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Dear York Catholic Parents/Guardians and Students,
We are four weeks away from the start of the 2020-2021 school year, and many area school districts have begun to announce tentative plans for the coming year. Through a COVID-19 Task Force made up of diocesan educators and medical professionals, the Diocese of Harrisburg has created guidance for the reopening of its schools, as well. Each diocesan school, including York Catholic, is now in the process of adapting this guidance to its local situation based on new requirements and guidance issued by Governor Tom Wolf's administration, the Pennsylvania Department of Education, the Centers for Disease Control, and the Diocese of Harrisburg. York Catholic plans to release the 2020-21 Return to Learn Plan to our families by the first week of August.
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We believe our plan needs to be as adaptable to our student and family needs as possible, as well as to the potential for the changing conditions with the COVID-19 response efforts. Despite changing conditions, York Catholic will be prepared to provide students with a comprehensive educational experience. The safety of York Catholic's students and staff has always been the #1 priority in strategic planning and decision making. Our commitment to student, staff, and community safety will not change and will continue to drive our decisions. With that said, we do feel comfortable highlighting some key points for our families prior to publishing our full and comprehensive Return to Learn Plan.
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York Catholic will maintain a preference for in-person instruction five days per week. York Catholic has also taken the initiative this summer to improve our technology infrastructure in order to livestream teachers presenting lessons each day, should a hybrid model combining in-person and online instruction become necessary. York Catholic will adopt flexible attendance options for families who, due to COVID-19 related concerns, wish to keep students at home to learn. Livestreamed classes will assist this effort. Families will receive a communication that provides details of these different modalities shortly so they may choose which approach they are most comfortable with selecting.
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Students and staff will be required to temperature screen at home each morning and report the temperature and complete the COVID screening process upon arrival at York Catholic. Students and staff with a temperature of 100.4 degrees F or higher may not attend school. Any student or staff member who is ill for any other reason should also not report to school. Students not reporting to school can still access instruction via our virtual distance learning option.
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Based on current orders from the Governor and Secretary of Health,
ALL
students and staff must wear a face covering while on school transportation, in hallways, in all classrooms, and in common areas. Students may remove face coverings when they are: eating or drinking and spaced at least 6 feet apart; engaged in activity(ies) where proper social distancing of 6 feet can be maintained.
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Classrooms will be organized to maintain a minimum of three (3) feet of distance between students (World Health Organization standard), with six feet of distance preferred (Centers for Disease Control standard).
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York Catholic employs a full-time janitorial staff to maintain the cleanliness of the school year-round. We have added additional levels to our cleaning regimen to help assure the safety of our students and staff during the coronavirus pandemic. Cleaning equipment similar to that which is used in the medical setting has been purchased (Clorox Total 360 Cleaning System eligible for use against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, based on the Environmental Protection Agency's Emerging Viral Pathogen Policy, antistatic backpack sprayers, and antistatic foggers). All air conditioners contain filters or ionizers. Desks in each classroom will be wiped down in between each class. Hand sanitizer and wipes will be available in each classroom and common areas. Protocols for cleaning and daily hygiene practices will be assessed regularly.
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Students should bring a water bottle to school each day as they will not be permitted to drink directly from school water fountains.
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York Catholic will increase lunchtime seating capacity in different parts of the building outside of the cafeteria for student safety.
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The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association will continue to issue guidance for athletics that York Catholic will follow. Off-season workouts have already begun for various sports, which are abiding by the previously published Re-entry Plan for Inter-scholastic Sports & Activities (
https://conta.cc/2Bs23d6
).
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York Catholic will work in conjunction with local and state health officials, as well as the Diocese of Harrisburg, in the event of an outbreak of COVID-19 within the school community. Possible responses will range from keeping the school fully open to a hybrid model involving in-person and online instruction to totally online instruction of livestreamed and recorded classes.
Again, these are initial highlights of a larger plan that will be released during the first week of August to our York Catholic family. While no plan can entirely remove the risk of transmission within our schools or other institutions, York Catholic's final plan will emphasize student and staff safety while also stressing the essential importance of in-person instruction for student learning, socialization, and emotional and psychological wellness. Based on public health status within our state and county, the Pennsylvania Department of Education, Department of Health, may designate a phase of reopening (Red, Yellow, Green) which may require our Return to Learn Plan to be amended. We are prepared to do so swiftly if required.
Please keep those affected by the virus in your prayers. Stay safe and enjoy the remaining weeks of summer. We look forward to seeing you soon!
Sincerely,
Katie Seufert '96
Principal
Pope Francis Prayer for Protection from Coronavirus
O Mary, you shine continuously on our journey as a sign of salvation and hope.
