December 2025

A Message from EMS Administration

Dear East Families,

As we move into December, I want to express my sincere gratitude for your ongoing partnership and support. This time of year is always filled with excitement, anticipation, and a little extra energy as we approach winter break. Your encouragement at home truly makes a difference in helping our students stay focused on their learning and being committed to positive, school-appropriate behaviors.

We appreciate any reminders you can offer your child about staying on track during these last important weeks of the year—maintaining good study habits, treating others with kindness, and demonstrating responsibility throughout the school day. Together, we can help ensure a strong and successful finish to 2025.

Thank you, as always, for being valuable partners in our school community. I wish you and your family a joyful December and a restful break when it arrives.

Happy Holidays!

Sincerely,

Teri Kovars, Principal

Casey Milroy, Associate Principal (A-L)

Brian Skweres, Associate Principal (M-Z)

Paul Bastian, Dean of Students/Athletics Director

UPCOMING EVENTS

Click HERE to see a full list of upcoming events!

DECEMBER

Dec. 5 - Student Council Activity Night

Dec. 15 - 19 - Holiday Spirit Week

Dec. 22 - 31 No School - Winter Break

JANUARY

Jan. 1 - 4 No School - Winter Break

Jan. 15 - Winter Choir Concert - 7pm @ OCPAEC

Jan. 17 - Festival of Bands - OCHS

Jan. 20 - No School

Jan. 27 - No School

BAND & CHOIR

CHOIR UPDATES

On November 6, 8th grade students joined their WMS counterparts and the singers at OCHS for the 18th annual Festival of Choirs concert. This concert is a highlight of the 8th grade choir year, as it is the first taste of the music that they will be performing as high schoolers in coming years.

On Saturday, November 8th, several EMS choir students took part in the "Singing in Wisconsin" festival at Carroll University. They worked with other students from the area to learn and perform several new songs together. A great time was had by all who attended!

On Friday, November 14th, members of the 8th grade choir sang the Canadian national anthem before the Milwaukee Admirals vs. Manitoba Moose hockey game. The choir sounded wonderful and represented EMS well with their maturity at the game.

The Oak Creek-Franklin School District will be hosting its 20th Annual Festival of Bands on Saturday, January 17th, 2026. All Band students in the district - nearly 950 students in Band grades 5 through 12 - will be performing two identical concerts. The first concert will take place at 2:30 pm and the second will take place at 5:00 pm, in the Oak Creek High School Main gym. Due to the large number of performers and the limited capacity within the OCHS Main Gym, this is a ticketed event.

The event will be streamed live via a link on the OCFSD website - tune in for details as the date approaches!

GUIDANCE CORNER

Happy December! With the holidays upon us, there are many reasons to be joyful. It's a time for sharing, laughter, giving back, and creating memories with family and friends. The holidays, however, can also be stressful. We may be making plans to visit loved ones, managing our budget for gifts, or coordinating events with our community. With an already-packed schedule, these additional tasks can add stress to our lives.

Celebrating and connecting with family is important during the holiday season, but it's also essential to care for your mental health. National Stress-Free Family Holidays Month brings awareness to the harmful effects of stress and reminds everyone to take care of themselves as they approach the holidays. Here are some helpful tips for a more stress-free holiday season:

Make modifications to holiday traditions. Consider ways to modify traditions that may negatively impact your mental health. It can be nice to stick with holiday traditions, but your mental health should take priority.
Don't forget the power of "no." It's okay to say no to plans if you are feeling overwhelmed.
Plan ahead. Keeping a calendar of events can help you stay on track and prepare for events. It can be stressful to shop on the same day as an event, so keep a list of tasks to prevent the rush.
Talk about your feelings. You might be overwhelmed or missing a loved one. Talking about your feelings with a trusted friend or family member is okay. You are not in this alone.
Take time for self-care. It's important to take care of ourselves before caring for others. This holiday season, make time for yourself.
Find a therapist. Acknowledge your feelings and talk to a professional when needed. If you would like help finding a mental health care provider, use Care Solace, a complimentary and confidential coordination service provided by Oak Creek-Franklin Joint School District:

Call 888-515-0595. Multilingual support is available 24/7/365.
Visit www.caresolace.com/ocfsd and either search on your own or click "Book Appointment" for assistance by video chat, email, or phone.

November Leaders of the Cougar Way

6th Grade

7th Grade

8th Grade

The November Leaders of the Cougar Way were celebrated and enjoyed Marcus Movie Theatre popcorn and McDonald coupons on Friday, December 5!

They also received an encouraging note from their teachers.

Artist: Quinn Schubilske

Project Description: This project is part of Grade 6 Exploring Visual Arts where students create a fractured portrait of someone famous, themselves, or a realistic cartoon character. Students had to demonstrate their understanding of value using pencil and create a theme for their background that corresponds with the person they chose to draw for their fractured portrait. Colored pencils, pencil, blending sticks, and Sharpie were used to create this artwork. Quinn really pushed herself to work and rework areas of her project to make them look as realistic as possible, especially the earrings. I am very proud of her hard work on this art piece. I look forward to what she will come up with next and hope to see her artwork in the future.

CLUB NEWS

Chinese Club

The Chinese Club had their 2nd meeting on November 21. Most students are learning to play Chinese checkers for the first time. Everyone enjoyed the memorable experience and friendly competition."

Ambassador Club

The Ambassador Club collected 482 items for the Oak Creek Salvation Army's food pantry just before Thanksgiving. Members of the Ambassador Club collected, counted, boxed, and transported all of the items, which was amazing! Thank you to all who donated to this great cause. Many more families had food on their tables over the Thanksgiving break because of the

generosity of many.

PARENT REMINDERS

NO CELL PHONES IN SCHOOL

Click HERE to view our cell phone and headphones procedure.

If you allow your student to bring a phone to school, it will need to be locked in the locker from 8:30 am until 3:45 pm.

As in the “olden days,” you can contact the office if you need to speak to or get a message to your child.

Virtual Backpack

Don’t forget to check your student’s Virtual Backpack! The Virtual Backpack is our "eco-friendly" approach to distributing information supporting our district's educational goals and mission.

Virtual Backpack Link: ocfsd.org/parents/virtual-backpack

Background Checks

The District Volunteer Background Check Application is online. We will no longer be accepting paper applications. Every volunteer must complete an online volunteer application form even if you were previously approved and are on the Volunteer Database. You will still need to submit an online volunteer application every five years after the initial online application. This new process will have results within 1-2 days!

The link can be found under the Parents tab on the district website.