Good Afternoon EHS Students and Families,
I hope everyone has had a great week! I cannot believe that this coming Friday, 9/25, is already the midpoint of quarter 1. This will be a great time for families and students to sit down together and review academic progress thus far.
EHS has a busy weekend ahead! Tonight the volleyball team plays at home starting at 6pm in the gym, and the football team has their home opener with kickoff slated for 6:30. Tomorrow, the Ellington High School marching band and color guard will be marching in the Four Town Fair parade. The parade starts at 10:00 am in Somers Center and arrives at the Four Town Fairgrounds around 11:00am. We hope you can come out and support! Additionally, the EHS Music Department ensembles will be running a cake booth at the Four Town Fair all weekend. Stop by, toss a dime, win a cake, and help support the music ensembles at EHS!
A reminder to all parents releasing their student for early dismissal: please send an email or note with your child at the beginning of the school day, in order for them to be ready and not interrupt instructional time.
There is a LOT of information in this newsletter, so please take the time to read it carefully! As always, please reach out to me directly with any questions.
All the best,
Jon Mitchell
Principal
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- Saturday, September 19 - Marching Band @ Four Town Fair parade - 10am
- Monday, October 5 - Picture day
- Wednesday, October 7 - PSAT Testing. Grades 9-11 dismissed at 11:05, grade 12 remote learning day
- Thursday, October 8 - EHS Open House - 5:30pm
- Friday, October 9 - Half Day. Students dismissed at 11:05
- Monday, October 12 - Columbus Day - No school
- Wednesday, October 14 - EHS Club Fair during lunch
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EHS students in grades 9, 10, & 11 will be taking the Fall ‘26 offering of the PSAT during the morning of October 7th.
- Seniors will be working remotely on assignments either previously assigned and/or found on their Google Classroom.
- Students MUST bring your CHARGED Chromebook or personal device to the test that day.
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Please join us in congratulating five outstanding Ellington High School students for their exceptional academic promise! Shriya Kannan has been named a finalist for the National Merit Scholarship based on her exceptional PSAT score.
Aaqib Mohammed, Emmitt Smith, Sahasra Sundar, and Shravya Thejreddy were all presented a Letter of Commendation for their performance on the PSAT. Although these four students will not continue in the 2027 competition for National Merit Scholarship awards, they are being recognized for placing among the top 50,000 students nationally in the competition.
Congratulations!!`
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Parents & Students,
As of now, class dues are live for all grade levels. They can be accessed in the “Fees” section of Infinite campus. These dues are intended to be used in your student's senior year to fund their senior activities such as, senior class day, class night dinner, caps and gown purchase, as well as other treats and bonuses as money allows, excluding prom. Additionally, failure to pay these dues will exclude your students from said activities.
The underclass dues amount to $35 each year from freshman to junior year totaling $105. We have observed that many families choose to pay the total fees as a lump sum, and as such we elected to set them as a single amount rather than as individual year dues. Despite this lump sum, the dues are still payable in smaller chunks if that fits the needs of your family. Additionally, each class advisor will still accept cash and checks should you prefer that payment method (Please make all checks payable to “EHS Activity Fund” with the class year as the note).
Senior dues vary year to year based on the success of various fundraising efforts of the class. The Class of 2027 has managed to drop their dues to $25.
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For any junior or senior needing a parking pass, please see Mrs. Chase in the main office. There are plenty of remaining spots. Parking on school grounds without a parking pass will result in disciplinary action. |
Students enrolled in UCONN Early College Experience (ECE) courses have begun the course registration process in their ECE classes. Course registration will continue in classes over the next two weeks. All students looking to earn college credit will need to complete the UCONN ECE application and course registration to be eligible for the credit. Parents are required to provide consent for their student’s participation in the program as well as online payment for each course. Once students complete the course registration in class, parents will receive an email or text to complete the steps for consent and payment. Parents will receive an email or text for EACH course their student is enrolled in and are required to provide consent to EACH course separately. For example, if your student is taking three ECE classes at EHS, you will be required to respond to three separate emails or texts to provide consent and payment for each course. If your student is currently enrolled in an ECE course, please be sure to check your email or text. The deadline to complete all steps of the registration process, including parent consent and payment, is October 16, 2026. No late registrations will be accepted.
**Please note: Students do NOT need to be attending UCONN to utilize the college credit. Over 80% of colleges nationwide accept the transfer credit. Please reference this database to search for transfer credit acceptance by university/college. This is a great way for students to get a jump start on college credits at a fraction of the cost!
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As part of our 9th grade school counseling curriculum, students participated in a lesson focused on successfully navigating high school. With their 9th grade school counselor, Ms. Heuitson, students explored graduation requirements, learned how to read and understand a high school transcript, and explored the many resources available to support them throughout high school.. They also explored the benefits of getting involved in extracurricular activities and how the resume they build in high school can help with their pursuits after graduation. There is an Activities Fair coming up on October 14th during the lunch waves. Ms. Heuitson encouraged all students to explore the various extracurricular options during that time.
