Blue & White Newsletter - 1/12/24
Week of January 8, 2024
Preparing for Career Interviews
Several juniors and seniors from the Career Tech English classes at the High School participated in mock interviews held on Friday, January 5, 2024. This event was coordinated by Mr. Jason Lyons, School Counselor, and Ms. Manda Meese, Diversified Occupations Teacher/Coordinator. There were 12 business representatives present who assisted in this event! The representatives were from the following businesses: Kelly Arcieri (York College of PA), Beate Ervin (Pixelle), Angela Hoover and Kisha Rawlings (FedEx), Dennis Hopper (REMAX), Kris Denney (WYASD), Ashley Lewis (Country Meadows), Jade Malehorn (Apple Auto), Tyler Mielcarek and Brady Slack (US Army), Renae Morgan (First Capital FCU), and Amanda Thomas (R.H. Sheppard).
Students were asked to participate in a mock (job) interview by having prepared questions to ask, and then they also had time to network with these interviewers afterwards. This event was successful and all involved found this to be very rewarding and worthwhile.
Module UN
Future Global Impact-Makers!
Last weekend, select members of Ms. Melissa Carl’s Model United Nations team at the High School, took a trip to the YMCA Hershey for the Model UN regional conference. Representing different countries such as Bhutan, Azerbaijan, Belize, Kenya, the Netherlands, Ethiopia, and Lebanon, the students debated on different UN committees all weekend on important global issues. Members of the team included: Lilah Van Vorst, Tyler Walls, Sherrod Anderson, Christopher Urrunaga, Ryan Kane, Jared Denney, Rowan Dennis, and Darien Reimold. Each student was selected to be within different committees at the conference. Nation Building tackled the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Historical Security Council made suggestions to combine parts of Laos, Cambodia, and South Vietnam, and the General Assembly discussed the different forms of urbanization and implementation of A.I. Darien was on a special committee called Press Corps, filming and writing articles about the different committees and experiences within the conference. The team returned home last Sunday afternoon with many great memories and new MUN friends. The team participates in this conference every year and enjoys it to the fullest every time.
Lilah Van Vorst
Bhutan, World Health Organization
Rowan Dennis, Netherlands, Economics & Finance, and Tyler Walls, Kenya, Historical Security Council
Supporting our Community!
The High School baseball team collected non-perishable items throughout the month of December to help out local families through the Bulldog Pantry. One attribute of the baseball program is developing a sense of being selfless. This means keeping our primary concerns for our teammates, family, and community. Collecting items for the Bulldog Pantry was just one small selfless act where we were able to give back to the community.
If you would like to learn more about the Bulldog Pantry, both how to donate or to receive support, please visit the Bulldog Pantry website linked below. Questions can be directed to Ms. Amanda Burt via email to amburt@wyasd.org.
Special Visitors Who Enrich Our Learning!
Caleigh Brumbaugh, 2023 West York graduate, visited Ms. Amanda Burt's class to talk about college life. During her visit, students learned about Caleigh's experiences since graduating and had the opportunity to ask many questions. Thank you, Caleigh, and good luck at Delaware Valley University. (Left picture below)
Julia Liddick, Early Reach Coordinator from the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, also visited Ms. Burt's class to talk about job interview skills. Julia visits monthly and discusses Pre-Employment Transition Services (PETS) with the students. This month, Julia surprised the students by dressing in clothes you would NOT wear to a job interview, sparking some great conversations! Thank you, Julia! (Right picture below)
A Furry Visitor - Reading Reward Celebration!
Several students at Lincolnway Elementary participated in the December reading incentive. These students read beyond the required homework reading and completed a reading response reading log . They were rewarded with a visit from the K-Pet Therapy Dogs. They were able to read books to the dogs and interact with them as well.
Upcoming Dental and Physical Exams
An Important Reminder from our School Nurses
Dental and physical exams will be performed at our school buildings over the upcoming several weeks.
Dental exams will be performed on students with signed parent permission from the beginning of the school year as well as those missing the required dental screening for Kindergarten, 3rd and 7th grades. Dental exams will be performed on the following days:
- Lincolnway-January 16
- Middle school-February 12
Physical exams will be performed on students who are missing the required physical exam for Kindergarten, 1st, 6th, and 11th grades. Physical exams will be performed on the following days:
- Middle School-1/25 and 1/26
- Wallace-2/8 and 2/9
- High school 2/22 and 2/23
Please contact your child's school nurse with questions.
Time to Plan for 2024 Kindergarten Registration!
If you would like to receive email updates specific to activities and registration for the 2024-2025 Kindergarten class, please click the image below and complete our form. Any questions regarding transition activities and/or registration can be directed to Wallace Elementary by calling 717-764-6869. If you have family, friends, or neighbors who reside within the West York Area School District, feel free to share this information with them!
SAVE THE DATE - FRIDAY, MARCH 22, 2024
FOUNDATION FOR THE WYASD
CASINO NIGHT!
If you are not familiar, The Foundation for the West York Area School District (WYASD) is a volunteer-led, 501c3 non-profit that serves the students of the District in partnership with the district and community.
