Blue & White Newsletter - 3/1/24
Week of February 26, 2024
New Facebook and Instagram Pages!
Recently, we were alerted by Facebook that there were attempts to log into our account without proper credentials, and as a precautionary measure, Facebook locked our account. Facebook, being Facebook, has not been helpful with the process of unlocking and recovering our account. We are viewing this as an opportunity to create fresh Facebook and Instagram accounts, and we invite you to subscribe to them.
Click below to Like and Follow us!
Empowering Biomedical Innovations: Student-Designed Experiments in Action
Students in Ms. Kirsty Houck's Biomedical Innovations class at the High School have been designing and implementing their own experiments. They have been studying topics such as:
- What is the effect of music on blood pressure?
- Does thinking happy thoughts decrease your heart rate?
- How does your sense of smell affect your taste?
- How does lying affect your blood pressure?
Stay tuned as they continue their experiments and data analysis! We will share their results in an upcoming Blue & White Newsletter issue!
Standing Ovation: How the Middle School Play Captivated Audiences
Congratulations to the cast and crew of 30 Horrible Catastrophes of Middle School for a fabulous production last weekend at West York Area Middle School. This comical glimpse into the life of middle school students navigating the obstacles, pitfalls, stereotypes, and insecurities of their early teen years audiences in stitches with laughter! They say laughter is the best medicine - thanks for providing such a healthy dose of laughter to those in attendance!
Thank you to the cast, crew, and directors for sharing your time and talents with our community in this fun, family-friendly way! We look forward to next year's Middle School play!
January Reading Incentive Brought LOTS of Smiles and Snuggles!
Wallace Elementary students who participated in the January reading incentive got to spend time with the K-Pets therapy dogs. They got to listen to a story about a therapy dog, color a dog picture, receive a dog themed prize, and snuggle with the dogs. There were lots of smiles and tail wagging, and many students left saying, "This was the best day ever!"
Leap Day Physics: Launching Frogs into Fun with Catapults!
On Thursday, February 29th, students at the Middle School enjoyed participating in the Leap Day Design Challenge. Each homeroom was challenged with creating catapults with the goal to "leap the frog the farthest." Student groups were provided with the same set of supplies and followed the Design Process to create the best catapult.
Tiny Explorers: Unleashing the Curiosity of Kindergarten Scientists
Ms. Kelly Lurz's class at Wallace Elementary invited Ms. Lorrie Rodriguez's class over for a STEM experiment! Multiple ingredients were mixed together and students had to predict what would happen. They then used various senses to explore the mixture!
Empowering Young Minds: Navigating the World of Finance at BizTown
The fifth grade classes of Ms. Kristin Bielski, Ms. Rebecca Holder, Ms. Nicole Flowers, and Mr. Jason Getz at Trimmer Elementary engaged in an economic simulation at J.A. BizTown on Thursday, February 22, 2024. The students carried themselves in a mature and professional manner as they practiced their newfound financial literacy skills by completing tasks related to their jobs. Each of the fifteen student-run businesses had a goal to “pay off” their business loan by the end of the day. Students used debit cards, maintained a checkbook, and even opened a savings account as well. The “citizens” kept the circular economy flowing by shopping for goods and services at JA BizTown businesses during their assigned breaks. We are very proud to say each and every student rose to the occasion and 14/15 businesses were able to pay back their bank loan at the end of the day.
The 5th grade teachers would like to give a shout out to all of the family members as well as our very own high school junior and senior interns who came out to volunteer!
High School interns pictured above (L to R)
(Bottom row) Ava King, Lizzy Agravante, Alyssa Hedgcock, Nomey Khan, and Alexis "Tyler" Lucas.
(Top row) Eddie Laracuente-Ruiz, Jeremy Russell, Brendan Kern, and Philip Lingenfelter.
Great fun was had by all bulldogs!
Building Brilliance: MS Students Triumph in K'Nex Design Challenge
Last week, five teams from the Middle School participated in the LIU 12 K'Nex STEM Design Challenge. Students were challenged to create an agricultural robot or other type of "high-tech farming" equipment. There were several components to the whole process, which included imagining, researching, designing, keeping a design notebook throughout the process, creating a 3D blueprint, practicing the assembly of their equipment, and preparing their presentation. This was quite the challenge and the commitment and hard work of our teams was in true Bulldog spirit!
