YOUNG SCHOLARS OF
GREATER ALLEGHENY
CHARTER SCHOOL
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News and Events
that you don't want to miss!
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Hispanic Heritage Month
Hispanic heritage month is celebrated from September 15th-October 15th. The goal of Hispanic heritage month is to make people in the USA aware of the accomplishments and contributions that were given to our country by Hispanic Americans. A Hispanic American is someone who was born in a Spanish-speaking country and then moved to the USA to live. Contributions and accomplishments help create a cultural awareness of Latino and Hispanic culture that has impacted the infrastructure of the USA and its people.
In Young Scholars of Greater Allegheny, we try our best to make sure students understand the impact that learning a new language will have on their perception of the world and also of themselves. The goal of Hispanic Heritage Month week was to have the students learn a specific Spanish country and create a craft that represented that countries culture and beliefs. Kindergarten students learned about Spain and the painter Pablo Picasso; they created a cardboard Spanish guitar based on the famous painting of Guitar. First Graders learned about Venezuela and made ponchos like they use when farming. Second Graders learned about Costa Rica and made Faroles based on their “Desfile de Faroles” to celebrate their Independence Day. Third Graders learned about Hispanic leaders that have changed American history and created posters based on the ones they enjoyed. The students got to put all their crafts in their fair and the whole school visited the exhibition on Friday at the school cafeteria. They also got to enjoy Spanish food during lunch, music in class and the Eighth Graders also got to visit the K-1 building to read to the younger students. The older students enjoyed a Spanish treat to celebrate the week.
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Discipline Office & Student Services Corner |
Greetings YGSA Families and Friends!
YSGA is in full swing as we have completed a full month of school in person. Scholars, teachers, and staff are excited to be back in person five days a week. YSGA started the year faced with a few challenges from plumbing issues, delay of uniform shirts, students required to quarantine, and not to mention, the shortages of drivers that have impacted transportation for many of our scholars in both the McKeesport and city of Pittsburgh districts. YSGA would like to extend a great big THANK YOU for your patience, support, and endurance as we worked through those unforeseen challenges. We are grateful for the many parents, guardians, family, friends, and our local fire volunteers that have stepped up volunteered and supported transportation during these times. We love that we are a school community of families! Know that YSGA values the opportunity to educate your scholar and will continue to advocate on their behalf to ensure that they receive proper means of transportation to school in order to receive a quality education.
Just a few points to keep in mind as we continue throughout the year.
Remind your scholar that they have the opportunity to learn in a new school building which brings forth new and exciting experiences. We are proud to report that YSGA’s campus(both buildings) consists of newly designed clean bathrooms for student and staff’s daily use, bright walls and well-lit hallways, clean stairwells and vibrant classrooms, new desks, and Chromebooks for each scholar. We encourage scholars to respect the space and take pride in taking care of our school and learning materials.
Riding the bus is a privilege. Scholars must stay seated, keep hands and feet to themselves and use appropriate language while on the bus. Inappropriate behaviors will not be tolerated. We want scholars to arrive at school and home safely.
MASKS must be worn on the bus and in the school building at all times. This helps us all to stay safe and remain in school.
*Uniform short sleeve shirts have arrived and long sleeves will arrive shortly. Please contact Ms. Lynn to arrange a purchase.
Together we can make this year great; everyone plays a part! Be kind, be safe and be smart!
Kelli Humphries
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HELLO YOUNG SCHOLAR FAMILY!
I wanted to share information on the differences between the flu and COVID-19 symptoms. Speak to your doctor when you or a family member is not feeling well. Remember washing hands, wearing a mask, disinfecting surfaces, and social distancing when able helps to keep us healthy!
The Flu vs. COVID-19
Cases of the seasonal flu typically spike between November and February in the U.S. According to the CDC.
Common Flu Symptoms
The seasonal flu, caused by influenza viruses, infects your nose, throat, and lungs. It’s important to know that you can spread the flu before you know you are sick, beginning one day before symptoms develop and five to seven days after becoming ill.
Common symptoms of the flu include:
- High fever
- Headache
- Muscle aches and/or joint pain
- Dry cough
- Chills
- Sore throat
- Nasal congestion
- Runny nose
- Fatigue
- Nausea or vomiting (most common in children)
Common COVID-19 Symptoms
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. It triggers what doctors call a respiratory tract infection — affecting your upper respiratory tract (sinuses, nose, and throat) and lower respiratory tract (windpipe and lungs).
After a person is exposed to the novel coronavirus, symptoms can take 2-14 days to appear. However, you may also be asymptomatic — meaning they have the virus but show no symptoms.
