October 4, 2024 Newsletter

Dear Patriot Families,

Spirit Week has been great, and we’re looking forward to this weekend’s Homecoming Game and Dance! We encourage parents to discuss plans with students and the importance of making good choices, staying alcohol and drug-free, and planning for safe travel to and from events. Thanks for partnering to make this a fun and safe weekend!

We also want to thank our amazing custodial staff for Custodial and Maintenance Appreciation Day on Wednesday, October 2. Our custodial staff work hard to keep Yorktown clean and safe for students and staff.

A reminder that Wednesday, October 9 is PSAT Day with only 10th and 11th graders attending school. Friday, October 11th, and Monday, October 14th are no-school days for students. To those families who celebrated Rosh Hashanah this week, we wish you a good new year.

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

Homecoming Football Game & Dance Information 

Spirit Week and Homecoming Events

Parents, please discuss with your children plans for safe participation in the events this weekend. Ensure students are aware of expectations to remain alcohol and drug free and that anyone under the influence will be sent home with parents and school consequences will be administered. We want students to have fun in a safe environment.

• The Homecoming Dance will be from 8:00 to 11:00 on Saturday, October 5 in the Gym.

• Online ticket sales are available until 11:59 pm tonight at www.gofan.co. Digital tickets cost $22 due to a service fee.
• Guests of YHS students must complete a guest pass before a ticket can be purchased. Guest tickets can be purchased in person or online (after submitting the guest pass form to the Activities office at which time the student will receive a code to purchase online).  All YHS students will need to show their StudentVue or student ID at the entrance to the dance.  Guests will need to produce a form of photo identification, which will be matched to the name on the guest pass.
• Fall Pep Rally Friday, October 4th 2:00. Students who attend Arlington Career Center (ACC) may stay for the Pep Rally, but parents must notify ACC of the absence.

The Homecoming football game is tonight at 7 pm against Centreville.

PSAT Day Wednesday, October 9, 2024

This year, 10th and 11th graders, and 12th grade students taking the School-Day SAT will come to school at normal time for the PSAT or School-Day SAT. 9th grade and remaining 12th grade students will not attend school. Testing concludes around 12:30, with extended testing continuing into the afternoon. A grab-and-go lunch will be available. Students leaving at 12:30 will have to arrange their own transportation. Normal transportation will run will occur at 3:10.

Online Back-to-School Packet Extension: The new deadline for families to complete the Back-to-School Packet is Fri, Oct. 11. To ensure continued access to ParentVUE, please complete the packet before the deadline. Families who have not completed the packet by the extended deadline of Oct. 11 will not be able to access ParentVUE until the process is complete, so please contact your school if you need additional support. Completing the packet is essential to ensure contact information and records for all students are correct.

Yorktown Recognized as 2024 School Honor Roll Platinum Honor

Yorktown students achieved all criteria to be listed on this year’s AP School Honor Roll as a Platinum school! The three criteria for PLATINUM schools are:

• Expand college culture by enabling >80% (88%) of your Class of 2025 to experience 1 AP course before graduating.
• Assist with college affordability by enabling >50% (72%) of your Class of 2025 to earn college credit by earning an AP Exam score of 3.
• Optimize student’s college readiness by creating opportunities for >15% (57%) of your Class of 2025 to take a total of 5 APs across their high school years, with at least 1 taken in 9th or 10th grade.

Substance Use Trends

Jenny Sexton, Yorktown’s Substance Abuse Counselor, shares this information to keep parents informed of trends in student substance use. See below two relatively recent items to be aware of and discuss with your kids:

Zyns are smoke-free nicotine pouches that are often fruit and candy flavored and contain high levels of nicotine. They are commonly referred to as “lip pillows” or “upper decky” because of where they are placed between the lip and gum (often under the upper/lower lip). The sweet, candy-like flavors make them more appealing to youth. Additionally, unlike traditional smokeless tobacco, Zyns do not require an individual to “spit” due to the excessive production of saliva, which occurs in other forms of chewing or dipping tobacco, which makes them easier to conceal.

Galaxy Gas is an inhalant or “whip it”. The trend involves misusing whipped cream chargers containing nitrous oxide made by the Atlanta-based company Galaxy Gas. Galaxy says the product is for “high-quality whipped cream chargers and dispensers” that can flavor whipped cream and create foams and mousse for use in cocktails. Teens and young adults have caught on that it is nitrous oxide under pressure and can be used to get a one-minute high.” Galaxy gas is widely available, legal, and being marketed toward kids on social media platforms, such as TikTok.

