EGO September Highlights

Freshmen Elections 

EGO started off the year with their annual freshmen elections, in which interested students were able to run for an officer position in the student government. After all  of the candidates attended the required meeting, they were able to begin preparing their speeches to present to the freshmen class. Eight students ran on September 15th and delivered their speeches individually in the high school’s auditorium. 167 students came out and voted for who they believed deserved the title of having a position in EGO. The freshmen officers for 2023-2024 are as follows: Elias Alexander as president, Nicholas Ramos as Vice President, Lucas Strauss-Govorun as Secretary, and Samarth Goindi as treasurer. Despite the lower than average turnout, the higher number of candidates running for positions, combined with the new officers' contributions have made the fall EGO events successful.

Open House 

This year’s open house took place on September 20th, and with the help of all EGO officers, the night ran smoothly. All parents started off in the auditorium with a speech from the principal. Once that finished, all parents followed their children’s schedules to meet with each teacher in their assigned room. EGO officers were each placed in different parts of the building to help assist parents with directions. The night went on for about two and a half hours and it was a great success with a high parent turn out. 

EGO Workshop

EGO’s annual workshop was a huge success as always. All of the EGO members gathered in the student center on September 20th and planned out what the rest of the year is going to look like. Some of the events include the pep rally, the club fair, fundraising ideas, open house, blood drives, the toy drive, stockings for soldiers, public relations, and more. All the members made posters to plan out merch, fundraising, and new ideas to help make the school a better place. All officers also discussed all the roles and responsibilities they are required to maintain and the reputation they need to keep to stay in EGO. They ended the day off with practicing for the pep rally and making sure everything was in place. Overall, it was a great workshop and all of the officers had a great time while also working hard. 

Pep Rally + Spirit Week

The Fall 2023 homecoming fall pep rally was definitely one to remember and one of the best by far! Before the rally on Friday, September 22nd, students dressed up each day for spirit week to celebrate homecoming. Monday was ‘Pajama Day’, which is always a fan favorite. Tuesday was ‘Barbienheimer Day’, which was a clash between the Barbie and Oppenheimer movies. Students either dressed like Barbie or put on their best Oppenheimer outfit! This was a new theme and it had a ton of participation. Wednesday was ‘Wild West’ day where students and faculty dressed in their best country outfits with boots, hats, jeans, flannels and more. ‘Tropical Thursday’ had students dressed in lei’s, flowery shirts, and colorful clothes to show their spirit. Finally, for Friday’s homecoming, kids were encouraged to dress in their homecoming shirts or Eastchester gear. In terms of the pep rally, it was one of the greatest of all time. There was a high turnout of students and everyone had a great time. Most teams performed outstanding dances and the games were very fun and enjoyable. A new addition this year on top of musical chairs and tug of war was basketball where teachers and students competed. Some faculty that participated included Mr. DiMaio, Mr. Gilson, Coach Walpole, Mrs. Bloshenko, and Mr. Dodge. Many students recall the best part of the event being when everyone sang to “Sweet Caroline” and put their flashlights on. It was a day to remember! EGO had to plan all the aspects of the pep rally by finding people to play the games, reaching out to staff, scouting for a DJ, getting all the equipment, making sure the sound system was fixed, creating a script and getting all the music for the team dances. Although it is a great deal to plan within the first three weeks of school, it is nothing that EGO couldn’t handle. All in all, the pep rally and spirit week was nothing short of exceptional and impressive. 

Fun news in the eastchester music department!

OTHER MUSICAL HAPPENINGS

Ben Wien -  14th Annual Piano Showcase for outstanding piano soloists.  Pianists apply for the chance to be selected for this honor.  Ben is one of only 11 pianists from New York State selected!

Hannah Sigurdsson - All State Symphonic Band.  Hannah was selected as 1st clarinet for the highly competitive Concert Band.  This is the second year in a row she was selected!  That has not happened since I've been here (20 years). Typically, about 7000 sophomores and juniors from across the state of New York prepare for All-State evaluations in the hope of being selected. It's a HUGE deal.

Manato Ogawa - Electronic Music Showcase.  The NYSSMA Electronic Music Composition Showcase is a program held each year at the NYSSMA Winter Conference featuring original electronic music compositions composed by New York State students.  Manato is one of only about 12 students to have their compositions featured.

