Dorothy C. York Innovation Academy
Weekly Newsletter
Week of September 12th recap
This was a HUGE week for our York Admirals with even more excitement to come next week!
- Our Media Center was stocked with beautiful new books, and we started our live morning show with our 7th grade news crew on the York Admirals Network. We have a fantastic studio with a great group of kids to produce and anchor the news.
- All grade levels experienced a fun and exciting pep rally on Thursday to kick off the Boosterthon. Students will participate in character development activities as well as class competitions throughout the next week leading up to our fun run on Friday. Money earned from the Boosterthon will go towards purchasing technology as well as supporting our PTSA as they serve our school in a variety of ways. Go to mybooster.com for for more information.
- We had a special visit from News Channel 8 and the Gasparilla Bowl Foundation to award Mr. Lopez with a certificate of recognition for his outstanding work "going the extra yard" with students. We are so proud he is part of our Admiral staff as he teaches our 7th grade budding scientists.
- Our 5th -7th grade basketball players have been practicing hard and will show off their skills in scrimmages on Friday and Monday evenings. Tonight, Friday Sept. 16th our girls' basketball "A" team will play at 5pm and girls "B" team at 5:40, followed by the 5th grade boys at 6:20. Monday our 6th and 7th grade boys will play beginning at 5pm. If attending the games, please park in the back parking lot and enter though the gym doors to your right.
Volleyball sign ups: Please make a note that the registration deadline is October 4th!
- Our next school spirit night is Tuesday, Sept. 20th from 8:30am-8:00pm at Armetta's. Stop by and treat yourself for breakfast, lunch, dinner or dessert and tell them York Innovation Academy sent you!
- On Thursday, Sept. 22 we will kick off football season and celebrate "Raise the Flag" day by wearing our Tampa Bay Bucs gear in support of our local team. Our school can win a visit from the Buccaneers and Captain Fear for showing school spirit throughout this season so let's show our Tampa Bay pride!
News Channel 8 and the Gasparilla Bowl Foundation to award Mr. Lopez
Our morning show is under way!
Our morning show is under way!
Reminders for the week:
- Please remember, dismissal on Monday is at 2:00 pm. If you arrive past 2:20, you will need to present your ID to sign your child out in the office.
- Please remember, dismissal on Tuesday - Friday is at 3:00 pm. If you arrive past 3:20, you will need to present your ID to sign your child out in the office.
- Polos are back in stock! Order form is available online
Polos and Spirit TShirts.pdf (hillsboroughschools.org)
Checks or cash (exact change please)
- Middle school progress alerts are available in Canvas
Upcoming events:
- Boosterthon 9/15-9/23
- Scholastic Bookfair 9/23-9/30
- FunRun 9/23 (Please wear tennis shoes)
- Elementary progress alerts will be available soon
A note from Mrs. Zollars
September is Attendance Awareness Month! Consistent school attendance is one of the key ingredients to student success. Every day that a student is absent is a lost opportunity for learning. Too many absences not only can affect achievement for the absent student, but also can disrupt learning for the entire class. According to the Juvenile Assessment Center, the State of Florida considers a child truant if he/she has accumulated five or more unexcused absences in a calendar month, and/or 10 unexcused absences in a 90-day period. Teachers, Administration, and the School Social Worker collaborate to promote good attendance and work together to address attendance concerns. If attendance progresses, the School Social Worker could possibly implement an attendance plan, which is intended to improve attendance.
Some facts about attendance include:
- Absenteeism in the first month of school can predict poor attendance throughout the school year. Half the students who miss 2-4 days in September go on to miss nearly a month of school.
- Poor attendance can influence whether children read proficiently by the end of third grade or be held back.
- By 6th grade, chronic absence becomes a leading indicator that a student will drop out of high school.
- Research shows that missing 10 percent of school days, or about 18 days in most school districts, negatively affects a student’s academic performance.
- When students improve their attendance rates, they improve their academic prospects and chances for graduating.
What can YOU do as parents, to promote good attendance? Here are some tips 🙂
- Build regular routines for bedtime and the morning. Lay out clothes and pack backpacks the night before.
