December 13, 2024 Weekly Newsletter

Dear Patriot Families,

Next week we celebrate our Stress Less, Laugh More week with themes and activities each day. See the information below. This week, we enjoyed a wonderful concert by our Yorktown Symphony Orchestra and Band and next Wednesday, the Yorktown Choir is performing. Congratulations to our Yorktown Musicians!

One more week until winter break! Have a wonderful weekend!

Dr. Kevin Clark, Principal

In this message: 

• What’s Happening at Yorktown
• Counseling Corner
• Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Corner
• Activities Updates
• Senior Updates
• Upcoming Dates

WHAT’S HAPPENING AT YORKTOWN

Winter Chorus Wins Wash-FM Choir Contest – Concert Tuesday!

Congratulations on winning the Wash-FM Choir Competition! Out of 300 choirs that submitted entries, the Yorktown HS Choral Program received the most votes, earning us the distinct honor of performing before the Washington Ballet’s performance of The Nutcracker this past Saturday and a prize check of $5,000 towards our program!

Come listen to the Chorus ensembles this Tuesday, December 17th at 7 pm in the auditorium.

Laugh More Stress Less

The counseling department will host its annual Laugh More Stress Less holiday edition this coming week.  Fun and festive activities will be available in the atrium and cafeteria during lunches, and everyone is invited to participate in the spirit days below.

Slides from Advanced Academics Night

Advanced Academics @ YHS Parent Information Night slideshow from December 9, 2024.Includes updated information about PRIME, AP Capstone, Dual Enrollment programs.

COUNSELING CORNER

Academic Planning Night

Please mark your calendars for Thursday, January 23rd, at 7 PM when we will host Academic Planning Night with information about choosing classes for the 2025-2026 school year.  The event will take place in person in the auditorium, followed by an opportunity to ask questions of department chairs in the atrium.  While some of the presentation is geared toward rising 9th graders, all grade levels are welcome to attend. For rising 10th-12th graders, our course selection procedures will be different this year, as we transition to an online process.  Counselors will meet with students to choose classes, and parents will be able to view these selections in ParentVue in February (more instructions to come later).

Advisory Information

Tuesday, December 17th 

• 9th-11th Grades: Labeling Emotions (RULER Lesson)
• 12th grade: Coping and Problem Solving (RULER Lesson)

Thursday, December 19th 

• Academic Check ins or students may leave with a pass to visit another teacher

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION CORNER

APS and Arlington County are partnering to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy and the profound impact he made on the world. The theme this year is Dreams, Faith and Justice in Action. It focuses on activism and community organizing in Arlington.

We are asking students, teachers and families to upload two- to three-minute video response to one of the following prompts:

• “Be the Change: My Role as a Leader in My Community”
• “How Do We Continue Dr. King’s Work Today?”

This is a community-wide effort in advance of the Arlington MLK celebrations in January. The video will be shared on social media, at the Jan. 19 MLK Tribute at Wakefield High School, and at the Jan. 30 School Board meeting. Submissions due by Fri, Jan.3.

ACTIVITIES UPDATES

Club of the Week: AHC Outreach Club

The AHC Outreach Club will connect Yorktown’s student population with AHC through various initiatives, such as fundraisers, advertisement campaigns, and connecting volunteers with NHS.  The club will aim to encourage students to dedicate time toward public service. See Ms. Shearin or Ms. Waldron for more information.

Winter Sports – Spectator Information

With winter sport competition beginning this week, a schedule of events is available on www.yorktownsports.org Many games held in the gym are available online on www.nfhs.com Tickets for events in the gym are available online at www.gofan.co with discounted student-priced tickets at the gate for $5 cash only.  Backpacks, as well as outside food or drinks, are not permitted.  Students in middle school or below need to be accompanied by their parent/guardian for admission to sporting events.

Where to find Athletics Information

Athletic Website – www.yorktownsports.org

Athletic Twitter – @yhssports

Athletic Instagram – @yhssports

Athletic Specific Sport Information – www.teamapp.com

Athletic Registration – https://yorktownhs-ar.rschooltoday.com/

Home Events this Week

Looking Ahead to Spring Sports – February 24

For your planning purposes, spring sports begin on February 24th.  Students can join www.teamapp.com for specific off-season and tryout information for spring sports, which will be posted as it becomes available.  Please make sure to register on the new athletic registration site before attending any off-season activities or tryouts (see information above).

Looking Way Ahead – Fall 2025 Sports

For planning purposes, Fall sports will begin as early as July 31 with most beginning on August 4. Check Team App or the website for more information.Please note, playing a high school fall sport requires a commitment to be present for the duration of tryouts and daily practices thereafter. Families are advised that vacations planned after the start of fall sports will not be considered favorably during the tryout process because there is limited practice time to build a team prior to the start of scrimmages and games in mid to late August.

SENIOR UPDATES

Be sure to bookmark the Seniors website, which is linked on the Yorktown HS homepage under Quicklinks and contains essential information for senior year. Find answers to your questions about these and more:

• Announcements and Rings
• Caps & Gowns
• Class Dues
• Graduation
• Off Campus Lunch Privilege
• Prom
• Senior Experience
• Senior Portraits
• Yearbooks

Baby Photos 

Seniors, please submit your baby photo by January 5th. You can upload your photo here: https://forms.gle/iXuhoM7TyLY1n7tY9. No photos will be accepted after this date. Additionally, all senior pose selections for the yearbook are due December 15th. On December 16th the orders are finalized and sent to the yearbook staff to be uploaded in the book. No changes can be made after December 16th. If you would like to verify your pose, you can stop by room 264 (Mr. Olsen’s room) to verify or change your selected pose.

Senior Dues

Senior dues are $80 (discounted to $70 before Winter Break). Senior dues cover the cost of cap and gown, diploma, diploma covers, as well as other senior activities. Senior dues can be paid at https://arlingtonva.schoolcashonline.com/ or by cash, money order, or check (made out to Yorktown High School) and given to Sabrina Ashby in the main office.

Senior Experience

The Senior Experience Application is now open! All required documents can be found on The Senior Experience Canvas page and must be submitted by March 14th!

Cap and Gown Orders

Seniors can now order their cap and gowns. Please stop by the Activities Office to do so. No payment is required at this time. Price is included in the senior dues.

Save the Date 

Class of 2025 Graduation – 7 p.m., Wednesday, June 4, at DAR Constitution Hall.

UPCOMING DATES

See YHS Calendar or the APS Calendar for more information:

• December 23 – January 3 – No school – Winter Break