Dorothy C. York Innovation Academy

• September 26: Student Online Safety Forum 5:30-7pm @ York
• September 27: "Raise the Flags" Bucs spirit day
• October 1: Patrol Fun Day @ 3:30
• October 3: 6th Grade Health Screenings
• October 10: Accelerated Programs High School Information Night (see flyer below!)
• October 10: 7th Grade FLAQ field trip
• October 14: Non-Student Day, Family Trivia Night at Salty Shamrock to support York's TSA
• October 15: 8th Grade Finance Park field trip
• October 17: Dail Museum MYP Art/Robotics field trip
• October 18: "Pink Out" day for Breast Cancer Awareness *students wearing pink are exempt from uniform
• October 24: Conference Night & Book Fair evening hours
• October 28-30: 6th Grade Nature's Classroom Field Trip
• October 29: Magnet Choice Window opens (**Current VPK and 8th grade families - take note!)
• October 31: Fab Vocab Parade *non-uniform day for those participating, more details to come

🎉Hispanic Heritage Month: September 15-October 15 🎉

Do you follow us on Twitter (X) for updates?

Check us out @HCPS_YorkMagnet

Attention 6th grade parents! The health screening for 6th grade will be Thursday, October 3rd. Your 6th grader will have their height, weight, vision, and back (Scoliosis) checked. If you would like to have your student opt out of the scoliosis screening, sign the attached form and return to the clinic. A copy of this document will also be sent home with your student next week. Email jennifera.butler@hcps.net with questions.

Let’s “Raise the Flags” together across Tampa Bay by encouraging everyone to wear Bucs colors, red and pewter, to school each Friday before a Buccaneers home game.

Students may wear Bucs spirit shirts on the following Fridays in anticipation of the Bucs home games:

• September 20 & 27
• October 18 & 25
• November 8
• December 6

Let's see if York will get a special shout-out from the Bucs and a visit from Captain Fear and the cheerleaders for our school spirit!!

Come to our Parent Information Night to learn more about Magnet and Accelerated Course options so you are prepared for the Magnet Choice window which opens October 29th! York families of students of all ages are welcome to come learn more to prepare for the future!

Other upcoming events to learn more about Magnet options:

• If you would like to become a Community Partner or join the PTSA please take a look at the opportunities we have:

https://flpta-dyia.givebacks.com/store?limit=21&live=true

• PTSA Meeting Minutes from 9/17

https://dorothycyorkinnovationacademyptsa.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/august-20-2024-general-meeting.pdf

• Approved Treasurer's Report 9/17 (see attached photo document)
  

• Check Out our PTSA Website!!!

https://dorothycyorkinnovationacademyptsa.wordpress.com/

PTSA Fun Run Design Contest

Calling all aspiring artists and fashion designers! Draw a fun design for the Fun Run T-shirt that represents “Go for the Gold!” T-shirt color will be grey. The design can be 3 colors maximum. Submission Deadline: September 30 - return to Media Center. PTSA committee will narrow down entries and school voting will follow.

THANK YOU to our community business partners!

Hispanic Heritage month is approaching, and we would love to showcase some of our amazing students and families! If your family has a special tradition that your student would like to share or an artifact or piece of art they'd like to showcase on the morning show, please reach out to Mrs. Whalen (brooke.whalen@hcps.net) We love having student "special guests" on the show to share about their family cultures and traditions!

We are excited to announce a creative project for Hispanic Heritage Month open to both PYP and

MYP! Students will get a chance to design outfits inspired by the flags of Hispanic countries, incorporating their colors and symbols.

• Top designs from both the Primary Years Program (PYP) and Middle Years Program (MYP) will win a $25 voucher for the book fair, and the winning design will be turned into an outfit by Mr. Wright, to wear during the last week of Hispanic Heritage Month!
• Students can pick up the design forms in the Media Center.
• All submissions are due by October 4, 2024. We look forward to seeing our students' creativity!|

Our students have been participating in daily trivia questions through the morning show with prizes given daily to K-2, 3-5, & 6-8 winners! This week's trivia included geography and questions about significant individuals. Next week's questions will focus on music! Thank you to PTSA for providing the prizes!!

