Posted Mar 17, 2021
Dear EASTERN Family,
We are very pleased to inform you that we will be offering four days of in-person instruction for all our students starting April 6th. Having our students in our classrooms for the remainder of the school year allows us to focus on teaching and assessing critical hands-on skills and providing opportunities for our students to acquire licenses and certifications that require in-person learning. We will also be making a concerted effort to help transition our students into the next steps of their career paths. This includes assisting with job placement for students who wish to enter directly into their career field. It also includes assisting students continuing to post-secondary education navigate and take advantage of any articulation agreements we have.
We are offering families the choice between in-person instruction, four days per week, with Wednesday being a virtual day or participating in 100% virtual option. We respect a family’s right to choose what they feel is best for their child during these difficult times and understand that some families may be uncomfortable with their child returning to school. We want you to be aware of the following before committing to any decision:
- Our teachers will be in their classroom/lab area working with our students who are in person assisting them with hands-on skill development. With most of our students coming back, our teachers need to focus on occupational safety and health safety and skill development of our students who are in person. Our teachers creatively “front-loaded” the theory part of the curriculum, but now must focus on critical hands-on skills so our students are prepared to continue in their career field. Students who continue in a virtual model will be unable to gain these hands-on skills, will not be able to obtain certifications that are performance-based, and will be unable to complete all the tasks in our curriculum.
- Students who choose to continue virtually will be in an asynchronous environment, meaning assignments will be posted for them to complete. Learning will be much more independent than it has been. Students will still get exposure to their career field but will be missing the critical hands-on component of our programs.
- On Wednesdays, synchronous (live) instruction will be offered to the AM class from 7:45-8:30 and the PM class from 12:00-12:45. This is the only opportunity our teachers will have to provide whole-group instruction.
If you completed the survey already and wish to change your child’s instructional model, please email attendance@eastech.org. If you have not completed the survey, our staff has been and will continue to reach out to you. We need to send this information back to our districts so they can plan for transportation.
Eastern Center for Arts and Technology (EASTERN) announces a new award honoring the memory of Jamie Brett, a 1982 Collision Repair Technology and Upper Moreland High School graduate. Mr. Brett passed away peacefully on Friday morning, March 12, 2021 at his home in Abington, with his family by his side, after a hard-fought battle with pancreatic cancer. His family has chosen to honor his memory with an annual award to be granted to a Collision Repair Technology graduate at EASTERN’s Awards Night each May. This award will be presented by members of the Brett family to a student chosen by Collision Repair Technology Instructor who will use the funds toward continued education or tools of the trade.
Always an auto enthusiast, Mr. Brett spent many years in the collision repair field and the last 16 years as manager and owner/operator of O’Neil Collision Center in Hatboro, PA. He built a thriving and well- respected business, where both his children and brother plan to continue the family business. Over the years he repaired and “flipped” many cars, motorcycles, and a boat, but was especially fond of old muscle cars and classics. He owned a car from every Pontiac Trans Am Series, his favorites; a 1972 Plymouth Road Runner (his first), a 1968 Pontiac Firebird Convertible, and his current, a 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle. When Mr. Brett wasn’t working, he enjoyed spending time with family and friends, especially on sunny summer days by the pool.
Ms. Marie Festa has been selected as the second Eastern Center for Arts and Technology (EASTERN) Allied Health Instructor, starting in January 2021. In 2021-2022, the program will expand to provide more opportunities for students in Eastern Montgomery County to explore and prepare for careers in healthcare.
Eastern Center for Arts and Technology (EASTERN) Computer Network Administration / Cheltenham High School graduate, Jacob Neulight, has been selected for Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s Department of Defense Scholarship Program. This program is for qualified and high-achieving students enrolled in IUP’s Cybersecurity program. Through this scholarship, Neulight will receive an annual stipend, a full scholarship, books, and laptop.
ruary is Black History Month. EASTERN is extremely proud of our Black Alum and we are celebrating by focusing on our successful grads throughout the month. Maurice Massey, a 2004 EASTERN Electronics Engineering Technology/Springfield Township High School graduate, is enjoying a successful career as Vice President of the Implementation Services division at CenTrak, a wireless automated location monitoring and environmental monitoring solution for the healthcare industry. The CenTrak system works using various IR/Wi-Fi devices, and records data to build a real-time interface for medical staff and patient workflow. Currently, they are supporting many hospitals across the US with COVID-19 vaccination monitoring. Massey credits his career training at EASTERN for providing him with the skills to succeed in this exciting field.
