Good afternoon Falcon Families! I hope you have had a wonderful three-day weekend. This week marks the completion of the first month of school. Teachers will begin entering grades for Progress Reports on September 8th and finalize on September 10. That means this is the last week for students to turn in assignments that may be missing or late. I reminded students that each one of them starts the year with straight A’s! It takes hard work and commitment to keep those A’s. Please check your student’s progress weekly and communicate with teachers through email or Parent Square any questions or concerns you may have. Home/School communication and connection is key to a successful school year!
Club Rush took place on this past Friday, where clubs and organizations had information tables set up during both lunches. Please ask your student what clubs/organizations they are interested in joining. Every student needs to be involved both inside and outside the classroom for the best high school experience. Support from friends with like interests is so important! 

Fall Portraits for students in grades 9-11 will be September 11, 2025. Please see information below to order.
Senior ads for the yearbook are officially on sale at the lowest price of the year and can be ordered at www.yearbookordercenter.com We are currently offering a discount code ($25 off), SENIORS2026. This code expires September 5th!  

This year's first PERT will be on Monday, September 22nd. This is for all students interested in Dual Enrollment at Valencia. Registration closes September 12th @ 3pm. Students need to check the Student Body Canvas page for the link to register.
**Signing up for the PERT does not mean you have applied to Valencia. Students must still apply and be accepted to Dual Enrollment.** That registration opens September 2, and is open for a month.
GPA Requirement 
9th - 11th grade: 3.0 unweighted
12th grade: 3.0 weighted

Homecoming tickets are on sale and the price has increased! Please see information below and also information for Homecoming Spirit Days. Get those outfits ready! Please email Deziree Lara with any questions: deziree.lara@ocps.net 

 Please see the reminders for dress code below. Be sure to get your Homecoming outfit approved by an administrator IF you think it may be questionable. If it follows dress code, there is no need to get it approved.For daily dress code, students should pay special attention to the following:

• Any clothing with references to alcohol, drug use, or weapons is prohibited.
• Crop tops and shirts that show the midriff are prohibited.
• Clothing must have straps and undergarments cannot be visible.

Thank you for helping your student keep their school clothing and non-school clothing separated.

Please join us for our first PTSA and SAC meetings of the year! September 9, 2025 in the Media Center:
PTSA- 5:00-6:00 pm
SAC- 6:00-7:00 pm
We had 43 students caught in a tardy sweep this week, and those students now have lunch detention. There are five minutes between classes for passing time, and there is a one-minute warning. Please encourage your student to “keep walking” and “walk and talk” so that everyone is to class on time. Discipline will be progressive and consequences will increase with additional tardies.
Early release and late arrival students received a specially printed id so they can quickly be identified and verified by our security guard. Please note, that if your student loses the id or does not have it with them, they will be required to purchase a replacement for $5. If a student does not follow the procedures for late arrival/early release, this privilege will be revoked. Here are a few reminders:

• You must have your specific late arrival/early release id on at all times
• You must enter and exit through the front office
• Late arrival will be revoked if you are tardy to your first class on your schedule more than 5 times in a quarter.
• Early release will be revoked immediately if non-authorized students attempt to leave with you.
• You MUST have purchased a parking spot if you are a driver. If you do not have transportation to leave early, you will have a full schedule. You cannot leave with another student.

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns about these policies.

A few reminders for parents and students about our parking lot:

• You MUST purchase a parking pass to park at school. We need to know that every car is authorized to be there. I had a student car towed off property this week because we could not identify whose it was and it was not authorized to be there. Buying a parking pass for $60 is cheaper than $200 to get your car back when towed. This is for the safety and security of our school.
• Please do not line up for afternoon dismissal prior to 1:45 pm. It causes traffic congestion, and we already have enough of that.
• I recommend dropping your student off early, courtyard doors open at 6:45 to avoid morning traffic.
• I recommend coming about 2:30 pm if you are picking up in the afternoon if you want to avoid the rush of traffic and buses leaving the property.

Thank you for helping us keep our students and faculty safe by adhering to speed limits of 10 mph and following all traffic cones, barricades, and signs in the parking lot. You will see additional changes in the near future as we are always striving to improve.

Our SOAR store for positive student behaviors opens this week! Please consider donating to help us reward our students. Ask you student how many positive SOAR points they have.
Link to our SOAR store donations needed on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/YLZ3GF3D7XXN?ref_=wl_share

 Please see the Athletic newsletter for this week, that includes information about our next home football game this Friday night vs Timber Creek.

Attention Seniors! You need to be following the Class of 26 Instagram page and checking your school email for important dates and reminders, as well as the ERHS College and Career page. You don’t want to miss the deadline for being included in the yearbook! 
erhs_classof26 
eastriverhs_collegeandcareer 
eastriverhs_ocps

Let’s make the most of this shortened week and SOAR!
 
Please email me with any questions or concerns at rebeccca.watson@ocps.net It is my privilege to serve at East River.
Be safe and kind!
Becky Watson
Principal, East River High School