Blue & White Newsletter - 12/20/24

The Blue & White Newsletter will pause publication during the holiday break and will return on January 10, 2025.

Wishing our entire West York Bulldog community a joyful holiday season filled with love, laughter, friends, and family!

Our holiday concerts concluded with wonderful performances at Trimmer Elementary and the High School. Guests were treated to a variety of festive songs, showcasing the incredible talents of our students and their dedicated directors. These performances are a shining example of why West York's music program continues to earn recognition as one of the Best Communities for Music Education year after year!

Congratulations to this year’s District holiday card designers, Lysone Donovan-Green (first grade) and Gabrielle Skye Interino (fifth grade)! A big thank you to all the students who submitted their stunning card designs. During the December 10th Board Meeting, Ms. Erin Holman, Assistant Superintendent, presented Lysone and Skye with a certificate and a gift of art supplies. Their beautiful cards will now join the District holiday card gallery proudly displayed in the Board Room.

Lysone and Skye were joined at the Board Meeting by their families and their Art teachers, Ms. Alyssa Daugherty and Ms. Tiffany Loucks, respectively.

At the December 10th Board Meeting, 40 students from Lincolnway Elementary, under the direction of their music teacher, Ms. Faith Wentworth, spread holiday cheer—and even some playful snowballs—to the Board and the West York community in attendance. The second graders delighted everyone with "Not Enough Snow," the third graders performed "Blanco Es El Invierno" ("White is Winter"), and together they invited the audience to join in singing "Feliz Navidad" and "We Wish You a Merry Christmas."

You can enjoy two of their songs, complete with snowballs, here:

2nd Graders - "Not Enough Snow"

3rd Graders - "Blanco Es El Invierno"

The December Bulldog Pantry distribution was a tremendous success, thanks to the incredible efforts of our volunteers and donors! This initiative provided vital support to many families within our District.

We extend heartfelt gratitude to the following contributors who made this possible:

• Toy Donations: National Honor Society, Ms. Sarah Weisser and Mr. Sean McClendon from Sheetz, and the York Area Down Syndrome Association
• Sheetz Shweetz Baskets: Donated by Ms. Sarah Weisser and Mr. Sean McClendon from Sheetz
• Cake Donation: Provided by Rise Baking Company
• Food and Monetary Contributions: St. James Lutheran Church, Shiloh Lutheran Church, Ms. Janice Peterson, Ms. Christine McKee’s class, the Hartlaub family, Central PA Food Bank, Ms. Stephanie Runkle (2020 graduate), and the district-wide food drive
• Reusable Bags: Generously donated by Ms. Mercedes Gomez-Myers, Ms. Laura Livingston, and Ms. Sheri Nace
• Produce: Supplied by York Fresh Food Farms Mobile Produce Market

A special shout-out to Mr. Jeff Ludwig (Supervisor of Building & Grounds), Mr. Aaron Harrison (High School Head Custodian), and their team for ensuring donations from our schools and the Administration Building food drive were delivered to the pantry.

Finally, a very special thanks to Ms. Amanda Burt's Life Skills Support students, who play a crucial role in running the Bulldog Pantry and packing bags for distribution. Their dedication and teamwork are deeply appreciated!

The holiday spirit was truly alive and thriving this week as students and staff celebrated in a variety of festive ways leading up to the holiday break. From the magical moment of having their Polar Express tickets punched and boarding the "train" to holiday-themed spirit days that brought out everyone’s most creative and festive attire, the joy was contagious throughout the schools. Students crafted reindeer food, made Grinch headbands and reindeer headbands, and classrooms came alive with decorations, as doors were transformed into winter wonderlands, showcasing the creativity and teamwork of students and teachers alike.

At the Administration Building, employees made Friendship Soup jars with the necessary dry ingredients and the full recipe to take home and enjoy with their families, a warm and heartening activity that emphasized the spirit of community and togetherness.

The celebrations wouldn’t have been complete without an array of delicious holiday treats that filled faculty rooms. From start to finish, this week was filled with joy, creativity, and the magic of the holiday season, leaving everyone ready to enjoy their well-deserved break with happy hearts and festive memories.

Students in Ms. Kelly Lurz's kindergarten class at Wallace Elementary have been reading variations of Gingerbread Man books this week, and comparing the characters, the repeated phrases, and the endings. They’ve also been on a gingerbread man hunt with clues they’ve left over the course of the week. They finally ended the chase today and found the gingerbread man left them some gingerbread cookies! The cookies were delicious and now know why everyone chased after them in the books!

Fourth grade students at Trimmer Elementary in Ms. Kelly McGladrie, Ms. Marsha Yanick, Ms. Sarah Fuller, and Ms. Amy Bovender's classes participated in a morning of fun today. They engaged in Polar Express activities and created homemade chocolate bombs, which they enjoyed in the afternoon! They learned how to make paper snowflakes, participated in a photobooth, played Christmas BINGO, did a Christmas Breakout Activity and a Christmas scavenger hunt. Teachers were dressed as characters from the Polar Express and students dressed in their pajamas. A fun time was had by all!

