Blue & White Newsletter - 4/18/25

We are excited to announce the members of the 2025 Prom Court! These outstanding students have been recognized by their peers for their character, leadership, and school spirit.

The King and Queen will be crowned during the Prom on Saturday, April 26th, at the Outdoor Country Club. We can't wait to celebrate this special night with everyone—congratulations again to all of our Prom Court members!

(L-R): Emily Bookhamer, Jayden Hess, Nomey Khan, Owen Doolittle, Stella Friedah, Kheidan Cayenne, Moira Santos, Lane Ruppert, Maddie Webb, Donovan Reiber, Kayleigh Becker, MJ Vottero.

On Friday, April 11, 10th grader Gabrielle Long and High School English teacher Ms. Nicki Stiger read their short stories at a celebration and awards ceremony for the Writer's Eye Literary Competition at Creative York in downtown York.

Ms. Stiger's Creative Writing class visited the gallery in the fall and wrote poems and short stories about the artwork. The pieces were judged by juror Penrose Hoover, a writer, lecturer, and actor. The Writer's Eye Literary Competition links the inspiration of writers to the creative vision of artists. Participants were invited to visit Creative York and write a poem or short story in response to the featured exhibits.

We are excited to share that the following writers from West York earned awards:

• David Montouth – Honorable Mention, Grades 10–12 category, for his short story "Mythical Squid"

• Gabrielle Long – First Place, Grades 10–12 category, for her short story "Ephemeral Moments"

• Ms. Nicki Stiger – Third Place, College and Adult category, for her short story "A Detour in Time"

On Wednesday, Dr. Todd Davies, Superintendent of Schools, joined junior Lilly Perry at the annual Future Leaders of York luncheon, celebrating the student representatives in this year's program.

A junior ranked ninth in her class, Lilly exemplifies leadership and professionalism. Beyond her involvement in the Future Leaders program, she contributes to financial literacy efforts through her work at the High School’s Bulldog Branch of First Capital Federal Credit Union.

The Future Leaders of York program brings together sophomores and juniors from over twenty schools across the county, aiming to develop informed and engaged community members. Participants gain insights into local government, business, and the arts while collaborating on service projects and engaging with community leaders.

We are proud of Lilly’s dedication and look forward to her continued contributions.

Students in Ms. Amy Versailles' class at Lincolnway Elementary experienced an exciting and unforgettable hands-on learning opportunity last week as they welcomed newly hatched quail into their classroom!

Students observed the incubation process closely and eagerly awaited the arrival of the chicks. When hatching day finally came, the classroom buzzed with excitement as the tiny quail broke through their shells and entered the world.

The students were fascinated by each stage of the process—from observing the eggs under a light to see signs of life, to witnessing the chicks take their first wobbly steps. They also learned about the needs and care of baby birds, including warmth, food, and gentle handling.

In addition to the educational aspects, the experience brought plenty of smiles and joyful moments. The students loved spending time with the fluffy, energetic quail and showing their gentleness and responsibility.

Wallace Elementary’s first graders had a heartwarming visit from our neighbors at Country Meadows! They came to listen to our first grade students read. The residents kicked things off by gifting us a basket of gently used books and invited us to wear pink in honor of PRAK—Practicing Random Acts of Kindness. Both the students and residents enjoyed their reading time together.

Three West York seniors participated in and completed the Electrician Pre-Apprenticeship Program hosted by York Electrical Institute. Students met for six full-day sessions from January to April, and they learned about electrical and construction safety, component installation, Ohm's Law, conduit bending, and employability skills.

Lincolnway Elementary's Bulldog Buddies, affectionately know as the 'bigs' and the 'littles,' ended another successful year with their last meeting this week at Lincolnway! During their time together this week, they enjoyed participating in various team building activities. At the end, there were lots of tearful goodbyes!

In March, our littles spent the day at the High School with the bigs. Their day included a tour of the High School, eating lunch together, and then attending a few classes with their bigs in the afternoon. A special shout out to high school teachers Mr. Andrew Rafferty, Mr. TJ Meese, and Mr. Todd Lewis for allowing the littles to participate in their classes!

Students in Ms. Christine McKee's class at Lincolnway Elementary recently took on a fun and creative responsibility challenge—caring for their very own paper eggs!

Each student decorated a paper egg and placed it on their chair, where they were tasked with "sitting" on it throughout the day to keep it warm and safe, just like a real parent bird. The goal was to be gentle, careful, and mindful so their egg wouldn’t “crack.”

This imaginative activity helped students practice responsibility, patience, and nurturing behavior in a fun, hands-on way. As a reward for their excellent egg care, each student received a tiny chick of their very own—a special surprise that brought smiles all around!

The project was a fun way to tie into spring themes while reinforcing valuable life skills. Great job, young caregivers!

Trimmer Elementary's Math 24 Club, led by Ms. Laura Livingston and Ms. Marsha Yanick, had a successful spring session! Math 24 is a challenging card game where students use addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and quick thinking skills to manipulate numbers mentally, with all final answers equaling 24.

