Blue & White Newsletter - 4/12/24

This month, we will get a deeper look into the various Exploratory classes that are available to our Middle School Students. This week, we will explore Music classes. Later this month, we will then delve into PE/Health, Art, FACS, and then wrap up with our Project Lead the Way and Computer Education classes.

Ms. Laurie Kumontis' music classes at the Middle School offer a broader range of music theory, practice and teamwork. Sixth graders are exposed to basic music theory and piano performance by using the Yamaha MIE keyboard lab. They also learn more about instrument families: Strings, Brass, Woodwind, and Percussion.

In 7th grade, students are exposed to various types of music. They learn about human voice and how it functions, including opera. Students then learn about the history of Broadway musicals starting with classics by Rodgers and Hammerstein, then progressing through more modern musicals, including the very popular Phantom of the Opera.

Ms. Laurie Kumontis' 8th grade music classes learn seven songs (ensemble) with music from Africa and Latin America. They learn about the culture of where the songs originate, as well as the importance of teamwork, cooperation, participation, and focus. The world drumming curriculum was developed about 25 years ago and is taught in over 20,000 schools across America, and is also taught in non-school organizations to improve teamwork and focus.

Last month, the WY Robotics Club participated in the VEX Robotics Showcase Over Under held at Thaddeus Stevens School of Technology. The WY Robotics Club meets twice a week during Lunch & Learn. This year, they built a course like the one you see in the picture below, learned the game rules and robot parameters, and then designed, built, and tested the robots. The club is open to all students grades 9-12 who are interested in learning about the world of robotics. No prior experience with robotics is needed to join the club.

The Robotics Showcase is a precursor to the VEX Robotics Competition. WY's team is part of a new cohort of schools in central PA starting to compete in these competitions. At the Showcase, students were able to learn from some more experienced teams, including North Clarion High School who finished 2nd in the state this year! This give our students the opportunity to learn about what it takes to be a real competitor in future competitions.

Group Photo (L-R): Kritigya Shrestha, Nana Ama Nyamekye, Katherine Huang, Markeese Russell-Coll, Jarod Bradford, Ricky Bones, Jaden McFarlin, Champ (Thaddeus Stevens Mascot), Matthew Miller, Ryken Bray, Quinton Rhone, and Mr. Andrew Rafferty.

Congratulations to senior Reagan Hamilton for winning a $1500 scholarship from the York County Youth Mental Health Alliance!

Reagan is an NHS member and gifted support student who is passionate about mental health advocacy. For the past two years she has been a dedicated member of the H.O.P.E. Club and instrumental in the planning of H.O.P.E. Day. H.O.P.E. stands for "Hold On, Pain Ends," and it serves as a mental health awareness and suicide prevention organization. For the past several years, the H.O.P.E. Club has run a half-day event that highlights the importance of talking about and taking care of mental health. PSAs (Public Service Announcements) are shared on the morning announcements at the High School every day during the week of H.O.P.E. Day. The event always includes creative and collaborative activities, outdoor activities, music and art, and speeches from students and staff who generously share their own stories about mental health struggles in the hopes that their stories motivate others to reach out if they are struggling.

Reagan and NHS are looking forward to the next H.O.P.E. Day scheduled for Friday, May 10th, and working against the stigma about discussing mental health. If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health issues, please reach out to someone you trust or contact the local branch of the National Alliance on Mental Illness at 717-848-3784 or info@namiyorkadams.org.

On Monday, the students in Mrs. Kelly Murphy's first grade class at Wallace Elementary made models to show how the moon moves over the sun and we made solar eclipse hats in preparation for the BIG event!

This is a question parents often ask. We know that mornings can be challenging for adults and children alike. Sometimes we wake and might not feel our best, but once we get moving, often we find it wasn't a problem making it through the day - at work or at school.

So, here's a great reference for assisting you in determining whether to send your child to school when they have complaints of not feeling well. You can click here for a printable copy to hang on your refrigerator on family bulletin board.

After two extremely focused coding classes, our students at Trimmer Elementary earned their first #codedotorg exploratory lab with Mrs. Courtney Henry, Media Specialist! Students spent their class time applying their coding skills to independent projects and got to share their creations with their peers!

Ms. Taylor Schlemmer at Wallace Elementary loves when former students stop by to visit and read her a story they wrote themselves! She's pictured here with now 1st grader, Donna Paterni, from Mrs. Michele Balanda's class.

Nice job, Donna! Keep writing and reading stories!

Alyssa Conrad, a senior, just completed the HACC Welding course and received a certificate of completion on April 2, 2024. Alyssa learned about safety along with Stick, MIG and TIG welding throughout the semester.

Way to go, Alyssa!

Community Event: Autism Awareness

West York Area School District Administration Building

Wednesday- April 17, 2024

5:00pm - 6:00pm

The Autistic Support students and teachers at West York Area School District invite the school community to join them for an Autism Awareness Month Peer Celebration:

Meet/Read to a Therapy Dog

Bubble Center

Dance Party

Make a Sensory Balloon

Face Painting

The Multicultural Fair is an annual District-wide event where West York families unite and raise awareness of the rich culture represented in our district through the celebration of ethnic food, music, dance, art and more.

