October 27, 2023 Weekly Newsletter

This week we celebrated Choose Health and Red Ribbon Week. The YHS Substance Abuse Counselor, members of the YHS Teen Network Board, and Project Peace shared resources during lunch periods about substance abuse prevention, consent, and safe choices. We hope students were able to engage with these resources. Throughout the year, students receive instruction on substance use through Health/PE and English classes with our Substance Abuse Counselor. We look forward to providing additional ways to connect with students about these issues throughout the school year.As we approach the end of the first quarter on November 6th, consider discussing with your child their plans for seeking support or assistance next week. Students can reach out to teachers during Patriot Period and can seek additional help through the Learning Center or Paper online tutoring. Thanks for your continued partnership for student success!

Sincerely,

Dr. Kevin Clark, Principal

In this message: 

• What’s Happening at Yorktown
• Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
• Counseling Information
• Activities Updates
• Senior Updates
• Technology Corner
• Upcoming Dates

WHAT’S HAPPENING AT YORKTOWN

Attendance Monitoring and Detentions

You may have received an email notifying you that your student(s) must attend a lunch or after school detention. Remind your student(s) to attend their assigned detention. We appreciate your support with enforcing the Yorktown attendance policy.

APS Emergency Preparedness Week

October 31 through November 7 marks the first annual APS Emergency Preparedness Week. Emergency Preparedness Week is an opportunity for staff and students to prepare for disasters and emergencies that can happen at any time. APS will test the various mitigations – security and communication systems in place to assist in our emergency preparedness. Teachers will be reviewing safety and emergency plans with students, and we encourage you to discuss school safety with your child. If you have a school safety concern, please report it to a staff member or an administrator – If you see something, say something!

This Week’s Advisory Plan

Students will participate in the following lessons next week. We are continuing our focus on the “Self-Awareness” CASEL competency.

• Due to the end of the quarter we offer the following:
• Tuesday (10/31): End of quarter Check-In Meetings. Students can leave with a pass
• Thursday (11/2): Academic Check-In Meetings, or students can leave with a pass

 DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION

Virginia Racial Equity Summit

During this virtual event, which will be held on Wednesday, November 8, from 8:45-10:45a.m., you’ll hear from experts as we explore the evolution of Virginia’s educational system, how to create a racially equitable system, and our individual and community roles in ensuring our school system prepares all students for a lifetime of success. Together, with education at the center, we can move toward achieving racial equity in Virginia.  APS Superintendent Dr. Francisco Durán will be a speaker.  Find more information here.  Register for the Summit at this link (anyone can attend).

Historically Black College & University Festival

The Alfred Street Baptist Church presents its 21st Annual Historically Black College & University (HBCU) Festival, a hybrid event being held Friday, November 17, and Saturday, November 18, 2023. The festival is dedicated to connecting high school students and their families to HBCUs and scholarship opportunities. Approximately 80 colleges and universities will be represented during the two-day event. Many will provide on-the-spot admission decisions, conduct music auditions, and waive application fees. Additionally, seminars and exhibitor presentations will be held to help students navigate the college application process, seek financial aid opportunities and acclimate them to campus life. Since 2003 this one-of-a-kind college fair has connected more than 60,000 attendees to academic institutions. In 2022, nearly $4M in scholarships were awarded to the high school seniors in attendance; many of whom were first generation college students. Register here to attend.

• Friday 11/17: 4-8pm (VIRTUAL ONLY)
• Saturday 11/18: 9am-4pm (Virtual and In-Person)
• Location: The St. James, Industrial Road, Springfield, VA

We need YOU on the Equity Team!

The Equity Team works to strategically examine and identify bias, inequity, and discrimination at Yorktown in order to advocate for changes to ensure each member of our school community feels valued, respected, and empowered.  The team includes students, staff, and family members that represent the diversity of the school. Our next meeting is on Monday, November 13, 2023, at 3:30p.  Complete this form to apply.

COUNSELING INFORMATION

The Dream Project

The Dream Project Mentoring Program (Not APS-Sponsored) is geared toward college-ready seniors at Virginia high schools who face challenges in accessing higher education due to immigration status (including undocumented, DACA, TPS, and asylum applicant students); however, the program is open to all first generation immigrant students or children of immigrants should they need the support. Dream Project mentors help provide resources, assist with college applications, help decide which colleges to apply to, plan college visits, workshops and seminars, support applying for scholarships, and provide other college preparatory activities. The goal is to help Dream Project mentees gain admission and succeed in college. For 2023-24, they will offer virtual tutoring sessions, Tuesday 5-7pm, September-April. Meetings consist of an information session followed by one-on-one tutoring with individual mentors.

