I know I speak for the entire Eppler staff (affectionately referred to as Team Eppler!) when I say that I am soooo very excited for this new school year to begin! There is nothing quite as exciting and invigorating as the start of a new school year! Thank you to all who were able to join us for our annual Chieftain Registration Day! It was heartwarming to see you and your children and the look of excitement on their faces! I’m looking forward to an AMAZING school year for our students, parents, staff, and the entire Eppler community!

Our first day of school with students will be Tuesday, August 27, 2024. We will run an adjusted schedule that day to include a ten-minute homeroom to distribute, explain, and answer questions about student schedules. I’ve attached a copy of our Homeroom Locator and first day schedule for your reference. Please share with your child. Please also note that the first day of school at all junior high and high schools is a FULL DAY. See below for our daily schedule.
Homeroom Locator 24-25 S1.pdf
FIRST DAY SCHEDULE 2024-2025.pdf

As you will remember, daily school start and end times were adjusted last year and remain the same this school year. Eppler Junior High School will begin the day at 7:20 am, with the day ending at 2:11 pm. Our doors will open for students at 7:10 am, and for those wishing to receive breakfast, at approximately 7:00 am. I’ve included a daily schedule with all bell times, including lunches, for your reference. I am sure it will find a prominent place on your refrigerator!
EJH Daily Schedule 2024-2025.pdf

IMPORTANT! Earlier in the week UCS Transportation sent a listing of Eppler’s bus routes to the parents of all students receiving transportation. That information inadvertently shared the incorrect start time for our school. Please use the following link to access the updated bus routes information with the corrected times. https://www.uticak12.org/busroutes

IMPORTANT! If you are the parent of a seventh-grade student or a new student to Eppler Junior High, and were NOT present at our Chieftain Registration Day, please contact Ms. Priestley at 586-797-2900 to make arrangements to receive your child’s assigned laptop.

As a reminder, beginning this year, students will be asked to use full-sized backpacks to travel to and from home ONLY each day, and will be required to use nylon drawstring totes to carry the necessary items to each class they attend each day. In addition, ALL students MUST use their assigned lockers. Please see the following document. Backpack.png

Students will be expected to bring their charged laptops, along with their assigned charger, each day. It is recommended that the laptops charge overnight to be ready to bring the next day. Please turn the laptop completely off when charging overnight. This will also allow any updates to load on power up in the morning.

Students will enter the building in the morning at the following doors:
• 7th Grade: South Doors
• 8th Grade: North Doors
• 9th Grade: Center (Main) Doors

Another quick reminder … Families may choose to enroll in the OPTIONAL 2024-2025 Technology Device Insurance Program by the deadline of Thursday, September 6, 2024, for a fee of $20.00 per device. Device insurance can be purchased through your PaySchools account. Click here for more information and also see the documents below. I highly encourage you to purchase this device insurance as we have seen devices accidentally damaged and families responsible for a large repair bill.
2024-25 Device Insurance.pdf
deviceinsuranceflyer.pdf

And one last reminder … UCS students will again receive a free breakfast and lunch throughout the 2024-2025 school year.  All UCS families are asked to complete the School Meals & Summer EBT application or the Education Benefits form by clicking here - enter "Utica Community Schools" and follow the prompts. For more information, please click here.

IMPORTANT! Please add to your calendars our Annual Open House. We are excited and looking forward to having you join us for this wonderful event! It is a great opportunity for you to meet your child’s teachers by following their daily schedule. Please plan on joining us on Thursday, September 5, 2024, at 6:30 pm.

Lastly, please talk to your child about posting their school schedules on social media. It has been reported to me that a number of students have unwisely chosen to do this, which displays not only their schedule, but their locker number and combination, as well as their UCS login and password. This is a real safety concern that needs to be addressed with your child. Please and thank you!

Other communications, along with the Eppler Express, our electronic newsletter, will be coming your way through the year. Please look for weekly communications and updates via email.

I am sure I may have missed something here, so if you have any questions or concerns, as always, please let me know.

Enjoy this last weekend of summer! We all look forward to seeing you and your children this coming Tuesday, August 27! Again, please note that our first day is a FULL DAY of school.

Be well! Be safe! Be healthy! Be happy!

Jerry