March 1, 2024 Weekly Newsletter

Dear Yorktown Families,

Spring Sports are up and running! Come out and support our Baseball, Crew, Lacrosse, Soccer, Softball, Track, and Tennis teams. Good luck to our Robotics Team, The Ocebots, who are competing in their first competition in Blacksburg this weekend! Congratulations to our Concert Band and Wind Ensemble who had their pyramid concerts this week with students from Swanson, Williamsburg, Jamestown, Discovery, Taylor, Nottingham, Tuckahoe, and Cardinal schools.

We also would like to share our concern and dismay over the recent racist and antisemitic graffiti found last week in the Yorktown neighborhood. There has been no indication this act was committed by Yorktown students and does not represent the values of the Yorktown community. If anyone has information about the incident, please reach out to Arlington County Police who are investigating this as a possible hate crime. We want to take the opportunity to remind parents to have conversations with your children about the dangers of hate speech. Yorktown strives to promote ROCS (Respect for Others, the Community, and yourSelf). Thank you for your partnership in promoting safe and respectful behaviors at Yorktown and in our community.

A reminder that Tuesday, March 5th there is no school for students due to the March 5th primary elections being held in schools across APS. The remaining schedule does not change and March 4th and 6th are both even days.

Dr. Kevin Clark, Principal

In this message: 

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

WHAT’S HAPPENING AT YORKTOWN

Reminder: Complete Your Voice Matters Survey

The survey window for families and students to provide feedback about their experiences with APS opened February 20 and will close March 22. Yorktown and APS leadership use the data from this survey to make decisions at the school and district level, so the more voices we hear the better informed we are. We want to hear from you!

Families: you will receive an email from Arlington Public Schools with the subject “Family Survey: Arlington Public Schools Wants to Hear From You” containing your unique link to the survey. You will receive emails on Mondays and Fridays encouraging you to respond until you submit the survey or until the survey window closes. Response time will take approximately 20-30 minutes, depending on the length of your responses.

Students: Students had an opportunity to complete the YVM Survey this week during Patriot Period. If they haven’t completed it, please encourage them to do so.

Advisory Plans

While there is no school on Tuesday 3/5, APS is celebrating SEL and Literacy week next week. Our librarians have put together a collection of print books, ebooks, audiobooks, and websites related to social emotional learning for students to access, which you can view here. As part of SEL and Literacy week, APS is also recognizing a different CASEL competency each day. Please see the links below for an article related to each competency to share with your student.

Monday– Self Awareness

Wednesday- Self Management

Thursday- Relationship Skills & Social Awareness

Friday- Responsible Decision Making

Tuesday (3/5):  

• No school for students

 Thursday (3/7):

• Academic Check-In Meetings or students can leave with a pass

COUNSELING CORNER

AP Seminar: English 10 Clarification

We have received questions about whether AP Seminar, English 10, meets graduation requirements and allows students to earn English 10 credit. The Virginia Department of Education has approved AP Seminar as a 10th grade English and there is a separate code for the course. Students will earn one of the required four English credits needed for graduation. Students have the choice to take English 10, English 10 Intensified, or AP Seminar: English 10 as their English class for school year 24-25. For more information, please visit the APS High School Program of Studies.

If this information changes your student’s English selection for next year, and they would like to take AP Seminar: English 10, please complete this Google Form. We will use your response to add this course to your student’s course requests for next year. If your child is satisfied with their English selection for next year, you do not need to respond to the form. You can also reach out to your child’s counselor if you have questions or want to discuss these options.

If you have any additional questions, please reach out to our AP Coordinator, Alesandra Bakaj (alesandra.bakaj@apsva.us).

