Hello, 

We are over a month into this school year and we are so proud of what our students and staff have already accomplished. We were so thankful to host Governor Parson as he signed House Bill 2. He was able to tour some of our industrial technology classrooms and speak with students about their experience in the Zumwalt Apprenticeship Program--a program receiving national recognition and started by East High teacher, Mr. McHaffie. 

For eight consecutive years, US News & World Report has ranked East High School as one of America’s Best.  We have almost 1,200 enrollees in advanced coursework, 32 students enrolled at Lewis & Clark Technical School and another 6 enrolled at the Center for Advanced Professional Studies. Two seniors--Gabriel Ostrander and Ethan Wilmes -- have been named National Merit Scholar Semifinalists. Some of the very best and brightest students that you will find anywhere are right here at East High. 

Our fall sports season has been filled with several highlights. Our soccer team participated in the inaugural STL Champions League and qualified for the GAC Champions Cup. Both competitions are filled with the best teams from St. Louis and our conference. Our cross-country runners continued to improve throughout the season and ran their best times at the ever-difficult GAC meet. Our football team started the season 2-1 with big victories over St. Pius X and University City. Our golf team had two members recognized as all-conference; Molly Albers (Honorable Mention) and Ali Bullock (First Team). The team finished third in the GAC North/Central division. Our tennis team had several new competitors and saw many of those competitors get their first varsity wins this year. Our swim started off small but grew as the season progressed and hosted the always popular Lion T-Shirt Relay event at the Rec-Plex. Girls volleyball has played so many tight matches going into fifth sets and finally pulled out a victory over our arch-rivals FZS this past week. Finally, our softball team will play for the district championship against Incarnate Word Academy, on Monday, October 21st. Isabella Pierce also broke the career record for hits in her softball career. We can’t wait to celebrate her (and hopefully the team) this winter!

Our Homecoming tradition continues to be a highlight of the school year from the parade to powderpuff to the Friday night game. Our students engage with each other in a positive manner all week and come together to celebrate the East High community. We couldn’t do it without the help of our tremendous student council group. They worked for hours and hours prior to and during the Homecoming dance to ensure our students enjoyed a great spirit week and a great dance.  HOSA (Future Health Professionals) put on yet another successful fall blood drive at East High and their work will impact hundreds in need. 

Finally, our performing arts are off to a great start as well. We had several students recognized as Metro 8 Honors in choir (6 students) and orchestra (5 students). Our choir students, Georgia Gray, Kait Simms, Ian Hemmann, and Diego Munoz have all qualified to audition for All-State Choir. Good luck Lions! Our Lion Pride Marching Band has earned 2nd, 3rd, and 5th in their competitions this year and continues to earn captions in Color Guard and percussion. We are incredibly proud of their accomplishments and hard work. Our theatre department will be putting on the Importance of Being Earnest November 14-16. Don’t miss out on seeing their hard work pay off. 

Most importantly, we have almost concluded the first quarter of the semester. Parents and guardians soon will be receiving reports on student progress to this point. Those with questions about these reports are encouraged to contact the appropriate teacher and/or counselor.

Please keep in mind that East High offers after-school tutoring in the library every day until 4:25 p.m. An Assessment Lab is available every Wednesday immediately after dismissal until 2:30 p.m., to complete outstanding tests. We also have Academic Networking every Tuesday where students can go get help from their teachers and make up any assessments. East High offers many resources that might be helpful to students and parents. Please do not hesitate to seek advice from our administrators, crisis counselor, guidance counselors, school resource officer, financial aid coordinator, or any other staff member who might be able to assist you. Our goal is to provide support and services to families that will help all students find success in high school and beyond. 

In closing, I look forward to even more accomplishments, both in and out of the classroom, in the days and months ahead. 

Sincerely,

Ashlee Vaughn, Principal

East High School