• The program starts next week, but applications are being accepted on a rolling basis until November 1.
• Flyer attached – Multilingual 
• Application link

ACTIVITIES UPDATES

YHS Club of the Week: YHS PIÑATA CLUB

The YHS Club of the Week is The Piñata Club. This club is a place for all people interested in piñata, or piñata-involved activities. Our goal is to create a supportive environment for students to relax and participate in a rewarding, fun, stress-relieving activity. The club meets on Fridays during Patriot Period to practice skills and have fun. See Mr. Leddy for further information.

Save the Date: The Play That Goes Wrong! November 16-18

Get ready for the smash hit farce, The Play that Goes Wrong (High School Edition) by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields, produced with permission from Dramatists Play Service, Inc.

The Story: Welcome to opening night of the Cornley Drama Society’s newest production, The Murder at Haversham Manor, where things are quickly going from bad to utterly disastrous.

Winter Sports Tryout Information

Winter sports begin as early as Monday, November 6, for basketball, wrestling, swim/dive, rifle and gymnastics.  Cheer and track begin on Monday, November 13, with winter crew conditioning beginning on Thursday, November 16.All students must register at least two days in advance of tryouts to participate.  Registration is done online only – no paper forms accepted.

The tryout schedule for the first few days can be accessed here.  Please note tryouts can extend all week for some sports so students should be available through Saturday, Nov. 11, for tryouts.  Tuesday and Friday are no school for students but tryouts will be held on those days.

Upcoming Home Games

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/

Looking Ahead – Spring Sports

Spring sports (baseball, softball, soccer, lacrosse, tennis, outdoor track, crew) begin on February 19th.  Parents must complete the online Registration and upload their child’s physical form by February 14th.

Please note, tryouts and practices will be held on school holidays such as Presidents’ Day (February 19th).  Students can join www.teamapp.com for specific off-season and tryout information on winter and 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.

Graduation Cap & Gown Orders

Any senior who missed the Class meeting on Thursday, October 19, should visit the Student Activities office to place their order for a graduation cap & gown.

Senior Experience

A presentation was made to Seniors at the Class meeting on October 19 with details and important information on Senior Experience. This information is posted on the Senior website. Contact Ms. Sutphin with any questions.

Senior Portraits

The final portrait session on-site will be November 30-December 1. After this time Seniors will need to self-schedule an appointment at one of the Studio locations in Hanover or Rockville. Be sure to submit your pose to the Yearbook within a week from your sitting. If you do not receive an appointment postcard in the mail, call 855-918-2930 to schedule.

Senior Portrait Gallery

Senior portraits taken in the June and August sessions have been hung in the main hallway Senior Portrait Gallery. If your picture is not up, please see Ms. Stotler in the Activities Office. Portraits taken during the September session will be hung after they are received from Lifetouch.

TECHNOLOGY CORNER

Caring for Your Device-Reminders

APS takes great pride in utilizing technology to maximize student learning, which includes issuing students devices for use at home and in school. See below for reminders on basic computer upkeep:

• Treat it well: Take care of the computer like it is your own. Be gentle with it–invest in a case that will protect the computer from fall or pressure damage.
• Keep it locked or with you: Always lock the computer in your school locker or in a secure place where others cannot get to it. If you cannot lock it up, make sure to keep it with you and never let it out of your sight. If someone steals your computer when left unlocked or unattended, be sure to see Mr. Wilson (the school Tech) in room 235 ASAP.
• Avoid risky situations: Don’t leave the computer unattended in places like the library, the cafeteria, the gym, locker rooms, playing fields, or other places where it could get damaged or stolen. Also, do not keep it in a car unless you lock it in the trunk or hide it out of sight.
• Do not let others use it: If you allow someone else to use your device and something happens to it, you will be responsible for the charges.
• Label your items: It’s best practice to label your charger so there’s no confusion about who it belongs to and you can easily get it back.
• Follow the school’s rules: Always follow the school’s rules for using the computer. See the district’s Acceptable Use Policy for more information!

Remember, it is important to take good care of the computer because it belongs to the school, and it is there to help you with your learning.

UPCOMING DATES

See YHS Calendar for more information

• November 6th – End of 1st Quarter
• November 7th – No School for Students – Grade Preparation Day
• November 10th – Veterans’ Day – No School Holiday
• November 16-18 – Fall Play