June 2016
We had another great year at East! I hope that all of our families enjoy a long and relaxing summer. For information about summer reading, senior portraits, and more, visit our school homepage at http://www.edline.net/pages/East_High_School./ Our next newsletter update will be prior to the opening of school. See you in the fall!
Kevin Fagan
Principal
We had another great year at East! I hope that all of our families enjoy a long and relaxing summer. For information about summer reading, senior portraits, and more, visit our school homepage at http://www.edline.net/pages/East_High_School./ Our next newsletter update will be prior to the opening of school. See you in the fall!
Kevin Fagan
Principal
May 16, 2016
Greetings WC East Families,
I hope this letter finds you well and you are enjoying this beautiful spring weather we are getting. We are rounding the final turn here for the 2016 school year and it’ll be Commencement time before we know it! In case you have not seen, the events calendar is posted on our homepage -- lots going on at East!
This past weekend, we held our Senior Prom at the Kings Mill and Post-Prom back here at the high school. I’m happy to report that the kids looked great, had a wonderful time, and were safe throughout the evening. I’d like to thank our senior class advisors, Mr. Gallo and Mrs. Rattigan and class officers for their work with the prom, and the many staff members who helped us chaperone. I’d also like to thank the many, many parents who helped us with the post-prom event. Our building was transformed that night and the students had a great time. We had 375 students attend the prom and 355 of them attended the post-prom. That’s a tremendous turn out!
The spring sports season is wrapping up. Several of our teams and individual athletes qualified for post-season play. Congratulations to our coaches and athletes on their success this season. This is also spring concert season. Last week we were treated to an excellent Band concert celebrating the local men and women serving in the Armed Forces. Tonight is our Choral Concert and next Wednesday is our Orchestra Concert. We hope you can join us. For more information about what’s happening with our student body, check out the Student Info tab on our newsletter.
Keystone Exam season is also upon us. Today, I sent out an email blast detailing our schedule over the next couple of weeks. There has been a lot of talk about Keystones and the laws changed this year, but in a nutshell, students in 9th grade will take the Biology KE and the Algebra KE (unless they have previously taken and scored Proficient or Advanced on the Algebra KE). With few exceptions, students in the class of 2019 (current freshmen) and beyond must demonstrate Proficiency on the Algebra, Literature, and Biology KE in order to graduate. Students take the Literature KE in tenth grade. See my email for more specifics about the KE.
Sincerely,
Kevin Fagan
Principal
Greetings WC East Families,
I hope this letter finds you well and you are enjoying this beautiful spring weather we are getting. We are rounding the final turn here for the 2016 school year and it’ll be Commencement time before we know it! In case you have not seen, the events calendar is posted on our homepage -- lots going on at East!
This past weekend, we held our Senior Prom at the Kings Mill and Post-Prom back here at the high school. I’m happy to report that the kids looked great, had a wonderful time, and were safe throughout the evening. I’d like to thank our senior class advisors, Mr. Gallo and Mrs. Rattigan and class officers for their work with the prom, and the many staff members who helped us chaperone. I’d also like to thank the many, many parents who helped us with the post-prom event. Our building was transformed that night and the students had a great time. We had 375 students attend the prom and 355 of them attended the post-prom. That’s a tremendous turn out!
The spring sports season is wrapping up. Several of our teams and individual athletes qualified for post-season play. Congratulations to our coaches and athletes on their success this season. This is also spring concert season. Last week we were treated to an excellent Band concert celebrating the local men and women serving in the Armed Forces. Tonight is our Choral Concert and next Wednesday is our Orchestra Concert. We hope you can join us. For more information about what’s happening with our student body, check out the Student Info tab on our newsletter.
Keystone Exam season is also upon us. Today, I sent out an email blast detailing our schedule over the next couple of weeks. There has been a lot of talk about Keystones and the laws changed this year, but in a nutshell, students in 9th grade will take the Biology KE and the Algebra KE (unless they have previously taken and scored Proficient or Advanced on the Algebra KE). With few exceptions, students in the class of 2019 (current freshmen) and beyond must demonstrate Proficiency on the Algebra, Literature, and Biology KE in order to graduate. Students take the Literature KE in tenth grade. See my email for more specifics about the KE.
Sincerely,
Kevin Fagan
Principal
April 8, 2016
Greetings East Families,
Well, it’s finally spring time and the bad weather is gone (we’ll disregard the flurries this past Tuesday). This time of year always seems to go especially fast, in part because there is so much going on. April and May are by far the busiest months of the school year. Between SATs, ACTs, Keystone Exams, AP exams and of course, Commencement exercises (June 9th), the calendar is quite crowded. I won’t attempt to cover all of these items in great detail here. I’d recommend that you keep an eye on our school web page and calendar, as we work to ensure they are updated with the latest information. A word about the Keystone Exams, as I know there has been a lot of information coming at us about this from the state level: Tenth graders will take the Keystone Literature Exam. All students enrolled in Algebra and Biology will take those tests this spring. Students in class of 2019 are required to demonstrate proficiency in all 3 in order to qualify for graduation (state requirement).
The year thus far has been a great one at East, and we are looking forward to a strong finish! I know that it’s important to everyone that our students end the year on a good, positive note. One of the challenges we face, of course, is the ever-improving weather, which has the ability to create a distraction for our students and take them “off their game.” Add to this the general fatigue that the kids feel from school, testing season, and everything else going on that makes their lives busy, and it’s understandable why they might be looking ahead to the summer months – we were there too once! We could use your help with maintaining their focus. It’s really important that students are here every day, on time, going to every class on time, and keeping track of their assignments. Recently, we sent an email blast summarizing our attendance policy, keeping up with assignments has never been easier, as more and more teachers post their assignments electronically on their teacher web pages. It’ll be June before we know it!
At last week’s School Board meeting our four National Merit Finalists were recognized. Last night, ten of our senior students were recognized for their public services at the annual Spellman Humanitarian Awards Ceremony. Four of our musicians recently took part in the PMEA musical festival. More than 100 of our students accompanied by Mrs. Werner, Mrs. Selke and some of our parents recently visited Disney to take part in a music festival. Kudos to our JV Academic Competition for recently competing in the Ches-Mont League Championship Competition. Spring sports are off to a strong start and several of our teams and athletes are post-season hopefuls. Concert season is here! There are simply too many student accomplishments to list here. We have a great student body and they make me proud to be their Principal. Find out more under the “Student News” tab on our newsletter. Thank you to our students, families, and staff for all they do to ensure success at East.
Have a great weekend.
Kevin Fagan
Greetings East Families,
Well, it’s finally spring time and the bad weather is gone (we’ll disregard the flurries this past Tuesday). This time of year always seems to go especially fast, in part because there is so much going on. April and May are by far the busiest months of the school year. Between SATs, ACTs, Keystone Exams, AP exams and of course, Commencement exercises (June 9th), the calendar is quite crowded. I won’t attempt to cover all of these items in great detail here. I’d recommend that you keep an eye on our school web page and calendar, as we work to ensure they are updated with the latest information. A word about the Keystone Exams, as I know there has been a lot of information coming at us about this from the state level: Tenth graders will take the Keystone Literature Exam. All students enrolled in Algebra and Biology will take those tests this spring. Students in class of 2019 are required to demonstrate proficiency in all 3 in order to qualify for graduation (state requirement).
The year thus far has been a great one at East, and we are looking forward to a strong finish! I know that it’s important to everyone that our students end the year on a good, positive note. One of the challenges we face, of course, is the ever-improving weather, which has the ability to create a distraction for our students and take them “off their game.” Add to this the general fatigue that the kids feel from school, testing season, and everything else going on that makes their lives busy, and it’s understandable why they might be looking ahead to the summer months – we were there too once! We could use your help with maintaining their focus. It’s really important that students are here every day, on time, going to every class on time, and keeping track of their assignments. Recently, we sent an email blast summarizing our attendance policy, keeping up with assignments has never been easier, as more and more teachers post their assignments electronically on their teacher web pages. It’ll be June before we know it!
At last week’s School Board meeting our four National Merit Finalists were recognized. Last night, ten of our senior students were recognized for their public services at the annual Spellman Humanitarian Awards Ceremony. Four of our musicians recently took part in the PMEA musical festival. More than 100 of our students accompanied by Mrs. Werner, Mrs. Selke and some of our parents recently visited Disney to take part in a music festival. Kudos to our JV Academic Competition for recently competing in the Ches-Mont League Championship Competition. Spring sports are off to a strong start and several of our teams and athletes are post-season hopefuls. Concert season is here! There are simply too many student accomplishments to list here. We have a great student body and they make me proud to be their Principal. Find out more under the “Student News” tab on our newsletter. Thank you to our students, families, and staff for all they do to ensure success at East.
Have a great weekend.
Kevin Fagan
February 18, 2016
Greetings WC East Families,
We are in thick of winter and longing for spring! It will be here before we know it, won’t it …? This winter season has been a successful one for East. Boys and girls basketball teams worked hard and made tremendous strides. Both Ice Hockey teams made the playoffs, our Cheer team recently competed in and placed at a National Cheer Competition, and athletes from wrestling, swim/dive, and indoor track will be competing in the post-season. Our academic competition teams and speech and debate have been winning, and DECA is preparing for another big competition. See news about these items and more on the tabs above. We hope that you can join us next week when our spring Musical, Into the Woods opens Thursday night. The students and staff have been working really hard to put together a great show.
Sincerely,
Kevin Fagan
Principal
Greetings WC East Families,
We are in thick of winter and longing for spring! It will be here before we know it, won’t it …? This winter season has been a successful one for East. Boys and girls basketball teams worked hard and made tremendous strides. Both Ice Hockey teams made the playoffs, our Cheer team recently competed in and placed at a National Cheer Competition, and athletes from wrestling, swim/dive, and indoor track will be competing in the post-season. Our academic competition teams and speech and debate have been winning, and DECA is preparing for another big competition. See news about these items and more on the tabs above. We hope that you can join us next week when our spring Musical, Into the Woods opens Thursday night. The students and staff have been working really hard to put together a great show.
Sincerely,
Kevin Fagan
Principal
January 18, 2016
Greetings WC East Families,
This week, we’ll wrap up the first semester, making this the half way point for the 2015-2016 school year. It will be spring before we know it, but who knows, we may get some snow before too long! This past week, we concluded the Keystone make up test sessions, finishing Biology on Thursday. Recently, parents and students have been asking about where things stand in regard to the Keystone Exams. While there has been a great deal of talk at the state level of changing these graduation requirements, to date, things remain the same. Students in the Class of 2017 (current juniors) and beyond must demonstrate proficiency in the Keystone Algebra, Literature, and Biology tests in order to graduate. Until something changes, we’ll continue to work to ensure that no WC East student is prohibited from graduating because of the Keystone tests. We appreciate your continued support.
This has been a good winter season at East. If you check out the tabs at the top of the page, you’ll see some of the exciting things that have been going on. For instance, our swimming and diving team recently hosted a charity event, raising thousands of dollars to help find a cure for cancer. Congratulations to Noah Hankin for becoming just the ninth wrestler in school history to achieve 100 career wins! The DECA students and Academic Competition team have been victorious this winter, and our theatre students are working hard to put on a great spring musical. We hope to see you there! Again, check out the tabs above for more info.
Congratulations to our many seniors who recently received their college acceptances. Doing so represents the culmination of years of work and determination, and we are proud of you. For the rest of our students, the 2016-2017 course scheduling process is now under way. Recently, students and families received all the information necessary for the course selection process. You are encouraged to read through it carefully, talk together as a family and choose the best course of action for next year. If you need any assistance at all, refer to the Course Selection Guide and talk with your counselor, teacher, or grade level administrator. Families in the class of 2017, 2018, and 2019 are encouraged to join us on January 27 at 7 PM for Course Selection Night.
Sincerely,
Kevin Fagan
Principal
Greetings WC East Families,
This week, we’ll wrap up the first semester, making this the half way point for the 2015-2016 school year. It will be spring before we know it, but who knows, we may get some snow before too long! This past week, we concluded the Keystone make up test sessions, finishing Biology on Thursday. Recently, parents and students have been asking about where things stand in regard to the Keystone Exams. While there has been a great deal of talk at the state level of changing these graduation requirements, to date, things remain the same. Students in the Class of 2017 (current juniors) and beyond must demonstrate proficiency in the Keystone Algebra, Literature, and Biology tests in order to graduate. Until something changes, we’ll continue to work to ensure that no WC East student is prohibited from graduating because of the Keystone tests. We appreciate your continued support.
This has been a good winter season at East. If you check out the tabs at the top of the page, you’ll see some of the exciting things that have been going on. For instance, our swimming and diving team recently hosted a charity event, raising thousands of dollars to help find a cure for cancer. Congratulations to Noah Hankin for becoming just the ninth wrestler in school history to achieve 100 career wins! The DECA students and Academic Competition team have been victorious this winter, and our theatre students are working hard to put on a great spring musical. We hope to see you there! Again, check out the tabs above for more info.
