April 4, 2025 Newsletter

Dear Patriot Families,

Come see Anything Goes, the amazing Spring Musical by the Yorktown Theatre Department! Show is tonight and tomorrow featuring our incredible student cast, crew, and pit band.

A reminder that next week is the last week in the third quarter leading up to Spring Break from April 14-18, and no school Monday, April 21st, a grade preparation day for staff.

Have a great 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

Come see the Spring Musical: Anything Goes!

Set sail with Yorktown Performing Arts’ production for a night of classic Broadway entertainment. Anything Goes, the beloved musical by Cole Porter, brings humor, romance, and unforgettable songs like “I Get a Kick Out of You” and “You’re the Top” to the stage. Join us for this timeless story, sharp wit, and a score that has stood the test of time. Secure your seats today.

Remaining Show Dates: April 4 at 7 PM, and April 5 at 2:00 PM and 7:00 PMTickets: https://www.yhstheatre.org/tickets-shows

Looking Ahead – Guest Speaker for Seniors – April 29

Yorktown will welcome the parents of Braylon Meade on April 29 when they will speak with seniors. Statement from the Meade Family below.

Early in November 2022, Braylon Meade had submitted all of his college essays, was poised to lead the Washington Liberty High School boys varsity basketball team as their point guard, and was ready to cruise for the rest of his senior year with his friends and girlfriend. Just after midnight on November 11, 2022, Braylon kissed his girlfriend good night and jumped into his car to drive home.  Braylon never made it home alive that night—an impaired student, driving 95 miles per hour, struck Braylon’s car and killed him upon impact.  Our family, friends, girlfriend, and the Arlington community were devastated by his unnecessary loss of life.

We–the Meade family–turned together with our shared grief and recognized that it was our duty to keep Braylon’s legacy alive.  Braylon showed courage, kindness, humor and hard work in everything he did in his short almost 18 years of living.  The Meade family established four college scholarships in Braylon’s honor to help other WL and Arlington graduating seniors attend college.  Braylon’s friends, Charlie Taylor and Jack Tsuchitani (Yorktown class of 2023) created the annual Ginger Cup Golf Tournament in Braylon’s honor.  All proceeds from the 2023 and 2024 and soon to be 2025 Ginger Cup, the Braylon Meade Basketball Classic, and donations from family and friends across the country fund these scholarships. 

Parents of Braylon Meade–Rose and Kris will join Yorktown seniors Will Taylor and Karenna Wilson, friends of Braylon, to talk about Braylon’s life, impaired driving, and strategies to stay safe.  The event will be moderated by Yorktown seniors Georgia Hardeman, Meri Strazzella, and Felix Ko. Let’s keep a dialogue going among students, parents, teachers and counselors to keep impaired driving out of our community- we can’t let this happen again.

Softball Pink Out Next Thursday

On Thursday, April 10th, in partnership with Yorktown Baseball and Wakefield Softball, we will once again be hosting our Pink Out event. Delicious concessions, enticing auction items, raffle prizes galore will be available…oh, and great softball! You don’t want to miss it! All proceeds will be donated to the Arlington Free Clinic which provides free mammograms to uninsured Arlington women. Their work is saving our neighbors’ lives—we are here for it and we know you are too! So please come join us Thursday, April 10th, 6pm at the Yorktown Softball field!

• 25 Amazing Raffle Prizes – Click Here to purchase tickets in advance, or join us and buy tickets at the game!
• 12 Awesome Auction Items to Bid on – Click Here to bid.  Auction opens on Friday, April 4, and closes at 11:45pm on Friday, April 11.

End of Year Calendar Update

For planning purposes, here are some highlights from the end of the school year. More information forthcoming.

• Senior Final Exams: April 24-30
• AP Testing: May 5-16 (Late testing May 19-23)
  • NWEA MAP Growth Reading: May 6th – Testing Day – NWEA Reading (grades 9 & 10), AP Testing. Students not testing will have an asynchronous learning day with assignments to complete from their classes
• SOL Testing: May 19-22 (Testers only in the morning, 11:00 arrival for all students)
• Final exam schedule. At a glance:

• Thursday 6/12 – Pd. 2 Final
• Friday 6/13 – Pd. 1 & 3 Finals
• Monday 6/16 – Pd. 4 & 6 Finals
• Tuesday 6/17 – Pd. 5 & 7 Finals
• Wednesday 6/18 – Make-up Finals

 Coaches Needed

We are currently seeking several coaches for our staff for next year.  Please feel free to have qualified applicants who you believe would be a good fit for our school and athletic teams reach out to Mike Krulfeld with a resume and email of interest.  Current openings are for varsity head girls basketball coach, head swim coach, head dance coach, assistant cross country coach and assistant football/head JV coach.  Full job descriptions can be found on the athletic website.

