Week 14: April 13-17, 2026
The purpose of this newsletter is to keep all of our Eagle families connected to what’s going on around campus, to deliver important information, and to have a place where everyone can come to get the information they need.
Want to see something different in the newsletter? Email Katie Rogers.
Important Dates
| Date | Event | Impacted Groups |
| April 13 | Required BRCC Parent Meeting for 26-27 (5:30pm) | Any Student & Parent Taking BRCC Classes for 26-27 |
| April 14 | Marching Band Informational Meeting (5:30pm) | Any Student & Parent Interested in Marching Band for 26-27 |
| April 16 | NC Scholars Luncheon | NC Scholars & Guests |
| Chorus Concert (6:00pm) | Open to the Public | |
| Cheer Tryouts for 26-27 School Year | All Interested Cheerleaders | |
| April 24 | HCPS Special Olympics | Open to the Public |
| Senior Cap & Gown Pick-Up (all lunches) | Class of 2026 | |
| April 25 | Prom at Kenmure Country Club | Ticketed Juniors & Seniors and their Guests |
| April 28 | Culture Night | Open to the Public |
| May 2 | FFA Plant Sale | Open to the Public |
| Drawdown | Open to the Public (tickets required) | |
| Saturday School (9am-3pm) | Any Student Needing Attendance Recovery | |
| May 5-8 | Dance Team Tryouts for 26-27 School Year | All Interested Dancers |
| May 13 | Senior Picnic | Class of 2026 |
| May 14-15 | Teacher-Made Exams | All Students with Non-State Exams |
| May 18-21 | State Exam Week | All Students with State Exams |
| May 22 | Graduation | All Ticketed Guests |
EHHS Welcomes Coach Rudisill!
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| East High is thrilled to announce our new head football coach, Kobey Rudisill. We are excited to see where he takes our program and all of the young men that comprise it, and we know his work ethic and passion will fuel the future of Eagles football. Welcome to the #EagleFamily, Coach Rudisill! | |
Congratulations Track Team!
The track team pulled out a solid performance at the Sports Cellar Henderson County Championship. Our girls teams finished 4th overall and our boys team finished just shy of being the top team in the county placing 2nd overall!
Kane Sinex was voted the Field MVP for all of Henderson County by the coaches with a 1st place finish in Long Jump and 2nd place in Triple Jump & High Jump.
Our County Champions in individual events and relay teams include:
– Long Jump: Kane Sinex
– 800m Run: Landon Schakel
– Triple Jump: Kiori Harrison
– Shot Put: Gabe Jones
– 4x800m Relay: Landon Schakel, Charlie Rockwood, Tristan Rutterford, and Logan Porter
– 4x400m Relay (Season Best): Landon Schakel, Charlie Rockwood, Tristan Rutterford, and Owen Laughter
Top 3 Finishers include:
– Shot Put: Mckyle Saick
– Discus: Gabe Jones
– Pole Vault: Ryce McCall
– Triple Jump: Kane Sinex
– Long Jump: Arthur Robertson
– 110m Hurdles: Trinell Williams
– 1600m Run: Landon Schakel
– 800m Run: Charlie Rockwood
– 400m Dash: Tristan Rutterford
– Pole Vault: Addie Rutterford
Way to go, Eagles!
Class of 2026 Corner – Important Senior Information
- As a reminder, any senior who fails a class needed to graduate due to being over the 5 allowable absences per class will not walk the stage at graduation. They will, of course, still receive their diploma, but they will not be able to attend the ceremony on May 22nd. In order to avoid this, please make sure your senior has recovered all attendance overages by attending Saturday School, morning attendance recovery, and/or after-school tutoring.
- Senior Cap & Gown Pick-Up is Friday, April 24th at all lunches. Students who ordered their regalia after January will have their items shipped directly to their house.
- If you are not already a part of our Class of 2026 TeamReach group (seniors and parents), it is crucial that you join. Important information will be pushed out using this platform, and the join code is East2026. Important senior dates have been added to the calendar in TeamReach as well.
- Scholarship season is in full swing for our Class of 2026, and two more scholarships are now accepting applications: the AXEL Scholarship and the Camp Glow Scholarship. Please check your grade-level and scholarship Google Classrooms for more details.
Senior Career Opportunity Event
HCPS is hosting a Career Opportunity Event on Monday, April 28th, from 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM — designed specifically for graduating seniors who are ready to step into long-term careers with REAL growth potential. This is more than just a job fair. This is a launching pad!
We’re looking for seniors who are:
✅ Motivated and ready to work
✅ Eager to grow within a company long-term
✅ Looking for a career — not just a paycheck
Bus transportation will be provided — no barriers to attending!
Students can register quickly and easily using the QR code on the attached flyer.
Monday, April 28th | 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Prom Information
We are just a few weeks away from our 2026 Prom! Here is some key information to help you plan:
| Date | Saturday, April 25, 2026 |
| Time | 7:00-11:00pm |
| Location | Kenmure Country Club |
| Who | Juniors & Seniors Only (and their guests) |
| Outside Guests |
Must Have Guest Approval Form & ID Signed Off by Mr. Scott Guest Approval Forms Available April 6 in the Main Office & Due by April 17th |
| Ticket Prices |
Seniors: $40 Juniors: $45 Outside Guests: $50 |
| Ticket Sales | April 11-24 during all lunches and online (online preferred). |
Join the Eagle Family for the 2026-2027 School Year!
