Dear East Hills School Community:

This past Wednesday, we hosted - our last Winners' Circle of the year.  I want to thank Mr. Massucci for organizing all of this year's Winners' Circle speakers who shared such valuable insights with our students.  Also thank you to Vickie Chandler from our district's Digital Media Services for taping these great talks. Our final Winners' Circle meeting featured Bloomfield Hills High School seniors. Click here to check out the powerful advice they shared with our students. We are so blessed to work with great students and families! Thank you!

M-Step testing is nearly complete for another year. We just have a few remaining tests (4th Grade Math) and make-up tests at this point, and I would like to thank you for supporting us in our efforts to meet this state mandate.  A special thank you goes out to Mr. Thompson, Mrs. Young, Mrs. Eason, Mrs. Bridges, Mr. Southward, Mr. Kalanquin, Mrs. Konzen and truly all of our teachers and students for leading our efforts in this important endeavor.

Spring is here - and as a result, there are a number of important events planned in the days ahead.  With an eye toward next week, we begin our final concerts of the year with our 6th/7th/8th Grade Choir Concert on Monday, May 20.  See the important dates below for all the upcoming concerts and performance information as we head into the final four weeks of the school year.

VERY IMPORTANT NOTE:
Friday, May 24, is a half day. Students in grades 4 through 7 will be dismissed at 11:35 a.m. 8th grade students should NOT report to East Hills on that day.  Instead, they will be visiting the high school. See additional information below on when and where your 8th grader should report on May 24 along with other Move-Up Day information.

It is hard to believe that our spring sports season will be wrapping up soon, and that next Friday, May 24 marks the beginning of the traditional start to summer, Memorial Day Weekend.  Along with the Move-Up Day and the half day on this coming Friday, please remember that Monday, May 27, is a holiday and there will be no school.

Please take a moment to check out this week's broadcast as there are a number of new articles highlighting important upcoming events!

"Spring is nature's way of saying, 'Let's party!'"
-Robin Williams

Jason

Jason Rubel
Principal
East Hills Middle School
Bloomfield Hills Schools
(248) 341-6205
Twitter: @EastHills4_8
East Hills Middle School Website
"Enabling learners to become architects of their futures. . ."

A/B Day Schedule:
Mon., May 20 - B Day
Tues., May 21 - A Day
Wed., May 22 - B Day
Thurs., May 23 - A Day
Fri., May 24 - B Day (11:35 a.m. Dismissal)

KEY DATES
The following are upcoming key dates for the school year, and our full calendar for the year can be accessed by clicking HERE:
Mon. May 20 6th-8th Choir Concert 7:00 p.m.
Fri. May 24 ½ Day - Moving Up Day – PD for Teachers 11:35 a.m. Dismissal
Mon. May 27 No School
Wed. May 29 6th-8th Spring Band/Orchestra Concert 7:00 p.m.
Thurs. May 30 4th/5th General Music Concert 7:00 p.m.
Tues. June 4 8th Grade Musical In-School Performance (6th/7th/8th Grade Audience) 1:30 p.m.
Tues. June 4 8th Grade Musical Dress Rehearsal 3:15 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Wed. June 5 Volunteer Breakfast 9:00 a.m.
Wed. June 5 PTO Meeting 9:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Wed. June 5 8th Grade Musical In-School Performance (4th & 5th Grade Audience) 1:30 p.m.
Wed. June 5 8th Grade Musical Community Performance 7:00 p.m.
Fri. June 7 8th Grade Breakfast 8:15 a.m. – 9:15 a.m.
Fri. June 7 Field Day 9:15 a.m. – 3:05 p.m.
Mon. June 10 5th Grade Band/Orchestra Concert 7:00 p.m. (NEW DATE)
Thurs. June 13 8th Grade Farewell Party 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Fri. June 14 8th Grade Recognition Program 9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Fri. June 14 (*) End of 4th Quarter/2nd Semester
Fri. June 14 Last Day of School – 1/2 Day 11:35 a.m. Dismissal

The BHS Foundation has many opportunities to recognize someone who has made a difference. Visit www.bloomfield.org/Tribute to donate honor, celebrate, thank, or congratulate!