Girls Basic Self-Defense Course

Arlington Public School’s Safety and Security has teamed up with the Arlington Police Department and Arlington Sheriff’s Department to offer a Girls Basic Self Defense Course at Yorktown.  This free opportunity starts April 23 and will run for five Wednesdays from 3:30-4:30 pm.  Registration will open on Tuesday, April 8 and is limited to 30 students.  More information can be found on this flier.

COUNSELING CORNER

Advisory Information

Next week is the end of the quarter so there is no advisory lesson. Students report to advisory Tuesday and Thursday, but can request a pass to see another teacher.

No Early Final Exams

The following is a friendly reminder about requests for early and late final exams:Students will not be permitted to take their final exams early, with the exception of families receiving military or foreign service orders.  Proof of these orders must be submitted to the counseling office.  Students may take late finals, and grades will be calculated with a zero for the final until they are taken, and then updated based upon the final exam results.  When possible, arrangements should be made in advance for any late finals

.The Fine Arts Apprentice Program 

The Fine Arts Apprentice Program provides specialized experiences beyond the regular art, music and drama curriculum for selected high school students (rising 10th, 11th, or 12th graders). Opportunities for students may include ensemble works, master classes, attendance at professional rehearsals and performances, museum courses, small group instruction, seminars, exhibit and performance opportunities.Course Info: Fine Arts Apprentice; Full year, one-half credit: Fine Arts I (29290), Grades 10-11; Fine Arts II (29291), Grades 10-11; Fine Arts III (29292), Grade 12 (Prerequisite Fine Arts II or permission from the Instructor).

• Students or families are encouraged to email or call the Apprentice Coordinator with any specific questions – [email protected]  or 703-228-6171.
• Applications are due April 23, 2025
• Apprentice Application Information & Work Sample Guidelines
• Online applications (work sample & recommendations sent separately):

1. Fine Arts Apprentice Application 2025-26 
2. Online recommendation form:  Apprentice Program Recommendation Form
3. Step-by-Step Instructions on Application Process
4. Sample e-Portfolio

Students selected for the Apprentice Program receive a pass/fail grade and a 1/2 credit for a minimum of 75 hours of arts experience outside the school course requirements. These opportunities take place out of the school day and are often offered in the evenings and on weekends. Students are able to select opportunities of interest that work with their school commitments and extra-curricular activities. Click here to watch a video behind the scenes of the Fine Arts Apprentice Program.

DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION CORNER

Arab American Heritage Month

April is Arab American Heritage Month and APS is proud to celebrate the rich history, culture, and contributions of Arab Americans. As part of the celebrations, APS is inviting students and staff to submit short videos sharing what this month means to them and how they plan to celebrate. Please submit video submissions in the Dropbox. Videos should be submitted by Friday, April 4.

Did you know…?

• National Arab American Heritage Month began as a 2017 initiative that only involved a few states and cities
• In April 2021, President Biden became the first U.S. president to issue a proclamation acknowledging Arab American Heritage Month
• Estebanico Azemmouri, a native of present-day Morocco, and Antonio Bishallany, a native of present-day Lebanon, arrived to what would many years later become the United States becoming the first members of the Arab American community
• The Arab American community is made up of individuals with roots in 22 countries

located in the Middle East and North Africa: Algeria, Bahrain, the Comoros Islands, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Mauritania, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen

• Arab Americans are diverse in faith—despite a common misconception, not all Arabs are Muslim—as well as race, sexual orientation, gender identity, and ability. Within their diverse community, Arab Americans are united by their primary language, Arabic, as well as by their shared history and culture

Check out this online collection from the Smithsonian, consider attending the Arab America Foundation’s annual event commemorating NAAHM or check out the Arab American National Museum.  Find out more about NAAHM on the website of the Arab America Foundation.

Autism Awareness Month

April is National Autism Awareness Month.  This gives us an opportunity to better understand autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and discuss the effects ASD has on kids, families and communities. In 2023, the CDC updated its prevalence data to reflect that 1 in 36 children in the U.S. meet the diagnostic criteria for autism.