Congratulations to our many seniors who recently received their college acceptances. Doing so represents the culmination of years of work and determination, and we are proud of you. For the rest of our students, the 2016-2017 course scheduling process is now under way. Recently, students and families received all the information necessary for the course selection process. You are encouraged to read through it carefully, talk together as a family and choose the best course of action for next year. If you need any assistance at all, refer to the Course Selection Guide and talk with your counselor, teacher, or grade level administrator. Families in the class of 2017, 2018, and 2019 are encouraged to join us on January 27 at 7 PM for Course Selection Night.
Sincerely,
Kevin Fagan
Principal
December 7, 2015
Greetings WC East Families,
First, I’d like to let you know that the West Chester Area School District made the AP Honor Roll Achievement list! The AP Honor Roll consists of the 425 school districts in the U.S. and Canada that simultaneously achieved increases in access to Advanced Placement® courses for a broader number of students, and also maintained or improved the rate at which their AP students earned scores of 3 or higher on an AP Exam. Reaching these goals indicates that the district is successfully identifying motivated, academically prepared students who are ready for the opportunity of AP. WC East’s AP scores are routinely some of the best in the area. Kudos to our staff and students for this notable achievement!
Career Day will be March 18. Last year, we revamped out Career Day event and it was a great success. This year, we are anxious to build upon that success and make the day even better. Here is an advertisement that we recently put out there. We’d love to include professionals from in and around the area to come and talk with our students, who are awesome and would love to hear from those in the field. If you have any interest in lending us your expertise for a few hours on March 18, use the contact information below to get in touch with us ASAP. We are currently signing up presenters. Thanks for considering!
Be sure to check out the tabs at the top of the VL newsletter for more information about the important things going on at WC East High School.
Go Vikings!
Kevin Fagan
Principal
Greetings WC East Families,
First, I’d like to let you know that the West Chester Area School District made the AP Honor Roll Achievement list! The AP Honor Roll consists of the 425 school districts in the U.S. and Canada that simultaneously achieved increases in access to Advanced Placement® courses for a broader number of students, and also maintained or improved the rate at which their AP students earned scores of 3 or higher on an AP Exam. Reaching these goals indicates that the district is successfully identifying motivated, academically prepared students who are ready for the opportunity of AP. WC East’s AP scores are routinely some of the best in the area. Kudos to our staff and students for this notable achievement!
Career Day will be March 18. Last year, we revamped out Career Day event and it was a great success. This year, we are anxious to build upon that success and make the day even better. Here is an advertisement that we recently put out there. We’d love to include professionals from in and around the area to come and talk with our students, who are awesome and would love to hear from those in the field. If you have any interest in lending us your expertise for a few hours on March 18, use the contact information below to get in touch with us ASAP. We are currently signing up presenters. Thanks for considering!
Be sure to check out the tabs at the top of the VL newsletter for more information about the important things going on at WC East High School.
Go Vikings!
Kevin Fagan
Principal
November 16, 2015
Greetings East Families,
It’s been an action packed couple of weeks here at East. Last Wednesday, our staff and students recognized Veterans Day in a couple of different ways. Student Council decorated the doors and spaces of those vets currently employed in the building, and our staff participated in a campaign called “Suits for Soldiers” in which they donated business attire to benefit vets in the job market who need assistance dressing for interviews. Wednesday evening, East held its first official Extra-curricular Open House. It was a big success. East teachers, coaches, advisors, PTO, parent boosters, and students showed up in big numbers to show off the many programs that East has to offer. The Open House was an opportunity to welcome middle school families in our feeder pattern and give them a sense of what East has to offer. We received a lot of positive feedback from those parents who attended. Many thanks to everyone who contributed to a great evening!
You may have seen Dr. Scanlon’s email last week about the recent publication of the school report card scores, called the School Performance Profile (SPP). Each year, the state department of education (PDE) calculates each school’s SPP based on a number of factors, including, performance on the state assessments, graduation rates, SAT and ACT scores, and performance on AP exams, to name a few things. I am very happy to share that East’s report card score this year was a 95.3 out of 100, placing us at #3 in Chester County. It should be noted that Chester County schools are historically among the top performing in the state, so scoring that well in relation to our neighbor high schools is pretty remarkable. Though this score does not necessarily define who we are as a school, it is one indicator of the work that is getting done here – the result of an entire school community coming together and working toward one goal: the achievement of our students. I want to thank everyone who contributes to this process and recognize the hard work done by our students, teachers, staff, and parents. Let’s keep it going!
I have a few clerical items that I’d like to review.
Kevin Fagan
Principal
Greetings East Families,
It’s been an action packed couple of weeks here at East. Last Wednesday, our staff and students recognized Veterans Day in a couple of different ways. Student Council decorated the doors and spaces of those vets currently employed in the building, and our staff participated in a campaign called “Suits for Soldiers” in which they donated business attire to benefit vets in the job market who need assistance dressing for interviews. Wednesday evening, East held its first official Extra-curricular Open House. It was a big success. East teachers, coaches, advisors, PTO, parent boosters, and students showed up in big numbers to show off the many programs that East has to offer. The Open House was an opportunity to welcome middle school families in our feeder pattern and give them a sense of what East has to offer. We received a lot of positive feedback from those parents who attended. Many thanks to everyone who contributed to a great evening!
You may have seen Dr. Scanlon’s email last week about the recent publication of the school report card scores, called the School Performance Profile (SPP). Each year, the state department of education (PDE) calculates each school’s SPP based on a number of factors, including, performance on the state assessments, graduation rates, SAT and ACT scores, and performance on AP exams, to name a few things. I am very happy to share that East’s report card score this year was a 95.3 out of 100, placing us at #3 in Chester County. It should be noted that Chester County schools are historically among the top performing in the state, so scoring that well in relation to our neighbor high schools is pretty remarkable. Though this score does not necessarily define who we are as a school, it is one indicator of the work that is getting done here – the result of an entire school community coming together and working toward one goal: the achievement of our students. I want to thank everyone who contributes to this process and recognize the hard work done by our students, teachers, staff, and parents. Let’s keep it going!
I have a few clerical items that I’d like to review.
- Locker room thefts: Now and then, we’ll receive a report from a student that a theft has occurred in the school, typically in the locker room. Obviously, we do not have cameras in the locker rooms, so when something like this takes place, we are at the mercy of eye witnesses for trying to determine what happened and return the stolen property. This can be quite tricky. What can students do? Don’t bring anything valuable to school. Students should refrain from bringing a large amount of money to school. If valuables are brought in, they need to be secured at all times. The school cannot take responsibility for stolen items. Lockers should be locked and combinations kept safe. Students are encouraged to lock their gym lockers during gym and reminded to take that lock with them at the conclusion of class.
- Cell/Smart phones and messaging. I am sure by now you’ve seen the news about the “sexting” issue that a neighbor school district is dealing with. Incidents such as this are scary and carry significant implications, but unfortunately, are becoming more and more common. As recently indicated by the local District Attorney, young people can bear significant consequences for images and information sent to or from their electronic devices. School district policy covers the use of electronics in school, but when students engage activities deemed criminal in nature, obviously the penalties can exceed the school building. What can parents do? Talk to you kids about being smart with their phones, and if your son or daughter does receive something they should not, they need to report it to you or another trusted adult ASAP. I know of many parents who check their children’s phones/computers on a routine basis, and I think this is a great practice, as doing so demonstrates the partnership in which you are engaged and guides them to making good decisions.
- Parent complaints: Our goal is to ensure that every student at East has a great school experience. We work diligently toward this goal every day. But high schools are complicated places and sometimes there can be a disconnect between home and school. In the event that you have a concern about your son or daughter, we want to hear from you and we advise you to first reach out to the teacher and/or your child’s counselor. If you feel your concern has still not been resolved, contact the grade level administrator. If it still has not been resolved, contact me.
Kevin Fagan
Principal
October 30, 2015
Greetings West Chester East Families,
I hope this letter finds you well. Last week was Homecoming Week here at East and the students really seemed to enjoy themselves. The week culminated with a big win Friday night against the visiting Sun Valley Vanguards and a great dance Saturday, where we had a huge turnout. Thanks to everyone involved with last week’s festivities, especially our Student Council, the Student Council Advisors, our Cheer team, and our Cheer coaches and boosters, all of whom worked together to make our dance a reality.
It was nice to return to an uninterrupted week of school this week, and I know that our students are excited to come out tonight for our final home football game. If you have the opportunity, we hope you can join us tonight to cheer on the Band, Cheer Team, and Football team. We’ll also be recognizing the seniors in each of these programs prior to the start of the game.
Congratulations to our fall athletes and coaches on a great fall season. We had several individual students and teams make the playoffs, which as you probably know, is not easy in the Ches Mont. A special congratulations to East senior, Jon Jon Roberts, who last week set a Ches Mont League record for yardage by a quarterback, with more than 7000 passing yards and more than 2000 rushing. Outstanding! Our Academic Team had its first home victory a couple of weeks ago, and the Debate Team is looking strong this year. Monday night, East will host a District Chorus Festival, and Tuesday, November 3 is a day off for the students. Be sure to check out the links on the VL newsletter for this and more. Lastly, our Band has entered the 2015 Univest Fan Favorite Contest for marching bands for a chance to participate in the Old Fashioned Christmas Parade. The winner of the contest will be awarded $500 at the December 4th parade. Check it out here and be sure vote for our students. https://youtu.be/ZpQbdQjqrd0.
Attendance has been strong so far at East, and we really appreciate everyone’s efforts to get here on time. Having a good day at school begins with getting here on time and getting to every class on time. But we also understand that things happen. In the event that you need to call your child out of school, the easiest thing to do is to email our attendance secretary Claire Campbell at [email protected]. The email should come from the parent or guardian, not the student. Our parent/teacher conferences are fast arriving. There will be an opportunity for you to sign up for conferences beginning November 4 at 7:00 AM. If you visit our homepage between November 4 and November 18, you’ll see a button for Sign-Up Genius along with instructions.
Best,
Kevin Fagan
Principal
Greetings West Chester East Families,
I hope this letter finds you well. Last week was Homecoming Week here at East and the students really seemed to enjoy themselves. The week culminated with a big win Friday night against the visiting Sun Valley Vanguards and a great dance Saturday, where we had a huge turnout. Thanks to everyone involved with last week’s festivities, especially our Student Council, the Student Council Advisors, our Cheer team, and our Cheer coaches and boosters, all of whom worked together to make our dance a reality.
It was nice to return to an uninterrupted week of school this week, and I know that our students are excited to come out tonight for our final home football game. If you have the opportunity, we hope you can join us tonight to cheer on the Band, Cheer Team, and Football team. We’ll also be recognizing the seniors in each of these programs prior to the start of the game.
Congratulations to our fall athletes and coaches on a great fall season. We had several individual students and teams make the playoffs, which as you probably know, is not easy in the Ches Mont. A special congratulations to East senior, Jon Jon Roberts, who last week set a Ches Mont League record for yardage by a quarterback, with more than 7000 passing yards and more than 2000 rushing. Outstanding! Our Academic Team had its first home victory a couple of weeks ago, and the Debate Team is looking strong this year. Monday night, East will host a District Chorus Festival, and Tuesday, November 3 is a day off for the students. Be sure to check out the links on the VL newsletter for this and more. Lastly, our Band has entered the 2015 Univest Fan Favorite Contest for marching bands for a chance to participate in the Old Fashioned Christmas Parade. The winner of the contest will be awarded $500 at the December 4th parade. Check it out here and be sure vote for our students. https://youtu.be/ZpQbdQjqrd0.
Attendance has been strong so far at East, and we really appreciate everyone’s efforts to get here on time. Having a good day at school begins with getting here on time and getting to every class on time. But we also understand that things happen. In the event that you need to call your child out of school, the easiest thing to do is to email our attendance secretary Claire Campbell at [email protected]. The email should come from the parent or guardian, not the student. Our parent/teacher conferences are fast arriving. There will be an opportunity for you to sign up for conferences beginning November 4 at 7:00 AM. If you visit our homepage between November 4 and November 18, you’ll see a button for Sign-Up Genius along with instructions.
Best,
Kevin Fagan
Principal
Friday, October 9, 2015
Greetings East Families,
I hope this newsletter finds you well. We are wrapping our second 5-day week of school here at East and we’ve been very busy. The school year continues to go well, and we’ll look to keep the momentum as we enter the fall season and welcome some cooler weather.
This coming week, our schedule will be adjusted on Wednesday so that 10th and 11th-grade students will take the PSAT. That day, our ninth graders will come in at the regular time and our seniors will come to school at 11:00. On Friday, October 16, all students are dismissed at 11:05 for a teacher half day in-service. Some of our students are busy planning for Homecoming Week, which is just around the corner. We hope you can join us for the Football Game on October 23.
