan, Italy, the fashion capital of the world. They continued south to Cinque Terre located on the Mediterranean Sea where they had their fill of gelato and enjoyed breathtaking views of various seaside villages. They stopped for lunch in Monaco on their way to France. In France, the group experienced all that Old and New Nice had to offer. They finished their tour with a visit to the Sagrada Familia and an exploration of the vibrant city of Barcelona.

Hello Spring!

The Athletic Training classes recently participated in a blood pressure lab, where students successfully developed and demonstrated their skills in measuring and understanding blood pressure. Next month, they will have an exciting opportunity to expand their learning experience as they travel to Beacon Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine to participate in a Human Cadaver Bioskills Lab.

Female Lifter of the Month is Lilian Smith. She currently ranks 4th in total pounds from our 3rd quarter max-outs and is 2nd in bench press with an impressive lift of 135 pounds. Male Lifter of the Month is Zavier Stauter. He is a member of the Track and Field team, consistently demonstrates a strong work ethic, and serves as a great leader both on the track and in the weight room.

The Freshman PE classes have been taking advantage of the beautiful weather by getting outside and enjoying some fun in the sun while playing tennis, pickleball, and soccer.

Earth and Space students learned about the relationships between our Moon-Sun- Earth. Students learned about orbits and rotation patterns and the different natural phenomena that occur due those relationships. Students had to create their own Sun, Moon, and Earth and create a stop motion video of how the Earth moves around the Sun, and how the Moon moves around Earth.