West York Area Middle School, 1700 Bannister Street

Thursday, May 2, 2024

5:30 - 7:00 p.m.

• To attend, admission is free with the donation of one or more canned goods for the Bulldog Pantry.
• To participate, bring food, cultural artifacts, photos, and displays of a country or culture. Reserve a table in advance by contacting Mrs. Gomez-Myers via email at mmmyers@wyasd.org.

We hope to see you there!

C.A.R.E. Awards Will Return Next Week

Recently, we created fresh Facebook and Instagram accounts, as shared in our March 1st newsletter. Be sure to Like/Follow us so you don't experience FOMO - Fear of Missing Out!

Click below to Like and Follow us!

At the February 20th Board Meeting, the 2024-2025 District Calendar was approved and you can access it from our website by clicking the bar below.

• Tuesday, April 16, Board Voting Meeting (6:30 p.m.)
  
• Wednesday, April 17, Bulldog Pantry Distribution (5:00 p.m.)
• Wednesday, April 17, Trimmer Beginning Band and 4th Grade Chorus Concert (6:30 p.m.)
• Thursday, April 18, Trimmer 5th Grade Band and Chorus Concert (6:30 p.m.)
• Friday, April 19, Early Dismissal
• Friday, April19, HS/MS Spring Jazz Concert @ HS (7:00 p.m.)
• Thursday, April 25, Off to Kindergarten @ Wallace (5:30 p.m.)
• Saturday, April 27th, HS Prom (6:00 p.m.)

Check out this week's issue of the Bulldog Breakdown, a weekly recap of the prior week's athletic accomplishments and lists the upcoming sporting events.

Don't miss important information on the PIAA postseason events, brackets, schedules, and how to purchase tickets! Simply click the Bulldog image to view the latest issue!

Kindergarten registration for the 2024-2025 school year is now open. We encourage families to register early. Simply click the image to the right and click on Create A New Account. Even if you already have students in West York, you will use the Create A New Account to begin the registration process for your incoming kindergarten student. Children need to be five years of age by September 1, 2024, to be eligible for kindergarten.

If you have any questions, please contact our Registration Office at 717-792-2796 extension 1216.

Are you passionate about shaping the future of our school community? Do you want to make a difference in the lives of our students? We're looking for dedicated individuals to join the PTO Board for the 2024-2025 school year!

Positions Available:

• President
• Vice President
• Assistant Treasurer

If you're interested in any of these positions or want to learn more, click the image below to fill out the volunteer form by April 30th. The May 15th meeting is a must attend (6:00 pm) at Wallace Elementary.

Let's work together to make the 2024-2025 school year the best one yet!

The Golden Bulldog Pass is available to our West York residents age 65 and older and admits the holder to various District events and activities.

• Complimentary admission to all home athletic events (excludes playoff events)
• Complimentary admission to all District concerts (most do not charge admission)
• Annual District Musical, including "Lunch and a Show" event (2024 show is fully booked)

We welcome those eligible who do not currently have a Golden Pass to stop by our Administration Office, Monday-Friday, between 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., to get your pass. All you need is a current photo ID showing your District address and date of birth.

If you know of an eligible friend, neighbor, or family member who might benefit from a Golden Bulldog Pass, please share this information with them. Questions may be directed to BullDogMail@wyasd.org.

Check out the Kids Bowl Free Program! This program is designed by bowling centers to give back to the community. We have three bowling centers in our area that are participating:

• Colony Park Lanes
• Laser Alleys
• Suburban Bowlerama

Step 1: Go to https://www.kidsbowlfree.com/all_centers.php#PA and find a center near you.

Step 2: Create an account for your family.

Step 3: Enjoy an entire summer of bowling FUN!

The Class of 2025 is holding a Commencement Bouquets fundraiser for the 2024 graduation! This is a great opportunity to have a beautiful bouquet of roses conveniently ready for you just outside the ceremony entrance! If you would like to pre-purchase a bouquet, please scan the QR Code below or click the picture to be directed to the vendor website.

Ready for some new spring/summer WY spirit wear? Here's your chance to purchase some really cool t-shirts, hoodies, shorts, and more to proudly show your Bulldog spirit!

Orders due by THIS SUNDAY, April 14th and delivered during the week of May 8th.

Full ordering details, directions, and deadlines can be found by clicking the t-shirt to the right.

Here is a fun way to support our Elementary PTO and give your family a fun day at Hershey Park with a 46% discount on park tickets, and 17% discount on parking.

TICKETS MUST BE PURCHASED BY FRIDAY, APRIL 19TH!

DON'T WAIT!

Click the image below to access the order form.

The Community Corner of our website offers families many helpful links to organizations or flyers about upcoming or ongoing community activities, clubs, and events. The information on this webpage changes frequently and those changes will be highlighted here as they occur. The latest updates are pictured below.

From our Home webpage, click on Community to access links to various organizations/community events.

Here are just some examples:

• Cub Scouts (Boys & Girls ages 5-12)
• Girl Scouts
• West York Boys Club
• YMCA of York
  
• YWCA of York

Community Resources such as:

• United Way
• Community Progress Council
• Dream Wrights Center for Community Arts