September 15th marked the first day of National Hispanic Heritage Month. It is the month where we celebrate the history and culture of la raza. And for those who don’t know what ”la raza” means, it translates to “the people” and it is a term that originated in the 20th century and is used to reflect on the mixture inherit in the Hispanic people. On Hispanic Heritage Month, we also recognize Hispanic influential leaders, they’re achievements, and contributions to our cultura, including the ones within our community here at East! It first started off as Hispanic Heritage Week in 1968 by President Lyndon Johnson and was later expanded to a month in 1988 by President Ronald Reagan. Now we celebrate it from September 15 to October 15. We welcome you all to celebrate it with us! Join us in celebration of Mexico’s heritage and history at the 21st Annual Viva México Festival 2022 on Sunday, September 18th, at Breese Stevens Field.

Last week we had a brief all school presentation via zoom, which you can watch here. The Administrative team reviewed electronics and tardiness expectations.  As a school community, our expectation is that students will have their cell phones off and away during class time and that they will be present for instruction from "bell to bell", which means that they will be in class on time and not leave early (unless they have a pass).

Tardiness and inappropriate electronics use during class time often impacts the learning environment. This year we plan to be intentional about creating a safe, welcoming and engaging learning environment. As our teachers begin to build strong classroom communities, they will continue to have conversations that empower students to put their phones away and actively engage with one another and their teacher in the learning process.

We’ll work with students who are struggling to meet these expectations. Our tiered approach for addressing non-compliance are on slides five and six of the presentation slideshow. We’re looking forward to partnering with you to build a strong school climate this year.

Purgolder Time is an extension of 2nd hour on Early Release Mondays where lessons are provided to students regarding students' social emotional health and well-being, the culture and climate, community building, and communication in our building. Our theme this month is Community and our first lesson was "Community & Play.

The East Mountain Bike Team competed in their first race of the season over Labor Day weekend. The race venue, located in Cable, Wisconsin, was a beautiful place for both biking and camping. Camping over the race weekend is always an absolute blast, but this time it was especially unique. Old elevator shafts and tunnels that led to nowhere made for interesting exploring. The trails were recently finished and smooth single track coupled with grassy double track made for a challenging course. The East Mountain Bike Team absolutely kicked butt, sliding into 10th place out of 48 competing teams! The success of the team was thanks to the stunning efforts of our student athletes, including Lyllie Sonnemann, Anika Derby, Izzy Ayres-Wilhelm, Sam Strawser, and Cooper Van Horn! If you’re interested in joining the East Mountain Bike Team for opportunities to have fun, meet new people, and ride bikes, you can contact head coach Mike McGarry or East Teacher, Emily Sonnemann.

Our 9th graders got a sneak peek at all the clubs and activities East has to offer at the Club Fair on 9th Grade Orientation day. Clubs began meeting this week. Students can view the current clubs and activities on our website at east.mmsd.org/students/clubs-activities.

East Cross Country had a great meet at the Monona Grove Invitational on Saturday, September 10th. The girls varsity team took home second place out of seven teams, and the boys varsity team placed third of nine teams. Multiple individuals set personal bests, and the hard work and good sportsmanship of all our athletes received numerous compliments. View all upcoming athletic events at big8conference.net.

Tre Younger - East High class of '82 - and her husband John Arnold donated food and snacks to the Food Equity Club pantries and snack program this week. Tre and her East High class, friends and neighbours raised money to buy food for the school. Learn about Food Resources available at East.

We are excited to return to an in-person back-to-school event this year! All East students and families are invited to join us for our Community Dinner and Back to School Night Open House on Monday, September 19th from 5:00-7:00pm. The tradition of our annual FREE Community Dinner will start in the Cafeteria at 5:00pm. Hotdogs and drinks will be provided by the school and staff will bring dishes to pass. School tours begin outside the Welcome Center at 5:15pm. Join one of the student led tour groups and visit with staff and students along the way. Many teachers will be in their classrooms for you to stop in and say hello!

