September 29, 2023 YHS Weekly Newsletter

Good Afternoon Patriot Families,

This week we enjoyed a visit from Dr. Durán who participated in our Plática en la Placita (chatting in the Yorktown Cafeteria) Hispanic Heritage Month activity. Our students have also enjoyed dancing in the Courtyard during Patriot Period the last few weeks. I also have been enjoying visiting classes where students are exploring new ideas, collaborating with peers, and communicating their learning.

Additionally, I appreciate your patience and understanding during this Thursday’s secure-the-building. We will continue to share information with you as quickly as possible during safety or security situations. Our staff and students handled the situation calmly and safely, and we appreciate the support from law enforcement and APS School Safety and Emergency Management. Together we can keep our students and staff safe. As always, if you or your students have any concerns, please report them immediately – See something, say something.

Have a great weekend!

Dr. Kevin Clark,

Principal

In this message: 

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

WHAT’S HAPPENING AT YORKTOWN

Excellence in Teaching and Learning Parent & Student Virtual Session with Dr. Willingham, UVA Professor – Recording

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the presentation by Dr. Willingham, Professor at the University of Virginia. The recording of the presentation is here: Click here for the recording.

This Week’s Advisory Plan

• Tuesday (10/3): SEL Screener
  • As an opportunity to provide important feedback about critical Social Emotional Learning (SEL) skills, APS will be administering the SEL screener twice per year, with the first administration on October 3rd during Patriot Period. Please visit the APS Social Emotional Learning page for information about the surveys and how to opt-out.
• Thursday (10/5): Academic Quick Check Ins, SEL Screener Make-up

Congratulations Yorktown National Merit Commended Students

The National Merit Scholarship Program congratulates the following students who were recognized as Commended Students. These students were among the top scoring students on the PSAT/NMSQT.

Hispanic Heritage Month

YHS continues our celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month with conversational Spanish opportunities (for beginner, intermediate, and advanced learners) during lunches on Wednesdays. We welcomed Superintendent, Dr. Duran and School Board Chair, Cristina Torres to our “Platica en la Placita. They enjoyed the Spanish conversations with our students and encouraged them to continue their studies in learning a second language.

 APS Strategic Plan Community Forum This Tuesday @6:30

APS is developing the 2024-30 APS Strategic Plan, which guides the work of the school division. An important part of this process is capturing the voices of students, staff, families and the community to help guide the future direction of APS.

APS is holding a community forum to gather community input on the hopes and aspirations for APS students, the greatest opportunities and challenges APS faces, and what APS should prioritize in its next strategic plan. The forum is Tuesday, October 3rd at Yorktown at 6:30 p.m.

Another way APS is collecting input is through an anonymous questionnaire:

• APS Students
• APS Staff & APS Parents/Guardians will receive an individual link to the questionnaire via email
• Community Members

Reminder: PSAT Day Information, October 11th

On Wednesday, October 11th all students in grades 10 and 11 will take the Preliminary SAT, also known as the PSAT/ National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (NMSQT). The PSAT is a practice version of the SAT, and students in 11th grade who take the test could qualify to receive a National Merit Scholarship based on their PSAT score. The PSAT is 2 hours and 45 minutes long (not including breaks) and assesses students’ skills in reading, writing, and math.

In order to provide an optimal testing environment for our students, on October 11, Yorktown will modify the day as follows:

• Only students in grades 10 and 11 who are taking the PSAT will report to school. They will arrive and begin their day at the regular time. Regular bus transportation will be provided.
• Students in grades 9 and 12 will have an asynchronous day of learning. Lessons and activities will be posted on Canvas for students to complete at home.
• When students finish the PSAT (approximately 11:30 a.m.), they may be released with permission from their parent/guardian, or they may stay at school until the normal dismissal time. Bus transportation home will be provided.
• A grab-and-go lunch will be provided for all students at approximately 12:30 p.m. Students in grades 9 and 12 can go to their home school and get lunch if they wish.

COUNSELING CORNER

College/Career Application Help for Seniors

Counselors of seniors will be in the College and Career Office during lunches to assist seniors with applications, or anything else related to graduation and beyond.  Students may drop in during their lunch as needed.  Also, over the course of the next month, specific senior Patriot Period classes will be invited to the cafeteria on Tuesdays and Thursdays for assistance with post-graduate plans and college application processes.

