January 16, 2026 Newsletter

Happy Friday!

We are in the middle of the year busy mode- testing, Edmentum, course selection, oh my! Hopefully some of the information in this newsletter will help you with some of the craziness.  Our students are hard at work making sure they are situated for the end of the marking period.

Enjoy the long weekend!

Warmly,

Laura Porter

Acting Principal,Yorktown High School

In this message: 

• What’s Happening at Yorktown
• Counseling Corner
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
• Activities Updates
• Senior Updates
• Technology Corner
• Upcoming Dates
• English Learner Corner
• Technology Corner

WHAT’S HAPPENING AT YORKTOWN

Hands to Hearts CPR Training – January 20-21

All 9th and 10th grade students will receive CPR training on Jan. 20 or 21 during their PE, Driver’s Ed or health classes.  Yorktown is partnering with Virginia Hospital Center and Arlington Fire Department to ensure all students are ready to recognize a cardiac arrest, request help, and initiate hands-only CPR.  This will be a refresher for most students, as all students receive more thorough instruction on CPR during their health classes.  Please consider signing up to drop off a food item for breakfast or lunch to support our volunteer instructors.

Theatre IV Class – VHSL One- Act Play Festival – Jan. 23 and 24

The annual One-Act Play Festival is coming, and there are two opportunities to see our entry, an original play by senior Sev Conley.  “Camp Starling” is a satirical take on classic 80s teen horror films.  We are thrilled to be performing this short play written and directed by one of our students for the VHSL Festival this year. Run time is around 30 minutes for the play – we hope you can come see one, or both, of the performances!

Friday 1/23/26 in the Auditorium at 7:00pm – attend our final dress rehearsal at Yorktown

Saturday 1/24/26 at George Marshall High School (7731 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church VA 22043). Our show is set to start at 1:30 pm, and we’d love to have Yorktown supporters there!

COUNSELING CORNER

Advisory Information

Tuesday, January 20: Students in all grade level advisories will complete the VDOE School Climate Survey. Teachers have been informed about students who are opted out.

Academic Planning

We are gearing up to begin our very busy academic planning season where students will choose courses for next year, and we want to be sure you have the information you need.  Please reference the 2026-2027 Program of Studies to see descriptions of all courses.

This year, students will be using our new platform, SchooLinks, to create their course plans and to choose classes for next year.  If your student(s) has not already completed their SchooLinks onboarding, please have them do so using the following video instructions:

Grades 9 & 10: SchooLinks onboarding video (watch through minute 6)

Grade 11: SchooLinks onboarding video (watch through minute 4)

Students will be completing course plans in SchooLinks which will help them plan out the remainder of their high school years, to make sure all graduation requirements are met.  These plans will be reviewed each year, and can be adjusted as needed. Only the courses students select for next school year (2026-27) will be submitted as actual course requests. On Tuesday, January 13th, students watched a training video during Patriot Period about how to create their course plans.  Starting this week and through January 23rd, teachers will be making course recommendations for students for their next year courses directly into the student course plans in SchooLinks.  During the first 3 weeks of February, counselors will be meeting with students through their English classes to review and help complete their course plans.  Students are encouraged to begin making their plans after the 23rd, but before their counselor meets with them in February.

For parents:

The course plan process is about more than picking classes, students will explore courses and build their academic plans towards graduation. It’s a personalized journey that helps students shape their future. School Counselors will continue to work individually with students to ensure they stay on track for graduation.

Parents/guardians must review and acknowledge their student’s course plans. This allows parents/guardians to actively engage in academic advising with their student and School Counselor.

A Zoom Webinar was held with information and instructions for parents, and a recording of that event should be posted soon and we will share it.  You can also access more SchooLinks information on the APS website.

If you missed last night’s Academic Planning presentation, you can view the slideshow here.

We recognize this is a lot of information, and much of it is new this year.  Please feel free to reach out to your child’s counselor with any questions.

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION

Happy New Year from Edu Futuro!

Edu Futuro is excited to offer Emerging Leaders Program I (ELP I) online this winter once again to our amazing students. Edu Futuro would love to invite students to apply! Their programs are open to all student populations, and they offer support and services in both English and Spanish to ensure accessibility for students and families from diverse backgrounds.

ELP I is a free, five-week Leadership and College Readiness Program open to high school students in grades 9–12. The goal is to create a fun and engaging space where students and families can explore college and career pathways together. The program includes:

• Leadership skill-building
• College readiness support
• Career exploration
• Opportunities for scholarships and college tours

We would be grateful for your support in spreading the word about these opportunities. If you’re able, please consider sharing the information via school email, TalkingPoints, or any other communication platforms your team uses to reach students and families. Parental encouragement often plays a key role in a student’s decision to participate, and your outreach would be incredibly valuable.

Thank you again for your support—we’re excited to partner with you this fall!

For the ELP I Winter application, please click here.

ACTIVITIES UPDATES

College Signing Event – February 4

Yorktown’s annual College Student-Athlete Signing ceremony will be held on Wednesday, February 4 at 5:30 pm in the cafeteria.  All seniors who plan to participate in sports in college at any level next year are invited to be recognized.  Please email [email protected] to be added to the list of those being recognized.

