Knight News from York Academy

Knight News

October 25, 2019

CEO Corner

Hello York Academy Families:

In the next two weeks the York Academy will make a significant step towards our goal of becoming an IB Continuum School with the submission of our IB Diploma Programme application. The application serves as documentation of the work done over the last six months to prepare for the Diploma Programme (DP). From training teachers to writing policies, a great deal of work has gone into preparing to offer what is considered by many to be the most prestigious pre-university program in the world. But what exactly is the IB Diploma Programme?

The IB Diploma Programme follows the Middle Years Programme and is for students in grades 11 and 12. Students in the DP are required to take one course in each of the six groups:

Group 1: Studies in Language and Literature
Group 2: Language Acquisition
Group 3: Individuals and Societies
Group 4: Experimental Sciences
Group 5: Mathematics
Groups 6: The Arts

Each course is two years long, so students must start the DP in 11th grade. Courses are offered on two levels – Standard Level (SL) and Higher Level (HL). Students must take three courses at the Higher Level and are required to pass standardized examinations for all courses.

In addition to the academic courses, students must complete the “core requirements” of the DP. Those are as follows:

Extended Essay: Students must write an independent research essay of 4,000 words.
Theory of Knowledge: This is a course that introduces students to theories about the nature and limitations of knowledge.
Creativity, Activity, Service: Students are required to participate in community service, athletics or creative activities to grow as responsible member of their community for about 3-4 hours per week.

The academic level of the course work combined with the expectations of the core requirements make the IB Diploma Programme a game changer for York Academy students. As a school, the addition of the DP will require us to realign our expectations and instructional practices across all grade levels in order to ensure success for all of our students. Click here to learn more about the IB DP.

Warm regards,

Angela Sugarek

Student Spotlight

Congratulations to eighth-grader Samaria, who was chosen as our "Student Spotlight." Samaria was nominated for embodying the IB attribute of being an inquirer. Inquirers nurture their curiosity, developing skills for inquiry and research. They know how to learn independently and with others. Inquirers learn with enthusiasm and sustain their love of learning throughout life.

Samaria puts forth her best effort in the work she does in and out of class. She is focused and thoughtful during independent work and is a great collaborator with her peers, as well. Way to go, Samaria. Keep it up!

Staff Shoutout

Lower School science teacher, Mrs. Alina Henninger, was nominated for displaying the IB attribute of being principled. Principled individuals act with integrity and honesty. They have a strong sense of fairness and justice, and have respect for the dignity and rights of people everywhere. They also take responsibility for their actions and their consequences.

Mrs. Henninger connects with her MYP students by speaking in a calm tone and listening to them with care. She creates a safe space where they are respectful of her and each other. As a result, they respond quickly to her, which leads to success in the classroom. Thank you for all you do to make a difference in your students' lives, Mrs. Henninger! You are appreciated.

Knights of the Arts

Join York Academy Upper School students on Wednesday, October 30 for a night of music and drama! There will be a wide variety of acts, including rock bands, musical theater, dances, monologues and acted scenes.

This event will be held at the York Academy Upper School in the Dennis P. Baughman Center for Creative Expression. The front doors will open at 6:30 p.m. and the show will start at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are by donation only ($3) and proceeds will benefit the performing arts at York Academy. Come see the wonderful talent these students bring to our school!

Coffee & Crayons at The D.E.W. Good Academy Cafe

Parents (and grandparents): Starting next week, you're invited to The D.E.W. Good Academy Café for "Coffee and Crayons" every Tuesday and Thursday from 8 - 10 a.m.

Come purchase coffee or tea on October 29 and 31 , while your little ones color free Halloween themed pictures and enjoy candy while watching "Hotel Transylvania." Supplies will be provided. Make sure to use the Café entrance around the back of the Upper School. You may park in the Upper School lot or at Small's Field.

Don't forget about the delicious fall drink specials, too! From a snickerdoodle latte to a salted caramel mocha, there's something for everyone! The Café is open weekdays from 6:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. Plus, in November, it will be open every Saturday from 8 a.m. - 11 a.m. Please bring a friend and help support our school!

Parents' Night Out

Mrs. Chester and Upper School members of our National Art Honor Society (NAHS) are hosting the next “Parents’ Night Out" on Friday, November 1 . This event will be held at the Upper School from 6 - 9 p.m.

While you go to dinner during First Friday, catch a movie or chill, your children will play games in the Wagman Gym and enjoy (peanut free) snacks while they watch "Hotel Transylvania" in the Dennis P. Baughman Center for Creative Excellence.

