Week 19: May 18-22, 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
May 18-21	State Exam Week	All Students with State Exams
May 19	Underclassmen Awards Ceremony (6:00pm)	9th-11th Grade Students & Families
May 22	Senior Awards Ceremony (8:30am)	12th Grade Students & Families
May 22	Graduation (7:00pm)	All Ticketed Guests
June 1-4 & 8-12	Summer Recovery (8am-12pm daily)	Eligible Students
July 31	Freshman Orientation	Class of 2030
August 12	1st Day of the 2026-2027 School Year	All Students & Staff

Important Senior Information

Much of the important senior information was shared at last week’s senior information meeting, but those slides can be accessed HERE and through the link shared on TeamReach. Additional information and important updates will be shared directly through our TeamReach for the Class of 2026. If you are still not a part of this TeamReach group, it is important to join. Use the join code East2026 to become a part of the group.

Ticket Information
The Class of 2026 graduation ceremony will be held Friday, May 22 at 7:00 PM. Our gates will open for guests who have tickets at 6:00pm and we will open the gates to all guests without tickets at 6:45pm.
Each senior will receive a total of 10 tickets – 2 designated for the field with the other 8 tickets designated for the home side bleachers only.

Our goal is to have our graduation ceremony outside so that all guests can attend. In the event of rain, guests with green field tickets and gray bleacher tickets will be admitted into the New Gym to watch the ceremony live. Guests with white tickets will watch a livestream of the ceremony from the auditorium. Thank you so much for your support as we try to make this graduation ceremony the best that we possibly can for our graduates and families.

Cap, Gown, Regalia Information
Some seniors have still not picked up their cap and gown from the counseling office. This needs to be done ASAP. No senior may decorate their cap, per district policy. Students still waiting to receive honor cords or stoles will receive those at required graduation practice.

Graduation Practices
There are two graduation practices this week – Wednesday, May 20, and Thursday, May 21 beginning promptly at 12:30pm. These are both REQUIRED practices, and seniors were informed repeatedly that work is not an excuse for these practices. Not attending these practices puts seniors at risk of not being able to walk in the graduation ceremony.

Senior Owes
Many seniors owe items and/or money before their accounts are settled in order to receive their diploma. These “Senior Owes” include books or textbooks that have not been turned in, technology fees related to chromebooks or chargers, athletic fees for unreturned jerseys or travel fees, and cafeteria fees for accounts that have accumulated charges. While students will not be prevented from walking at graduation due to their Senior Owes, they will NOT receive their diploma until all fees are paid. Seniors can pay these fees any time this week, but specific collection times will be from 11:45-12:30 before graduation practice on Wednesday and Thursday, as well as the evening of graduation in the cafeteria. Cash, checks, or card are all acceptable forms of payment.

Senior Awards
Senior Awards take place on Friday, May 22nd at 8:30am, and this is a required event for all seniors. They must wear full graduation regalia to the awards, and they must be in the old gym by 8:00am. All families are invited to attend the awards ceremony, and any student who is receiving an award has had parents notified of this already. We look forward to celebrating with you.

East Athletic Summer Camps for Future Eagles

As summer camp information becomes available from coaches, this section will be updated.

Join the Eagle Family for the 2026-2027 School Year!

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:

PE Teacher
Chorus Teacher
Tennis Coach
Men’s Soccer Coach

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.

Summer Recovery

Summer Recovery will be hosted in early June this year, and students who are invited to Summer Recovery will be notified over the next two weeks should they need to attend. Students who are still over for attendance will be invited to recover absences. Students who made a 50-59 in a course will be included in a credit recovery Smart Period in the fall. Reach out to Mrs. Lord with questions.

What’s Your E? Commitments


Dalton Halford ENROLLMENT Liberty University Commercial Music Performance	Bradley Martinez Rubio ENROLLMENT UNC – Charlotte Construction Engineering	Andrea Santin ENROLLMENT UNC – Wilmington Elementary Education

Autumn Livingston ENROLLMENT East Tennessee State University Biology	Gracie King ENROLLMENT Blue Ridge Community College Nursing	Elizabeth Isley ENROLLMENT NC State University Art Design

Last Week in Eagle Country


At last week’s school board meeting, Class of 2026 graduates who have chosen Enlistment as their “E” were honored. Eagle graduates pursuing the armed forces include: Jamie Chacon Quiterio – National Guard Estrella Hernandez – Martinez – US Army Emiline Tucker – National Guard

On Monday, the arts department hosted its annual arts signing for four talented arts students. Alexis Gish will attend Western Carolina University to study theater, Isabella Barr will attend the Savannah College of Art and Design to study illustration, Dalton Halford will attend Liberty University to study commercial music performance, and Elizabeth Isley will attend NC State University to study design. We are so proud of these #EagleArts graduates and look forward to all the beauty they will create in their studies and beyond.

For more than a week, this semester’s art installment was up in the media center for viewing, and the closing night of the show was held on Tuesday evening before the band concert to celebrate the amazing artists with a reception. Students were able to talk about their art, and families and friends were able to enjoy all the amazing talents of our students. Job well done as always by Mr. Wallace and his amazing art students!

To celebrate the end of the year and the three soon-to-be graduates, our Exceptional Eagles were joined by their families last week for a barbeque and celebration. This group of families is quite a team, and we’re thankful for the little family they have created under the leadership of Mr. Reed and Mrs. Youngblood.

On Tuesday, EHHS and FRMS bands united for one final performance of the school year. Both groups sounded fantastic on their own, and the finale of the concert was a combination piece. We are so thankful for the partnership of Mrs. Morris and Mr. Cruz to create a wonderful band program at both EHHS and FRMS.

On Wednesday, our Class of 2026 celebrated the end of the school year with our annual Senior Picnic. Seniors got important reminders at a senior meeting, followed by a cookout and tons of fun. Seniors got to play on a slip’n’slide run by the Blue Ridge Fire Department, have a water balloon fight, play cornhole, tug-o-war, football and soccer. Many students also enjoyed getting temporary tattoos, fairy hair, and delicious cotton candy made by our own Deputy Maybin.

Our annual yearbook signing took place on Wednesday on the football field, celebrating the end of the year and the memories that were made. We are thankful for our Highlander yearbook staff for their months and months of work putting together this outstanding yearbook under the leadership of Mrs. Byrd and student Co-Editors in Chief, Davis Harvey and Sarah Alverson.

On Friday, Ms. Williford’s dance classes from both East and FRMS took the stage for one final performance of the year. Students performed in large groups, small groups, duets and solos, and all did a fantastic job showing off all they’ve learned in dance class this semester.

On Saturday, many students volunteered their time to beautify our campus in preparation for graduation. They dug and refilled mulch beds, weeded, edged, pulled out old bushes, and picked up litter. We are very thankful for all of the hard work these students exhibited, as well as their leaders, Mrs. Meadows, Mrs. McDade and Mrs. Jensen.