The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are:
- Cough
- Shortness of breath
- Fever
- Chills
- Muscle pain
- Sore throat
- Sudden loss of taste or smell
Yours in health,
Nikki Scrabis CSN
412-673-7300 x 216
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Dear Parents and Guardians:
In compliance with the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, as reauthorized in 2015 by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), Young Scholars of Greater Allegheny Charter School is attempting to identify all children within the district that may be experiencing homelessness.
The term homeless children and youth is defined as individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence. This includes individuals:
- Sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason;
- Living in a motel, hotel, trailer park, or campground due to lack of alternative adequate accommodations;
- Living in emergency or transitional shelters;
- Living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, bus or train stations, or similar settings;
- Living in substandard housing (no running water or working utilities, infestations, etc.).
Children who are experiencing homelessness may qualify for assistance with free school lunch, school supplies/materials, tutoring, and transportation so that they can remain in their school of origin throughout the duration of their homeless episode.
If you believe your child(ren) may qualify for this service, please contact me at kielbasa@ysga.org or 412-673-7300.
If your living situation changes during the school year, and you and your children become homeless, please be sure to contact the school. We will work with you so that your child(ren)’s education is disrupted as little as possible.
Lauren Kielbasa
Phone: (412) 673-7300, ext. 121
We want to ensure our families are being helped and supported in their time of need!
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Curriculum Corner with Ms. Long
Hello everyone!
I hope that everyone is enjoying the fall as much as we are here at YSGA.
One item that we are focusing on improving as a school is our fluency. When it comes to fluency, we want all of our students to be fluent in both reading and math. Luckily, fluency is something easy that you can practice at home with your students!
In Reading, this looks like students being able to read sentences or passages at a consistent pace, with an inflection of the voice and minimal errors. To increase fluency at home, have your child practice reading for 20 minutes a night. You can have your student read out loud to you, out loud to themselves, or silently to themselves. This continuous practice will help your student become a more fluent reader, and ultimately, an even better student.
In Math, fluency is the ability to know all of their basic math facts in addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division quickly. You can help your student develop these skills at home by practicing counting with household items. Flashcards are also a huge help, and they are easy to make on your own. 10 - 15 minutes of flashcard practice a night will help your student practice their basic math facts. These basic math facts are then used in future grade levels to build more complex math problems, and if your student already knows the basics, they will be ahead of the game! Contact your students' homeroom teacher if you are unsure of which facts your student should be practicing.
Reminders:
Your students' first progress reports will be available on October 8. We are not releasing paper copies of progress reports this year, but you will be able to access the report on Infinite Campus.
The end of the first quarter is November 5. Parent Conferences will be held on November 11. Mark your calendars now!
Curriculum & Instruction
Ms. Long
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Cybersecurity Awareness Month |
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Cybersecurity focuses on protecting electronic information on websites, networks, or devices from hackers. Through advanced technology and sophisticated processes, cybersecurity professionals help keep data safe and accessible. Individuals and businesses alike face cybersecurity threats.
Cybersecurity Awareness Month – observed every October – was created as a collaborative effort between government and industry to ensure every American has the resources they need to stay safer and more secure online.
Since its original inception under leadership from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the National Cyber Security Alliance, Cybersecurity Awareness Month has grown exponentially, reaching consumers, small and medium-sized businesses, corporations, educational institutions, and young people across the nation. Now in its 18th year, Cybersecurity Awareness Month continues to build momentum and impact co-led by NCSA and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency (CISA).
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STEAM
Invasion of the Japanese Knotweed!!!! Sounds like something out of a Science Fiction Book or Movie but believe it or not it's in your own
backyard. Japanese knotweed is an invasive species from Asia. It thrives in the states and can cause much damage to the environment.
The 4th graders were asked could they take this invasive species and make something useful. They rose to the challenge! Our 4th graders
learned about nonrenewable and renewable resources in ELA and Science. Our young scholars and Ms. Gibson took it one step further
and made paper using Japanese Knotweed. Keep an eye open for what our Young Scholars will do next!
Upcoming News: Young Scholars will launch its first STEAM Week on November 8-12,2021. Keep an eye for more news to come!
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Extended Day Enrichment is off to a strong start. Our scholars are participating in 11 different opportunities ranging from photography, newspaper, self-defense to art appreciation. We are looking forward to seeing what our
students do as they continue to explore and develop these skills.
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Pick-up and Drop-off Route |
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Digital Progress Report Cards: October 8
No School For Students: October 11
End of First Marking Period: November 5
Parent-Teacher Conference: November 11
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