I hope this update finds you well…

My appreciation for a wonderful week celebrating our traditions and FOX PRIDE! My hope is that all our families will join us at tonight's Homecoming game and festivities at Campbell field. Many of you have been watching our local weather forecast for tomorrow evening, which may jeopardize our planned outdoor Homecoming Dance. While the weather forecast may be uncertain, please rest assured that we will have a Homecoming Dance tomorrow evening. As of this writing, we are still executing our original event as planned. However, if forecast conditions deteriorate, I will communicate any changes to our families by tomorrow afternoon. Unlike many local schools, the YHS team has preserved and celebrated many of our students' traditions and cherished moments within the established health and safety parameters. We ask for your patience and support as we wait to see what Mother Nature has plans to do.

The daily bell schedule for the week of September 20th is listed below:
  • Monday, October 4th - A Day
  • Tuesday, October 5th - B Day
  • Wednesday, October 6th - A Day
  • Thursday, October 7th - B Day
  • Friday, October 8th - Fall Break (off)

The daily bell schedule for the week of September 27th is listed below:
  • Monday, October 11th - off (Columbus Day)
  • Tuesday, October 12th - off (Teacher Institute)
  • Wednesday, Ocotober 13th - C Day
  • Thursday, October 14th - A Day
  • Friday, October 15th - B Day

Included in this update:
  • Monthly Calendar - September/October - updated item
  • YHS Athletics Update - new item
  • Underclass Picture Day - new item
  • Waubonsee Community College Night - 10/12 - old item
  • FlexBlock & Office Hours - new item
  • This week in Advisory...- new item
  • Digital Citizenship Tip of the Week - new item
  • Dean's Safety & Security Update - new item
  • Student Drop Off & Pick-Up - old item
  • Map My Next Move - College & Career Center - updated item
  • Hey Seniors - FAFSA opens 10/1 - updated item
  • Financial Aid Workshop/Open House - new item
  • SAT National Test Dates - old item

In addition to my weekly email updates, I encourage everyone to follow us on Twitter and “like” our Facebook page to learn about all the great things happening at YHS.  We have so many great things happening— so don’t just FOLLOW but SHARE our FOX PRIDE within our community—help us build our following! 

As always, if this update raises questions, please ask. Thank you for all that you do—it does not go unnoticed or unappreciated. Have a great day!  GO FOXES!

With PRIDE,
David S. Travis
A - Days
B - Days
C - Days
Monthly Calendar - September - October
Provided for our families is a month at a glance summary.
  • A Days are highlighted in "Red" - October 4, 6, 14, 18, 21, 25, 28
  • B Days are highlighted in "Gray" - October 5, 7, 15, 19, 22, 26, 29
  • C Days are highlighted in "Green" - October 13, 20, & 27
  • October 8 - Fall Break, October 11 - Columbus Day (yellow), October 12 - Institute Day
Athletics Update
The Foxes host West Aurora in homecoming football on Friday, October 1st. The sophomores play at 4:30pm with the varsity to follow at 7:00p.m. All spectators attending need to complete district #115’s health certification survey, take a screenshot of the “green check mark”, and be prepared to show it to athletic department staff upon entry. Entry for the game is $5.00 for adults, $2.00 for students, and senior citizens (over 65) and YHS students with ID are free. If you can’t make the game in person, the game will be live broadcast on WSPY and streamed on the NFHS Network. 

Congratulations to the varsity boys golf team on finishing 4th place at the IHSA Regional on Wednesday, September 29th. Senior, Ryan Waugh, advanced to the IHSA sectional shooting a 78 and finishing in 3rd place finish. Sophomore Justin Goebel qualified for the IHSA sectional shooting an 84. 

