FREE AND REDUCED LUNCH
This is a reminder that free and reduced lunch forms are available in the main office.
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PARENT MEETING
The next parent meeting of the year has been scheduled for Tuesday, October 30 th at 7:00 pm in room 232. The principal and assistant principal invite all interested parents and guardians to attend. Meetings are held several times during the year. Informal agendas are developed to address current issues and input from parents is encouraged. |
STUDENT SAFETY ALERT
Please do not drop off students on Maple Street (Route 140). This creates a dangerous situation for everyone on Rte. 140. There have been numerous crashes in that area. Please use the designated drop off area in the front parking lot. Thank you for your cooperation.
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RESCUE POST 512 SPONSORS FOOD DRIVE
Rescue Post 512 is sponsoring a food drive from November 1 – 16 to help local food shelters and families. Non-perishable food items will be gratefully accepted. Collection boxes will be placed near the front entrance and the bus entrance. Please contact Ellington Ambulance at 870-3170 with any questions.
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JOHN ROSEMOND AT EHS
The Ellington Drug Abuse Prevention Council (DAPC) Parent Action Community Task Force (PACT) will sponsor family psychologist and best selling author, John Rosemond to speak on Wednesday, October 17 th at 7:00 p.m. at Ellington High School. The topic of his seminar is “Teen Proofing- Fostering Responsible Decision Making in Your Pre-teen and Teenager.” Tickets can be purchased at Ellington Youth Services at 31 Arbor Way and are $10.00 for Ellington residents and $15.00 for all others.
The DAPC is a long standing group that has been coordinating prevention services for the youth of Ellington for more than ten years. This past year a subgroup formed of concerned parents interested in bringing awareness and information to the community regarding the dangers of underage drinking. The next meeting of the parent group will be Monday, September 17th at 7:00 p.m. at Ellington Youth Services. For more information, please call Mrs. Debbie Stauffer at Ellington Youth Services at 870-3130 or email dstauffer@ellington-ct.org. Your presence is welcomed and needed! |
ELLINGTON SAFE GRADUATION |
The next meeting of the committee will be Tuesday, October 9th at 7:00 p.m. in Room 239 at Ellington High School. Feel free to drop by and see what the safe graduation party is all about. The decorating committee will soon begin planning for the 2008 Substance Free Party so watch for meeting dates in upcoming newsletters.
The Safe Graduation Committee has announced that it will no longer hold bottle drives as fundraisers. After many years of doing bottle drives, it has become too expensive to run and there has been a severe lack of help. We will always accept your receipts from returning bottles and cans! If you would like to make a donation for this year's party or would like to send bottle and can receipts, please mail them to Ellington Safe Graduation Committee, P.O. Box 377, Ellington, CT 06029. For information on the committee, please call Mrs. Natalie Lapointe at 875-8983. |
YEARBOOKS GO ON SALE OCTOBER 31st |
October 31st is the kick-off event for Yearbook Sales. On that day, Yearbooks will be sold in the cafeteria before school, during all studies, lunches and after school. For ONE DAY ONLY the 2008 Yearbook can be purchased for the Spooktacular Savings price of $65.00. On November 1, the price goes up to $75.00, so don't miss your opportunity to SAVE.
For an additional fee, Seniors only may purchase the additional options of Personal Engraving ($6.00) and/or a Clear Plastic Cover ( $4.00). We accept either cash or a check that is made out to "EHS Activity Fund".
Information for purchasing parent/sibling ads will be provided to you - this year we have an on-line service that will enable parents, siblings or Seniors to purchase space for those pictures and messages. |
E-MAIL UPDATES AVAILABLE TO PARENTS
On the school web site our teachers have individual teacher pages on which they post pertinent information such as course objectives and grading policies. You can sign up for e-mail notification of updates to the pages such as special assignments, class projects, or resource information. From the EHS home page, click on Faculty Pages. Select a teacher’s name to view their page. Finally, click on Notify me to sign up for the service.