Please be sure to check out the tabs along the top of our newsletter for updates about what’s happening at East. You’ll see information about our Band Cavalcade that recently took place, and author visit we hosted earlier today, news about our Academic Competition team, and news about how our teams are doing. As always, be sure to check out our school homepage for upcoming calendar events.
Best,
Kevin Fagan
Greetings East Families,
I hope this newsletter finds you well. We are wrapping our second 5-day week of school here at East and we’ve been very busy. The school year continues to go well, and we’ll look to keep the momentum as we enter the fall season and welcome some cooler weather.
This coming week, our schedule will be adjusted on Wednesday so that 10th and 11th-grade students will take the PSAT. That day, our ninth graders will come in at the regular time and our seniors will come to school at 11:00. On Friday, October 16, all students are dismissed at 11:05 for a teacher half day in-service. Some of our students are busy planning for Homecoming Week, which is just around the corner. We hope you can join us for the Football Game on October 23.
Please be sure to check out the tabs along the top of our newsletter for updates about what’s happening at East. You’ll see information about our Band Cavalcade that recently took place, and author visit we hosted earlier today, news about our Academic Competition team, and news about how our teams are doing. As always, be sure to check out our school homepage for upcoming calendar events.
Best,
Kevin Fagan
September 23, 2015
Greetings East Families,
It’s hard to believe that we are half way through our first marking period, but here we are! We enjoyed a great Open House last week. Many of our parents and guardians were able to be here and meet their children’s teachers. It was good to see so many of you. Thank you again for taking the time to be here. If you were not able to make it last Wednesday and you would like to meet with your child’s teacher or counselor, the best way to get in touch with them is via email.
Our guidance office is busy working with our seniors to complete college applications and help them prepare for life after high school. Counselors are also taking the time to get to know our freshmen, then the counselors will be meeting with juniors and their families to begin post-high school planning. Perhaps you were here Monday night for our College Information Night. We had a good turnout. If you were not able to make it, don’t fret, our PTO is in the midst of arranging for a college planning speaker in October. More details to follow.
Here are a few dates for you to be aware of:
September 26: East will participate in its first Band Cavalcade of the year at Downingtown West at 6:30 PM.
October 1: we have two hour delayed start so that our teachers can engage in professional development.
October 16 is a half day for all students (dismissal at 11:05).
October 19 thru October 23 is Homecoming week, culminating in the football game that Friday night and the dance on Saturday night.
We hope you can join us for the football game this week versus Bishop Shanahan. It promises to be a good game, and to complement our football team, Cheer team, and band, Student Council is sponsoring a Red, White, Blue theme. You are encouraged to join us and proudly sport the American Flag colors. At half time, Student Council, in conjunction with our Band, choral, and Cheer programs, will be honoring a number of Armed Services veterans from around the area. If you know of a veteran or active duty person you would like honored that night, email Alicia Monaco (student council president) at [email protected]. Student Council will be selling rally towels for $4.00 to benefit Wounded Warriors. It should be a great night!
The East English Department is excited to announce that Caitlin Alifirenka, co-author of our summer reading selection, I Will Always Write Back: How One Letter Changed Two Lives, will visit East on Friday, October 9th. We would like to extend the invitation to our parents. If you have interest in attending the event, please arrive at East by 8:45 a.m. on Friday, October 9th and check-in at our security desk. The presentation will run until 10:05. A special thank you to the Dakin Family for sponsoring Caitlin’s visit! We are excited to host and meet such an inspiring individual.
That’s it for now! Thanks for your support in getting us off to a great start this year. Let’s keep it going!
Please check out the tabs on this newsletter for other important information about what’s happening at East.
Kevin Fagan
Principal
Greetings East Families,
It’s hard to believe that we are half way through our first marking period, but here we are! We enjoyed a great Open House last week. Many of our parents and guardians were able to be here and meet their children’s teachers. It was good to see so many of you. Thank you again for taking the time to be here. If you were not able to make it last Wednesday and you would like to meet with your child’s teacher or counselor, the best way to get in touch with them is via email.
Our guidance office is busy working with our seniors to complete college applications and help them prepare for life after high school. Counselors are also taking the time to get to know our freshmen, then the counselors will be meeting with juniors and their families to begin post-high school planning. Perhaps you were here Monday night for our College Information Night. We had a good turnout. If you were not able to make it, don’t fret, our PTO is in the midst of arranging for a college planning speaker in October. More details to follow.
Here are a few dates for you to be aware of:
September 26: East will participate in its first Band Cavalcade of the year at Downingtown West at 6:30 PM.
October 1: we have two hour delayed start so that our teachers can engage in professional development.
October 16 is a half day for all students (dismissal at 11:05).
October 19 thru October 23 is Homecoming week, culminating in the football game that Friday night and the dance on Saturday night.
We hope you can join us for the football game this week versus Bishop Shanahan. It promises to be a good game, and to complement our football team, Cheer team, and band, Student Council is sponsoring a Red, White, Blue theme. You are encouraged to join us and proudly sport the American Flag colors. At half time, Student Council, in conjunction with our Band, choral, and Cheer programs, will be honoring a number of Armed Services veterans from around the area. If you know of a veteran or active duty person you would like honored that night, email Alicia Monaco (student council president) at [email protected]. Student Council will be selling rally towels for $4.00 to benefit Wounded Warriors. It should be a great night!
The East English Department is excited to announce that Caitlin Alifirenka, co-author of our summer reading selection, I Will Always Write Back: How One Letter Changed Two Lives, will visit East on Friday, October 9th. We would like to extend the invitation to our parents. If you have interest in attending the event, please arrive at East by 8:45 a.m. on Friday, October 9th and check-in at our security desk. The presentation will run until 10:05. A special thank you to the Dakin Family for sponsoring Caitlin’s visit! We are excited to host and meet such an inspiring individual.
That’s it for now! Thanks for your support in getting us off to a great start this year. Let’s keep it going!
Please check out the tabs on this newsletter for other important information about what’s happening at East.
Kevin Fagan
Principal
September 4, 2015
Greetings East Families,
My first newsletter a couple of weeks ago included a lot of information and was quite long, so I will keep this one brief. School opened this past Monday and we had a great week. It was sure was good to see all of our students back again! We missed them! I feel very good about this school year. I had the opportunity to speak with many students this week and the general vibe was one of excitement. We’ll try to keep that momentum going throughout the year!
I’ll communicate with parents in several different ways again this year, including my Remind account, which students, parents, and staff are encouraged to join. Many are already enrolled in my Remind account, which is a one-way text messaging system intended to give quick, important updates. Don’t worry, I won’t be texting you too often! To sign up for Remind 101, simply do the following: Text 81010 and message @a13eb (hit send). That’s it!
I visited many classrooms this week and saw the kids already hard at work, and I also had the opportunity to see our Cheer Team, Band and several Fall Sports teams. All of the students have been working diligently and they look great! East has tremendous spirit and pride. As our fall season gets under way, we’ll update our Athletics and Student News tabs at the top of the page, and be sure to check our PTO page too. As a reminder, we’ll update out online newsletter continually, so be sure to keep an eye on it. Tonight is our first home football game and I hope to see you there, but if not, have a wonderful Labor Day weekend.
Sincerely,
Kevin Fagan
Greetings East Families,
My first newsletter a couple of weeks ago included a lot of information and was quite long, so I will keep this one brief. School opened this past Monday and we had a great week. It was sure was good to see all of our students back again! We missed them! I feel very good about this school year. I had the opportunity to speak with many students this week and the general vibe was one of excitement. We’ll try to keep that momentum going throughout the year!
I’ll communicate with parents in several different ways again this year, including my Remind account, which students, parents, and staff are encouraged to join. Many are already enrolled in my Remind account, which is a one-way text messaging system intended to give quick, important updates. Don’t worry, I won’t be texting you too often! To sign up for Remind 101, simply do the following: Text 81010 and message @a13eb (hit send). That’s it!
I visited many classrooms this week and saw the kids already hard at work, and I also had the opportunity to see our Cheer Team, Band and several Fall Sports teams. All of the students have been working diligently and they look great! East has tremendous spirit and pride. As our fall season gets under way, we’ll update our Athletics and Student News tabs at the top of the page, and be sure to check our PTO page too. As a reminder, we’ll update out online newsletter continually, so be sure to keep an eye on it. Tonight is our first home football game and I hope to see you there, but if not, have a wonderful Labor Day weekend.
Sincerely,
Kevin Fagan
August 24, 2015
Greetings East Families!
If you are reading this, then you have found our online newsletter, the VL. Two years ago, we transitioned our newsletter to the format you see here because it enabled us to provide ongoing updates about what’s happening in our school. The tabs at the top of the page include information about our students, staff, and PTO. Be sure to check out the newsletter throughout the school year. I will post a message from the Principal’s Office every two weeks or so and send an email to let you know. This particular letter is a little longer than the usual because I wanted to update you on some important matters.
Well … another school year is upon us, and it promises to be a good one! We are coming off a very strong school year. Last year, we graduated more than 99% of our class, about 94% of our graduates went on to college, and our SAT, ACT, and AP scores were among the best in the county. East students achieved on the field, on the court, on the stage, and most importantly, in the classroom, all thanks to the collective efforts of our students, teachers, and families. Together, we can accomplish great things for our students. I believe we will continue to do just that in 2015.
At East High School, our mission for each and every student is two-fold: We want each student to come into the building everyday feeling safe, cared for, and equipped to meet the academic rigor awaiting them in the classroom. Secondly, we also want our students to be thinking about what awaits them after high school. For this current and future generations of kids, a high school diploma alone will simply not be sufficient to ensure they are competitive in the job market. Our staff is prepared to ensure that we meet both of these goals, and I am very confident we will.
As a parent myself, it’s critically important to me – in fact it’s priority #1 – that my child is loved and cared for. I know that our parents and guardians feel exactly the same way about their own children. East High School is a place where a caring and educated staff strive to serve the needs of the students. Accomplishing this means we challenge students in the classroom, guide them in their after-school activities, and look out for their social and emotional well-being. Recently, we were notified that Newsweek ranked East High School as the 420th best high school in the country (in a ranking that included the top 500 high schools across the nation). Niche.com, a social media site that solicits candid opinions about student experiences and calculates a score for every school in the state, ranked East High School #56 in the state (there are well over 1000 high schools in PA). These rankings aren’t everything -- they represent just one or two ways of evaluating a school -- but they are notable achievements nonetheless. When you take information like this and combine with some of the information I shared above and the fact that our Keystone Exam scores were very strong again this year, the evidence makes clear that East High School is a high quality school, where the students are the primary focus. We’ll keep working, though, because we should always strive to get better.
Allow me to provide an update on several items:
The East High School Administration: In addition to myself, we have three assistant principals, Mr. Tony Small, Ms. Maureen Wallace and Mr. Stephen Brown. Ms. Sue Cornelius is our Athletic Director. Mr. Brown is new to our team this year, having come over to us from Fugett Middle School where he served for several years as an Assistant Principal. I will be serving as the Grade 9 Administrator, Mr. Brown will serve Grade 10, Mr. Small Grade 11, and Ms. Wallace Grade 12. We are a seasoned administrative team that works diligently to support our staff, parents, and students. Your first point of contact when questions arise will very typically be your child’s teacher or counselor, but we are here to assist you as well.
Communication between East and home: Communication between school and home is critical and there are several ways that we attempt to keep parents informed, including: our parent portal, which will be back on line the week of August 31. The school website is updated routinely. This newsletter is an excellent way to keep informed. We’ll send email blasts judiciously. And I also maintain a Remind 101 account, which students, parents, and staff are encouraged to join. Many are already enrolled in my Remind 101, which is a one-way text messaging system intended to give quick, important updates. Don’t worry, I won’t be texting you too often! To sign up for Remind 101, simply do the following: Text 81010 and message @a13eb (hit send). That’s it!
Attendance and morning drop off: It’s critical that students are in school every day and on time. We all know that things happen, life throws us curve balls, people get sick, etc. But generally speaking, students need to be here ... every day. At East, we take attendance very seriously. School begins at 7:30 SHARP. Kids need to be in HR by that time. We will accept up to 7 parent notes for absence, but after that, we students will need a doctor’s note, or the absence will be considered unexcused. Families may request up to 5 family vacation days a year. For more information about attendance, students and families are encouraged to review the Discipline and Records Policy book, which will be provided to students week one. For those parents planning to drop off their students in the morning, please know that morning traffic is typically very heavy, especially between 7:20 and 7:30. Please abide the speed limits and the staff members who are out there directing traffic. Busing is available for students and will ensure they get here on time, but if choose to drop your child off, please be aware of the challenges you may face in the AM.