October is National Bullying Prevention Month: 

APS and Yorktown are committed to ensuring all students feel safe and supported in our school. Beginning in October and throughout this school year, staff will facilitate bullying awareness and prevention lessons that meet Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) standards for grades K-12. Additionally:

• All schools will participate in Unity Day on Oct. 16. On this day, staff, families and students are encouraged to wear and display orange as a visible message of building community through kindness, acceptance and inclusion.
• We all play an important role in supporting our students, maintaining safe schools and preventing bullying at school, online and in our community. Please continue to help by reinforcing with students that bullying of any kind – at school, online or in the community – is unacceptable.
• Report any concerning behavior to a trusted adult at the school or through the APS Bullying & Harassment Reporting Form. You can also report any concerns through report@apsva.us.
• View resources and FAQ regarding bullying awareness and prevention bullying here.

COUNSELING CORNER

Advisory Information

This year, our staff will be implementing the RULER curriculum during advisory period. RULER helps students to learn about and manage their emotions. This is important for success in nearly every aspect of our lives—for attention, memory, and learning, for making and keeping friends, for healthy decision-making, and for our overall well being. You can learn more about RULER and why emotions matter in early childhood in this brochure and article.

On Tuesday, October 8th, all students will participate in RULER’s “Emotions Matter” lesson. Students will learn how emotions may impact attention and learning, decision-making, relationship quality, and overall health.

Starting last week, senior advisory periods have been invited to work sessions for post-secondary planning, including completing the necessary steps for college applications.  The college and career counseling office is also open during lunches for drop-in sessions for any students wanting assistance.

APS Career and College Fair 2024

Explore college and career pathways with Beyond APS: Career and College Fair on Mon, Oct. 7, from 6-8 p.m. at the Thomas Jefferson Community Center.

Meet over 130 representatives from colleges, universities and trade schools.They will be ready to answer your questions about admissions, academics and more.Scholarship resources and community support will be available for families to connect with local organizations. Network with experts to learn about campus life, student services and various career paths. Learn more about the colleges, universities and organizations and take two minutes to register at www.StriveFair.com.Select the event “10/07/24 – Arlington Public Schools: Beyond APS“. You will be texted and emailed a barcode. During the fair, you’ll show your barcode to colleges who will scan it to send you more information about their schools. When a college scans your barcode, they will receive your information. The day after the fair, you will receive a report with information on the colleges that scanned your barcode. Student profiles are only shared with the student’s consent. StriveScan does not share or sell student data to third parties.

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION CORNER

Hispanic Heritage Month Fair Monday!

Yorktown will celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with a fair on Monday, October 7 in the courtyard during Patriot Period.  There will be music, information about various Hispanic cultures and countries, food, and art!

LGBTQ+ History Month

LGBTQ+ history month is a month-long celebration of the history of the diverse and beautiful lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community and the importance of civil rights movements in progressing gay rights. The observance was created by Rodney Wilson, a history teacher at a Missouri high school, in 1994. The following year, LGBTQ+ history month was added to the list of commemorative months in a resolution forwarded by the General Assembly of the National Education Association. October was chosen as the month of observance as National Coming Out Day already existed as a holiday on October 11. Also, the anniversary of the first march for gay rights in Washington took place on October 14, 1979. LGBTQ+ History Month allows the opportunity to extensively learn about the history of the LGBTQ+ movement and what factors and measures will be successful in building communities and providing role models who will best represent and address the issues of the LGBTQ+ community. The month-long commemoration is most prominently celebrated in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Hungary, Brazil, and the city of Berlin.

Thursday, October 17 is Spirit Day: Students can wear purple to show solidarity with LGBTQ+ youth. Spirit Day is an anti-bullying movement aimed at supporting youth living their lives in authenticity and truth.  Learn more about the movement here: glaad.org/spiritday/

Unity Day  

Students are encouraged to wear orange on Wednesday, October 16 to show unity for the values of kindness, acceptance, and inclusion and to send a visible message that no child should ever experience bullying.  Find out more here.

ACTIVITIES UPDATES

Club of the Week

The YHS Club of the Week is The Star Wars Club. The Star Wars Club aims to: rewrite two of the sequel movies in a document and hopefully animate them; discuss and rank star wars video games such as the Battlefront 1 and 2, Fallen Order, and Squadrons; discuss and rank the Star Wars movies and shows; discuss Disney’s impact on the Star Wars franchise; predict the future productions of star wars; investigate plot holes within the cinemas, and aim to write theoretical shows to cover those holes. The club is open to all students. This club will have Microsoft teams meeting at least two times a week, with one day being a movie day, and another day being a discussion day. All are welcome to attend. See Mr. Obetts for more information.