Monday, September 19th, 2022

5:00-6:00pm | Community Dinner

6:00-7:00pm | Back to School Night Open House with Classroom Visits

Food and beverages provided. Children and all family members are welcome!

The East Counseling Department is teaming up with Back to School Night to provide an opportunity for seniors and senior parents to get important information about senior expectations and some Post High School Planning topics. There will be breakout rooms for 2/4 year colleges, employment, apprenticeships, job training, military and gap year. The event will be both in person at East in the Margaret Williams Theater and virtually via zoom. (Senior Parent Night Zoom Link)

College Goal Wisconsin will be IN PERSON supporting East High School on Tuesday, October 11th from 6:00-8:00pm by assisting any Senior student and family that needs support with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Seniors should register online for the event. Financial Aid Experts from UW-Madison, Edgewood and DPI will be on hand to assist families. Contact a School Counselor with questions.

Senior Yearbook Portraits are due by Friday, November 4th. Email them to Ms. van Buren. The deadline to purchase a Senior Tribute ad in the yearbook is Friday, December 16th. For more information, email Ms. v or see her in room 3400 at lunch, after school or between classes.

Don't wait to get signed up for Winter and Spring Sports!

Student-Athletes must complete the following before being able to participate in practice or competitions:

Need Assistance? Call the Athletic Office at 608-204-1604 or email the Athletic Secretary, Jeneene McConley-Olson at jmolson5@madison.k12.wi.us. Pre-printed forms are also available in the Athletic Office.

Winter Cheer try-outs are coming soon. Fill out the Winter Tryouts Interest Google Form, email Coach Cassie Gallagher for details, and follow East Cheer on social media for the latest updates:

All boys interested in playing basketball this season should attend a mandatory informational meeting on Wednesday, September 21st at lunch in the Field House.

SAVE THE DATE - Get ready to cheer on your favorite students and staff members during the staff/student doubles tournament Thursday October 20th at 4pm! 

Madison East Athletics is now offering Adult Individual Sports Passes for purchase. The passes provide the adult purchaser free admission to East home sporting events hosted by East High School where an entry fee is typically charged.  

Single Pass Purchase — $30 | Double Pass Purchase — $50

Checks can be made payable to Madison East HS.

Passes will be on sale at the Back-To-School Night Open House event on Monday, September 19th. Contact the Athletic Office at 608-204-1604 or email the Athletic Secretary, Jeneene McConley-Olson at jmolson5@madison.k12.wi.us for more information.

Our new College, Career & Community Website features weekly updates about post high school education and opportunities for our students. This week's updates include:

There will be a modified bell schedule on Thursday, September 22nd and Friday, September 23rd for student presentations during an extended 2nd hour class. The presentations will include information about MMSD's Standard Response Protocol and Behavior Education Plan.

Common Wealth Development's Youth Business Mentoring Program (YBMP) provides teens with the following:

Fall 2022 Program Application must be completed by Wednesday, September 21st by 5:00pm. Applications will be considered complete with the submission of both a STUDENT and PARENT/GUARDIAN application.

After submission, one of the facilitators will be in touch to discuss next steps. If accepted, an intake prior to training will be scheduled at that time.

The Fall 2022 training will take place Monday-Friday, September 26th-October 7th from 3:50–5:00pm.

Upon program completion, each student will be paired with a mentor who will meet with them to discuss their goals for working and what they’d like to pursue for employment. CWD will serve as a reference for students and assist them in getting hired at a part-time job, and then work with them to ensure it’s a successful placement. Common Wealth Staff can also enroll students in Work Based Learning with the job they secure in this program to earn elective credits through MMSD's Experiential Learning Program. Contact Ashley Hoeft, Youth Employment Specialist with questions.

Join Girls Inc. Adventure Club on Monday October 3rd and 10th from 2:30-6:30pm, and for a free overnight backpacking trip on October 14th and 15th. Contact Jade Koenigs for more information or fill out the enrollment google form.