Blue & White Newsletter - 3/7/25

A standing ovation for the talented students of West York Area School District on their fantastic production of The Addams Family – A New Musical Comedy! The cast and crew brought the beloved, delightfully spooky Addams family to life with captivating performances, creative set designs, and outstanding musical numbers.

Under the guidance of their dedicated director, Ms. Deirdre Casey, and the talented production team, students poured their hearts into every scene, showcasing incredible acting, vocal, and technical talents. From the eerie yet lovable Gomez and Morticia to the quirky and charming Uncle Fester, Wednesday, and Pugsley, each character shined on stage. Complementing the on-stage performances, Mr. Rod Meckley's pit musicians delivered a stunning musical accompaniment that brought the production to life. Behind the scenes, the hardworking crew ensured flawless transitions, striking lighting effects, and impeccable sound design, all of which elevated the entire experience.

A huge congratulations to everyone involved—actors, stage crew, musicians, choreographer, and director—for months of hard work, dedication, and teamwork. Your passion and commitment to the arts truly made this show a memorable success!

For 40 years, March has been recognized as Music In Our Schools Month® (MIOSM®) by the National Association for Music Education (NAfME), celebrating the lifelong impact of music education on students.

Across our district, dedicated music educators work tirelessly to provide students with meaningful, life-changing musical experiences. While parents, administrators, and the community often witness the final performances, the true magic happens in the months of rehearsals, practice, and growth that lead up to those moments.

Our annual Music in Our Schools Concert showcases the exceptional opportunities available to our Bulldogs. In elementary school, students are introduced to a variety of musical expressions, laying the foundation for future exploration. Beginning in 4th grade, those eager to deepen their musical journey can choose to pursue instrumental or vocal pathways, fostering their passion and skills.

A special thank you to Mr. Rod Meckley (High School Band Director), Ms. Laurie Kumontis (Middle School Band Director), and Ms. Sarah Foery (Elementary Band Director) for their dedication and passion in guiding our students through the world of instrumental music. Your commitment inspires and enriches our Bulldog community!

The Music in Our Schools Concert included performances from the following ensembles:

• Middle School Sixth Grade Band
• Middle School Leader in Me Select Ensemble
• Middle School Seventh and Eighth Grade Band
• High School Jazz Band
• High School Symphonic Band

We are proud to share the following Honors Groups Members for 2024-2025:

York County Honors Band

Meredith Grigas - Flute

Isaac Lewis - Alto Saxophone

Jonah Lewis - Baritone

Tayo Shonaiya - Baritone Saxophone

Kevin Vu - Trumpet

PMEA District 7 Orchestra

Cody Kohler - Cello

PMEA District 7 Band South

Jonah Lewis - Baritone

Kevin Vu - Trumpet

Isabella Swartz (WYAMS) - Bass Clarinet

PMEA Region V Band

Kevin Vu - Trumpet

York County Middle School Honors Band (7th & 8th grade)

Caley Richards - Flute

Lena Smith - Oboe

Isabella Swartz - Clarinet

Evan Patrizio - Clarinet

Sophia Deardorff - Bass Clarinet

Savannah Morgan - Alto Saxophone

Kaleb Lewis - Trumpet

Nolan Hull - Percussion

Daily Fetch (the daily news announcements at the High School) cast members Stella Frieda, Darien Reimold, Riley Roe, Daphne McNamara, Carlee Warner, and Mr. TJ Meese attended the Creative Careers Day at the Appell Center. Students attended workshops on film props and art, stage direction, film production, and sound and light design.

Pictures below include Darien smashing a bottle prop on the floor. The bottle was made of sugar so that it can be safely shattered while creating the desired effect of shattering glass. Mr. Meese and Stella tried on the metal Wolverine claw which were authentic movie props used by Hugh Jackman in the 2017 movie, Logan.

It was an educational and exciting day!

Students across Lincolnway and Wallace Elementary Schools celebrated Read Across America with exciting activities that fostered a love for reading and creativity.

At Lincolnway Elementary, students participated in a Book Tasting, where each classroom explored four different authors and their book series. These books will now be available for checkout in the Lincolnway Media Center, encouraging students to continue their literary adventures. Additionally, Lincolnway students enjoyed a special Read-In, where they invited an adult to drop everything and share a reading experience with them.

Wallace Elementary also joined in the celebration with engaging activities throughout the week. Mrs. LaCour's first-grade class crafted Dr. Seuss hats and had a taste test of Green Eggs and Ham. The excitement grew when The Cat in the Hat made a special appearance, rapping Green Eggs and Ham for the students. The fun continued with Wacky Wednesday, as teachers dressed in playful, mismatched outfits.

On Wednesday, the entire Wallace Elementary community participated in a Green Eggs and Ham tasting. The verdict? Most students agreed—it was delicious! A heartfelt thank you to the parents who generously donated eggs for this memorable activity.

