June 5, 2026 newsletter

Dear Patriot Families,

Next Wednesday, June 10th is Graduation! Congratulations to all of our amazing seniors and their families! This is a momentous occasion where we celebrate the accomplishments of our hard-working students and share our gratitude for families, teachers and staff who supported and challenged them along the way. We wish our seniors the best in the future. A reminder that graduation day is an asynchronous learning day for students in grades 9-11.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Sincerely,

Dr. Kevin ClarkPrincipal

In this message: 

• What’s Happening at Yorktown
• Counseling Corner
• Activities Updates
• Senior Updates
• Technology Corner
• Upcoming Dates

WHAT’S HAPPENING AT YORKTOWN

Graduation Day is June 10th – Asynchronous Day for Grades 9-11

Wednesday is Graduation Day and students in grades 9-11 will have an asynchronous learning day. Students will have up to one hour of work for block classes and a half hour of work for 3rd period. There will be no transportation provided as staff are involved with Graduation.

It’s Playoff Time

Congratulations to the Softball team for winning the Liberty District Championship last Friday night!  They host the Region Championship game TONIGHT at 6:30 pm vs. Madison.

Additionally, boys lacrosse, softball and girls soccer advanced to the state tournament, with boys lacrosse playing away tonight and softball/girls soccer starting their state tournament play on Tuesday night.  Four track athletes are competing in Newport News at the state meet this weekend.  Good luck to all our teams.  Check out this link for the most up to date playoff information for all spring sports teams.

SOL Testing

Date of SOL Retakes (for students who scored 375-399 or SPED students who scored 350-399):

• Monday, June 8th: Reading, USVA
• Tuesday, June 9th: Biology, Earth Science, Chemistry
• Thursday, June 11th: Algebra I, Algebra II, Geometry

COUNSELING CORNER

Advisory Information

June 8-11: Students will have time to study in preparation for finals during patriot period.

SEL survey update

In April, students completed the annual SEL survey and results can be found here. You can locate the Yorktown results by clicking on the dropdown menu beside “school”. Compared to last year, students demonstrated notable growth across all areas, with a 3-6% increase in favorable responses in each category: Growth Mindset (61%, +3%), Self-Efficacy (62%, +5%), Self-Management (79%, +4%), and Social Awareness (76%, +6%). Individual student reports are also available in ParentVue under the documents section.

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION UPDATES

June is Pride Month

June is Pride Month, a time to recognize and celebrate the contributions, history, and diversity of LGBTQ+ individuals and communities. At our school, we are committed to fostering a welcoming, respectful, and inclusive environment where every student, staff member, and family feels valued and supported. Throughout the month, we encourage our community to learn about the importance of acceptance, kindness, and belonging, and to celebrate the unique identities that make our school stronger. Happy Pride Month!

National Caribbean American Heritage Month

June is National Caribbean American Heritage Month, a time to recognize and celebrate the rich history, culture, and contributions of Caribbean Americans to our nation. Caribbean Americans have made significant impacts in fields such as education, science, the arts, business, public service, and sports. This month provides an opportunity to learn about the diverse traditions, languages, and cultures of the Caribbean and to honor the individuals and communities whose achievements continue to enrich our society. We encourage our school community to explore and celebrate the vibrant heritage and lasting contributions of Caribbean Americans throughout the month.

ACTIVITIES UPDATES

Spring Sports – Playoff and Spectator Information

Playoff season is upon us. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for students.  A schedule of both playoff and regular season events is available on our athletic website. Games held in the stadium are available online on the NFHS network. Tickets for events in the gym are available online at GoFan and at the ticket booth.

Fall Schedules and Website

Fall schedules for sports are beginning to be populated on our athletic website.  We have been informed that sometime this summer, the back end of our website will be changing which will require all schedules to be transitioned to a new platform.  This should occur seamlessly, but as with any technology transfer, there might be some issues to work through.  For families involved in fall sports, we suggest making note of the schedule at the end of this school year in case any questions arise over the summer when the website scheduling function might be offline for a period of time.

Fall 2026 Sports Tryout Schedule Announced

Fall 2026 sports tryout dates have been posted and will continue to be updated throughout the summer.  Reminder most sports start as early as August 3 and require full commitment for the month of August.   Sign up for www.teamapp.com under YHS – ‘sport name’ (i.e., – YHS – field hockey or YHS – football) for potential optional off-season opportunities this spring and summer.