The mission of The Foundation is to acquire and distribute funds to enhance educational opportunities for all students enrolled in the school district. The Foundation funds worthwhile programs which may not have been implemented due to budgetary constraints and provides scholarship opportunities for WYASD seniors.
Be sure to mark your calendar to save the date for the Foundation for West York Area School District's Casino Night. More details will be coming in the next few weeks.
If you, your employer, or an organization you are familiar with would like to be a sponsor of Casino Night, please click on the image below to see the details for sponsoring this AWESOME event! All funds raised go to support our students!
The Bulldog Breakdown
You may have noticed that the Blue & White Newsletter hasn't been sharing the AWESOME activities and outcomes/scores from our athletic groups. The WYASD's Athletics Department publishes the Bulldog Breakdown, a weekly recap of the prior week's athletic accomplishments and lists the upcoming sporting events. Each week's Blue & White will include a link to the most recent issue of the Bulldog Breakdown, just in case you've missed the text/email distribution.
Check out the lastest issue by clicking the image.
FAFSA Events - Federal Student Aid Demystified!
Join Penn State York's Financial Aid Coordinator, Kristen Fowler, for an overview of the changes to the financial aid application process. This FAFSA Information Session is scheduled for Saturday, January 27th from 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM and will take place in Polli Hall, Graham Center for Innovation and Collaboration, Penn State York, 1031 Edgecomb Ave., York, PA 17403.
They are also offering a FAFSA Completion Workshop to complete your FAFSA at the workshop with support resources available for answers to your questions in real time. Please register in advance for this session, scheduled for Thursday, February 8th from 6:00 - 8:00 PM at the Admissions Office, Main Classroom Building at the same address as shared above. To register and to see other informational events at Penn State, click the flyer image to the right.
If you have any questions, you can email them at ykadmission@psu.edu or call them at 717-771-4040.
Junior Achievement is Coming to the High School!
Volunteers Needed!
We need your help! On Thursday, March 14th, Junior Achievement of South Central PA will be at the High School with their STEM Summit Program. Students will be participating in the day-long event designed to explore careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.
The goal of the STEM Summit is to inspire students to pursue an academic STEM focus in the remainder of their high school courses. After the completion of the STEM Summit, guidance counselors have a foundation to work with students on appropriate course work.
For this day to be a success, we will need volunteers to facilitate ONE of the STEM activities for the day as students rotate through various stations. You do not need to have a STEM background to be a GREAT volunteer! You also do not have to be an approved school volunteer to help with this day. Please feel free to share this opportunity with friends, neighbors, and colleagues who may be interested in helping the students of our school.
Junior Achievement will provide online training as well as on-site support to all volunteers. A light breakfast and lunch will also be available for volunteers. Please consider volunteering and join us as we spend the day empowering and inspiring our students. This opportunity is only possible with the support of wonderful volunteers like you.
You can check out the Q&A here for questions you may have.
You can click on the flyer below to register as a volunteer.
JANUARY 12, 2024
9th/10th Grade:
Isaac Shaffner
For working hard in math class every day!
11th/12th Grade:
Draydon Stahle
For being a dedicated and engaged learner all semester long!
Faculty/Staff:
Ms. Mary Freed
For brightening our students' day, every day!
January Important Dates
- Monday, Jan. 15, Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday - District Closed
- Tuesday, Jan. 16, CEC Meeting (5:30 p.m.)
- Tuesday, Jan. 16, Board Voting Meeting (6:30 p.m.)
- Wednesday, Jan. 17, Bulldog Pantry Distribution (5:00 p.m.)
- Wednesday, Jan. 17, Elementary PTO Meeting (6:00 p.m.)
- Thursday, Jan. 25, Wellness Committee Meeting (3:15 p.m.)
FOR YOUR INFORMATION
IN AND AROUND THE DISTRICT
LOST & FOUND
Our schools are accumulating many items in our Lost & Found areas. Please remind your child to check the Lost & Found if they are missing anything. If there is something specific, feel free to contact the school office and and make an inquiry.
Time to Order Your Middle School Yearbook
Calling all Middle School students - don't miss out on ordering your 2023-2024 Yearbook!
The yearbook captures today's memories to enjoy for a lifetime!
The $35 price is only good through January 26th! Don't delay and possibly miss this low pricing! Click the image below to order your yearbook today.
- Complimentary admission to all home athletic events (excludes playoff events)
- Complimentary admission to all District concerts (most do not charge admission)
Join us for a complimentary luncheon & performance of the all-school musical production of . . .
Save the Date: Sunday, March 3, 2024
Details coming soon!
Community Corner - Be Sure To Check It Out Often!
The Community Corner of our website offers families many helpful links to organizations or flyers about upcoming or ongoing community activities, clubs, and events. The information on this webpage changes frequently and those changes will be highlighted here as they occur. The latest updates are pictured below.
From our Home webpage, click on Community to access links to various organizations/community events.
Here are just some examples:
- Cub Scouts (Boys & Girls ages 5-12)
- Girl Scouts
- West York Boys Club - Winter Baseball Workouts and Spring Season Details!
- York JCC
- YMCA of York
- YWCA of York
Community Resources such as:
- United Way
- Community Progress Council
- Dream Wrights Center for Community Arts