College Fair October 10th

We are excited to announce the Beyond APS: Career & College Fair that will take place on Tuesday 10/10/23 from 6pm – 8pm at Thomas Jefferson Community Center.

Students/families are encouraged to register with Strive Scan (select the event 10/10/2023 Arlington Public Schools). Once registered, they will be texted and emailed a barcode. During the fair, they’ll show the 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. After the fair, students will receive a report with information on the colleges with whom they scanned. Student profiles are only shared with the student’s consent. StriveScan does not share or sell student data to third parties.

Signs of Suicide Lessons and Screener for 10th Graders

This year school staff are working to teach students about mental health and how to seek help if they are worried about themselves or a friend. We are using a program called Signs of Suicide (SOS). The program teaches students about this difficult topic and encourages them to seek help.

SOS has been used by thousands of schools for over 20 years. Studies have shown that it effectively teaches students about depression and suicide while reducing the number of students’ self-reported suicide attempts. Through the program, students learn:

• that depression is treatable, so they are encouraged to seek help
• how to identify depression and potential suicide risk in themselves or a friend
• to ACT (Acknowledge, Care and Tell a trusted adult) if concerned about themselves or a friend
• who they can turn to at school for help

On October 23rd & 24th, 10th grade students will watch age-appropriate video clips and participate in a guided discussion about depression, suicide, and what to do if they are concerned about a friend. Following the video, students will complete a brief depression screening form. This form cannot provide a diagnosis of depression but does indicate whether a young person should seek help from a mental health professional.

At the end of class, students will complete an exit slip which asks whether they would like to talk to an adult about any concerns. School staff will conduct brief meetings with any student asking to talk.

We encourage you to visit www.mindwise.org/parents for information on warning signs for youth suicide, useful resources, and some of the key messages students will learn. We are including:

• A youth suicide prevention handout

• Visit the 988 website for more information: English.

If you have any questions or concerns about your child’s participation in this program please contact Johanna Boyers, Director of Counseling, or any of our school counselors. If you do NOT wish for your child to participate in this program, please fill out the following opt-out form: SOS Opt-Out.

ACTIVITIES UPDATES

YHS Club of the Week: Anime & Manga

The YHS Club of the week is Anime & Manga. The Anime & Manga club is dedicated to the appreciation of Japanese animation. The most common activity in this club is the viewing and discussion of anime art. There are no dues; however, there is a cost for participation in some special events. See Mr. Barkan for more information.

Upcoming Home Games

HOMECOMING & SPIRIT WEEK – OCTOBER 9-13.

The Homecoming football game will be October 13 at 7 pm against Langley. The Homecoming dance is Saturday night, October 14 from 8-11 pm.  Tickets for the Homecoming Dance will be available online beginning October 4 at www.gofan.co using each student’s YHS student ID number.  Tickets will also be sold during lunches the week of October 10.  Tickets cost $20 ($22 online including the $2 service fee).

Guests of YHS students will need to complete a guest pass before guest tickets 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 identification which will be matched to the guest pass.

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/

Winter and Spring Sports

For your planning purposes, winter sports (basketball, gymnastics, swim/dive, wrestling, cheerleading, rifle, indoor track) begin on November 6th and crew winter training begins on November 16th.  Spring sports (baseball, softball, soccer, lacrosse, tennis, outdoor track, crew) begin on February 19th.  Please note tryouts and practices will be held on school holidays such as Grade Preparation Day (Nov. 7th), Veterans Day (Nov. 10th), and 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.

Senior Class Meeting

There will be a Senior Class meeting on October 19, during Patriot Period in the auditorium. Along with Senior year topics, the Senior Experience program will be discussed and Caps & Gowns ordered.

Class Rings

A representative from Herff-Jones will be at school to take orders for Junior and Senior Class rings on October 4 during lunch periods and after school from 4-6:30 PM. There will be samples to look at and ring sizing available. Ring brochures are available in the Student Activities office.

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.

TECHNOLOGY CORNER

PSAT Laptop Preparation

This week, students worked with their Patriot Period and English Teachers to ensure the Bluebook App is installed for the upcoming PSAT.  All students will need a College Board account to take the PSAT. If your student still does not have the Bluebook App or is having issues with the Bluebook App, please have them connect with their English teacher ASAP.

UPCOMING DATES

See YHS Calendar for more information

• October 9 – No school for students-Countywide Professional Learning for staff