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OPENING KNIGHT PLAYERS
Members of the Opening Knight Players traveled to Hartford Stage on September 25 th to attend a performance of Thornton Wilder’s classic, “Our Town”. Forty students from the club attended this performance which also included a talk-back session with the cast and crew.
Would you like to become involved with the OKP? Is so, please attend an informational meeting of the OKP Booster Club on Thursday, October 4 at 7:00 pm. in the Gordon C. Getchell Auditorium. This group is open to any adults interested in assisting the programming of the EHS theater department. No experience is necessary.
Members of the Opening Knight Players have begun their work both onstage and off for their fall production of Arthur Miller’s The Crucible. This American classic, which chronicles the witchcraft hysteria of 1692 in Salem, Massachusetts, will be performed on November 15, 16, 17, 2007 at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $7 and can be purchased at the door.
For the first time in 12 years, the OKP will be producing a musical. On May 8, 9, 10, 2008, the drama society of EHS will present the classic American musical Bye, Bye Birdie. |
FRENCH CLUB PLANS TRIP TO DISNEY
The French Club is planning a trip to Disney World during February vacation. They will attend the Y.E.S. (Youth Education Series) Millennium Cultures program in Epcot during this time. The trip is open to French Club students, their families and friends, Spanish, and Latin students. If interested in receiving more information, please contact Mrs. Laurie Ferreira at EHS (lferreira@ellingtonschools.net.) |
ART SCHOOLS TO VISIT EHS
Art school representatives will visit EHS to speak with interested students. The schedule is as follows;
Maine College of Art of Portland, Maine on Thursday, October 11 at 7:15; Lyme Academy of Art of Old Lyme, Connecticut on Tuesday, October 16 from 7:15 – 9:00; Art Institute of Boston of Boston, Massachusetts on Tuesday, October 30 from 7:15 – 8:12; and Ringling School of Art and Design of Sarasota, Florida on Thursday, November 1 at 8:07. |
ELLINGTON ATHLETIC BOOSTER CLUB
The Ellington Athletic Booster Club meeting date has been changed due to Columbus Day. The meeting will be held on Monday, October 15 at 7:00 pm in the EHS Library. This meeting will determine the future of the Ellington Athletic Booster Club. If you are interested in keeping this organization going, please come to the meeting and get involved. |
LIBRARY NEWS
Teen Fun Nights at Hall Memorial Library
In conjunction with the Ellington Parks and Recreation Department, the Hall Memorial Library will offer four free Teen Fun Nights in October and November. October 26 and November 16 will be for teens in grades 9 thru 12; October 19 and November 2 will be for younger teens in grades 7 and 8. From 6:30 pm -8:30 pm, teens will be able to play interactive video games, such as Guitar Hero and Dance Dance Revolution, watch a movie, eat snacks and socialize. Donations of video games and equipment are welcome. Pre-registration at the Rec. Dept. is required.
Hall Memorial Library now has Sunday hours of 1:00 pm-5:00 pm.
The EHS Library Interns are still collecting books to be shipped to Kenya. They will have a book sale at the November parent/teacher conferences again this year. The money will be donated to The American Friends of Kenya to help with the shipping costs of the books and medical supplies.
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SPORTS
Sports schedules and upcoming tournament information can be found at www.ciacsports.org and schedules are available in the main office. The sports schedule link of our school web site will also link you to our schedules on the CIAC web site. An e-mail notification service is offered by CIAC. Follow the appropriate link to sign up for this service. By doing so, you will receive notice of schedule changes and results.
TRI-TOWN HOCKEY HOSTS OPEN HOUSE
Tri-Town Hockey will host an open house at South Windsor Arena on Thursday, October 4 from 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm. Current and new players and their families are invited to attend. Coach Paul Dowe and his coaching staff will be available to answer questions and provide details. Members of the booster club will also be on hand to answer questions and provide booster club related information.