We entrust ourselves to you, Health of the Sick.
At the foot of the Cross you participated in Jesus' pain,
with steadfast faith.
You, Salvation of the Roman People, know what we need.
We are certain that you will provide, so that,
as you did at Cana of Galilee,
joy and feasting might return after this moment of trial.
Help us, Mother of Divine Love,
to conform ourselves to the Father's will
and to do what Jesus tells us:
He who took our sufferings upon Himself, and bore our sorrows to bring us,
through the Cross, to the joy of the Resurrection. Amen.
We seek refuge under your protection, O Holy Mother of God.
Do not despise our pleas - we who are put to the test - and deliver us from every danger,
O glorious and blessed Virgin.
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Baccalaureate & Graduation
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Provided York County stays within the green phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, York Catholic's Baccalaureate Mass and Graduation for the Class of 2020 will be held Tuesday, July 28, at 7 PM at St. Joseph Church in York.
We are blessed to have Father Daniel Richards, York Catholic Chaplain and Pastor of St. Rose of Lima Church, as the celebrant and homilist.
PA COVID-19 capacity guidelines will be observed with social distancing and mask protocol in place. The event is not open to the public and a ticket is required. Baccalaureate and Graduation will be livestreamed on the
York Catholic High School Facebook page
. You do not need a Facebook account to view the ceremonies. Families of the Class of 2020 should check their email Inbox and Spam folder for further information that was sent July 21.
Congratulations to the Class of 2020!
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All skill levels are welcome at the York Catholic Golf Tournament on Monday, September 21, at the Out Door Country Club. Check-in starts at 7:30 AM with a Shotgun Start at 8 AM.
Click here to register by September 11.
If you are interested in becoming a sponsor please click here for complete details.
For more information about the tournament, contact Laurie Moir at [email protected] or 717-846-8871.
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York Catholic High School is seeking to fill the following staff position for the 2020-2021 school year. In faith-based education, we place significant value in the cultivation of faith, mind, and heart. We take pride in partnering with our parents and the greater York Catholic community in supporting our students' scholastic and extra-curricular experiences.
Qualified candidates should demonstrate an understanding of the importance their position plays in all aspects of a student's developmental progress. Candidates must also be individuals rooted in faith, willing to support Gospel values, and willing to inspire students through their word and example to accept and live these values and teaching
Attendance Officer:
10 month position (available mid-August 2020)
York Catholic is seeking a part-time Attendance Officer. Duties include attendance and discipline database management and main office support. Requirements: High School diploma, strong interpersonal, computer, and organizational skills, state and federal clearances. Please send resume, Application for Non-Teaching Employment (see
www.yorkcatholic.org
), a copy of state and federal clearances, and letter of interest to the following:
Mrs. Sheila Gick
Office Manager
York Catholic High School
601 East Springettsbury Avenue
York, PA 17403
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Uniform Exchange
York Catholic hosts a uniform exchange to assist students who need financial assistance with uniforms. The uniform exchange will be available for trades and purchases on
Wednesday, August 5, from 5-7 PM. Walk-ins on days other than this date cannot be accommodated. If you need uniforms, bring your gently worn items for an even trade or purchase some at a reduced price: skirts $10, pants $8, sweaters $6, shirts $4. Uniforms are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Social distancing, mask protocol, and capacity guidelines will be observed.
If anyone is interested in helping with the summer uniform exchanges, please contact Heather Hoffman at
[email protected]
.
A message from FlynnO'Hara uniform supplier:
At present, we are grateful that our stores have been able to reopen safely with limited capacity, and that we are able to offer curbside pickup at the majority of locations. Additionally, we're excited to share that we have made operational adjustments that will allow us to ship online orders not only from our Philadelphia distribution center but also directly from our local retail locations.
That said, due to capacity restrictions in both our stores and warehouses, we are operating with limited staff. Additionally, as many of you know, one of the core functions of our business is the customization of products to meet our partner schools' uniform specifications. Although we are lucky that the pandemic did not greatly impact inventory availability for FlynnO'Hara, we did lose months of production time typically spent customizing products to stock our shelves for the back-to-school season.
As a result of these two factors, we are experiencing significant shipping delays on some of our orders. Currently, online orders are shipping an average 3-4 weeks from the date of purchase, though some may take up to 4-6 weeks to process and ship. We do not anticipate that this timeline will impact all orders, but wanted you to be aware of the potential delay for some customers. Finally, although the number of backorders we anticipate is extremely low - it's possible that some out-of-stock products may take up to 8-10 weeks to process and ship due to delays within our supply chain.
Please place your orders now! Click here for discount information.