We had 12 students from our Middle School and High School, accompanied by Ms. Laurie Kumontis and Mr. Rod Meckley (MS Music Teacher/Band Director and HS Music Teacher/Band Director, respectively), audition to be in District Band South. District 7 covers York/Adams and Lancaster counties; any student in grades 7 through 12 is able to audition. Preparing to audition requires playing passages from challenging music and knowing your scales. The first picture shows all of the students who auditioned (except Kevin Vu).

The Middle School students who auditioned are: Kenzie Landis, Caley Richards, Evan Patrizio, Lena Smith, Savannah Morgan, and Bella Swartz. Bella Swartz placed 2nd in the region.

Congratulations to all of the students who worked hard in preparation for the auditions.

The following students from the High School were selected as follows:

PMEA District 7 Orchestra

Cody Kohler - cello

PMEA District 7 Band

Kevin Vu - trumpet

Jonah Lewis - euphonium

York County Honors Band

Meredith Grigas - flute

Isaac Lewis - alto saxophone

Kevin Vu - trumpet

Tayo Shonaiya - baritone saxophone

Jonah Lewis - euphonium

Ms. Kirsty Houck’s Biomedical Club at the High School shared their amazing micro pipetting skills with Ms. Amanda Burt’s LSS class, by using micro pipetting to color holiday themed pages. Students also learned how micro pipetting is used in microbiology and lab work.

The Middle School conducted their second Leader in Me Rise and Lead Day on Friday, December 13th. During this hour of time in the afternoon, students worked on the Door Decorating Contest in their homerooms. Meanwhile, the Student Lighthouse Team and Student Action Teams had their first meeting with the Adult Lighthouse Team leaders. This was a time for the adults and students to meet to learn about their action teams and begin to plan for future events. Teams also worked on generating ideas for creating a space that celebrates leadership in the physical environment of the school. This was a productive day and everyone is looking forward to more Rise and Lead Days to foster our Leader in Me habits.

Middle School students on Team Vela, guided by Ms. Amanda Snyder (Behavior Specialist), showcased their leadership and creativity by working in teams to design unique board games. From the board and pieces to the rules, every aspect was created from scratch! Once completed, students had the opportunity to teach their peers how to play their games, turning their innovative ideas into shared fun and learning.

Ms. Kelsey Sersen’s class at Lincolnway Elementary visited Keystone Kidspace and had so much fun playing, exploring, and creating!

Ms. Christine McKee's second grade class at Lincolnway Elementary also enjoyed their field trip to Keystone Kidspace, a children's museum providing interactive activities and workshops in science, technology, and the arts.

Although this year's submission didn't take home the top prize, our WY artists are true winners in our eyes! A heartfelt thank you to Sahalee Arnold, Gabby Long, Diana Khanchalian, Isabella Newcomer, Isabella Pickens, and Caroline Pritts for dedicating your time and showcasing your creativity. Your hard work, talent, and passion for art inspire us all. Your contributions not only highlight your artistic abilities but also represent the pride and spirit of West York.

We need your help! On Thursday, March 13th, Junior Achievement of South Central PA will be at the High School with their STEM Summit Program. Students will be participating in the day-long event designed to explore careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.

The goal of the STEM Summit is to inspire students to pursue an academic STEM focus in the remainder of their high school courses. After the completion of the STEM Summit, guidance counselors have a foundation to work with students on appropriate course work.

For this day to be a success, we will need volunteers to facilitate ONE of the STEM activities for the day as students rotate through your station. You do not need to have a STEM background to be a great volunteer! If we do not have these volunteer spots filled, we are in danger of not being able to run this meaningful event.

You do not have to be an approved school volunteer to help with this day. Junior Achievement will provide online training as well as on-site support to all volunteers. A light breakfast and lunch will also be available for volunteers.

Please consider volunteering and join us as we spend the day empowering and inspiring our students. Check out the following information:

• Click the STEM Summit Overview for Volunteers green bar below to learn more about volunteering
• Click the Volunteering Video green bar to see a short video about volunteering
• Click the Volunteer Registration green bar to register yourself as a volunteer

You can reach out to Shannon Baker, Senior Vice President Program Operations, at sbaker@jascpa.org if you have any specific questions.

The Class of 2027 is having an online popcorn fundraiser offering Fisher's Popcorn! This fundraiser also offers delivery of your order right to your door! Lots of options for holiday gifts! Orders can be placed now through December 23rd and should be received 3-5 days after purchase.

Scan the QR code in the image and use coupon code WY24 during checkout to link your order to their fundraising account.

West York Area Middle School is having a yummy fundraiser through Chipotle. Chipotle will donate 25% of event sales to the Middle School to benefit the Student Lighthouse Team to help offset the costs of student activities and rewards.

Details:

Chipotle - 890 Loucks Road, York, PA 17404

Wednesday, January 8th - 4:00 - 8:00 PM

Show the flyer by clicking on the image to the right or use Code H44XPN when ordering online.

With the holidays upon us and winter making it's appearance on Saturday, December 21st, now is a good time to review a few tips to ensure your holidays and travel are safe!

Click the image to the right for holiday safe tips, and click HERE for a few winter driving tips.

