April 12, 2024 YHS Newsletter - Yorktown (2024)

Dear Yorktown Families,

This week we concluded the third quarter of the school year. Students and staff have been working hard to finish strong. We want to also acknowledge the importance of families who provide guidance, time and space to work, and support.

Next week, we will be conducting the spring SEL survey on Tuesday during Patriot Period. This survey allows students and parents to receive feedback on student SEL skills like self awareness, self-management, responsible decision making, self-efficacy, and relationship skills.

We encourage students to wear purple on Purple-Up Day, this Friday, April 19th, to show support for our military-affiliated students.

A reminder that Monday, April 15th is a grade preparation day for teachers and there is no school for students. Have a great long weekend!

Dr. Kevin Clark

Principal

In this message:

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

WHAT’S HAPPENING AT YORKTOWN

Congratulations All-Virginia Musicians

Please congratulate the following students who earned a performing position in the All-Virginia Bands, Choirs, or Orchestra through an extremely competitive audition. These Patriots are among the finest musicians in the commonwealth and will represent Yorktown and APS at the All-Virginia event next week in Richmond.

Andrew Dillon – Tuba ; All-Virginia Symphonic Band

Alexander Joe – String Bass ; All-Virginia Orchestra

Eleanor Meehan – Viola ; All-Virginia Orchestra

Star Perkins – Alto ; All-Virginia Mixed Choir

Dylan Yeo – Clarinet ; All-Virginia Symphonic Band

Advisory Plans

As an opportunity to provide important feedback about critical Social Emotional Learning (SEL) skills, APS administers the SEL screener twice per year, with the second administration on April 9th during Patriot Period. Please visit theAPS Social Emotional Learning pagefor information about the surveys and how to opt-out.

Tuesday (4/16):

• SEL Screener (all grade levels)

Thursday (4/18):

• Academic check-in meetings and makeup date for survey

Students Against Sexual Assault Presentation

On Tuesday, 4/30,11thgraderswill participate in a presentation by Students Against Sexual Assault Club members (SASA), APS staff, Project Peace, Doorways, and ACPD. The purpose of this presentation is to provide education and resources for students regarding their rights and responsibilities to a safe school environment, healthy relationships, and prevention. Students should notify their Advisors to opt out.

April is Month of the Military Child & Purple Up Day

April is Month of the Military Child which is a time to recognize our military-affiliated students. One of the highlights of this month is the annual Purple Up Day when students and staff are encouraged to wear purple to celebrate military students. This year, Yorktown and APS will join the Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC) in honoring Purple Up Day on April 19.Yorktown is also working toward Purple Star Designation this school year as we extend our commitment to supporting and recognizing our military-affiliated students and families.

MCEC provides a number of free resources for schools in planning events for Month of the Military Child and Purple Up Day: Month of the Military Child | Resource Toolkit – Military Child Education Coalition

COUNSELING CORNER

Important End of Quarter dates

Today, April 12th, is the last day of the 3rd quarter. The window for teachers to post grades is from today-Tuesday the 16th. Report Cards will be available in Synergy beginning Monday, April 22nd at 10:00am.

No Early Final Exams

Students will not be permitted to take their final exams early, with the exception of families receiving military or foreign service orders. Proof of these orders must be submitted to the counseling office. Students must remain enrolled in APS through at least May 23rd to avoid being automatically withdrawn before end of year grades are assigned. Students may take late finals, and grades will be calculated with a zero for the final until they are taken, and then updated based upon the final exam results. When possible, arrangements should be made in advance for any late finals. Please contact your child’s counselor with any questions.

JumpStart2NOVAfor summer 2024 is open

This program is available to seniors graduating this spring and considering NOVA in the fall. Students may select one 3 or 4 creditapproved courseplus SDV 100. The application for JumpStart2NOVA is now open and closes at 5pm on Friday, May 10, 2024. Courses begin on Monday, June 3 and end on Monday, August 12.

JumpStart2NOVA Information Session:

• Tuesday, April 30 from 6 pm – 7 pm
  • Register in advance for this meeting

Qualified seniors graduating this spring who are considering attending NOVA in the fall and in good academic standing at the college may apply for one approved course and NOVA’s 1-credit College Success Skills course, SDV 100, at no tuition! Courses are open to public, private, and home school seniors residing in NOVA’s service area, including Arlington.