SWIM TEAM FUNDRAISER AT THE OUTBACK
The co-op swim team will be holding a luncheon fundraiser at The Outback Restaurant in Manchester on Saturday, October 13 th The cost is $15.00 per person for a complete meal from salad to dessert and fun with family and friends. For tickets or further information, please contact Mrs. Anne Sullivan at 875-8989 or see any swim team member. Tickets will not be sold at the door. Your support is greatly appreciated by the team. |
MUSIC DEPT. NEWS
The Music Department raised over $2,000 at this year’s Four Town Fair in Somers. We are very proud of the marching band for an incredible season and a great finish at The Big E on September 19 th.
The upcoming Pie Sale, in cooperation with Great American Opportunities, will start on Monday, October 8 th and will be held until the second week of November. Students are strongly encouraged to sell as many pies as possible to help pay for a future music department trip. For all other information, please see the music department web site at www.freewebs.com/ellingtonhsmusic, or contact Mr. Joe Durfee at jdurfee@ellingtonschools.net |
ELLINGTON ATHLETIC BOOSTER CLUB
The Ellington Athletic Booster Club meeting date has been changed due to Columbus Day. The meeting will be held on Monday, October 15 at 7:00 pm in the EHS Library. This meeting will determine the future of the Ellington Athletic Booster Club. If you are interested in keeping this organization going, please come to the meeting and get involved. |
HEALTH OFFICE NEWS
This is a reminder that 10 th grade state-mandated physical forms are due in the health office.If you have not done so already, please complete and return your son/daughter’s emergency/health update form. Students will not be allowed to go on field trips if their updated form is not on file.
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TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION NEWS
The Technology Dept. is planning to build a small shed in the Construction class. If you or someone you know is in need of a shed, please contact Mr. Duane McDuffee at 896-2352, voice mail ext. 181 or dmcduffee@ellingtonschools.net for information. The individual will purchase materials, we will build the shed and then we will have it delivered. |
SENIOR RECEIVES COMMENDATION
Congratulations to Kevin DeLand who was identified as a Commended Student in the National Merit Scholarship Program. His outstanding performance on the 2006 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®) placed him within a prestigious group of scholastically-talented seniors who have demonstrated exceptional academic promise. |
FAMILY & CONSUMER SCIENCES NEWS
We’re on a roll in FCS! Foods and Nutrition students have just completed a ten-day food intake inventory and have had their results analyzed by the mypyramid.gov website. The next step is to delve into the data and determine a course of action for improving food intake and exercise patterns, all of which will be presented in formal papers. Presently in the foods labs we are exploring ways to incorporate more whole grains into the diet. Mr. Richard Hany from Bountiful Harvest will soon present his informative lesson and tasting of a variety of whole grain products.
Regional Foods students have been focusing on New York City’s cuisines and have tried their hands at street food such as bagels and pretzels. Practice makes perfect. Brian Bedford singularly made some awesome dim sum and has a newfound appreciation for the labor involved. Students will also taste some authentic Chinatown dim sum. Later in October we will be making a much anticipated trip to NYC for a walking food tour of the city through Big Onion Tours.
Multicultural Foods class has been enjoying a vicarious eating tour of Latin America sampling such foods as Arroz con Gandules, Frijoles de Olla, Papusas de Queso, Puerto Rican Chicken Stew, Rum Cake, Ginger Cake and Coquito. Next it’s off to Northern and Western Europe, specifically Germany, France, and Ireland. Also field trips to the Center of Culinary Arts in Cromwell and the Connecticut Culinary Institute in Suffield will enlighten the students about food service careers and culinary arts in general.
Finally, Child Development students have been investigating numerous topics related to teen pregnancy, the goals of which are to consider the short- and long-term consequences of teens having babies, recognize the responsibilities involved, and be familiar with local resources. If that doesn’t shed enough light on the subject, then the new, upgraded Baby Think It Over Infant Simulators should do the trick! These are the most realistic models available and can be programmed in numerous authentic care patterns. Stay tuned for the results of that!