We are excited to shared that one WY team was awarded 2nd Place and another team was awarded 1st Place! The 1st Place team now goes to the state competition on May 3rd representing all of LIU 12 school districts.
1st Place Team: Avery Appnel, Alexis Weaver, Peyton Ream, Cami Plappert
2nd Place Team: April Blain, Tristan St. Jacques, Mason Zinn, Mason Mansfield
3 Teams L-R below:
Team: Trevor Bowman, Waylon Kearney, Paul Hipkiss, John Watson
Team: Gavin Quickel, Ben Arnold, Aiden Rubio, Oliver Welch
Team: Ian Grigas, Charlotte Blain, Mary Blain, Owen Wright
March Awesome Facilities Staff!
This month's Awesome Facilities Staff who are highlighted on our website are Ms. Catherine Hess, Ms. Elizabeth Samaroo, and Ms. Christine Sheridan. Be sure to click on the image below to visit the Facilities page of our website to learn more about these three AWESOME staff members!
Moo-ving Education: Students Dive into the World of Dairy!
Ms. Sue Zimmerman, Lincolnway Cafeteria Manager, taught a lesson to some 2nd grade classrooms at Lincolnway Elementary all about dairy! She shared some fun facts about where dairy products come from and how they are made. She also had students participate in a virtual field trip to a dairy farm!
Celebrating Reading Growth!
Caiden Strong, a first grader in Ms. Michele Balanda's class, visited Ms. Taylor Schlemmer to read a story to her! He was in Ms. Schlemmer's kindergarten class last year! It was such an awesome time to see how much he has grown since kindergarten! Keep reading Caiden!
March 1, 2024
9th/10th Grade:
Za'Mya Harris
For being empathetic and kind to another student!
11th/12th Grade:
Jade Heard
For helping friends!
Faculty/Staff:
Mr. Thomas Hoke
For making the school a better place!
2024-2025 District Calendar Now Available!
At the February 20th Board Meeting, the 2024-2025 District Calendar was approved and you can access it from our website by clicking the bar below.
March Important Dates
- Friday, March 1, HS Play - Disney's Beauty and the Beast (7:00 p.m.)
- Saturday, March 2, HS Play - Disney's Beauty and the Beast (7:00 p.m.)
- Sunday, March 3, HS Play - Disney's Beauty and the Beast (2:00 p.m.)
- Wednesday, March 6, Music in Our School Month Concert (7:00 p.m.)
- Tuesday, March 12, Cocurricular Meeting (5:30 p.m.) DATE CHANGED
- Tuesday, March 12, Work Session of the Board (7:00 p.m.)
- Thursday, March 14, MS/HS Choral Festival Concert (6:30 p.m.) MS Auditorium
- Friday, March 15, Early Dismissal
- Tuesday, March 19, EPC Meeting (5:30 p.m.) DATE CHANGED
- Tuesday, March 19, Board Voting Meeting (6:30 p.m.)
- Wednesday, March 20, Bulldog Pantry Distribution (5:00 p.m.)
- Friday, March 22, Casino Night - Foundation for the WYASD (6:00 p.m.)
- Thursday, March 28, Professional Learning Day - No School for Students
- Friday, March 29, Spring Break - All Buildings & Grounds Closed
- Monday, April 1, Professional Learning Day - No School for Students
The Bulldog Breakdown
Check out this week's issue of the Bulldog Breakdown, a weekly recap of the prior week's athletic accomplishments and lists the upcoming sporting events.
Don't miss important information on the PIAA postseason events, brackets, schedules, and how to purchase tickets! Simply click the Bulldog image to view the latest issue!
Kindergarten Registration is Now OPEN!
Kindergarten registration for the 2024-2025 school year is now open. We encourage families to register early. Simply click the image to the right and click on Create A New Account. Even if you already have students in West York, you will use the Create A New Account to begin the registration process for your incoming kindergarten student. Children need to be five years of age by September 1, 2024, to be eligible for kindergarten.
If you have any questions, please contact our Registration Office at 717-792-2796 extension 1216.