MYP students had some fun in the courtyard today with Mr. Lopez (DJ Lopez!) playing some great Latino & Hispanic music while kids competed in a putt-putt golf challenge. We will have some fun challenges for PYP next week for while enjoying Latino & Hispanic beats!

York Drama Club will be starting on Wednesday, October 2nd! We will meet on Wednesdays from 3:00 to 4:00. Students will play a variety of theater games and perform for family and friends!

Payments and registration can be completed through mypaymentsplus.com. The registration deadline is September 23rd, and spaces are limited. (The club has been advertised through the morning show prior to today's newsletter.) Hope to see you there!

Check out the linked Padlet for Media Center updates, contests, and resources!

York Media Center (padlet.com)

Hillsborough County Public Schools recognizes that educating children involves promoting their mental wellness as well as their academic achievement. To encourage positive mental health, all grade levels will be participating in ACT Now! class sessions with Student Services personnel (school counselors, school psychologists, and school social workers). The focus of these sessions is to define mental health, recognize concerning behaviors, learn healthy coping skills, identify trusted adults, and receive information regarding local and national resources. “ACT” in ACT Now! stands for:

A = Acknowledge signs that the student or a peer may need mental health support

C = Demonstrate Care in interactions

T = Tell a trusted adult (school personnel, parents, and others)

Presentation Topics by Grade Level

Students in grades K-3: school safety and trusted adults

Students in grades 4-5: mental health, school safety, and trusted adults

Students in grades 6-12: mental health, suicide prevention and school safety

If you do not want your child to participate in an ACT Now! session, please complete this form and return it to your child’s teacher by Sept. 27, 2024, as presentations will take place on October 1st, 2nd, and 3rd.

Links to forms pictured below:

OneDrive (sharepoint.com) (English)

OneDrive (sharepoint.com) (Spanish)

STEAMsgiving will be November 7! Stay tuned for more details to come but be sure to save the date!

Tell your friends - Families who are submitting a Magnet Choice Application during the fall window are invited to come as well! Potential Admirals are invited to an information session prior visiting the activity booths and should RSVP to brooke.whalen@hcps.net

If your child is absent, please use our online attendance reporting form instead of calling the school.

The form is linked below and can also be found on our school website.

York K-8 Attendance (office.com)

Family vacations and trips taken during the school year are considered unexcused absences, even when they are reported to the school. Per the HCPS Student Code of Conduct and Magnet Agreement, whenever a student has a total of 15 unexcused absences from school during any semester, the student will be considered habitually absent. The Student Academic Calendar is published ahead of each school year so families can coordinate trips and vacations to support attendance on school days.

York needs volunteers to assist on our upcoming visit to Junior Achievement Finance Park on Tuesday, October 15th. This is an exciting opportunity to assist students in developing financial literacy skills. Although this is an 8th grade activity, we welcome all volunteers from the York community. For information about Finance Park, visit: jatampabay.org.

Please email Joe Hardin (joe.hardin@hcps.net) if interested in volunteering. All volunteers are required to complete the HCPS Volunteer Application (if not already done this year). Volunteers will report directly to the JA Finance Park campus at 13707 N 22nd St. in Tampa, where they will check in with their driver's license and receive training before the students arrive. Volunteer times are 9:30-2:00.

The Girls' team is currently UNDEFEATED and won 27-5 against Rodgers with leading scorers Bayleigh, Mia, and Aliyah. The Boys brought home a win as well in an exciting game with a 34-31 final score! Boys' team leading scorers were Jaylen, Anthony, and Alex.

Come cheer on our teams at the following upcoming HOME games:

Girls play at 6:00pm followed by the Boys at 7:00pm.

• 9/24/25 HOME against Collins
• 10/1/24 HOME against Barrington

Upcoming: Volleyball tryouts will be October 3rd-5th from 3pm-4:30pm.

As York Innovation Academy prepares for various athletic events on and off campus, please help us maintain safety for all students and spectators by following these guidelines for our athletic events:

• All student spectators must be accompanied by an adult.

• No spectator backpacks are allowed inside the gym.

• Please do not bring food into the gym.

• There will be no re-entry for any events.

• All event entries will end at half time.

