Monday's Purgolder Time centered around Friendship and recognizing what makes us good friends to those around us, including a video from students and staff.

Students made a thanksgiving meal on Tuesday and then sat down together to enjoy it with their classmates on Wednesday (with smiles and without cell phones). Maybe some will help make part of the Thanksgiving meal for their families next week!

On the menu: Turmeric Sheet Pan Chicken with roasted veggies, mashed potatoes, cornbread kush, gravy, cranberries and cheese cake.

The Eastside Players of Madison East High School have advanced to the State Round of the Wisconsin High School Theatre Festival. The production of We Found a Finger will be on Saturday, November 19th at 9:45am in the Light Recital Hall at UW-Whitewater. Over forty students have been involved in the cast, crew, and production team.

In a recent press release, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Dane County shared that they have been awarded one of Ascendium’s Good Neighbor Grants and will use the funds to support the operating costs of its Advancement via Individual Determination/Teens of Promise Program (AVID/TOPS).

AVID/TOPS, a partnership between the Boys & Girls Clubs of Dane County and the Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD), is a rigorous college and career preparatory program primarily serving students from low-income backgrounds, students of color, and aspiring first-generation college students. Some of its offerings include academic support, college field trips, career exploration activities, and internship opportunities.

MMSD serves 1,000 students in the AVID/TOPS program in which East makes up 270 of those students.

Ascendium’s grant will benefit students like Benjamin Davis, who participated in AVID/TOPS during his four years at Madison East High School. Through the program, Davis received tutoring services, visited organizations across Madison to learn more about the jobs they offer, participated in paid summer internships, and toured college campuses. Davis is now a sophomore business major at Bryant & Stratton College with plans to transfer to Marquette University or the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee next year to pursue a career as a financial advisor.

“Receiving guidance on critical thinking, study methods, and professional language really put me ahead of my peers. The college field trips were especially beneficial since, as a first-generation college student, you don’t know what you don’t know,” Davis said. “There were many people who helped me and with whom I connected as part of AVID/TOPS. For me, AVID/TOPS is more than just a program — it’s a family.”

25,000 campus tour steps, 559 miles driven, 27 students, 9 hotel rooms, 3 colleges, 2 days, 1 bus! AVID Seniors, AVID Teachers and Boys & Girls Club staff had a great time visiting UW-Eau Claire, Augsburg University, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities! The memories these scholars made on this trip will last a lifetime!

Yesterday our Findorff construction crew took a break from shoveling concrete for the stairwell domolation to help us carry in 4,000lbs of food that Second Harvest provided for us to make Thanksgiving baskets for families and to stock the pantry fridges and shelves in our culinary room for students to have throughout the day and to take home to families. Thank you to all the volunteers for helping assemble baskets on a no school day!

The 2022 Multicultural Youth Leadership Summit took place earlier this fall at the Madison Concourse Hotel. East students connected with area leaders and engaged in workshops on Cultural Sensitivity, Post-Secondary Options, Financial Literacy, Mental Health, and Restorative Justice. Students led and moderated panels with community leaders and district leadership including Board of Education Member Nichelle Nichols, Superintendent Dr. Carlton Jenkins, and Former State Superintendent Carolyn Stanford Taylor. The event was Co-Sponsored by Madison365 and in partnership with the WI Leadership Summit.

There will not be school Wednesday, November 23-25 for Fall Break.

East students, Christa Vang and Lasheah Thao, were recently featured in a MMSD video about why celebrating Hmong New Year is important to them, their favorite food and drinks to enjoy during the celebration, and why others should know about this special time. East will host a Hmong New Year Celebration on Tuesday, November 22nd during the school day in the Theater for staff and students to attend.

Families interested in meeting with the principal and other staff to share important information and partner in efforts to provide students with the best educational experience possible at East can join our next Virtual Purgolder United Parent Meeting on Wednesday, November 30th at 6pm via Zoom.

Winter sports have begun. Schedules can be found at big8conference.net. Please follow the East Sports Spectator Guidance when attending athletic events.

Registration for MSCR Intermediate Basketball for 9th and 10th grade students is due on Monday, November 28th at 2:30pm.

Registration for MSCR Metro Basketball for 11th and 12th grade students is due on Friday, January 6th at 5:00pm.

*Participants can NOT be on a WIAA basketball team.

For more information, contact Mayder Lor, MSCR Recreation Specialist, by email, phone at 608-204-1752, or stop by the MSCR Office at East in Room 1040K.

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