1:1 Initiative: Three years ago, the district began an initiative to outfit each of our students with a lap top computer. That initiative will continue this year. Each of our ninth and tenth graders will be given a lap top within the first couple weeks of school. More information about this program can be found on the following link: http://home.wcasd.net/pages/West_Chester_Area_SD/5994015546809392962/5994015696226202450/Bring_Your_Own_Technology__BYO.
School Supplies: I’ve had several parents call me asking what school supplies students will need. Feel free to purchase some of the typical school supplies, e.g., a binder, pens, paper, etc. But students will be given a clearer idea of what they need during the first few days of school when teachers review their course syllabi.
Important upcoming dates: Back to school night is September 16 at 7:00 PM. This evening provides a great opportunity for you to meet your child’s teachers and counselor. All parents/guardians are strongly encouraged to be here. September 16 is also the date of our Activity Fair. During lunch time that day, all students will have the opportunity to “shop” our Activity Fair and find something to join. At East, we want every student engaged in a club, activity, or sport. Our goal is that 100% of our student body is signed up for at least one extra-curricular. Why? Because active students are better, healthier students. Many of our students are already joined up for a club, activity, or sport, but for those that aren’t, the Activity Fair provides a great opportunity to get engaged in school.
Keystone Exams: Where do things stand now? This summer, a number of students and parents reached out to me to ask where things stand in regard to KEs. Obviously, there has been a lot of talk about the KE. Our Superintendent has ensured that everyone is kept up to speed, but as a re-fresher … the KEs remain in effect for 2015-2016. There are two bills currently under consideration at the PA House of Representatives: one bill would postpone the KEs as a graduation requirement. The other bill would eliminate them altogether, and perhaps make them optional. We’ll wait and see what happens, but for now, the law is still in effect and schools are required to implement the law, as we have been for the past two years. Dr. Scanlon will continue to keep us all informed about how things progress.
PTO: East enjoys an excellent relationship with a very supportive PTO, led by co-presidents Ms. Vicki Reilly and Ms. Donna Galvin. They and their executive committee organize many events throughout the year and find ways to help ensure that East is equipped to serve the needs of its students. Two programs that have proven especially beneficial to East students and staff are the mini-grant program, which takes place in the winter, and the SAT prep program, which incidentally, is open to all of the high school kids in the district. The SAT program is a proven commodity. The cost is pretty low and they have a track record of success. It’s offered right here at East, and the PTO will even provide financial assistance for kids that need it in order to enroll in the program. For more information about the SAT prep program and other important things our PTO does, access the following link: http://www.wc-eastpto.org/.
That’s it for now! As I mentioned before, I’ll update the Principal’s Message every two weeks or so, but we update the newsletter even more often, so check in frequently. We look forward to when our students return to school on August 31! Have a great school year, everybody!
Greetings East Families!
If you are reading this, then you have found our online newsletter, the VL. Two years ago, we transitioned our newsletter to the format you see here because it enabled us to provide ongoing updates about what’s happening in our school. The tabs at the top of the page include information about our students, staff, and PTO. Be sure to check out the newsletter throughout the school year. I will post a message from the Principal’s Office every two weeks or so and send an email to let you know. This particular letter is a little longer than the usual because I wanted to update you on some important matters.
Well … another school year is upon us, and it promises to be a good one! We are coming off a very strong school year. Last year, we graduated more than 99% of our class, about 94% of our graduates went on to college, and our SAT, ACT, and AP scores were among the best in the county. East students achieved on the field, on the court, on the stage, and most importantly, in the classroom, all thanks to the collective efforts of our students, teachers, and families. Together, we can accomplish great things for our students. I believe we will continue to do just that in 2015.
At East High School, our mission for each and every student is two-fold: We want each student to come into the building everyday feeling safe, cared for, and equipped to meet the academic rigor awaiting them in the classroom. Secondly, we also want our students to be thinking about what awaits them after high school. For this current and future generations of kids, a high school diploma alone will simply not be sufficient to ensure they are competitive in the job market. Our staff is prepared to ensure that we meet both of these goals, and I am very confident we will.
As a parent myself, it’s critically important to me – in fact it’s priority #1 – that my child is loved and cared for. I know that our parents and guardians feel exactly the same way about their own children. East High School is a place where a caring and educated staff strive to serve the needs of the students. Accomplishing this means we challenge students in the classroom, guide them in their after-school activities, and look out for their social and emotional well-being. Recently, we were notified that Newsweek ranked East High School as the 420th best high school in the country (in a ranking that included the top 500 high schools across the nation). Niche.com, a social media site that solicits candid opinions about student experiences and calculates a score for every school in the state, ranked East High School #56 in the state (there are well over 1000 high schools in PA). These rankings aren’t everything -- they represent just one or two ways of evaluating a school -- but they are notable achievements nonetheless. When you take information like this and combine with some of the information I shared above and the fact that our Keystone Exam scores were very strong again this year, the evidence makes clear that East High School is a high quality school, where the students are the primary focus. We’ll keep working, though, because we should always strive to get better.
Allow me to provide an update on several items:
The East High School Administration: In addition to myself, we have three assistant principals, Mr. Tony Small, Ms. Maureen Wallace and Mr. Stephen Brown. Ms. Sue Cornelius is our Athletic Director. Mr. Brown is new to our team this year, having come over to us from Fugett Middle School where he served for several years as an Assistant Principal. I will be serving as the Grade 9 Administrator, Mr. Brown will serve Grade 10, Mr. Small Grade 11, and Ms. Wallace Grade 12. We are a seasoned administrative team that works diligently to support our staff, parents, and students. Your first point of contact when questions arise will very typically be your child’s teacher or counselor, but we are here to assist you as well.
Communication between East and home: Communication between school and home is critical and there are several ways that we attempt to keep parents informed, including: our parent portal, which will be back on line the week of August 31. The school website is updated routinely. This newsletter is an excellent way to keep informed. We’ll send email blasts judiciously. And I also maintain a Remind 101 account, which students, parents, and staff are encouraged to join. Many are already enrolled in my Remind 101, which is a one-way text messaging system intended to give quick, important updates. Don’t worry, I won’t be texting you too often! To sign up for Remind 101, simply do the following: Text 81010 and message @a13eb (hit send). That’s it!
Attendance and morning drop off: It’s critical that students are in school every day and on time. We all know that things happen, life throws us curve balls, people get sick, etc. But generally speaking, students need to be here ... every day. At East, we take attendance very seriously. School begins at 7:30 SHARP. Kids need to be in HR by that time. We will accept up to 7 parent notes for absence, but after that, we students will need a doctor’s note, or the absence will be considered unexcused. Families may request up to 5 family vacation days a year. For more information about attendance, students and families are encouraged to review the Discipline and Records Policy book, which will be provided to students week one. For those parents planning to drop off their students in the morning, please know that morning traffic is typically very heavy, especially between 7:20 and 7:30. Please abide the speed limits and the staff members who are out there directing traffic. Busing is available for students and will ensure they get here on time, but if choose to drop your child off, please be aware of the challenges you may face in the AM.
1:1 Initiative: Three years ago, the district began an initiative to outfit each of our students with a lap top computer. That initiative will continue this year. Each of our ninth and tenth graders will be given a lap top within the first couple weeks of school. More information about this program can be found on the following link: http://home.wcasd.net/pages/West_Chester_Area_SD/5994015546809392962/5994015696226202450/Bring_Your_Own_Technology__BYO.
School Supplies: I’ve had several parents call me asking what school supplies students will need. Feel free to purchase some of the typical school supplies, e.g., a binder, pens, paper, etc. But students will be given a clearer idea of what they need during the first few days of school when teachers review their course syllabi.
Important upcoming dates: Back to school night is September 16 at 7:00 PM. This evening provides a great opportunity for you to meet your child’s teachers and counselor. All parents/guardians are strongly encouraged to be here. September 16 is also the date of our Activity Fair. During lunch time that day, all students will have the opportunity to “shop” our Activity Fair and find something to join. At East, we want every student engaged in a club, activity, or sport. Our goal is that 100% of our student body is signed up for at least one extra-curricular. Why? Because active students are better, healthier students. Many of our students are already joined up for a club, activity, or sport, but for those that aren’t, the Activity Fair provides a great opportunity to get engaged in school.
Keystone Exams: Where do things stand now? This summer, a number of students and parents reached out to me to ask where things stand in regard to KEs. Obviously, there has been a lot of talk about the KE. Our Superintendent has ensured that everyone is kept up to speed, but as a re-fresher … the KEs remain in effect for 2015-2016. There are two bills currently under consideration at the PA House of Representatives: one bill would postpone the KEs as a graduation requirement. The other bill would eliminate them altogether, and perhaps make them optional. We’ll wait and see what happens, but for now, the law is still in effect and schools are required to implement the law, as we have been for the past two years. Dr. Scanlon will continue to keep us all informed about how things progress.
PTO: East enjoys an excellent relationship with a very supportive PTO, led by co-presidents Ms. Vicki Reilly and Ms. Donna Galvin. They and their executive committee organize many events throughout the year and find ways to help ensure that East is equipped to serve the needs of its students. Two programs that have proven especially beneficial to East students and staff are the mini-grant program, which takes place in the winter, and the SAT prep program, which incidentally, is open to all of the high school kids in the district. The SAT program is a proven commodity. The cost is pretty low and they have a track record of success. It’s offered right here at East, and the PTO will even provide financial assistance for kids that need it in order to enroll in the program. For more information about the SAT prep program and other important things our PTO does, access the following link: http://www.wc-eastpto.org/.
That’s it for now! As I mentioned before, I’ll update the Principal’s Message every two weeks or so, but we update the newsletter even more often, so check in frequently. We look forward to when our students return to school on August 31! Have a great school year, everybody!
June 9, 2015
Good morning East families,
This will be our last official newsletter this school year. It has been a great year at East High School. Aside from our test scores, which were very good, and our School Performance Profile score, which was one of the highest in the state, our attendance was improved, our discipline incidents were down, and our students progressed through the school year in a safe, healthy environment. There are many parties who deserve credit for the successful year that our students enjoyed, most notably, our East families, the East staff, coaches, advisors, leaders throughout the district, and of course, the students themselves, who as a whole, represented themselves extremely well this year.
Last night, we held our Commencement Ceremony for the Class of 2015. It was a wonderful event, celebrating the accomplishments of one super class. That class was filled with leaders and I have no doubt they will do wonderful things. They leave a strong and positive legacy behind at East, one that our other grades can look to as an example. They will be missed, but I am confident that we have a new crop of leaders ready to step up and take the helm.
Summer is almost here! The summertime provides an opportunity for everyone to step away from school and decompress for a couple of months before we resume again in the fall. I was recently asked by a parent about how I recommend families best use their summer time to prepare for success in school the following year? Great question! Here was my advice:
1. Make time to relax. Teenagers need down time. The school year is very hectic and stressful, especially for teens and they need a mental/emotional break. Play is critical for younger children, but it is important for teens as well.
2. Engage in honest conversation about what the following school year should look like, and develop a plan that everyone can agree to. As most of us would agree, success does not just happen – we make it happen, and that takes a plan. Talk about things like, what activities will your child engage, what grades is he or she aiming for, and how will you measure your success this coming school year?
3. Talk about what happens after high school. The old adage about the junior year “being the most critical year” is debatable. I would argue that freshman year is critical because of the importance of coming out of the gate strong. But the fact is that each of the 4 years really matters, and the first 3 years will feed the transcript that will go to colleges in fall of the senior year. Regardless of what grade students will be entering in 2015-2016, it’s never too early to talk about what’s next. Kids sometimes think that they have “all the time in the world [to plan]” but we know that’s not true. Life sneaks up on you. It’s good to have a plan.
4. Stay active. Studies indicate that active students tend to be healthy students. Students who are actively engaged in sports, clubs, activities, etc., tend to live healthier lives, make better decisions, and do better in school. Perhaps your son or daughter is already engaged in these types of things. Great! If not, the summer time is an opportunity to figure out what those things might be.
5. Do the summer reading! (of course!)
That’s it for now! As an aside, I’ve had the opportunity to get to know many of our families over the course of this year and it’s been a pleasure working with you and getting to know your children. As a father myself, I understand very well how important our children are to us. My son is my world. But I know that raising him will be challenging at times and that I will rely on others, like his teachers and coaches. There is a partnership. I hope that you find your partnership with East to be a good one. Your children are surrounded every day by people who care for them. If there is anything that we can do better, let us know.
Good morning East families,
This will be our last official newsletter this school year. It has been a great year at East High School. Aside from our test scores, which were very good, and our School Performance Profile score, which was one of the highest in the state, our attendance was improved, our discipline incidents were down, and our students progressed through the school year in a safe, healthy environment. There are many parties who deserve credit for the successful year that our students enjoyed, most notably, our East families, the East staff, coaches, advisors, leaders throughout the district, and of course, the students themselves, who as a whole, represented themselves extremely well this year.
