Principal's Newsletter - March 12, 2021

February 19, 2021

A Message From Principal Bagdasarian

Dr. Shahe Bagdasarian

We are excited to welcome more students back as we move closer to a 'normal' learning environment here at York. While we will still have a portion of our students who are remote, our teachers will be working on different ways to pair screen-free in-person work with whole-class online instruction. The goal for all teachers is to make sure that students, regardless of whether they are in-person or remote, receive an equitable amount of attention.

Since most of our teachers have been, or soon will be, two weeks out from their second vaccination, we expect the amount of quarantine related remote teaching to decrease significantly. However, we will have instances when teachers may need to teach the whole class remotely with a supervisor. Please be assured that our goal is to have the teachers in front of their students whenever possible.

We will continue with our block schedule. Students who have their lunch periods during 4th or 5th period may come to school prior to the start of the next class (9:00 am). If a student has 1st period or 6th period lunch, they may leave school at 11:35 am. If students are at school during those periods, they should go to the Fieldhouse and use the time as a study hall.

Teachers are available by appointment from 1:00pm-3:00pm on Mondays, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. The Learning Commons and Test Make-up Center are also available to students during those times as well.

On Monday, March 15, We anticipate an increase in traffic congestion around school as more students return. Below are a few important updates and reminders.

Parents are now permitted to drop off students inside the circle drive located on Elm Park Ave.
Students may enter the building anytime after 7:10am each day.
Bike racks are available to students who choose to ride their bikes.
Students crossing St. Charles Road should only cross at the light by the football stadium. Please remind your student not cross St. Charles Road at the railroad tracks.

Thank your for your continued support!

Go Dukes!

Dr. Shahe Bagdasarian

York High School Schedule for March 2021

Update of Final Exams

We recognize the learning challenges that our students have faced throughout the 2020-21 school year. Due to the challenges surrounding virtual learning amid the coronavirus pandemic, we will not be administering final exams for 2nd semester. Our focus remains on student learning and time spent to administer traditional final exams should be used to reinforce, reteach and remediate any skills or topics that are essential for future success in high school courses.

Certain courses, such as Advanced College Project (ACP), dual credit and certification courses may require a final exam. Exceptions will be made for those courses that still require a final based exam on these special circumstances. Be advised that teachers may assign a project that culminates the experience that students have had throughout the semester. When these exceptions are made, we will no longer use a separate category for finals but rather weigh it similar to summative assessments given throughout the semester.

UPDATED: Spring Testing Plan for York High School

The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) provided updated information to all public schools on Wednesday, March 8 regarding spring state assessments. ISBE has adopted the following changes for the 2021 state assessments related to the SAT with Essay, PSAT 10, and PSAT 9 -

Omit the essay portion of the SAT (For ALL Juniors and those Seniors required to test on April 13)
Eliminate the PSAT 9 and PSAT 10 (For ALL Freshmen and Sophomore students)

As mentioned in the principal newsletter last week, junior and senior students enrolled in remote and in-person learning are required to participate in the state-mandated SAT on campus at York High School. The schedule listed below provides information for our current juniors and the particular seniors that will test on Tuesday, April 13, 2021 -

ALL Juniors in the Class of 2022 will be taking the SAT
ALL Seniors in the Class of 2021 that did NOT take the SAT in October 2020
ALL juniors and seniors that need to complete this graduation requirement have been pre-registered for this exam. No additional registration is required on behalf of the parent/guardian or student.

Details about the schedule, arrival/dismissal time, and items students should bring to testing will be shared after Spring Break.

Congratulations York Mock Trial!

The York Mock Trial club will compete this weekend, Friday and Saturday in the ISBA State competition. The team will look to continue their success this season even in such a difficult time. Members of the team include Ava Gehrke, Vanessa Bardhoshi, Ellie Kness, Charlie Scanlon, Yusrah Haswarey, Eleni Panoushis, Kevin Kelley and Sejal Reshamwala. Good luck to our students and their coaches!i

Senior Video

Seniors! We are looking for photos and video clips to add to the senior video. Take a minute to visit the link to submit items!

Intervention and Enrichment Academy- Starting March 15th!

Take advantage of student check-in times that are offered on block schedule days from 1:30-3:06PM. Students should contact individual teachers to set up an appointment.

Who can attend? Any student who has been self-certified and has been saliva tested.

Will there be food? No eating will be allowed in school.

Who will work with the students during check-in times? Students will make individual appointments with their teachers. Students send their teacher an email to arrange an appointment.

Is pre-registration required? Yes. Notify and receive confirmation from individual teachers.

Where should students go when they arrive? Check in at Door #1. Students may also use the cafeteria, commons or learning commons between 12:55 and 1:30 prior to meeting with teachers.

Transportation: A late bus will be available to take students home at 3:06 for students who participate.

If students finish prior to 3:06, they can report to the learning commons or commons and wait for school provided transportation or parent pick-up.

York Saturday Success Academy (YSSA)

York Saturday Success Academy (YSSA) sessions are offered on from 9 a.m. until noon in the York High School Learning Commons. Students who need extra academic support will receive assistance from YHS teachers during these sessions. It is also a great time to work on group projects or have room to spread out and study. All YHS students are welcome to attend. The program is designed to help students from falling behind while providing support in their academic classes. Seniors at risk of not graduating are strongly encouraged to attend.

Cannot make it this Saturday? Why not take advantage of student check-in times that are offered on block schedule days from 1:50-3:06PM. Please contact individual teachers to set up an appointment.

Who can attend? The YSSA is open to all students who need additional academic support. Students who have a D and/or F in any class are highly encouraged to attend on Saturday until their grade improves.

How can I get to school on Saturday? Transportation will be provided for students based on request.

Will there be food? No eating will be allowed in school. Students are encouraged to eat breakfast before attending YSSA.

Who will work with the students during YSSA? The YSSA will be staffed with York teachers from various academic departments. We will also have peer tutors available to work with students.

Is pre-registration required? Yes. Due to social distancing capacity may be limited each week. Pre-registration form HERE. The registration form will be shared with parents, students and staff in addition to being posted on our website. Students and parents will be responsible for signing up for this academy. Teachers are always welcome to share the link with families.

UPDATED: York Athletics Spectator Policy

The York Athletic Department has revised our spectator guidelines for the remainder of the school year. With the recent changes in guidance from the IDPH, York will allow spectators at all levels of athletics.

The information below details our spectator plan:

Athletes will be allowed two guest passes for indoor sports and three passes for outdoor sports. Some outdoor events may allow more depending on the seating capacity. These situations will be communicated by sport. Indoor capacity is 50 spectators per space.
There will be a check in area at each event for spectators. A sign in sheet or roster to verify attendance.
Spectators must follow all IDPH and IHSA Health and Safety Guidance by wearing a mask (indoor and outdoor events).
All spectators must social distance at least 6 feet.
Spectators of lower level contests will have to clear the facility prior to the varsity event to let in new spectators.
Spots will be marked, when there are bleachers or a seating area. Off campus sites may not have seating and spectator's can bring their own chairs or stand in a designated area (example: Berens or Eldridge Park).
Spectators must maintain 30 feet from both teams and the competition area.
West Suburban Conference is allowing HOME SPECTATORS ONLY! York fans will not be granted entry to away conference contests!
The York Athletic Department will stream all home competitions at the York Stadium.
To stream York games, you can create an account with NFHS for free by going to www.nfhsnetwork.com/users/sign_up.
After creating an account go to NFHSnetwork.com. Search for York High School
All spectators must demonstrate positive sportsmanship.

Thank you for your patience and cooperation.

Please contact the York Athletic Office with any questions at 630-617-2403