RHO KAPPA TROLLEY TOUR

On October 27th, over 30 Eastchester students were offered the opportunity to learn more about their home, Eastchester. Rho Kappa, the school’s history honor society, offered a trolley tour open not just to its members, but to all interested students. Accompanied by Dr. Cusano, Mrs. DiMase, and Dr. Capuano, the students were captivated by the historical events that Mr. Forliano described as they toured the town, town hall, and then boarded the town trolley. 

Overall, the town trolley provided students with a new outlook on Eastchester and they were able to see how Eastchester’s creation mirrored the creation of the America they know today. The students gained a further appreciation for their town, and for the preservation of the knowledge of its history.     

(Excerpted from Eaglet's, "Trolley Tour" article by Constance d'Epinay)

Italian-American Heritage month

October marked Italian-American Heritage Month by recognizing the contributions and achievements of Italian-Americans. Over 26 million Americans of Italian descent currently reside in the U.S. — making up America's seventh largest ethnic group. Italian-American Heritage Month celebrates the distinguished cultural contributions of Americans with Italian lineage.

In Italian 2, Ms. Laura Marcoccia's students celebrated Italian American Heritage throughout the month of October. 

They had a variety of choices from cooking to tracing back their own family history and their journey to the United States.

the wellness club

The Wellness Club hosted their Fall Wellness Week which ran from November 13th-17th.  The members planned a variety of activities for the students to participate in during the lunch periods.  The activities included coloring sheets and madlibs, refreshing drink samples, bracelet making, and the ever-so-popular gratitude notes for staff members.  This year, the members introduced Origami for Everyone which was a big hit as well!

Thank you to all who participated in the event and we look forward to the Spring Wellness Week!  

business department 

STUDENTS HEAD TO METLIFE STADIUM

Students attended a field trip to MetLife Stadium to meet with executives from the New York Jets for "Sports Business Day".  Students received a tour of MetLife Stadium while Jets executives spoke about their roles within the organization. Additionally, there was a Q&A session with various departments such as: community relations, corporate partnerships, ticket sales, sponsorships, and customer service. This trip allowed students to experience the inner workings of an organization that they are familiar with while being able to access the Jets Locker Room and spent time on the field!

CAREERS IN BUSINESS NIGHT

Planning for college and a career can be overwhelming for high school students, but the process got a little easier when Eastchester High School held its sixth annual Careers in Business Night. The event was hosted by Future Business Leaders of America and the high school business education department. Representatives from approximately 40 careers shared their experiences and gave advice to students.

The participants work in a variety of fields including accounting, business law, administration, marketing and entrepreneurship. Companies included Aramark, PepsiCo, JP Morgan, KPMG, Goldman Sachs, IBM, and many local entrepreneurs.

"We wanted to provide our students with an opportunity to explore areas of business outside of the classroom environment.  It is beneficial for students to be able to talk to and ask questions of people who actually work in their fields. The event also provided students with an opportunity to network and practice communication skills.“ said Eastchester High School Business Education teacher Lauren Stipo who organized the event with Amy Schlamkowitz.

Students had the opportunity to rotate around the different companies and ask pertinent questions. The night provided students who are already considering a particular career path with additional information and meeting all of these professionals further assisted the process. 

eaglet goes live with new website

The Eaglet is spreading its wings and soaring to new heights this year.  Newly appointed co-Editors in Chief Anastasia Abramova (Class of 2025) and Erika Lunenfeld (Class of 2026)  have worked with faculty advisor Mr. Johnson to create a new web-based platform for our school newspaper.

While the students on staff will still publish issues with regularity, those not in the school will be able to access both new and past editions on a virtual platform.  The site, which has a few areas still under construction, features the November 2024 edition as well as issues from recent years.  One area still in development features short bios for each of the students on staff.

Check out their website here: The Nest: The Landing Spot for The Eaglet

Habitat for humanity is now, "building for Tomorrow"

"Building for Tomorrow - Fuller Center" is the new name for the EHS Habitat for Humanity club. For many years we have partnered with the Fuller Center who is committed to working with high school students. Their mission is to  eradicate poverty housing by promoting partnerships with individuals and community groups to build and rehabilitate homes for people in need.

So far this year we helped to restore a community garden in September, remove and replace damaged walls from recent storms that caused flooding in multiple homes in October and helped to regrade property to prevent flooding and property damage. 

This month, Building for Tomorrow will commence a food drive for the community.

Going green is on the job

Going Green partners with Westchester Parks Foundation to clear the Bronx River of invasive species that outcompete the native species for food, spaces and other resources.