Dorothy C. York Innovation Academy

Welcome back, Admirals! We were thrilled to see students' smiling faces back in our classrooms and are excited to see the academic & social growth that will occur during this new school year!

Our weekly newsletter is a place where you can find upcoming events and updates, along with highlights of our "Admirals in Action" as students work on the IB "Approaches to Learning" (thinking skills, research skills, social skills, communication skills, and self-management) through daily lessons.

"First Day" packets went home with a letter from our principal, Dr. Robinson, along with other important HCPS forms. Please check the emergency information card in your packet to ensure your cell phone and email are correct as York often sends important calls/texts/emails through our Parent Link system to those indicated on the emergency card.

Our theme this year is "We are the World!" It is a perfect fit as we focus on becoming "internationally minded." We will make connections between our lessons and the world around us as we study topics of global significance.

• August 20: Progress Monitoring (PM1) Reading Testing for PYP (grades 3-5) and MYP
• August 21: Progress Monitoring (PM1) Math Testing for PYP (grades 3-5) and MYP
• August 20: PTSA General Meeting @6pm in the cafeteria; Spirit Day at Panda Express from 9:30am-10pm
• August 28: School Picture Day in uniform; Spirit Night at Salty Shamrock, 4-9pm
• August 29: Germany & Switzerland trip information meeting, virtual @ 6pm * for MYP families only
• September 2: Labor Day - No School
• September 11: Patriot Day- Students may wear patriotic clothing *If NOT in patriotic clothing, students must be in uniform as it is not a "free dress" day.
• September 12: Bucs Flag Football Camp for Grades 3-5 (run through York's PE department)
• September 16: "Start with Hello" Week (more info to come from York's counselors)

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

Check us out @HCPS_YorkMagnet

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

If you would to join a Committee and help make a difference please fill out the Willingness to Serve Form:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScz7qpfdNWziFYYefPkLz5PH63XtufWb_AIvxN4tFBZEOauiQ/viewform

Orders placed during this window will arrive tentatively towards the end of September.

Parents, Guardians, and Families,

As you have probably heard, Hillsborough County Public Schools has updated to a new Student Information System (SIS) called Synergy. We understand that new parent accounts, logins, and new student sign-in/out procedures are a lot of changes, and we are here to support you.

Click the links below for information on the electronic platforms/apps that HCPS uses. Activation letters will be coming home next week.

Parent Apps - Questions and Answers

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

Connect through the form link: https://forms.office.com/r/ExCMAG5W0F

Please be mindful that clothing should not have logos or name brands larger than a "pinky finger" size, with the exception of York spirit wear.

Starting on Monday, 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.

Reminder for morning arrivals: 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.

Reminder for 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 for a quicker dismissal process.

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.

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

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

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

Some MYP student schedules may be changing as York balances classes based upon this week's enrollment and academic needs. Thank you for your flexibility.

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 reporting form, please visit York's website and click on the "Learn More About IB at York" button, then view "Service as Action" documents.

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

Join us for a virtual meeting on August 29 at 6pm to learn more about the summer 2025 Germany & Switzerland MYP trip! Scan QR code for details.

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

York’s PYP Counselors Mrs. Guggenmos and Dr. Hannett are so happy to welcome back all of our students. We are looking forward to a great year!

• First off, we’d like to welcome back all our past students and to welcome all of our new students to York. Coach’s Corner is a little resting spot in the newsletter to find out more about what is going on in the world of PYP Physical Education.
• This first week, during PE, the students got acquainted with their PE specialists and got to learn and practice classroom routines and become organized for the year to come.
• Next week we will be starting the Monique Burr Health Safety Matters curriculum. If you would not like your student to be a part of this then please print out the “opt-out” form and send it in with your student. It can be found on the York website.

Students in Ms. Casey’s 7th grade math class used their thinking, communicating, and problem-solving skills to put together a challenging picture puzzle.

Mrs. Cossum's class collaborated to create their classroom essential agreement. IB self-management skills are already showing the first week of school!

2nd grade student, Eeshan, showed what a knowledgeable communicator he is this week on the morning show! He represented his family's culture and spoke to the school about India's Independence Day on August 15. Way to go, Eeshan!

Mrs. Luchies and Mrs.Innocenti's classroom family worked together on a STEM paper chain challenge. Students used their ATL skills of Communication, Thinking and Self-Management while they worked and then reflected on their experiences.

Mrs. Bello’s 2nd grade class did an activity that worked on their communication skills! The communicator had to give their team details about a design of pattern blocks using only their words and the group had to recreate the design. We learned how important communication is. Each team showed teamwork and determination. Way to go Admirals!

Mrs. Gratt's kindergarten class practiced communication and thinking skills as they participated in STEM bin activity rotations.

Mrs. Jones's 4th graders jumped into the IB unit as "We Organize Ourselves" and the Lego robotics kits.

Mrs Smart & Mrs Crouch had a special ceremony to kick off their first IB Unit “Who We Are.”

Second graders used creative thinking skills to create bracelets for the second day of school!

Mrs. Mann & Mrs. Lee’s classes demonstrated many ATL skills as they challenged each other in “Coordinate Plane” Battleship!

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