Please note students who make fall athletic teams are expected to be present daily for practices and games throughout the month of August.

Reminder: All students must pass five credit-earning courses for the 2025-26 school year to be eligible for Fall 2026 sports.

Looking Ahead – Homecoming Fall 2026 – October 2 and 3

Homecoming weekend will be held October 2 and 3, 2026 with the football game on Friday, October 2 at 7 pm against Marshall and the dance on Saturday night.

Club of the Week – The Yorktown Gender-Sexuality Alliance

The YHS Club of the Week is the Gender- Sexuality Alliance. The Yorktown Gender-Sexuality Alliance is a group of students and teachers united by a common cause – creating a world of tolerance for people of all sexual orientations and gender identities. Activities at meetings often involve planning outings or special events and sometimes include discussions of matters relating to gender or sexual orientation. All are welcome and encouraged to attend the meetings. See Ms. Olson for more information.

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/

SENIOR UPDATES

Class of 2026 Graduation and Rehearsal

Yorktown’s graduation will take place at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, June 10th at 3:00 p.m. Graduation rehearsal will take place that morning at 9:00 am at Yorktown in the auditorium. Graduates will receive your cap and gown and guest tickets (5) after rehearsal.

Graduation Name Pronunciation 

For those with names (first or last) which are commonly mispronounced, please email [email protected] with a phonetic spelling.

Graduation Livestream

Graduation will be broadcast on the AETV Vimeo Page and the AETV YouTube channel (both with closed captions). They will also be live on our Comcast Xfinity Channels in both HD (Ch. 1070) and SD (Ch. 70), and Verizon FiOS in SD (Ch. 41). The videos will be available at the same links after the event has ended to watch later.

Vimeo Showcase Link: https://vimeo.com/showcase/12195191

YouTube – Yorktown – Wednesday, June 10, 2026, at 3:00 pm ET: https://youtube.com/live/LAKl146jYRQ

Senior Dues

We are still missing some Senior Dues! Senior class dues are $85. Senior families can pay their class dues using this link. All students are expected to contribute to class dues. Students will be unable to participate in Senior activities such as Senior Experience, Prom, Senior Picnic, and Graduation if they do not pay their class dues.

Senior Experience

Seniors Experience is now closed. Seniors not participating in Senior Experience will need to report to school for regular attendance through the end of the year.

Important Dates for Seniors Participating in Senior Experience:

Tuesday, June 9th

• Mandatory Final Seminar for Senior Experience during Patriot Period in Seniors’ Patriot Period classroom. Report time is 10:45 AM.

Class of 2027 Senior Portraits 

Yorktown will have a new photography vendor for the 2026-27 school year.   CADY should have reached out to all Class of 2027 families by now to offer options for Senior portraits.  CADY uses a model where they emphasize the studio experience and supplement with onsite picture appointments.  Their studio is in Chantilly.  Onsite dates will be June 11 and 12.  You can select an onsite date or in studio date – both will allow your picture to be in the yearbook, posted in the main hall and the opportunity to purchase pictures.

TECHNOLOGY CORNER

Senior Device Collection

Remaining Senior device collection will take place on the following dates and times:

• Tuesday, 6/9: 8:00 AM – 12 PM

Please make sure you bring the following items with you:

• Your APS-issued MacBook
• Your APS-issued charger

Important reminders:

• Students who do not return a charger with their computer will be charged $58 at the collection booth. Student obligations will not be cleared until the charge has been paid or waived.
• Please make sure your device is cleaned prior to turn-in and is free of excessive crumbs, stains, or debris.
• If there are any files or documents you would like to keep after graduation, please make sure to upload them to your personal Google Drive before turning in your device. If you need assistance with this process, please see your ITC: Mr. Opperhauser in Room 279 (Last Names A-K), Ms. Moten in Room 287 (Last Names L-Z).

UPCOMING DATES

See YHS Calendar or the APS Calendar for more information.

• June 10, Graduation – Asynchronous Day for Grades 9-11
• June 12, 15, 16, 17 – Final Exam Early Release Days (1:00 dismissal)