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If you have not received your bus transportation information from the school district where you live, please click on the link below to print and complete your form. Please mail your form to the school district where you reside immediately. Districts are finalizing their bus capacities now and need to know if you plan to use their service. NOTE: Forms for Central, Eastern, and West York have been updated with Mrs. Seufert's signature. If you have already mailed the previous forms, you do not need to resubmit. If you have not mailed the forms yet, please use these revised versions.
Southern You will receive information from York Catholic next month
Southeastern You will receive information from York Catholic next month
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Students are reminded their Summer Reading and Math assignments are due Friday, August 28. Each current student has received information regarding their assignments. The assignments are also available on the home page of the YC website at
www.yorkcatholic.org
in the Announcements section, titled,
"Summer Assignments,"
and on the
Forms & Documents
page in the Course Related section.
Please note, an error was noted on the Incoming 8th Grade Math Assignment that has now been corrected.
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| E-books for Leisure Reading |
If students are looking for some eBook suggestions for leisure reading, Mrs. Catalanello can offer some assistance. Click here to let her know preferences and she will find eBooks that match the grade-level and interest choices.
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| Medical Requirements for Back-to-School |
Immunizations
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has established school immunization requirements for all students. The regulations are intended to ensure that children attending school in PA are adequately protected against potential outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases. A child must have the required medically-appropriate vaccines or a plan to complete those vaccines or risk exclusion from school.
Children in grades 7-12 need the following immunizations for attendance:
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4 doses of tetanus * (1 dose on or after 4
th
birthday)
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4 doses of diphtheria* (1 dose on or after 4
th
birthday)
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4 doses of acellular pertussis* (1 dose on or after 4
th
birthday)
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4 doses of polio (4
th
dose on or after 4
th
birthday and at least 6 months after previous dose given)
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2 doses of measles, mumps, and rubella (usually given as MMR)
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3 doses of hepatitis B
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2 doses of varicella (chickenpox) or evidence of immunity
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2 doses meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV)
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1
st
dose is given 11-15 years of age; a 2
nd
dose is required at age 16 or entry into 12
th
grade.
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If the dose was given at 16 years of age or older, only one dose is required.
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1 dose of tetanus, diphtheria, acellular pertussis (Tdap) - age 11 or older
* Usually given as DTaP or DTP or DT or Td
If you submitted doctor's documentation of the administration of these vaccines previously, you do not need to repeat this step unless an additional booster or immunization is needed or has been given in the past year. (Students entering grades 10, 11, & 12 - please note the dose requirements for the MCV vaccine.) All new students must submit doctor's documentation of the dates the above doses were administered to the York Catholic nurse by
August 20
. If any of the required immunizations will not be given by August 20, please click
here
for the PLAN form to detail the dates the immunizations are
scheduled to be given
.
Under Pennsylvania state law, students without the required immunizations or a plan with scheduled dates of administration on file, cannot be admitted to school.
 Incoming 11th Grade Physicals
The School Health Law of Pennsylvania requires that all children must have a medical examination upon entry into grade 11. A medical examination is also required for those children who have transferred to York into any grade from other states or from other Pennsylvania areas and who have not sent records of previous examinations. Please click
here
for the
School Physical Form to be completed by a private physician.
Return the form to the school nurse no later than August 20. Any student who does not return this form will receive a medical examination by a school physician.
 Incoming Parents - 7th Grade Dentals
The School Health Law of Pennsylvania requires that children receive a dental examination upon entry into grade 7.
Please click
here
for the
School Dental Form to be completed by a private dentist.
Return the form to the school nurse no later than August 20. Any student who does not return this form will receive a medical examination by a school dentist.
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Summer Workouts
Some York Catholic athletic teams began holding optional workouts. COVID-19 protocol will be in place at all times. Click
here
for the Re-entry Plan for Inter-scholastic Sports & Activities. Student-athletes and parents are reminded that temperatures must be taken prior to arriving for workouts and must be reported to YC personnel upon arrival for record keeping. The signed form titled Agreement & Reasonable Assumption of Risk is also required at the first workout attendance. Click
here
for the Agreement form. Masks and filled water bottles are required for each workout session. Student and staff safety is of utmost importance. We appreciate your cooperation with this protocol.
Fall Practices Open
The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) announced the plan to proceed with a fall sports season. At this time, varsity football heat acclimation is scheduled for August 10. Practices begin for all other fall sports on August 17. For exact practice times, contact the head coach or Josh Cross at [email protected] or 717-846-8871 x330. Preliminary safety plans have been approved by the York Catholic School Board and the PIAA, however, as the environment and guidelines continue to change, we will communicate the final safety protocol in early August.
