Commonly Used "EC-isms" and Acronyms

By EC Staff

This guide offers a rundown of common EC lingo and acronyms. Still can't figure something out? Email us at info@eastsidecatholic.org and we'll add it to the list!

Academic Resources (AR): A course designed to teach and reinforce basic study skills for high school students.

Affinity Groups: A gathering of people who share an identity (e.g., race, gender, religion, country of origin, language, family status, etc.).

Annual Fund: A cornerstone of Eastside Catholic School’s fundraising campaign, the Annual Fund is a primary source of revenue, bridging the gap between the cost of educating each student and tuition income.

Art Walk: An annual spring celebration of our high school visual arts students.

Associated Student Body (ASB): The student government body.

Assembly: A large gathering of high school, middle school or all students that includes announcements, performances and other events.

Athletic Pavilion: Located next to Charlie Acosta Field, our Athletic Pavilion houses our main gymnasium, an auxiliary gymnasium, the OC Store, a weight room, a training room, offices, locker rooms and a conference room.

Attendance: Located next to the Main Foyer, our Attendance Team helps manage bus and parking passes in addition to daily student attendance records.

Baccalaureate: A Mass held on the Friday before graduation to celebrate our graduating senior class.

Black Box Theater: A performing arts space located below the first floor of the E wing.

Board of Trustees (BOT): EC's volunteer board of trustees works with the school administration in a variety of ways, primarily to develop the policies and strategies that keep the school focused on its mission and vision.

Booster Club (Boosters): Works with students, parents, administration, faculty, alumni and friends to support and encourage school spirit.

Break: A brief 10-minute period held in the morning on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays when students have time in between classes to grab something to eat, socialize or prepare for an upcoming class.

Campus Ministry: All liturgies, Masses, retreats, religious rituals and community service opportunities are managed by Campus Ministry.

Canvas: EC’s learning management system, used by students and teachers.

Charlie Acosta Field: Our multipurpose field is named after Charlie Acosta, a long-time teacher at EC.

Code of Conduct: The EC-specific rules and regulations students must follow.

Commons: A gathering space for students during Break and lunch, and where our food provider, No Junk, is located.

Convocation: An assembly for all students, faculty, and staff that officially kicks off the new school year.

Courtyard: The open space at the heart of campus where the Welcoming Jesus statue is located.

Courtyard Classrooms: Additional classrooms that are located behind the E wing.

Crush: The official name of the Eastside Catholic School Mascot.

Dean of Students: EC administrators who provide student support and address student conduct issues.

DECA Lounge: Located next to the DECA Store on the first floor between the D and E wings, this area has café area tables for students to work on schoolwork, eat lunch and socialize.

Destiny: A student-led retreat held in the fall and spring for juniors and seniors. The retreat provides an opportunity for juniors and seniors to grow in love and respect for themselves, others and God through small group discussions, activities, reflection, prayer and leader witness talks. A tradition since 1983, many students have said that Destiny is one of the highlights of their high school experience.

EC3: Time built into the schedule on Wednesdays for group activities, assemblies, liturgies and more, focused on EC’s 3 Touchstones – Academics, Relationships and Servant Leadership.

EC Magazine: Our bi-annual magazine (published in the summer and winter) that features student, faculty and alumni stories and  alumni class notes.

EC This Month (ECTM): Monthly email newsletter sent to families, students, faculty and staff which contains the latest EC-related information for families all in one place, organized by school level.

EC This Week (ECTW): Weekly email newsletter sent to families, students, faculty and staff regarding upcoming events and activities to help get organized for the week ahead.

English/Math Class (EMC): Part of our offered curriculum as an additive to the daily middle school humanities and math classes. The goal of EMC is to support students with recognized learning challenges in English and/or mathematics.

Emmaus: A senior-only retreat for students who previously attended the Destiny retreat.

FACTS: The tuition payment and management system that EC uses.

Father Heric Field: Also known as the multipurpose field, this turf field can host multiple sports for games or practices.

Grade-Level Retreat: Retreat opportunities are available annually for every grade at EC.

