What an incredible first week of school we had! From the moment our students arrived on campus, our halls and classrooms were filled with smiles, excitement, and a true sense of community. Teachers planned fun team-building activities throughout the week to get to know their students, help classmates connect with one another, and begin building strong classroom communities. Students also jumped into engaging lessons and activities, and we ended our first day with popsicles—a sweet way to celebrate the start of a great year!

Thank you to all the parents and guardians who joined me for our Principal’s Coffee. It was wonderful to connect with you, share information, and hear your perspectives as we begin the year together. Your presence and partnership mean so much and are a big part of what makes Egan such a special place.

Students were issued a school Chromebook and charger this week. Please check with your student to make sure they received both items. Students should bring their Chromebooks to school every day, fully charged and ready for learning. We also ask families to reinforce the importance of using these devices appropriately, responsibly, and for school-related purposes.

Students are expected to take good care of their Chromebook and charger. Families may be held responsible for the cost of repairing or replacing devices and chargers that are damaged, lost, or missing. We will check student devices periodically throughout the year to help students make responsible choices and ensure the technology remains in good working condition.

Locker sign-ups will take place next week. If your student would like a locker, please encourage them to sign up. We will share instructions and additional information with students during student announcements.

As we look ahead:

The transition to junior high is exciting, but we also know it can bring new routines, responsibilities, and emotions for students and families. Please know that our staff is here to support your children as they find their way, build confidence, and develop a sense of belonging. We are committed to creating a school experience in which every student feels known, supported, challenged, and excited to come to school each day.

Thank you for trusting us with your children and for partnering with us throughout the year. We are off to a wonderful start, and I cannot wait to see all that our Vikings will learn, experience, and accomplish together!

In partnership,

~Lisa Taormina

Be Here. Be You. Belong

Providing an exceptional educational experience for our students requires support beyond public funding. LAEF has been helping close this gap for over 44 years by funding teachers, staff, and essential programs across the district. 

Starting this year, LAEF is taking on additional responsibility by fundraising for instructional programs and materials previously supported by PTAs. As a result, LAEF’s fundraising goal and per-student ask are increasing to help ensure consistent, reliable support for these programs at every school. We are grateful for your contributions in helping us meet this increased goal.

YOU are a vital part of this partnership. Your donations to LAEF help every LASD student receive an excellent, well-rounded education by funding specialized teachers and staff as well as instructional materials and programs across all nine schools. Learn more about the funded programs here.

Complete the LASD Back to School process at LASDEducationPartners.org

Step 1: Donate to LAEF

Step 2: Join and donate to the PTA for each school your children attend

Let’s get started. Your generosity can make a difference! Find out all the ways you can Donate or Pledge to LAEF today. Parents are encouraged to give $1,800 or $180/month per student this school year. Gifts of any amount are appreciated. If you can submit for a corporate match, we would be grateful.

Attending school daily, and on time, is an expectation. This year, there is added emphasis on consistent attendance and punctuality. A student’s daily presence, along with punctuality to each class, is a key to their overall school success AND builds lifelong habits.

The Egan staff defines “being on time” as students being in their seats when the bell rings. This is the expectation for students in all of their classes throughout the day. Students not in their seats when the bell rings are marked as tardy.

Frequent tardies and absences, excused or unexcused, will result in notifications sent home, the withholding of privileges and parent meetings.

We like to accentuate the positive, so let us end by saying that we want to see your student, every day and on time! Being here, being punctual and being fully present are critical elements to success.

Much has been written about the perils of cell phones and the effect on young adults. Besides the litany of logistical reasons why cell phones cannot be used for the day, the Egan and Blach staff members feel strongly that the use of cell phones diminishes the human effect that is crucial to development. We want our students to authentically interact with each other while on campus, to make eye-contact and to have conversations with one another. Our phone/smart watch/headphone policy states that those devices must be turned off and buried in backpacks as soon as students arrive on campus in the morning. Students should not be using those devices at any time before the end of the day, except with permission from staff. Parents who wish to communicate with their students should do so through the front office. Our office staff can get messages to individual students. Students who have their cell phones/smart watches out, without permission, during the school day will have their phone confiscated and a parent will need to pick it up at the office at the end of the day.

If you are a parent who is debating about whether to provide your student with a cell phone/smart watch, please know that a great number of our students come to school without any such device- and do just fine!

Bring your family to Egan's first Community Night on Friday, August 21st from 5:30 - 7:00PM in the lunch area. Be ready to mingle, kids to be sugared up, and have fun!

Our first PTA meeting of the year is on Thursday, September 3rd at 8:45AM in the Library. Come by to hear updates from the Principal and a student panel, and get a preview of this year's events. Hope to see you there!