Principal's Back to School Letter

August 2025

 

Dear Parents/Caregivers and Students,

 

Welcome to the 2025-2026 school year to all students and families! I hope that you are having a terrific summer. Please join me in welcoming all our 9th graders and their families to our school community. Welcome back to all other students and families.

 

For those students who are new to the school community, and as a reminder to all other students, the following is a brief list of ways to make sure you are on the path to success each day:

 

• Arrive to school on time. Classes start promptly at 8:20 a.m. Please plan travel accordingly. Do not be late!

 

• Eat breakfast, lunch and dinner. Breakfast is offered in the cafeteria, free of charge, each school day beginning at 7:30 a.m. Lunch is free for all students, too. Our cafeteria offers nutritious and well-balanced meals each day.

 

• Come prepared. Teachers will provide a list of supplies necessary for each class and a general supply list is posted on the school’s website. All classrooms are equipped with laptops.

 

• The use of personal internet-enabled electronic devices, such as cellphones, tablets, and smart watches are not permitted during the school day. Please see the enclosed cell phone policy letter for more information. Parents – If you need to reach your child at any point during the school day, please call the school at 212-346-0708.

 

• Get involved. ECO has many opportunities to become involved outside of the classroom. All students are encouraged to join a club, student government, sports team or after-school activity. A fair is scheduled for September 10 where students can enroll.

 

• Study and complete homework daily in a quiet place. Our state-of-the-art Library and Technology Center is open each morning beginning at 7:30 a.m. and after school until 5:00 p.m. (Mon.-Thurs.) and 4:30 p.m. on Fridays. Trinity Commons, our community partner, is also open until 5:30 p.m. each day. You will receive more information concerning the Trinity Commons Program during the first week of school.

 

Summer Reading: Have you read a book or two this summer? If not here’s a link to our suggested summer reading, including some thought-provoking assignments: https://tinyurl.com/HSEF-Summer-Reading-2025.

 

Parents/Caregivers – please enroll in Jupiter Grades, our online grading system. Jupiter Grades will provide you with regular updates concerning your child's progress. You will also be able to communicate with your child’s teachers, more easily and regularly. Contact Jeanine Schum at [email protected] to enroll.

 

Our first Parents Association meeting will be held on Tuesday, September 16, 2025 at 6:00 p.m. I hope that you will be able to attend. Please mark your calendar for our first Parent/Teacher Conferences of the year scheduled for September 25, 2025 at 4:45 p.m. At this event you will have an opportunity to meet your child’s teachers virtually, learn more about the courses in which your child is enrolled and discuss your child’s progress.

 

As always, you may contact Ms. Nora Garcia, Parent Coordinator, at [email protected] should you need any further information or call the school.

 

Once again, I am excited for a successful school year and I look forward to seeing you all real soon!

 

Sincerely,

Michael Stanzione, Principal

IMPORTANT DATES FOR SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER 2025

Date	Day of Week	Event
September 4	Thursday	First Day of Classes for Students
September 10	Wednesday	HSEF Club Fair
September 12	Friday	9th Grade Welcome Party, 2:50PM
September 16	Tuesday	Parents Association Meeting, 6PM
September 23-24	Tuesday-Wednesday	Rosh Hashanah (SCHOOL CLOSED)
September 25	Thursday	Parent/Teacher Conference (Evening) 4:45PM-7:45PM
October 2	Thursday	Yom Kippur (SCHOOL CLOSED)
October 13	Monday	Indigenous People’s Day/Italian Heritage Day (SCHOOL CLOSED)
October 14	Tuesday	School Leadership Team Meeting, 4PM
October 14	Tuesday	Parents Association Meeting, 6PM
October 17	Friday	First Marking Period Ends (28 days)
October 20	Monday	Diwali (SCHOOL CLOSED)