Grandparents and Grand-Friends Day: An event set aside to celebrate the special bond between grandparents, grand-friends and their grandchildren. This event includes liturgy in the St. Francis of Assisi Chapel followed by brunch in the Commons.

Green School: Eastside Catholic was named a Level 3 King County Green School in June 2020 for improving conservation practices on campus. Learn more about the King County Green Schools initiative.

Harlow’s Bus Service: EC’s bus service provider.

Health Room: This is also the nurses' office and is located next to the Attendance Office.

High School Den: A gathering space for high school students on the third floor between the D and E wings.

HS: Abbreviation for high school.

Homecoming: An annual, informal dance held in the Fall in conjunction with the Homecoming football game when alumni are welcomed back to campus.

Late Start Thursdays: Typically held each Thursday during the school year, the first class of the day begins at 9:30 a.m. Faculty and staff meetings and collaboration time are held from 7:30 – 9:15 a.m.

Learning Support Services: Refers to support for the diverse learning needs of students and guidance to families and faculty on a wide range of topics, including learning differences, giftedness, stress and anxiety and adolescent development.

Liturgy: Liturgy is divine worship, the proclamation of the Gospel and active charity.

Lunch Lab: Tutoring offered daily in Math and English in the Library by EC teachers.

Making a Difference (MAD) Campaign: A mainstay of the annual STARS Gala Auction, MAD is often referred to as “Raise the Paddle” or “Fund a Need.” Each year, funds raised during this moment on auction night are dedicated to a specific need. Previous examples include tuition assistance, teacher salaries and safety and security. 

Mat Room: Located on the second floor of the Athletic Pavilion, the Mat Room is primarily used for wrestling practice but can accommodate smaller groups for various activities.

Mass: Mass in the Catholic Church goes by many names. As fundamentally an action of thanksgiving to God it is called Eucharist, which means thanksgiving. Student attendance is required and professional dress is required. EC offers several all-community Mass opportunities for families to attend.

Mentor: A small group of students who meet in class once per week with a dedicated teacher. A student’s mentor group stays the same all four years of high school.

Middle School Den: A gathering space for middle school students on the second floor between the D and E wings.

MS: Abbreviation for middle school.

Multipurpose Field aka Father Heric Field: The multipurpose turf field is used for various baseball games, fastpitch games and PE classes.

Naviance: An online college and career platform to help students prepare for college. Naviance is used to submit documents (transcripts, letters of recommendation and reports) electronically to all colleges and universities.

No Junk, Inc.: EC’s food service provider, located in the Commons.

Office Hours: During the school year, our office hours are Monday – Friday, 7:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. During the summer, our office hours are Monday – Thursday, 7:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. and 7:30 a.m. – noon on Fridays.

Options Program: Since 1981, the Options Program offers individualized academic and life skill development for students in grades 9 – 12 with diagnosed intellectual and/or developmental disabilities.

Orange Crush (OC) Store: The Orange Crush store is located in the Athletic Pavilion and sells a variety of EC merchandise. The OC is also open during many athletic events and sells concessions. All in-person sale proceeds go directly to the EC Booster Club.

Parents and Guardians Webpage: (eastsidecatholic.org/parents-guardians/portal) This page is a one-stop resource for parents and guardians with useful news and announcements, calendar information, bell and bus schedules, helpful links, news, school resources and more.

Parking Pass: A parking pass is required for all current students, faculty and staff to park on campus. There are designated visitor parking stalls for visitors and short-term parking for guests. No pass is needed for them.

Peace Pole: Located in the roundabout by the flags, the Peace Pole symbolizes that Eastside Catholic promotes diversity, inclusivity, community, equity and multiculturism.

PFSA (Parent Faculty Staff Association): High school parent teacher association made up of high school parents, teachers, administrators and students whose mission is to build community and to support students, teachers, staff and families of Eastside Catholic. PFSA strives to be of service to the EC community through various programs, activities and outreach. All high school parents are automatically a member of PFSA.