Seniors should invite family members, high school coaches, travel/select coaches and friends – all are welcome.  Seniors will have a chance to briefly discuss their future plans and thank others who have helped them succeed. The recognition will include a photo opportunity for families and friends!

Free Health Physicals – January 30 at Wakefield High School

Arlington Public Schools and Arlington County Health School Bureau will offer free health exams (acceptable for sports participation) and teen vaccinations on Friday, January 30 from 1-4 pm at Wakefield High School.  There is no school on this day for students.  Students who wish to attend should register with their school nurse.

Winter Sports – Spectator Information

Winter sport competitions are underway.  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 Adult tickets are $7 and students are $5.  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.

Upcoming Home 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/

Looking Ahead – Spring and Fall 2026 Sports 

Spring sports will begin on Monday, February 23 and tryouts will continue throughout that week.

Fall 2026 sports will begin on Monday, August 3 for cheer, volleyball, field hockey and JV/V football.  Freshmen football and cross country will likely begin Monday, August 10.  Dance team tryouts will be May 19.  The start date for golf (no earlier than July 30) and girls flag football (no earlier than August 17) have not yet been finalized.

Club of the Week- Petals For Purpose

The Petals for a Purpose Club will spread positivity in healthcare settings for those who are ill or injured, and for those working to help these people. We want to show the workers that they are appreciated and help the patients know that they are loved and supported. The club will write cards of encouragement to both patients and healthcare workers, and we will pick out flowers monthly to which we will attach the cards. Everyone is welcome to the club to spread love, positivity, and appreciation through our school community and outside in our local community. See Ms. Jamison for more information.

SENIOR UPDATES

Be sure to bookmark the Seniors website which is linked on the Yorktown HS home page under Quicklinks and loaded with information for senior year.

Senior Panoramic Photo

The Senior Class of 2026 Panoramic Photo will take place on February 11, 2026 in the main gym at 12:30pm. The digital flyer can be downloaded here.

Cap and Gown

Cap and Gown ordering for seniors is now closed. Any senior who did not order a cap and gown must come to the activities office ASAP. All seniors must have a cap and gown to walk at graduation, and the cost of caps and gowns are included in senior dues.

Senior Dues

Senior class dues have increased to $85.00 beginning January 1, 2026. Senior families can pay their class dues using this link. All students are expected to contribute to class dues. If a student is experiencing undue financial hardship, they should speak to the activities office regarding a payment plan.

Graduation

Looking ahead for graduation planning – Yorktown’s graduation will take place at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, June 10th at 3:00 PM. Each student will receive 5 guest tickets to be distributed with the caps and gowns at graduation rehearsal.  Families anticipating needing more tickets should contact peers as we do not anticipate having additional tickets due to the size of the senior class.

Graduation Announcements

Graduation announcement cards are typically sent to extended family and close friends to share the exciting news of your upcoming graduation (they are not an invitation to attend). If you wish to order graduation announcements, or any other senior memorabilia please visit the Herff Jones Virginia website and search for Yorktown High School.

Senior Experience

Students wishing to participate in Senior Experience (May 18-June 8) will need to access the Senior Experience Canvas page. Please take your time to review all information and materials on the page.

A few dates to note:

– Student Application Due by 3/13

– Mentor Application Due by 3/13

– Parent Authorization Due by 3/13

– Senior Experience Kick Off Meeting on 5/15

– Senior Experience from 5/18 to 6/8

– Senior Experience Seminar on 6/9

TECHNOLOGY CORNER

LightSpeed Parent Opt-In

With a variety of instructional tools and learning methods available to your student, your active engagement in your student’s learning is more important than ever. To help keep you informed about your student’s use of internet resources, APS has partnered with Lightspeed Systems to give you visibility into your student’s internet usage while using APS-issued devices, and more control of their use at home and after-school hours.There are two types of reports you can receive: the Weekly Online Student Activity Report and the detailed Parent Portal dashboard. All the information in the Weekly Report and on the Parent Portal can be viewed and enabled on desktop or mobile devices. Instructions on how to opt-in to the Weekly Online Student Activity Report are here.

Laptop Reminder

Please remind students to shut down and fully charge their laptops each night so they arrive at school ready to learn. A fully charged device helps ensure students can participate in class activities without interruption. Thank you for your support!

UPCOMING DATES

See YHS Calendar or the APS Calendar for more information

English Learner Corner 

Students will participate in the WIDA ACCESS for English Learners assessment on January 15 and 16, with make-up testing scheduled for January 21 and 22. To help students feel prepared and confident, your child will attend an informational meeting on January 8, 2026, during Patriot Period in Patriot Hall. During this meeting, students will learn when, where, and why they are expected to take the assessment. Christina Smith, Department Chair; Justine Springberg, Lead Teacher; Susan Tucker, English Learner Teacher; and Danielle Harrell, School Administrator, are available to answer any questions you may have.