• Athletes and spectators must be off campus 10 minutes after the last game has ended.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Our students deserve the best educational experience possible. To achieve this and strengthen our foundation, we need additional funding to retain and recruit high-quality educators and support our schools. A millage referendum for HCPS schools will be on the ballot this November. To learn more about the benefits to our students and our future, please visit the overview of the Millage Referendum at www.hillsboroughschools.org/millage

#OurStudentsOurFuture #InvestingInStudents

• Anonymously submit suspicious activity (including threats) to the school using the FortifyFL website/app. FortifyFL is a suspicious activity reporting tool that allows individuals to submit tips concerning unsafe, potentially harmful, dangerous, violent, or criminal activities and threats. That information goes immediately and directly to appropriate law enforcement agencies and school officials.

Security / FortifyFL (hillsboroughschools.org) or https://getfortifyfl.com/

Click the links below for information on the electronic platforms/apps that HCPS uses. Activation letters were sent home the week of 8/19/24.

Parent Apps - Questions and Answers

https://sway.cloud.microsoft/Y0ouV3V6zXC5pKKN?ref=Link

YORK ADMIRALS STEERING FOR A CURE RELAY FOR LIFE FUNDRAISER ORDER BY 9 – Preppy Pineapple Creations

Today patrols received their badges in a ceremony led by Coach B.

We are thankful for all they do to keep our campus clean and safe!

As members of York's IB community, we honor the following values to be:

Balanced, Reflective, Inquirers, Communicators, Knowledgeable, Caring, Principled, Open-Minded, Risk-Takers, & Thinkers

6th Grade Wheel Robotics students did a build called “What Is This?” After they built and programmed it, they had to create a way to use the contraption! I’d say they did a great job! Check out one of the designs in action with this link: ImportedSegment.748106001.733577.mov

Mrs. Cooper's 8th graders are creating cards to show compassion for residents in a local nursing home as a way to connect class content (poems with themes of compassion and empathy) to our local community!

Mrs. Clark's students connected with one another this week as they celebrated "Start with Hello!' week!

A representative from the pet resource center spoke to 5th grade about pet adoption after 5th grade wrote about advocating for animals as part of their IB line of inquiry on the impacts of advocacy (key concept: responsibility.)

Ms. Crane’s TSA/robotics team and Mrs. Cajigas’ STEM Fair teams took a trip to USF’s hall of inventors to experience what it takes to invent, copyright and patent robots, ideas and inventions.

Mrs. LaMaida's class is "socking it to loneliness" as part of our "Start with Hello!" week themes to encourage students to build relationships with others.

Mrs. Strong and Mrs. Lane attended the Florida Association of IB World Schools (FLIBS) conference this week to deepen their understanding of the IB philosophy and unit planning elements!

Students in 7A Math class used Cheez-It's to grasp the relationship expressed by the equation so they can apply it to a variety of concepts.

Students in Ms. Dihel’s reading class demonstrated communication and social skills are they challenged each other in tic-tac-toe to make complete sentences using correct subject and verb agreements.

Mrs. Jinks kindergarten class wearing red to "show heart", something bright to "show their true colors", and crazy socks to "sock it to loneliness" for Start with Hello week!

Ms. Malden and Mrs. Snell class had a BLAST exploring new friendships and representing the daily themes during Start with Hello Week!

3rd graders in Mrs. Adkins’ class inquiring about electrical energy using circuit boards…Shoutout to Mrs. Lane’s husband for making this hands-on activity!

Today our 3rd grade Kindness Crew literally rolled out the red carpet! Students redeemed "kindness tickets" and enjoyed a fun welcome to school today! What a great way to start our "Unity day" of Start with Hello week and lead into the International Day of Peace (September 21) as we focus on cooperation!

This week PYP Art classes have started their Hispanic Heritage Month projects. We will explore color, lines, balance and texture, while developing new skills.🎨❤️

The kids learned about the 4 fitness components while going through several stations representing each of the components. Also, some of the classes continued to work on their volleyball skills, reviewing bumping and setting, and also learning the underhand serve.