PlusPortals: PlusPortals is a cloud application integrated with the EC student information system which allows students and parents to view family directory, class schedule, quarter/semester grades, report cards and transcripts.

Prayer Service: A service in which people gather together to sing hymns and pray.

PTF (Parent Teacher Fellowship): For middle school families, PTF nurtures the relationship between home and school during this period of transition between elementary and high school. PTF also works to strengthen the school community by enhancing communication, encouraging family involvement and promoting parent/guardian education. PTF’s goal is to support our teachers, parents, staff and students by fostering relationships, community involvement and leadership opportunities.

Quarter: A type of academic term; a school with this system generally will have a fall quarter, winter quarter and spring quarter (each about 10 weeks long), along with a summer term.

Readerboard: The digital sign by the flag roundabout that displays upcoming events and reminders.

SchoolMessenger: Our messaging alert system. This is one of the quickest ways for students, families and faculty/staff to be notified in an emergency or for school closures and delays. To sign up, please text subscribe to 67587.

Senior Pilgrimage: Typically held in September each year, the Senior Pilgrimage retreat focuses on self-reflection and preparation for students’ final year on campus. Students embark on a day-long, 15-mile hike from Snoqualmie Falls to Carnation. The hike is led by students and is interspersed with prayer, discussion, activities and games.

Senior Parking Lot: The parking lot on the left-hand side as you drive onto campus.

Senior Swag Day: Usually held during the first week of May, seniors wear a sweatshirt, t-shirt or other apparel highlighting their post-high school plans.

Senior Tribute: Usually held a couple of weeks before graduation each year, Senior Tribute begins the end-of-year festivities for each graduating class by honoring and celebrating our seniors and their accomplishments.

Semester: Type of academic term; there are two semesters in a school year at EC.

Signing Wall: The signing wall is located in the staircase in the E Wing; seniors sign the wall prior to graduation. The design was a gift from the Class of 2010.

SOAR Study Skills: A middle school course designed for students who need additional support with organization, work completion, test-taking strategies and learning strategies in the classroom.

Spring Fling: An all-school student celebration in spring hosted by ASB student leadership and supported by EC parent groups.

STEAM: Acronym referring to science, technology, engineering, arts and math curriculum.

STEM: Acronym referring to science, technology, engineering and math curriculum.

St. Francis of Assisi Chapel: Located at the heart of the school between the C and D wings on the second floor, the Chapel is primarily used to celebrate Mass and for prayer services. It is also used secondarily as a gathering space for community presentations and more.

STARS (Students and Teachers Achieving Remarkable Success) Gala Auction: Typically held in the spring each year, our annual auction is an elegant evening with dinner, enticing raffles and silent and live auction items. This community celebration is also the largest fundraising event for EC. The funds raised are needed to support educational programs, maintain campus operations and provide tuition assistance.

Student Accommodation Plan (SAP): The EC Learning Support staff coordinates several direct services for students with learning differences. Accommodations are individualized based on a documented diagnosis or learning differences and functional limitations of each student.

Student and Family Handbook: Updated yearly, this document outlines the specific rules, policies and procedures related to the safety and operation of our school.

Student Life: Encompasses multiple facets of EC including Campus Ministry, clubs and activities, grade level retreats, Orange Crush store, lunch and transportation.

Student Safety Tipline: An anonymous and confidential tipline monitored by school administrators for students to report a concern.

Student Services Department: Offers a wide range of services to support all students with our caring and knowledgeable staff who are committed to helping students thrive. Our trained team of school and college counselors provides guidance and planning for students and families.

Syllabus: A description of a course that also lists the dates of major exams, assignments and projects.

Tapestry: The name of the high school yearbook.

ThECru: Our DECA-run store where students sell food, school supplies and more.

Transcript: An official academic record from a specific school. It lists the courses you have completed, grades and information such as when you attended.

Tunnel: Gateway between our Athletic Pavilion locker rooms and Charlie Acosta Field.

Tutorial: Students sign up to meet with a specific teacher or to attend quiet study/work completion time.

Zero Period: Class period for high school students involved in leadership, choir or band.