Newsletter from Eastern Junior-Senior High School
August 11th, 2025
Welcome back to Eastern Junior-Senior High School for the 2025-2026 school year! As always, please feel free to contact me with any questions, and know I am here to support your child’s learning to the fullest extent possible. I would like to start this letter by introducing some new faculty changes in the building, and discuss our new and upcoming programs.
Sheryl Roush, the building’s school counselor is retiring effective the first of the year. We would like to thank Sheryl for her many years of service at Eastern as a teacher, coach, counselor, and difference maker for many students. In the best effort to ensure academic/career focused success, course programming, and student scheduling, Katie Williams will be serving as an Academic Dean of Students helping with many of the school counselor roles, including CCP Programing, Scholarships, Scheduling, Testing, and Career Advising. Sara Will is moving into a district counselor position, and will still be a main point of contact for school counselor needs across all grade levels. We look forward to having both of these wonderful ladies serving the students and families of EHS and look forward to the continued growth we have had as a building and school district across the board. Additionally, David Funke will be our new band director, and has already hit the ground running with pre-camp and camp activities for our students 7-12.
CCP Chemistry will be available this year second semester, and we will also have a CCP PC Applications course offered as well Spring 2026. Both courses can be taken through Washington State College of Ohio in our building, which brings our total CCP credit hour offerings up to 30 semester hours without having to leave our campus. We will continue this year to focus on career advising, career field trips, developing internships, pre-apprenticeship expansion, and as much career education and exposure as possible. Washington State offers a wonderful career credentialing program on Fridays, referred to as the In-Cert Program. This program allows students to stay at their home district for their secondary education, while gaining crucial career tech credentials in a variety of fields including metal lathing operations, robotics, welding, manufacturing, and even cyber security. Interested 10th-12th graders are to contact Sara Will or Katie Williams if they wish to participate. Our goal is that all students find their “E” upon graduation (Employed, Enrolled, or Enlisted) and receive an education that fully centers upon this mission. Please reach out if you would like to come in and help educate our students about local workforce opportunities or potential internship possibilities.
We have started many new activities this year for students, including an Esports club run by Mr. Kyle Bergman, Mathematics Teacher. Esports is a competitive computer based games club that provides students with another extra-curricular option outside of traditional athletics. Many students in Esports end up receiving excellent scholarships to local universities every year including The University of Rio Grande and Ohio University. If your student is interested in joining, please have them speak with Mr. Bergman or reach out to him via email, and he will share information about the club, along with sign-up information and practice schedules. Jenna Stoltzfus will also be the building's Play/Theater Club Director for students interested in the Performing Arts. In total, we are now offering 15 different extracurricular programs for students throughout the school year.
Open House will be 5-7pm on Tuesday, August 19th, with the first day of school starting Thursday, August 21st. The Junior-Senior High School’s New Student Orientation will be at 6pm during Open House, and begin the gym. Grades 9-12 student schedules will be available in the cafeteria during this time, and junior-high student schedules will be in their 1st period/homeroom classroom. Homeroom rosters will be posted by the doors of classrooms in the junior-high wing of the building. The high school parking lot traffic pattern has been changed to promote flow during drop-off and pick up, and this should greatly reduce morning congestion entering by the elementary school. The drop-off location for the high school has not changed, but all traffic coming in by the elementary will turn right and merge, traveling around the student lot before arriving at Route 7. Once again, this change should improve traffic flow, and lead to more efficient entering and exiting during peak times. Also, additional parking has also been added this summer while repairing drainage issues that needed to be addressed. Lastly, I want to thank all parents, families, and building partners across the area. I couldn’t be more thankful to be serving the best students and families in the MOV. Here's to another great year, and a wonderful school community to be a part of!
Garret Hall
Eastern Junior-Senior High School Principal
(740) 985-3329