Thank you, Mr. Jeff Ludwig, Supervisor of Building and Grounds, for sharing this helpful safety information with us!

December 20, 2024

9th/10th Grade:

Arianna Tenuta

For doing an awesome job with the door decorations! Wonderfully done! Thank you!

11th/12th Grade:

Chasnery Romero

For doing a great job in math!

Faculty/Staff:

Ms. Shari Nace

For all of your help and support with our block 2 class this semester!

Attention Students! Do you want to get paid just for making deposits into your First Capital account? Introducing Bulldog Buck$! This is an exclusive program just for West York Area School District students. Stop into The Bulldog Branch of First Capital Federal Credit Union and pick up a Bulldog Buck$ stamp card. Once you make a deposit of $20.00 or more at the branch or at any First Capital branch, you will get one stamp. After you get 20 stamps on your card, we’ll deposit $20.00 into your account! So, bring in that cash you’ve been holding onto from Grandma or that check from your after-school job and start earning stamps today! Who doesn't like FREE money?!

Also, while the Bulldog Branch is closed for the holiday break, you can still earn stamps on your Bulldog Bucks card! Simply stop by one of First Capital's other branches—located in West York, East York, South York, or Manchester—make a deposit, and receive your stamp! Don't miss out on earning those stamps while you enjoy the holiday season!

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, December 23 - Wednesday, January 1, Holiday Break - No School
• Tuesday, December 24 - Thursday, December 26, District Offices are closed
• Tuesday, December 31, District Offices are closed

• Wednesday, January 1, District Offices are closed
• Wednesday, January 8, Marking period 2 ends/High School Semester 1/Term 2 ends
• Thursday, January 9, Professional Learning Day - No school for students
• Friday, January 10, Professional Learning Day - No school for students
• Tuesday, January 14, EPC Meeting (5:30 p.m.)
• Tuesday, January 14, Work Session of the Board (7:00 p.m.)
• Friday, January 17, Marking Period 2 Report Cards available in Sapphire
• Monday, January 20, Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday - No School/District Offices are closed
• Tuesday, January 21, Facilities Meeting (5:30 p.m.)
• Tuesday, January 21, Board Voting Meeting (6:30 p.m.)
• Thursday, January 30, HS Back to School Night (6:00 - 7:30 p.m.)

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.

Current high school juniors have the opportunity to apply for acceptance into the 2025 PA Governor's School for the Sciences program at Carnegie Mellon University. This 5-week residential program is free to those accepted, including tuition, lab fees, room and board. The application window is now open and closes on January 31, 2025.

Click the image below to see the full program flyer. You can learn more about the courses, activities, and the application process by visiting their website at www.cmu.edu/mcs/pgss.

A student's high school yearbook is a way to capture all of the amazing memories that students experience during their final years here at West York - home of the Bulldogs!

Purchasing a yearbook early in the school year assures you the best pricing, currently $75, and an item off your "To-Do List" that builds as the end of the school year approaches!

Starting November 16th, the price will be $80 - so don't miss the $75 early purchase price!

Also available now is the opportunity to place a special message/ad in the yearbook just for your child. More information on this, and all things yearbooks, can be found by visiting the West York page of Jostens website by clicking the image above.

Don't miss out on ordering your Middle School yearbook! Order your copy today and check that off your to-do list before it's too late!

Click the flyer below to visit the Jostens website and to place your order.

Back to School Vision Voucher Program

VisionCorps and PA Vision Foundation have teamed up to offer free vision examinations

and glasses to qualified families in South Central PA.

Vouchers are accepted by Vision Benefits of America (VBA) network eyecare providers.

For more information and to see if you qualify for this program,

please call VisionCorps at 717-925-7275 or email vouchers@visioncorps.net

Does your child have signs or symptoms of the flu, Covid or RSV? Did they test positive?

The recommendations are that your child stay home until they are fever free for 24 hours without medication and that they feel good enough to return to school. The CDC also recommends (it is optional) that a mask be worn for 5 days after their return if they tested positive for Covid.

Students who have been exposed to someone who tested positive for Covid do not need to stay home from school unless they come down with symptoms or test positive.

If you have any questions, please reach out to your school nurse.

Using Your Computer to Report an Absence

MUST be completed within 3 days of the absence

From the District WEBSITE Home 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

Our West York Area High School's Counseling Center compiles lists of available scholarships as our high school students prepare for their post-secondary educational plans and funding. An updated list is posted at the High School as new scholarships become available. The Counseling Center also emails each scholarship and updated bulletin directly to students' school emails.

Paper copies of scholarship applications are available to students at the Counseling Center in the waiting area.

PLEASE NOTE: The date due is very important. Students should have their applications submitted to the Counseling Center at least six days prior to the due date. This allows the Counseling Center staff sufficient time for review of the application and transcript preparation, ensuring that the application is sent out in a timely manner.

If you have any questions, please reach out to Mrs. Gail Wildasin in the Counseling Center.

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.

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:

• Belmont Summer Academy - Theatre Summer Camps
  
• Community Progress Council
• Dream Wrights Center for Community Arts
• United Way