Last night, we held our Commencement Ceremony for the Class of 2015. It was a wonderful event, celebrating the accomplishments of one super class. That class was filled with leaders and I have no doubt they will do wonderful things. They leave a strong and positive legacy behind at East, one that our other grades can look to as an example. They will be missed, but I am confident that we have a new crop of leaders ready to step up and take the helm.
Summer is almost here! The summertime provides an opportunity for everyone to step away from school and decompress for a couple of months before we resume again in the fall. I was recently asked by a parent about how I recommend families best use their summer time to prepare for success in school the following year? Great question! Here was my advice:
1. Make time to relax. Teenagers need down time. The school year is very hectic and stressful, especially for teens and they need a mental/emotional break. Play is critical for younger children, but it is important for teens as well.
2. Engage in honest conversation about what the following school year should look like, and develop a plan that everyone can agree to. As most of us would agree, success does not just happen – we make it happen, and that takes a plan. Talk about things like, what activities will your child engage, what grades is he or she aiming for, and how will you measure your success this coming school year?
3. Talk about what happens after high school. The old adage about the junior year “being the most critical year” is debatable. I would argue that freshman year is critical because of the importance of coming out of the gate strong. But the fact is that each of the 4 years really matters, and the first 3 years will feed the transcript that will go to colleges in fall of the senior year. Regardless of what grade students will be entering in 2015-2016, it’s never too early to talk about what’s next. Kids sometimes think that they have “all the time in the world [to plan]” but we know that’s not true. Life sneaks up on you. It’s good to have a plan.
4. Stay active. Studies indicate that active students tend to be healthy students. Students who are actively engaged in sports, clubs, activities, etc., tend to live healthier lives, make better decisions, and do better in school. Perhaps your son or daughter is already engaged in these types of things. Great! If not, the summer time is an opportunity to figure out what those things might be.
5. Do the summer reading! (of course!)
That’s it for now! As an aside, I’ve had the opportunity to get to know many of our families over the course of this year and it’s been a pleasure working with you and getting to know your children. As a father myself, I understand very well how important our children are to us. My son is my world. But I know that raising him will be challenging at times and that I will rely on others, like his teachers and coaches. There is a partnership. I hope that you find your partnership with East to be a good one. Your children are surrounded every day by people who care for them. If there is anything that we can do better, let us know.
May 18, 2015
Greetings East families,
I write this on the heels of our Senior Prom and Post-Prom this past weekend. Both events were great! The students conducted themselves exceedingly well, and they enjoyed themselves. Thanks to all of the staff members and parents who helped make those events a reality! With our PTO at the helm, we had many parents volunteer their time to put together our Post prom, and as I walked around that night, I couldn’t help but be impressed by how everything came together. The kids were there with us, safe, and entertained. They were also very well-fed, as we had all sorts of food available!
Congratulations to our spring sports teams for a successful season. Boys lacrosse, girls lacrosse, baseball, and softball all made the playoffs. Though the lax teams did not progress to round two of the playoffs, baseball and softball play this week and we wish them well! We also had several track and field athletes get into the post-season. Especially noteworthy was the performance of Eric Diestelow and Cole Baldyga. Eric will compete in the 3200m race, and Cole will compete in the javelin. Best wishes to both athletes!
Several of our students recently competed in the National Latin Exam. Check out this link for an article that was published in the daily local. http://www.dailylocal.com/general-news/20150508/35-wcasd-students-recognized-for-high-scores-on-national-latin-exam#disqus_thread. Congratulations to Gavin Bond, Alex Chen, and Ajmain Hossain performed at the Pennsylvania Association of Gifted Education (PAGE) Conference at Villanova Conference Center this past Friday, May 1.
As I mentioned in the last newsletter, we are in the midst of our concert season. I had the opportunity to attend the East Spring Band concert last week and the kids sounded great. Tonight, we host our Spring Choral Concert. I hope you have an opportunity to see our arts program in action. Speaking of which, East recently hosted its annual Spring Art Show. Needless to say, we have some talented kids. There was a great turnout from parents and staff and the kids proudly showed off their work. Congratulations to Olivia Heisterkamp on winning the Principal’s Award for her exceptional pencil sketches. Excellent!
We are winding things down for the school year, and it’s been a great one. Why do I say that? Because it’s true! Every day, our students come into a building where they are cared for and educated by a strong and dedicated staff who work hard for their best interests. At East, we are all about the students. In addition to what you see below, we have tried to do the following this year – we hope that you have taken notice:
· We’ve communicated with East families via email blasts and bi-weekly newsletters so that everyone is aware of what’s happening at school. It is our goal to respond to parent concerns promptly and thoroughly.
· We’ve included families in planning for student success via parent/student meetings with guidance counselors and teachers.
· We’ve worked diligently to ensure that every student has a place at East High School through a club, activity or sport. Our overall student extra-curricular participation is considerably increased compared to last year.
· We’ve ensured that our students feel safe and secure in our building. Not only did we complete implementation of our Raptor system this year, but our staff has been vigilant in observing student behavior and getting kids the resources and help they sometimes need.
· We’ve instructed our students in the classrooms so that they are prepared for assessments, learning about themselves, and are ready to compete at the next level. Need evidence? Check out our SAT, ACT, and Keystone scores, and look to our college acceptance percentages.
· We’ve continually refined our curriculum and classroom practices so that our students are challenged and realizing their full potential.
Here are some of our student accomplishments this year:
- Our state report card score was a 95.2 (out of 100) this year, one of the best in the area.
- At the outset of this year, we determined that we wanted to improve our daily attendance rates. We did that because we believe that consistent school attendance is critical, but we also believe that by ensuring on-time daily attendance, we’d also be addressing overall student conduct. Sure enough, comparing last year’s data with this year’s data, we’ve seen a 40% decrease in level I and level II infractions.
- Counselors met with every freshman for an introductory meeting prior to November 1 so that together with students and families, we could begin to develop a written four year plan.
- Last year, our graduation rate was 93%. This year, we anticipate our graduation rate to be about 99%.
- 8 East seniors were recognized as National Merit Finalists, and 10 others were recognized as National Merit Commended students, by far the most in the district.
- More than 90% of East seniors have submitted applications for college.
- So far, 63 seniors have reported receiving $$ for college.
- 5 East seniors were awarded full college scholarships.
- 4 East seniors will enter one of the branches of the Armed Forces next year.
- Last year, 4 of our teams qualified for post-season play. This year, 7 teams qualified for playoffs, in addition to the many tennis, swim, and track/field athletes that competed beyond the regular season. Our overall win percentage this year increased by 10% compared to last year.
- To date, 46 students earned All-League honors and 31 students received All-Area honors. There will be more once the spring sport recognitions are announced.
- 2 East students qualified for PMEA competition.
- Our Academic Competition team was Regional Champion and finished 2nd in the state.
- 10 East students were recognized with Spellman Humanitarian Awards for their charity work in the local community.
East kids are great!
Commencement is right around the corner. It’s a proud moment for all of us, and I hope to see you there. For more information about what’s happening at East, check out the tabs on our Newsletter and look to the calendar on the East home page.
Till next time,
Kevin Fagan
Greetings East families,
I write this on the heels of our Senior Prom and Post-Prom this past weekend. Both events were great! The students conducted themselves exceedingly well, and they enjoyed themselves. Thanks to all of the staff members and parents who helped make those events a reality! With our PTO at the helm, we had many parents volunteer their time to put together our Post prom, and as I walked around that night, I couldn’t help but be impressed by how everything came together. The kids were there with us, safe, and entertained. They were also very well-fed, as we had all sorts of food available!
Congratulations to our spring sports teams for a successful season. Boys lacrosse, girls lacrosse, baseball, and softball all made the playoffs. Though the lax teams did not progress to round two of the playoffs, baseball and softball play this week and we wish them well! We also had several track and field athletes get into the post-season. Especially noteworthy was the performance of Eric Diestelow and Cole Baldyga. Eric will compete in the 3200m race, and Cole will compete in the javelin. Best wishes to both athletes!
Several of our students recently competed in the National Latin Exam. Check out this link for an article that was published in the daily local. http://www.dailylocal.com/general-news/20150508/35-wcasd-students-recognized-for-high-scores-on-national-latin-exam#disqus_thread. Congratulations to Gavin Bond, Alex Chen, and Ajmain Hossain performed at the Pennsylvania Association of Gifted Education (PAGE) Conference at Villanova Conference Center this past Friday, May 1.
As I mentioned in the last newsletter, we are in the midst of our concert season. I had the opportunity to attend the East Spring Band concert last week and the kids sounded great. Tonight, we host our Spring Choral Concert. I hope you have an opportunity to see our arts program in action. Speaking of which, East recently hosted its annual Spring Art Show. Needless to say, we have some talented kids. There was a great turnout from parents and staff and the kids proudly showed off their work. Congratulations to Olivia Heisterkamp on winning the Principal’s Award for her exceptional pencil sketches. Excellent!
We are winding things down for the school year, and it’s been a great one. Why do I say that? Because it’s true! Every day, our students come into a building where they are cared for and educated by a strong and dedicated staff who work hard for their best interests. At East, we are all about the students. In addition to what you see below, we have tried to do the following this year – we hope that you have taken notice:
· We’ve communicated with East families via email blasts and bi-weekly newsletters so that everyone is aware of what’s happening at school. It is our goal to respond to parent concerns promptly and thoroughly.
· We’ve included families in planning for student success via parent/student meetings with guidance counselors and teachers.
· We’ve worked diligently to ensure that every student has a place at East High School through a club, activity or sport. Our overall student extra-curricular participation is considerably increased compared to last year.
· We’ve ensured that our students feel safe and secure in our building. Not only did we complete implementation of our Raptor system this year, but our staff has been vigilant in observing student behavior and getting kids the resources and help they sometimes need.
· We’ve instructed our students in the classrooms so that they are prepared for assessments, learning about themselves, and are ready to compete at the next level. Need evidence? Check out our SAT, ACT, and Keystone scores, and look to our college acceptance percentages.
· We’ve continually refined our curriculum and classroom practices so that our students are challenged and realizing their full potential.
Here are some of our student accomplishments this year:
- Our state report card score was a 95.2 (out of 100) this year, one of the best in the area.
- At the outset of this year, we determined that we wanted to improve our daily attendance rates. We did that because we believe that consistent school attendance is critical, but we also believe that by ensuring on-time daily attendance, we’d also be addressing overall student conduct. Sure enough, comparing last year’s data with this year’s data, we’ve seen a 40% decrease in level I and level II infractions.
- Counselors met with every freshman for an introductory meeting prior to November 1 so that together with students and families, we could begin to develop a written four year plan.
- Last year, our graduation rate was 93%. This year, we anticipate our graduation rate to be about 99%.
- 8 East seniors were recognized as National Merit Finalists, and 10 others were recognized as National Merit Commended students, by far the most in the district.
- More than 90% of East seniors have submitted applications for college.
- So far, 63 seniors have reported receiving $$ for college.
- 5 East seniors were awarded full college scholarships.
- 4 East seniors will enter one of the branches of the Armed Forces next year.
- Last year, 4 of our teams qualified for post-season play. This year, 7 teams qualified for playoffs, in addition to the many tennis, swim, and track/field athletes that competed beyond the regular season. Our overall win percentage this year increased by 10% compared to last year.
- To date, 46 students earned All-League honors and 31 students received All-Area honors. There will be more once the spring sport recognitions are announced.
- 2 East students qualified for PMEA competition.
- Our Academic Competition team was Regional Champion and finished 2nd in the state.
- 10 East students were recognized with Spellman Humanitarian Awards for their charity work in the local community.
East kids are great!
Commencement is right around the corner. It’s a proud moment for all of us, and I hope to see you there. For more information about what’s happening at East, check out the tabs on our Newsletter and look to the calendar on the East home page.
Till next time,
Kevin Fagan
May 8 , 2015
Greetings East Families,
We are entering the home stretch of this school year. Most of seniors have solidified their plans for next year, while our underclassmen get set to take on the Keystone tests and perhaps the College Board AP exams, in addition to SAT and ACT testing. There is still much to do, but spring is certainly here and summer time beckons us. This week is Teacher Appreciation Week. If you get a chance to do so, thank a teacher who has had an impact on the life of your child. Our teachers care a very great deal about your sons and daughters and work hard in order to help them discover who they are and maximize their potential. For myself, two of the most influential people in my life were teachers and another was a coach. I don’t know where I would be without their guidance and high expectations. I think of them often.