Click below to view the PYP PE sway to see some new PE videos!

https://sway.office.com/z99BsYJBMbrdUUSM?ref=Link

https://forms.office.com/r/ExCMAG5W0F

Arrivals:

PYP (Primary Years Program) students arriving between 7:40-7:55am should report to the cafeteria to allow for teacher contracted planning time. The Student Services Team will be supervising students as they eat and assisting them as they move into classrooms. Arrivals after 7:55am can go to the cafeteria for breakfast OR go directly to class. MYP students can get breakfast from the carts located in the courtyard and will remain there until the 8:00am bell rings to enter the building.

Students are only to be dropped off in the lane closest to York's office sidewalk. For our students' safety, PLEASE DO NOT ALLOW STUDENTS TO EXIT CAR FROM THE 2nd LANE or from parking spots in front of the school as those locations require them to cross moving traffic in lane 1.

Dismissal:

It is important for cars to stay in their designated lane and not switch as it disrupts the dismissal process. Students are called to designated cones based on the order of names taken. Please be sure to enter our line by 3:15pm while our staff is still out taking names. If you arrive after 3:15pm, please be prepared to park and proceed to the office with your driver's license.

The following York policies can be found on York's website linked below:

Dorothy C. York Innovation Academy / Homepage (hillsboroughschools.org)

• Academic Integrity Policy
• Assessment Policy
• Inclusion Policy
• Language Policy
• Admissions Policy
• Uniform Policy

*Reminder that tops and bottoms should be solid color (stripes, camouflage print, and plaids do not meet dress code expectations.) Logos should be no larger than a pinky finger length unless it is the approved school logo.

Cell phones must be stored in bookbags at all times during class. Students should be not using phones during hallway transitions or in the restrooms. Students in the MYP (Middle Years Program) may use phones during the last 15 minutes of lunch as a privilege. If you need to contact your student during the school day, please call the front office and we will connect you with your child.

• Please have your student's HCPS school ID number to help expediate the sign-out process.

At York, the Middle School IB "Service as Action" expectation is that students:

• Strive to become caring members of the community
• Demonstrate a personal commitment to service
• Act to make a positive difference in the lives of others
• Make connections between classroom learning and the local or global community

6th grade: 5 hours

7th grade: 7 hours

8th grade: 10 hours

*To find more information on the required hours, types of service, and the reporting form, please visit York's website and click on the "Learn More About IB at York" button, then view "Service as Action" documents. Questions can be directed to Mrs. Whalen (brooke.whalen@hcps.net)

Dorothy C. York Innovation Academy / Homepage (hillsboroughschools.org)

York is currently an International Baccalaureate Candidate School* working towards authorization to become an IB World School. To gain insight about the IB framework and expectations of students at York, please check out the linked Padlet. It can also be found by visiting our school website and clicking "Learn more about IB at York."

International Baccalaureate Candidate School (padlet.com)

Dorothy C. York Innovation Academy is a Candidate School* for the Primary Years Programme and Middle Years Programme. This school is pursuing authorization as an IB World School. These are schools that share a common philosophy—a commitment to high quality, challenging, international education that Dorothy C. York Innovation Academy believes is important for our students. Only schools authorized by the IB Organization can offer any of its four academic programmes: the Primary Years Programme (PYP), the Middle Years Programme (MYP), the Diploma Programme, or the Career-related Programme (CP). Candidate status gives no guarantee that authorization will be granted. For further information about the IB and its programmes, visit www.ibo.org

Many guardians of Admirals have reached out to see how they can support the campus. Below are some ideas:

• Volunteer in our Media Center. Fill out the required HCPS form here: Volunteer Services / Overview (hillsboroughschools.org) and email valerie.service@hcps.net to let her know you'd like to help out!
• Donate any new or used Lego or Duplo blocks
• Donate any new or gently used uniform clothing
• Visit DonorsChoose.org and search "Dorothy C. York" and support a classroom of your choice
• Apply to be a substitute at Hillsborough County Public Schools (kellyeducationalstaffing.us)
• Visit our PTSA page at Dorothy C. York Innovation Academy PTSA - Home | Facebook

A Hillsborough County Magnet School

Website: hillsboroughschools.org/york
Location: 5995 Covington Garden Drive, Apollo Beach, FL, USA
Phone: 813-533-2400
Twitter: @HCPS_YorkMagnet