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CWE STUDENTS IN SPOTLIGHT
Congratulations to Keith Durao who, on delayed entry for the USMC, has auditioned for and been accepted into the Marine Corps Jazz Band.
Congratulations to Chelsea Kunzli for completing a year at the Big Y Supermarket. She was honored as Employee of the Month.
Tyler Gauthier managed the construction of a house from start to finish. The house is now for sale in Coventry.
Roland Violette is now a card-carrying pre-apprentice in field of HVAC.
John Levesque has been accepted into the People to People Global Youth Ambassador program.
CWE Happenings : Speakers for the coming month include: Dr. Kevin Norige, Dentist; Dr Kevin Cranmer of the Windham Eye Group; and Staff Sgt. Kudzal USMC.
The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) exam will be administered to CWE students on October 17th at 7:15 am.
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NOTICE TO PARENTS REGARDING PESTICIDES
Ellington Public Schools has adopted the model Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Program for Commercial Services. The overall goal of the IPM is to deliver safe and effective pest control. Parents, guardians, and staff may register to receive notice of a pesticide application by contacting the school. From time to time, emergency applications may be needed. Those registering will receive notification of emergency applications (i.e. bee or wasp spraying) as soon as possible. |
SOPHOMORE CLASS RINGS
An informational parent night will be held in the cafeteria from 6:00 pm-7:00 pm on Monday, September 18th. Rings can be ordered that evening or in school in the cafeteria during the lunch block on September 19th and September 20th. An $80 deposit is required upon placing your order. |
STUDENT DIRECTORY INFORMATION
The following is an excerpt from the Annual Notification of Rights under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA). It appears on page 32 of the EHS student handbook:
“The District . . . discloses without consent, information designated as “directory information.” Directory information includes, for current and former students, student name, address, telephone number, date and place of birth, major fields of study, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, weight and height of members of athletic teams, dates of attendance, degrees and awards received and the most recent school previously attended. If any parent or eligible student objects to the District’s designation of this information about the student as directory information, the District must be notified annually in writing within 30 days of the issuance of this policy that the parent or eligible student does not want this information about the student disclosed as directory information.” A typical source of such a request would be military recruiters for mailings to students. |
INDOOR AIR QUALITY INITIATIVE
This month, EHS begins a new program to monitor and improve indoor air quality (IAQ) in our school. We are proud to be taking a leadership role in providing a safe, comfortable, and productive environment for our students and staff. Our school will utilize guidance provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to prevent IAQ problems and respond to any IAQ issues that may arise. The school newsletter and web site will carry progress reports as we learn more about IAQ in our school. |
GUIDANCE DEPARTMENT NEWS
PSAT/NMSQT – All juniors are encouraged to participate in the PSAT which will be given at Ellington High School on Saturday, October 20 th. Each junior has been given a PSAT bulletin, which contains answers to the most frequently asked questions regarding the PSAT as well as a practice booklet. This practice material will be most helpful for our juniors as they prepare for the PSAT. The cost of the test is $22.00 (cash or a check payable to the EHS Activity Fund). Students should arrive by 7:45 a.m. with a calculator and #2 pencils. Testing should be complete by 11:15 a.m. Please make arrangements for transportation prior to the test day.
PLAN and Discover Programs
All sophomores will be participating in the PLAN career education program. The PLAN/Discover program helps 10 th graders build a solid foundation for future academic and career successes. In late October, guidance counselors will be visiting social studies classes to introduce the PLAN program and administer the Discover career interest inventory. The Discover database will allow students to investigate career options that are a good match for them along with gaining valuable information regarding various occupations, college majors, schools and training institutions, financial aid/scholarships and military options. Sophomores will receive a username and password for the Discover program and are encouraged to make good use of the program when making career and/or college plans. Please visit www.act.org/discover for further information.