We have a lot of great stuff going on at East High School, not the least of which is that our Academic Competition Team, Regional Champions this year, competed in the State competition in Harrisburg this past Friday and placed 2nd! The kids were very impressive. Congratulations to our team and to our coaches, Tracy Heim and Nate Schlamb. Our spring sports are having a strong season overall, with our Softball and Baseball teams leading the way. Soon we’ll know about playoff berths, so keep an eye on our Athletics web page for updates. We are in the midst of our Concert Season as well. I had an opportunity to be here last night for our annual Spring Band Concert, and the kids were great. Under the direction of our conductor, Lorraine Selke, the students played a one hour concert to the delight of everyone there.
Senior prom is right around the corner. It promises to be a great evening, followed by the post-prom event here at East. All seniors are encouraged to attend post prom. This event serves two purposes: to keep out students safe on the night of the prom, and to let them have some fun! The PTO and post-prom committee have been working very hard throughout the course of this year to ensure that the students come and have a great time. Thank you to all of those parents who have stepped up and given their time and energy to this great event.
What can parents do at prom time to help ensure that their kids are safe? 1. Don’t allow your children to attend parties where alcohol might be served. 2. Communicate ahead of time with parents who are hosting get-togethers to ensure that you are comfortable with the plans. 3. Talk with your kids about good decision making and the consequences for making bad choices. These days, just one mistake can have serious implications, not the least of which could be plans for after high school. This year, we kept the prom more local in order to cut down on commute time and maximize prom and post-prom opportunities. We want nothing more than for all of our students to be safe that night and enjoy themselves. In order to accomplish this, we’ll need to work together!
If you have not had a chance to look at our end-of-year calendar, here is the link. http://www.edline.net/files/_DOLmK_/2e944a423f6cb0383745a49013852ec4/End_of_the_Year_Calendar_for_2015.pdf.
For more information about all that’s going on at East High School, check out the tabs at the top of the page.
Till next time,
Kevin Fagan
Principal
April 24, 2015
The past couple of weeks at East have been action-packed! Last Friday, Student Council hosted our annual blood drive, where many East students and staff donated blood for the local Red Cross, just one of the many volunteer endeavors that regularly takes place at East. The Mr. East Contest was Wednesday. It was a great event for our senior class with a really nice turnout. Congratulations to Drew McQuiston for being crowned this year’s “Mr. East!” Our Boys’ Speaking Contest took place Wednesday as well. Twelve of our senior boys competed for the crown before a packed auditorium. The boys did a wonderful job – very talented individuals! Congratulations to Anson Haniwalt for winning this year’s competition.
Our Health Fair was great. The Health Fair was the result of a collaborative effort between our Nursing staff at East and the Chester County Intermediate Unit. Students had the opportunity to visit the exhibit during lunch and learn about healthy living. Our annual Career Day event was on Thursday. We did things differently this year, and the results were great. Career Day was the culmination of a lot of work, led by counselor Grace Barry. A sincere “Thank You” to the more than 40 community members who came to speak with our students about their careers and answer questions. We hope to see all of you again next year!
Twenty-six of our DECA students left Friday to take part in the DECA International Career Development Conference in Orlando, and we wish them all the best! The Junior Prom is tomorrow night from 7 to 10. It should be a very nice event. Thanks to the class advisors, Mr. John Gall and Mrs. Sarah Rattigan for all of their work and to the students and parents who have also pitched in. We want the students to have a safe and enjoyable time. Next Friday, our Academic Competition Team travels to Harrisburg, where they will compete for the State Title. Our last delayed opening for teacher PLC work will take place on April 30. Students may report at 8:30 that day.
We are heading into what’s come to be known as “Testing Season.” Most of our students will be taking one of the three Keystone Exams and/or AP tests. This is in addition to the pending close of the year and quarterlies. Our students typically perform very well on standardized assessments, but that does not mean they aren’t stressed. On the contrary, our students (and staff) can experience tremendous stress around this time. As a result, we are caught in a difficult spot. In regard to the Keystone Exams, “the law is the law” (for now) and students in the classes of 2017 and beyond are required to take them and to be proficient to graduate. The tests also impact how our school is “ranked” and even individual staff evaluations. There may be changes to the law coming down the pike, but for now, this is the dynamic in which we find ourselves. What can parents do to assist their kids? Good question! Try to ease their stress by talking with them about school, let them vent, but be encouraging and tell them to try their best. Make sure they are eating right and getting enough sleep. Also, help to ensure they are balancing themselves. Often, kids get so caught up in school and grades, they lose perspective on other things and are not balancing their interests, which would also help them to de-stress. If you think it would help, reach out to your child’s teachers and counselors. They are there to help!
There is lots going on at East. For more information and dates, check our website. Be sure to check the tabs on this newsletter as well for additional information on what’s going on at East High School.
See you soon,
Kevin Fagan
April 10, 2015
Greetings East Families,
I hope this letter finds you well and that you had a restful and relaxing few days off for Spring Break. After some weather delays, our spring sports are off to a great start! Check out the “Athletics” tab at the top of the page for more information. The Spellman Humanitarian Awards are tomorrow evening at Fugett Middle School. Ten East seniors were nominated by the staff. Congratulations to Anna Brennan, Celine Cheng, Marie Guthrie, Jess Jaramillo, Matt Melvin, Carolyn Metcalf, Mariah Park, Julia Sabrick, Julianna Schnerr, and Sarah Vanasse. These students were nominated because of their commitment to service in and out of school.
Later this week, we will be announcing the names of our students who qualified for National Honor Society. Seventy-seven East students met the necessary criteria for induction and their applications were approved by Faculty Council. Congratulations to these students on this fine accomplishment.
Congratulations to Ajmain Hossain for successfully making it into the PMEA All-State Orchestra, in Hershey, this past March 26-28. Ajmain joined junior Matt Hontz for this very selective recognition. Way to go, guys!
Our One Act plays take place this week, Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights at 7:00 PM. These performances are written, directed, produced, and acted by our East High School students. Each play is about half an hour long, and all three are showing each night. Hope to see you there!
Finally, a word about afternoon pick up. If you are picking up your child from school at the end of the day, please remain cognizant of the driving lanes, particularly at the Auditorium entrance area and in front of the school. It is important that everyone abide by the same driving protocols in order to ensure our students’ safety. That means slowing down and if you are going to be waiting a few minutes, please park in an area that does not inhibit others from passing through the driving lanes.
March 23, 2015
Hello Families of East High School,
Spring is officially here and if you listen hard enough, you can hear the birds singing in the distance (until the next snow storm, anyway …). Spring sports are well under way and the kids are anxious for the weather to turn, which looks to be the case next week. Spring break is fast approaching. That’s a great time for families to catch up and catch a breath! Once we return to school April 7, it’s a slip-and-slide till the end of the year, and June will be here before we know it!
Along with spring’s arrival, comes the annual testing season for our students. As you likely know, the Pennsylvania Department of Education requires all public high school students in the classes of 2017 and beyond to demonstrate proficiency in Biology, Algebra, and Literature in order to graduate. For East, this means that those ninth graders in Algebra this year will take the Algebra test as well as the Biology test, and our sophomores will take the Literature test. Our staff is working hard to help ensure that the students are ready for the tests. Adaptations have been made to our curricula so that students have exposure to the material they’ll see on the test. In addition, on a routine basis, our students are working with “released items” from the state, have opportunities to solve practice problems, and may attend after-school sessions for extra help. How can families work to ensure their kids are prepared? Encourage your child to do his/her best, make sure they get plenty of sleep the night before the tests, and talk with them about their experience. This sort of reinforcement goes a long way toward uniting school and home efforts. For more information on the Keystone Exams and the role they currently play in our schools, check out the attached link: http://home.wcasd.net/files/_CKC2k_/84da75df8ace81c93745a49013852ec4/Keystone_Talking_Points_3-6-15.pdf
Congratulations to our East Dance Team for their recent win at Nationals in Ocean City, MD. Way to go girls! Pictures of the team and more information can be found on the tabs above.
Congratulations to our Academic Competition Team for their recent League Championship. Last Tuesday night, our team defeated Unionville HS and Downingtown East to win the League and move on to States May 1. I had an opportunity to be there and see the team get their victory – very impressive. Best of luck to coaches Tracy Heim and Nate Schlamb and the team at States.
See more about these and other stories using the tabs above.
Till next time,
Kevin Fagan
East Principal
March 13, 2015
Hello Families of East High School!
Who’s ready for spring…?
Well, despite the cold and recent interruptions to our school calendar, we have been rocking and rolling at East with lots of good stuff happening. Perhaps you had a chance to see our spring musical, Back to the 80s! The kids did a tremendous job. We had so many students interested in participating that we ran double casts for several parts. I had the good fortune to be there Opening Night and the show was fantastic (as a product of the 80s, I may have been biased toward the music). The cast, the stage crew, the orchestra pit, all came together under the guidance of our directors to put on a great show for the audience. Thanks to everyone who made the show a possibility, including the parents and volunteers who gave up time and energy to assist. By the way, have you signed up for my Remind 101 account yet? Get text message blasts about important events (don’t worry – I will not overwhelm your text inbox). It’s simple to sign up. Dr. Fagan’s Remind 101: Text 81010 and message @a13eb (hit send). That’s it, you’re signed up!
The Academic Competition team kicked butt last week at the 23 annual quiz bowl, somehow managing to take both 1st and 2nd place! They dominated some formidable teams and came home champions! Check out this link for more info: http://lancasteronline.com/news/local/conestoga-valley-quiz-bowl-tournament-ends-in-west-chester-east/article_f03be47a-bf6a-11e4-bd51-c72933c3c03d.html
With the guidance of Mr. Busby, two of our star students, Kee Harish and Kevin Diestelow will be competing at Speech and Debate State Competition later this month at Susquehanna University. Wish them well!
I know that you’ve heard this before, but our DECA team is awesome. With the coaching of Ms. Minshall and Ms. Lill, DECA students attended the state competition in Hershey, PA and competed in individual, team, or written project events, all of which required a role play or oral presentation component. The students were wonderful ambassadors for East High School and won many awards. PS. As a result of their success at Hershey, we may be experiencing a temporary market shortage of the following metals: brass, silver, and gold; much of the available metal available in the Commonwealth was needed for East DECA awards and trophies. :-)
On Wednesday of this week, the staff at East High School, along with our Superintendent, Dr. Scanlon, and the Director of Secondary Schools, Dr. Sokolowski, honored 8 East seniors who qualified as National Merit Finalists. Perhaps you already know about the National Merit Scholarship (NMS) but in case you don’t, let me give you a snap shot, because it’s a really big deal and having 8students at one high school is tremendous. NMS has been recognizing student achievement on the PSAT/NMSQT since 1955 and honoring those students with the very top scores from across the nation. There are tiers of recognition and if students qualify, they will be recognized as “Commended” or “Semi-finalists.” East had 10 Commended students, which is great and 8 Finalists. Here are the name of the students recognized as Commended and Finalists. Their accomplishment is the result of their own hard work, smarts, and determination, combined with the dedication of their teachers and support of their families. Kudos to these exceptional students!
Greetings,
This past week, East High School and the East PTO joined together to provide our students with an assembly program geared toward helping them develop "Cybersmarts." Our presenter was Ms. Katie Koestner, a nationally-recognized expert on peer relations and interactions. She was well-received by the students and staff. Here are of the more salient points from that assembly that I thought parents and families might like to hear about:
1. Our students today dwell in two worlds: the real and the virtual. This makes for a very different experience from what we endured, and while there are advantages to this duality, there are challenges and pitfalls. The adolescent mind is not always prepared to deal appropriately with the complexities of the world (duh); the fact that they are required to deal with the same challenges in two worlds doubles the stakes for them. This can lead to stress and error. Kids need to understand the stakes and act accordingly, but that is very challenging for some.
2. They are accountable for their actions in both the real and virtual world and the activities in which they engage in the virtual world can become very real, as illustrated by some of the examples provided by Katie, e.g., kids losing jobs, scholarships, and college offers because of something posted on a virtual account.
3. Colleges/Universities/Employers are watching. The monitoring of the virtual world is a big business now and nothing is free. Accepting a student to the college or workplace is a high-stakes game and the people making the decisions want to get things right. To do so, they will pay private companies to investigate the candidate. For some, this is good news bc their virtual self exemplifies the best of who they are. For others, it is a different story.
4. They need our guidance and support. Regardless of whether we are talking about the real or virtual world, students need our guidance and tutelage, especially in their teen years when the world can be a challenging and confusing place. We all know how critical, critical thinking skills are. Developing the ability to see the world around us, comprehend it, and make smart decisions has never been more necessary than today when the stakes are so high.
The first marking period is coming to a close and somehow, we are already approaching November (time flies). I know that many of you do this routinely, but it's always a good practice to talk with your child about how his/her classes are going, look at grades, and determine what more can be done to maximize school performance. If you child is struggling and could use some help, there are a number of interventions we can offer, including: meeting with teachers after school -- our staff is here everyday until at least 2:50 PM, seeking assistance from the guidance counselor, visiting our math and writing help centers, and connecting with one of our National Honor Society student tutors. The NHS tutors stand ready and willing to help their peers in any way they can. If you have questions about any one of these interventions, please contact your child's counselor and inquire.
