Purgolder Time during the month of November is centered around identity and who students are as East High School Purgolders. This week focused on students figuring out who they are through post high school planning. They started the process of identifying their personality, skills, and interests related to post high school planning and learned the tools available to them to figure out their best path forward. Here is the presentation.

The week of November 7-11 is National School Psychology Week (NSPW) which highlights the important work school psychologists do to help students thrive. This year's theme from the National Association of School Psychologists, "Together We Shine" is derived from how we see hope after several challenging years. We have all faced difficulties created by the pandemic, social injustice and inequity, economic stress, and challenges to mental and physical health. For some, it has been a time of real darkness, and finding light is critical to building resilience and hope. At East, we are beyond lucky to have three of the best school psychologists, Ms. Reyes, Ms. Overton and Ms. Gawlik. Ms. Reyes supports the Olbrich and Tenney Neighborhoods, Ms. Overton supports the Warner and Yahara Neighborhoods, and Ms. Gawlik supports the entire building as the Multi Tiered Systems of Support Coordinator. Thank you for the hard work you do to support students, staff and families at East every day!

A huge shoutout to East staff members María Díaz, Silvia Gomez de Soriano, and Mark Penisten for all their efforts in putting on a spectacular Día de los Muertos event this past Saturday. The event was full of vibrant performances in the Theater, and unique crafts and delicious food in the Cafeteria. El Ballet Folklórico de María Díaz, Maria Diaz and Silvia Gomez de Soriano would like to specifically thank Mark, the Theater Technical Manager, for his time spent at rehearsals and for his work with lighting and background. The lighting and the background pics on stage were spot on! Thank you to the village of people that contributed to the huge success of this event.

Funds raised from the annual event are split between the Ballet Folklórico de María Díaz and East's Raza United Student Association (that Silva Gomez de Soriano advises).

Congratulations to East Senior, Smith Connor, who signed his Division 1 National Letter of Intent this week to swim for the University of Minnesota Twin Cities next year. Smith will be one of this year's Captains for the East/LaFollette swim team and looks to improve on his state finishes from last year.

The swimmers had a fantastic sectionals meet this past weekend! Here's a recap:

Congratulations swimmers! It's been a great season!

Virtual Fall Parent Teacher Conferences will take place o Wednesday, November 16th, 2022 from 4:00-8:00pm and Thursday, November 17th, 2022 from 8:00am-4:00pm (no school for students). This week teachers began reaching out to families with information about how to sign up for virtual 10 minute conferences. Student's schedules and teacher contact information are available in the Infinite Campus Parent Portal online and can be accessed on a mobile device with the "Campus Parent" app (download from the App Store or get it on Google play). Parents who prefer to communicate in a language other than English should contact a Bilingual Resources Specialist.

Lifetouch yearbook photo retakes will be on Tuesday, November 15th from 7:30am-3:00pm at East High School in LMC Gold. Students do not need to sign-up to have their photo retaken, they can just go to LMC Gold during their study hall, between classes, during lunch, or before school.

Students can sign up now for the Apprenticeship Career Fair field trip on Tuesday, November 15th from 9:30-11:30am. Bus transportation is provided from East. Students will learn about the WRTP / BIG STEP Apprenticeship Readiness Program, manufacturing employment opportunities, and the apprenticeship application process. Students will also have the opportunity to do hands–on projects and activities and speak with employers about employment opportunities. Contact East's Academic and Career Planning Coordinator, Tyler Kastner, for more information.

East 11th and 12th grade students have the opportunity to take a field trip to UW-Madison to tour the campus on Friday, November 18th during periods 2-4. Space is limited and pre-registration is required.

Students who are interested in learning more about a career in construction can attend attend upcoming career panels in collaboration with Findorff to hear from a wide range of professionals working in a variety of fields connected to construction with focuses on the topics below:

All sessions will be held in the Career Center (Room 2031) at East High School. Space is limited, so pre-registration is recommended.

Check out these slides with next week's new scholarships, jobs, events, and college visits.