In early December sophomores will then take the PLAN test to measure their current academic development, explore career options, and make plans for the remaining years of high school. The PLAN is a powerful predictor of success on the ACT and serves as great practice for college entrance exams. PLAN results are expected in January and guidance counselors will review their results with the students.
The Ellington High School - Job Shadowing Program
The Ellington High School Job Shadow Program was designed for high school students who are considering specific career options and would like the opportunity to spend time on the job with a professional, employed in their field of interest. Prior to a placement in a job shadowing experience, students will evaluate their academic strengths, personal values and interests through the PLAN Program.
The students spend a predetermined number of hours “shadowing” a professional in the field. The purpose of this program is to give students a more realistic view of his/her career aspirations, which will aid them as they plan for post high school education, training and employment.
The working professional is asked to provide the student with an opportunity to observe, ask questions and if possible, perform tasks related to the given career field. This experience offers the student an opportunity to evaluate the working environment, job responsibilities, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of their career interest. Students may arrange to shadow in one job or several related jobs depending on their interests.
Seniors - Seniors must return a completed transcript release form to guidance before an official transcript can be sent to any college or scholarship foundation. All seniors are encouraged to visit the EHS web page and check on scholarship opportunities.
Reminder to all Juniors and Seniors - If you do not remember your token and password for the DISCOVER/PLAN program in which you participated as a sophomore, stop by guidance and we will share it with you again. By accessing the ACT web site at http://www.act.org/discover/ (from any computer which has Internet capabilities) you will have the opportunity to continue your career and college search.
Freshmen – All freshmen are in the process of meeting with his/her guidance counselor. One goal of the guidance department is to begin to develop a rapport with each freshman. Counselors will share many important aspects of high school such as earning good grades right from the start and becoming involved in extra curricular activities.
SAT – December 1 st - The registration deadline is October 30 th. Students can register online at www.collegeboard.com
ACT – December 8 th – The registration deadline is November 2 nd. Students can register online at www.act.org
For up-to-date guidance information check out our web site: www.ellingtonpublicschools.org/HighSchool/home.htm
As our students continue to assemble their college application material, the College Advisor, Inc. has six tips for navigating the college application process. They are:1. Get Organized –Create a file folder for each college, one for testing, and one for important senior year information. Keep a calendar with key information written in red ink. 2. Cover Your Bases – Keep copies of everything. If applying online print a hard copy and file it. 3. Conserve Energy – Don’t reinvent the wheel. You may want to take the opportunity to slightly reshape a personal statement for different colleges. If essay prompts are similar, only a little tweaking may be necessary. 4. Write Great Essays – Write in your own voice, tell the story only you can tell, get feedback, proofread carefully and write from the heart. 5. Beat Deadlines – Something you can be thankful for is finishing your regular applications before Thanksgiving. 6. Cast a Wide Net – Apply broadly to a range of colleges. Have a good balance of “reach”, “possible”, and “likely” schools.
Colleges Visiting Ellington High School in October
Over twenty colleges are scheduled to visit Ellington High School in the month of October. Interested students and parents are welcome to sign up in the guidance office and meet with the various representatives. Please stop in the guidance office or check the guidance link of the EHS web site for the complete listing of colleges.
SAT Strategy Session Are your students nervous about the SAT? Join Princeton Review for a FREE strategy session at Barnes & Noble Booksellers! An expert Princeton Review SAT instructor will discuss test taking tips and techniques. To help your students there are pre-scheduled SAT study sessions to take place prior to each of the scheduled SAT tests throughout the 2007-2008 school year. The first session is Wednesday, September 19 th from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. Additionally, free strategy sessions run for two hours beginning at 7:00 p.m. and will offer your students a general overview of the SAT and what role it plays in college admissions. Each session will give the same SAT overview and afford students the opportunity to learn about changes to the SAT, test-taking strategies and receive tools for researching colleges and financial aid options. For additional sessions and to register for one of these FREE sessions call 860-745-7315 and ask for Kimberly Fletcher, Community Relations Manager.
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