One Semester Done!

OK, technically, it's not over till Friday afternoon, but congrats on reaching the end of the first semester of the 13-14 school year! We have worked hard, learned a lot, and made a positive difference in this community.

Students: May your studies bring you success on your exams this week.

Teachers: May you see the fruit of your planning and teaching in the success of your students.

All: Let's enjoy the break, spend time with our families, and hit the second semester rested, refreshed, and refocused.

Our work here truly makes a difference!

Go Eagles!

Recognition Week!

Eagle Family,

Welcome to Homecoming 2013!

Be sure to visit our campus web site for all the information you need about this week's activities.

Last year, we began a new Homecoming tradition: Recognition Week!

All students and alumni are invited to participate in this tradition to tweeting a shout-out to an Ellison staff member who has made a positive impact on your life. This can be a teacher, a counselor, a secretary, anyone who works at EHS!

Just send your shoutout to my principal twitter account, @EHSPrincipal, and I'll share your shout-out with the whole school on the announcements this week.

What a great and easy way to share some appreciation for the difference the EHS staff has made for you!

Go Eagles!

Eagle Family,

Thank you so much for such a great first day of school!

It's hard to believe the first day is already behind us, and we are already in the routine of the new school year. Many thanks to all our teachers and staff, for all their hard work getting ready for the arrival of our students, and thanks to our students for bringing such joy and excitement onto campus for the first day.

Students: The most important thing for you to do in the early days of this school year is to GET CONNECTED! Make sure you are a part of one of our many student organizations, clubs, and teams. Take this big school, and make it small by connecting with a group of students whose interests are similar to yours. It will make all the difference!

Our campus leadership is committed to making sure every student has every opportunity to make this year a success. Please let us know how we can help you.

Go Eagles!

Eagle Launch: August 13 & 14, 2013

Eagle Family,

Let's get ready for the 2013-2014 school year!

Please mark your calendars for Eagle Launch, the first big event of the year!

Eagle Launch is your opportunity to come to campus, pick up your schedule, get your new student ID picture taken, check out your textbooks, get your locker, pay any fines, and make sure you know your way around before the first day of school arrives.

Just check in at the big gym, and follow the signs from there.

Here is the schedule for Eagle Launch:

*11th and 12th grades: Tuesday, August 13th: 8 am - 11:30 am & 1 pm - 5 pm.

*9th and 10th grades: Wednesday, August 14th 8 am - 11:30 am & 1 pm - 5 pm.

All you need to bring is a lock for your locker, or $5 to purchase a lock, and we will take care of the rest.

If you are unable to come on your grade level's assigned day, please come on the opposite day; it will be all right!

We can't wait to see you and get the new school year started. You are the best student body a principal could ever have, and I am very proud of you.

Go Eagles!

Go Lady Eagles!

Eagle Family,

I hope you're paying attention to a special event taking place this evening: The Lady Eagles' Basketball team begins playoff action tonight against DeSoto, at 7pm at Waco University High School. Whether you're able to attend the game or not, I know you'll want to wish the Lady Eagles well.

This year's Lady Eagle Basketball team has set an Ellison girls' basketball record with 31 wins and only 3 losses. No other girls' basketball team in Ellison history has ever logged 31 wins in a season before, and we are so proud of these young ladies and their coaching staff. Many thanks to Coach McKinnon, Coach Sullivan, and Coach Dyer for all their hard work in getting our team ready to compete!

Even more important than their performance on the court has been this team's upstanding conduct on campus, in the classroom, and in the community. These ladies are a class act, and we are proud to have them representing the Eagle family everywhere they go.

Let's get ready to cheer on our Lady Eagles!

My Connectedness Challenge for Spring 2013

Eagle Family,

Happy New Year!

Now that the ball has dropped, and we are officially in the year 2013, I want to remind you about my "Connectedness" challenge that I mentioned before we left for Winter Break.

My passion is to increase the connectedness of our student body at EHS, and make sure no Eagle feels disconnected from all the good things happening on our campus.

My challenge to each of you, in this coming spring 2013 semester, is to get to know two people at EHS you have never gotten to know before. They can be students or staff, people you've never seen before, or people you've passed in the hall every day all year.

I challenge you to see your fellow Eagles as people you can connect with, not as random faces in a crowd.

I challenge you to care about how those people are doing, and how you can make their lives brighter.

I challenge you to reach out, take the first step, and make a positive connection.

Let's work together to make sure no Eagle feels alone in 2013.