Each year there is a district-wide Move Up Day, when students who will be moving to a different building next school year spend time at that building. For current eighth through third graders, Move-Up Day is Friday, May 24, which is also a 1/2 day of school. Here is how the Move Up Day experience will work for East Hills' students:

8th graders should NOT report to East Hills at all on May 24. Instead, follow these instructions. There is no need to call their absence in to the EHMS attendance line.

• 8th Graders Who WILL Attend BH High School: Students should go directly to the high school campus at the times indicated in this letter from BH High School Principal, Charlie Hollerith. This letter provides instructions for your 8th grader on that day. It's important that you keep this for reference, as it indicates the location, schedule, drop-off and pick-up instructions for your 8th grader on May 24. Here is the BH High School Bus Schedule for those 8th graders who wish to utilize morning (only) transportation (best viewed on a computer screen due to print size). Mr. Hollerith's letter refers to high school bus transportation to the high school. Please refer specific questions about BHHS buses to the Transportation Department at 248-341-6290.

• 8th graders who WILL NOT attend BH High School: These students do not need to report to school on that day. You do NOT have to call in their absence from East Hills.

• 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th Graders: On Move-Up Day, students in these grades will participate in some activities with the teachers from the grades that they will be in next year. The morning start time does not change, and the 1/2 day ends at 11:35 a.m.

• 3rd Graders from Eastover: East Hills will host incoming 4th graders on Move-Up Day. Those students should report to Eastover at the regular time, and they will be brought by bus to East Hills as a group. 3rd grade families are responsible for arranging pick-up of their children at East Hills at 11:00 a.m. CLICK HERE for a letter from East Hills Principal, Jason Rubel, for details regarding Move-Up Day for current 3rd graders.

As part of the transition to fourth grade, third-grade students will visit East Hills on Friday, May 24.  On May 24th, Eastover students should report directly to Eastover in the morning. Shortly after 9:00 a.m., the students will be transported by bus to East Hills.  May 24th is a half-day for all district students.

The East Hills transition program for the third graders will end at 11:00 a.m.  Students will not return to Eastover at the end of the day. Families will need to arrange rides home directly from East Hills.  In order to lessen traffic congestion at East Hills, car pooling is encouraged. Prompt student pick-up at 11:00 a.m. will be appreciated.  Students will not be permitted to walk home after the program. If you plan to park your car and come inside the building to pick up your child, there is no parking in the traffic loops . . . they are for pick up only.  We will be using the front loop (not the steps entrance) as our pick up point for all third-grade students participating in the program.

The entire East Hills staff is looking forward to this event for our new students. We have an informative morning planned for your child(ren) and we know they will enjoy their "first day" at East Hills.

Letter from Mr. Rubel to Third-Grade Families

It is time to apply for the East Hills Student Leadership Council for the 2019-2020 school year!  We are once again, looking for highly motivated students who will provide leadership and dedication to improve our school's environment.  This is a year-long commitment, similar to being a member of a sports team for the entire school year.

5th grade applications were recently passed out to interested students the week of May 13th.  Completed applications should be returned to Mr. Massucci (Room 405) by Monday, June 3rd.  Applications were passed out at school and there are more copies in room 405.  Any questions please email Mr. Massucci at mmassucci@bloomfield.org

6th and 7th grade applications were recently passed out to interested students the week of May 13th.  Completed applications should be returned to Mr. Massucci (Room 405) by Monday, June 3rd.  Applications were passed out at school and there are more copies in room 405.  Any questions please email Mr. Massucci at mmassucci@bloomfield.org

Applicants are chosen based on a scoring system, which includes feedback from the Teacher Reference forms.

The East Hills Student Leadership Council is an important and responsible position. It is an opportunity to demonstrate leadership within our school. We are looking forward to reading applications from motivated and dedicated students!

Dear East Hills Families:

Please be on the lookout for an envelope that came home with your child on Friday, May 17 that looks like this (see below). 