For the past eight weeks, over 40 students chose to practice and show off their computation skills in Trimmer's Math 24 Club. Students met over their lunch period, learned game rules, scoring, and strategies for success. In the spirit of March Madness, Trimmer's Math 24 Club held a friendly bracket competition and each lunch period declared a winner. With each passing week, it was evident that confidence was building and skills were sharpening. Ms. Livingston and Ms. Yanick even noticed congratulatory handshakes between competitors. All students who participated in Trimmer's Math 24 Club did a phenomenal job and we are super proud of them!

Participating students: Tabitha Agravante, Alexis Appnel, Theodora Asiamah, Zion Bellamy, Cecilia Blank, Kinley Boysen, Andrew Bruck, Mya Deaver, Piper Desenberg, Leonna Doolin, Addison Elder, Miles Eyer, Jordyn Fourhman, Charlie Gausmann, Alice Jones, Josephine Klunk, Brixton Kyle, Charlie LaBarca, Aaliyah-Renee LaRue, Roger Little, Ava Long, Gabriel Mansfield, Caleb McCulloch, Jude Miller, Joel Miranda, Logan Moul, Madison Mowery, Rashdan Nadvi, Andre Palmer, Jacob Patrick, Maddex Prowell, Maverick Raffensberger, Avery Ruaba, Adrian Reinoso, Luca Rimolo, Saiya Robertson, Jayden Rosado, Zainab Saeed, Sofia Scholeno, Nora Shah, Landon Shepp, Matthew Singleton, Grant Smith, Luke Steigleman, and Chloe Wesner.

Kindergarten Gem English Learner groups in Ms. Shanda Goodwin's class at Wallace Elementary are studying fruits and vegetables, how they grow, and going from the farm fields to the market. This week, they planted vegetable seeds in soil and will observe their growth in class over the next few weeks as they continue learning.

With our March spring concerts behind us, April and May bring even more opportunities to enjoy the musical talents of our students! Mark your calendars for the upcoming concert dates below and join us in celebrating their hard work. Our students are excited to share their music with the community!

• Friday, April 25 - HS/MS Spring Jazz Concert - High School Auditorium - 7:00 - 9:00 PM
• Friday, May 9 - HS Band Spring Concert - 7:00 - 9:00 PM
• Tuesday, May 13 - Cherry Lane Box Lunch Revue - 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM MS/HS Jazz Bands perform downtown at Cherry Lane
• Thursday, May 15 - MS/HS Pops Concert - Middle School Auditorium - 6:30 - 8:30 PM
• Wednesday, May 21 - MS Band Concert - Middle School Auditorium - 6:30 - 7:30 PM

We’re excited to announce our 2nd Annual Member Appreciation Event and Chicken BBQ to benefit the FirstCap Gives Back Foundation, happening next Saturday, April 26th from 10:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. at our West York Branch, located at 1601 Kenneth Road!

The FirstCap Gives Back Foundation, the charitable arm of First Capital, works to support and engage with community activities, non-profit organizations, school events, civic and youth organization. This event is just one of many ways we show our commitment to giving back to the community.

Here’s what you can look forward to:

• Chicken BBQ Dinners: Enjoy a delicious BBQ meal, complete with a baked potato, apple sauce, and a roll with butter for just $13.
• Free Paper Shredding: Safely shred up to (4) boxes of personal documents.

Don’t wait—pre-order now to secure your meal!

Scan the QR code or visit https://givebutter.com/BbbNsV to pre-order your meal today! Mark your calendars and join us for a great cause! We can’t wait to see you there!

Does your family drink soda or other canned beverages? Do you use soup or other foods with metal pull tabs? Throughout April and May, the Middle School is collecting can tabs to support the Hershey Ronald McDonald House.

This marks the seventh year our school has participated in this initiative! The Ronald McDonald House provides a comforting place for families to stay while their child receives medical care. The collected can tabs are recycled to help fund this vital service for families in need.

Please save the tabs from soda cans, soup cans, and other pull-tab containers and drop them off at the Middle School by the last day of school, May 30th.

For any questions, contact our Middle School Reading Specialist, Ms. Jill Raudensky, via email at jeraudensky@wyasd.org. Thank you for your support!

Are you a parent of a college student? If so, your child may qualify to substitute teach while on break!

An LEA (Local Education Agency) may allow a prospective teacher to serve as a substitute if the individual:

• Is currently enrolled in a Pennsylvania-approved college or university educator preparation program;
• Has completed at least 60 semester hours or equivalent; and
• Meets all statutory requirements related to clearances, citizenship, and good moral character.

The individual may teach a maximum of 20 days per school year.

For further information or questions, please contact our Human Resources Department at kljacoby@wyasd.org or 717-792-2796.

Stay abreast of the Athletic Department's weekly news with the Bulldog Breakdown, a weekly recap of the prior week's athletic accomplishments and the upcoming sporting events.

Simply click the Bulldog Breakdown bar below to view the latest issue!

