Letter from the Principal

Hello Bobcats and Families,

Our staff is excited to welcome you all back for the 24-25 school year.  My name is Elia Alailima-Daley and I am happy to serve as the principal at Eastmont Junior High School! Joining me in supporting your students this year are Ms. Holly Cornehl and Mr. Jared Jaeger. Please lean on either of us should you need assistance in any way. Your student’s well-being and learning are paramount to all of us at Eastmont Junior High and will be maximized through a strong partnership between home and school. Together we can ensure all students succeed. Please stop by the office and say hello. Our doors are always open to questions, concerns or suggestions!

Returning students will notice some changes to the building and schedule this year. To better meet the needs of students we have worked to keep grade levels in separate learning pods. This year the 7th grade classes will predominantly be in the 600 wing, 8th in the 900 wing and 9th in the 800 wing. Our staff will use this close proximity to provide interventions to support student achievement.

CAT Time will be returning this school year. This 30 minute intervention time will be used to support student learning in multiple ways. Late assignment makeup, test retakes or makeups, study hall, and reteach sessions are a few of the ways that students will receive support. CAT Time will take place after 2nd period on Tuesday and Thursday throughout the school year.

Planners - Each student will be provided with a planner for this school year. Organization and preparedness will be focused on with students using their planners with teachers assistance. Staff will guide students each day to help them stay organized. If a student loses their planner, you can purchase a replacement in our office.

Cell Phones and AirPods (earbuds) - Cell phone use will NOT be allowed during class time. Additionally, earbuds or AirPods will not be allowed in the classroom. Staff will have phone holders/cases in their rooms for storage during class time. Please remember that the building or district shall not be responsible for loss, theft or destruction of personal electronic devices on school property or school-sponsored events. Information can be found in our board policies and procedures in procedure 3245-P.

Dress Code - The district has also refocused on enforcement of the dress code at the secondary level. We know that current styles of dress for teenagers may not align with our Dress Code. That is why we wanted to get this information out to you before the ‘Back to School’ sales start, and before you make purchases. “We hope to instill the understanding of adherence to appropriate dress for a work environment as we prepare students for their future careers”. Additional information can be found in our board policies and procedures 3224 and 3224-P, “Student Dress”.

Attendance - We will focus on attendance this year in helping support each student and their educational needs. This includes being on time to school and to each class to help students be successful. The school day begins at 7:45, that is in your seat when the bell rings. There are three-minute breaks in between classes, so students will need to move quickly to be on time. Please try to plan appointments after school hours. First-period tardies will be counted towards student consequences, so please plan accordingly to make sure your student is in class at 7:45.

Our goal is to ensure every student attends school regularly and benefits from the educational opportunities available. Together, we can work towards minimizing absenteeism and maximizing student success.

Please remember that we will have a staggered start to begin the school year -

August 28, 2024 - ONLY 7th grade students attend school. (No school for 8th and 9th grade)

August 29, 2024 - ONLY 8th and 9th graders attend school. (No school for 7th grade students)

August 30, 2024 - ALL grade levels attend school.

Our staff is preparing to welcome students back and we look forward to making this a great year!

Respectfully,
Elia Alailima-Daley, Principal
Holly Cornehl, Assistant Principal
Jared Jaeger, Assistant Principal