All classes will be offered throughNOVA Onlineand run June 3 through August 12, 2024. Students are responsible for purchasing textbooks or other course materials, if required. Courses have been selected based on their usability in NOVA degrees and their status as part of the Uniform Certificate of General Studies.

The application is now open and will close at 5PM on May 10, 2024. First-time NOVA students will need to apply toNOVAand create an account to request the course innvcc.dualenroll.com. Current DE students can skip the NOVA application and go straight tonvcc.dualenroll.com, selecting term “JumpStart2NOVA 2024.” All students will be required to upload a current high school/home school transcript and qualifying test scores if they do not have a 3.0 GPA.

To learn more about JumpStart2NOVA, including course offerings, minimum qualifying scores, and details on how to apply, please visithttp://www.nvcc.edu/jumpstart/.

Summer School Information withUpdated Payment Information

For students taking online summer courses through Virtual Virginia or Edgenuity,families are responsible for payment of the course at the time of registration.

Please follow these directions if paying for Virtual Virginia courses:

• Virtual Virginia has an online payment option. Please use this link to pay

Please follow these directions if paying for Edgenuity courses:

• Courses taken through Edgenuity can only be paid for by check or money order. If paying by check or money order, payment should be made out to APS.
• Families can submit their check or money order to their student’s counselor, or the YHS counseling office.

Please follow these directions if paying for APS New Work courses:

• Fees for New Work courses may be paid via MySchoolBucks. Once the student has been registered, and the fee/scholarship entered in Synergy, an invoice will be sent to the parents directly from MySchoolBucks (invoices will be sent on May 20).
• Parents who do not wish to pay by credit card may take a check or money order to Syphax 2nd Floor Reception(Academics), Monday-Friday, from 8:00am-4:30pm.
• The student’s identification number must be included on the check or money order and placed in a sealed envelope that lists the students’ current address.
• Checks can also be mailed to: Arlington Public Schools, 2110 Washington Blvd, 22204, ATTN: Finance Department, 4th Floor.
• Checks must be received NO LATER THAN 4 PM on June 14, 2024.

Refunds for APS secondary new work for credit courses will only be granted as long as the request is submitted by June 28, 2024 and students meet one of the following criteria:

• A student is ill for a prolonged period (with a doctor’s note)
• Death in the immediate family
• Transfer of residence outside of Arlington
• A student switching from New Work to Credit Recovery because they failed a required class
• A student has paid, but is eligible for a McKinney-Vento scholarship.
• All refund requests must be made in writing with proper documentation for approval. The request should be sent to Emily Villatoro emily.villatoro@apsva.us.
• No requests for refunds will be accepted and/or processed after June 28, 2024.

New Work Summer Courses (through Virtual@APS)

Registration Window: March 4 – May 3

Cost: $350.00 (Free/Reduced Lunch Eligible Students $87.00)

Courses Offered(Health/PE9 including CPR, Health/PE10, Economics & Personal Finance)

• Virtual@APS Health/PE 9 (including CPR)
• Virtual@APS Health/PE 10

The Health/PE courses are blended courses where 2 weeks will be at Yorktown (from 7/8 – 7/19 from 7:45am – 12:15pm). For the remainder of the course (from 7/22 – 8/2) students will engage in asynchronous virtual self-paced learning (including daily submission of physical activity logs and online participation) and weekly virtual check-ins with the instructor.

*Students who exceed 2 absences during the in-person portion will be unable to continue in the summer program and will be withdrawn.

*Registration form for Virtual@APS Health/PE 9: clickhere

*Registration form for Virtual@APS Health/PE 10: clickhere

• Virtual@APS Economics & Personal Finance

Students should block out 5-6 hours each weekday to complete the assigned work for this ASYNCHRONOUS course. Additional information about this course can be foundhere.*Registration form for Virtual@APS EPF: clickhere

New Work Summer Courses (through Outside Vendors)

Virtual Virginia Outside Vendor

Registration Window: March 4 – June 7

Cost: $375.00 (no reduced rates available)

• Virtual Virginia has an online payment option

Instruction – SYNCHRONOUS (APS students can ONLY participate in Cohort 2)

• Instruction Dates: June 17 – July 26
• All courses will meet for daily synchronous instruction at 9am Mon – Fri. A select number of Summer Cohort 2 courses (check here) will provide the option for synchronous instruction at either 9 a.m. or 10 a.m. Each session will include approximately 45 minutes of instruction, followed by approximately 15 minutes of Q&A.