- Talk about the importance of regular attendance and about how your child feels about school.
- Don’t permit missing school unless your child is truly sick. Use a thermometer to check for a fever. Remember that stomach aches and headaches may be signs of anxiety.
- If your child seems anxious about going to school, talk to teachers, school counselors and social worker, or other parents for advice on how to make him/her feel comfortable and excited about learning.
- Avoid medical appointments (if in your control) and extended trips when school is in session.
- Develop back up plans for getting to school if something comes up. Ask a family member, neighbor or another parent for help; and seek support from school staff or community groups to help with transportation, health problems, or no safe path to school.
- MOST IMPORTANTLY... good communication between home and school provides everyone serving the student with current information that pertains to the student's overall well-being.
Start With Hello Week
Elementary Admirals
Mrs. Wojtiuk and Mrs. Cossum's classes
Ms. Kovalovich’s class
Ms. Kovalovich’s class preparing for the science Olympics this week!
Mrs. Gangis' 3rd grade
Showing our math skills in a fun way; blacklights, highlighters, and neon vests!
Mrs. Gratt's Class
Starting our Science Olympics
Mrs. Zollars
London in his Hispanic Heritage Month shirt! Representing his cultural background and showing his pride of being unique!
Mrs. Oakes
After we learned about the importance of observing 9-11, students took pictures of the sky at 8:45 on Sunday as a moment of remembrance.
Robotics in the STEM lab
Robotics in the STEM lab
Mrs. Turner
5th grade students taking a space sensory bin break after working hard on a long task.
Middle School Admirals
All hands on deck in Mrs. Perrette's class!
All hands on deck in Mrs. Perrette's class!
All hands on deck in Mrs. Perrette's class!
All hands on deck in Mrs. Perrette's class!
Boosterthon news
Admiral Parents,
Our Boosterthon fundraiser is kicking off in just a week, and we are thrilled about this year’s program! We’ve asked the experts at Boosterthon to power our program, making our fundraising simpler, more profitable, and more fun. Our program includes EVERY student in a fun, fitness event that focuses on character while helping our school raise much-needed funds. The program begins 9/15/22 and culminates with our FUN RUN on 9/23/22.
Here’s how you can support our school:
- Register your student on mybooster.com by searching for our school. Then, use mybooster.com to log pledges for your child. Registration is open TODAY!
- Reach out to sponsors. Every student’s goal is to connect with 10 sponsors. And with mybooster.com’s smart sharing features, reaching out to sponsors is easier than ever. The easiest way to get pledges is to simply click the Facebook share button on your student’s pledge page. Plus, with a few clicks you can create a custom Student Star video to share on social media. You can also use the Easy Emailer to connect with friends and family. As you gather pledges, be sure to record each sponsor’s e-mail address so they have the opportunity to easily pay for your student’s pledge online via credit card.
- Ask your child about the Grand Land Adventure Character Lesson of the day! Join along by watching the fun character videos with your child on mybooster.com.
Admiral on Deck
Mrs. Smith
Hi! I’m April Smith and I teach 2nd grade reading, writing, and social studies. I’ve been an educator for 15 years and love having the opportunity to watch kids grow and learn. I am originally from Ruskin, Florida and graduated from both East Bay High School and the University of South Florida. In my free time, I enjoy going to the beach with my family, gardening, and reading a good book. I’m so excited to be a member of the York family and I hope to see you around campus!
How can you help?
- Donate any new or used Lego blocks
- Donate any new or used Duplo blocks
- Visit DonorsChoose.org and search "Dorothy C. York" and support a classroom of your choice
- Apply to be a substitute at Hillsborough County Public Schools (kellyeducationalstaffing.us)
- Visit our PTSA page at Dorothy C. York Innovation Academy PTSA - Home | Facebook
PTSA Calendar
Dismissal and arrival routes:
Dorothy C. York Innovation Academy
A Hillsborough County Public School
Website: https://www.hillsboroughschools.org/york
Location: 5995 Covington Garden Drive Apollo Beach, FL 33572
Phone: (813) 533-2400
Twitter: @HCPS_YorkMagnet