Dear EASTERN Families,
We look forward to welcoming our students to our school on Thursday, September 9th and assisting them as they explore, clarify, and prepare for their future careers. To prepare, we would like to remind everyone of the safety protocols we have in place and provide some important updates.
Safety Protocols
- Staff and students are required to wear a mask while in the building
- Social distancing of 3 feet between students, and 6 feet between staff and students
- Stay home if you are experiencing COVID symptoms
- Students who are close contacts to a person who tested positive for COVID must quarantine unless vaccinated. Vaccinated students who are not symptomatic do not have to quarantine but should be tested within 3-5 days of exposure. Pending approval from our Joint Operating Committee, we will be able to assist with this testing with parent permission.
Reporting Absences
- All absences should be reported to attendance@eastech.org.
- Any positive cases or requirements to quarantine should be reported to covid@eastech.org.
Calendar
- Follow your district calendar. If your district is scheduled to be closed, then students are not expected to report to EASTERN unless the district is providing transportation to EASTERN.
Transportation
- Bus transportation is provided by the high schools. EASTERN does not receive or maintain transportation information. Please contact your high school or district transportation department for questions about bus transportation.
Summer Renovations
- Our summer renovations included renovating Automotive Technology, our main office, nursing suite, and a Practical Nursing classroom. Our instructional areas are almost complete, and we can’t wait for our Automotive students to see their improved space! Our main office is still under renovation, so much of the staff has moved to our Seminar Room and other locations throughout the building. Our nursing suite is located between Protective Services and Automotive Technology which is the same location it was temporarily placed last year.
New Students
- New to EASTERN and unsure where to go? Our staff will be placed at the entrances of our building to assist new students in finding their program areas.
Student Drivers
- Only students who have received temporary parking permits via email may park at EASTERN.
- Drivers should be prepared to provide a copy of their temporary parking permit email and ID upon arrival.
Student Drop Off
- Follow sign to entrance/exit ramp
- Students should not be dropped off until the school doors open
- Doors open:
- Morning Session 7:30
- Afternoon Session 11:45
Student Pick Up
- Follow signs to ramp
- We will begin the year with a staggered dismissal, so students will be dismissed by district
- Scheduled dismissal times:
- Morning Session 10:15 – 10:30
- Afternoon Session 2:30 – 2:45
Please reach out to us if you have any questions or concerns.
Administrative Contacts:
Mr. Gerry Rooney, Career and Technical Education Supervisor, grooney@eastech.org
- Registration, class changes, attendance, parking, special education
Mr. Joe Greb, Assistant Director, jgreb@eastech.org
- Uniform and supplies, industry certifications, program curriculum and instruction
Dr. Cathleen Plesnarski, Executive Director, cplesnarski@eastech.org
- General feedback or suggestions, pandemic-related safety
Check out my Director’s Update so you can read about the great things happening at EASTERN! V10 Director Update.pdf
Looking forward to a great year,
Cathleen Plesnarski, Ed.D.
Executive Director
Eastern Center for Arts and Technology (EASTERN) is excited to celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month by recognizing the achievements and contributions of Hispanic American students who have inspired others and achieved great success in their programs. We are pleased to begin by featuring Automotive Technology and Hatboro-Horsham High School senior, Marcos Garcia. At EASTERN’s June 2021 Awards Night, Marcos was honored with the Director’s Award, a prestigious award given to a junior who has displayed exemplary leadership skills and professionalism.
Eastern Center for Arts and Technology (EASTERN) has been awarded a Top Workplaces 2021 honor by The Philadelphia Inquirer Top Workplaces, to be published in their August 21, 2021 edition. The list is based solely on employee feedback gathered through a third-party survey administered by research partner Energage, LLC, a leading provider of technology-based employee engagement tools. The anonymous survey measures several aspects of workplace culture, including alignment, execution, and connection, just to name a few.
Cheryl Steacker has been selected as the Culinary Arts Long-Term Substitute Culinary Arts Aide for the Eastern Center for Arts and Technology (EASTERN) for three months beginning September 1, 2021. Ms. Steacker will be assisting EASTERN Culinary Arts Instructors, Chef Zachmann and Chef Vozzo, with program instruction, and will be providing individualized assistance to students in the Culinary Arts program.