• Monday, April 21, Snow Make-Up Day - School is in Session
• Thursday, April 24, Off to Kindergarten (5:30 PM for 2025-2026 kindergarten students)
• Friday, April 25, HS/MS Spring Jazz Concert (7:00 PM at the High School)
• Saturday, April 26, Prom (6:00 PM)
• Wednesday, April 30, Guide to Middle School (6:30 PM for current 5th grade students)

• Tuesday, May 13, EPC Meeting (5:00 PM)
• Tuesday, May 13, Board Meeting - Combined Work Session and Voting Meeting (7:00 PM)
• Thursday, May 15, MS/HS Choral Pops Concert (6:30 PM @ MS)
• Monday, May 19, Remake Learning Family Event (5:30 PM @ MS Cafeteria)
• Wednesday, May 21, MS Band Concert (6:30 PM)
• Monday, May 26, Memorial Day - District Closed
• Thursday, May 29, Early Dismissal
• Thursday, May 29, Graduation (7:00 PM - Tickets Required)
• Friday, May 30, Early Dismissal and Last Day of School for Students

The May Work Session and the May Board Meeting will be combined into one meeting due to the May 20th Primary Election. The meeting will take place on Tuesday, May 13th at 7:00 PM

Check out two upcoming fundraisers to benefit our West York Football Booster Club.

Purse Bingo

• Sunday, April 27th - Doors Open at 1:30 PM
• Shiloh Fire Hall
• Tickets: $25
• Contact Jess @ 223-281-4262

Exciting news! Two new opportunities were added last week to the Community Corner page on the District’s website. Be sure to check them out!

• Theatre Arts for Everyone - Summer Camps
• Healthy Kids Running Series - Age Divisions 2/3 yr. olds through 8th grade

Be sure to visit the Community Corner page to stay up to date on community events, programs, and resources available to our students and families.

The content below was in last week's issue but it bears repeating as a reminder or for anyone who may have missed it. If pertinent details of an article are changed, we will pull the article above this section and highlight any changes.

Kindergarten registration is now open for the 2025-2026 school year! If you are a West York Area School District resident and your child will be 5 years old by September 1, 2025, we invite you to begin the registration process now. Simply visit the Registration page of our website by clicking the red link bar below. On that page, click on the clipboard icon "Register a Student" to begin the registration process. Once you have completed the online registration, please call Wallace Elementary at 717-764-6869 to schedule your child's kindergarten screening appointment.

We can't wait to start meeting our newest little Bulldogs!

Check out the flyers linked below to learn about the opportunities being offered through MANTEC's free summer programs. The MFG U camps (one at York College, one at Millersville University) are for rising HS seniors. The MFG Access (in partnership with Thaddeus Stevens College at PA CareerLink in Lancaster) program is for 18-24 year olds.

Please reach out to Cindi Moses at cindi@mantec.org with any questions!

Using Your Computer to Report an Absence

MUST be completed within 3 days of the absence

From the District WEBSITE Attendance Page

➔ Scroll down to the vertical gray boxes just under the changing highlight pictures at the top of the District website's home page

➔ Click on the Attendance box

➔ Underneath Online Attendance click on Sapphire Community Portal Login

➔ On the login page put in your username and password (this must be set up prior to you using this page)

➔ On the left side is your student(s) name(s)

• If you have multiple students, please make sure you are at the correct student

➔ Under MY BACKPACK click on Student Data Forms (making sure it is the correct student)

➔ Underneath On Demand Forms click on Digital Excuse Blank

➔ Fill out the entire form and upload any doctor’s notes into this form

➔ Make sure to click on SUBMIT so your form is sent directly to the attendance secretary

Using the District App from Your Cell Phone to Report an Absence

MUST be completed within 3 days of the absence

➔ From the WYASD App Home Page, click on the More waffle icon on the right side of the screen

➔ Click on the Sapphire Portal icon on the right side of the screen

➔ Log in to Sapphire

➔ If you have multiple students, make sure you are in the correct student’s account

➔ At the bottom of the screen there is a purple circle with 3 white lines, click on the circle

➔ Click on the green circle marked Student Data Forms

➔ Underneath On Demand Forms click on Digital Excuse Blank

➔ Fill out the entire form and upload any doctor’s notes into this form

➔ Make sure to click on SUBMIT so your form is sent directly to the attendance secretary

If you are new to West York, you might be saying, "What is a Golden Bulldog Pass?" Exclusively for West York Area School District residents 65 and older, the Golden Bulldog Pass is valid for one admission to all District-sponsored events, including athletic events (excluding playoff events), fine arts events such as concerts, plays, and musicals, and special invitation-only events for senior citizens.

Our annual "Lunch and a Show" is our most popular invitation-only event and seating is limited! So, don't miss out on this and other opportunities! To learn more, please click the Golden Bulldog Pass card to the left.

Be sure to Like/Follow us on Facebook and Instagram so you don't experience FOMO - Fear of Missing Out! Simply click the images below.