Online Sports Paperwork
Students wishing to participate in athletics during the 2020-21 school year must have the following paperwork filed online at
PlanetHS.com
no later than Wednesday, August 5, at 3 PM; no exceptions.
If you have not previously played on a York Catholic athletic team, PlanetHS.com accounts must be set-up by each athlete and his or her parent. Please click
here
for the instructions on how to set-up an account. If you played on a York Catholic athletic team last year, you already have an existing account. Please use the same ID and password you used last year.
ALL athletes must upload updated paperwork to be eligible to play during the 2020-21 school year. Doctors' signatures must be dated AFTER June 1,
2020.
Click
here
to access the instructions for uploading information to PlanetHS.com. Students wishing to play a fall sport MUST verify the paperwork and ImPACT test are on file with Mr. Cross at
[email protected]
or 717-846-8871 x330 no later than Wednesday, August 5, at 3 PM.
Failure to complete the online paperwork by the deadline will mean the student will not be permitted to practice the first day of the season. For some sports, this could mean the student will not make the team.
 Physicals
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, OSS Health is conducting sports physicals in a different way this summer. Instead of having exclusive dates for each high school for all sports, Fall athletes only are encouraged to schedule a visit during regular office hours at any of their 4 locations: 1855 Powder Mill Rd in York, 1665 Roosevelt Ave in West York, 470 Eisenhower Dr in Hanover, or 856 Century Dr in Mechanicsburg. Call 717-747-8385 to schedule an appointment at the York locations or 717-747-8387 to schedule at the Hanover or Mechanicsburg locations. Cost is $15 and a legal parent/guardian should accompany the student-athlete.
Please be sure to complete the medical information online at
www.planeths.com
before arriving and only print the 2 pages indicated for the doctor to review and complete. Please click
here
for the OSS flyer for more information. Please note sports physicals may also be conducted by your private physician or at a local urgent care center. Co-payments apply. Physicals must be completed and uploaded to
www.planeths.com
no later than August 5 at 3 PM. If you have any questions, please contact Josh Cross at
[email protected]
or 717-836-8871 x330.
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The Athletic Department invites "all hands on deck" on Saturday, August 8, from 8 AM-12 PM to help prep the fields, grounds and structures for the fall season. Please bring your paint brushes, tool boxes, work gloves, and a willingness to help. Parents and YC supporters, along with seventh graders and older are needed. This is a service hours opportunity for students.
Social distancing and mask protocol will be observed.
Please click
here
to sign-up.
If you have any questions, please contact Josh Cross at
[email protected]
or 717-846-8871 x330.
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| Sports Program Publication |
The YC Athletic Booster Club (YCABC) is coordinating the sports program publication for ALL sports, which will be sold at various home games and through the YC Athletic Department. Each year, parents of seniors are offered to place a discounted ¼-page ad in the program to honor their senior student-athlete or student-musician.
Click
here
for complete information and to see a sample page from last year's program.
If businesses would like to purchase an ad, please click
here
for rates and information.
The deadline to place an ad is Wednesday, August 5, by 3 PM. Thank you for your support of the Athletic Booster Club and our students.
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 Handbook & Paperwork
The Marching Band Handbook and required paperwork are available on the YC website in the Music section of the Forms & Documents page. All required forms should already be turned in to the office. Please be sure to upload the physician-signed physical forms online by August 1. Musicians will not be permitted to participate until paperwork is uploaded. See Fall Sports Return information above for links and instructions.
New Member Band Camp
takes place July 29-30 at York Catholic from 8 AM- 4 PM. All new members should attend. Returning members are invited to attend. Bring your mask, instrument, music, lunch and a snack, refillable water bottle, hat, sunglasses, sunscreen and bug spray. Wear comfortable clothing and shoes you can march in all day.
Full Band Camp
begins August 3 and runs through August 13, Monday-Friday 8 AM-4 PM at YC.
Marching Band Uniform Fittings
All Marching Band and Colorguard members will be fitted for their uniforms July 29-30 from 8-11 AM in the Band Room.
Pictures
will be taken Friday, August 21, at 7:40 AM.
Please come prepared to be in full band uniform.
If you have any questions, you may contact Ms. Mezza at 717-846-8871 x324 or
[email protected]
.
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Thankful for all of our blessings, including our new chapel!
#YCFaith
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Previous issues of York Catholic's
Irish Eye e-newsletter can be found on the home page of the YC website at
www.yorkcatholic.org.
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York Catholic High School
601 E Springettsbury Ave
York PA 17403
717-846-8871
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Copyright © 2020. All Rights Reserved.
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