Read Across America Week was a fantastic celebration of literacy, creativity, and community, reminding students that reading can be both fun and impactful!

Last week, the Middle School held a Rise and Lead day, which provided time for the Student Lighthouse Team to meet with the Student Action Teams. Student Action Teams worked under the leadership of the Student Lighthouse Team. Ms. Shannon Carroll and Ms. Teresa Gallup spent time preparing the students to lead so everyone could be productive and maximize their time together.

Students worked collaboratively to plan and organize end-of-the-year activities. They displayed their leadership skills and made lots of progress. One activity that the students worked on organizing was Stall Day. There will be more information about this fun day coming up soon! We loved seeing our Bulldogs show off their leadership skills!

Congratulations to our West York Boys Club 5/6A boys team, 5/6A girls team, and 7/8A boys team! All three of these teams won their York/Adams Youth Basketball League (YAYBL) championships last weekend! Well done!

Our Bulldogs made us proud at the Special Olympics. Leah Spangler and Owen Gotwalt received Gold Medals for the County Competition Special Olympics in Figure Skating on Monday, February 24th at the York Ice Arena. Owen also won a Gold Medal in State Competition figure skating on Saturday, March 1st. Congratulations Leah and Owen!

Each year, the Foundation for the West York Area School District awards several scholarships. To date, the Foundation has awarded a total of $295,800 and they plan to award $70,500 in scholarships this year.

The deadline for Foundation for the West York Area School District scholarships is fast approaching. Completed scholarship applications must be received in the Counseling Office by March 25th!

Information on all scholarships can be found on the Counseling Center's webpage. High School students can find scholarship applications on the Guidance Canvas Resources Page. If you have any questions, please reach out to Ms. Gail Wildasin in the Counseling Center.

Earlier this year, students at Lincolnway Elementary and Trimmer Elementary were invited to participate in a coloring contest hosted by our local VFW Chapter. We had hundreds of submissions so thank you to everyone who shared their creativity in coloring the patriotic coloring sheets.

We are thrilled to share with you the winners from the 2025 VFW Coloring Contest. They will all be invited to one of the VFW meetings in May where they will hold their winners' ceremony. Congratulations to everyone who participated! It was quite difficult for them to decide on the winners from so many fabulous entries!

2nd Grade

• 1st Place - Gianna Forbes
• 2nd Place - Eli Elder
• 3rd Place - Grady Lankford

3rd Grade

• 1st Place - Aubrey Heiland
• 2nd Place - Westin Reeser
• 3rd Place - Naomy Martinez Aguillon

4th Grade

• 1st Place - Josephine Klunk
• 2nd Place - Phoebe Reimold
• 3rd Place - Jamarion Abney
• 4th Place - Brynlee DeRose

5th Grade

• 1st Place - Addison Elder
• 2nd Place - Adalyn Getner
• 3rd Place - Brantley Ferguson
• 4th Place - Kenneth Llewellyn

The West York Boys Basketball team has set up a fundraiser through 2 The Tee Outfitters with all of the proceeds going to Officer Duarte's family. You can use the link below to access the shirt/sweatshirt options. They include options with just West York or West York Basketball on the front and the image to the right on the back of all of the shirts/sweatshirts.

The fundraiser ends at midnight on Sunday, March 16th.

West York Area High School is hosting a Mini-THON on March 22nd from 9:00 AM - 9:00 PM. The event is for students of the High School but from 7:30 PM - 9:00 PM we invite the West York Bulldog community to come out and join in the fight against childhood cancer. We will have three food trucks - Brickers, Mac Daddy's and Kona Ice - for your dinner and snack needs. Around 8:15 PM we will gather to participate in a luminary walk where we walk and see a visual reminder of those who are currently fighting cancer, those who have won the fight, and remembering those we have lost. At the end of the walk, we will gather to reveal the grand total of what we have raised For The Kids to fight childhood cancer.

On the flyer below, you will see a QR code if you would like to donate to our event. You can scan the QR code or click on the flyer to donate. You can make a general donation to the event, or to a student's individual fundraising goal if they are signed up on Donor Drive. Our collective goal is $25,000. We hope to see the West York community come out and join us during the community time!

Spring will be here before we know it - HOPEFULLY! Actually, it will officially arrive on March 20th. In West York, that means concert time. So, check out the concert dates below and be sure to mark your calendars! Our students have been working hard and developing their musical talents. They are very excited to share their gifts with our community!

