August 2017

Dear Grade 10 – 12 Students:

Welcome back to East Lyme High School and the 2017-2018 school year! I hope that you had a relaxing summer and that you are as excited as we are to start school on Wednesday, August 30st at 7:30am.

I am proud to report that once again East Lyme High School has been recognized by Newsweekas one of “2016 Best Public High Schools In America” and by The Washington Post as one of “America’s Most Challenging High Schools”. Our high rankings are a result of the hard work and dedication to education from our faculty, staff, students, and families. Some of the key factors that support our students’ success are found in our REACH expectations (Responsibility, Empathy, Achievement, Collaboration, Honesty). Your high school years go by quickly, so make the most of them and get involved in our community through our fantastic courses, activities, sports and service clubs. I guarantee you, the more you are involved, the better your year will be!

Enclosed in this mailing you will find some helpful information, as well as the Census Verification (CV), Responsible Use Agreement signature form, and Free/Reduced lunch information (one per family). Please complete both sides of the CV and return it to the counseling office as it is extremely important that we have current information to communicate effectively with you and your family. The technology policies referenced in the Responsible Use page can be found on the website in the Parent & Student Information section. Please read the policies and returned the sign form to the counseling office. Also, please be sure to review the free/reduced lunch information with your parent/guardian. Students who qualify for free/reduced lunch are also eligible for reductions in class dues, some field trips, SAT/ACT registration, and college applications.

To begin the year well, please review the Important Information page in the mailing and the Student/Parent Handbookwith your parents when you receive it, or you may view it online by visiting the Parent & Student Information tab on the For Parents & Students section of the district website. Be sure to reread the “Code of Conduct” section which outlines the school’s expectations for behavior. Also, with classes being approximately 85 minutes long, attendance is a critical component to gaining the full experience of each course. Please review our attendance policy. Another reminder: Mid-term exams are presently scheduled for January 18 - 24, 2018 and final exams are June 8 - 14, 2018 but will be moved later if there are any snow days. Please be mindful of not scheduling trips or vacations during exam times.

We will continue to use Infinite Campus (IC) to report grades and attendance. Students can find course information and homework in Google Classroom. Schedules will be available in the student IC student portal during the week of August 21, 2017.

You will notice a number of new faces when you return to school including: Victoria Thomson and Rachel Mauthe in science, Hamilton Hernandez and Jennifer Raub in social studies, Sara Nazzaro in English, Peter Zipser in Math, Laura Hanley in World Language, Molly Goldreich in Family & Consumer Science, Angelica Fadrowski in Music, Jillian Phelps in the ABA program, Joe Fallacaro will be the long-term sub for Kristen Konesky, and Janet Binkowski is our new nurse. David Fasulo will be overseeing Coastal Connections.

Lastly, I would like to remind you of our new senior dismissal/late arrival policy. Senior students must earn quarterly grades in the “C” range or higher to be eligible for Senior Late Arrival/Early Dismissal privileges. Students with any grade lower than a “C” range may petition the Academic Appeals Committee to be eligible for this privilege. Fourth Quarter grades from Junior year will be used to determine eligibility forfirst quarter senior year.

I hope you enjoy the remainder of the summer. I look forward to seeing you on the 30thof August!

Sincerely,

Michael Susi

Principal

“Learners today, leaders tomorrow.”