Be sure to check out the various tabs above to hear about some the great things happening at East.
Sincerely,
Kevin Fagan
East Principal
Congratulations also to senior Julianna Schnerr for her recognition by the National Hispanic Recognition Program!
We have several students who qualified for post-season play/performance. For swimming and diving, Ann Carozza – 5th in the fly and qualifies for States and 7th in the 100 free
Carolyn Metcalf – 31st in the 500 free
James Kirkby – swam his 2 best times finishing 16th in the 200 free and 17th in the fly.
The 200 free relay swam their best time of the year – Ann Carozza, Carolyn Metcalf, Jessica Topka and Amy Barrett. Ann will be competing at States! Good luck!
In wrestling, Noah Hankin was a District I Champion. He and Ryan Orr both competed at Regionals last weekend. Congratulations to the students, Coach Gallo, Coach Chafetz and the rest of the coaching staff for their success.
In Track, Eric Diestelow and Jacob Wolfe both qualified for States, Eric in the mile and Jacob in the 400. Congratulations to them, Coach Steven and Coach Kareem on a great season.
East junior Matt Hontz qualified for First Chair for French Horn in the upcoming PMEA performance. In case you don’t know, this similar to an athlete being named all State – it’s a big deal. Congrats to Matt for his hard work and dedication, to his parents for their unwavering support, to his tutors, and to his teachers, Mrs. Selke and Mr. DePasquale. Best of luck, Matt!
Lastly, the West Chester Rotary is offering two scholarships of $5,000 each to any senior planning to attend college. The scholarships are focused on service. The deadline is March 20. See the link below for more information. Check out the link for more info:
http://www.clubrunner.ca/Portal/SitePages/SitePage.aspx?cid=7268&pid=85754
For more information about these and other things going on at East, check out the tabs on the newsletter. There is some interesting info about changes coming to the SAT.
Till next time,
Kevin Fagan
East Principal
February 20, 2015
Greetings East Families,
I write this to you on the coldest day yet this winter. In fact, I heard this morning that last evening was the coldest night in 21 years -- makes the yearning for spring that much stronger! Believe it or not, mid- marking period is almost here and spring sports begin March 2. Our Spring Musical is this coming week. Our Show is Back to the 80s, and the cast has been working very hard to get a great show together. We certainly hope you are able to join us Thursday night, Friday night or Saturday night next week. Check out homepage for more info.
We've had lots of exciting things going on at East lately, and while it's not possible for me to capture all of those things here, following are some highlights. Check out the rest by clicking on the tabs above. Our academic competition teams (JV and Varsity) cleaned up at the Downingtown West to advance to the finals on March 17, where they will face Unionville and Downingtown East High Schools. East junior Matt Hontz advanced to PMEA All State Wind Ensemble and is set to perform at the annual All-State conference in March. East wrestler Noah Hankin won his weight class at the Ches-Mont wrestling championship. Track star Eric Diestelow was selected as one of the PA state finalists in the Wendy's High School Heisman competition. Our Cheer Team recently placed 5th at a national competition in Orlando, FL. Sophomore James Kirkby led a relay competition/fund raiser that resulted in raising over $2300 for Relay for Cam. Rohit Goyal, senior at East High School, was inducted into the American Junior Academy of Science (AJAS) as a lifetime fellow this past weekend. He presented his work on Fatigue Detection Using Artificial Intelligence and Computer Vision Algorithms at the AJAS conference in San Jose, CA. Our DECA team heads to the state competition in Hershey this week, and we wish them well! Like I said, lots of good stuff going on. Lastly, Best Buddies Pennsylvania announced today that West Chester East HS’ Best Buddies chapter has won the 1st Best Buddies Pennsylvania Video Competition! In winning the competition, our chapter’s video has been posted on the Best Buddies Pennsylvania website and Facebook page, the video will be shown at the annual High School ~ Best Buddies Ball, and our chapter is excused from paying the leadership dues for next school year. Check out the link. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBkXVsP1tgA.
We are in the midst of course selection now and East students and families have received several announcements about course scheduling procedures. On the cover of the course selection manual, you can find the deadlines. If you have any questions, please contact your counselor. The West Chester Rotary conducts a fruit sale (oranges and grapefruits) each winter to designate a charity or cause. This year the proceeds from the fruit sale go towards two - $5,000 college scholarships for two graduating seniors at our high schools.
Other than our United Way campaign, I don’t typically promote a specific fundraiser. However, the focus of the scholarship is centered on service so the students eligible are those who demonstrate a will and desire to help via service projects in our community. I know that we all believe in the merits of service to others and this is a great way to help students get some financial recognition for the service they provide to the community. The Rotary wants to announce winners at the Spellman Awards this spring.
You can purchase fruit online by simply completing the form found at the following link:
http://www.crsadmin.com/EventPortal/Registrations/PublicFill/EventPublicFill.aspx?evtid=833098a6-4bf1-419f-9882-803e043a87aa
The link asks for a name of the “seller”. You can enter East High School. Fruit sales take place until February 28. Orders can be picked up at A Duie Pyle Trucking on Westtown Road, Saturday March 7, 1 pm.
Till next time,
Kevin Fagan
Principal
February 8, 2015
Greetings and Happy February,
It’s hard to believe that we are this far along and have not yet endured a snow day. Let’s hope it keeps going like this. There are lots of good things going on at East. Be sure to check out the tabs at the top of the newsletter for areas of interest to you.
This past Friday, the Pennsylvania Department of Education released SAT and ACT data for schools throughout PA, and I thought that I would share those results with you here. These data reflect results for graduating seniors in the class of 2014.
SAT results were published for 693 public schools throughout the Commonwealth. As is typical, the state identified schools with fewer than 11 test takers with an * (this might include, for example, some of the smaller schools in the north-western part of the state). After subtracting those schools and their results from the data, there were 653 high schools remaining. East’s scores resulted in a ranking of 65 out of 653 schools with more than 11 test takers. That places us in the top 10%. Last year 283 East seniors took the SAT.
ACT results were published for 655 public high schools throughout the Commonwealth. Again, the state identified schools with fewer than 11 test takers with an *. After subtracting those schools from the report, East’s scores resulted in a ranking of 109 out of 418 schools with more than 11 test takers. Last year, 68 East seniors took the ACT.
As you probably know, the SAT and ACT can play an important role in a student’s college acceptance. Most colleges and universities require scores in one or the other. As you can see from the numbers above, the SAT is still more popular than the ACT with students in this area, but that trend is changing. The ACT, which historically has been the test of choice in the South and West, is gaining traction in the north-eastern US. In the last issue of the VL, we published information on some of the differences between the tests (see tabs above). Also, the SAT is changing next year and our counselors will be equipped to speak with students and families about what those changes entail. If you have any additional questions about these tests, please don’t hesitate to speak with our counselors. It should also be noted that our PTO very generously offers an SAT prep course right here at East. Check out this link: http://wc-eastpto.org/SatPrepCourse/SATForm_01_Home.php
Again, if you have questions about this program, see your child’s counselor.
Sincerely,
Kevin Fagan
January 30, 2015
Hello East Families,
This was quite a week at East, as we met with our students about the course selection process. At this point, all of our 2015-16 Vikings have their course selection guides, which are also available online via the district website and East homepage. Here is the link: http://home.wcasd.net/pages/West_Chester_Area_SD/5994015546809392962/5994015696254794114/Curriculum_and_Programs/Course_Selection_Guide. Be sure to check out the info on our new blended learning and dual enrollment courses. Exciting stuff! Looks like we might have some weather coming our way next week, so students are encouraged to keep up with their studies as best they can, especially now that we are in a new marking period. With half the year left, there is still plenty of opportunity for students to positively impact their grades. How can parents help? We really need our students here on time, every day. I have posted the district attendance policy before, and you can access it here if needed: https://webportal.wcasd.net/sites/board_policies/Documents/J%20-%20Pupils/JB%20-/JB.pdf. We start at 7:30 sharp every day!
There's lots of good information in the tabs above, including that of our PTO. Be sure to check it out. Have a great weekend and stay warm!
Kevin Fagan
Principal
January 16, 2015
Greetings East Families,
I hope this newsletter finds you well. I am going to keep my remarks this week brief. We are wrapping up the second marking period, which ends on January 23. Between now and then, students should plan to talk with teachers and make up any work that might be outstanding.
This week, we completed our Keystone Biology make up tests, and we anticipate the results in March. Our current ninth graders will take the Keystone Biology test at the end of the year. Any student enrolled in an Algebra course will complete the year-end Algebra test, and the same can be said for any student enrolled in grade 10 English -- they will take the Keystone Literature tests. As things stand, these tests are a big deal, both for the students individually and the school. Students in the class of 2017 and beyond must demonstrate proficiency in these areas in order to graduate. East is working diligently to ensure that happens for every student and we appreciate the support of our families.
If your son or daughter has not yet been involved in a club/activity/sport, it's not too late. Study after study shows the benefit to students who get engaged in extra-curricular activities. Students should see their guidance counselor or the Athletics Office to talk about what opportunities are out there. Be sure to check the tabs at the top of this page for information about some of the exciting things going on at East. Our students and teachers sure are working hard. Lastly, mark your calendars for January 28. That the night of our Course Selection Parent Evening. There will be an email blast about this coming soon, and you can also check the website for additional information. We hope to see you on the 28th (praying for no snow!)
Have a great weekend,
Kevin Fagan
Principal
January 9, 2015
Hello East families and Happy New Year! I hope that your holiday break was relaxing and enjoyable. At East, we are back to work and ready to wrap up the second marking period, which concludes January 23. Between now and then, students have an opportunity to check their grades and talk with teachers about any outstanding assignments. The online grade book is an excellent way for families to keep up to speed with what’s happening in the classrooms and we encourage parents to check their child’s grades once a week.
As is typical to this time of year, there are lots of illnesses going around, and as such, students are sometimes prone to missing school and missing assignments. If this occurs, students are encouraged to email their teachers so that they can keep up to speed with what’s happening in school. This might also be a good time to brush up on the district attendance policy, which can be located on the district website. One particular of that policy that I will point out is that high school students are permitted 7 parent notes for excused absences. Beyond that, parent notes will count as un-excused absences. It is advisable that whenever possible, your child come in with a doctor’s note – these always count as excused absences.
This coming week, we have two events that I bring to your attention. The first is out Viking Athletics Open House Monday night. This night is primarily intended for current 7th and 8th grade students and their families who would like to know more about our athletic programs at East High School. Seventh and eighth grade families living in the Fugett/East Feeder pattern are encouraged to come. We also have Keystone Biology make up tests this coming week for students who are eligible. As you likely know from past newsletters and other communications, students in the Class of 2017 and beyond are required to demonstrate competency in Algebra, Literature and Biology in order to receive a diploma. Class of 2017 students who did not demonstrate at the end of ninth grade will have another opportunity this week. It is important that these students take the test seriously and do their best! Next Friday, January 16 is a half day for our students and the following Monday, January 19, school will be closed in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Between now and then, we are scheduled to have some winter weather come our way. We are crossing our fingers that school is not disrupted. Till next time, stay safe and stay warm. Be sure to check out the tabs at the top of this page for information about the respective topics and look to our website.
Thank you for being Viking Proud!
Kevin Fagan
Principal
December 18, 2014
Greetings East families! I hope that this newsletter finds you well and that you are anticipating a relaxing and enjoyable holiday break. It’s hard to believe that winter break is already upon us, but here we are! This has been an exciting week at East high school. This past Saturday, the East wrestling team hosted the Colley Classic wrestling event, attended by 8 area schools. There was a great turnout and congratulations to Ryan Orr for placing first in his weight class! On Monday night, our concert, band, and choral students presented the annual East holiday concert. It was a great event and a wonderful way to gear up for the holidays. On Wednesday, nearly 200 students took part in the DECA conference at King of Prussia. Quite a number of East students took home awards from the DECA conference -- our school was very well represented.
On Wednesday, December 10, I sent an email blast to East families, calling their attention to a new app that is available to students that I believed our families should know about. The app is called After School, and I included the contents of that letter below in case you did not get a chance to read it. After School is a bad news app, and there are others like it. It is challenging to keep track of all of the various apps out there that can cause problems for our students, which is why it’s critical that parents and the school work together.
