A Message from the President

Dear East Catholic Family,

As the final News from the Hill until September, I would like to begin by thanking our amazing faculty and staff for the excellent work that they do each and every day. We are blessed with a talented and caring group of adults who challenge, support, and inspire our students. I also want to recognize our wonderful students who mostly live out our mission statement’s final line, “Guided by the teachings of Jesus Christ, East Catholic is a welcoming environment for all students.” That is a high bar but one we are committed to forever. We will continue to stress the importance of our mission as we move into next year and beyond.

As we look to next year, I wanted to share next year’s theme with you. We are spotlighting the word ACCOUNTABILITY as the theme. The theme spans myriad areas from doing your homework, to fulfilling service hours, from being kind and welcoming to others, to meeting team objectives. All of us can learn to be more accountable in all we do. The One Book, One Community summer reading book is titled Just Mercy, by Bryan Stevenson. Published in 2014, the New York Times Bestseller and 100 Notable Books of 2014 chronicles the story of Bryan Stevenson, “a gifted young attorney [who] founded the Equal Justice Initiative, a legal practice dedicated to defending the poor, the wrongly condemned, and those trapped in the furthest reaches of our criminal justice system.” We look forward to focusing on the theme and reading this impactful book!

I will leave you with some results from a recent survey completed by our rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors. We wanted to evaluate our Advisor program which we started four years ago. A committee of faculty members developed the survey (many thanks!), and we administered it to 309 students prior to exams. The survey has six statements and asks students to Strongly Agree, Agree, Disagree, or Strongly Disagree, and there are opportunities to write comments as well. The Approval Ratings below are the total of Strongly Agree and Agree. As you can see, the results were very impressive. We will continue to develop our advisory program, but it is nice to see that our students value the program already!

Approval Ratings for Advisor Feedback (309 responses)

Question & Approval Rating:

• My Advisory is a welcoming environment for all students: 99.3%
• My advisory provides opportunities for students to get to know one another and to build community: 97.4%
• I feel comfortable approaching my advisor: 98.4%
• I feel like my advisor makes an effort to get to know the students in my advisory group: 90.2%
• Upcoming school events are clearly announced by my advisor: 94.2%
• My advisor reviews my progress and grades with me: 79.6%

TOTAL: 93.2

As we continue with the summer, I'm wishing everyone a relaxing and rejuvenating few months. School offices are open Monday through Thursday from 8:00-2:00. Please be in touch should you need anything.

Peace,

Sean P. Brennan ‘85

Chief Administrator

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Graduation 2025

Some images of our Commencement Ceremony at the Cathedral of Saint Joseph on Thursday, May 22nd. Additional images can be found in the album on our Facebook page.

Congratulations to all members of the Class of 2025! Please remember to stay in touch. We can't wait to hear about all your future success!

IKEA Student Community Champion

Recognized for her incredible commitment to community service, Samantha Kellerman '26 was named an IKEA Student Community Champion, in partnership with the CIAC. Samantha dedicated over 75 hours to the Hospital for Special Care, well beyond the 10-hour yearly requirement, showcasing her passion for healthcare and her ability to lead by example.



Her efforts have made a significant difference, and, as part of the special recognition, she was rewarded with a generous gift basket from IKEA New Haven. Congratulations, Sam!

Latin Scholars

This Spring students in second- and third-year Latin courses took the National Latin Exam (NLE). The NLE is an annual exam given by the American Classical League/National Junior Classical League. This year over 100,000 students from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and 20 other countries took the exam.

The following students from East Catholic have been recognized for their scores:

Summa Cum Laude (Gold Medal):

Jack Battersby (Latin 2 Honors)

Michael DeVivo (Latin 2 Honors)

Maxima Cum Laude (Silver Medal):

Luke Spurling (Latin 2 Honors)

Valerie Yakimishan (Latin 2 Honors)

Magna Cum Laude:

Brent Cattanach (Latin 2 Honors)

Riley Larkin (Latin 2 Honors)

Raymond Martin (Latin 3 Honors)

Cum Laude:

George Despotopoulos (Latin 2 Honors)

Brandon Harley (Latin 2 Honors)

Simon Forcucci (Latin 3 Honors)

Allyson Leary (Latin 3 Honors)

Pictured here are Jack Battersby, Luke Spurling, George Despotopoulos, and Valerie Yakimishan. Congratulations to all these students on their accomplishments!

CT COLT Poetry Contest

This Spring, Luke Spurling won a gold medal for first place at the CT COLT Poetry Recitation Contest. Luke memorized and recited 28 lines from Ovid's "Metamorphoses," following the meter and diction of the original Latin. The contest occurs annually and is sponsored by the Connecticut Council of Language Teachers. Nearly 400 students reciting poetry in 18 languages participated!

Halo Awards

On May 29th, our talented cast and crew from Stage East headed down to the Palace Theater in Waterbury to participate in The Halo Awards. The Halo Awards have been recognizing and elevating CT high school theater for over 20 years, growing from a small local event to a massive four-night celebration of nearly 90 schools statewide. What an honor to be a part of it!



During the awards, Stage East performed a number from their Spring production of Shrek the Musical. They also celebrated Luke Spurling as he won "Best Performance in a Male Featured Role in a Musical" as Lord Farquaad, and Natale Ansaldi, as she took home the prestigious Molinari Scholarship to study dance in New York City this summer!

Father Matt Leaves the Nest

On May 29th, Father Matt celebrated his final Mass with our students, and on Monday, June 9th, he shared his last Mass with our Faculty and Staff. In just one year as our chaplain, Father Matt truly exceeded all expectations, constantly going above and beyond for the entire East Catholic community!