THIS WEEKEND!! JOIN US FOR . . .
DISNEY'S BEAUTY AND THE BEAST!
Tickets Now On Sale!
Dates
Friday, March 1 @ 7:00 PM
Saturday, March 2 @ 7:00 PM
Sunday, March 3 @ 2:00 PM
Location: West York Area High School Auditorium
General Admission: $12.00
Students/Seniors: $10.00
Click the image above to purchase tickets.
Foundation for WYASD - Casino Night
Tickets Now on Sale!
Casino Night is coming in less than a month! Reserve your tickets at foundation@wyasd.org. Tickets are $50 each or 2 for $90. The Foundation is run by a volunteer board, so 100% of all proceeds go back to teacher grants, student scholarships, and district budget support.
Enjoy dinner, drinks, and small games of chance run by our Shiloh Lion's Club for a chance to win some great raffles and door prizes. Once again, a $500 Hershey Entertainment Gift Card is available to win!
A schedule for the evening is included below. Upon arrival, you receive a healthy quantity of wager chips and have the evening to double or triple their value. Hand those chips in for raffle tickets at the end of the evening for chances at prizes!
FOR YOUR INFORMATION
IN AND AROUND THE DISTRICT
Strengthening Families Workshop Series
We are thrilled to be bringing the Strengthening Families Program to our West York community again this year. Hosted at Trimmer Elementary, this program is an effective, dynamic, family-focused prevention program that benefits families with children aged 10 to 14. Free to those who attend, this seven-week program teaches children and their families skills they need to be a stronger, more effective family. The program reinforces the importance of building positive relationships, setting appropriate limits, and following through with consequences. Dinner is also provided at the beginning of each session and free daycare is provided for siblings age 9 and under.
Families who participated in this program last year found great value in the topics and how the program was run, part of the time with parents and children working separately on similar topics and then back together family time.
More details in the flyer linked below. To register, contact Cecilia Keesey at ckeesey@choyork.org or 717-487-7306.
FINAL CALL!!
Calling all Trimmer, Lincolnway and Wallace Families!
Be sure to order your 2023-2024 yearbook! A yearbook gives you a fun way to remember your elementary years as a Bulldog! Place your order online by March 1st. See details below.
Time to Order Your MS or HS Yearbook
Calling all High School and Middle School students!
Don't miss out on ordering your 2023-2024 Yearbook!
The yearbook captures today's memories to enjoy for a lifetime!
Current HIGH SCHOOL price - $80.00
Current MIDDLE SCHOOL price - $35.00
(Prices typically increase as we get closer to the deadline, so don't delay!)
Click the image below to order your yearbook today.
Get Your Sweet Tooth Ready!
Class of 2025 Fundraiser
The Class of 2025 his hosting a fundraiser for their class - Gardners Candies!
Online ordering is open NOW through March 22nd. It's so easy to order and your order will be shipped directly to your house! Click on the image to the left for ordering details.
The Golden Bulldog Pass is available to our West York residents age 65 and older and admits the holder to various District events and activities.
- Complimentary admission to all home athletic events (excludes playoff events)
- Complimentary admission to all District concerts (most do not charge admission)
- Annual District Musical, including "Lunch and a Show" event (2024 show is fully booked)
We welcome those eligible who do not currently have a Golden Pass to stop by our Administration Office, Monday-Friday, between 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., to get your pass. All you need is a current photo ID showing your District address and date of birth.
If you know of an eligible friend, neighbor, or family member who might benefit from a Golden Bulldog Pass, please share this information with them. Questions may be directed to BullDogMail@wyasd.org.
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
- YMCA of York
- YWCA of York
Community Resources such as:
- United Way
- Community Progress Council
- Dream Wrights Center for Community Arts
West Manchester Girls Softball
West Manchester Girls Softball is gearing up for the upcoming season! Details below. Click on the image to download the Registration Form.
For more information, contact Lori Trimmer, West Manchester Township Parks and Recreation Director, at 717-792-3505 or via email at ltrimmer@wmtwp.com.
Girls on the Run Summer Camp Program
For more information, click the image below or contact Colleen Park at colleen.park@gotrmidstatepa.org.