Dear EHS Students and Families,

Welcome to the pre-Thanksgiving edition of the Knightly News! Believe it or not, it is already time to start thinking about scheduling for next school year. At the end of last week, I sent a message to students with a link to preview several proposed courses for next year. We are looking to gauge student interest to determine if the proposed courses will run or not. Please remind your student to fill out the form before Friday, December 5th.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving!

All the best,

Jon Mitchell

EHS Interim Principal

The Opening Knight Players present They Promised Her The Moon! Follow the true story of Jerrie Cobb — the first woman tested for space flight. The play details her journey from childhood and dreams to be a pilot to her participation in the Mercury 13 program, as well as her eventual exclusion from the program due to her gender. 

Show dates are December 5 and 6 at 7:30 and December 7 at 2pm. Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for students and seniors, and free for faculty and staff with Ellington badge. 

Your EHS Student Council will have a new shipment of Spirit Blankets available for purchase for your high school student! This is a fundraiser for our organization.

The blankets are arriving within the first two weeks of December and will be available through our school store! If the blanket is intended to be a gift, you are able to pick it up well in advance of the holidays.

These blankets are the D-Luxe Nubay, 60" X 80" sized, machine washable, and durable for indoor and outdoor use! There is an imprint of the Ellington Knight on one side and a repeating imprint on the other with a black binding/edging holding the two together!

Check out the picture below:

Here are a couple FAQ's about the blankets...

Go to the EHS School Store to purchase the blanket.

The cost of the blanket is $ 85.00. Remember, this is a fundraiser for the EHS Student Council, but the blanket is worth every nickel!! (can't use penny anymore)

You will receive notification from the school store that your order is ready!

That's it!

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact David Helmin, dhelmin@ellingtonschools.net.,Faculty Co-Advisor or Matthew Lane, mlane@ellingtonschools.net

, EHS Student Council: , 

If you were unable to attend our Financial Aid Workshop on November 19th, please reference the attached slide deck from our presenter. Our presenter, Monica Kedzior, has also graciously offered to assist any families with the completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Her contact information is below. She is available to meet in person with families as well. Please contact her directly to set up an appointment. CT State also offers FAFSA Workshops over the coming months. Their upcoming workshop schedule may be accessed through the link below. 

The College Application Checklist is posted in the Class of 2026 School Counseling Google classroom. Students who are planning to apply to a four-year or two-year college should utilize the checklist to manage their college application tasks.  

Please also reference the College Application Next Steps document posted in the Google classroom for guidance on requirements after you submit your applications.

Wednesday, December 3rd, 2025 (2:15 pm - 4:30 pm), we will hold the first of two optional after-school simulated SAT in the school Library (the second opportunity will be held in 2026) to prepare students for their upcoming examination in March.  

If you are interested in participating, you must pre-register.

Please click here for the registration form. Registration closes Sunday, November 30th, at 11:00 pm. 

Plan to bring your own charged device. You may bring your own calculator or use the one built into the testing platform.

There will be a follow up session at a later date to review scores, identify strengths, and determine areas for improvement.

If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to: Linda Robinson (lrobinson@ellingtonschools.net) from our tech department or Marc Richard (mrichard@ellingtonschools.net), assistant principal.

If you were unable to attend our College Planning Seminar on November 5th, no worries! Please reference the recorded presentation and slide deck posted below.

PSAT 9 scores were released to students from the College Board on November 6th. Through their Algebra I classes, students received direction on how to create College Board accounts to view their scores and access free SAT Prep Resources. Students who are not in Algebra I can make an appointment with Ms. Heuitson to review this information on an individual basis. The information shared with students can be found on these slides: PSAT 9 Score Reports and Prep Resources (slides) 

A lesson about Post-High School Options, which includes a mini lesson on college admissions, will be given through English I classes the week of December 15th. This lesson will help students understand what their options are after high school, how they differ from each other, what are the benefits of pursuing each, and how some can be combined to create a personalized pathway. During the second semester, students will use that information for a career lesson focused on identifying pathways that will guide their course selection for sophomore year. 

Families can support this work by starting to have conversations at home. Here are some conversation starters for families to consider:

What kinds of activities make you lose track of time?

When you imagine your future job, what does a “good day” look like?

Which adults in your life have jobs you find interesting?

Are you interested in college, trade school, military, internships, or straight into the workforce?

What classes or electives have sparked the most interest recently?

If you could try a class or activity that doesn’t exist at school, what would it be?

What are your biggest strengths, and how do you think they might show up in your future career or life?

And share your experiences! What was your path after high school? What do you wish you knew at their age that you know now? What are the values that guide your life decisions? Starting these conversations at home will help students make informed decisions as they plan out their four-years of high school and beyond.

Yearbook ads are a great way to show your recognition and pride for your student. To create and purchase your ad, just go to http://www.jostens.com/YearbookAds and place your order by 11/21 (today!). Time and space is limited, so be sure to place your order today!

 

If you have not ordered your copy of this year’s book, go to http://www.jostens.com/YearbookAds and place your order to guarantee your copy on distribution day!