It is our Spring Fundraising Campaign.  If you're able to give, please send cash or check back to school in the envelope, or follow this link to donate online.  If you return the envelope containing cash or check to school please have your student give it to the following teachers:

4th/5th grade - Classroom teacher
6th grade - 2nd hour teacher
7th/8th grade - 1st hour teacher

If you're unable to give at this time, no worries — please file the envelope in your recycle bin.  If you're on the fence, here are some reasons you might consider a donation:

Your East Hills PTO sponsors programming throughout the year including: 4th Grade Different Ability Awareness Day, Activity Afternoon, Groove & Game, Ice Cream Social, Winners' Circle, the 8th Grade Breakfast and the 8th Grade Party, to name a few.  We also help sponsor programs and improvements for our Media Center and support our staff during Staff Appreciation Week and through our Mini-Grant Program.  Additionally, our PTO sponsors a number of clubs each year.  

The district gives an allotment to each school to run clubs.  This amount is never enough to cover the plethora of clubs for which our students show interest, so the PTO steps in financially to help make it possible.  For next year, we have budgeted $4,000 to supplement the cost of our clubs. Please consider supporting clubs so we can continue to offer a vast array of extra-curricular opportunities to OUR STUDENTS.

Our Mini-Grant program will kick off in the early Fall which means, this Spring campaign helps us hit the ground running in September.  As you may well know, each and every school year, teachers spend money out of pocket to help make a difference in the lives of our students.  The Mini-Grant Program invites staff to submit an application for items they need for their classrooms and special programs — again, money that might otherwise come out of pocket.  The PTO reviews the applications and awards grants to selected recipients.  This program grows each year and our dream would be to fund every request, but our outreach is limited by our budget.  Please consider helping us help our staff make a difference for OUR STUDENTS!

We started this giving campaign with our 2019 Parents' Night Out: Kentucky Derby earlier this month.  If you weren't able to attend and/or didn't have a chance to support the cause, here is your chance!  Here are some pictures from the event and I'd be remiss if I didn't take this opportunity to thank all who attended, The O'Brians - our generous hosts, and the dedicated committee who worked so hard to make it a really fun night (for a really great cause!) 





This campaign will run through Friday, May 31st.  Thank you for your consideration and ongoing support — we are humbled by your generosity!!

Humbly,

The East Hills PTO

We are nearing the end of the year, which means the 8th Grade Pancake breakfast is just around the corner!!

It will be held on Friday, June 7 from 8:15-9:15 a.m.  We are in need of a few volunteers to help us the morning of the breakfast (with set-up and during the breakfast itself).  We also need some food/drink donations - Chris Cakes will be preparing the pancakes.

Please use the link below to sign-up!
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080e4ea9ad2ba4f85-east7

All donations need to be to East Hills by 7:30 a.m. the morning of the breakfast.

Any questions, please email Erin Hunt: erinehunt0@gmail.com

Yes, it is that time of year!  The 8th Grade Year End Celebration!  The party is scheduled for June 13 from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at East Hills.  The ticket price is $20, which will include a t-shirt, food, games, DJ, and some very special surprises.  We will need your 8th grader's t-shirt and ticket money turned in by May 23 to Mrs. Rowe's class.  Additional information is included on the link below.  Please be on the lookout for volunteer opportunities and in-kind donation requests coming out shortly. 

Thank you!

Your 8th Grade Party Committee

8th Grade Party Information

The 8th Grade Recognition Assembly is Friday, June 14 in the East Hills gymnasium, and it is for all eighth-grade students and their adult family members.  Students should arrive at the regular school start time.  The assembly begins at 9:00 a.m. and will run until around 10:30 p.m.  Eighth graders will be dismissed immediately following the assembly.  Dismissal for all other students is 11:35 a.m.  The assembly is more formal in nature - boys should wear long pants and a nice shirt, shirt/tie or sport coat. Girls usually wear a dress or a nice skirt or slacks.  The event will follow the school dress code. 

A special thank you to the 5th Grade Girl Scouts for spending some time recently cleaning up one of the beds near the steps entrance to East Hills.  The girls weeded, picked up garbage, and also planted 90 annuals. The girls worked really hard on a warm day!

Thank you, 5th Grade Girl Scouts, for all your efforts!  They are great appreciated!