On the flip side, some apps are great and work to facilitate healthy, constructive conversation. One such app is Remind 101 (also known simply as Remind). Remind is a one-way text communication that enables people to send text and/or email messages to those who join the group. Several of our teachers and coaches are already using Remind as an efficient way to communicate with large groups quickly and abiding District Policy. Recently, each of our class presidents established a Remind account for their respective classes, as did I. I plan to use Remind to send quick reminders to whomever joins about things that are happening at East. Don’t worry – I won’t overwhelm you and you can discontinue whenever you like. Here are the instructions for joining Remind, if you like:
Here’s how you do it: From your cell phone
Class of 2018
Dial 610-616-2875 and message @0137a
Class of 2017
Dial 81010 and message @ea362
Class of 2016
Dial 81010 and message @ehsc
Class of 2015
Dial 81010 and message @wce2015
Mr. Fagan’s Remind 101
Dial 81010 and message @a13eb
We believe that communication is critical and there are several ways that families can stay in touch with what’s happening at East, including: the VL (this newsletter), our web page, email blasts, phone blasts, teacher emails, and now Remind.
As promised, here is the contents of the email blast I sent last week. I hope that you have a wonderful holiday break. Thanks for working with us to make East a successful school for our students.
(Letter sent regarding After School and other similar apps)
Greetings East families,
I trust this newsletter finds you well and that you are anticipating the holiday season, as I know that our students and staff are very much looking forward to having some time away from school to relax and re-acquaint themselves with family and friends. This is a great time of year, but it can also prove to be an anxious and stressful time of year for students, as I’m sure you know all too well. With the days growing shorter and colder and school assignments mounting, many students find themselves stressed and looking for opportunities to vent their stress and frustrations.
In the November VL newsletter, I wrote about an assembly we had from Katie Koestner, a nationally-recognized expert in the field of peer relations. Katie’s work focuses specifically on peer relations in the cyber world. As we all know, social media plays an important role in our lives now, especially for the younger generations. Our students dwell in two worlds: the real and the virtual. It is vital that we guide them in respect to both, as their actions in each world have real consequences.
Certain social media mechanisms can prove to be powerful for connecting people in a positive way; others are destructive and geared to hurt people. Recently, we have received a rash of concerns/complaints from students about an app called After School. If you do not already know about this app, you need to educate yourself. This insidious app enables users to post comments about whatever or whomever they like, anonymously. As you can imagine, because the comments are anonymous, certain people take the opportunity to say terrible and hurtful things about others. While the person making the comment feels secure in the blanket of anonymity, the receiver of that comment can feel completely vulnerable, having to cope with the damage that may be inflicted as a result of someone’s careless an hurtful remarks. After School is not the first app to enable people to post comments anonymously and it won’t be the last. We need to have our eyes and ears open.
What can parents and guardians do? Talk to your kids. Ask them if they use this app or another like it. If they do, re-affirm the message that what they communicate to others matters and that those communications should be respectful. I have even recommended to parents that they review their child’s phone regularly and monitor communications. While children may feel this oversight “violates their privacy,” I would suggest that our children’s well-being supersedes their right to privacy. If you believe that your child is engaging in this type of bullying, tell them to stop and explain why, ask how they would feel if the situation were reversed. Ask him or her, how humiliated and powerless would they feel if someone posted something terrible about them … anonymously, and others piled on, just for fun? If your child is the recipient of bullying, please encourage them to talk with you about it, talk with their guidance counselor, or grade level administrator, and surround themselves with their real friends. WCASD does not tolerate bullying, and to re-enforce that message, if we were able to determine who is conducting the bullying and it impacts school, we will implement the full measure of our anti-bullying policy, which includes police action. Lastly, I’d suggest that you not permit your child to have this app or any other like it on their phone. I can tell you from a lot of experience that no good whatsoever can come from apps such as this, but a great deal of harm can occur.
Below, I attached a link to an article about After School. As you will see, the creators of this app have zero concern for the bullying and harassment that could result from people utilizing their app with bad intentions. The creators of this and similar apps care about making money, not about your kids. Because comments on After School can be posted anonymously, the school is limited as to how much we can do to track down virtual bullies, which is why the school and parents need to work together. We are frustrated by items such as this that affect our students so negatively, consume significant school resources, and provide a venue for our kids to engage such poor behaviors.
http://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-after-school-app-2014-12
Sincerely,
Kevin Fagan
WC East Principal
December 2, 2014
Hello East Families, I hope that you all enjoyed a relaxing Thanksgiving break with your family and friends. The students returned to school Monday looking refreshed and ready to get back to work.
Perhaps you had a chance to see our fall drama, Our Town. If you did, you know that it was a big success. The student/actors, and crew did a great job. Kudos to our director, Liz Solomon. Kudos also to our East students who will be representing us at the PMEA District 12 Festival in January: Brian Archambault, Matt Hontz, Lauryn Cooper, Mikala Hardie, Ajmain Hossain, Gavin Bond, Alex Chen, and Ben Klucznik. Finally, good luck to our Academic Competition team as they travel to Avon Grove Charter this Friday for competition against them and Bishop Shanahan. Be sure to check out the tabs at the top of the page for more updates on what's happening at East.
This week, some of our students will be completing the Keystone Literature retest, and next week, we will be delivering the Math retest. If your student is scheduled to take one of these tests, you have already received notification. Please help to reinforce with them importance of those tests. Remember that in order to graduate, students in the classes of 2017 and 2018 are required to demonstrate proficiency in Algebra, Literature and Biology. We are working hard to ensure this is the case. Any assistance families can give with reinforcing this message is much appreciated.
Winter sports are now well underway, and personally, I am looking forward to this season -- I just hope the snow does not interrupt things too much! If your son or daughter is playing a winter sport, then I look forward to seeing you at the games. If your son or daughter is not playing a winter sport, I hope that they are engaged with another activity. East has much to offer and every study on this subject demonstrates the value of extra-curricular participation. Whether it be sports, visual/performing arts, clubs or activities -- every East student should be engaged in something positive and school related outside the school day. If you have any questions about this or need further direction, you c an speak with our Athletics Director, Sue Cornelius or your child's guidance counselor.
Until next time ...
Kevin Fagan
November 14, 2014
Hello East Families,
This has been an exciting two weeks: we wrapped up marking period one and we received our report card score from the State Department of Education. On the afternoon of November 18, East families will have the ability to see grades for the first marking pd. Obviously, it's important that our students start the year off strong. If your child's grades are where they ought to be and he/she is on track to meet expectations, great! If not, and there is room for improvement, you might be asking, "What can be done?" I have several suggestions. Your first point of contact should be your child's teacher. No one is better equipped to talk with you about how your child is doing in any given class than the respective classroom teacher. Contact the teacher via email to either express your concerns/questions or to set up a time to talk. Your next stop is your child's guidance counselor. Other resources in the building include our math and writing help room and our NHS student tutors. Any one of the guidance counselors can give you more information on these resources. At this point, guidance counselors have met with all freshmen for brief "Getting-to-know-you" meetings, and they have begun to meet with junior for junior post-secondary planning meetings. If you are the parent of junior, you will be meeting as a family with your child's counselor some time in the next few months (there is no rush!).
This week, the State released the School Performance Profile (SPP) scores, which is essentially our report card score. The SPP comprises many items, including: SAT scores, AP scores, attendance, graduation rates, and Keystone scores, among other items. East High school scored very, very well. Schools are scored on a scale of 1 to 100. East High School scored a 95.2. This score places us among the very best scores in the state. You should feel proud of your school! Earning a score like this is the result of a collective effort of our East school community. Our staff work diligently to teach/implement our district curriculum and ensure that our kids are prepared to do well on the Keystone Assessments, a major factor in our SPP score. Our students study and prepare themselves, then take these tests seriously. Their dedication paid off! And our families/community support our school and the efforts of our staff and students. I think it's important that we acknowledge that together, we can accomplish a great deal for the benefit of our students.
While our SPP score is great, there are areas where we can improve, and we will continue to strive toward getting better. How can families assist? Good question! It is imperative that our students are in school every day, unless they are sick. They need to be here on time, every day. We also need to work together to ensure that we are maximizing our resources available to the students. Please watch your child's grades and attendance, talk with them about how school is going, and let the guidance counselor know if you have concerns. Lastly, the time leading up to and during Keystone testing time is important. Winter Keystone retest dates are fast approaching and posted on our school calendar. Check the East website for more details. As a reminder, all students in the classes of 2017 and 2018 MUST demonstrate proficiency on the Keystone Exams in order to graduate. The retests are an opportunity for those students who were not proficient last spring to give the tests another shot. You will receive communication if your child is scheduled for a re-test in Biology, Algebra or Literature.
That's all for now. Be sure to check out the tabs above to read about other things going on here at your school. This is the last news letter before Thanksgiving Break, and I wish you all a wonderful holiday and hope you have the opportunity to see friends and family and decompress for a few days.
Best,
Kevin Fagan
Greetings,
This past week, East High School and the East PTO joined together to provide our students with an assembly program geared toward helping them develop "Cybersmarts." Our presenter was Ms. Katie Koestner, a nationally-recognized expert on peer relations and interactions. She was well-received by the students and staff. Here are of the more salient points from that assembly that I thought parents and families might like to hear about:
1. Our students today dwell in two worlds: the real and the virtual. This makes for a very different experience from what we endured, and while there are advantages to this duality, there are challenges and pitfalls. The adolescent mind is not always prepared to deal appropriately with the complexities of the world (duh); the fact that they are required to deal with the same challenges in two worlds doubles the stakes for them. This can lead to stress and error. Kids need to understand the stakes and act accordingly, but that is very challenging for some.
2. They are accountable for their actions in both the real and virtual world and the activities in which they engage in the virtual world can become very real, as illustrated by some of the examples provided by Katie, e.g., kids losing jobs, scholarships, and college offers because of something posted on a virtual account.
3. Colleges/Universities/Employers are watching. The monitoring of the virtual world is a big business now and nothing is free. Accepting a student to the college or workplace is a high-stakes game and the people making the decisions want to get things right. To do so, they will pay private companies to investigate the candidate. For some, this is good news bc their virtual self exemplifies the best of who they are. For others, it is a different story.
4. They need our guidance and support. Regardless of whether we are talking about the real or virtual world, students need our guidance and tutelage, especially in their teen years when the world can be a challenging and confusing place. We all know how critical, critical thinking skills are. Developing the ability to see the world around us, comprehend it, and make smart decisions has never been more necessary than today when the stakes are so high.
The first marking period is coming to a close and somehow, we are already approaching November (time flies). I know that many of you do this routinely, but it's always a good practice to talk with your child about how his/her classes are going, look at grades, and determine what more can be done to maximize school performance. If you child is struggling and could use some help, there are a number of interventions we can offer, including: meeting with teachers after school -- our staff is here everyday until at least 2:50 PM, seeking assistance from the guidance counselor, visiting our math and writing help centers, and connecting with one of our National Honor Society student tutors. The NHS tutors stand ready and willing to help their peers in any way they can. If you have questions about any one of these interventions, please contact your child's counselor and inquire.
Be sure to check out the various tabs above to hear about some the great things happening at East.
Sincerely,
Kevin Fagan
East Principal
September 19, 2014
Greetings,
On September 18 we hosted our annual Back to School Night and had a great turn-out. I know that I speak for our teachers and staff when I say how nice it was to see so many of our parents and family and to have the opportunity to get to know you a little bit. In the event that you did not have an opportunity to come to BTSN last night, and you would like to talk with your child's teachers, I would advise emailing those teachers directly. You can find contact information on our East web page.
Yesterday, we hosted our Student Activities Fair, during which student representatives of various clubs and activities set up informational tables for the student body to learn about these clubs and sign up to participate. At East, we expect every student to be involved with at least one club, activity, or sport. Most of our students are and it makes a positive difference in their school experience. If your son or daughter is not currently involved in an after-school activity, please encourage them to talk with their counselor about how to get involved.
Speaking of counselors .... at this time of year, our counseling staff is working with the seniors on the college application process and ensuring that they have everything in order. If you are the parent of a senior and have questions about this process, please feel free to contact your child's counselor. Of course, counselors are working with our other students as well. One of their objectives this year is to meet with every freshmen on their respective caseload before the end of October, if not sooner. This meeting is intended to give counselors and students a chance to meet one another and provide students with a chance to ask questions and get help as needed. This is just one of many low-key interventions we offer at East.
Be sure to check out the various tabs above to hear about some the great things happening at East. For instance, perhaps you had not heard that 8 of our seniors were recently recognized as National Merit Semi-Finalists. This is a big deal. See the "Student News" tab for more info. Also check out the PTO tab. Our PTO is extremely helpful to East and they are always looking for more parent support, particularly for things like "Post Prom." Please consider getting involved. Details are on the PTO tab. Lastly, from time to time, we send email blasts to our families in order to keep everyone informed of important things happening at East. If you feel you are not receiving these email blasts, please get in touch with your child's guidance counselor with your updated email address so that we can make the correction in our system.
The school year is now in full swing and we have many important calendar items coming up. Be sure to check out our East home page for our September and October dates. I hope to see you soon.
Sincerely,
Kevin Fagan
East Principal