Congratulations to the varsity girls volleyball team beating Plainfield Central in 2 games (25-17, 25-21) on Tuesday, September 28th. The Foxes were led by Ella Bourque with 5 kills, 12 assists, and 5 digs. Janelle Pye-Blacknard 5 kills, 9 digs, and 1 ace; Saige Avery 5 kills, 12 assists, and 4 digs; Keelyn Muell with 9 kills, and Grace Lindgren added 1 ace and 4 digs. The win moves the team to 19-3 overall and 3-1 in SPC play.

Good luck to the Foxes girls tennis team as they travel to West Aurora on October 6th and 7th to compete in the SPC Conference Tournament. The Foxes will then travel to Moline High School on October 15 and 16th to compete in the IHSA Sectional! 

Good luck to our YHS girls swimmers competing on the Yorkville/IMSA Swim Coop at the home invite Saturday, October 2nd at IMSA. Good luck to our YHS swimmers Izzy Griffin, Jenna Dlugopolski, Eileen Baltes and Kiley Gebhardt!
Underclass Picture Day
Underclass Picture Day will be on Friday, October 29th. Please see attached document for pricing and packages from Van Gogh School Photographers.
College Night on 10/12 at Waubonsee Community College
Are you the parent of a senior who's still looking into 4-year college options? Are you the parent of a sophomore or junior who is starting to consider their post-secondary options? If you answered "yes" to either of these questions, then you and your student(s) should plan to attend College Night at Waubonsee Community College on Tuesday, October 12th from 6-8:00 p.m. There will be over 100 4-year colleges and universities represented, so it's a perfect way to gather information about schools that would be a good match for you!  To learn more click here. 
FlexBlock and Office Hours
FlexBlock and Office Hours are designed to provide students additional time within the hours of a regular school day to meet with their teachers for academic support. Students use Sign Up Genius to schedule FlexBlock and Office Hours appointments. For further information, please view the quick tutorials below. 


All students are encouraged to meet with their teachers during FlexBlock and Office Hours. This is of particular importance for students who are not meeting levels of proficiency or mastery on course outcomes.

Teachers are required to schedule appointments with students who are earning a “D” or “F” and students are required to attend their scheduled appointment. Students who do not attend a required appointment with a teacher will receive a warning and parent contact will be made. Students will be provided a make-up date to meet with their teacher. Students who fail to attend the makeup appointment will be issued a Dean’s referral. 
This Week in Advisory...
This past week, Advisory focused on helping students get into the Homecoming spirit by providing time for students to decorate their classroom doors and hallways for Homecoming Week. For the Social Emotional Lesson, students reflected on the importance of having a trusted peer and how these peers influence decision making. Students reflected on their experiences and acted out a variety of scenarios to deepen their understanding of their own decision making process. 

Listed below is a summary of the Academic and Social Emotional Lessons that will be taking place in your student's Advisory period for the upcoming week:

Monday, October 4th (Academic Lesson): Students will be given the opportunity to reflect on their current academic progress and develop a plan to receive additional support as needed. 

Thursday, October 7th (Social Emotional Lesson): Students will reflect on the importance of trust and what actions help build trust with others. Also, students will identify trusted adults they have at Yorkville High School, and how their support helps them navigate challenges that may arise. 
Digital Citizenship Tip of the Week
Parents and Students, the attached article talks about appropriate online etiquette and gives some tips and reminders to use when communicating through text. With online communication becoming more and more prevalent in our lives it is important that we remind ourselves of some of these etiquette tips.

Dean's Safety Update
We are coming to the conclusion of an exciting homecoming week. We have our Football game and Dance left for this year's Homecoming. A few reminders before we close out this week...

Please refrain from bringing in food or drink into the football game.
Please do your best to have rides available on time for when the game ends.
We ask that all students are sitting in the stands and cheering on our Fighting Foxes!