Girls Flag Football Intramurals Interest Meeting Oct 8

Yorktown will be offering girls flag football as an intramural sports from October 28 to November 26.  This is the inaugural season and all are welcome.  There will be an interest meeting on October 8 immediately after school in Patriot Hall.  We plan to offer events which are suitable for all students regardless of experience by including competitive, open and mixed divisions.

Theatre Arts Fall Production – The Crucible – Tickets Available Now

Get your tickets to see the Yorktown Theatre Arts’ 2024 fall production of The Crucible by Arthur Miller. Audiences will have four opportunities to see this stunning production: evening performances at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, Oct 24, and Friday, Oct 25; an afternoon matinee on Saturday, Oct 26, at 2:00 p.m.; and an encore show later in the evening at 7:00 p.m.

But first, get your tickets! http://tinyurl.com/YHSTheatre Yorktown High School students may also purchase tickets in person during lunch beginning Wednesday, Oct 9. Tickets for The Crucible are $10 for students and $15 for adults.

New Ticket Prices for Athletic Events

This year, per APS policy, ticket prices will be $7 for adults, $5 for students ages 6-18 and free for those over 60 and under 6.  This applies to football, field hockey and volleyball games in the fall.  Please consider bringing exact change or purchasing tickets online at www.gofan.co  Exact change at football games will facilitate faster entry.

We look forward to seeing you at upcoming events.  Please note the following:

• No backpacks or bags are allowed and no outside food or beverages can be brought into any home games.
• Anyone under the influence of drugs or alcohol will not be admitted or will be asked to leave the event. Parents will be notified to pick up their child from the event.
• Admission is $7 for adults and $5 for ages 6-18, including APS high school students, at all fall sporting events (volleyball, field hockey and football).  Tickets will be sold online before the game at https://gofan.co/app/school/VA24974 as well as at the gate (exact change is preferred).

Arlington Public Schools Varsity Football Attendance Information

Varsity football games are community events.  For the safety and security of all those in attendance, in addition to the above rules, the following rules are in place:

• Only students from Yorktown and the opposing school may enter without their parent or guardian present.  IDs or StudentVUE will be checked at the gate.
• Middle-school students (and younger) must be accompanied and supervised by their parent or guardian.
• There will be designated seating areas for Yorktown students, Yorktown band and general spectators.

Home Games this Week

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/

Winter Sports Tryout Information and Looking Ahead to Spring Sports

For your planning purposes, winter sports begin as early as November 11th; which is a school holiday, and spring sports begin on February 24th.  Preliminary winter sports tryout information is now available. 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. Find answers to your questions about these and more:

• Announcements and Rings
• Caps & Gowns
• Class Dues
• Graduation
• Graduation After-Party
• Off Campus Lunch Privilege
• Prom
• Senior Experience
• Senior Portraits
• Yearbooks

Senior Portraits

Appointments will be available for Senior Portrait retakes at school October 1, 2, and 4. Please visit https://prestigeportraits.com/ to schedule your makeup session today. After the final Senior Makeup session on-site, Seniors may then schedule an appointment at one of the Studio locations in Hanover or Rockville.

 Announcement and Ring Ordering

On Tuesday, October 8th Herf Jones will be on site for Graduation announcement, accessory and ring ordering. Stop by the atrium from 4-6:30pm to check out options and order your items!

Save the Date 

Class of 2025 Graduation – 7 p.m., Wednesday, June 4, at DAR Constitution Hall.

UPCOMING DATES

See YHS Calendar or the APS Calendar for more information:

• October 9 – PSAT Day – 10th & 11th Grade; Walk and Bike to School Day
• October 11 and 14 – No School for Students, PL Days

COMMUNITY HAPPENINGS

Arlington County Police Department (ACPD) has teamed up with the ARC of Northern Virginia to host an educational event centered around interactions with first responders and members of our autism community. The event is scheduled for Saturday, October 19th, from 11AM – 2PM, at Kenmore Middle School, 200 S. Carlin Springs Rd.

This is an open event for members of all ages. In attendance will be sworn representatives from several jurisdictions in the area, including personnel from the fire department and various county agencies. For those that attend, we will be offering real-life scenarios, educational blocks of instruction, and information on available resources in the county.

For more information regarding the ARC of Northern Virginia, here is a link to their website: CLICK HERE.