WYASD Supt First Friday 2024.12.6
December 6, 2024
Greetings, Bulldog Community:
This past Tuesday, December 3rd, the West York Area School Board held its annual Reorganization Meeting. At this meeting, Director Dan Rice was elected as Board President, and Director John Hamme was elected Vice President. I am confident that the District will be in good hands under the leadership of these two gentlemen. I’d also like to thank outgoing President Lynn Kohler for his leadership and service to West York; Director Kohler will continue to serve on the Board and provide governance along with his fellow Directors. You can learn more about our School Directors on the Board page of our website located HERE.
As we move into December and the holidays, several concerts are planned at all levels. We have a wonderful music program in West York, and our talented student musicians always put on a great show! I encourage you and your families to make plans to attend one or more of these concerts. Dates and times are available on the District website located HERE.
With winter fast approaching, I am sharing the make-up days for the 2024-25 school year. Please review the following, and if you have any questions, please follow up with your child’s building principal.
Inclement weather make-up days for 2024-25, per the District Calendar, will be handled as follows:
February 17, 2025 - Students and Staff
April 21, 2025 - Students and Staff
The next two closures, not included in the above, will be made up by teachers only in June.
The next closures, up to five, will be distance learning days for students and teachers.
Additional days beyond those noted above will be made up on the designated make-up days in June.
Please note that information regarding make-up days for a closure will be included when a cancellation notification is sent. More information about how closures and delays can be found below and on the Closings and Delays page of our website located HERE.
Whatever your holiday plans are over the coming weeks, my sincere wish for each of you is that it’s peaceful and spent in the company of loved ones.
Best regards,
Todd Davies, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
Snow days, late starts, and early closings have been used for years when Mother Nature does not cooperate with in-person school attendance. Even though this winter still seems far off, I anticipate making an evening or early morning call at some point this year to inform parents and students of a weather-related schedule change.
To prepare you and your child for inclement weather events, please note the following:
Make plans for late arrivals or early dismissals in advance. Depending on the weather event, things could happen very quickly, and families may not have much time to make childcare arrangements. Working parents are encouraged to talk to their employers in advance about these arrangements, especially if they impact their working schedule.
The decision to close schools, delay the start time, or remain open is influenced by various factors and conditions beyond just snow accumulation. Road conditions, parking lot safety, cold temperatures, and mechanical issues within our schools, such as HVAC malfunctions, all play a role in this decision-making process.
Furthermore, every school district, including the West York Area School District, has its unique conditions and considerations that also must be taken into account when making the decision to delay the start of school or close schools altogether. This means that the decision to close or remain open for a neighboring district may not necessarily be the right decision for us, and vice versa.
Rest assured that our district has dedicated staff who assess road conditions and the safety of sidewalks and paths to school before making these decisions. We heavily rely on local weather forecasts in our determination, though even those can sometimes be inaccurate.
Our foremost goal is to maintain our regular schedule as much as possible, but always with the safety of our students and staff as the top priority. We appreciate your understanding and support as we navigate these challenging weather-related decisions.
The West York Bulldog Pantry is a non-perishable food center located in the High School, open to ALL District families, regardless of financial need, from kindergarten through 12th grade. Household items are also available. Pick-up is at Door 14 at the High School near the tennis courts. For future distribution dates and times, please visit the pantry’s page on the District website.
Donations are always welcome; please contact Ms. Amanda Burt, Life Skills Teacher at the High School amburt@wyasd.org, if you'd like to donate.
Each month, from August through June, regularly scheduled meetings (Work Sessions and Voting Meetings) of the School Board are held in the Boardroom of the Administration Building. In addition to the two regular meetings, the School Board also hosts Board Committee Meetings. All are welcome to attend any of these public meetings. In-person attendance is recommended, but we also offer viewing-only attendance via Zoom during most Board meetings. Work Sessions and Voting Meetings are live-streamed on our District YouTube Channel.
We publish a monthly Board Bulletin, which summarizes the Work Session and Board Voting Meeting that occur during the month. The bulletin will be emailed to all families in the same manner you received this communication. Click here to view the November 2024 issue.
The link below provides more information about the meetings, agendas, and other information. If you have questions about meeting attendance that are not addressed here or on our website, please contact Tina Keeler at trkeeler@wyasd.org.
The District offers Golden Bulldog Passes to our West York residents 65 years of age and older. The pass admits the holder to various District events and activities, as well as home athletic events, free of charge. We welcome those eligible who do not currently have a Golden Pass to stop by our Administration Office, Monday-Friday, between the hours of 8:30 AM - 4:00 PM, to pick up one. All you need is a current ID showing your District address and date of birth. If you know of a friend, neighbor, or family member who might benefit from a Golden Pass, please share this information with them. Questions may be directed to BullDogMail@wyasd.org.