Saturday night concludes our homecoming activities with our dance. The Homecoming Dance will begin at 7:00pm and conclude at 10:00pm. No one will be admitted into the dance beyond 7:30pm unless previously scheduled with the dean's office. Please arrive with your guest, if you have one, as guests will only be allowed in with the YHS student who is bringing them. All guests must also show proof of vaccination or a negative test at the dance. 
Student Drop Off & Pick Up
Parents, please do not drop off or pick up your student on Game Farm Road. This has become a safety concern and has added to the traffic issue. Please drop off and pick up your student along the curb inside the YHS/YHSA parking lots and follow the traffic pattern. Thank you for your cooperation.
Map My Next Move Update - College & Career Center
Each year, the Counseling Department requires that all students complete the Map My Next Move survey, detailing their individual post-secondary plans. This survey allows Counselors to collaborate with students and families to support the college and career aspirations for all students. 

Post-secondary planning involves evaluating all options for students to pursue after high school graduation. These plans may include: entering the military, going straight into the workforce, attending a trade and/or vocational school, and attending a 4 year college or university. As a Counseling Department, we strive to ensure that all students have identified a post-secondary plan, and have the tools to help that plan turn into a reality. 

Post-secondary plans should be attainable, researched and have a "back-up" plan. In the event that your student is planning on attending college, that means that they should have an identified "safety" school to apply to. Safety schools are defined as those in which a particular student has a 75% chance or better of being accepted. 

Please click here to have your student complete the survey.

As of Thursday, September 30th, the Map My Next Move survey completion rate is as follows:
Class of 2022 (Seniors): 336/518; 65% completion rate
Class of 2023 (Juniors): 292/493; 59% completion rate
Class of 2024 (Sophomores): 408/517; 79% completion rate
Class of 2025 (Freshmen): 391/537; 73% completion rate
Seniors - The FAFSA Opens 10/1!
Please click here to access the presentation and materials from the FAFSA Night on 9/22/2021.
 
A couple of reminders:
1. The FAFSA does not open until October 1st. 
2. If you cannot get onto the website on October 1st, please be patient and try again.
3. The FAFSA or the FAFSA waiver are REQUIRED for graduation. If you are declining to complete the FAFSA, and your student is not attending college, please click here to complete the waiver. Once completed, please email to ksims@y115.org
 
If you would like to set up an in-person appointment with Lauren, our FAFSA representative (parents are welcome), here are the dates that she will be here this semester:
Monday, September 27
Monday, October 25
Monday, November 8
Monday, December 6
She is at YHS from 9:30-1:00 in the Library for each of the dates.
 
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our ISAC Representative, Lauren Waitt. Her contact information is below:
 
Lauren M. Waitt 
Illinois Student Assistance Commission
ISACorps Region 2 | Waubonsee Community College
(630)870-9553
Financial Aid Workshop/Open House - October 25th (ZOOM Only)
Hey, Seniors and Senior Parents! You are invited to attend YHS's Financial Aid Workshop/Open House in collaboration with the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) on Monday, October 25, 2021 from 6:00-8:00 PM via ZOOM. If you need to learn more about paying for your son or daughter's post-secondary education, or need assistance completing your FAFSA, please feel free to join the ZOOM. This event is open house style, and you may enter the ZOOM and speak with representatives any time during the event. Please contact Kendall Sims if you have any questions.

Click here for the ZOOM link. We hope to connect with you!
Hey Seniors...
To maximize your post secondary options and merit based scholarship opportunities we encourage you to take the SAT or the ACT. Please consult with our College & Career Counselor Kendall Sims at ksims@y115.org if you have any questions in regards to test options and college admissions. Senior Counseling Lessons will also showcase the testing experience to support your student's decision. Test registration dates are approaching! 

National SAT Test Dates in Early/Late Fall 2021
Test Dates:
October 2, 2021
November 6, 2021
December 4, 2021
*Go to www.collegeboard.org for test day registration information 

National ACT Test Dates in Early/Late Fall 2021
Test Dates:
October 23, 2021
December 11, 2021
*Go to www.act.org for test day registration information 

Good Luck!