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Come be a part of the best family there is – the #EagleFamily! We are hiring for the 2026-2027 school year for the following positions:
If you are interested in one of our positions, please reach out to Principal Brandon Scott via email and fill out the application on the job application website. |
BRCC Informational Meeting TONIGHT
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We will be having a mandatory informational parent meeting for all students interested in and qualified to take Blue Ridge Community College classes next year. This meeting is required for the parent or guardian of ALL students who wish to take a BRCC class next year, whether or not they have ever taken one before.
If you cannot attend this mandatory meeting, please contact your student’s counselor to schedule a make-up meeting time. A Spanish Session will be available. |
Interested in being a nail tech? Check this out!
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Freshman Academy Students of the Month – March
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| Freshman Academy would like to recognize Shamila Vazquez Basilio and Evelin Hernandez Martinez (not pictured) as students of the month for March. Both Shamila and Evelin exemplify positivity, kindness, and determination to do their best. We are incredibly proud to call them Eagles. Keep up the outstanding work! |
Save the Date for Culture Night!
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| Come join us for our Culture Night/International Food fest! Free Entry, and $5 a plate for delicious international food! Enjoy games and activities from around the world, hear guitar music, see international dancing, and participate in a traditional Maypole activity! We hope to see you there, April 28th from 6-8pm at EHHS! | |
The 2026 Drawdown is May 2nd!
Semester 2 Attendance Recovery
Attendance matters. Please make every effort to be at school every day. Missing school means missing valuable instruction. Should a student go over 5 absences for one or more classes, they will have the following opportunities for attendance recovery throughout the semester.
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Saturday School will be offered this semester on the following dates:
Saturday School requires advanced sign-up and costs $20 per Saturday. Students may earn up to 6 hours of attendance recovery per Saturday. |
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Morning Attendance Recovery will be offered twice per week this year on Mondays and Tuesdays from 6:45-7:45am in Mr. Rotton’s room (B-2). Morning recovery begins March 9th. No advanced sign-up is necessary, and no students will be let in after 6:45am. Please make sure you have things to work on during this time. Each morning recovery session recovers one absence. |
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After School Tutoring will be offered three days per week starting March 9th – Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays – from 3:15-4:15pm in Mrs. Wodzicki’s room (F-10). Transportation will not be provided, so please make arrangements to be picked up at 4:15pm if attending. Each after school tutoring session recovers one absence. IMPORTANT: While attendance recovery is awarded for this time, students must be present for tutoring and academic work. |
Eagle of the Week
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| Let’s give a big shout out to our new football coach and newest Eagle, Coach Rudisill! He has been at East for only a few days and already has so much pride in wearing green and white. Please continue to make him feel welcome and introduce yourself if you haven’t already. Welcome to the #EagleFamily, Coach! |
Want to know more about Pathfinders?
While our Pathfinders mentoring sessions have come to an end for the 2025-2026 school year, we are looking forward to 9th, 10th and 11th graders receiving mentoring throughout the year thanks fo this amazing program. We are thankful for the hard work of Maggie Gilliam, the director of Pathfinders, and all of the sponsors and mentors that allow this to work! If you want to learn more about the Pathfinders program, watch this VIDEO.
What’s Your E? Commitments
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| Sarah Alverson ENROLLMENT George Mason University Forensic Science |
Emiline Tucker ENLISTMENT NC National Guard 94E – Radio Equipment RepairENROLLMENT Appalachian State University Secondary Education-English |
Last Week in Eagle Country
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| Mr. Maynard has officially thrown down the gauntlet in the Breakout challenge! Last week, his classes completed the Poetry Breakout with great success and he has challenged any other classes to beat his 4th period’s time of 29 minutes 30 seconds. |
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| The Eagles Performing Arts Company has done it again! April 9-11, they ran Frozen, the Musical for all to enjoy, and it was a fantastic show! The actors and tech crew worked so hard, and there was so much talent showcased from a variety of performers on stage. Many of this year’s cast have never even been in a stage production before — including the lead, Elsa! There was also a special guest appearance by two staff members – Mrs. Adair and Ms. Focarino in the show! Congratulations to the EPAC and their leaders Mr. Gaitskill, Ms. Cullen and Ms. Williford! | |
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| AP Chemistry students celebrated RICE day on Friday. RICE (Reaction, Initial, Change, Equilibrium) is an important mathematical routine used to solve for concentrations when a reaction is at equilibrium. Students made different foods and drinks that contained rice to celebrate this helpful method for problem solving. | |
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| On Friday night, Coach Noble’s varsity baseball players honored influential staff members at the annual Staff Night celebration on the field. Players gave their jerseys to their favorite staff members and were joined by them on the field for the National Anthem. The first pitch was thrown out by Mrs. Wall – 2026 EHHS Teacher of the Year! It was such a beautiful night, capped off by an 11-8 win over the Knights! | |
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| Our softball team isn’t afraid of a little hard work–especially when they have the help of an amazing community partner! On Saturday, David Bradley and Turf Mountain Sod, along with Bradley Harris with Bradley’s Aeration and Rotovating Service helped our softball players and coaches get new sod laid out on the field. The field is looking great thanks to the donations of these companies and the elbow grease of all who were a part of it. Way to take ownership, ladies! | |
Go Eagles!
#WeAreEast #OnTheRise #GoEagles2K26