Partner with the CDC in celebrating by using your voice and platforms to spread the messages of acceptance, inclusion, and helping connect people to support services—and to one another. This partner toolkit provides free resources, including social media content and links to educational materials on autism. You can share these resources with your friends, family, colleagues, and partners. Examples of how to get involved include

• Posting autism acceptance messages and using the hashtags #AutismAcceptanceMonth and #AutismAwareness on social media.
• Sharing digital content, web features, and materials online.
• Using the sample articles to share autism information with communities and healthcare providers in newsletters, emails, and other partner communications.
• Educating parents, educators, and healthcare providers at meetings, health fairs, conferences, and other events.

Guest Speaker: Thursday, April 24 | 1:40 – 3:10

The Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) Holocaust Speakers’ Bureau will provide a speaker who will share an inspiring, personal story of the Holocaust designed to encourage audience connections with their personal Holocaust experience.  In cultivating personal connections, they hope to touch the minds and hearts of the next generation. Students may sign up to attend by obtaining a permission slip from Ms. Patrick. This event is sponsored by the Jewish Student Union.

ACTIVITIES UPDATES

Club of the Week: Arabic Society Club

The YHS Club of the Week is The Arabic Society Club. The Arabic Society Club will focus on the school’s Arabic speaking students and encourage other people to take Arabic classes. The club will help enhance the knowledge and vocabulary of Arabic taking students on a variety of topics and aspects of Arab culture by watching movies and shows in Arabic and engaging in discussions about their content.  The club will also share recipes and explore Arabic culture.  All students who are taking Arabic or have a working knowledge of the language are welcome. See Ms. Kufaishi for more information.

New Athletic Registration 

In the coming month, all families who are currently registered to play sports should receive an email from Arbiter or RSchool indicating a transition in the registration system we use.  This is a forced conversion as Arbiter purchased RSchool which is our current provider.  The email should include a link to create a new username and password.  Once completed, all prior information will be accessible as families begin to register for the 2025-26 school year.

New Athletic Physical Requirements

An upcoming change in state law necessitates a change in physical requirements which will benefit some families, but also will create in-season challenges for student-athletes. All physical examinations will be valid for 14 months from the date of the examination.  Families who wish to complete one physical for the entire 2025-26 school year and not risk a student being pulled mid-season due to an expired physical exam should schedule the annual physical for April 15, 2025 or later.  Yorktown will continue to offer on-site physical exams as a fundraiser for our athletic training department on a date in early June with the exact date announced in mid-May.

Spring Sports Ticket Information

With spring sport competition beginning last week, a schedule of events is available on www.yorktownsports.org. Games held on the turf field are available online on www.nfhs.com Tickets for events in the stadium are available online at www.gofan.co with season passes available for adults.  Cash will still be accepted at the gate.  Backpacks as well as outside food or drinks are not permitted.

Spring Turf Sports to Stream on NFHS

After many years of High Definition handheld streaming thanks to the Yorktown Athletic Boosters, we will transition to the automated NFHS Network for all stadium field sports this spring.  Lacrosse and soccer games will be available on the NFHS Network with a subscription.  The subscription to the network allows online access to home volleyball and basketball games as well as most gym and field events in Fairfax County and around the country, including playoff games.

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 – 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, that 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.

Looking Ahead – Homecoming 2025

Homecoming weekend will be October 10 and 11, 2025.  The football game is against West Springfield and the dance will be Saturday, October 11.  Please note this is a three-day weekend for students with no school on Monday, October 14.  While not ideal, it is the best viable option given the home football schedule.

SENIOR UPDATES

Senior Dues

Senior dues are $80. 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/.

Senior Send Off & BBQ

The PTA is working hard to enhance this year’s traditional senior BBQ and it will be an amazing event with a live band, mechanical bulls, inflatable axe throwing, dancing and lots of food.  The event is Friday, May 16 from 11:30-1:30.  Check out this Senior Send Off & BBQ flier for more information.

Graduation

Class of 2025 Graduation is at 7 p.m., Wednesday, June 4, at DAR Constitution Hall. Graduation rehearsal will take place the morning of graduation. After rehearsal, students will pick up their cap and gowns and five (5) graduation tickets. Additional graduation tickets can be requested, but are not guaranteed, between May 1st and May 11th using this google form that will be active on May 1.

UPCOMING DATES

For more details, refer to the YHS or APS calendar.

• Monday, April 14-Friday, April 18 – No School, Spring Break
• Monday, April 21 – No School for students, Grade Preparation Day