December 6, 2024 Weekly Newsletter

Dear Patriot Families,Hope you enjoyed a relaxing Thanksgiving Break! We would like to extend our warmest congratulations to this year’s Yorktown Teacher, Support Staff and Assistant Principal of the Year!

Lisa Troiano was selected as this year’s Teacher of the Year for Yorktown! For 17 years, Ms. Troiano has been a cornerstone of Yorktown’s community, bringing extraordinary dedication, leadership, and compassion to her work as an educator. As Special Education’s Department Chair, Hospitality Chair, and teacher in the Autism Program, she has had a profound and lasting impact on the lives of her students, their families, and her colleagues. Thank you Ms. Troiano for everything you do for the Yorktown Community!

Congratulations to Mary Ann Mahan this year’s Support Staff of the Year! Ms. Mahan, Administrative Assistant to the Activities Office, is a can-do person who continually takes on additional responsibilities and is an integral part of the Yorktown community. She embraces new initiatives and is willing to oversee these new processes from start to finish. She always seeks additional ways to help and get involved and is the steady hand making sure the Activities Office runs smoothly.

Congratulations to Laura Porter, Yorktown’s Assistant Principal of the Year! Ms. Porter has been an incredible asset to the Yorktown students, staff and community. She provides effective and caring leadership while providing prompt support to students and staff. She makes sure our building is safe and runs smoothly and is the first to volunteer when there is a need.

Thank you for everything you do!Thank you to everyone who nominated staff for these honors – we had an incredible 65 teacher of the year nominees, and 15 support staff of the year nominees!

A reminder that next Wednesday, December 11th is an early release for professional learning. Students are released at 1:00 pm.  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

Winter Concerts

Come check out the amazing music of our student musicians during upcoming concerts. They will be held at 7 pm in the Auditorium on the following dates.

• Band and Symphony Orchestra: December 11th
• Concert Choir: December 17th

Latin VJCL Student Success

Latin students Participated in the VJCL State Convention before Thanksgiving. Congratulations to all of our participants!

24 Latin students attended the Virginia Junior Classical League State Convention on November 24th and 25th in Richmond, Virginia. Yorktown students earned more than 40 awards including 5 1st places and 5 2nd places in various contests. In addition, the delegation won 3rd place in the spirit contest.

Three students earned Best-in-Show: Spencer Johnson (in Dramatic Interpretation), Lynx Sword (in Pottery), and Laura Su (in Roman History). Based on stellar performances last year, Spencer was asked to lead a workshop on how to perform a Latin dramatic interpretation while Lynx and Hunter Schmelling were asked to conduct one on how to prepare for the costume contest. It was great seeing our students become teachers.

COUNSELING CORNER

Advisory Information

Tuesday, December 10th 

• 9th-12th Grades: Students will watch bullying lessons provided by our counseling team and discuss various scenarios.
• 10th and 12th grades only: complete Arlington Youth Survey

Thursday, December 12th 

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

Solutions to the Youth Anxiety Crisis

If you were unable to attend or view Arlington County Department of Human Services’ presentation about our youth struggling with anxiety, or you would like to view it again, please use this link to watch the recording. Dr. Dalton focused on solutions to the youth anxiety crisis. Watching can help you gain a deeper understanding of how anxiety can fuel other issues, including substance use, and effective approaches for reducing anxiety. He discussed the multiple ways for parents to engage with their child’s resilience and build tools to overcome anxiety.

For Students Taking Dual Enrollment (DE) Classes

For any students considering withdrawing from a DE course, this is a reminder that the withdrawal deadline for fall courses is quickly approaching.  Before withdrawing, students should discuss their options with their Yorktown counselor, as it may be difficult to find a non-DE course for them to switch into. 

Students who wish to withdraw from a course must complete and submit a withdrawal form by the W/D deadline (Fall course deadline: 11/28). If they do not submit the withdrawal form by this date, they will remain enrolled on the NOVA roster and will receive a grade on their transcript for the coursework they did or did not do for the course.

Here is a link to the W/D form: Drop/Withdrawal of Contract Dual Enrolled StudentThey will need to log in using their NOVA credentials to access.

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION CORNER

Did you know that there are over 15 religious and cultural observances in the month of December?  Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, Bodhi Day, and Posadas Navidenas are just a few of these observances.  Read on to learn more about some of these special celebrations:

• December 6 – St. Nicholas Day (Christian): St. Nicholas Day honors Saint Nicholas, the saint who inspired Santa Claus.

• December 8 – Bodhi Day (Buddhism): Celebrated annually on this day, Bodhi Day (pronounced Bow-dee) commemorates the day that the historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama, experienced enlightenment.

• December 12 – The Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe (Catholic): The feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe commemorates the Virgin Mary appearing to  Saint Juan Diego in the hills of Tepeyac, Mexico in 1531.
• December 16-24 – Posadas Navidenas (Hispanic Christian): Celebrated throughout Hispanic countries in Latin America, a Posada Navideña entails a sequence of celebrations leading up to Christmas Day. Posada is the Spanish word for “inn” and refers to Joseph and Mary’s search for refuge on their way to Bethlehem before giving birth to baby Jesus.
• December 25 – Christmas Day (Christian): Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ, the Messiah in the Christian faith.  The term Christmas literally means “mass on Christ’s day”.
• December 25 – January 2 – Hanukkah (Chanukah) (Judaism): Hanukkah is an eight-day, wintertime “festival of lights” celebrated with a nightly menorah lighting, special prayers, and fried foods.The Hebrew word Chanukah means “dedication,” and is thus named because it celebrates the rededication of the Holy Temple.
• December 26 – Zarathosht Diso (Zoroastrian): Zarathosht Diso is a solemn festival to mark the day on which the Prophet Zarathushtra passed away at the age of 77 years and 11 days.
• December 26 – January 1 – Kwanzaa (African American culture): Kwanzaa is an African American and Pan-African holiday that originated from “first fruits,” or harvest, celebrations across Africa. Kwanzaa celebrations center around seven principles, one for each day of the holiday.
• December 31 – Watch Night (African American Christian): On the night of December 31, 1862, enslaved and free African Americans gathered, many in secret, to ring in the new year and await news that the Emancipation Proclamation had taken effect. In many African American churches, Watch Night is associated with a celebration and remembrance of the Emancipation Proclamation.

ACTIVITIES UPDATES

Club of the Week: The Mitts in Kitts Club

The Mitts in Kitts Club works to educate the YHS student community on the need for winter clothing for those in the local community who can’t afford it and provides students a valuable opportunity to engage in community service. The goal is to collect winter clothing such as mittens, scarfs, hats, socks, earmuffs, and jackets and make kits to donate to homeless shelters in our community! See Mr. Stahl 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).

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. 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) and verify and/or change their 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.

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 DATESSee YHS Calendar or the APS Calendar for more information:

• Wednesday, December 11 – Early Release (1:00 pm) Professional Learning
• December 23 – January 3 – No school – Winter Break