Students and their friends in grades K-7 are invited to join us for this fundraiser, which supports the NAHS spring field trip. Click here to register your student(s). Thank you in advance for your support of the visual arts at York Academy!

PTO Updates

The York Academy PTO is partnering with Yankee Candle® Fundraising to help achieve their goal this year. Yankee Candle® is the world's #1 candle brand and they offer a wide range of premium candles, fragrances and décor items at a very wide range of prices. Your purchase will ship directly to your home and the PTO will receive a profit on every single order.

Shopping is easy! Click here to support the PTO now through January 8, 2020. Our Group Name is YARCS PTO and our Group Number is 999993565. If you have any issues, click here for details . You can even shop on the Yankee Candle Fundraising app. Download it on the Apple Store or Google Play .

You can also enlist friends and family from out of town to help the PTO. Visit this website , look for "Sign Up to Be a Seller," and enter our Group Number (999993565) to register. Thank you in advance!

The next PTO Dress Down Day is Friday, November 8. All students and employees may dress casually in the school-appropriate clothing of their choice with a $1.00 donation to the York Academy PTO. Students who choose not to participate should wear their school uniforms. Donations will help fund field trips, family events, assemblies and more. As a reminder, make sure to review the guidelines for school-appropriate attire. Thank you!

Title 1 Family Night

We'd like to extend a special thank you to Ms. Tracy Zeiders, Federal Programs Coordinator, and Mrs. Janelle Swartz, PTO Title 1 Committee Chair, for planning a wonderful event for our families! Everyone enjoyed pizza and participated in fun camping themed-activities. Each student even went home with a book!

Important Medication Reminders

Please note that students are not permitted to have any type of medication in their possession at school. This applies to both prescription and over-the-counter medications. The only exceptions are for asthma inhalers and epinephrine pens, which may be carried by the student only when their doctor has provided the nurse's office with a specific order permitting them to self-carry and self-administer the medication.

It is also important for you to know that the York Academy does not keep any medications in the nurse's offices for general student use. If your child needs medication of any type to be given in school (emergency, prescription, or over-the-counter), it must be supplied from home and accompanied by an order from your doctor. Please refer to the 'Illness and Medication' section of the Parent Charter School Handbook for more detail. If you have questions or need assistance obtaining orders from your doctor, please don't hesitate to email Mrs. Urey or Ms. Halloran . Thank you for helping to keep our students healthy and safe!

Continuous Improvement Committee

We are seeking a few parent representatives from both schools to serve on the Continuous Improvement Committee. Volunteers should be able to attend meetings on the second Thursday of each month at 4 p.m. The committee will provide support and suggestions for bettering our school community. Please email Ms. Sugarek if you are interested. Thank you!

Kindergarten ABC Fashion Show

Our kindergarten classes participated in ABC Bootcamp - a 26-day introduction to letters and sounds. In each daily lesson, they drew pictures and wrote words that began with a letter, made a headband with the day's letter picture, practiced writing the letter on a manuscript page, and read and colored a mini letter book.

Earlier this month, they designed vests from paper bags and decorated them with words and pictures regarding a specific letter. They even got to "walk the runway" during the annual ABC Fashion Show!

First Grade Food Drive

As part of the IB, each grade level coordinates a community service project. Earlier this month, our first-graders held their annual Food Drive - a school-wide effort to help those in need locally and internationally.

Thanks to the generosity of the York Academy family, they raised $200 in donations for Heifer International and collected 1,100 items for the York County Food Bank!

Third Grade Socks for School

Our third graders have been learning about how important their education is to their future, especially when it comes to becoming well-rounded citizens. They have also been learning about how businesses and communities operate differently around the world. This includes how other students their age go to school in their own communities. Students were introduced to Mark, who is the same age as most of the third graders, and they are beyond excited to be able help ensure he is able to go to school to get the education he needs to be successful.

Starting in early November, they will be selling "funky socks" and conducting a Penny War to raise the money necessary to assist Mark in his schooling. Click here to view a message from Mark.

Basketball Coaches Needed

We are seeking basketball coaches for the boys and girls teams. Coaching or playing experience is preferred. Candidates must have good communication skills, and be highly structured and organized. The following current clearances are required: PA Criminal, PA Child Abuse and FBI Criminal History Background Check. Learn more and apply now.

Through the IB Lens

More than 1.4 million students attend IB schools like York Academy across 153 countries, but it started with just a handful of students in Switzerland in 1968. In fact, today marks the 51st anniversary of the IB! Find out how it got its start in this short video.