• Thursday, March 13 - MS/HS Choral Festival - Middle School Auditorium - 6:30 - 8:30 PM
• Wednesday, April 9 - TRM Beginning Band & 4th Grade Chorus Concert - 6:30 - 8:00 PM
• Thursday, April 10 - TRM Concert Band & 5th Grade Chorus Concert - 6:30 - 8:00 PM
• 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
• 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

Preschool Storytime is a great way to have your preschooler become familiar with Wallace Elementary ahead of joining us for kindergarten next year. Our last Preschool Storytime is:

• Thursday, March 13 - 10:00 - 10:30 AM - First Day Jitters

To register to attend, please click the image to the right.

For more information, call the Wallace Elementary School Office at 717-764-6869.

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!

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.

Support the fundraising efforts of the Class of 2028 while enjoying delicious food from MOD Pizza!

When: Thursday, March 20th

Where: MOD Pizza - 370 Town Center Dr., York, PA 17408

Use Code MODGIVES25 when ordering online.

The Class of 2028 appreciates your support!

Join West York Cheer and WYBC Cheer for 6 fun nights of stunting, jumps, kicks, libs and more! The focus will be on form and technique of core cheer skills. These skills will help all levels, especially Midgets who will be trying out for West York in May! We will go from beginner skills to prep and beyond.

Cheer Shoes Required.

When: Tues/Thurs – March 11 to March 27

Time: 6:00 – 7:30 PM

Where: West York High Auxiliary Gym

Cost: $60

Grades: Kindergarten – 6th Grade

For more information, please contact:

Alexus Eaton - WYBC Cheer Commissioner at 717-543-1589 or via email at wybccheer0@gmail.com

or Coach Randy via email at reriley@wyasd.org

Register at: http://wybcbulldogs.org

MARCH 7, 2025

9th/10th Grade:

Nick Tracey

For doing better in class!

11th/12th Grade:

Kayla Mooney

For being truly amazing and helpful during the concert Tuesday night!

Faculty/Staff:

Ms. Lyndsay Cirko

For being a SUPER friend and BOWLing over the students with awesome lessons!

March is here, and it's the perfect time for your student to start saving for their future with First Capital! Through our Bulldog Buck$ program at The Bulldog Branch of First Capital Federal Credit Union, we’re helping students learn valuable money management skills that will last a lifetime.

This month, as we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day and the spirit of luck, we’re offering a special promotion: When your student opens a new membership with First Capital in March, they’ll be entered to win a $25.00 gift card!

Don’t miss out—come find your pot of gold at First Capital this March and help your student start their savings journey with us! Whether they’re saving for something special, learning to budget, or gaining financial independence, the Bulldog Branch is here to guide them along the way.

But that's not all…did you know that your entire family is eligible to join First Capital Federal Credit Union? This March, why not make it a family affair and take the first step together? We can’t wait to welcome your family to the First Capital family, we would be very LUCKY to have you!

Have any questions about First Capital membership or the Bulldog Buck$ program? Stop by the Bulldog branch on Tuesdays or Wednesdays from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and talk to Lily or Kayla to learn more about the account opening process. Or feel free to reach out to School Branch Coordinator Kayla Weaver by email at kaylaw@firstcapitalfcu.com for more information.

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!

• Tuesday, March 11, EPC Meeting (5:30 PM)
• Tuesday, March 11, Work Session of the Board (7:00 PM)
• Thursday, March 13, MS/HS Choral Festival Concert (MS Auditorium 6:30 PM)
• Tuesday, March 18, Cocurricular Committee Meeting (5:30 PM)
• Tuesday, March 18, Board Voting Meeting (6:30 PM)
• Friday, March 21, Early Dismissal Marking Period 3 Ends/HS Semester 2/Term 1 Ends
• Friday, March 28, Marking Period 3 Report Cards Available in Sapphire

Make-up days for the inclement weather closures are as follows:

• For Tuesday, January 7th - the make-up day is Monday, April 21st.
• For Thursday, February 6th - the make-up day will be in June for teachers only.

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!

Seniors, this is your chance to earn some extra funds for college! If you're looking for financial

support to help pay for your higher education this fall, we've got fantastic news! First Capital Federal Credit Union and the York Chapter of Credit Unions are offering scholarships this spring to help make your college dreams a reality.

This year, First Capital will award FOUR Dennis Flickinger Honorable Scholarships (2 - $2,000 and 2 - $1,000) to deserving high school seniors in York County!

The York Chapter of Credit Unions will also provide TWO $1,000 scholarships to deserving students! So, share this post with someone you think should apply!

Applications for both can be found at this link: https://linktr.ee/firstcapitalfcu

To be eligible for the scholarships, student applicants must:

• Be a member of First Capital Federal Credit Union with an account in good standing
• Be a graduating York County high school senior
• Plan to attend an institution of higher learning full-time (accredited two or four-year degree
• program)

This is a great opportunity for all high school seniors looking to get a head start on their college funding. Take advantage of this incredible opportunity and make sure to apply before the deadlines! (First Capital: April 4, 2025; York Chapter of Credit Unions: March 7, 2025)

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.