Father Matt was everywhere, supporting our students at countless events, from theater performances and concerts to art shows and every single sporting match, indoors and out! He also made a profound impact through his ministry, helping 15 students receive the Sacraments of Initiation and coordinating a special service with Archbishop Coyne. He even organized a student group for the Manchester Road Race and secured a donor for their registrations! His work with Campus Ministry at Masses and retreats for all students was invaluable. The list goes on and on!

Father Matt, your impact on East Catholic was immense. While you're officially a St. Paul Falcon through high school graduation, you'll always be an honorary East Catholic Eagle in our hearts! We'll miss you dearly but wish you all the best as you embark on your new pastoral role in Litchfield, CT, overseeing the three churches in the parish of St. Louis de Montfort.

Please join us in praying for Father Matt as he begins this exciting next chapter! May God continue to bless him and the parish community he will now shepherd.



We will welcome Father Daniel Hackenjos (pictured with Mr. Brennan and Father Matt) as chaplain of all three Catholic high schools in the Archdiocese of Hartford this Fall.

Girls Lacrosse

On Wednesday, June 18th, our girls’ lacrosse Captain, Caroline Cavanaugh ‘26, received All-State honors for her outstanding middie play. She’s pictured here with East Catholic High School Girls’ Lacrosse Head Coach, Kiely Callahan ‘18, at Aqua Turf.

The team made it to the state tournament for the first time since 2021, advancing to the quarterfinals where they lost to the eventual Class S champion, Lauralton Hall. What a great season and accomplishment, Caroline!

Girls Tennis

Congratulations to our girls’ tennis Captain, Sarah Siolkowski '26, whose exceptional talent and skill have earned her recognition at the All-State Banquet!



On Monday, June 23rd, Sarah was recognized for her accomplishments and the positive impact she has made through her skill. Sarah played a phenomenal record this year, remaining undefeated throughout the entirety of the season with the team. She was a semi-finalist in the state-wide tournament and is named to be a top 4 player in the entire state of Connecticut. Congratulations, Sarah, on this well-deserved honor!

Boys Golf

Congratulations to Henry Barry ’28 and Charlie Hathaway ’27 for earning All-State honors for boys golf! Both players had exceptional seasons, each finishing inside the Top 15 in the state rankings. Well done, boys!

Faith and Family Night at Dunkin' Park!

Julian Olivier ’28, alongside Archbishop Coyne and Superintendent of Catholic Schools, Valerie Mara, represented ECHS and East Catholic Baseball to throw out a first pitch at the Hartford Yard Goats game on Wednesday, June 25th!

Division III Boys Golf State Championship Runner-Up

East Catholic finished second in the Division III Boys Golf State Championship. Medalists included Charlie Hathaway in second place with a score of 71, and Henry Barry tied for third with a score of 72.

Class of 2025

Congratulations! We hope you are enjoying your post graduation celebrations. Transcripts will go directly to the college/university that you listed on Naviance when you set your attending school. If anything changes, please let us know. 

We sent out a link asking for some information on merit and scholarship money. Please take a moment to fill out this very short google document if you have not already: Scholarship and Merit Money.

Class of 2026

You are all underway with your college search! You received an email with steps to take over the summer in order to be ready to complete the application process when you return in the fall.

Please make sure you have asked your two teachers for letters of recommendation, look through your junior folder (blue), and watch your emails. 

The Tom Malin Eagle Invitational

We couldn't have asked for a better day for the 34th Annual Tom Malin Eagle Invitational! The weather, the golfers, and the conversations with Eagle friends and families made for the perfect day. We raised money for East Athletics, while recognizing Chris Malone '78 as this year's honoree.

For more photographs of the day, visit the album on our Facebook page, courtesy of our fantastic student photographers, Eve Yates and Sophia Zimmerman.

Golden Graduates

Each year, we celebrate the class reaching their Golden Reunion- 50 years since graduation! Members of this esteemed class get to process in with our new graduates and receive their "Golden Diplomas."

This year, we were thrilled to welcome the Class of 1975! Kathy Welch, Lise Engelbrecht McKeever, Rob Tebecio, Sue Pawloski-Burke, and Tammy Mac Wehr were all in attendance at Commencement, and we were especially proud to have Jim Wehr, also from the Class of '75, as our commencement speaker.

Gearing Up for the Newest Eagles!

The Class of 2029 and their families are invited to our New Families Picnic on Saturday, August 23rd at 1:00pm at East Catholic. This is a great time to meet future classmates and their families. If you have a new student entering ECHS next year, be sure to register here so we have a count for food: New Families Picnic As we continue to finalize course selection for the Class of 2029, we are also looking ahead to enrollment for the Class of 2030! Can you believe it?

The following dates have been set for Entrance Exams:

Saturday, October 25 at 8:30am

Saturday, November 8 at 8:30am

Saturday, December 6 at 8:30am

Students taking these three exams are able to be considered for merit scholarship.

To have an interested student visit for a day this Fall, register here: Shadow Day Registration



Please contact Chad Malone '08 (malonec@echs.com) or Abby Diemar '00 (diemara@echs.com) with any questions.

Uniforms and Spirit Gear!

The Rainbow Graphic Spirit Store is open every month from the 1st through the 15th!

Place your orders here: Home | East Catholic (inksoft.com)

We also have our in-house Eagles' Nest in the front lobby! Click here to purchase items and pick-up in school: Home | Eagles Nest (square.site)

Please reach out to Helen Tully (tullyh@echs.com) or Shyanne VanAllen (vanallens@echs.com) with any questions!

The 2025-2026 School Calendar has been posted to the ECHS website and FACTS.

Please reach out to Mary Suter (suterm@echs.com) with any questions.