Arlington Summer Camp Jobs 2024 Hiring Event Wednesday, March 6, 2-5 p.m. Opportunities for temporary summer employment with Arlington County Department of Parks & Recreation include Camp Directors, Assistant Directors, and Counselors. Salary range is $15.00 – $24.84 hourly commensurate with experience; Summer Camp Employment Opportunities

College Fair: The Office of Admissions at George Mason University invites students to join them for the 37th annual Northern Virginia Regional College Fair (NVRCF)! Students will have the opportunity to meet with admissions representatives from more than 200 colleges and universities. This will be a great opportunity to get your students motivated and excited about their post-secondary plans while equipping them with the tools and information necessary to successfully navigate the college search and application process.

Northern Virginia Regional College Fair

Wednesday, April 10, 2024

6:30 pm – 8:30 pm

George Mason University – Fairfax Campus – Eagle Bank Arena

This is  a StriveScan Fair. Students can pre-register for a barcode at https://app.strivescan.com/registration.

Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. Parking is available, free of charge, in Parking Lots A and L, directly across from EagleBank Arena. To view a campus map, click here.

If you have any questions about this event, please email the Mason Admissions Events Team directly at admevent@gmu.edu.

ACTIVITIES UPDATES

PTA Spring Fling – Saturday, March 9

The Annual PTA Spring Fling is less than two weeks away.  Make your plans now and join this yearly tradition put on by the PTA. The event will be held Saturday, March 9, from 7:30-10:30 pm in the atrium and courtyard.

Tickets are $10 and will be on sale next week during lunch.  Cash and venmo accepted.  Students can bring a non-Yorktown guest by filling out a guest form available at the ticket table.

Students must enter the dance by 9:00pm, and there will be no re-entry for any reason.

Go Yorktown Robotics Team – Ocebots!

Yorktown Robotics Team, the Ocebots, are heading to Blacksburg for the FIRST Robotics competition! Good luck to Steffy Farzinfard and her Robotics Team! Check out the robot here!

Club of the Week – Women in STEM Club

The YHS Club of the week is the Women in Stem Club. The Women in STEM club focuses on creating a more inclusive environment for girls at Yorktown who are interested in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). The club discusses different ways women are involved in STEM fields and inspires girls at Yorktown to explore areas of interest and learn about possible career paths. Through various activities – such as female guest speakers, science experiments, having an article of the day about a woman in STEM, and other related activities – the club aims to engage and empower girls to participate in STEM.The Women in STEM club works collaboratively with our current STEM club to promote STEM throughout our student body.  Even though it is a club for girls interested in STEM, boys may participate if they wish to be advocates and allies for women. See Ms. Wright for more information.

Home Games this Week

Where to find Athletics Information

Athletic Website – www.yorktownsports.org

Athletic Twitter/X – @yhssports

Athletic Instagram – @yhssports

Athletic Specific Sport Information – www.teamapp.com

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

Fall 2024 Sports Tryout Dates Announced

For planning purposes, most fall sports will begin no earlier than August 5, 2024, with the exception of golf and cheer which might begin as early as August 1. As in year’s past, dance tryouts will take place in May, cross country will start mid-August, and ultimate frisbee will start approximately two weeks after school begins.

Some of these dates are estimated but they will not move any earlier. 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 home page under Quicklinks and loaded with information for senior year.  If you have not yet paid your senior dues ($85), please see Ms. Ashby in the main office.

Senior Experience Reminders

Senior Experience begins May 20th and runs through June 11th, with Seniors returning to school on June 12th for the Senior Seminar. All graduating seniors are encouraged to participate in this learning opportunity. The Senior Experience Application and Mentor Application can be found on the Senior Experience Canvas home page. These documents are due on Canvas by the deadline, March 15, 2024.

Technology News

What Can I Do If My Student’s Device Has Been Hacked?

Students with concerns that their APS-issued device has been hacked should immediately visit the school Technicians in room 235. If your student is concerned their personal device has been hacked, the following article lists steps you can take to protect your student’s personal information: Parent Guide for Devices.

UPCOMING DATES

See YHS Calendar for more information

• Tuesday, March 5th – Super Tuesday Election Day – No school for students. School and offices closed.
• Friday, March 15th – Early Release – Professional Learning for Staff.