Edgenuity Outside Vendor

Registration Window: March 4 – June 7

Cost: $195 (no reduced rates available)

• Check or money order (payable to Arlington Public Schools) should be dropped off at Syphax or to the ACC Treasurer (Katrina Rainey)

Instruction – ASYNCHRONOUS

• Instruction: June 17 – Aug 2 (the exact start date and end dates are flexible within this window)
• Students are expected to work regularly and consistently over the summer to complete the course.

For more information, FAQs, and the Yorktown specific form, please see theAPS Summer School site.

ACTIVITIES UPDATES

YHS Club of the Week-Muslim Student Association

The Muslim Student Association aims to expand knowledge about Islam for both Muslim and non-Muslim students alike, to foster unity among the students, and to offer support for students as they navigate through the daily challenges they may face. All are welcome! See Ms. Badran for further information.

PTA Spring Fling – Saturday, April 13

The Annual PTA Spring Fling will be held on Saturday, April 13. The event will take place 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 or outside the activities office. Students must enter the dance by 9:00pm, and there will be no re-entry for any reason.

Spring Game Information

With spring sports season beginning, please note the following guidelines for attending. Games in the stadium will be streamed on theYorktown Boosters Youtube websiteand tickets are available atGoFanor at the gate. Tickets are $5 for adults, and students ages 6-18 are $2 at the gate. Season passes are available.

• Backpacks and outside beverages are not allowed at sporting events.
• High-school-age students must show a student ID or StudentVue indicating they attend a participating school.
• Students younger than high school age must be accompanied by their parent/guardian.
• The most up-to-date athletic schedule can be found at www.yorktownsports.org

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

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 past years, 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.

DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION

Spring is often seen as a time for renewal and a time to reflect on habits, health, and goals. The following books may be helpful in your journey to a greater understanding of the toll that racial prejudice can take on all of us and how we can begin to heal from its effects. (While both of the books listed can be found on Amazon, you are encouraged to support local, independent, and minority-owned booksellers).

The Racial Healing Handbook: Practical Activities to Help You Challenge Privilege, Confront Systemic Racism, & Engage in Collective Healing

By Anneliese A. Singh

Healing from racism is a journey that often involves reliving trauma and experiencing feelings of shame, guilt, and anxiety. In so many ways, to heal from racism, you must re-educate yourself and unlearn the processes of racism. The Racial Healing Handbook offers practical tools to help you navigate daily and past experiences of racism, challenge internalized negative messages and privileges, and handle feelings of stress and shame. You’ll also learn to develop a profound racial consciousness and conscientiousness, and heal from grief and trauma. Most importantly, you’ll discover the building blocks to creating a community of healing in a world still filled with racial microaggressions and discrimination.

Mindful of Race: Transforming Racism from the Inside Out

By Ruth King

In Mindful of Race, the author invites readers to learn and explore themselves as racial beings, to contemplate the dynamics of oppression and our role in racism, the power of paying homage to our most turbulent emotions and perceiving the wisdom they hold, key mindfulness tools to understand and engage with racial tension, identifying our “soft spots” of fear and vulnerability (how we defend them and how to heal them), embracing discomfort (a core competency for transformation), how our thoughts and emotions “rigidify” our sense of self, how to return to the natural flow of who we are, and many other compelling topics.

SENIOR UPDATES

Families of seniors, we will be sending out information about the end of the year next week. Please keep an eye out for a separate email containing critical information about senior experience, senior picnic, prom, graduation and returning items.

Senior Send-Off Fundraising Opportunity – April 20

The PTA is looking for donations to support the Class of 2024 Senior Send-Off event to be held during the school day on June 12. It’s easy to contribute – just clean out your attic, closets and garage and bring your gently used items to the YHS senior parking lot on April 20 from 8 am – 2 pm. The PTA will get money based on total volume. More information can be foundhere.

Be sure to bookmark theSeniorswebsite, 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.

TECHNOLOGY NEWS

Testing Season Computer Check-up: Technical Help

You may wonder where your student should get help during the school day for computer issues. Anything that is web-based, school app, or relates to My Access (including getting your password reset for My Access) is Ms. Cordero in 287. She will see students any time with a pass.

Any hardware items such as not being able to log in to your computer, the screen not working, computer not turning on, charger replacements, etc., is Mr. Wilson in room 287 during A, B, and C lunches only.

UPCOMING DATES

SeeYHS Calendar for more information

• Monday, April 15 – No School for Students, Grade Preparation Day
• Friday, May 3rd – Early Release Professional Learning Day