At the end of the lesson, students completed a Freshman Questionnaire and "onboarded" to SchooLinks, our college/career readiness platform. Ms. Heuitson will be working with all 9th graders throughout the year. Please reach out (cheuitson@ellingtonschools.net) if any questions or concerns arise throughout the school year.
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Armed Forces Directory information →
Annually, Ellington High School is required by law to provide the Armed Forces with student directory information for our current juniors and seniors for the purpose of recruiting. The Armed Forces will treat the information as confidential and will not release any information to anyone outside of their organization. Please see below the information that will be shared per the law and how to opt-out if you prefer your student’s information not be shared.
“A school district must provide, on request by a military recruiter or an institution of higher education, access to the names, addresses, and telephone listings for secondary students. School districts must provide military recruiters the same right of access to secondary students as they provide generally to postsecondary institutions and prospective employers. Parents may request that such information not be released for their child without prior written parental consent.”
If you choose to opt-out, please email Jennifer Aubin, School Counseling Administrative Assistant, by September 30th at jaubin@ellingtonschools.net.
For juniors and seniors:
College, trade school, and military representatives have begun! Representatives from a variety of colleges and programs across the country offer a 30-minute information session and an opportunity for students to ask individualized questions. Upcoming rep visits are posted weekly in the School Counseling Google classrooms and in the daily announcements. Students may view upcoming rep visits and must register in advance to attend a visit through Schoolinks, our college and career readiness platform.
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If your plans after high school include attending a four-year college, the Common Application system is now open as of August 1st. Students may now create an account (use a personal email address, NOT your school email address) and begin work on their applications. School counselors will meet with seniors in the first few months of school to assist in the application process. Please click here to create an account and begin loading your colleges into the system.
The college application checklist is now posted in the Class of 2027 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. Detailed “how-to” presentations are also posted in the Google classroom to assist students in navigating the behind-the-scenes steps such as requesting letters of recommendation, matching the Common App to Schoolinks, reviewing CT automatic admissions and/or direct admissions offers, and completing the FERPA release on Common App.
REMINDER: For the class of 2027:
Ellington High School is now requiring all seniors to have a parent/guardian-signed release of information form on file to allow for release of records to post-secondary institutions, employers, the military, or other organizations as needed. Records will not be released without a student specifically requesting them, however, the counseling office will require a signed release form on file prior to submitting any documentation for students. Records will NOT be sent without a release form on file, so students and parents/guardians will need to plan in advance of any college application or other documentation deadlines to ensure timely submission of records. It is the responsibility of students to keep track of deadlines. Please allow at least one week’s notice for document submission. Records released may include transcripts, letters of recommendation, letters confirming enrollment, letters confirming graduation date, scholarship forms, etc. Student transcripts list all of the courses taken for high school credit beginning in the eighth or ninth grade, final grades earned in those courses, and all summer school courses taken for credit. Scores of college entrance tests such as the SAT are NOT included on the transcript and must be sent separately through a student’s College Board account. EHS does not include any information regarding discipline matters on the transcript or other documents. Students over the age of 18 may sign the release form for themselves.
We are requesting that parents complete the release form as soon as possible, but no later than October 1st. This will ensure a form is on file prior to any deadlines.
The release form is available for completion through the school store in Infinite Campus. Please log in to Infinite Campus, and follow the below steps:
School Store → Knight Spot → Services → EHS FERPA Release Form
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Sunday, September 27, 2026:
New England Association for College Admission Counseling (NEACAC) College Fair @ Western New England University (12:00 pm - 2:00 pm)
Financial Aid Information Session (11:00 am - 12:00 pm)
Class of 2027 → Financial Aid Workshop:
All students in the class of 2027 including any students who plan to attend a four- or two-year college will be required to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for any college they attend. The application opens October 1st, 2026 for students and families to create their accounts and complete the application.
A financial aid advisor from CT State Asnuntuck will be joining us on Monday, November 2nd to provide assistance in understanding the financial aid process and completing the FAFSA. Students do not need to be attending CT State Asnuntuck to attend. The workshop is open to all EHS families who would like assistance completing the FAFSA for their student. Both students and parents should plan to attend together to complete the entire application process.
Details
When: Monday, November 2nd, 2026
Time: 6:00 p.m.
Where: Ellington High School Library
Who: Any EHS family
**Please note: students and parents should bring their computer/laptop device and their cell phones because the FAFSA requires a two-step verification for the log in.
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Do you plan to attend a two or four-year college after high school? If so, students and their parents should plan to attend our virtual College Planning Night where school counselors will provide an overview of the college planning process. Representatives from several colleges, including UConn, Western New England University, Eastern CT State University, Quinnipiac University, and Asnuntuck Community College will also present admissions information.
The workshop will take place virtually on Thursday, November 5th at 6:00 pm. A link to the event will be emailed to all juniors a week before the event. If you have any questions regarding this event, please see your school counselor.
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